JPH08326739A - Ball seat - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To maintain the slidability of a ball joint suitable for the joint of a suspension for a vehicle, favorably for a long period. CONSTITUTION: At a ball seat 38 to support the globular member of a ball joint from below, an oil groove 46 for supplying grease to the face upon which the globular member is slid is made. The width in the vicinity of the bottom of the oil groove 46 is made smaller than that in other position. Hereby, the resistance of oil passage at the bottom of the oil groove 46 increases, and enough grease is supplied to the middle of the oil groove, and also the outflow from the oil groove 46 to outside of grease is suppressed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a ball seat, and more particularly to a ball seat used for a ball joint suitable as a joint for a vehicle suspension.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ball joints have been used as joints for vehicle suspensions. The ball joint realizes a swingable connection by sliding the spherical portion of the ball stud in the ball seat. In order to smooth the movement of the ball stud and prevent wear of the sliding part, an appropriate amount of grease is always supplied around the ball stud to ensure proper lubrication between the ball stud and the ball seat. There is a need to do.

As a ball joint for realizing such a function, for example, the structure disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 58-96118 is conventionally known. In the ball joint disclosed in the above publication, a ball seat having an oil groove for supplying grease from the grease reservoir between the ball seat and the spherical portion of the ball stud is used. According to such a configuration, as the ball slides, grease is appropriately supplied from the oil groove to the periphery of the ball, and smooth slidability is realized.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional ball joint, no consideration is given to suppressing the amount of grease flowing out from the grease reservoir through the oil groove. Therefore, when the environment in which the ball joint is used is severe, the grease is reduced relatively early, and there is a problem that the slidability of the ball stud with respect to the ball seat cannot be maintained for a long time.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides a ball seat capable of suppressing the amount of grease flowing out and maintaining the slidability of the ball stud ball portion with respect to the ball seat for a long time. The purpose is to do.

[0006]

The above-mentioned object is defined in claim 1.
In the ball seat, which has an oil groove for slidably gripping a spherical member inside and guiding a lubricant from a lubricant reservoir to a sliding surface with the spherical member, the oil groove is This is achieved by a ball seat provided with a portion having a high oil passage resistance in the vicinity of the end portion on the side not communicating with the pool.

Further, as described in claim 2, claim 1
In the ball seat described above, as a means for providing a portion having a high oil passage resistance in the oil groove, it is easy to reduce at least one of the width and the depth of the oil groove at a predetermined position as compared with other positions. It is effective in providing a high part.

Further, the above object is, as described in claim 3, a ball which slidably holds a spherical member therein and guides a lubricant from a lubricant reservoir and supplies it to a sliding surface with the spherical member. This can also be achieved by providing the seat in the lubricant reservoir with a holding means for increasing the contact area between the lubricant reservoir inner surface and the lubricant.

Further, as described in claim 4, claim 3
In the ball seat described above, as a holding means for increasing the contact area between the inner surface of the lubricant reservoir and the lubricant, the provision of a protruding member that is integrally formed with the ball seat and protrudes into the lubricant reservoir simplifies the ball seat. It is effective to realize with a simple configuration.

[0010]

In the invention described in claim 1, the oil groove guides the lubricant from the lubricant reservoir to the sliding surface with the spherical member. In this oil groove, a portion having a higher oil passage resistance than the hydraulic resistance of the end portion on the side communicating with the lubricant reservoir is provided near the end portion on the side not communicating with the lubricant reservoir. In this case, since the flow of the lubricant near the end of the oil groove is suppressed, the amount of the lubricant flowing out from the oil groove to the outside is suppressed while supplying a sufficient amount of the lubricant in the middle of the oil groove.

In the invention of claim 2, the oil groove has
By reducing at least one of the width or depth near the end that does not communicate with the lubricant reservoir,
The part which raised the oilway resistance is provided. In this case, since the flow of the lubricant near the end of the oil groove is suppressed, the amount of the lubricant flowing out from the oil groove to the outside is suppressed while supplying a sufficient amount of the lubricant in the middle of the oil groove. Further, when the width of the oil groove is reduced, the contact area between the spherical member and the ball seat increases, and the surface pressure applied to the ball seat by the spherical member decreases, so that the slidability between the spherical member and the ball seat is reduced. improves.

