GB2151297A

GB2151297A - Ball-and-Socket Joint, Particularly for Mounting a Clutch Release Lever for Vehicle Clutches

Info

Publication number: GB2151297A
Application number: GB08429844A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Norbert Loser; Leopold Tilgner; Bernd Kottwitz
Original assignee: SKF Kugellagerfabriken GmbH
Current assignee: SKF GmbH
Priority date: 1983-12-05
Filing date: 1984-11-26
Publication date: 1985-07-17
Also published as: GB8429844D0; FR2556059A1; GB2151297B

Abstract

A ball-and-socket joint, particularly for mounting a clutch release lever for vehicle clutches, has a socket (1) of plastics material formed with a sleeve-shaped shank (4) adapted to be located in a bore in a structural component, and a mounting stud (8) aligned with the bore (7) in the shank and with an end of the stud connected by an integral collar (9) to the adjacent end of the bore in the shank. The shank is split axially and has a wall thickness which increases in the direction towards its free end face over part of its length. The joint is mounted in position by forcing the shank into the bore in the component, and driving the stud axially into the bore of the shank, so as to sever the collar and force the walls of the shank against the bore in the component. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ball-and-socket joint, particularly for mounting a clutch release lever for vehicle clutches The present invention relates to a ball-andsocket joint, particularly for mounting a clutch release lever for vehicle clutches, of the kind consisting of a ball head and a joint socket, for example of plastics material, which is located, by formed-on means, in a receiving bore of a structural component.

Ball-and-socket joints of this kind have become known, for example through the DE-OS 21 16 055. In this known construction, the joint socket, made of plastics material, is provided, on the surface, with two collars and an intervening annular groove for insertion in the bore of a structural component and is located in the radial direction only by a frictional connection acting axially.

It is the object of the invention to provide a ball-and-socket joint of the kind described which is connected to the connecting part by a simple and reliable securing means while bridging relative large tolerances in the connecting part and which in addition can be produced cheaply.

This problem is solved by a sleeve-shaped shank which is provided at one side of the joint socket and the wall thickness of which increases towards the free end face thereof in the non-installed state over at least part of its length, and by a mounting stud which is disposed concentrically with the bore of the sleeve-shaped shank and which, in the noninstalled state, is made integral with the joint socket via a narrow collar in the bore of the shank at the side remote from the end face, the mounting stud in the installed state being driven into the sleeve-shaped shank in the axial direction.

In a particularly advantageous example of an embodiment of the invention, the sleeveshaped shank, starting from the free end, is provided with a plurality of slits extending axially and distributed around the circumference and the outer surface of the shank is tapered in the non-installed state, the largest diameter being in the region of the free end of the shank. By this means, the effect is achieved that the shank is compressed on insertion in the cylindrical bore of a structural component and the internal diameter of the shank bore becomes narrower towards the end face. After the mounting stud has been forced into the tapered bore, the joint socket is reliably connected to the structural component.

The sleeve-shaped shank is preferably provided, at the side adjacent to the joint socket, with an unslit portion which engages with interference in the bore of a structural component so that radial loading of the joint socket is better taken up.

Two embodiments of the invention are now described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a section A-B according to Fig. 2 of a joint socket according to the invention for a ball-and-socket joint with a mounting stud injection-moulded on, before the installation, Figure 2 shows the plan view of the joint socket shown in Fig. 1, Figure 3 shows a section C-D according to Fig. 4 of another construction of a joint socket according to the invention, and, Figure 4 shows the plan view of the joint socket shown in Fig. 3.

The joint socket 1, illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, is made from a plastics material with satisfactory running characteristics and has a spherical sliding surface 2 for the ball of the joint (not shown). In the region of the insertion opening, the joint socket 1 is provided with a plurality of slits 3 which are distributed at the circumference so that the ball of the joint can easily be snapped into the joint socket 1. At the side remote from the sliding surface 2, the joint socket 1 comprises a sleeve-shaped shank 4 which is provided with slits 3a extending axially and which, in the non-installed state, is made tapered at the outer surface 5, the largest diameter being situated in the region of the end face 6.The joint socket 1 is provided, in the bore 7, with a mounting stud 8 which is injection-moulded on and which is disposed in the cylindrical bore 7 at the side of the shank 4 remote from the end face 6 and is connected to the socket 1 via a narrow collar 9. The surface 10 of the mounting stud 8 extends parallel to the bore 7 of the joint socket 1 and has a smaller diameter than the bore 7 in the non-installed state. The collar 9 has a thin cross-section so that this can easily be sheared off under load.

