Quick connect assembly and retaining member for use therein

{
  "publication_number": "US11441610B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Quick connect assembly and retaining member for use therein",
  "abstract": "A quick connect assembly and a retaining member for use in a vehicle. The quick connect assembly includes a first splined member (712) drivingly connected to at least a portion of a second splined member (740). Circumferentially extending along at least a portion of an inner surface (718) of the first splined member is a first splined member retaining member groove (738). The second splined member includes a second splined member retaining member groove (758) circumferentially extending along at least a portion of an outer surface of the second splined member. The second splined member retaining member groove in the second splined member is complementary to and aligned with the first splined member retaining member groove in the first splined member. At least a portion of a retaining member (760) is received and/or retained within at least a portion of the first and second splined member retaining member grooves in the first and second splined members.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A quick connect assembly, comprising: a first splined member; wherein a first splined member retaining member groove circumferentially extends along at least a portion of an inner surface of said first splined member; a second splined member; wherein a second splined member retaining member groove circumferentially extends along at least a portion of an outer surface of said second splined member; wherein the first splined member retaining groove is both at least partially axially offset from and at least partially overlapping with said second splined member retaining groove to provide a gap between said outermost surface adjacent the first side of the first splined member retaining member groove and the second splined member retaining member groove, a retaining member; wherein an innermost surface of a body portion of said retaining member has a first arcuate portion having a first end and a second end; wherein an outermost surface of said body portion of said retaining member has a second arcuate portion having a first end and a second end; wherein a first side of said body portion of said retaining member has a first substantially flat portion having a first end and a second end and wherein a second side of said body portion of said retaining member has a second substantially flat portion having a first end and a second end; wherein said first end of said first arcuate portion of said body portion of said retaining member is directly connected to said first end of said first substantially flat portion of said retaining member and said second end of said first arcuate portion is directly connected to a first end of said second substantially flat portion of said retaining member; wherein said first end of said second arcuate portion of said body portion of said retaining member is directly connected to said second end of said first substantially flat portion of said retaining member and said second end of said arcuate portion is directly connected to a second end of said second substantially flat portion of said retaining member; and wherein at least a portion of said retaining member is received and/or retained within at least a portion of said first splined member retaining member groove and said second splined member retaining member groove.",
    "2. The quick connect assembly of claim 1, wherein said first splined member retaining member groove has a first end portion and a second end portion; wherein said second end portion of said first splined member retaining member groove has a decreasing diameter portion having a first end and as second end; and wherein said decreasing diameter portion of said first splined member retaining member groove has a diameter that decreases from said first end to said second end of said decreasing diameter portion.",
    "3. The quick connect assembly of claim 1, wherein said second splined member further comprises a second splined member sealing member groove; wherein said second splined member sealing member groove circumferentially extends along at least a portion of said outer surface of said second reduced diameter portion of said second splined member; wherein said second splined member sealing member groove is disposed directly adjacent to said second splined member retaining member groove in said outer surface of said second splined member; and wherein said second splined member sealing member groove is of a size and shape to receive and/or retain at least a portion of a second sealing member.",
    "4. The quick connect assembly of claim 1, wherein said body portion of said retaining member has a plurality of interconnected radiused portions forming said body portion of said retaining member.",
    "5. The quick connect assembly of claim 1, wherein said retaining member further comprises a first radiused portion, a second radiused portion, a third radiused portion, a fourth radiused portion, a fifth radiused portion, a sixth radiused portion, a seventh radiused portion, an eighth radiused portion, a ninth radiused portion, a tenth radiused portion and an eleventh radiused portion; wherein said first, second third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh radiused portions are interconnected forming said body portion of said retaining member; wherein said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth and 11 radiused portions of said retaining member have a radius R 1, R 2, R 3, R 4, R 5, R 6, R 7, R 8, R 9, R 10 and R 11 respectively; and wherein said radius R 1 is substantially equal to said radius R 11, said radius R 2 is substantially equal to said radius R 10, said radius R 3 is substantially equal to said radius R 9, said radius R 4 is substantially equal to said radius R 8, and said radius R 5 is substantially equal to said radius R 7.",
    "6. The quick connect assembly of claim 1, wherein said first and second substantially flat portions of said body portion of said retaining member bilaterally truncate said body portion of said retaining member.",
    "7. The quick connect assembly of claim 1, wherein said first substantially flat portion of said first side of said body portion of said retaining member is not parallel to said second substantially flat portion of said second side of said body portion of said retaining member.",
    "8. The quick connect assembly of claim 1, wherein said first substantially flat portion of said first side of said body portion of said retaining member extends at an angle relative to an axial center-line axis ACA 1 of said body portion of said retaining member toward a radial center-line axis RCA 1 of said body portion of said retaining member providing a gap between a substantially vertical wall of the second splined member retaining member groove and an outer surface of said retaining member; and wherein said second substantially flat portion of said second side of said body portion of said retaining member extends at an angle relative to said axial center-line axis ACA 1 of said body portion of said retaining member toward said radial center-line axis RCA 1 of said body portion of said retaining member.",
    "9. The quick connect assembly of claim 8, wherein said angle that said first substantially flat portion of said retaining member extends is substantially equal to said angle that said second substantially flat portion of said retaining member extends.",
    "10. The quick connect assembly of claim 1, wherein said first substantially flat portion of said retaining member has a length that is substantially equal to a length of said second substantially flat portion of said retaining member; and/or wherein said first arcuate portion of said retaining member has a length that is less than, greater than, or substantially equal to a length of said second arcuate portion of said retaining member.",