In the invention of claim 3, the holding means increases the contact area between the lubricant reservoir inner surface and the lubricant.
When the contact area between the two increases, the flow of the lubricant is suppressed by viscous resistance of the lubricant, and the outflow amount of the lubricant from the lubricant reservoir is suppressed. In the invention according to claim 4,
The holding means is realized by providing a member protruding from the ball seat to the lubricant reservoir. In this case, since the holding means is integrally provided, the ball seat can be easily formed.

[0013]

1 is a perspective view of a suspension mechanism using a ball joint provided with a ball seat according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, each wheel FL of the vehicle,
FR, RL, and RR are supported by the suspension mechanism provided corresponding to each. Hereinafter, as a representative example, the configuration of the suspension mechanism provided corresponding to the right front wheel FR will be described.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the suspension mechanism for the right front wheel shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle suspension of this embodiment includes a lower ball joint 10, an upper ball joint 12, an upper arm 13, a lower arm 14, a shock absorber 15, a knuckle 16, a coil spring 17, a wheel 18, and a bearing 70. ing.

One end of the lower arm 14 is fixed to the suspension member 19, and the other end is lower ball joint 10.
Is connected to the knuckle 16. Knuckle 1
A member 6 is connected to the wheel 18 via a bearing 70, and an upper end of the member 6 is connected to an upper arm 13 by an upper ball joint 12. The other end of the upper arm 13 is swingably connected to the body 19a via a bush (not shown). Coil spring 1
The upper end of 7 and the upper end of the shock absorber 15 arranged on the inner circumference of the coil spring 17 are fixed to the body 19a. The lower end of the shock absorber 15 is connected to a predetermined position of the lower arm 14. The shock absorber 15 and the lower arm 14 are connected by a bush 11 so that they can rotate relative to each other.

According to this structure, when the wheel 18 vertically moves, the coil spring 17 and the shock absorber 15 expand and contract, and the ball joint 1
It is prevented that the vertical movements of the wheel 18 are transmitted to the body 19a due to the rotation of the bushes 0, 12 and the bush 11. Further, since the lower arm 14 and the upper arm 13 are rotatably connected to the knuckle 16 via ball joints 10 and 12, respectively, the above-described operation is possible even during steering operation. In the suspension mechanism described above, the present embodiment is particularly characterized by the configurations of the lower ball joint 10 and the upper ball joint 12. Since the lower ball joint 10 and the upper ball joint 12 have the same basic configuration, the configuration of the lower ball joint 10 will be described below as a typical example.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the lower ball joint 10. Lower ball joint 10 is lower arm 1
4 has a ball stud 20 fixed thereto. The ball stud 20 is a rigid member made of metal and has a spherical body portion 20.
It has a and a shaft portion 20b. A thread groove is formed at the end of the shaft portion 20b. On the other hand, the lower arm 14 is formed with a through hole 14a, and the ball stud shaft portion 20
b is fixed by a nut 21 through the through hole 14a.

The lower seat 38 is a resin member formed in a generally cylindrical shape, and has a ball stud spherical portion 20a.
Is arranged on the outer periphery of the. One end (lower end in FIG. 3) of the lower seat 38 is formed in a spherical shape such that the diameter becomes smaller toward the end side so as to follow the shape of the ball stud spherical body portion 20a.

The upper sheet 36 is a resin member formed in a two-step cylindrical shape having a through hole 36a. The lower end of the upper sheet 36 is formed in a spherical shape so as to follow the shape of the ball stud spherical body portion 20a. The through hole 36a has a small diameter in the vicinity of the contact portion with the spherical body portion 20a and a large diameter in the upper portion thereof.

The dust cover 24 is a cylindrical member whose central portion is swollen. The upper part is in close contact with the lower part of the socket 30,
The lower part is in close contact with the periphery of the through hole 14a on the upper surface of the mounting part of the ball stud shaft part 20b of the lower arm 14. The dust cover 24 has a function of preventing dust from entering the lubrication part and sealing the grease dropped from the lubrication part of the ball stud 20. The cap 32 is the socket 30
It is fixed by caulking to the upper end of. The hollow portion 44a formed by the cap 32 and the upper portion of the through hole 36a of the upper sheet 36, and the hollow portion 44b formed by the lower surface of the upper sheet 36, the ball stud spherical portion 20a, and the lower sheet 38 form a grease reservoir 44. The grease reservoir 44 is filled with lubricating grease in order to reduce sliding friction between the ball stud sphere portion 20a and the upper seat 36 and the lower seat 38.

