JPH07233812A - Ball joint - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To give sufficient load resistance to a ball joint by preventing a ball seat protruding from the opening of a housing from controlling the oscillating range of a ball stud. CONSTITUTION:A ball joint has a ball stud 2 having a spherical ball head part 4 and a handle part 3 extending from the ball head part 4; a cylindrical ball seat 5 which wrap holds the ball head part 4 of the ball stud 2 so that it may freely oscillate and rotate, and has a bottom on an inner periphery on one end and an opening part on the side of an opened handle part on the other side; and a housing 11 which has an opening part 12 at art end and holds the ball seat 5. In a state where the ball stud 2 and the ball seat 5 are insertion fitted in the housing 11, the opening part of the housing 11 is deformed inward to surround the ball head part 4 of the ball stud 2. The seat inner periphery of the ball seat 5 is formed in a small diametral shape tapered from the bottom toward an opening part on the side of the handle part in a free state before deformation.

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 in, for example, an automobile suspension system and a steering system,
In particular, the present invention relates to a ball joint that surrounds the ball head of a ball stud by deforming the opening of the housing inward with the ball stud and the ball seat fitted in the housing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in the right half of FIG. 4, a ball stud 102 and a ball seat 105 are fitted in a housing 111 having an opening 112 at the end as shown in the left half of FIG. , The opening 112 of the housing 111
The ball head 104 of the ball stud 102
As the ball joint 101 surrounding the
Many are known, such as No. 6-7 and No. 57-33318.

[0003]

In the ball joint 101, a great load is applied especially in the axial direction of the ball stud (pulling direction and pressing direction). Therefore, since the load is received, the ball seat 105 is formed to have a uniform thickness.

However, when the ball seat 105 is formed to have a uniform thickness, the ball stud 102 follows the ball stud 102 as shown in FIG. 5, especially with respect to the load in the pulling direction of the ball stud 102 (direction of arrow C). (In the direction of arrow D), the ball seat 105 may protrude from the opening 112 of the housing 111 to the outside. That is, the protrusion of the ball seat 105 causes the ball stud 10
There is a problem that the swing range of 2 is restricted.

Further, when the ball seat 105 moves outward from the opening 112 of the housing 111 following the ball stud 102, the load bearing capacity of the ball joint 101 decreases.

Therefore, the present invention solves the above problems,
An object of the present invention is to provide a ball joint having a sufficient load resistance without the ball seat protruding from the opening of the housing to restrict the swing range of the ball stud.

[0007]

The constitution of the present invention is as follows.

A ball stud having a spherical ball head and a handle portion extending from the ball head, and a cylindrical shape for rotatably and rotatably enclosing the ball head of the ball stud, and the bottom end on the inner circumference at one end. A ball seat having an opening on the handle portion side opening to the housing, and a housing having the opening at the end for holding the ball seat, and with the ball stud and the ball seat fitted in the housing, In a ball joint that deforms the opening inward and surrounds the ball head of the ball stud, the inner peripheral surface of the ball seat has a taper shape with a smaller diameter from the bottom toward the handle side opening in the free state before deformation. To do.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 shows a ball joint 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The left half part shows a state before caulking and the right half part shows a state after caulking. In the right half of FIG. 1, 2 is a ball stud having a spherical ball head 4 and a handle 3 extending from the ball head 4, and 5 is a ball seat made of synthetic resin,
The ball head 4 of the ball stud 2 is swingably and rotatably enclosed. The ball seat 5 has a cylindrical shape as shown in FIG.
A bottom 6 having a handle side opening 10 at one end and a bottom side opening 9 at the other end, which receives the ball head 4 of the ball stud 2 on the inner peripheral side of the ball seat 5 continuously from the bottom side opening 9; It has a taper seat inner peripheral surface 8 having a smaller diameter toward the handle portion side opening 10. Further, the bottom portion 6 of the ball seat 5 is formed with a plurality of grooves 7 that connect the bottom side opening 9 and the seat inner peripheral surface 8. The groove 7 is used to supply a lubricant between the ball head 4 of the ball stud 2 and the seat inner peripheral surface 8 of the ball seat 5. And this ball seat 5
As shown in the right half of FIG. 1, it is held in a housing 11 having an opening 12 at its end.

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

First, as shown in the left half of FIG. 1, the ball seat 5 and the ball head 4 of the ball stud 2 are fitted into the housing 11 through the opening 12 and an upper die for caulking molding (not shown) is inserted. The ball joint 1 is completed by lowering it to a predetermined position, aligning the opening 12 of the housing 11 with the inner spherical surface of the upper mold, and deforming it inward as shown in the right half of FIG. At this time, the ball seat 5 is deformed inward as the opening 12 of the housing 11 is deformed, the inner circumference is connected to the ball head 4 of the ball stud 2, and the outer circumference is in contact with the inner circumference of the housing 11. It

Therefore, the ball joint 1 has a taper shape in which the seat inner peripheral surface 8 of the ball seat 5 is reduced in diameter from the bottom 6 toward the handle side opening 10 in a free state before deformation, as shown in FIG. , Ball stud 2 after deformation
Since the wall thickness becomes thinner along the ball head 4 of, when a load is applied to the ball stud 2 in the pulling direction (direction of arrow A),
On the contrary, due to the wedge action, the ball seat 5 is applied with a load toward the bottom (direction of arrow B), and the ball seat 5 does not project from the opening 12 of the housing 11.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, a ball stud having a spherical ball head and a shank extending from the ball head, and a ball stud of the ball stud is swingably and rotatably enclosed. A ball seat having a cylindrical seat having an opening on the other end at the bottom and an opening on the other end on the inner circumference of one end, and a housing for holding the above-mentioned ball seat having an opening at the end. And with the ball seat inserted,
In a ball joint that deforms the opening of the housing inward and surrounds the ball head of the ball stud, the taper that reduces the diameter from the bottom to the handle side opening in the free state before deformation of the seat inner peripheral surface of the ball seat. Since the shape of the ball stud reduces the thickness along the ball head of the ball stud after deformation, when a load is applied to the ball stud in the pulling direction, the wedge action reverses the load to the bottom of the ball seat due to the wedge action. Therefore, the ball seat does not project from the opening of the housing, and therefore the swing range of the ball stud is not restricted. Further, since the ball seat does not follow the load in the pulling direction of the ball stud, it is possible to obtain a sufficient load resistance of the ball joint.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional plan view showing a ball joint according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a left half part is in a state before caulking and a right half part is in a state after caulking.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of an R portion in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view showing a ball seat used in a ball joint according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional plan view showing a conventional ball joint, in which the left half is in a state before caulking and the right half is in a state after caulking.

5 is an enlarged view of an S portion of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Ball Stud 3 Handle 4 Ball Head 5 Ball Seat 6 Bottom 8 Seat Inner Surface 10 Handle Side Opening 11 Housing 12 Opening

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A ball stud (2) having a spherical ball head (4) and a handle (3) extending from the ball head (4),
The ball stud (2) has a spherical head portion (4) that swingably and rotatably encloses, and has a bottom portion (6) at one end inner circumference and a handle portion side opening (10) opening at the other end. Ball seat (5)
And a housing (11) having an opening (12) at an end and holding the ball seat (5), and the ball stud (2) and the ball seat (5) are fitted in the housing (11). In the ball joint which surrounds the ball head (4) of the ball stud (2) by deforming the opening (12) of the housing (11) in the inserted state, the seat inner circumference of the ball seat (5) A ball joint characterized in that the surface (8) has a taper shape in which the diameter is reduced from the bottom (6) toward the handle side opening (10) in a free state before deformation.