JP2002031124A - Ball joint - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a ball joint which is lightweight, strong and capable of suppressing the occurrence of any play. SOLUTION: In this ball joint comprising a ball stud having a spherical head part and a handle part extending from the spherical head part, a bearing housing the spherical head part of the ball stud, and a housing holding the bearing, the housing comprises an outer cup formed of a soft lightweight metal and an inner cup arranged on an inner circumferential side of the cup and formed of a hard metal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a ball joint used for, for example, a suspension system and a steering system of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ball joints have been frequently used for connecting a suspension device and a steering device of an automobile. Such a ball joint, as shown in FIG.
Spherical ball head 104 and handle 1 extending from ball head 104
03 and a ball head 104 of the ball stud 102 that swingably rotates.
A synthetic resin bearing 106 having a bearing opening 107 at one end; a substantially cup-shaped housing 111 including the bearing 106 and projecting the handle 103 of the ball stud 102 from the inner peripheral side of the housing opening 114 at one end; , Housing opening 11 of housing 111
An annular retaining ring 122 disposed on the inner periphery of the ball stud 102 and the small boot opening 118
A boot 116 made of a rubber-like elastic body and having a large boot opening 117 mounted on the outer periphery of the ring was provided on the outer periphery of the ring.

[0003] In recent years, adverse effects on the environment of automobiles have become a problem, and efforts to improve fuel economy of automobiles have been actively made. Therefore, the demand for reducing the weight of automobile parts has increased, and the use of a soft and lightweight metal material, for example, an aluminum material for the housing 111 of the ball joint 101 has also increased.

[0004]

The use of the ball joint 101 having the housing 111 made of an aluminum material as described above certainly leads to a reduction in weight. However, since the aluminum material has lower strength than the steel material, when used for the housing 111 of the ball joint 101, the load received from the ball stud 102 may cause the housing 111 to be distorted and the ball stud 102 to rattle. . Therefore, it is conceivable to increase the thickness of the housing 111 in order to suppress rattling of the ball stud 102. However, when the thickness of the housing 111 is increased to increase the strength, the volume of the housing increases, and eventually, the weight of the ball joint may not be sufficiently reduced.

Accordingly, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a ball joint that is lightweight, has high strength, and further suppresses rattling.

[0006]

The present invention has the following arrangement.

1. A ball joint comprising a ball stud having a spherical ball head and a handle extending from the ball head, a bearing for enclosing the ball head of the ball stud, and a housing for holding the bearing. The housing includes an outer cup made of a soft and lightweight metal material and an inner cup arranged on the inner peripheral side of the cup and made of a hard metal material.

[0008] The housing has a ball joint having an inner peripheral abutting surface formed substantially perpendicular to the axis on the inner periphery of the outer cup, and an outer peripheral abutting surface abutting the inner peripheral abutting surface on the outer periphery of the inner cup. In the above, the inner peripheral groove and the outer peripheral notch of the bearing have a lap margin that overlaps in the circumferential direction around the center point of the bearing.

[0009] In the housing, the inner cup is pressed into the inner peripheral side of the outer cup, and a gap is formed between the closed outer bottom of the outer cup and the closed inner bottom of the inner cup.

[0010] In the housing, the open end of the inner cup is press-fitted into the open end of the outer cup, the open end is adjacent to the open end of the inner cup, and the cutout portion is recessed. Are formed in the radial direction.

5 The housing has press-fit ends at both ends of the inner cup and ends at both ends of the outer cup, and provides a clearance between the ends.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 shows a ball joint 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ball joint 1 has a spherical ball head 4 and a female screw 5 extending from the ball head 4 to the end on the side opposite to the ball head.
A ball stud 2 having a handle portion 3 having a ball head, and a ball head 4 of the ball stud 2 are swingably and rotatably held, a bearing opening 7 having one end opened, and a bottom closed at the other end in an arc shape. The housing 6 includes a bearing 6 having a housing 30 and a housing 11 having a housing opening 14 at one end, the housing opening 14 being open at the end of the bearing opening 7.

