JPS62204011A - Spherical surface slide type coupling device and its manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify assembling operation by forming the coupling device in the caption with a race member assembly body which fastens the holding member of an annular cloth member on its inner circumferential surface to be slider on a spherical convex of a shaft member and narrows a clearance in the axial direction as small as possible toward a shaft part by means of two inner convex flanges at both the ends in the direction of an axial center. CONSTITUTION:A device is formed of a race metal fitting assembly body 18 which has an inner cylinder metal fitting 14 with a spherical convex 12 on the circumferential surface of an intermediate part and a spherical concave 16 corresponding thereto and allows sliding motion of the annular side cloth 19 of low friction material attached to a resin-made holding member 20 on the spherical convex surface by the use of the resin made holding member 20. And the race metal fitting assembly body 18 is formed of a first race metal fitting 42 and a second race metal fitting 44 which narrow both ends of an annular space 34 as small as possible by the aid of a small diameter 20 fits a slide cloth 19 around the spherical convex surface 12, and the race metal fitting assembly body 18 is assembled, injected and shaped on the circumference thereof. Accordingly, assembling operation and the formation can be simplified, and a good spherical slide function can stably be obtained for a long time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical Field) The present invention relates to a spherical sliding joint device and a method for manufacturing the same, and specifically relates to a spherical sliding bushing, a rod with a ball joint, etc. used in vehicle suspensions such as automobiles. The present invention relates to a spherical sliding joint device suitable for use as a spherical sliding mechanism, and a method for manufacturing the same.

(Prior Art) A type of joint device used in vehicle suspensions such as automobiles is equipped with a hollow or solid shaft member having a spherical convex surface on the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate portion in the axial direction, and the shaft member has a spherical convex surface. r on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical race member assembly;
There is a spherical sliding type joint device in which two members to which a shaft member and a race member assembly are attached are connected in a spherical sliding manner by holding the F surface so as to be slidable thereon.

Examples include EVA, automobile suspension control arm link rond, and stabilizer link rod.

Used in pole joint devices used for connections such as lateral links, and connections of various rondes, links, arms, etc. including torque rods, allowing them to slide spherically against a specified support member. Examples include a spherical sliding mechanism (ball joint mechanism) of spherical sliding bushings that are connected for vibration isolation.

By the way, in recent years, in such spherical sliding joint devices,
A sliding member made of a predetermined resin material is disposed on the inner surface of the race member assembly, and the spherical convex surface of the shaft member is held so as to be spherically slidable with respect to the race member assembly via the sliding member. Conventionally, such a sliding member was arranged and held on the inner surface of the race member assembly by assembling the race member assembly. The structure was complicated and the assembly operation was troublesome. Additionally, due to the superposition of dimensional tolerances of each member, the clearance between the sliding surfaces of the sliding member and the shaft member becomes larger than necessary, which causes backlash between the race member assembly and the shaft member. was.

Therefore, the present inventor first applied for patent application No. 60-130408.
In the specification and the specification of Japanese Patent Application No. 60-17373-9, a race member assembly (shown as a single unit in those examples) has a spherical shape corresponding to the spherical convex surface of the shaft member on its inner circumferential surface. The race member assembly and the shaft member are arranged so that the spherical concave surface faces the spherical convex surface with a uniform gap between the spherical concave surface and the spherical convex surface. By flowing a predetermined resin material into the formed space, a sliding member is fixed to the spherical concave surface of the race member assembly on the outer peripheral surface and holds the spherical convex surface of the shaft member in a spherical slidable manner on the inner peripheral surface. We proposed a spherical sliding joint device (spherical sliding mechanism) in which the members were formed. Furthermore, in Japanese Patent Application Nos. 147487/1987 and 173709/1980, the inner surface of a sliding member (holding member) formed in the same manner as the above-mentioned sliding member is made of a low-friction material. A spherical sliding joint device has been proposed in which cloth members are joined together and the sliding member holds the spherical convex surface of the shaft member so as to be able to move spherically fH through the cloth member joined to the inner surface of the sliding member.

According to these spherical sliding joint devices, the arrangement operation of the sliding member (holding member) to the race member assembly is completed at the same time as the formation of the sliding member. This eliminates the need for assembly operations for arranging it on the inner surface of the body, and the configuration can also be simplified. Therefore, the manufacturability and assemblability can be greatly improved.

In addition, since the sliding member (holding member) is formed between the spherical concave surface of the race member assembly and the spherical convex surface of the shaft member, dimensional tolerances of the race member assembly and shaft member, etc. As a result, only a slight and uniform clearance is formed between the spherical convex surface of the shaft member and the spherical convex surface of the shaft member due to the contraction of the resin material during solidification. This results in a stable and high level of spherical sliding function.

