JP2011099535A - Dust cover for ball joint - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dust cover for a ball joint which can be used for a long period of time, in which an interference of a side lip itself does not have to be increased, and in which the function of the side lip provided for a small-diameter opening of the dust cover is not damaged even if an inclination angle of a ball stud to a socket is large (an oscillation angle is large). <P>SOLUTION: In the dust cover for the ball joint made of rubber-like elastic material, a ball head part formed on one end of the ball stud is held in the socket, a shaft part of the other end of the ball stud is fastened and fixed to a knuckle, one-end large diameter opening is fixed to and held by an outer peripheral surface of the socket, and the other end small diameter opening is held by the shaft part. The dust cover includes the side lip which seals and contacts an outer peripheral surface of the knuckle on the small-diameter opening side. The side lip is arranged with a spring means for pressing the side lip to the outer peripheral surface side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a dust cover for a ball joint.
The present invention also relates to a ball joint dust cover used for an automobile suspension device, a steering device, and the like.

  Conventionally, a ball joint dust cover shown in FIG. 3 is known as a ball joint to which a dust cover is attached for the purpose of dust prevention and waterproofing of the ball joint joint. (Patent Document 1)

In this kind of ball joint dust cover sealing structure, a ball head 200 formed at one end of a ball stud 100 is held in a socket 300.
The shaft 400 at the other end of the ball stud 100 is fastened and fixed to the knuckle 500.
On the other hand, one end large-diameter opening 800 of the rubber elastic material dust cover 600 is fixedly held on the outer peripheral surface of the socket 300, and the other end small-diameter opening 150 is held on the shaft 400.

In this type, the small-diameter opening 150 of the conventional dust cover 600 is provided with an outer peripheral surface of the knuckle 500 for the purpose of preventing water and dust from entering the ball joint and preventing grease from flowing into the outside from the bo joint. A side lip 160 is provided for sealing contact.
However, the side lip 160 opens the side lip 160 located on the extension side of the dust cover 600 due to the swinging motion of the ball joint, and water between the side lip 160 and the dust lip provided in the small-diameter opening 150 is formed. And dust accumulated, causing problems affecting the sealing performance, which is the main function.
As countermeasures, it is effective to increase the tightening margin of the side lip 160, but avoid deterioration of the sealability of the side lip 160 by lowering the assemblability, promoting wear of the side lip 160, or curing the rubber after long-term use. I couldn't.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, a mode has been proposed in which the side lip 160 is brought into contact with the inclined surface 501 provided at the lower corner of the knuckle 500, but the problem of lowering the function of the side lip 160 is sufficiently solved. I couldn't. (Patent Document 2)

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-139119 Republished Patent 2006-098124

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and even when the inclination angle of the ball stud with respect to the socket is large (when the swing angle is large) without increasing the tightening allowance of the side lip itself, An object of the present invention is to provide a ball joint dust cover that can be used for a long period of time without impairing the function of the side lip provided in the small-diameter opening of the dust cover.

  In the dust cover for ball joint according to the present invention, the ball head formed at one end of the ball stud is held in the socket, and the shaft portion at the other end of the ball stud is fastened and fixed to the knuckle. Is fixed and held on the outer peripheral surface of the socket, the other end small diameter opening portion is held by the shaft portion, and the small diameter opening portion side has a rubber-like elastic member provided with a side lip that is in sealing contact with the outer peripheral surface of the knuckle. In the dust cover for a ball joint made of a material, a spring means for pressing the side lip toward the outer peripheral surface is disposed on the side lip.

The present invention has the following effects.
According to the dust cover for a ball joint according to the first aspect of the present invention, even when the tilt angle of the ball stud with respect to the socket is large (when the swing angle is large) without increasing the tightening allowance of the side lip itself, The function of the side lip provided in the small-diameter opening of the cover is not impaired and can be used for a long time.

Furthermore, according to the dust cover for a ball joint of the invention as set forth in claim 2, the sealing function of the side lip can be maintained for a long time without deteriorating the assembling property.
Furthermore, according to the dust cover for a ball joint of the invention described in claim 3, since the spring means is not corroded by external water or the like, the sealing function of the side lip can be maintained for a long time.

The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the dust cover for ball joints based on this invention. The principal part enlarged view of FIG. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the dust cover for ball joints based on a prior art. The principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view of the dust cover for ball joints based on another prior art.

Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ball joint dust cover according to the present invention has a ball head 2 formed at one end of a ball stud 1 held in a socket 3. The shaft 4 at the other end is fastened and fixed to the knuckle 5, one end large-diameter opening 8 is fixedly held on the outer peripheral surface of the socket 3, and the other end small-diameter opening 15 is held by the shaft 4, and this small-diameter opening On the 15th side, the side lip 16 that is in sealing contact with the outer peripheral surface 51 of the knuckle 5 is provided.

The side lip 16 is provided with spring means 17 for pressing the side lip 16 toward the outer peripheral surface 51 of the knuckle 5.
The spring means 17 only needs to be able to press the side lip 16 toward the outer peripheral surface 51 of the knuckle 5, and various springs such as a coil spring and a snap spring can be used. Is preferred.

Further, the coil spring as the spring means 17 is provided so as to be embedded in the side lip 16 as shown in the drawing.
This effectively prevents the spring means 17 from being corroded by external water or the like.
Furthermore, it is preferable to arrange the spring means 17 in such a manner that it is located as close to the tip side (upper in the drawing) of the side lip 16 as possible in order to maintain the sealing performance.

A metal reinforcement ring 151 is embedded in the small diameter opening 15.
The metal reinforcing ring 151 gives rigidity to the small-diameter opening 15 and prevents excessive deformation of the small-diameter opening 15 even when the inclination angle of the ball stud 1 with respect to the socket 3 is large (when the swing angle is large). ing.
In addition, a seal lip 152 that is in elastic contact with the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 15 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the small diameter opening portion 15.
The seal lip 152 prevents the grease in the dust cover 6 from leaking to the outside.

Further, a dust seal 153 that is in elastic contact with the lower end surface of the knuckle 5 is formed on the upper end surface of the small-diameter opening 15.
Due to the presence of the dust seal 153, even if there is water or earth and sand that enters through the side lip 16, it is possible to prevent water and earth and sand from further entering the dust cover 6.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to the best mode for carrying out the invention described above, and various other configurations can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  It can be used for ball joints used in automobile suspension systems and steering systems.

1 Ball Stat 2 Ball Head 3 Socket 4 Shaft 5 Knuckle 6 Dust Cover 8 Large Diameter Opening 15 Small Diameter Opening 16 Side Lip 17 Spring Means 51 Outer Surface

Claims (3)

A ball head (2) formed at one end of the ball stud (1) is held in the socket (3),
The shaft (4) at the other end of the ball stud (1) is fastened and fixed to a knuckle (5), one end large-diameter opening (8) is fixedly held on the outer peripheral surface of the socket (3), and the other end has a small diameter. An opening portion (15) is held by the shaft portion (4), and a side lip (16) that is in sealing contact with the outer peripheral surface (51) of the knuckle (5) is provided on the small diameter opening portion (15) side. In the dust cover for ball joint made of rubber-like elastic material, the side lip (16) is provided with spring means (17) for pressing the side lip (16) toward the outer peripheral surface (51). Dust cover for ball joint.   The dust cover for a ball joint according to claim 1, wherein the spring means (17) is a coil spring.   The dust cover for a ball joint according to claim 2, wherein the coil spring is disposed so as to be embedded in the side lip (16).

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