Arrangement for connecting a rod end to a headed pin and method of manufacture

Abstract

An arrangement and method of manufacture for providing a connection between one end of a control rod and a headed pin includes a hard plastic housing having a pin receiving cavity defined therein, the housing overmolded over the rod end and a soft elastomeric vibration isolator to hold the same together without assembly clearances or subjecting the vibration isolator to direct pressure from the pin to avoid excessive lash in the connection. Retention prongs are integrally molded and configured to engage the head of the pin when inserted in the cavity to be deflected to allow assembly and thereafter resist extraction, with the insertion forces much lower than the extraction force.

1 . An arrangement for connecting a one end of a control rod to a headed pin to enable driving of said pin by motion of said control rod, in combination with said control rod and said headed pin, comprising: 
 a housing made of a hard plastic and defining a pin receiving cavity, with one or more retention features projecting into said cavity and engaging said headed pin when inserted therein so as to be retained therein;    a vibration isolator made of an elastic material softer than said housing, said vibration isolator fit over said one end of said control rod; and    said housing overmolded onto said vibration isolator join together said housing, said one end of said rod, and said vibration isolator.    
     
     
         2 . (canceled)  
     
     
         3 . (canceled)  
     
     
         4 . (canceled)  
     
     
         5 . The arrangement according to  claim 1  wherein said one end of said rod has a groove formed therein, and said vibration isolator is fit into said groove, and said housing overmolded onto an annular feature formed on the exterior of said vibration isolator.  
     
     
         6 . The arrangement according to  claim 5  wherein said vibration isolator has a wall thickness on the order of one millimeter.  
     
     
         7 . (canceled)  
     
     
         8 . (canceled)  
     
     
         9 . (canceled)  
     
     
         10 . The arrangement according to  claim 1  wherein said one or more retention features comprise one or more prongs projecting into said cavity and having radially deflectable portions able to be deflected by a headed portion on said pin and allow passage into said cavity, said head of said pin after passage into said cavity.  
     
     
         11 . The arrangement according to  claim 10  wherein said prongs are each formed with an axially extending base wall radially spaced from a core structure portion and also having a lip, projecting inwardly from said wall, and having a sloping under surface to be engaged by said head on said pin to cause said radial deflection of said associated prong, and a flat surface engaging said head after said pin head has been inserted past said prongs to retain said pin in said cavity.  
     
     
         12 . The arrangement according to  claim 1  further including a web integrally molded into said housing extending over said cavity on one side to prevent insertion of said pin from said one side.  
     
     
         13 . A method of constructing a driving connection between one end of a control rod and a headed pin, comprising the steps of: 
 molding a hard plastic housing to extend over said one end of said control rod;    forming a cavity in our within said housing offset from said one end of said rod and configured to receive said headed pin;    forming at least one feature within said cavity engaging said headed pin upon insertion therein to retain the same;    interposing an elastomeric vibration isolator softer than said hard plastic housing between said hard plastic housing defining said cavity and said one end of said rod and overmolding said housing onto said vibration isolator when molding said housing to thereby join together said housing, said one end of said rod and said vibration isolator.    
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein said step of forming said cavity is included in the step of molding said housing.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14  further including the steps of locating said vibration isolator on said one end of said rod and overmolding said housing over said vibration isolator on said rod.  
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15  further including the step of molding said vibration isolator as a tubular structure disposed over said one end of said rod prior to overmolding said housing onto said vibration isolator.  
     
     
         17 . (canceled)  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16  wherein in said step of molding said vibration isolator to said one end of said rod, said vibration isolator is formed with a thin wall on the order of one millimeter in thickness.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein said step of forming at least one retention feature comprises the step of molding a plurality of integral prongs in said hard plastic housing extending radially inward into said cavity configured to engage a head portion of said pin and be deflected radially outward thereby to allow passage of said head portion and to thereafter engage said head portion to retain the same in said cavity.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19  wherein said prong molding step includes forming a sloping under surface on said prongs to aid in producing radial outward deflection by passage of said pin head portion, and a flat surface on the end thereof engaging said pin head portion to resist extraction whereby a much greater force is required for extraction than for insertion of said pin.