Furthermore, according to the latter type in which the cloth member is integrally joined to the inner peripheral surface of the sliding member (holding member), the sliding member is not brought into direct sliding contact with the spherical convex surface of the shaft member.
Since a good spherical sliding function can always be obtained regardless of the constituent material, the selection range of constituent materials is significantly wider than in the former case where the spherical convex surface of the shaft member is directly held by the sliding member. There are advantages such as:

(Problem) However, in all of the spherical sliding joint devices disclosed in those specifications, the sliding member (holding member) that holds the spherical convex surface of the shaft member in a spherical slidable manner is assembled with a race member. Since the sliding member was only fixed to the attached body at its outer peripheral surface, the race member assembly of the sliding member (=the projected area in the axial direction relative to the body, that is, the sliding member was backed up against the load in the axial direction) The pressure-receiving area of the race member assembly is small, and the strength to hold the shaft member against the load in the axial direction (allowable load in the axial direction or pull-out strength of the shaft member; hereinafter simply referred to as holding strength) I disliked being lacking.

Note that if the sliding member is made of a fiber-reinforced resin material, the holding strength of the shaft member in the axial direction can be improved, and especially in the case where a cloth member is bonded to the inner surface of the sliding member. Since it does not come into direct sliding contact with the spherical convex surface of the shaft member, it is possible to use a fiber-reinforced resin material with a high fiber content and excellent mechanical strength. Although it is possible to significantly improve the holding strength of the member, even when the sliding member is made of fiber-reinforced resin material, there is a limit to how much the holding strength of the shaft member can be improved. Therefore, it was difficult to say that sufficient holding strength could necessarily be obtained. Furthermore, if a fiber-reinforced resin material with a high fiber content is used in order to improve the holding strength, it would not only increase the material cost but also reduce moldability, so it is not very desirable. It was difficult.

On the other hand, by increasing the coverage area of the spherical convex surface by the sliding member or changing the radius of curvature of the spherical convex surface, the projected area in the axial direction can be increased, and the shaft member holding strength in the axial direction can be increased. Although it is conceivable to try to improve it, in the former case, the allowable inclination angle between the race member assembly and the shaft member is limited, and in the latter case, the joint device becomes larger, so it is difficult to There were also limits.

(Solution Means) Against this background, the present invention aims to provide a shaft member holding strength in the axial direction that is easy to manufacture, has no backlash, and can provide a highly accurate spherical sliding function. This was done in order to provide a spherical sliding joint device with a wide selection range of molding materials constituting the holding member (sliding member) and a suitable manufacturing method thereof. The gist of the device invention is (a) a hollow or solid shaft member having a spherical convex surface on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate portion in the axial direction, and (b) a spherical convex surface of the shaft member. (c) having a spherical concave surface corresponding to the spherical convex surface of the shaft member on the inner circumferential surface of the intermediate portion in the axial direction; having two inward convex edges located at both ends in the axial direction and facing each other across the spherical concave surface,
The inner convex edge allows a gap to be formed between the spherical convex surface and the spherical concave surface of the shaft member, which are positioned outside the shaft member and covered with the cloth member, at both ends in the axial direction. a cylindrical race member assembly formed by integrally assembling a plurality of race members, which forms an annular space with a uniform gap along the spherical convex surface, which is narrowed as much as possible;
(d) In the annular space between the spherical concave surface of the race member assembly and the spherical convex surface of the shaft member, both ends in the axial direction are each regulated by the inner convex edge. The spherical convex surface of the shaft member is integrally fixed to the race member assembly and is formed by being integrally joined to the cloth member on the inner peripheral surface, and the spherical convex surface of the shaft member is formed as a spherical surface on the inner peripheral surface to which the cloth member is joined. The present invention is configured to include a holding member made of a predetermined molding material that is slidably held.

Further, the gist of the method invention is that an annular or cylindrical cloth member made of a low-friction material is attached to the outside of a hollow or solid shaft member having a spherical convex surface on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate portion in the axial direction. is arranged to surround the spherical convex surface, and by integrally assembling a plurality of race members further outside the cloth member, the shaft member is placed outside the shaft member on the inner circumferential surface of the intermediate portion in the axial direction. A cylindrical race member assembly having a spherical concave surface corresponding to the spherical convex surface of the spherical concave surface, and two inward convex edges provided at both ends of the spherical concave surface in the axial direction so as to face each other across the spherical concave surface. The attached body is formed such that the spherical concave surface surrounds the convex spherical surface of the shaft member through the cloth member, and the spherical concave surface is uniformly connected to the spherical convex surface of the shaft member through the cloth member. The race member assemblies are arranged so as to face each other with a gap in between, and the spherical concave surface of the race member assembly and the spherical convex surface of the shaft member are provided at both ends in the axial direction of the uniform gap. form an annular space in which the cloth member is interposed, each of which is substantially closed by the inner convex edge, and under such a condition, the space is formed by penetrating the race member assembly. By injecting a predetermined molding material between the spherical concave surface in the annular space and the cloth member through the gate hole, the cloth member is slidably covered on the spherical convex surface of the shaft member. A holding member that holds the spherical convex surface of the shaft member in a spherical slidable manner through the cloth member is integrally joined to the cloth member at its inner circumferential surface, and both ends in the axial direction are respectively connected to the inner peripheral surface of the holding member. It is configured to be integrally fixed to the race member assembly while being restricted by a convex edge.