The housing 11 includes an outer cup 31 made of a soft and lightweight metal material, for example, an aluminum material, and an inner cup 41 made of a hard metal material, for example, a steel material, disposed on the inner peripheral side of the outer cup 31 for increasing the strength. It is composed of The outer cup 31 has a caulking portion 15 bent to the axial center side at one end 38 on the opening side, and an outer bottom portion 32 closing at the other end.
, And a concave air reservoir 36 is formed on the inner peripheral side of the outer bottom portion 32. An inner peripheral abutting surface 33 that is continuous with the air reservoir 36 and extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis is formed adjacent to the air reservoir 36. The inner cup 41 has a receiving end 34 at one end 48 on the opening side and an inner bottom 42 closing at the other end, and extends on the outer peripheral side of the inner bottom 42 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis. An outer peripheral abutting surface 43 that contacts the inner peripheral abutting surface 33 of the cup 31 is formed. Then, with the inner cup 41 arranged on the inner peripheral side of the outer cup 31, the outer cup 31
Inner abutment surface 33 of inner cup 41 is an outer abutment surface 43
And a gap S1 between the air reservoir 36 of the outer cup 31 and the inner bottom portion 42 of the inner cup 41.
An escape portion S2 which forms a space between both end portions of the inner cup 1 and the inner cup 41 is provided. Further, a step-like step 45 is formed near the inner circumference of the inner cup 41 on the receiving end 44 side, and the step 13 has
The flange 8 formed on the outer periphery of the bearing 6 is seated, and the flange 23 formed on the outer periphery of the annular retaining ring 22 disposed on the inner periphery of the housing opening 14 is seated on the receiving end portion 44.

The inner periphery of the retaining ring 22 has a curved inner surface 25 having the same curvature as the outer peripheral curvature of the bearing opening 7 of the desired bearing 6, and the outer periphery thereof has a standing wall portion which is continuous with the flange portion 23 and extends in the axial direction. 24 are formed. The boot large opening 17 in which the reinforcing ring 19 is embedded inside the boot 16 made of a rubber-like elastic body is fixed to the standing wall portion 24 of the retaining ring 22, and the reinforcing ring 20 is embedded inside and has a U-shaped cross section. Boot small opening 18 to which a ferrule 21 is attached
Is fixed to the outer periphery of the handle 3 of the ball stud 2.

Next, a method of assembling the ball joint 1 will be described.

First, as shown in FIG. 2, the inner cup 41 is pressed into the inner peripheral side of the outer cup 31. At this time, the inner diameter of both ends of the outer cup 31 before press-fitting is formed to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the opposite ends of the inner cup 41. An escape portion S2 is provided which is press-fitted at both ends and forms a space between both ends.
Subsequently, the bearing 6 having the vicinity of the bearing opening 7 previously formed in parallel with the axis is inserted from the housing opening 14 side of the housing 11, and the curved bottom 9 of the bearing 6 is inserted into the inner peripheral surface of the housing 11. 6 is seated on the step 35 of the housing 11.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, after the ball head 4 of the ball stud 2 is inserted from the bearing opening 7 side of the bearing 6, the retaining ring 22 is inserted into the housing opening 14 on the inner peripheral side of the housing 11. Then, the bearing opening 7 of the bearing 6 is bent inward along the curved inner surface 25 of the retaining ring 22, and the flange 23 of the retaining ring 22 is seated on the receiving end 44 of the housing 11.
In this state, the caulking portion 15 of the housing 11 is caulked, and a pre-assembly 41 as shown in FIG. 4 is assembled.

Finally, the large boot opening 17 of the boot 16 is pressed into the standing wall portion 24 of the retaining ring 22 and the small boot opening 18 is pressed into the outer periphery of the handle 3 of the ball stud 2, as shown in FIG. Then, the assembly of the ball joint 1 is completed.

