JP2008128351A - Ball joint mounting structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the surface wear of a ball stud support member due to contact with a boot which covers a ball joint. <P>SOLUTION: A ring member 29 is fixed to an opening 27a of the boot 27 covering a ball stud 22 of the ball joint, and the ring member 29 is fixed around a mounting hole 15f for the ball stud 22, formed in a knuckle 13. The opening 27a of the boot 27 is thereby prevented from abutting on the surface of the knuckle 13 to cause the wear of the knuckle 13. The ring member 29 prevents water from infiltrating into the mounting hole 15f of the knuckle 13 to thereby restrain the occurrence of corrosion. Particularly when the ball stud 22 is inserted and fixed into the mounting hole 15f of the knuckle 13 in a state of press-fitting a cylindrical part 29a of the ring member 29 to the outer periphery of the ball stud 22, a flange part 29b of the ring member 29 is deformed to come in close contact with the periphery of the mounting hole 15f to exhibit sealing performance. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  According to the present invention, a ball stud of a ball joint is inserted and fixed in a mounting hole formed in a ball stud mounting member, and a ball is sealed by contacting an opening of a boot covering the periphery of the ball stud with the periphery of the mounting hole. The present invention relates to a joint mounting structure.

A ball joint is used at a portion where the knuckle of the steering wheel of the automobile is connected to the tip of the suspension arm in order to enable the suspension arm to move up and down and to turn the knuckle. A retractable boot is provided between the housing and the surface of the knuckle so that dust does not enter the sliding surface between the ball stud head of the ball joint and the bearing housed in the housing at the tip of the suspension arm. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1 below).
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-27043

  By the way, the opening of the ball joint boot is elastically abutted against the surface of the knuckle to ensure sealing performance. There is a possibility that the surface of the knuckle with which the opening of the boot abuts is worn. In particular, when the knuckle is made of an aluminum material for weight reduction, this tendency is more prominent than that of an iron material.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to prevent the surface of the ball stud support member from being worn by contact with a boot covering a ball joint.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a boot for covering the periphery of the ball stud by inserting and fixing the ball stud of the ball joint into a mounting hole formed in the ball stud mounting member. In the ball joint mounting structure that seals the opening of the ball contact with the periphery of the mounting hole, the ring member fixed to the opening of the boot is fitted to the outer periphery of the ball stud and contacts the periphery of the mounting hole A ball joint mounting structure characterized by the above is proposed.

  According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the configuration of claim 1, the ring member has a cylindrical portion press-fitted into the outer periphery of the ball stud, and a diameter from one end portion of the cylindrical portion. And a flange portion extending in the direction, and when the ball stud is inserted into the mounting hole of the ball stud mounting member, the flange portion is deformed so as to be in close contact with the periphery of the mounting hole. Is proposed.

  The knuckle 13 of the embodiment corresponds to the ball stud mounting member of the present invention.

  According to the configuration of the first aspect, the ring member is fixed to the opening of the boot covering the ball stud of the ball joint, and this ring member is brought into contact with the periphery of the ball stud mounting hole formed in the ball stud mounting member. In addition, the opening of the boot can be prevented from rubbing against the surface of the ball stud mounting member, and the ball stud mounting member can be prevented from being worn, and the ring member can prevent water from seeping into the mounting hole of the ball stud mounting member. Thus, the occurrence of corrosion can be suppressed.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the ball stud is inserted into the mounting hole of the ball stud mounting member in a state where the cylindrical portion of the ring member is press-fitted into the outer periphery of the ball stud, the flange portion of the ring member becomes the ball stud mounting member. By deforming so as to be in close contact with the periphery of the mounting hole and exhibiting sealing properties, it is possible to more reliably prevent water from penetrating into the mounting hole of the ball stud mounting member and to suppress the occurrence of corrosion.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a double wishbone suspension of a left rear wheel, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in two directions in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of 4 part of FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the double wishbone type suspension device S includes a knuckle 13 supported on the vehicle body by an upper arm 11 and a lower arm 12. The knuckle 13 is composed of an aluminum knuckle body 14 and an aluminum lower arm support bracket 15 fastened to the lower part thereof. The knuckle body 14 includes an axle support portion 14a that rotatably supports the axle of the wheel W, and an upper arm support portion 14b that extends upward from the axle support portion 14a, and a ball joint at the upper end of the upper arm support portion 14b. 16, the outer end of the upper arm 11 in the vehicle width direction is pivotally supported.

  As is apparent from FIG. 3, a pair of bosses 14c and 14d protrude downward from the front and rear ends of the axle support 14a of the knuckle body 14, and a recess 14e recessed upward between the bosses 14c and 14d. Is formed. The lower arm support bracket 15 includes front and rear end mounting portions 15a and 15b, a central lower arm support portion 15c, and a pair of inclined connection portions 15d and 15e that connect the mounting portions 15a and 15b and the lower arm support portion 15c. The front support portion 15 a is fixed to the lower end of the front boss portion 14 c with the stud bolt 17 and the nut 18, and the rear attachment portion 15 b is fixed to the lower end of the rear boss portion 14 d with the bolt 19. The outer end in the vehicle width direction of the lower arm 12 is disposed in a space 20 formed between the recess 14e of the knuckle body 14 and the lower arm support portion 15c of the lower arm support bracket 15.