(Operation/Effect) According to the spherical sliding joint device according to the present invention, the holding member (sliding member) that holds the spherical convex surface of the shaft member in a spherically slidable manner on the inner peripheral surface is attached to the race member assembly. It can be easily formed by flowing a predetermined molding material into the space formed between the spherical concave surface of the shaft member and the spherical convex surface of the shaft member, and at the same time, it can be fixed to the race member assembly at the same time. Therefore, the present inventor wrote the above specification (Japanese Patent Application No. 1983)
0-130408, patent application No. 173739, etc.)
Similar to the spherical sliding joint device disclosed in , the assembly operation for disposing the holding member on the inner surface of the race member assembly is unnecessary, making it possible to simplify the assembly operation and configuration. , it becomes possible to greatly improve the assemblability or manufacturability.

In addition, by forming an appropriate clearance between the holding member and the shaft member, it is possible to obtain a highly accurate spherical sliding function without backlash. Furthermore, in the spherical sliding joint device according to the present invention, the holding member movably holds the spherical convex surface of the shaft member via the cloth member joined to the inner peripheral surface thereof. Specification (Patent application 1986-147
No. 487.

Similar to the joint device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 173709/1982, the range of materials that can be selected for the holding member can be significantly widened.

Moreover, in the joint device according to the present invention, since both ends of the holding member in the axial direction are regulated by the inward convex edges provided on the race member assembly, The projected area of the holding member relative to the race member assembly in the axial direction is significantly large (and both ends of the holding member in the axial direction are significantly reinforced against loads in the axial direction). Therefore, the striking and holding strength of the shaft in the axial direction has been significantly improved.

In addition, since the holding strength of the shaft member in the axial direction has been significantly improved, the range of selection of molding materials that make up the holding member has been expanded, improving workability and material costs. It was also advantageous in terms of aspects.

Note that the inner convex edges that regulate both ends of the holding member in the axial direction are closer to each other than the sliding surface of the inner surface of the holding member, that is, the inner peripheral surface of the cloth member joined to the holding member, when the race member is assembled. It is desirable to form it so that it is slightly recessed toward the body side. In this way, it is possible to effectively prevent the spherical convex surface of the shaft member from being damaged by the sliding contact of the race fitting assembly (more precisely, the inner convex edge), and to maintain good spherical sliding function for a long period of time. It can be obtained stably over a period of time.

However, even if the inner convex edge is formed to protrude somewhat from the sliding surface of the holding member, the race fitting assembly (inner convex edge) should be made of a material softer than that of the shaft member. If configured, similar effects can be obtained. In this sense, the inner convex edge can also be formed so as to contact the spherical convex surface of the shaft member via the cloth member.

Further, according to the method according to the present invention, since the annular space in which the holding member is formed forms a space that is substantially closed to the injection molding material, it is not necessary to use a special mold for the holding member as described above. It becomes possible to manufacture a spherical sliding joint device with extremely good manufacturability, which can be molded without any problems, and which exhibits the above-mentioned effects.

In this case, the inner convex edge may be formed to form as large a gap as possible between the inner convex edge and the spherical convex surface of the shaft member within the limit that can prevent the molding material from flowing out from the annular space. , is desirable in order to prevent damage to the spherical convex surface of the shaft member.

(Example) Hereinafter, in order to clarify the present invention more specifically,
The embodiment will be described in detail based on the drawings.

