Radial ball joint for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10844900-B2
Application number	US-201615754668-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2016
Priority date	Oct 28, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A radial ball joint ( 1, 50, 70 ) for a vehicle having a housing ( 2, 51 ) for holding a joint ball ( 11 ) of a ball stud ( 6 ) so that the ball stud can rotate and pivot. An upper bearing shell ( 7 ), made from a steel sheet, is arranged between an inside wall ( 10 ) of the housing ( 2, 51 ) and the joint ball ( 11 ). The upper bearing shell ( 7 ) is in contact with the joint ball ( 11 ) over a contact zone ( 21 ) to provide the joint ball ( 11 ) with a circumferential slide bearing between its equator ( 12 ) and its upper pole ( 13 ). The upper bearing shell ( 7 ) is in the form of an annular, circumferentially closed drawn component and has in the contact zone ( 21 ) with the joint ball ( 11 ). A number of lubrication grooves ( 14 ), pass through a wall ( 20 ) of the upper bearing shell ( 7 ), in an embossment manner.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A radial ball joint for a vehicle, the radial ball joint comprising:
a housing for holding a joint ball of a ball stud in such manner that the ball stud being rotatable and pivotable,
an upper bearing shell, made of a steel sheet, being arranged between an inside wall of the housing and the joint ball,
the upper bearing shell being in contact over a contact zone against the joint ball in order to provide a circumferential slide bearing for the joint ball between an equator of the joint ball and an upper pole of the joint ball,
the upper bearing shell being in a form of an annular, circumferentially closed drawn component and having in the contact zone with the joint ball, and
a plurality of lubrication grooves passing though a wall of the upper bearing shell in a manner of an embossment.

2. The radial ball joint according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lubrication grooves passing through the wall of the upper bearing shell protrude as bulges on a surface region of the upper bearing shell that faces away from the contact zone with the joint ball.

3. The radial ball joint according to claim 2 , wherein a round sealing ring is arranged between the upper bearing shell, the inside wall of the housing and the cover, the round sealing ring is in contact all round with each of the upper bearing shell, the inside wall of the housing and the cover, and the upper bearing shell is braced, in an axial direction, by the round sealing ring against the joint ball.

4. The radial ball joint according to claim 3 , wherein the bulges act, to a large extent, to impede rotation and prevent twisting of the upper bearing shell relative to the round sealing ring.

5. The radial ball joint according to claim 1 , wherein the lubrication grooves extend in a plane passing through a central axis of the ball stud.

6. The radial ball joint according to claim 1 , wherein the upper bearing shell is made from case-hardened steel and its entire surface is case-hardened.

7. The radial ball joint according to claim 1 , wherein an end face of the upper bearing shell, facing toward the upper pole of the joint ball, together with a corresponding stop surface of a cover that closes off the housing, on one side, form an end stop with respect to movement of the joint ball in an axial direction.

8. The radial ball joint according to claim 1 , wherein the upper bearing shell is arranged radially spaced away from the inside wall of the housing.

9. The radial ball joint according to claim 1 , wherein a lower bearing shell, made of a steel sheet, is arranged between the inside wall of the housing and the joint ball, the lower bearing shell is in contact with the joint ball over contact zones thereof in order to provide a circumferential slide bearing for the joint ball substantially between the equator and a stud connected to the joint ball.

10. The radial ball joint according to claim 9 , wherein the lower bearing shell is in a form of an annular, circumferentially closed drawn component and has a plurality of lubrication grooves, in a contact zone with the joint ball, which extend in a plane passing through the central axis of the ball stud.

11. The radial ball joint according to claim 10 , wherein the plurality of lubrication grooves are formed in the manner of an embossment in a wall of the lower bearing shell, without machining.

12. The radial ball joint according to claim 9 , wherein in a contact zone with the inside wall of the housing, the lower bearing shell is in a form of a circumferentially continuous spherical outer surface, and the contact zone of the lower bearing shell is in contact with the inside wall of the housing, at least in part.

13. The radial ball joint according to claim 9 , wherein the lower bearing shell extends in a direction toward the upper pole of the joint ball to beyond the equator of the joint ball.

14. The radial ball joint according to claim 1 , wherein the radial ball joint has a once-through lubrication, with entry of the lubricant by way of a lubrication nipple and lubricant discharge by way of at least one outlet opening in a sealing bellows that seals the radial ball joint and extends between the housing and the ball stud.

15. The radial ball joint according to claim 14 , wherein the lubrication nipple is arranged centrally in a cover, extends either in an axial direction or laterally in the housing.

16. The radial ball joint according to claim 14 , wherein the lubrication nipple is arranged centrally in a cover and extends laterally with respect to the housing, and the lower bearing shell has a cut-out, in an area of at least one lubrication groove, to enable entry of the lubricant.

17. The radial ball joint according to claim 1 , wherein the radial ball joint is designed to be maintenance-free.

18. A radial ball joint for a vehicle, the radial ball joint comprising:
a ball stud having a joint ball and a stud extending from the joint ball and defining a longitudinal axis,
the joint ball having a spherical surface with an circumferential line extending about the joint ball perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and defining a largest diameter of the joint ball,
an upper pole of the joint ball being located on the longitudinal axis on a side of the joint ball opposite the stud;
a housing having an inside surface, a lower end of the housing having an lower opening, the joint ball being supported by the inside surface of the housing such that the stud of the ball stud extends through the lower opening;
an upper bearing shell being arranged within the housing, between the inside surface of the housing and the joint ball, the upper bearing shell having a wall with a contact surface and forming a first peripheral slide bearing that facilitates pivotable and rotational movement of the ball stud relative to the housing, the contact surface of the wall of the upper bearing shell mating with the spherical surface of the joint ball between the circumferential line and the upper pole of the joint ball, the upper bearing shell being made of steel sheet and formed as an annular, circumferentially closed drawn component, the wall of the upper bearing shell having a plurality of lubrication grooves embossed in the contact surface of the wall and which pass though the wall.

19. The radial ball joint according to claim 18 , wherein the plurality of lubrication grooves which pass through the wall forming a plurality of bulges on an outer surface of the upper bearing shell opposite the contact surface, and the lubrication grooves and the bulges extend in planes that are aligned such that the longitudinal axis lies in the planes.

20. The radial ball joint according to claim 19 , further comprising a lower bearing shell arranged between the inside surface of the housing and the joint ball, the lower bearing shell has a wall with a contact surface and forms a second peripheral slide bearing that facilitates movement of the ball stud relative to the housing, the contact surface of the wall of the lower bearing shell mates with the spherical surface of the joint ball between the circumferential line and the stud of the ball stud, an outer surface of the lower bearing shell mates with the inside surface of the housing, the lower bearing shell is made from a steel sheet and formed as an annular, circumferentially closed drawn component, and the contact surface of the lower bearing shell has a plurality of lubrication grooves which extend in planes that are aligned such that the longitudinal axis of the ball stud lies in t

Assignees

• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Reddehase Günter
• Petersen Uwe
• Sokolihs Dirk
• Hensel Frank

Classifications

• Y10T403/32737

  including liner, shim, or discrete seat · CPC title

• F16C11/0652

  combined with a damper other than elastic linings · CPC title

• F16C11/0647

  Special features relating to adjustment for wear or play; Wear indicators · CPC title

• F16C11/0671

  allowing operative relative movement of joint parts due to flexing of the sealing means · CPC title

• F16C11/0628 Primary

  with linings · CPC title