JPH0519632U - Ball joint - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] A socket is formed into a cylindrical shape, and a seat bearing is locked to the socket by utilizing its elastic force, so that the socket is made lightweight and is easily assembled. [Structure] The ball portion of the ball stud is fitted into the socket through a plastic seat bearing, the socket is formed into a cylindrical shape, and the seat bearing is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape, and the inner surface thereof is formed into the ball stud. Is formed into a spherical shape substantially corresponding to the ball portion, a large-diameter flange portion is formed at the lower end portion, and a plurality of elastic pieces divided by vertical slits in the vertical direction are formed at the upper portion, and the upper end portion of the elastic piece is formed. And a hook piece projecting outward in the radial direction is formed, and the inner surface of the elastic piece is formed into an arc surface having a diameter larger than the diameter of the ball portion of the ball stud.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a ball joint provided in a steering link mechanism or a stabilizer of a vehicle.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 As a conventional technique, there is one shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 1 denotes a bottomed cylindrical socket whose upper surface is opened and whose bottom surface is closed by a metal material, which has a thin and annular caulking piece 2 at its upper end and a dish-like shape at its lower end. It has a bottom wall 3.

A plastic seat bear ring 4 having a spherical inner surface is fitted in the socket 1, and a ball portion 6 of a ball stud 5 is fitted in the seat bearing 4. Then, the caulking piece 2 at the upper end of the socket 1 is bent in the axial direction to press the upper end of the seat bearing 4, and the seat bearing 4 is locked to the socket 1.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 In the conventional device, the bottom wall 3 is formed on the bottom of the socket 1 to cover the entire surface of the bottom, so that the socket 1 is heavy. Further, the operating torque of the ball stud 5 is kept at a predetermined value by crimping the caulking piece 2 of the socket 1 and pressing the seat bearing 4 against the ball portion 6. However, there is a drawback that the pressure contact force of the ball to the ball portion 6 is not stable and the operating torque of the ball stud 5 becomes unstable. The object of the present invention is to obtain a new ball joint that solves the above drawbacks.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The present invention is configured as follows to achieve the above object. That is, in a ball joint in which the ball portion of the ball stud is fitted in the socket via a plastic seat bearing, the socket is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the seat bearing is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape. , The inner surface of which is formed into a spherical shape substantially corresponding to the ball portion of the ball stud, the lower end portion of which is formed with a collar portion having a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the socket, and the upper portion of which is divided by a vertical slit. Elastic piece is formed, a hook piece protruding outward in the radial direction is formed at the upper end portion of the elastic piece, and the inner surface of the elastic piece is formed into an arc surface having a diameter larger than the diameter of the ball portion of the ball stud. It is configured.

[0006]

[Action]

 Since the present invention is configured as described above, when the seat bearing is fitted to the ball portion of the ball stud and the seat bearing and the ball portion are pushed into the socket from below, the elastic piece is elastic in the axial direction. The elastic piece, the seat bearing and the ball portion are deformed and fit into the socket. When the hook piece of the elastic piece is exposed upward from the socket, the elastic piece returns outward in the radial direction and the hook piece engages with the upper end of the socket. The lower end of the seat bearing so that the seat bearing is immovably engaged with the socket in the vertical direction, that is, in the axial direction.

[0007]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of a seat bearing of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an essential part of the seat bearing, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an assembled state. Is. In FIG. 1, 10 is a cylindrical socket, and this socket 10 is attached to the end of a stabilizer 11, for example. The ball portion 21 of the metal ball stud 20 is fitted into the socket 10 via the plastic seat bearing 12.

The seat bearing 12 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with an open top surface, and the inner surface 13 is formed in a spherical shape into which the ball portion 21 fits, and a grease reservoir is formed at the center of the bottom portion of the inner surface 13. The recess 14 is formed. A flange 15 having a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the socket 10 is formed on the outer periphery of the bottom of the seat bearing 12. Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, four elastic pieces 17 divided by vertical slits 16 are formed on the upper portion of the seat bearing 12. The elastic pieces 17 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Each of the elastic pieces 17 has a hook piece 18 projecting outward in the radial direction at the upper end thereof, and an upper surface 18a of the hook piece 18 is formed as a slope inclined downward in the radial direction. The inner surface 17a of the elastic piece 17 is formed as an arc surface having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the ball portion 21 of the ball stud 20. Further, the ball stud 20 described above integrally has a shaft portion 22 on the upper end portion of the ball portion 21.

According to the above-described embodiment, when the seat bearing 12 is fitted into the ball portion 21 of the ball stud 20 and then pushed into the socket 10 from below, the upper surface 18 a of the hook piece 18 is pushed to the lower end of the socket 10. With the elastic piece 17 elastically deformed in the axial direction, the elastic piece 17, the seat bearing 12, and the ball portion 21 are fitted into the socket 10 as shown in FIG. Then, when the hook piece 18 of the elastic piece 17 is exposed upward from the socket 10, the elastic piece 17 returns outward in the radial direction and the hook piece 18 engages with the upper end of the socket 10, and The lower flange portion 15 of the seat bearing 12 engages with the lower end of the socket, whereby the seat bearing 12 engages with the socket 10 in the vertical direction, that is, in the axial direction immovably, and the inner surface 13 thereof. Comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the ball portion 21 at a predetermined pressure, and the operating torque of the ball stud 20 is maintained at a specified value. In this case, the flange portion 15 and the hook piece 18 of the seat bearing 12 are molded at the same time when the seat bearing 12 is molded, so that they are molded with high precision, and the operating torque of the ball stud 20 is less likely to vary. Further, when the elastic piece 17 returns, the inner surface 17a thereof is separated from the ball portion 21, and an oil groove 23 is formed as shown in FIG. 1. By filling this portion with lubricating oil such as grease, the seat bearing is formed. The lubricating oil is smoothly supplied to the contact portion between the ball 12 and the ball portion 21.

[0010]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, since the socket has a cylindrical shape, it is lightweight and easy to manufacture, and the seat bearing is used for the socket by utilizing its elastic force. Since it is stopped, caulking of the socket can be omitted, and the assembling is easy, and the operating torque is stable.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a seat bearing showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an essential part of a seat bearing showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an assembled state showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 socket 11 stabilizer 12 seat bearing 13 inner surface 14 recess 15 collar 16 vertical slit 17 elastic piece 17a inner surface 18 hook piece 18a top surface 20 ball stud 21 ball portion 22 shaft portion 23 oil groove

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A ball joint in which a ball portion of a ball stud is fitted in a socket through a plastic seat bearing, wherein the socket is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the seat bearing is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape. In addition, its inner surface is formed into a spherical shape substantially corresponding to the ball portion of the ball stud, a flange portion having a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the socket is formed at the lower end portion, and the upper portion is divided by a vertical slit in the vertical direction. A plurality of elastic pieces are formed, a hook piece protruding outward in the radial direction is formed at the upper end of the elastic piece, and the inner surface of the elastic piece is an arc surface having a diameter larger than the diameter of the ball portion of the ball stud. A ball joint characterized by being formed.