First, FIG. 1 shows an example of a spherical sliding joint device according to the present invention, and as shown in the figure,
The joint device of this embodiment has a cylindrical inner tube fitting 1 as a shaft member, which has a spherical convex surface 12 on the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate portion in the axial direction.
4, and a substantially cylindrical race fitting assembly having a spherical concave surface 16 corresponding to the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner cylindrical fitting 14 on the inner circumferential surface of an intermediate portion in the axial direction, which is disposed on the outside of the inner cylindrical fitting 14. 18, a low-friction material which is slidably coated on the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner tube fitting 14 between the spherical concave surface 16 of the race fitting assembly 18 and the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner tube fitting 14. Annular sliding cloth 1 as a cloth member made of material
9 is disposed between the sliding cloth 19 and the spherical concave surface 16 of the race fitting assembly 18, and is arranged to attach the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner cylinder fitting 14 to the race fitting assembly via the sliding cloth 19. body 18
An annular holding member A20 made of a predetermined resin material is arranged between the corresponding ends of the inner cylindrical fitting 14 and the race fitting assembly 18, and is held in a spherically slidable manner. It consists of a pair of sealing members 22 and 22 that seal the gap between them. The inner cylinder fitting 14 is then attached by pushing it onto a predetermined mounting shaft in the inner hole 24 of the inner cylinder fitting 14, and is attached to a predetermined cylindrical member directly on the outer circumferential surface of the race fitting assembly 18 or via a cylindrical elastic member or the like. The mounting shaft and the cylindrical member are connected to each other in a spherical slidable manner.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the inner cylindrical metal fitting 14 has a pair of seal members 22 and 22 on the outer peripheral surface of both ends in the axial direction located on both sides of the spherical convex surface 120. It has an annular groove 26°26.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the race fitting assembly 18 has a length in the axial direction that is equal to
The width of the spherical convex surface 12 and the length between the annular grooves 26. The intermediate portion of the circumferential portion is a small diameter portion 28 that spans the width of the approximately spherical convex surface 12 and has a predetermined diameter smaller than the diameter of the spherical convex surface 12 . The small diameter portion 28 is located at the center in the axial direction of the small diameter portion 28, has a formed width that is a predetermined dimension shorter than the formed width of the spherical convex surface 12, and has both ends in the axial direction of the small diameter portion 28.
The spherical concave surface 16 is defined by opposed annular stepped surfaces 30,30 extending perpendicularly from the inner circumferential surface of the spherical concave surface 16.8. And with this,
As will be described later, when the race fitting assembly 18 is assembled on the outside of the inner cylinder fitting 14 and the spherical concave surface 16 and the spherical convex surface 12 are arranged to face each other with a uniform gap between them, Attaching surface 30.30 and small diameter part 28
An edge portion 3 with a right-angled cross section formed at the intersection with the inner circumferential surface of
2.32 is arranged to face the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner cylinder fitting 14 with a predetermined minute gap therebetween.

That is, in this embodiment, the spherical concave surface 16 of the race fitting assembly 18 and the spherical convex surface 1 of the inner cylinder fitting 14 are formed by the axially opposite end portions of the small diameter portion 28 having the edge portions 32 and 32.
An annular space 34, which will be described later, formed between The portions form inwardly convex edges 36, 36, respectively.

The large diameter portion 27.27 is formed to have a larger diameter than the diameter of the spherical concave surface 16 formed on the inner surface of the small diameter portion 28. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the gap between the inward convex edge 36 and the spherical convex surface 12 is slightly larger than the size at which the resin material contracts during molding of the holding member 20, as will be described later. !Always around O, l am)
It is set.

In addition, the spherical concave surface 16 of the race fitting assembly 18 includes:
As shown in FIG. 3, two annular grooves 38, 38 are formed around the axis of the race fitting assembly 18, and are located at the center in the axial direction. set(
- An appropriate number (here, two) of through holes 40 passing through the cylindrical wall of the body 18 are formed at predetermined intervals.

In this embodiment, such a lace fitting assembly 1 is used.
8 is formed by two race fittings 42, 44, first and second, each having a substantially cylindrical shape.

That is, as shown in FIG.
is formed by extending to the center in the axial direction of the spherical concave surface 16, and has a female threaded portion 46 at the extended portion of the large diameter portion 27, and a spherical portion on the other end side of the inner peripheral portion. Concave 1
6 has a spherical curved surface 48 which is divided into two in the axial direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the second race fitting 44 has a spherical curved surface 48 similar to the first race fitting 42 on its inner periphery, and has a first spherical curved surface 48 on its outer periphery. It is configured to have a male threaded portion 50 that can be screwed into the female threaded portion 46 of the race fitting 42. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the second race fitting 44 is screwed into the female threaded portion 46 of the first race fitting 42 at its male threaded portion 50. The race fitting assembly 18 as described above is formed, and the spherical concave surface 16 is thereby formed from the spherical curved surfaces 18 and 48. In addition, the lace fitting assembly 18 is
Since the race fitting assembly 18 is formed by assembling a plurality of race fittings (here, two race fittings 42 and 44, the first and second race fittings), It is designed so that it can be placed outside the metal fitting 14.

