Check rail with a ball-and-socket joint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10967693-B2
Application number	US-201815961559-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2018
Priority date	Apr 26, 2017
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a check rail for a rail suspension in a vehicle. The check rail may include a check rail body, and a ball-and-socket joint pan formed in the check rail body, wherein the ball-and-socket joint pan may include a circumferential inner wall and a receiving opening, with a ball-and-socket joint pin with an articulated ball in the ball-and-socket joint pan, and with a plastic injection layer configured to embed the articulated ball in the ball-and-socket joint pan between the circumferential inner wall of the ball-and-socket joint pan and the articulated ball.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A check rail for a wheel suspension in a vehicle, comprising:
a check rail body;
a ball-and-socket joint pan formed in the check rail body, wherein the ball-and-socket joint pan comprises a circumferential inner wall and a receiving opening;
a ball-and-socket joint pin with an articulated ball in the ball-and-socket joint pan;
a sprayed plastic injection layer on the circumferential inner wall that is configured to embed the articulated ball in the ball-and-socket joint pan between the circumferential inner wall of the ball-and-socket joint pan and the articulated ball; and
a round plate that closes off the receiving opening and secures the articulated ball in the ball-and-socket joint pan,
wherein the sprayed plastic injection layer is at least on sections of a surface of the round plate, and wherein the surface faces an inner chamber of the ball-and-socket joint pan;
wherein a central recess breaks through a bottom of the ball-and-socket joint pan and has no plastic injection layer, and the articulated ball dips at least partially into the central recess.

2. The check rail according to claim 1 , wherein the inner wall forms a circumferential inner surface of the ball-and-socket joint pan, and wherein the sprayed plastic injection layer is configured to compensate a difference in shape between the circumferential inner surface and a ball-shaped jacket surface of the articulated ball.

3. The check rail according to claim 2 , wherein the circumferential inner surface is a cylindrical or a rectangular inner surface of the ball-and-socket joint pan.

4. The check rail according to claim 1 , wherein an inner chamber of the ball-and-socket joint pan is shaped to be cylindrical or rectangular.

5. The check rail according to claim 1 , wherein the articulated ball is embedded in the sprayed plastic injection layer.

6. The check rail according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom of the ball-and-socket joint pan is level, or funnel-shaped, or shaped like a spherical shell.

7. The check rail according to claim 1 , wherein the round plate is firmly bonded to the check rail body.

8. The check rail according to claim 7 , wherein the round plate is firmly bonded to the check rail body by a welding connection, a soldering connection, or by an adhesive connection.

9. The check rail according to claim 1 , wherein the check rail body is formed in one piece from steel or from an extruded profile.

10. The check rail according to claim 1 , wherein the check rail body further comprises:
a long shank and a short shank extending from the long shank in a bent manner, wherein the long shank comprises a first long shank end and a second long shank end, wherein the short shank comprises a short shank end, wherein the ball-and-socket joint pan is formed in the first long shank end, and wherein the second long shank end comprises a bearing receptacle configured to receive a bearing.

11. The check rail according to claim 10 , wherein the short shank end comprises a casing-shaped bearing receptacle configured to receive a rotary bearing.

12. The check rail according to claim 1 , wherein the check rail is a transversal rail.

13. A method for manufacturing a check rail for a wheel suspension in a vehicle, comprising:
providing a check rail body and a ball-and-socket joint pan formed in the check rail body, wherein the ball-and-socket joint pan comprises a circumferential inner wall and a receiving opening;
introducing a ball-and-socket pin with an articulated ball into the ball-and-socket joint pan to position the articulated ball in the ball-and-socket joint pan; and
injecting a plastic injection layer between the circumferential inner wall of the ball-and-socket joint pan and the articulated ball, wherein injecting the plastic injection layer comprises spraying the plastic injection layer onto the circumferential inner wall of the ball-and-socket joint pan;
wherein the articulated ball dips at least partially into a central recess breaking through a bottom of the ball-and-socket joint pan, and the plastic injection layer is injected such that the central recess has no plastic injection layer.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
closing the receiving opening with a round plate, wherein the round plate is connected in a firmly bonded manner to the check rail body, and wherein the plastic injection layer is injected after the closing of the receiving opening with the round plate.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the plastic injection layer is injected through a bottom-side recess of the ball-and-socket joint pan.

Assignees

• Benteler Automobiltechnik Gmbh

Inventors

• Meyer Stephan
• Mehner Hauke
• Jaeger Reinhard

Classifications

• B29C45/14491 Primary

  Injecting material between coaxial articles, e.g. between a core and an outside sleeve for making a roll · CPC title

• B60G2206/7104

  Thermoplastics · CPC title

• B60G2206/122

  the arm having L-shape · CPC title

• B60G2204/416

  Ball or spherical joints · CPC title

• B60G7/005

  Ball joints (B60G7/006 takes precedence; for steering linkage B62D7/16; ball joints per se F16C11/06) · CPC title