Therefore, in the ball joint as described above, the housing 11 is made of an outer cup 31 made of a soft and lightweight metal material.
And the inner cup 41 made of a hard metal material and arranged on the inner peripheral side of the outer cup 31, so that when this ball joint is used for a connecting portion of a suspension device and a steering device of an automobile, the ball stud 2 The main load applied from the inner cup 41 made of hard metal is received, and the load received by the outer cup 31 made of soft lightweight metal material can be reduced.

The housing 11 has an inner peripheral abutting surface 33 formed substantially perpendicular to the axis on the inner periphery of the outer cup 31, and an outer peripheral abutment on the outer periphery of the inner cup 41 contacting the inner peripheral abutting surface 33. With the structure having the contact surface 43, the load in the axial direction can be received by the inner peripheral contact surface 33 and the outer peripheral contact surface 43.

In the housing 11, the inner cup 41 is press-fitted on the inner peripheral side of the outer cup 31, and a gap S1 is formed between the closed outer bottom 32 of the outer cup 31 and the closed inner bottom 42 of the inner cup 41. If the structure is formed, the sealed space generated between the outer cup 31 and the inner cup 41 expands, and the air can be finally sealed in the gap S1. Power can be reduced.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the other embodiment is the ball joint 1 in which only the inner cup 41 is changed from the above-described embodiment, and the description other than the inner cup 41 is omitted. Inner cup 41
Is formed adjacent to an opening-side end portion 48 to be opened, and a circumferential underfill portion 46 is formed in the outer periphery thereof. When the notched portion 46 is recessed, a thin connecting portion 47 is formed on the radially inner side.

The inner cup 41 formed as described above
Is that the opening end 48 is the opening end 3 of the outer cup 31.
8 and the inner cup 41 is arranged on the inner peripheral side of the outer cup 31. At this time, the opening-side end 48 of the inner cup 41
Causes deformation (strain) to the axial center side due to press-fitting. However, the inner cup 41 is adjacent to the opening-side end portion 48, and has a circumferential cutout 46 formed in the outer periphery thereof, and a thin connecting portion 47 is formed radially inward of the cutout portion 46. Is formed, deformation due to press-fitting can be suppressed to deformation of only the opening side end portion 48 with the thin connecting portion 47 as a fulcrum, so that the deformation is caused by the inner cup 41 holding the ball head 4 of the ball stud 2.
It does not affect the whole.

In the other embodiment, the circumferential underfill 4
6 is recessed on the outer peripheral side of the opening end 48 of the inner cup 41,
Although the connecting portion 47 is formed on the radially inner peripheral side, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The underfilled portion 46 is recessed on the inner peripheral side of the opening side end 48, and the connecting portion 47 is formed. It may be formed on the radially outer peripheral side.

If the housing 11 has a structure in which both end portions of the outer cup 31 are press-fitted into both end portions of the inner cup 41 and a relief portion S2 which forms a space between both end portions is provided, the housing 11 is accompanied by the press-fitting. The dimensional change of the inner cup 41 in the direction perpendicular to the axis line is reduced at the opening side end 48 by the retaining ring 22 to reduce the influence on the ball head 4 of the ball stud 2, and at the inner bottom 42 side end of the ball stud 2. Has little effect on the ball head 4.

[0027]

As described above, according to the ball joint of the present invention, a ball stud having a spherical ball head and a handle extending from the ball head, and a ball head of the ball stud are held. In a ball joint including a bearing and a housing that holds the bearing, the housing includes:
Since the outer cup made of a soft lightweight metal material and the inner cup made of a hard metal material arranged on the inner peripheral side of the outer cup, the main load applied from the ball stud is received by the hard metal inner cup, Since the load applied to the outer cup made of a lightweight metal material can be reduced, the weight is high and the strength is high, and the occurrence of rattling due to distortion of the housing can be suppressed.

