JP3150577B2 - 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 used for, for example, a suspension system or a steering system of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Ball joints have been frequently used for connecting a suspension system or a steering system of an automobile. Such a ball joint generally includes a ball stud 1 having a ball head 104 and a handle 103 projecting coaxially from the ball head 104, as shown in the right half of FIG.
02 and, a bearing 105 for embracing the spherical head portion 104 of the ball stud 102 swingably pivoted, metal housing 1 disposed on the outer periphery of the bearing 105 in a substantially cylindrical shape
11 was provided. In this case, FIG.
The outer diameter of the bearing 105 as shown in d 'housing 1
11 was slightly larger than the inner diameter e ′.

Next, a method of manufacturing the ball joint 101 will be described. First, the opening 11 of the housing 111
2. Press-fit the bearing 105 from the inner circumference. Subsequently, the ball head 104 of the ball stud 102 is fitted to a bearing 105 surrounded by a housing 111. Finally, as shown in the right half of FIG.
The two side ends are swaged toward the inner circumference, and the ball joint 101
Is completed.

[0004]

In such a ball joint 101, a bearing 105 is required at the time of assembly.
Is fitted into the housing 111, resulting in the bearing 10
5 is pressed by the housing 111, and the pressing force causes the bearing 105 to move the ball head 1 of the ball stud 102.
04 is pressed. At this time, if the contact area between the inner peripheral surface of the housing 111 and the outer peripheral surface of the bearing 105 is large, the pressing force of the housing 111 against the bearing 105 increases. As a result, the operating torque applied to the swing of the ball stud 102 also increases.

In order to solve the above problem, there is a ball joint 201 in which the outer diameter d " of the bearing 205 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter e" of the housing 211 before assembly as shown in FIG. This ball joint 201
The ball stud 202, the bearing 205 and the housing 211 are assembled.
FIG. 6 shows a ball joint 201 assembled by caulking the side end to the inner peripheral side. This ball joint 201
Since the outer diameter d ″ of the bearing 205 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter e ″ of the housing 211, a gap S ′ is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the bearing 205 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 211. Therefore, the contact area between the outer peripheral surface of the bearing 205 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 211 is reduced.

However, when the bearing 205 is press-fitted into the housing 211, the bearing 205 is not inserted in parallel along the inner periphery of the housing 211 as shown in FIG. , The bearing 205 cannot be disposed at a predetermined position in the housing 211. Thereby, the housing opening 2
12 from the inner circumference to the open end 209 side end 2 of the bearing 205
08 protrudes. When the ball stud swings in this state, the bearing 205 follows the ball stud and moves from the inner periphery of the opening 212 of the housing 211 to the outside, and the contact state deteriorates, the load resistance of the ball joint decreases, and the ball joint protrudes. In some cases, the swing of the ball stud 202 is restricted by the end 208 of the bearing 205. Also, rattling occurs due to the load in the axial direction, which causes abnormal noise.

Accordingly, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems,
Provided is a ball joint which has a sufficient load resistance, suppresses generation of abnormal noise, and can further reduce the operating torque applied to the swing of the ball stud without restricting the swing of the ball stud. With the goal.

[0008]

The configuration of the present invention is as follows.

A ball stud having a spherical ball head and a handle extending from the ball head, a housing having an opening at one end and a bottom at the other end, and a ball head of the ball stud swingably rotatable. In a ball joint that is enclosed and surrounded by a housing, and has a cylindrical bearing having an open portion on the housing opening side and a bottom bent portion on the housing bottom side, the outer periphery of the bottom bent portion of the bearing is provided. A tapered projection having a smaller diameter toward the end of the bottom curved portion is provided, the outer diameter of the projected portion is larger than the inner diameter of the housing facing, and the outer diameter of the open portion of the bearing is larger than the opposite inner diameter of the housing. In the assembled state after caulking, the end of the bent portion of the bearing abuts on the ball head of the ball stud and the housing, and a gap is formed on both sides in the axial direction of the protrusion of the bearing.

[0010]

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

The left half of FIG. 1 shows a state after swaging of a ball joint 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a ball stud having a spherical ball head 4 and a handle 3, and 11 is a metal housing, which has an opening 12 at one end and a bottom 13 at the other end. Reference numeral 5 denotes a substantially cylindrical bearing made of a synthetic resin, which has a ball head 4 of the ball stud 2 swingably and rotatably and has an inner wall portion 10 having the same curvature as the ball head 4 of the ball stud 2. ing. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the outer diameter d of the opening 5 of the bearing 5 is smaller than the inner diameter e of the housing 11, and the bottom 5 A tapered projection 6 having a smaller diameter toward the end of the curved portion 7 is provided. The outer diameter D of the protrusion 6 is slightly larger than the outer diameter d of the bent portion 9 of the bearing 5, and is larger than the inner diameter e of the housing 11.

