JPS5822411Y2 - ball joint - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a ball joint 4, and particularly provides a ball joint having nonlinear spring characteristics with a high spring load near the initial position.

The ball joint includes a housing formed at a link end, a ball seat housed in the housing, a joint knob that is directionally connected by a ball seated on the ball seat, and a joint knob that is housed in the housing and coupled to the ball seat in a direction freely. It includes a compression spring that presses the ball seat to an initial position in the axial direction of the link, and a spring seat that engages one end of the compression spring and transmits the pressing force to the ball seat.

This type of ball joint has a structure that can effectively absorb the displacement of the joint knob in the direction of the link axis that occurs with the movement of the linkage. Widely used.

Generally, a coil spring is used as the compression spring, and the spring load thereof has a linear characteristic, so that the spring load is minimum at the initial position of the joint knob.

Therefore, when the ball joint is used in a steering linkage of a vehicle, this initial position is set corresponding to the neutral steering position, so that the stiffness of the linkage in the neutral steering position is minimized.

For this reason, when a conventional ball joint is used in a steering linkage for a vehicle, there is a problem in that the rigidity of the steering linkage is insufficient when the vehicle moves straight, resulting in insufficient straight-line performance.

The purpose of this invention is to solve these problems, and we have developed a ball joint that can improve the straight-line performance of a vehicle by adopting nonlinear spring characteristics that increase the spring load at and near the initial position. This is what we provide.

That is, according to the present invention, in the above-mentioned type of ball joint, the spring seat is connected to the housing and the spring seat is attached so as to be inclined from the housing toward the link axis in the direction in which the compression spring is pressed. Provided is a ball joint characterized in that a rubber-like elastic member is provided, and the spring load is substantially increased by applying the elastic force of the rubber-like elastic member in a desired operating range from the initial position of the compression spring. be done.

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

In FIG. 1, a cylindrical hollow chamber 14 is shown at the end of the link 12.
16. A housing 14 is formed with a ball seat having a spherical seat surface at the inner end of the housing.
16 are fitted and housed.

A ball portion 20 formed at the tip of the joint knob 18 is coupled to the bonyl seat, so that the joint knob is coupled to the ball seat or link 12 in a freely directional manner.

A Bragg 20 is threadedly engaged with the outer end of the housing 14 and fixed by a bolt pin 22.

On the other hand, a spring seat 24 is in contact with the side surface of the ball seat 16, and the seat surface 24 of the spring seat
A coiled compression spring 26 is disposed between A and the end surface of the Bragg 20.

This compression spring causes the ball seat 16.
16 is held at an initial position in the axial direction of the link 12 (the position shown) with a predetermined initial spring load.

In the illustrated example, the spring seat 24 is provided as a separate part that abuts one side of the ball seat, but it can also be made into an integral part.

Further, the joint knob 18 protrudes through a long hole 28 formed in the side wall of the housing 14 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the link axis, and is connected to another link or member connected to the link 12.

When the link 12 is a drag link, ball joints are provided at both ends thereof, one of which is connected to a pitman arm and the other to a steering knuckle arm.

Thus, a rubber-like elastic member 30 is provided between the housing 14 and the spring seat 24.

The rubber-like elastic members are provided at four equally spaced locations in the circumferential direction, as shown in FIG. 2, for example.

Each rubber-like elastic member is made of synthetic rubber in the form of a plate, and its outer end is pushed into a recess formed on the inner surface of the housing and coupled thereto, and its inner end is attached by engaging with a recess formed on the outer periphery of the spring seat. There is.

Further, as shown in the figure, each rubber-like elastic member 30 is attached so as to be inclined at a desired angle in the direction from the outer end coupled to the housing 14 toward the inside of the housing, that is, in the direction of the pressing force of the compression spring.

This angle of inclination is such that when the ball seat 16.16 and the spring seat 24 move to the right in FIG. It is set as follows.

That is, in a desired small movement range from the initial position shown in the figure, the rubber-like elastic member 30 is compressively deformed and its elastic force is added to the spring load of the compression spring, but if the rubber-like elastic member 30 moves further than that, the rubber-like elastic member 30 is compressed and deformed. is set so that it buckles and inverts, exerting almost no elastic force.

In the illustrated example, four rubber-like elastic members 30 are provided on the circumference, but the number can be appropriately selected, and it is also possible to form an annular member around the entire circumference.

Since the ball joint of the present invention has the configuration described above, the linear spring characteristics as shown in FIG. 3 of the conventional ball joint using only compression springs can be improved by increasing the spring load near the initial position as shown in FIG. It is possible to improve the nonlinear spring characteristics.

That is, according to the ball joint of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, by applying the elastic force of the rubber-like elastic member 30 near the initial position where the displacement of the compression spring 26 is 80 or less,
The spring load can be increased to provide non-linear spring characteristics.

In this case, in a range where the displacement is S1 or more, the added force of the rubber-like elastic member almost disappears, so that the same spring load of the conventional compression spring can be maintained.

In this way, according to the ball joint of the present invention, it is possible to increase only the spring load near the initial position of the compression spring, so if it is used in the joint part of the steering linkage of a vehicle, it is possible to increase the spring load at the neutral position of the steering wheel and in the vicinity thereof. The rigidity of the linkage can be increased, and the stability and straight-line performance of the vehicle can be improved.

Moreover, in a range where the compression spring displacement during steering wheel steering exceeds a certain value, it becomes the same as the conventional spring load, so steering operation does not become heavy.

[Brief Description of the Drawings] Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the main parts of the ball joint of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the conventional ball joint. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the spring characteristics of the ball joint of the present invention. The symbols in the drawings indicate the following parts. 12... Link (drag link, etc.), 14.
...Housing, 16...Ball seat, 18...Joint knob, 20...
Plug, 24...Spring seat, 26...
. . . Compression spring, 30 . . . Rubber-like elastic members are shown, respectively.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A housing formed at the end of the link, a ball seat housed in the housing, and a joint knob that is directionally connected to the ball seat seated on the ball seat.
a compression spring that is housed in the housing and presses the ball seat to an initial position in the axial direction of the link;
A ball joint comprising a spring seat that engages one end of the compression spring and transmits the pressing force to the ball seat, the ball joint connecting the housing and the spring seat and extending from the housing toward the link axis. A rubber-like elastic member is installed to be inclined in the pressing direction of the compression spring, and the elastic force of the rubber-like elastic member is applied in a desired operating range from the initial position of the compression spring to substantially reduce the spring load. A ball joint characterized by increased size.