A backup spring 34 is provided in the hollow portion 44a to urge the upper seat 36 toward the ball stud spherical body portion 20a. Therefore, the ball stud spherical body portion 20a is held by the lower seat 38 and the upper seat 36 at a constant pressure.

FIG. 4 is a front sectional view of the lower seat 38. As shown in FIG. 4, at the upper end portion of the lower seat 38, along the circumference of the inner wall thereof, the engaging portion 4 with the upper seat 36 is provided.
2 are provided. Also, on the inner surface of the lower seat 38,
Four oil grooves 46 are evenly provided on the circumference in the axial direction. By providing the oil groove 46 in this way, the grease in the grease reservoir 44 can be prevented from leaking to the ball stud spherical portion 20a.
Is supplied over the entire surface of. The oil groove 46 is formed so as to become narrower and shallower toward the lower part of the seat. Therefore, when the cross-sectional area of the oil groove 46 is S as shown in FIG. 5, the cross-sectional area S of the oil groove 46 decreases toward the lower side of the seat.

When the width W and the depth D of the oil groove 46 are appropriately changed in this way, it is possible to control the drop amount of grease to an appropriate amount. In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area S of the oil groove 46 is minimized at the lowest point of the oil groove 46, so that the grease outflow amount can be suppressed while supplying sufficient grease in the midway path. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the grease filled in during assembly, and it is possible to maintain good slidability for a long time. Further, since the width of the oil groove 46 is smaller as it goes downward, the area of the oil groove 46 is smaller than that when the width W is constant. In this case, the contact area between the lower seat 38 and the ball stud 20 increases,
Compared to the case where the width W of the oil groove 46 is constant, the surface pressure applied to the lower seat 38 by the ball stud spherical body portion 20a is lower, and thus the slidability is further improved.

Next, referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 together with FIG. 4, the engaging portion between the upper seat 36 and the lower seat 38 will be described. 6 is a plan view when the cap 32 of the ball joint 10 is removed, and FIG. 7 is a side view of the upper seat 36. As shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 7, the upper sheet 36 and the lower sheet 38 are provided with an engaging portion 4 in which concave and convex portions are formed so as to be fitted to each other in order to prevent relative rotational movement.
0 and 42 are provided. As shown in FIG. 6, when the upper sheet 36 and the lower sheet 38 are assembled in a state in which they are engaged with each other, the upper sheet 36 and the lower sheet 38
The relative rotation of can be prevented. Upper sheet 36
If the relative rotation of the lower seat 38 and the lower seat 38 is prevented, the upper seat 36 and the backup spring 34 do not rotate with the rotation of the ball stud 20. If the spring 34 does not rotate, sliding does not occur between the backup spring 34 and the cap 32, and it is possible to prevent noise and wear caused by the sliding of the backup spring 34 and the cap 32.

By the way, a slight clearance is provided in the radial direction of the coupling portions 40 and 42 so that the upper sheet 36 can slide in the axial direction. Therefore, the ball stud 20 has the backup spring 3
By means of 4, the pressure is always maintained at an appropriate pressure, and a stable lubrication state can be maintained.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the engaging portions 40, 42
Each has a shape in which the width becomes narrower toward the tip. According to this shape, when the lower seat 38 and the upper seat 36 are assembled, both seats 36, 3
Even if the phase in the rotation direction of 8 is deviated, the deviation is automatically corrected in the assembly process. Therefore, according to the lower sheet 38 and the upper sheet 36 of this embodiment, the assembling work can be facilitated.

In the double wishbone type suspension shown in FIG. 2, the compressive load of the coil spring 17 acts on the lower arm 14. This load acts as an axial tensile load on the ball stud 20. Further, the surface pressure acting on the contact portion between the ball stud spherical body portion 20a and the lower seat 38 is not uniform, and becomes maximum at the shaft portion 20b side of the ball stud spherical body portion 20a, that is, the lower end portion of the lower seat 38 in FIG. In this embodiment, since the width of the oil groove 46 of the lower seat 38 becomes smaller toward the lower end, the contact area between the ball stud spherical portion 20a and the lower seat 38 is larger than that in the case where the width of the oil groove 46 is constant. Has become. As a result, the surface pressure is reduced at the portion where the contact surface pressure is the largest, and there is an effect that the lubricity of the sliding portion is further improved.