During the installation of the joint socket 1, the sleeve-shaped shank 4 is pressed into the bore 11 of a structural component 1 2 (shown in chain line) for example into the receiving bore of a clutch release lever for a vehicle clutch. In the course of this, the tapered outer surface 5 of the sleeve-shaped shank 4 adapts itself to the cylindrical bore face 11 of the structural component 12, the bore 7 of the shank 4 becoming narrower towards the end of the shank. The sleeve-shaped shank 4 is provided, at the side adjacent to the end face 6, with a tapered portion 1 3 so that an easy installation of the joint socket 1 is possible.In order to locate the joint socket 1 in the bore 11 of the structural component 12, the mounting stud 8 provided with a tapered portion 1 4 is now sheared off and forced, in the axial direction, into the now tapered bore 7 of the shank 4. By this means, a frictional connection results between the structural component 1 2 and the joint socket 1. Then the ball of the joint (not shown) is snapped into the joint socket 1.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 differs from the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 only in that the sleeve-shaped shank 4 has, at the side adjacent to the joint socket 1, an unslit portion 1 5 which engages in the bore 11 and the outer surface 1 6 of which as a slightly larger external diameter than the diameter of the bore 11 in the structural component 1 2 so that the sleeve-shaped shank is forced into the bore 11 with interference in this region.

The embodiments described above only represent examples of a ball-and-socket joint according to the invention. Modifications in the construction are easily possible within the scope of the attached claims. Thus the bore of the sleeve-shaped shank 4 can be made tapered from the beginning, for example, in the region of the end face 6 and the mounting stud 8 can be driven into this bore.

Claims

1. A ball-and-socket joint, particularly for mounting a clutch-release lever for vehicle clutches, consisting of a ball head and a joint socket, for example of plastics material, which is located, by formed-on means, in a receiving bore of a structural component, characterised by a sleeve-shaped shank (4) which is provided at one side of the joint socket (1) and the wall thickness of which increases towards the free end face (6) thereof in the noninstalled state over at least part of its length, and by a mounting stud (8) which is disposed concentrically with the bore (7) of the sleeveshaped shank and which, in the non-installed state, is made integral with the joint socket (1) via a narrow collar (9) in the bore (7) of the shank (4) at the side remote from the end face (6), the mounting stud (8) in the installed state being driven into the sleeve-shaped shank (4) in the axial direction.

2. A ball-and-socket joint as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the sleeveshaped shank (4), starting from the free end, is provided with a plurality of slits (3a) extending axially and distributed around the circumference.

3. A ball-and-socket joint as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the surface (5) of the sleeve-shaped shank (4) is tapered in the non-installed state, the largest diameter being in the region of the end face (6).

4. A ball-and-socket joint as claimed in Claim 3, characterised in that the surface (10) of the mounting stud (8) extends parallel to the face of the bore (7) of the joint socket (1) and has a smaller diameter than the diameter of the bore (7) in the non-installed state.

5. A ball-and-socket joint as claimed in any one of the Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the mounting stud (8) has a tapered portion (14) at the side adjacent to the end face (6).

6. A ball-and-socket joint as claimed in any one of the Claims 1 to 5, charactersed in that the sleeve-shaped shank (4) comprises, at the side adjacent to the joint socket (1), an unslit portion (15) which engages in the bore (11) of the structural component (12) and has a surface (16) the external diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter of the bore (11) in the structural component (12).

7. A ball-and-socket joint as claimed in any one of the Claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the sleeve-shaped portion (4) is provided with a tapered portion (13) at the side adjacent to the end face (6).

8. A ball-and-socket joint substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

1 and 2 or Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.