TOLERANCE RING WITH EDGE BUMP DIFFERENCE

摘要

A novel tolerance ring includes a hollow cylindrical body defining a longitudinal axis that passes axially through its center. The hollow cylindrical body includes first and second longitudinal edges that define a circumferential gap. A plurality of bumps protrude radially from the hollow cylindrical body, and consists of a plurality of gap-adjacent bumps and a plurality of non-gap-adjacent bumps. At least one of the plurality of bumps is circumferentially between the gap and each of the non-gap-adjacent bumps. None of the plurality of bumps is circumferentially between the gap and each of the gap-adjacent bumps. Structure is disclosed to increase an otherwise lower average radial compressive stiffness of the gap-adjacent bumps to become more similar to an average radial stiffness of the non-gap-adjacent bumps.

主权项

1. A tolerance ring comprising:
a hollow cylindrical body defining a longitudinal axis that passes axially through its center; a circumferential gap that divides the hollow cylindrical body so that the hollow cylindrical body includes first and second longitudinal edges that define the circumferential gap; a plurality of bumps that protrude radially from the hollow cylindrical body, there being no bump that protrudes radially from the hollow cylindrical body that is not included in the plurality of bumps, the plurality of bumps consisting of a plurality of gap-adjacent bumps and a plurality of non-gap-adjacent bumps, there being at least one of the plurality of bumps circumferentially between the gap and each of the non-gap-adjacent bumps, there being none of the plurality of bumps circumferentially between the gap and each of the gap-adjacent bumps; wherein each of the plurality of bumps defines a bump cross-sectional profile along a radial cross-section, the bump cross-sectional profile including a central plateau of approximately constant radial protrusion from the hollow cylindrical body, and wherein an average span of the central plateaus of the gap-adjacent bumps is more than an average span of the central plateaus of the non-gap-adjacent bumps.