US Patent 7214135 Drive shaft having a damper insert

A damper insert for assembly in a tubular drive shaft of a motor vehicle includes a tubular sleeve, a helically wound, resiliently deformable wiper secured to the sleeve, and a corrugated winding secured to the sleeve. The wiper includes an arch that spans mutually spaced supports. The damper insert is sized to fit in the bore of the drive shaft such that the arch frictionally engages the surface of the bore and secures the insert in place within the shaft with a resilient press fit. The arch projects radially outward toward the bore beyond the radially outer surface of the winding.