JPH0218344Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a ball joint, and more particularly to a ball joint that prevents play that tends to occur between a ball seat and a stud ball.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, the structure of the drag link that has been widely used is to insert a stud ball such as a Pitman arm into a hole cut out from the side of the inner cylinder at the end.
The ball portion is shaped so as to be surrounded by the spherical recesses of the inner and outer studded ball seats. This enveloping pressure is obtained by a compression spring that presses the back surface of the studded ball seat outer.

However, in the drag link structure described above, if a force that pushes the seat outer is applied, for example, more than the pressure of the compression spring that pushes the back of the seat outer, a gap will be created between the stud ball part and the seat inner. This will appear as looseness in the steering linkage. For this reason, generally, a cylindrical protrusion is provided on the spring seat of the compression spring that presses the seat outer, and the gap between the tip of the protrusion and the back of the seat outer is adjusted by tightening the adjuster steering plug. Therefore, by controlling the amount of movement of the seat outer to a predetermined amount or less, it is attempted to prevent rattling of the steering linkage caused by the drag link.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, in the above conventional example, when the seat inner, seat outer, stud ball, etc. are worn out due to long-term use, the gap between the tip of the cylindrical protrusion and the back surface of the seat outer widens.
Once again, there was a problem with the steering linkage becoming loose. In such a case, tighten the adjusting plug again.
The gap has to be readjusted, and this adjustment work has become quite troublesome.

An object of the present invention is to provide a ball joint that automatically adjusts the gap between the ball seat and the stud ball to a predetermined value when the ball seat, stud ball, etc. are worn out.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a joint knob rotatably coupled to a housing formed at the end of a link, a ball seat housed in the housing, and a stud ball seated on the ball seat. a compression spring that is fitted into the housing and biases the ball seat toward the link body; and a piston that engages one end of the compression spring and transmits the pressing force to the ball seat. In the ball joint equipped with the ball joint, a wear adjustment means is provided for moving the piston toward the ball seat side in response to wear of the ball seat, stud ball, etc., and locking the piston at the position after the movement. It is characterized by

[Effect]

According to the above configuration, when the ball seat, stud ball, etc. are worn and a gap is created between them, the piston is pressed toward the ball seat by the wear adjustment means and moves to a position where the gap disappears. At the same time, it is locked at the position after the movement. As a result, it is possible to prevent play from occurring due to wear of the ball seat, stud balls, etc.

In addition, since the piston is firmly locked in the position after movement by the wear adjustment means, even if an excessive load is applied in the opposite direction to the direction in which the compression spring is pressed, the compression side of the piston It is possible to prevent movement and suppress the occurrence of rattling.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, details of the present invention will be explained using embodiments shown in the drawings.

The figure is a front view with a main part cut away showing an embodiment of the ball joint according to the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an end portion of the drag link body, 2 a dust seal interposed between the end portion 1 and the pitman arm 3, and 4 fixed to the pitman arm 3 via a joint knob 4A between the pitman arm 3 and the drag link body. Stud balls 5 and 6 connecting the end portion 1 of the drag link body to the housing 1 formed on the end portion 1 of the drag link body are
The stud ball seat inner and stud ball seat outer are built in A and fit and hold the stud ball 4 rotatably in any direction, and since the above configuration is the same as the conventional one, no further detailed explanation will be given. is omitted.

However, the ball joint of this embodiment consists of a piston 7, first and second compression springs 8, 9, a log ring 10, and an engaging portion 11, and these structures will now be explained in more detail. do. That is, the piston 7 is disposed between the adjusting plug 12 screwed into the open end side of the housing 1A of the drag link body and the stud ball seat outer 6, and a ball seat ( The structure includes a tapered surface portion 7a formed so that the outer diameter dimension gradually increases toward the side (consisting of a studded ball seat inner 5 and a studded ball seat outer 6), and the first complex The spring 8 is housed in the mounting hole 7b provided in the piston 7, and its both ends are in contact with the adjusting plug 12 and the end surface of the mounting hole 7b with a constant pressure. , the piston 7 is always pressed toward the ball seat side. Further, a log ring 10 is slidably attached to the tapered surface portion 7a of the piston 7, and the log ring 10 has an inner circumferential surface portion 10a formed in a tapered shape similar to the taper surface portion 7a of the piston 7. A plurality of serrated protrusions 10b are provided on the outer periphery, some of which are cut out in the circumferential direction, so that the shape is approximately C-shaped when viewed from the side. The second compression spring 9 is interposed between the logging link 10 and the adjusting plug 12, and is configured to constantly press and bias the logging ring 10 toward the ball seat. Furthermore, the engaging portion 11 is connected to the housing 1A.
A plurality of recesses 11a are provided at positions corresponding to the tapered surface portion 7a of the piston 7 on the inner wall surface of the piston 7, and are engageable with the projections 10b. Note that reference numeral 13 is a split pin for preventing the adjusting plug 12 from rotating. Also, in the figure,
The direction of arrow A indicates the ball seat side, and the arrow B indicates the direction opposite to the ball seat side.

Note that the second compression spring 9,
The log ring 10 and the engaging portion 11 constitute wear adjustment means.

Next, the operation of the ball joint configured as described above will be explained. Initially, between the piston 7 and the adjusting plug 12, there is a stud ball seat inner 5 for the stud ball 4.
In order to eliminate various harms caused by the studded ball seat outer 6 hitting too hard, the assembly is provided with any necessary clearance. This is similar to the conventional assembly, and the first compression spring 8 acts as a compression spring that pushes the conventional studded ball seat outer, and the cylindrical protrusion also acts as a compression spring. The piston 7 is what does this.

Now, when the stud ball 4, stud ball seat inner 5, stud ball seat outer 6, and piston 7 are worn out, a force is applied from the stud ball 4 to push the stud ball seat inner 5 in the direction of arrow A, and at this time, the stud ball seat inner 5 is worn out. The ball seat outer 6 and the piston 7 are pushed and moved in the direction of arrow A by the urging force of the first compression spring 8. When the piston 7 moves in the direction of arrow A, a gap is created between the inner circumferential tapered portion 10a of the rotary ring 10 and the tapered surface portion 7a of the piston 7.
As a result, the logging ring 10 can be reduced. However, the tip of the serrated projection 10b provided on the outer periphery of the drag ring 10 is connected to the recess 11a of the engaging portion 11 provided in the housing 1A of the drag link body.
When the log ring 10 is compressed until it becomes smaller than the inner diameter of the protrusion 11b between the recess 11a, the log ring 10 is pressed in the direction of arrow A by the second compression spring 9. Therefore, the serrated projection 10b of the logging ring 10 engages with the recess 11a of the engaging portion 11 of the housing 1A, and the inner circumferential surface 10a of the logging ring 10 moves to a position where it abuts the tapered surface 7a of the piston 7. Become. After this, if a force is applied by the stud ball 4 to push the stud ball seat outer 6 in the direction of arrow B, the stud ball seat outer 6 will move toward the piston 7.
is pushed in the direction of the arrow B, the diameter of the logging ring 10 is expanded by the tapered surface portion 7a of the piston 7, thereby causing the serrated protrusion 10b of the logging ring 10 to engage with the engaging portion of the housing 1A. 11 is in a completely locked state. Therefore, from this point on, the piston 7 is stopped from moving in the direction of arrow B, and the stud ball seat outer 6 is reliably stopped from moving more than necessary in the direction of arrow B.

After the initial assembly, the above-mentioned operation is constantly repeated, and unnecessary play caused by the drag link can be eliminated without manual adjustment.

The material of the log ring 10 is the same as that normally used for engine piston rings, and is manufactured so that force always acts in the direction of decreasing the diameter.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, according to the present invention, when the ball seat and stud ball wear out, the gap caused by the wear is removed without any manual adjustment, so the occurrence of backlash due to wear is also prevented. At the same time, it is possible to automatically prevent an increase in frictional force, seizure, etc. due to excessive control, and it is possible to save the trouble of adjusting the ball joint.

Moreover, when an excessive load that pushes the piston toward the compression spring is applied, movement of the piston is stopped by the wear adjustment means, so that play is prevented from occurring.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figure is a cutaway front view of the main part of the ball joint according to the present invention. 1...End part, 1A...Housing, 4...
Studded ball, 4A...Joint knob, 5...
... Studded ball seat inner, 6... Studded ball seat outer, 7... Piston, 7a...
Tapered surface portion, 8...First compression spring, 9...Second compression spring, 10...Logging ring, 10b...Sawtooth protrusion, 11...Engaging portion, 11a...Recessed portion.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A housing formed at the end of the link, a ball seat housed within the housing, a joint knob rotatably coupled by a stud ball seated on the ball seat, and the ball seat fitted within the housing. A ball joint is provided with a compression spring that urges the link body toward the link body, and a piston that engages with one end of the compression spring and transmits the pressing force to the ball seat. A ball joint characterized in that a wear adjusting means is provided for moving the piston toward the ball seat side in response to wear of balls, etc., and locking the piston at the position after the movement.