    "11. The quick connect assembly of claim 1, wherein said body portion of said retaining member has a substantially trapezoidal cross-sectional shape or a substantially squircle cross-sectional shape.",
    "12. A quick connect assembly, comprising: a first splined member having a first splined member retaining member groove; a second splined member having a second splined member retaining member groove; a retaining member, comprising: a body portion having an innermost surface, an outermost surface, a first side and a second side; wherein said innermost surface of said body portion of said retaining member has a first arcuate portion having a first end and a second end; wherein said outermost surface of said body portion of said retaining member has a second arcuate portion having a first end and a second end; wherein said first side of said body portion of said retaining member has a first substantially flat portion having a first end and a second end; wherein said second side of said body portion of said retaining member has a second substantially flat portion having a first end and a second end; and wherein said first end of said first arcuate portion of said body portion of said retaining member is directly connected to said first end of said first substantially flat portion of said retaining member and said second end of said first arcuate portion is directly connected to a first end of said second substantially flat portion of said retaining member; and wherein said first end of said second arcuate portion of said body portion of said retaining member is directly connected to said second end of said first substantially flat portion of said retaining member and said second end of said arcuate portion is directly connected to a second end of said second substantially flat portion of said retaining member, wherein said outermost surface adjacent the second side is in selective contact with a decreased diameter portion of the first splined member retaining member groove and a gap extends between said outermost surface adjacent the first side of the first splined member retaining member groove and the second splined member retaining member groove; wherein said first splined member retaining member groove is not symmetrical with said second splined member retaining member groove across an intersection of said first splined member and said second splined member.",
    "13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said first and second substantially flat portions of said body portion of said retaining member bilaterally truncate said body portion of said retaining member.",
    "14. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said first substantially flat portion of said first side of said body portion of said retaining member is not parallel to said second substantially flat portion of said second side of said body portion of said retaining member.",
    "15. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said first substantially flat portion of said first side of said body portion of said retaining member extends at an angle relative to an axial center-line axis ACA 1 of said body portion of said retaining member toward a radial center-line axis RCA 1 of said body portion of said retaining member; and wherein said second substantially flat portion of said second side of said body portion of said retaining member extends at an angle relative to said axial center-line axis ACA 1 of said body portion of said retaining member toward said radial center-line axis RCA 1 of said body portion of said retaining member.",
    "16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein said angle that said first substantially flat portion of said retaining member extends is substantially equal to said angle that said second substantially flat portion of said retaining member extends.",
    "17. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said first substantially flat portion of said retaining member has a length that is substantially equal to a length of said second substantially flat portion of said retaining member; and/or wherein said first arcuate portion of said retaining member has a length that is less than, greater than, or substantially equal to a length of said second arcuate portion of said retaining member.",
    "18. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said body portion of said retaining member has a substantially trapezoidal cross-sectional shape or a substantially squircle cross-sectional shape.",
    "19. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said body portion of said retaining member has a plurality of interconnected radiused portions forming said body portion of said retaining member.",
    "20. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said retaining member further comprises a first radiused portion, a second radiused portion, a third radiused portion, a fourth radiused portion, a fifth radiused portion, a sixth radiused portion, a seventh radiused portion, an eighth radiused portion, a ninth radiused portion, a tenth radiused portion and an eleventh radiused portion; wherein said first, second third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh radiused portions are interconnected forming said body portion of said retaining member; wherein said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth and 11 radiused portions of said retaining member have a radius R 1, R 2, R 3, R 4, R 5, R 6, R 7, R 8, R 9, R 10 and R 11 respectively; wherein said radius R 1 is substantially equal to said radius R 11, said radius R 2 is substantially equal to said radius R 10, said radius R 3 is substantially equal to said radius R 9, said radius R 4 is substantially equal to said radius R 8, and said radius R 5 is substantially equal to said radius R 7."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates to a quick connect assembly and a retaining member for axially securing a first splined member to a second splined member of the quick connect assembly.\n\nA vehicle drive-line is used to transmit an amount of rotational power generated by a source of rotational energy, such as but not limited to an engine, to one or more wheels of the vehicle. Given the different heights of the various components of the vehicle drive-line, one or more joint assemblies may be used. Additionally, the one or more joint assemblies of the vehicle drive-line allow for the transfer of an amount of rotational power from one drive-line component to another where one or both of the drive-line components have a variable height. In order to connect the ends of the drive-line components to the ends of the one or more joint assemblies, a male splined member is meshingly engaged with a female splined member. Typically, snap-rings are used in order to axially restrain the male splined member to the female splined member. Conventional snap-rings have a circular cross-sectional shape. During dis-assembly of the male splined member from the female splined member, the conventional circular snap-ring “binds-up” with a portion of a snap-ring groove in the male splined member thereby preventing the snap-ring from fully retracting within the snap-ring groove. This prevents the male splined member from being dis-assembled of the female splined member which prevents the various driveline components of the vehicle drive-line from being serviced and/or replaced by service personnel.",
  "cpc": [
    "F16D 1/116",
    "F16B 21/18",
    "F16D 2001/103",
    "Y10T 403/7033"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "F16B 21/18",
    "F16D 1/10",
    "F16D 1/116"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "DANA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GROUP"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "FEICHTER MARC T",
    "HORVATH MICHAEL J",
    "LUONG BAO T",
    "SCHARF MICHAEL J"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2018-07-06",
  "publication_date": "2022-09-13",
  "grant_date": "2022-09-13",
  "priority_date": "2017-07-07",
  "application_number": "US-201816622965-A",
  "family_id": "63036381",
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}