Note that the annular groove 38 is connected to each race fitting 42.4.
One strip is formed on each of the spherical curved surfaces 48 and 48 of No. 4. Further, the through hole 40 is formed across the abutting portions of the race fittings 42 and 44.

On the other hand, the holding member 20 is formed according to the method described below, and as shown in FIG. Inner white edge 36.36 (to be exact, stepped surface 30.30
), and is integrally fixed to the race fitting assembly 18. Further, the sliding cloth 19 is attached to the holding member 20 as described below.
At the same time as the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner cylindrical fitting 14 is formed, it is coated on the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner cylindrical fitting 14, and is also integrally joined to the inner circumferential surface of the holding member 20. And with this,
As described above, the sliding cloth 19 is slidably coated on the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner tube fitting 14 between the spherical concave surface 16 of the race fitting assembly 18 and the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner tube fitting 14. On the other hand, the holding member 20 holds the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner cylinder fitting 14 in a spherically slidable manner via its sliding cloth 19 on its inner peripheral surface.

That is, when forming the holding member 20, first, as shown in FIG.
Then, on the outside of the inner cylinder fitting 14 to which this sliding cloth 19 was fitted, the first and second race fittings 4 are inserted.
2.44, the race fitting assembly 18 is formed such that the spherical concave surface 16 (inner white edge 36, 36) and the spherical convex surface 12 face each other with the sliding cloth 19 in between. And the lace fitting assembly 1 assembled in this way
8 and the inner cylinder fitting 14 as shown in FIG.
The race fitting assembly 18 and the inner cylindrical fitting 14 are set in a predetermined molding die 54 so that the spherical concave surface 16 and the spherical convex surface 12 face each other with a uniform gap between them via the sliding cloth 19. and hold it. In this way, both axial ends of the race fitting assembly 1
An annular space 34 with a uniform gap is formed along the spherical convex surface 12 and regulated by the inner white edges 36, 36 of 8.

At this time, the minute gap formed between the edge portion 32 of each inner white edge 36 and the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner cylinder fitting 14 is formed by the molding die 54 as shown in FIG. to block it. Further, at this time, both ends of the sliding cloth 19 are held between the molding die 54 and the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner cylinder fitting 14. Further, the spherical concave surface 16 and the stepped surfaces 30,30 of the race fitting assembly 18 are subjected to an adhesive treatment in advance.

In this state, as shown in FIG. 9, a predetermined resin material 56 constituting the holding member 20 is guided through the splint 58 of the molding die 54, and is applied to the race fitting assembly 18. An annular space 34 from the formed through hole 40
The liquid is injected between the inner spherical concave surface 16 and the sliding cloth 19.

Note that, as is clear from this, in this embodiment, the through hole 40 is used as a gate hole.

In this way, the spherical concave surface 1 of the race fitting assembly 18
6 and the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner cylindrical fitting 14, both ends in the axial direction have an inner white edge 36.36 (stepped surface 30).
．． 30), the holding member 20 is integrally fixed to the race fitting assembly 18.

Further, the sliding cloth 19 is integrally joined to the inner surface of the holding member 20 and is slidably covered with the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner tube fitting 14, so that the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner tube fitting 14 is covered with this sliding cloth. It is held on the inner circumferential surface of the holding member 20 via the moving cloth 19 in a spherically slidable manner.

Note that here, the sliding cloth 19 is made of PTF.
A thread of about 100 to 10,000 denier made of a low friction material such as E (tetrafluoroethylene resin), preferably 40
Threads of about 0 denier are used, with a density of about 20 to 200 threads per inch, preferably about 50 to 60 threads, in plain weave, twill weave, satin weave, etc. More preferably, in order to obtain good bondability with the holding member 20, those cloths are impregnated with an appropriate resin such as epoxy resin, urethane resin, phenoel resin, or acrylic resin. Become.

Further, here, the resin material 5 constituting the holding member 20 is
6, various non-fiber reinforced resin materials such as nylon can be used, and furthermore, various fiber reinforced resin materials mixed with reinforcing fibers such as glass fibers and titanate whiskers can be used. However, in order to obtain good moldability, it is desirable to use a non-fiber-reinforced resin material, and in order to improve mechanical strength, it is desirable to use a fiber-reinforced resin material.