The structure in which the housing has an inner peripheral abutting surface formed substantially perpendicular to the axis on the inner periphery of the outer cup and an outer peripheral abutting surface abutting on the inner peripheral abutting surface on the outer periphery of the inner cup. Then, since the load in the axial direction can be received by the inner peripheral abutting surface and the outer peripheral abutting surface, the axial load resistance can be set high.

Further, if the housing has a structure in which the inner cup is press-fitted on the inner peripheral side of the outer cup and a gap is formed between the closed outer bottom of the outer cup and the closed inner bottom of the inner cup, The sealed space created between the cup and the inner cup expands, and the air is finally sealed in the gap, so the repulsive force of the air due to the press-fitting of the inner cup can be reduced, and the inner cup can be more reliably specified. Position.

Further, in the housing, the open end of the inner cup is press-fitted into the open end of the outer cup, and the cutout portion is adjacent to the open end of the inner cup, and the cutout portion is recessed. Since the thin connecting portion is formed on the radial side of the portion, deformation due to press-fitting can be suppressed to deformation of only the opening side end with the thin connecting portion as a fulcrum, so that deformation is caused by the ball head of the ball stud. Does not affect the entire inner cup, and the change in the swinging / rotating torque can be suppressed.

Further, if the housing has a structure in which both end portions of the inner cup are press-fitted into both end portions of the outer cup, and a clearance portion is formed between both end portions to form a space, the inner cup of the inner cup accompanying the press-fitting is formed. The change in the dimension in the direction perpendicular to the axis is reduced at the opening end by the retaining ring to reduce the effect on the ball head of the ball stud, and at the inner bottom end, it hardly affects the ball head of the ball stud. A swinging / rotating torque can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional front view showing a ball joint according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional front view showing a first stage of assembling the ball joint according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional front view showing a second stage of assembling the ball joint according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing a pre-assembled body in the course of assembling the ball joint according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional front view showing a ball joint according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional front view showing a conventional ball joint.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Ball stud 3 Handle 4 Ball head 6 Bearing 11 Housing 31 Outer cup 32 Outer bottom 33 Inner peripheral abutting surface 38 Opening end (of inner cup) 41 Inner cup 42 Inner bottom 43 Outer peripheral abutting surface 46 Underfill Part 47 Connecting part 48 Opening end (of outer cup) S2 Gap

Claims (5)

[Claims] A ball stud (2) having a spherical ball head (4) and a handle (3) extending from the ball head (4).
And a bearing (6) for enclosing the ball head (4) of the ball stud (2), and a housing (11) for holding the bearing (6), wherein the housing (11) is A ball joint comprising: an outer cup (31) made of a soft lightweight metal material; and an inner cup (41) made of a hard metal material and arranged on the inner peripheral side of the outer cup (31). 2. The housing (11) has an inner peripheral abutting surface (33) formed substantially perpendicularly to the axis on the inner periphery of the outer cup (31), and has the inner periphery on the outer periphery of the inner cup (41). The ball joint according to claim 1, characterized in that it has an outer peripheral abutment surface (43) that abuts against the peripheral abutment surface (33). 3. The housing (11) has an inner cup (41) press-fitted on the inner peripheral side of the outer cup (31), and a closed outer bottom portion (32) of the outer cup (31) and the inner cup (31). 41) with the closed inner bottom (42).
3. The ball joint according to claim 1, wherein 1) is formed. 4. The housing (11) has an open end (48) of the inner cup (41) pressed into an open end (38) of the outer cup (31), and the inner cup (41) has A notched portion (46) is recessed adjacent to the opening side end (48), and a thin connecting portion (47) is formed on the radial direction side of the notched portion (46). The ball joint according to claim 1, wherein: 5. An escape portion (S2) in which both ends of the inner cup (41) are press-fitted into both ends of the outer cup (31), and a space is formed between the both ends of the housing (11).
The ball joint according to claim 1, further comprising: