US 11,788,621 B2
Piston assembly formed of interlocking piston members
Michael J. Vandervort, Reynoldsville, PA (US); Raymond J. Clark, Jr., Brockport, PA (US); and Joshua J. Shelander, St Marys, PA (US)
Assigned to American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc., Detroit, MI (US)
Filed by AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC., Detroit, MI (US)
Filed on Oct. 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/972,042.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/263,830, filed on Nov. 10, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0144321 A1, May 11, 2023
Int. Cl. F16F 9/32 (2006.01); F16J 1/00 (2006.01); F16F 9/34 (2006.01)
CPC F16J 1/005 (2013.01) [F16F 9/3214 (2013.01); F16F 9/3405 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A piston assembly comprising:
a pair of piston members (12, 14), each piston (12, 14) member having a central hub (20), an outer rim (22), a plurality of vent apertures (24) and a set of locking features (26), the central hub (20) defining a rod aperture (30), the outer rim (22) being disposed concentrically about the central hub (20), the vent apertures (24) being disposed radially between the outer rim (22) and the central hub (20), the set of locking features (26) including a plurality of projections (40) and a plurality of recesses (42), the projections (40) extending from an axial end surface (50) of the central hub (20) and being spaced apart from one another about the rod aperture (30), each of the projections (40) being formed along a projection axis (56) that extends radially from a center axis (54) along which the rod aperture (30) is formed, each of the projections (40) intersecting the rod aperture (30), each of the projections (40) having a pair of opposite side walls (60) and an end wall (62) that connects the side walls (60) to one another on a side of the projection (40) that is opposite the rod aperture (30), the recesses (42) extending through the axial end surface (50) and into of the central hub (20) and being spaced apart from one another about the rod aperture (30), each of the recesses (42) being formed along a recess axis (76) that extends radially from the center axis (54), each of the recesses (42) intersecting the rod aperture (30), each of the recesses (42) having a pair of opposite side walls (80) and an end wall (82) that connects the side walls (80) of the recess to one another on a side of the recess (42) that is opposite the rod aperture (30), wherein the projections (40) on each piston member (12, 14) are received into and are frictionally engaged with a corresponding one of the recesses (42) formed on the other one of the piston members (12, 14) to thereby secure the piston members (12, 14) to one another.