In this embodiment, the race fitting assembly 1 is assembled so as to be able to slide on a spherical surface by forming such a holding member 20.
8 and the inner cylinder fitting 14, as shown in FIG. The seal members 22 and 22 seal the gap between the race fitting assembly 18 and the inner tube fitting 14, that is, the spherical sliding area between the inner tube fitting 14 and the sliding cloth 19 from the outside space. This makes it possible to obtain a joint device as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 10, the sealing member 22 is provided with an inward press-fitting part 60 on the inner periphery of the end on the small diameter side, and has a metal ring 62 integrated at the end on the large diameter side. As shown in FIG. The large diameter portion 2 of the race fitting assembly 18 at the side end portion
7 is press-fitted and installed. In addition, in order to firmly fix the press-fitting part 60 of the sealing member 22 to the inner cylindrical fitting 14°, a metal ring may be fitted on the outer circumference thereof, and a metal ring may be fitted on the inner circumference thereof. They may be buried in one piece.

According to such a joint device, as described above, the holding member 20 that holds the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner cylinder fitting 14 in a spherical slidable manner with respect to the race fitting assembly 18 is attached to the race fitting at the same time as the holding member 20 is formed. Since it is held (fixed) to the assembly body 18, the assembly operation and configuration are significantly simplified compared to conventional coupling devices, and the manufacturability and assembly are improved. This resulted in a significant improvement in adhesion. Further, the holding member 20, as described above,
Since the race fitting assembly 18 is directly injection molded within the annular space 34 with a uniform gap between the spherical concave surface 16 and the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner cylinder fitting 14, these race fitting assemblies can be easily assembled. Regardless of the one-way tolerance of the body 18 and the inner tube fitting 14, the resin material 56 is placed between the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner tube fitting 14 and the sliding cloth 19 joined to the holding member 20.
As a result, a slight, even, and moderate clearance was formed based on the contraction of the ball, and as a result, a highly accurate spherical sliding function without backlash could be stably obtained. Furthermore, according to the joint device of this embodiment, the holding member 20 is attached to the inner cylinder fitting 1 through the sliding cloth 19.
Since the holding member 20 is designed to hold the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner cylinder fitting 14, the holding member 20 is not brought into direct contact with the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner cylinder fitting 14. Even when a fiber-reinforced resin material is used, the fibers in the material may cause the inner cylinder fitting 1 to
There is no risk that the spherical convex surface 12 of No. 4 will be damaged. Therefore, there is an advantage that a fiber-reinforced resin material with better mechanical strength can be used as the constituent material of the holding member 20.

Moreover, in such a joint device, as described above, the holding member 20 is formed with both ends thereof in the axial direction restricted by the inward convex edges 36, 36 of the race fitting assembly 18, and the holding member 20 is The projected area of the holding member 20 in the axial direction with respect to the race fitting assembly 18 is increased, and both ends of the holding member 20 in the axial direction are reinforced by the inner convex edges 36° 36 of the race fitting assembly 18. Therefore, the holding strength of the inner cylindrical fitting 14 in the axial direction of the holding member 20 (the allowable load in the axial direction or the pull-out strength of the inner cylindrical fitting 14) is significantly improved. It has become possible to use resin materials with lower mechanical strength,
This also means that the selection range of the resin material 56 constituting the holding member 20 can be greatly expanded. In this sense, the holding member 20 may be made of an elastic material such as rubber or urethane, as shown in FIG. 11. In this way, if the holding member 20 is made of an elastic material, the vibration damping function based on the elastic force of the holding member 20 can be achieved against vibrations input between the inner cylinder fitting 14 and the race fitting assembly 18. You can also get it. In addition, as shown in the figure, when the joint device is used as a spherical sliding mechanism of a spherical sliding bushing, an elastic member is provided outside the race fitting assembly 18 to perform a vibration-proofing function. It becomes possible to mold the member 64 integrally with the holding member 20 through the through hole 40, and it is possible to obtain the effect that a spherical sliding bushing can be manufactured with extremely good manufacturability. In addition, in the figure, 66 is a cylindrical member to which a bush is attached.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the annular groove 38 around the axis is formed in the spherical concave surface 16 of the race fitting assembly 18, so that the load applied to the holding member 20 in the axial direction is reduced. Since the resin part injected into the annular groove 38 can also act on the race fitting assembly 18, this also increases the holding strength of the inner cylindrical fitting 14 against loads in the axial direction. There are advantages such as being able to

Further, according to this embodiment, as described above, the inner convex edges 36, 36 (more precisely, the edge portions 3
The sliding cloth 1
9 is joined to the holding member 20 at a position closer to the spherical convex surface 12 than these inward convex edges 36, 36, and the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner cylinder fitting 14 slides with these inward convex edges 36, 36. Another advantage is that damage caused by contact (sliding contact via the sliding cloth 19) is well prevented.