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

First, as shown in FIG. 3, a bearing 5 having a projection 6 is press-fitted from the inner periphery of an opening 12 of a housing 11. Subsequently, the ball head 4 of the ball stud 2 is fitted to the bearing 5 surrounded by the housing 11.
Finally, as shown in the left half of FIG. 1, the end of the housing 11 on the opening 12 side is swaged to the inner peripheral side, and the bent portion 9 of the bearing 5 is
Ball head 4 of ball stud 2 and housing 11
, And a gap S is formed on both sides in the axial direction of the protruding portion 6 of the bearing 5, and the manufacture of the ball joint 1 is completed.

Therefore, in the ball joint 1 described above, since the bearing 5 is provided with the tapered protruding portion 6 whose diameter decreases toward the end of the bottom curved portion 7 on the outer peripheral surface of the bottom curved portion 7, the housing 11 has an opening. When press-fitted from the inner periphery of the portion 12, it is guided by the tapered protruding portion 6 and easily inserted. Also,
Since the outer diameter D of the protrusion 6 of the bearing 5 is formed slightly larger than the inner diameter e of the housing 11,
When the bearing 5 is press-fitted into the housing 1, the protrusion 6 of the bearing 5 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the housing 11, so that the center of the bearing 5 and the center of the housing 11 can be positioned so as to coincide with each other. Since the outer diameter d of the bent portion 9 of the bearing 5 is smaller than the inner diameter e of the housing 11 and the protrusion 6 has a tapered shape, the axial line of the protrusion 6 in the bearing 5 in the assembled state after caulking. Since the gap S is formed on both sides in the direction, the contact area between the outer peripheral surface of the bearing 5 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 11 is reduced.

[0015]

As described above, according to the present invention, a ball stud having a spherical ball head and a handle extending from the ball head, a housing having an opening at one end and a bottom at the other end,
A cylindrical bearing that encloses the ball head of the ball stud so as to be swingable and rotatable, is surrounded by the housing, and has an open portion at the housing opening side and a bottom bent portion at the housing bottom side. In the ball joint provided, since the bearing is provided with a tapered protruding portion having a smaller diameter toward the bottom curved portion end side on the outer peripheral surface of the bottom curved portion, when the bearing is press-fitted from the inner periphery of the housing opening, It is guided by the tapered projection and easily inserted. Also, since the outer diameter of the protrusion of the bearing is formed slightly larger than the inner diameter of the housing, when the bearing is pressed into the housing, the protrusion of the bearing is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the housing. Can be positioned so that the center of the housing coincides with the center of the housing, so that the bearing does not move from the inner periphery of the housing opening to the outside following the ball stud when the ball stud swings. Since the load does not decrease, rattling does not occur. Since the outer diameter of the bent portion of the bearing is smaller than the inner diameter of the housing and the protruding portion is tapered, gaps are formed on both sides in the axial direction of the protruding portion of the bearing in an assembled state after swaging. Therefore, the contact area between the outer peripheral surface of the bearing and the inner peripheral surface of the housing is reduced, so that the operating torque when the ball stud swings can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional plan view illustrating a state of a ball joint according to an embodiment of the present invention and a right half thereof after caulking of a ball joint according to a conventional example.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional plan view showing a state before swaging of a bearing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional plan view illustrating an assembled state of a ball joint according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional plan view showing an assembled state of a ball joint according to a conventional example.

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional plan view showing an assembled state of another embodiment of the conventional ball joint.

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional plan view showing another embodiment of the conventional ball joint.

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional plan view showing a state in which a bearing of another embodiment of a conventional ball joint is not inserted into a predetermined position in a housing.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Ball Stud 3 Handle 4 Ball Head 5 Bearing 6 Projection 7 Bottom Bend 9 Opening 11 Housing 12 Opening 13 Bottom D (Protrusion) Outer Diameter d (Opener) Outer Diameter e (Housing) Inner diameter S Gap

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A ball stud (2) having a spherical ball head (4) and a handle (3) extending from the ball head (4).
And a housing (11) having an opening (12) at one end and a bottom (13) at the other end, and a ball head (4) of the ball stud (2) swingably rotatably held. The housing (11) surrounds the housing opening (1).
2) A ball joint having an open part (9) on the side and a cylindrical bearing (5) having a bottom part (7) on the housing bottom part (13) side, wherein the bottom part of the bearing (5) is provided. (7) A tapered protrusion (6) having a smaller diameter toward the end of the bottom curved portion (7) is provided on the outer periphery, and the outer diameter (D) of the protrusion (6) is equal to the housing (11). ), The outer diameter (d) of the open portion (9) of the bearing (5) is smaller than the inner diameter (e) of the housing (11), which is opposite to the inner diameter (e) of the housing (11). In this state, the end of the bent portion (9) of the bearing (5) abuts on the ball head (4) of the ball stud (2) and the housing (11), and the axial direction of the protrusion (6) of the bearing (5). A ball joint having gaps (S) formed on both sides.