Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C11/00—Pivots; Pivotal connections
  • F16C11/04—Pivotal connections
  • F16C11/06—Ball-joints; Other joints having more than one degree of angular freedom, i.e. universal joints
  • F16C11/0604—Construction of the male part
  • F16C11/0609—Construction of the male part made from two or more parts
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C11/00—Pivots; Pivotal connections
  • F16C11/04—Pivotal connections
  • F16C11/06—Ball-joints; Other joints having more than one degree of angular freedom, i.e. universal joints
  • F16C11/0619—Ball-joints; Other joints having more than one degree of angular freedom, i.e. universal joints the female part comprising a blind socket receiving the male part
  • F16C11/0623—Construction or details of the socket member
  • F16C11/0628—Construction or details of the socket member with linings
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C11/00—Pivots; Pivotal connections
  • F16C11/04—Pivotal connections
  • F16C11/06—Ball-joints; Other joints having more than one degree of angular freedom, i.e. universal joints
  • F16C11/0685—Manufacture of ball-joints and parts thereof, e.g. assembly of ball-joints
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C11/00—Pivots; Pivotal connections
  • F16C11/04—Pivotal connections
  • F16C11/06—Ball-joints; Other joints having more than one degree of angular freedom, i.e. universal joints
  • F16C11/0619—Ball-joints; Other joints having more than one degree of angular freedom, i.e. universal joints the female part comprising a blind socket receiving the male part
  • F16C11/0623—Construction or details of the socket member
  • F16C11/0628—Construction or details of the socket member with linings
  • F16C11/0633—Construction or details of the socket member with linings the linings being made of plastics
  • F16C11/0638—Construction or details of the socket member with linings the linings being made of plastics characterised by geometrical details
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C11/00—Pivots; Pivotal connections
  • F16C11/04—Pivotal connections
  • F16C11/06—Ball-joints; Other joints having more than one degree of angular freedom, i.e. universal joints
  • F16C11/0619—Ball-joints; Other joints having more than one degree of angular freedom, i.e. universal joints the female part comprising a blind socket receiving the male part
  • F16C11/0623—Construction or details of the socket member
  • F16C11/0642—Special features of the plug or cover on the blind end of the socket
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C11/00—Pivots; Pivotal connections
  • F16C11/04—Pivotal connections
  • F16C11/06—Ball-joints; Other joints having more than one degree of angular freedom, i.e. universal joints
  • F16C11/068—Special features relating to lubrication
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C2326/00—Articles relating to transporting
  • F16C2326/01—Parts of vehicles in general
  • F16C2326/05—Vehicle suspensions, e.g. bearings, pivots or connecting rods used therein