Note that the sliding cloth 19 is attached to the inner convex edges 36, 36 (edge portions 32.
32), it is not necessarily necessary that they be joined at a position closer to the spherical convex surface 12, and it is also possible to join them at a position that is a little more distant than the inner convex edges 36, 36, but in this case, In order to prevent damage to the spherical convex surface 12, the race fitting assembly 18 is attached to the inner cylinder fitting 14.
It is desirable that the material be made of a softer material. In this sense, the holding member 20 can be injection molded by simply holding the inner cylinder fitting 12 and the race fitting assembly 18 in a fixed position, without using the complicated molding die 54 as described above. By doing so, it is possible to improve the molding efficiency of the holding member 20 and, by extension, the manufacturing efficiency of the joint device.

That is, the inner convex edges 36, 36 of the race fitting assembly 18
, as shown in FIG.
．． 32 (only one of which is shown here) is formed so as to contact the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner cylinder fitting 14 via the sliding cloth 19 during injection molding of the holding member 20,
If the resin material 56 injected into the annular space 34 is prevented from flowing out from both ends of the annular space 34, there is no need to use a mold 54 with a complicated structure. The holding member 20 as described above can be formed without using the mold 54. In this case, both ends of the annular space 34 do not need to be completely closed, but only need to be closed to the extent that the resin material 56 does not flow out from both ends. In order to protect the spherical convex surface 12, it is desirable to form as large a gap as possible between the inner convex edge 36, 36 and the spherical convex surface 12.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, when forming the holding member 2o,
As described above, since both ends of the sliding cloth 19 are held between the molding die 54 and the spherical convex surface 12 of the inner cylindrical fitting 14, sliding during injection molding of the resin material 56 is prevented. Although the sliding cloth 19 was able to be joined to the inner circumferential surface of the holding member 20 with a good positional relationship without being displaced, both ends of the sliding cloth 19 are not necessarily connected to the molding die 54 and the inner cylindrical metal fitting. It is not necessary to hold it between the spherical convex surface 12 of 14.

Furthermore, as described above, such a joint device can be attached directly to a predetermined connecting portion, either directly as a ball joint device or indirectly through a cylindrical elastic member (64) that performs a vibration-proofing function. However, it should be noted that the present inventor wrote the above specification (
Borge = 1 proposed in Patent Application No. 173709/1983)
It is also possible to provide it in a state where it is integrally embedded in the connecting part of a predetermined rod, like a rod with a body. However, in this case, a resin material or a fiber-reinforced resin material with excellent mechanical strength is generally used as the molding material for the holding member 20.

Although the present invention has been described in detail above, this is a literal illustration, and it goes without saying that the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to such specific examples.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the inner convex edge 36.36 restricts both ends of the holding member 20 with the stepped surface 30.30 perpendicular to the axis of the race fitting assembly 18, and also has a right-angled cross section. Although the edge portions 32 and 32 facing the spherical curved surface 12 of the inner cylinder fitting 14 were arranged to face the spherical curved surface 12 of the inner cylinder fitting 14, the inner convex edges 36, 36 were not perpendicular to the axis of the race fitting assembly 18. By the stepped surface 30.30 formed by
Furthermore, both ends of the holding member 20 may be restricted by the stepped surfaces 30.30 having a curved surface shape, and the stepped surfaces 30. They may be opposed at the edge portions 32, 32, or even at corner portions (edge portions) having a curved cross section or chamfered surfaces.

Further, in the above embodiment, the first and second race fittings 42 and 44, each having a substantially cylindrical shape and each having a spherical curved surface 48 in which the spherical concave surface 16 is divided into two in the axial direction, are formed therein. female threaded part 46 and male threaded part 5o
By screwing together the race fitting assembly 18
was formed, but those lace fittings 4
2 and 44 do not necessarily need to be assembled by threading the threaded portions 46 and 50,
Furthermore, the lace fittings (42, 44) (D-shape) are not necessarily limited to those illustrated.In short, the lace fitting assembly (18) is assembled integrally with a plurality of lace fittings. In this case, it is only necessary to have a spherical concave surface (16) and inwardly convex edges (36, 36) as in the above embodiment.

Further, in the above embodiment, the shaft member is a hollow inner cylindrical fitting 14, and the inner hole 2 of the inner cylindrical fitting 14 is
4, the present invention is not limited to this, but can also be applied to a joint device in which the shaft member is a solid mounting shaft, Ball joint devices used in connection parts of automobile suspension control arm links, stabilizer link rods, lateral links, etc.
Various rods including torque rods.

Two members, such as a spherical sliding mechanism (ball joint mechanism) of a spherical sliding bushing that is used to connect links, arms, etc., and connect them to a predetermined support member in a spherical slidable and anti-vibration manner. It is possible to widely apply it as a connecting mechanism for connecting spherically slidably.

