JPH05149324A - Manufacture of ball joint - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To achieve mass production by bonding a bearing rough material made of a specific fiber reinforced resin to an inner circumferential surface of an outer race rough material so as to thus obtain the bearing rough material, pressing both ends of the bearing rough material with a ball head of a ball stud fitted to the inside of the bearing rough material to bring the inner circumferential surface into sliding contact with the ball head. CONSTITUTION:An outer race rough material 10' is formed into an almost cylindrical shape. At each outer peripheral edge at both ends 16', a building-up portion having a volume enough to fill a space defined between a ball stud 3 and a ball head 4 is formed into, e.g. a triangular projection in molding an outer race 10. A thin film like bearing rough material 11' made of a fiber reinforced resin where a phenol resin and Teflon fiber are mixed is bonded to a cylindrical inner circumferential surface 13' via an adhesive 12, thus obtaining a spherical bearing rough material 2' having an approximately cylindrical shape. The ball head 4 of the ball stud 3 is inserted into the bearing rough material 2', and then, both ends of the bearing rough material 2' are pressed by a pressing jig or the like. The building-up portions at both ends 16' of the outer race 10' are expanded inward, and a bearing inner circumferential surface 14 is brought into sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface 5 of the ball head, thereby completing a ball joint 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a ball joint having a spherical bearing which holds a ball head of a ball stud so as to be rotatable and swingable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the case of manufacturing a ball joint having a spherical bearing as described above, the conventional method is, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 45-40.
No. 81, a method in which the bearing heads 111 ′ and 111 ′ are press-fitted into the gap between the ball head 104 and the outer ring 110 from both sides so that the ball head can be pivoted and rocked. (Fig. 6) Or, actually, 52-124
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 369 and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-25819, the outer ring rough material 210 'has a shape in which the inner surface 213' is similar to the spherical shape of the ball head 204 on one side and the ball head is on the other side. The padding portion 216 necessary for gripping the portion 204 is formed into a shape in which the outer peripheral edge is attached in a substantially triangular shape, and the outer ring rough material 210 ′ is formed.
The ball head 204 is fitted to the above through a bearing (not shown) and is press-fitted into a mold (not shown), so that the buildup portion 216 is caused to fall toward the inner peripheral side by its throttling action. hand,
Various methods such as a method of gripping the ball head 204 (FIG. 7) and the like are performed.

[0003]

However, each of the above-mentioned methods has a large number of man-hours at the time of molding and manufacturing the mold for forming the preliminary shape of each component, resulting in high cost and poor mass productivity. However, there has been a problem that the relative position of the bearing and the outer ring is likely to shift during pressure molding. Further, regarding parts such as ball joints to which such spherical bearings are applied, demands for weight reduction and size reduction have recently been increased.
In the case of the method as described above, it is not easy to make a small and thin component having a spherical shape and the like, and it is not so easy to mold the component, and the precision of fitting each component is obtained. It was also difficult to meet the demand for weight reduction and size reduction.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a method of manufacturing a ball joint having a spherical bearing which is low in cost, rich in mass productivity, and meeting the demand for weight reduction and size reduction. And

[0005]

The constitution of the present invention is as follows.

A rough bearing material made of a thin film fiber reinforced resin obtained by mixing phenol resin and Teflon fiber is adhered to the inner cylindrical surface of the outer ring rough material having the inner cylindrical surface with an adhesive. Cylindrical spherical bearing rough material is integrally molded, and then the spherical head of the ball stud is fitted concentrically with the inner circumference of the spherical bearing rough material. The surface is brought into contact with the ball head to form a spherical bearing having a desired shape.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of a method for manufacturing a ball joint according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As an example of the ball joint 1, FIG. 2 shows a ball stud 3 having handle portions 6 and 6 at both ends of a ball head 4.
Shows the one using. In the figure, reference numeral 2 denotes a spherical bearing which holds a ball head 4 of the ball stud 3 so as to be rotatable and swingable, and the spherical bearing 2 is composed of an outer ring 10 and a bearing 11.