Next, another embodiment for controlling the falling amount of grease will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is a front sectional view of a lower seat 38 'used in a ball joint constituting a ball seat according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same components as those in FIG. 4 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The lower sheet 38 'of this embodiment is characterized in that a weir 48 is provided in the middle of an oil groove 46' having a constant width and depth as shown in FIG. The weir 48 is formed by making a part of the oil groove 46 'shallower than the other part. According to this configuration, the grease flowing through the oil groove 46 ′ becomes harder to flow as the height h of the weir 48 is larger and the length k of the weir 48 is larger. As described above, by adjusting the height h and the length k of the weir with respect to the depth D of the oil groove, it is possible to control the amount of grease dropped.

In this embodiment, since the weir 48 is provided in the vicinity of the lowest point of the oil groove 46 ', it is possible to suppress the outflow amount of grease while supplying a sufficient amount of grease in the intermediate path. Therefore, also with the ball seat according to the present embodiment, as with the ball seat according to the first embodiment described above, it is possible to suppress the reduction of the grease enclosed during assembly, and maintain good slidability for a long time. can do.

9 is a front sectional view of a lower seat 38 "used in a ball joint according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same components as those in FIG. 6 are designated by the same reference numerals. The lower sheet 38 ″ of this embodiment is provided with an orifice 50 formed by narrowing the groove width in the middle of an oil groove 46 ″ having a constant width and depth, as shown in FIG. According to this configuration, the grease flowing through the oil groove 46 ″ becomes less likely to flow as the width L of the orifice 50 is smaller. As a result,
By adjusting the width L of the orifice 50, the amount of grease dropped can be controlled.

In the present embodiment, since the orifice 50 is provided in the vicinity of the lowest point of the oil groove 46 ″, it is possible to suppress the grease outflow amount while supplying sufficient grease in the midway path. Also with the ball seat according to the example, similarly to the ball seat according to the first embodiment described above, it is possible to suppress the reduction of the grease enclosed during assembly, and it is possible to maintain good slidability for a long time. .

In the above-described first to third embodiments of the present invention, the grease in the oil grooves 46, 46 ', 46 "becomes less likely to flow, and the oil grooves 46, 46', 46" themselves are the grease. It also functions as a puddle. When the ball stud 20 rotates / swings, grease is drawn from the oil grooves 46, 46 ', 46 "functioning as a grease reservoir to the sliding portion, so that the lubricity of the sliding portion is further improved. .

FIG. 10 is a front sectional view of a ball joint including an integrated ball seat 62 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a front sectional view of the integrated ball seat 62 of this embodiment. In addition, in FIG.
The same components as those of the above are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 10, in this embodiment, the integrated ball seat 62 is integrally provided with a portion for gripping the ball stud spherical portion 20a from above and a portion for lateral gripping. Sphere portion 20 of integrated ball seat 62
A grease reservoir 64 is formed on the upper part and the upper part of the side a. Grease reservoir 64 of integrated ball seat 62
As shown in FIG. 11, several thin fins 66
Is provided.

Fin 66 and ball stud sphere portion 20a
There is a slight clearance between the ball stud 2 and the upper end of the integrated ball seat 62.
The contact portion with 0 is formed in an arc shape so as to follow the shape of the ball stud spherical body portion 20a. In this way, the ball stud can be held by forming the upper end portion of the ball seat 62 and the lower end portion of the ball seat 62 so as to follow the shape of the ball stud spherical body portion 20a.

As described above, if the fins 66 are provided in the grease reservoir 64 of the ball seat, the contact area between the integrated ball seat 62 and the grease is increased, and the grease flow is suppressed. That is, since the grease in contact with the surface of the sheet has a high viscosity, it is difficult for the grease to flow. Therefore, the larger the contact area, the more difficult it is for the grease to drop. As a result, the amount of grease dropped can be suppressed by adjusting the number and size of fins. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the grease filled in during assembly, and it is possible to maintain good slidability for a long time.