Although other details such as the shape of the seal member and its mounting structure will not be listed, it goes without saying that the present invention can be practiced with various changes, modifications, improvements, etc. without departing from the spirit thereof. It's a good place.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a joint device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an inner cylinder fitting of the joint device. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the lace fitting assembly of the coupling device of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 4 and 5 respectively show the first lace fitting and the second lace fitting constituting the coupling device. FIG. 6, 7, and 9 are sectional views for explaining the manufacturing process of the joint device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 7. FIG. 10 is a cross section M showing the sealing member of the coupling device of FIG. 1. FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing an example of a spherical sliding bushing employing the joint device according to the present invention as a spherical sliding mechanism, and FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the manufacturing process of another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 8; 12: Spherical convex surface 14: Inner cylinder fitting (shaft member) 16:
Spherical concave surface 18: Race fitting assembly 19: Sliding cloth (
Cloth member) 20: Holding member 22: Seal member 30: Stepped surface
32: Esoji part 34: Annular space 36: Inward convex edge 40: Through hole (gate hole) 42: First lace fitting 44: Second lace fitting

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) A hollow or solid shaft member with a spherical convex surface on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate portion in the axial direction, and an annular cloth made of a low-friction material and slidably coated on the spherical convex surface of the shaft member. a member, having a spherical concave surface corresponding to the spherical convex surface of the shaft member on the inner circumferential surface of the intermediate portion in the axial direction, and located at both ends of the spherical concave surface in the axial direction so as to face each other across the spherical concave surface. an axial center between the spherical convex surface and the spherical concave surface of the shaft member, each having two inward convex edges, and located on the outside of the shaft member and covered with the cloth member; A cylinder formed by integrally assembling a plurality of race members forming an annular space with a uniform gap along the spherical convex surface, the gap at both ends of the direction being narrowed as much as possible by the inner convex edge. a race member assembly having a shape, and in the annular space between the spherical concave surface of the race member assembly and the spherical convex surface of the shaft member, both ends in the axial direction are respectively connected to the inner convex edge. The shaft is integrally fixed to the race member assembly in a regulated state, and is integrally joined to the cloth member on the inner peripheral surface, and the shaft is formed on the inner peripheral surface to which the cloth member is joined. A spherical sliding joint device comprising: a holding member made of a predetermined molding material that holds a spherical convex surface of a member in a spherical slidable manner. (2) The race member assembly includes two race members each having a cylindrical shape, a first and a second race member each having a spherical curved surface that is formed by dividing the spherical concave surface into two in the axial direction, and The spherical sliding joint device according to claim 1, wherein the two race members are coaxially assembled with their respective spherical curved surfaces facing each other. (3) The first race member has a female threaded portion on its inner periphery, and the second race member has a male threaded portion on its outer periphery; 3. The spherical sliding joint device according to claim 2, wherein the race member assembly is constructed by coaxially assembling the members by threading their threaded portions together. (4) A ring-shaped or cylindrical cloth member made of a low-friction material is placed on the outside of a hollow or solid shaft member having a spherical convex surface on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate portion in the axial direction, surrounding the spherical convex surface. At the same time, by integrally assembling a plurality of race members further outside the cloth member, a spherical concave surface corresponding to the spherical convex surface of the shaft member is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate portion in the axial direction on the outside of the shaft member. The spherical concave surface includes a cylindrical race member assembly having two inward convex edges facing each other across the spherical concave surface at both ends in the axial direction of the spherical concave surface. The race member assembly is formed so as to face the spherical convex surface of the shaft member through the cloth member, and the race member assembly is arranged such that the spherical concave surface faces the spherical convex surface of the shaft member with a uniform gap therebetween. between the spherical concave surface of the race member assembly and the spherical convex surface of the shaft member, each end of the uniform gap in the axial direction is substantially closed by the inner convex edge. , an annular space is formed in which the cloth member is interposed, and under such conditions, the spherical concave surface in the annular space and the cloth member are connected to each other through a gate hole formed through the race member assembly. By injecting a predetermined molding material between them, the cloth member is slidably covered on the spherical convex surface of the shaft member, and at the same time, the spherical convex surface of the shaft member can be slid on the spherical surface through the cloth member. A holding member to be held in the lace member assembly is integrally joined to the cloth member on its inner circumferential surface, and is integrally joined to the race member assembly with both ends in the axial direction restricted by the inner convex edges. A method for manufacturing a spherical sliding type joint device, characterized in that it is formed by being fixed. (5) The molding in which the inward convex edge extends toward the spherical convex surface of the shaft member and is injected into the annular space through the gate hole without contacting the spherical convex surface through the cloth member. 5. The manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein the manufacturing method is provided to substantially prevent the material from flowing out.