The outer ring 10 is made of a metal material having high plastic deformability, such as iron or aluminum, and the bearing 11 is made of a thin-film fiber reinforced resin obtained by blending phenol resin and Teflon fiber. Outer ring 10 and bearing 1
Reference numeral 1 is an adhesive 12, which is integrally bonded.

The Teflon fiber contained in the material of the bearing 11 is a typical low friction organic polymer fiber, and by blending with a phenol resin having a high adhesive property, the bearing 11 is excellent in friction resistance even though it is thin. Can be realized. Further, as an adhesive agent for adhering the bearing 11 and the outer ring 10, for example, a pressure-sensitive adhesive agent or a heat-sensitive adhesive agent, which is used under pressure or under heat,
Those capable of exerting a strong chemical bond are desirable. The adhesive 12 immobilizes the bearing 11 as the adherend and the outer ring 10 so that they cannot be moved, and the mutual positions do not shift during the processing of the next step.

Further, FIG. 4A shows a second embodiment of the spherical bearing according to the present invention, in which the outer ring rough material 10 is used.
This is a configuration in which one or more circumferential grooves 20b are provided at appropriate places on the cylindrical inner circumferential surface 13b 'of b'.

Further, a third embodiment of the spherical bearing according to the present invention shown in FIG. 5 is that a plurality of concave portions are formed in the opening edge portion 16c 'of the cylindrical inner peripheral surface 13c' of the outer ring rough material 10c '. 20c is provided.

Next, a method of manufacturing a ball joint having the above spherical bearing will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

First, the outer ring coarse material 10 'is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having a cylindrical inner peripheral surface 13' as shown in FIG. 1A, and both end portions 16 'of the outer ring coarse material 10' are formed. , 16 '
In this case, a built-up portion having a volume sufficient to fill the gap between the outer ring 10 and the ball head 4 at the time of molding is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the outer ring coarse material 10 ', for example, in a substantially triangular protrusion. A thin film bearing rough material 11 'made of a fiber reinforced resin obtained by mixing phenol resin and Teflon fiber is bonded to the cylindrical inner peripheral surface 13' of the outer ring rough material 10 'with an adhesive 12 to form a substantially cylindrical shape. The spherical bearing rough material 2'of is molded.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1A, a preformed ball stud 3 is inserted into the inner circumference of the spherical bearing rough material 2 ', and the ball head 4 is concentrically provided with a metal not shown. Insert and hold in the mold. In this state, both ends 16 ′ and 16 ′ of the spherical bearing rough material 2 ′ are pressed using a pressing jig or the like. Due to such pressurization, as shown in (c) of FIG. 1, the built-up portions of the outer peripheral projections of the both ends 16 ', 16' of the outer ring 10 'bulge inward, and the ball head 4 of the ball stud 3 Outer peripheral surface 5
The inner peripheral surface 14 of the spherical bearing 2 is in contact with.

The spherical bearing 2 molded as described above is cut at both ends 16 in the axial direction into a flat surface or the like as required, and is finished and molded into the spherical bearing 2 as shown in FIG.

Therefore, the substantially cylindrical constituent members 10 and 11 are bonded together with the adhesive 12 so that they cannot move relative to each other to form the roughly cylindrical spherical bearing rough material 2 ', and then the spherical bearing 2 having a desired shape is formed. Since it is pressure-molded, it is easy to preform each constituent member, and it is also possible to easily mold a finished shape having the spherical inner peripheral surface 14. Further, since the coarse bearing material 11 'is formed of a material having excellent friction resistance, even if it is thin, sufficient friction resistance can be obtained.

As the second structure of the ball joint according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the outer ring rough material 10b '(FIG. 4) in which the circumferential groove 20b is provided at a proper position on the cylindrical inner circumferential surface 13b' is used. (A)) and a bearing rough material (not shown) are bonded together, and then molded into a spherical bearing 2b having a spherical inner peripheral surface 14b (see FIG. 4) as in the first embodiment described above.
(A)). Due to such pressure deformation, the material of the bearing 11b swells into the circumferential groove 20b, and "retraction" occurs on the inner circumferential side of the bulging portion, so that the outer surface 5 of the ball head 4 and the spherical bearing 2b. A circumferential gap 21b is formed at an appropriate position on the contact surface of the inner peripheral surface 14b. The lubricating oil with which the spherical bearing 2b is filled is retained by the gap portion 21b, and the lubrication of the sliding surface between the spherical bearing 2b and the ball head 4 can be made smooth and the torque can be reduced. Also, the outer ring rough material 10
Since the wall thickness of the portion where the circumferential groove 20b is provided in b'is smaller than that of the other portions, the molding ability for spherical molding is improved.