Further, in this embodiment, the fin 66 is provided integrally with the main body of the integrated ball seat 62. Therefore, the integrated ball seat 62 can be easily molded by using a method such as injection molding. In the above embodiment, the ball stud spherical portion 20a is in the spherical member, the grease reservoir 64 is in the lubricant reservoir, the weir 48 and the orifice 50 are in the high oil passage resistance region, and the fins are 66 corresponds to the holding means described above.

[0039]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the flow rate of the lubricant flowing through the oil groove is set near the end of the oil groove on the side not communicating with the lubricant reservoir. It can be suppressed by providing a high portion. For this reason,
The flow of the lubricant in the oil groove is suppressed, and it is possible to suppress the outflow amount of the lubricant from the lubricant reservoir while supplying a sufficient amount of the lubricant in the middle of the oil groove. Therefore, according to the ball seat of the present invention, the slidability of the ball joint can be favorably maintained for a long time.

According to the second aspect of the invention, at least one of the width and the depth of the oil groove is made smaller at a predetermined position than at other positions, so that a portion having a high oil passage resistance can be provided. it can. When the width of the oil groove is reduced,
Compared with the case where the width of the oil groove is constant, the contact area between the ball stud spherical portion and the ball seat is increased, and the lubricity is improved. Therefore, according to the ball seat according to the present invention,
The effect of the invention according to claim 1 can be obtained, and further excellent lubricity can be obtained in the sliding portion.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, holding means for increasing the contact area between the lubricant reservoir inner surface and the lubricant is provided in the lubricant reservoir. Therefore, the flow of the lubricant in the lubricant reservoir is suppressed, and the amount of the lubricant flowing out of the lubricant reservoir can be suppressed. Therefore, according to the ball seat of the present invention, the slidability of the ball joint can be favorably maintained for a long time.

According to the invention described in claim 4, the holding means can be realized by forming the projecting member integrally with the main body of the ball seat. Therefore, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 3, it is possible to obtain the effect that the lubricant holding means for increasing the contact area between the lubricant reservoir inner surface and the lubricant can be easily realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a suspension mechanism using a ball joint which is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the suspension mechanism for the right front wheel of the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a lower ball joint of this embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a front cross-sectional view of a lower sheet of this embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an oil groove provided in the lower sheet of this embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a plan view when the cap of the ball joint of the present embodiment is removed.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the upper sheet of this embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a front sectional view of a lower seat according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a front sectional view of a lower sheet according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a front sectional view of a ball joint according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a front sectional view of an integrated ball seat according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of Codes] 10 Lower Ball Joint 12 Upper Ball Joint 20 Ball Stud 20a Ball Stud Sphere Part 36 Upper Seat 36a Through Hole 38, 38 ', 38 "Lower Seat 40, 42 Engagement Part 44, 64 Grease Reservoir 44a, 44b Hollow Part 46, 46 ', 46 "Oil groove 48 Weir 50 Orifice 62 Integrated ball seat 66 Fin

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Yasuhiro Ishikawa 10 Hamadashita, Nakahata-cho, Nishio-shi, Aichi Stock company Otics (72) Hidemi Nagai 10 Hamadashita, Nakahata-cho, Nishio-shi, Aichi Stock company In otics

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A ball seat, comprising an oil groove for slidably gripping a spherical member therein and guiding a lubricant from a lubricant reservoir to a sliding surface with the spherical member, wherein the oil groove is the lubricant. A ball seat, characterized in that a portion having a higher oil passage resistance than the hydraulic resistance of the end portion on the side communicating with the lubricant reservoir is provided in the vicinity of the end portion on the side not communicating with the reservoir. 2. A portion having a high oil passage resistance is provided by reducing at least one of a width and a depth of the oil groove at a predetermined position as compared with other positions. Ball seat. 3. A ball seat which slidably holds a spherical member therein and guides a lubricant from a lubricant reservoir and supplies it to a sliding surface with the spherical member, wherein the lubricant reservoir is provided in the lubricant reservoir. A ball seat provided with a holding means for increasing the contact area between the inner surface and the lubricant. 4. The ball seat according to claim 3, wherein the holding means is formed integrally with the ball seat and is realized by a projecting member that projects into the lubricating oil sump.