JP2573822Y2 - Ball joint - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a ball joint.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 show a steering system of a vehicle. Reference numeral 1 denotes an axle beam attached to a frame 2 via a leaf spring 3; A knuckle rotatably mounted via the knuckle and supporting the tire 6, 7 is a tie rod arm protruding from the knuckle 4, 8 is a tie rod connecting the left and right tie rod arms 7, 9 is a tie rod arm 7 and a tie rod 8 A ball joint, a steering wheel, 11 a steering column, 12 a gearbox, 13 a pitman arm, 14 a drag link, and 15 a knuckle arm connecting the drag link 14 and the knuckle 4. Yes, operating the steering wheel 10 to show the steering column 11 When the steering column shaft is turned, the pitman arm 13 swings via a gear in the gear box 12, and the pitman arm 13 swings via the drag link 14 and the knuckle arm 15 (in the example shown in the figure). Knuckle 4 on the right)
The knuckle 4 rotates left and right about the king pin 5, and the other knuckle 4 similarly rotates via the tie rod arm 7, the ball joint 9, and the tie rod 8.

[0003] The ball joint 9, as shown in FIG. 5, the ball member 17 provided integrally so as to have a center O _C to the proximal end of the shaft member 16 on the axis O _L extension of the shaft member 16, A socket member 19 slidably supporting the ball member 17 via a ball seat 18 made of an elastic synthetic resin or the like and forming a spherical seat.
The tie rod arm 7 is provided on the shaft member 16 with a nut 20.
And the tie rod 8 is connected integrally with the socket member 19.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 21 denotes a socket member 19 for urging the ball sheet 18 against the ball member 17 to apply a preload and compensating wear of the ball sheet 18 and the ball member 17. The provided coil spring 22 is a dust cover for preventing foreign matter from entering between sliding surfaces of the ball member 17 and the ball sheet 18.
Reference numeral 23 denotes a grease nipple for filling grease for lubricating the sliding contact surface between the ball member 17 and the ball sheet 18 into the socket member 19.

[0005]

In the ball joint 9 as described above, the ball member 17 and the ball seat 1 are provided.
Since sliding contact area between 8 is large, the load applied to the ball joint 9 is small friction torque of axis O _L around the vehicle straight increases, steering return is inhibited, possible to improve the straight running stability of the vehicle Was difficult.

In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a ball joint which can reduce friction torque around an axis of a shaft member and improve straight running stability of a vehicle when used in a steering system of a vehicle. Is what you do.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a ball member integrally provided at a base end of a shaft member so as to have a center on an extension of the axis of the shaft member. In a ball joint for a steering system of a vehicle having a socket member slidably supported via a ball seat forming a seat, a small-diameter sliding contact portion near an opening and a small-diameter slider near a bottom portion of the ball seat with respect to the ball member. A groove with a minute depth is formed in the sliding contact part except the contact part, and
The ball seat flexes during steering when the load applied to the
Not only the small-diameter sliding contact part but also the part with the concave groove
And is formed so as to be in contact with the metal member .

[0008]

[Action] When the load is small vehicle straight exerted on ball Lumpur joint, only the small-diameter sliding portion near the opening and the bottom near to the ball member of the ball seat is in contact with the ball member, the portion forming the grooves contact with the ball member Without, the sliding area between the ball member and the ball seat is reduced,
Ri a small friction torque around the axis is a straight vehicle
Progress stability is improved. In addition , during a steering operation in which a large load is applied to the ball joint, the ball seat is bent so that not only the small-diameter sliding contact portion but also the portion where the concave groove is formed comes into contact with the ball member, and the surface pressure required during the steering operation is secured. Because
Steering force becomes too light and steering operation becomes unstable
Without any trouble, and only the small diameter sliding contact part
No worries about uneven wear caused by local contact
In addition, the life of the ball joint is improved.

[0009]

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

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 5 denote the same parts.
The basic configuration is the same as the conventional one shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the present embodiment is characterized in that the small-diameter sliding contact portion 24 near the opening 18 a and the small-diameter sliding contact portion 25 near the bottom portion 18 b of the ball seat 18 except for the small-diameter sliding contact portion 25 with the ball member 17. , A concave groove 26 having a minute depth of about 0.05 to 0.1 mm is formed.

In this embodiment, the ball joint 9
When the vehicle is traveling straight with a small load applied to the ball member 17, only the small-diameter sliding contact portions 24 and 25 of the ball seat 18 with the ball member 17 contact the ball member 17, and the portion where the concave groove 26 is formed does not contact the ball member 17. since the sliding contact area between the ball member 17 and the ball seat 18 is reduced, steering return is improved becomes small friction torque of axis O _L around straight running stability of the vehicle is improved.

On the other hand, at the time of steering in which a large load is applied to the ball joint 9, the ball seat 18 is bent and not only the small-diameter sliding contact portions 24 and 25 but also the portion where the concave groove 26 is formed comes into contact with the ball member 17, which is necessary for steering. As a result, the steering force does not become too light and the steering operation becomes unstable, and the small-diameter sliding contact portions 24, 2
There is no concern about uneven wear caused by local contact of only the ball member 17 with the ball member 17 and the ball joint 9
Life is also improved.

It should be noted that the ball joint of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned situation, and it is needless to say that various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0014]

[Effect of the Invention] As described above, according to the ball joint of the present invention, the load applied to the ball joint is small.
When the vehicle is going straight, the friction torque around the axis of the shaft member can be reduced to improve the straight running stability of the vehicle, and when steering with a large load applied to the ball joint.
In some cases, the steering force becomes too light and steering operation becomes unstable
The ball portion only has a small diameter sliding contact
Of uneven wear caused by local contact with the material
Worry no, an excellent effect that the life of the ball joint also Ru is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a steering system of the vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a main part of a steering system of the vehicle.

4 is a view taken in the direction of arrows IV-IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion V in FIG. 4;

[Explanation of symbols]

9 Ball joint 16 Shaft member 17 Ball member 18 Ball seat 18a Opening 18b Bottom 19 Socket member O _L axis O _C center

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A ball member integrally provided at a base end of a shaft member so as to have a center on an extension of the axis of the shaft member, and the ball member is interposed through a ball seat having elasticity and forming a spherical seat. car and a socket member for slidably supporting Te
In the two ball joints of the steering system, a groove having a small depth is added to the ball joint of the ball seat of the ball seat except for the small diameter sliding contact portion near the opening and the bottom portion near the opening of the ball member. Operation with heavy load
At the time of rudder, the ball seat flexes and only the small-diameter sliding contact
A ball joint formed so that a portion where a concave groove is formed is also in contact with a ball member .