Ball joint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10557496-B2
Application number	US-201715483611-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2017
Priority date	Apr 8, 2016
Publication date	Feb 11, 2020
Grant date	Feb 11, 2020

Abstract

A ball joint has a bushing with a defined housing space sized to receive ball joint components. The ball joint further has a cage member having an exterior surface that fits within the housing recess and an interior surface with a pattern of raised and recessed portions, and a cup member over-molded on the cage member component. The cup member complements the interior surface pattern of the cage member and includes an interior surface having a circular configuration. The ball joint also has a stem having a ball portion dimensioned to fit within and complement the interior surface of the cup member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ball joint comprising:
a bushing that defines a space sized to receive ball joint components;
a metallic cage member that fits within the defined space of the bushing, the metallic cage member has a surface with a pattern of raised and recessed portions that form vertically-extending ribs and grooves;
a bearing having an exterior surface that complements the pattern of raised and recessed portions in the surface of the cage member and an interior surface that defines a circular configuration; and,
a stem having an end with a ball portion dimensioned to fit within the interior surface of the bearing.

2. The ball joint of claim 1 , wherein the bushing is metallic.

3. The ball joint of claim 1 , wherein the bearing is non-metallic.

4. The ball joint of claim 3 , wherein the bearing is a polymeric material.

5. The ball joint of claim 1 , wherein the vertically-extending ribs and grooves are alternating.

6. The ball joint of claim 5 , wherein material that forms the bearing fills the grooves, covers the ribs and forms the circular configuration of the bearing.

7. The ball joint of claim 1 , wherein the cage member has a series of apertures, the bearing is a polymeric material, and the polymeric material of the bearing is in the series of apertures.

8. A method of making a ball joint comprising the steps of:
providing a bushing with a defined space sized to receive ball joint components;
providing a metallic cage member having a surface with a pattern of raised and recessed portions that form vertically-extending ribs and grooves;
over-molding a polymeric material on the metallic cage member to define a bearing having a first surface that complements the pattern of raised and recessed portions of the cage member, a second surface that forms an interior circular configuration, and a third surface which fits within the defined space of the bushing; and
providing a stem having a ball portion dimensioned to fit within the interior circular configuration of the second surface of the bearing.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the vertically-extending ribs and grooves are alternating, and wherein the polymeric material fills the grooves and covers the ribs during the over-molding step to form the interior circular configuration of the bearing.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cage member includes a series of apertures and the polymeric material fills the series of apertures.

11. A ball joint comprising:
a bushing with a defined space sized to receive ball joint components;
a metallic cage member having an exterior surface that fits within the defined space and an interior surface with a pattern of raised and recessed portions that form vertically-extending ribs and grooves;
a cup member over-molded on the cage member, the cup member complements the interior surface pattern of the metallic cage member and includes an interior surface having a circular configuration; and,
a stem having a ball portion dimensioned to fit within and complement the interior surface of the cup member.

12. The ball joint of claim 11 , wherein the bushing is metallic.

13. The ball joint of claim 11 , wherein the cup member is non-metallic.

14. The ball joint of claim 13 , wherein the cup member is a polymeric material.

15. The ball joint of claim 11 , wherein the vertically-extending ribs and grooves are alternating.

Assignees

• Rb Distrib Inc

Inventors

• Lonergan Iii Joseph W
• Grasso David J
• Reiff Thomas Allan

Classifications

• F16C11/0685

  Manufacture of ball-joints and parts thereof, e.g. assembly of ball-joints · CPC title

• F16C2220/06

  in situ casting or moulding · CPC title

• F16C11/068

  Special features relating to lubrication · CPC title

• Y10T29/49659

  by molding or casting · CPC title

• F16C11/0628 Primary

  with linings · CPC title