The ball joint 21 that pivotally supports the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the lower arm 12 to the lower arm support bracket 15 includes a spherical head 22a, a conical shaft portion 22b that is continuous with the head portion 22a, and a male screw portion 22c that is continuous with the shaft portion 22b. The ball stud 22 comprised by these is provided. The shaft portion 22b of the ball stud 22 passes through the attachment hole 15f provided in the lower arm support portion 15c of the lower arm support bracket 15 from the top to the bottom, and the nut 23 is screwed into the male screw portion 22c protruding downward from the lower arm support portion 15c. It is fixed by that. The ball joint 21 includes a cup-shaped housing 12 a provided at the end of the lower arm 12. A synthetic resin bearing 25 slidably contacting the head 22a of the ball stud 22 is housed on the inner peripheral surface of the housing 12a, and is held by a retainer 26 fixed so as to cover the opening of the housing 12a. A boot 27 is mounted between the opening of the housing 12a and the lower arm support portion 15c of the lower arm support bracket 15 so that dust and the like do not enter the head 22a of the ball stud 22 and the sliding surface of the bearing 25.
It is.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the opening 27a at the lower end of the cylindrical boot 27 has a ball stud 22 and a lower arm via a ring member 29 made of SUS material (stainless steel) or iron material subjected to electrolytic corrosion treatment. It is fixed to the mounting portion with the support bracket 15. The ring member 29 includes a cylindrical portion 29a that is fixed to the upper outer periphery of the shaft portion 22b of the ball stud 22 by press-fitting, and a flange portion 29b that extends radially from the lower end of the cylindrical portion 29a. The opening 27a is fixed in advance to the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 29a and the flange portion 29b of the ring member 29 by baking. In the free state of the ring member 29, the angle α formed by the flange portion 29b with respect to the tubular portion 29a is an obtuse angle.

  When the shaft portion 22b of the ball stud 22 into which the cylindrical portion 29a of the ring member 29 is press-fitted is inserted into the mounting hole 15f of the lower arm support bracket 15, and the nut 23 is screwed into the male screw portion 22c and fastened, the ring member 29 The flange portion 29b comes into contact with the upper surface around the mounting hole 15f of the lower arm support bracket 15 and is compressed, and is elastically deformed so that the angle α becomes a right angle, thereby closely contacting the upper surface of the lower arm support bracket 15.

  Even if the positional relationship of the knuckle 13 with respect to the lower arm 12 changes according to the turning of the wheel W or the vertical movement of the wheel W, even if the housing 12a of the lower arm 12 rotates relative to the head 22a of the ball stud 22, the relative The rotation is absorbed by the elastic deformation of the boot 27. At this time, since the opening 27a of the boot 27 to which the ring member 29 is fixed does not slide around the mounting hole 15f of the lower arm support bracket 15, the wear of the aluminum lower arm support bracket 15 is prevented.

  Since the ring member 29 that is in direct contact with the lower arm support bracket 15 made of an aluminum material is made of SUS material (stainless steel) or iron material that has been subjected to electrolytic corrosion treatment, the lower arm support bracket 15 may be damaged by electrolytic corrosion. Can be prevented. Further, since the ball stud 22 that directly contacts the lower arm support bracket 15 is made of an iron material, there is a possibility that electrolytic corrosion will occur if water soaks into the mounting hole 15f that is the contact portion. Since the portion 29b is elastically deformed and is in close contact with the lower arm support bracket 15, it is possible to prevent water from entering the mounting hole 15f.

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  For example, the ball stud mounting member of the present invention is not limited to the knuckle 13 (lower arm support bracket 15) of the embodiment.

  The materials of the knuckle 13 (lower arm support bracket 15) and the ring member 29 are not limited to the embodiment.

Perspective view of the left wish wheel double wishbone suspension 2 direction enlarged view of FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of FIG. 4 enlarged view of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

13 Knuckles (ball stud mounting members)
15f Mounting hole 21 Ball joint 22 Ball stud 27 Boot 27a Opening portion 29 Ring member 29a Tubular portion 29b Flange portion

Claims (2)

An opening of a boot (27) covering the periphery of the ball stud (22) by inserting and fixing the ball stud (22) of the ball joint (21) into a mounting hole (15f) formed in the ball stud mounting member (13). In the ball joint mounting structure in which the portion (27a) is brought into contact with the periphery of the mounting hole (15f) and sealed.
The ring member (29) fixed to the opening (27a) of the boot (27) is fitted to the outer periphery of the ball stud (22) and is in contact with the periphery of the mounting hole (15f). Mounting structure for ball joints.   The ring member (29) includes a cylindrical portion (29a) that is press-fitted into the outer periphery of the ball stud (22), and a flange portion (29b) that extends in a radial direction from one end portion of the cylindrical portion (29a). When the ball stud (22) is inserted into the mounting hole (15f) of the ball stud mounting member (13), the flange portion (29b) is deformed so as to be in close contact with the periphery of the mounting hole (15f). The ball joint mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the ball joint mounting structure is characterized.

Images