Further, the third aspect of the spherical bearing according to the present invention
The structure shown in FIG. 5 has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface 13
Both opening edge portions 16c ', 16 from b'to the opening end surface
Outer ring rough material 1 in which recesses 20c are provided at a plurality of positions of c '
0c ′ (the left half of FIG. 5), the above-mentioned first and second
The spherical bearing 2 having the spherical inner peripheral surface 14c as in the above embodiment.
Molded into c (right half of FIG. 5). Due to such pressure deformation, the material of the bearing 11c swells into the recess 20c, and "withdrawal" occurs on the inner peripheral side of the bulging portion, so that the outer surface 5 of the ball head 4 and the spherical bearing 2c. Inner surface 14
A gap 21c is formed at the contact surface of each opening of c. That is, since the spherical bearing 2c and the ball head 4 do not come into full contact with each other due to the gap 21c in the opening,
Torque can be reduced during sliding. Further, as in the second embodiment, the thickness of the portion of the outer ring coarse material 10c where the concave portion 20c is provided is smaller than that of the other portions, so that the molding ability for spherical molding is improved.

The example of the ball joint 1 of the present invention applied to the ball stud 3 having the handle portions 6 and 6 at both ends has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to this. Manufacture of a ball joint including a combination of a ball head having a handle and a spherical bearing, such as a ball stud 6a of a type in which a handle 6a at one end is swingably and rotatably projected from an opening of a housing 19a as shown in FIG. All are applicable to the method.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is easy to preform each constituent member, a spherical bearing having a spherical inner peripheral surface is easily formed, and the bearing is sufficiently thin. Therefore, it is possible to form a spherical bearing that meets the requirements of weight reduction and size reduction at a low cost by a method suitable for mass production.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional plan view of an essential part for sequentially explaining an embodiment of a ball joint of the present invention and a manufacturing process thereof.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional plan view showing an embodiment of the ball joint of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional plan view showing another embodiment of the ball joint of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional plan view of an essential part for explaining the second embodiment of the ball joint of the present invention and the manufacturing process thereof.

5 is a partial cross-sectional plan view of an essential part for explaining a third embodiment of the ball joint of the present invention and a manufacturing process thereof, in which the left half is from the same position as the direction B in FIG. The outer ring is a rough material, and the right half is the ball stud and the spherical bearing in the same position as the cross section taken along the line CC of FIG.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a conventional method for manufacturing a ball joint.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a conventional method for manufacturing a ball joint.

[Explanation of symbols] 1 ball joint 2 spherical bearing 2'spherical bearing rough material 3 ball stud 4 ball head 10 outer ring 10 'outer ring rough material 11 bearing 11' bearing rough material 12 adhesive 13 'outer ring rough material inside the cylinder Circumferential surface 14 Spherical inner surface of spherical bearing 14 'Spherical bearing rough cylindrical inner surface of bearing

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A fiber reinforced resin obtained by mixing phenol resin and Teflon fiber on the inner cylindrical inner peripheral surface (13 ′) of an outer ring rough material (10 ′) having a cylindrical peripheral surface (13 ′). The thin film bearing rough material (11 ') is adhered with an adhesive (12) to form a substantially cylindrical spherical bearing rough material (2').
Are integrally molded, and the spherical head (4 ') of the ball stud (3) is concentrically fitted to the inner circumference of the spherical bearing rough material (2'), and then both ends of the spherical bearing rough material (2 ') are fitted. And press the inner peripheral surface (14 ') of the ball to the ball head (4),
A method for manufacturing a ball joint, characterized in that the spherical bearing (2) has a desired shape.