Definitions

• the present invention is related generally to ball socket assemblies, and more particularly, to ball socket assemblies for use in solid axle suspension assemblies of vehicles.
• a pair of ball joints operably attach an axle with a knuckle.
• the two ball joints are aligned with one another along a vertically extending axis and allow the knuckle to pivot about this axis in response to a steering input from a driver, thereby turning a wheel attached with the knuckle.
• Each ball joint includes a housing; a ball stud with a ball portion; and at least one bearing which facilitates a low friction interface between the ball stud and the housing.
• the ball socket assembly includes a housing that has an inner surface and a lower wall which are made as a monolithic piece and which surround an inner bore that extends along a central axis.
• the ball socket assembly also includes a ball stud that has a semi- spherically curved portion, a cylindrical portion, and a shank portion. The semi-spherically curved portion and the cylindrical portion are disposed in the inner bore of the housing. The shank portion projects out of the inner bore through an open end of the housing opposite of the lower wall.
• the ball socket assembly further includes a backing bearing and an exit bearing which are both received in the inner bore of the housing and which both have respective curved inner surfaces.
• a third bearing is received on the cylindrical portion of the ball stud.
• the third bearing has a curved outer surface which cooperates with the curved inner surface of at least one of the exit and backing bearings for allowing the ball stud and the bearing to articulate and rotate relative to the housing.
• the third bearing is also in slidable contact with the cylindrical portion of the ball stud for allowing the ball stud to more freely rotate relative to the housing about the central axis.
• the third bearing allows relative rotation between the housing and ball stud to continue with little restriction.
• the ball stud has a planar first surface which extends between the semi-spherically curved portion and the cylindrical portion; wherein the third bearing has a second planar surface; and wherein the first and second planar surfaces are in surface-to-surface contact with one another.
• the third bearing is located axially between the backing bearing and the exit bearing.
• the third bearing is in a loose fit relationship with the cylindrical portion of the ball stud.
• a washer spring is received in the inner bore of the housing and is elastically deformed to impart an axial force on the exit bearing to bias the curved inner surface of the exit bearing against the curved outer surface of the third bearing.
• the semi-spherically curved portion of the ball stud is generally hemispherical in shape.
• Yet another aspect of the present invention is related to a method of repairing a solid axle assembly.
• the method includes the step of removing a previously used ball socket assembly from an opening of an axle or a knuckle.
• the method proceeds with the step of inserting the ball socket described above into the opening.
• Figure 1 is a perspective and partially exploded view of a solid axle suspension assembly which includes a pair of ball joints constructed according to one aspect of the present invention
• Figure 2 is a front elevation view of one of the ball joints of Figure 1 ;
• Figure 3 is an exploded and partially cross-sectional view of the ball joint of
• Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a housing of the ball joint of Figure 2;
• Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the ball joint of Figure 2;
• Figure 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of the ball joint of Figure 5;
• Figure 7 is another enlarged view of a different portion of the ball joint of Figure
• the ball stud 28 has a cylindrical portion 54, a shank portion 56, and a semi- spherically curved portion 58.
• the semi-spherically curved portion is generally hemispherical in shape (i.e., approximately half a ball) and is therefore referred to hereinafter as being a“hemisphere portion 58”.
• the hemisphere portion 58 and the cylindrical portion 54 are fully disposed in the inner bore of the housing 30, and the shank portion 56 projects out of the inner bore through the open second end of the housing 30.
• the ball stud 28 also has a first planar surface 60 which is annular in shape and which extends between approximately an equator of the hemisphere portion 58 and the cylindrical portion 54.
• the first planar surface 60 lies in a plane that is perpendicular to the central axis A.
• the cylindrical portion 54 has a constant diameter from the first planar surface 60 to the shank portion 56.
• the shank portion 56 extends to a distal end which is threaded for receiving a nut to fixedly attach the ball stud 28 with the axle 22 (shown in Figure 1) or the knuckle 24 (also shown in Figure 1).
• the third bearing 62 is in a clearance, or loose, fitting relationship with the ball stud 28 such that it can freely rotate about the ball stud 28 around the central axis A.
• the third bearing 62 is preferably made as a monolithic piece of metal, such as steel or an alloy steel, and may be shaped through any suitable operation.
• a radial ring 66 is positioned in the third portion 40 of the inner bore and abuts the shoulder 42 of the housing 30.
• the radial ring 66 is a separate piece from the backing bearing 44 and is spaced axially therefrom by a gap in the second portion 38 of the inner bore.
• the radial ring 66 is annular in shape and has a radially inwardly facing surface which is in slidable contact with the hemisphere portion 58 of the ball stud 28 and/or the third bearing 62 for transferring radial forces between the ball stud 28 and the housing 30.
• this arrangement of the components inside of the inner bore ensures that the radial ring 66 transfers all or substantially all of the radial forces between the ball stud 28 and the housing 30 while the backing and exit bearings 44, 46 transfer all or substantially all of the axial forces between the ball stud 28 and the housing 30.
• a cover plate 72 is positioned at an opposite side of the radially outwardly extending flange of the dust boot 68.
• the housing 30 is deformed (such as through swaging) to present a radially inwardly extending lip 74 which traps the cover plate 72 and the radially outwardly extending flange of the dust boot 68 between the radially inwardly extending lip 74 and the exit bearing 46.
• Deforming the housing 30 also has the effect of elastically compressing the Belleville washer 70 to impart a preload force on the exit bearing 46 to bias the curved bearing surface of the exit bearing 46, thereby biasing the curved second outer surface 50 of the third bearing 62.
• one of the ball studs 28 will end up absorbing all or substantially all of the vertical load from the weight of the vehicle. If this occurs, in the ball joint 26 that carries the greater load, the axial loads will be concentrated in only a small portion of the surface of contact between the third bearing 62 and the exit bearing 46, thereby producing a very high pressure force in this location. Such a pressure force may restrict relative rotation between the third bearing 62 and the housing 30. However, relative rotation between the ball stud 28 and the housing 30 is still possible without excessive friction due to the large surface-to-surface contact area between the first and second planar surfaces 60, 64 of the ball stud 28 and the third bearing 62 respectively.
• Another aspect of the present invention is related to a method of repairing a solid axle assembly 20, such as the solid axle assembly 20 shown in Figure 1.
• the method includes the step of removing a previously worn ball joint from an opening in either the axle 22 or the knuckle 24.
• the method continues with the step of inserting a new ball joint 26, such as the ball joint 26 discussed above and shown in Figures 2-8, into the opening.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Pivots And Pivotal Connections (AREA)
• Steering-Linkage Mechanisms And Four-Wheel Steering (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=66641502

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (1)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2019
  • 2019-05-10 DE DE112019002410.8T patent/DE112019002410T5/de active Pending
  • 2019-05-10 CN CN201980029158.2A patent/CN112041572B/zh active Active
  • 2019-05-10 WO PCT/US2019/031640 patent/WO2019217768A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (2)

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