Closure element for a ball-and-socket joint, and ball-and-socket joint having a closure element of this kind

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12097744-B2
Application number	US-202017600453-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2020
Priority date	Apr 2, 2019
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

A closure element (1, 28) for a ball joint (16) in a vehicle. The closure element has a receptacle (2, 29) for accommodating an electronic component (6). To be able to reduce the effort and cost of creating an interface, between the closure element and the electronic component, the closure element (1, 28) has a receptacle (2, 29) which is made of a plastic material and is injection-molded onto one side (3) of the closure element (1).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A closure element of a ball joint ( 16 ) of a vehicle, the closure element comprising:
a top surface having a radially outer annular edge,
the annular edge is connected to a joint housing, the joint housing defining a longitudinal axis and having an opening at an axial end thereof, the top surface of the closure element extends radially and the annular edge is received within the opening and fixed to the joint housing such that the top surface entirely encloses the opening and defines a joint interior of the ball joint,
the top surface defines an exterior side of the closure element that axially faces away from the joint interior,
a receptacle that is connected to the top surface of the closure element and has sides that axially extend from the top surface in a direction away from the joint interior and beyond an axial extent of the joint housing, the sides of the receptacle form a receptacle area within which the receptacle receives an electronic component, and the annular edge being fixed to the joint housing such that the top surface radially extends entirely across the opening and is located axially between the receptacle area and the receptacle on the exterior side of the closure element and the joint interior of the ball joint and axially separates the joint interior from the electronic component within the receptacle area, and
the receptacle being made of a plastic material and being injection-molded onto the exterior side of the closure element.

2. The closure element according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a holding element that is independent of the electronic component and the receptacle, the holding element having a cover and sides, the sides of the holding element have latching tabs that are engageable with latching openings located in the sides of the receptacle such that the holding element is connectable to the receptacle to hold the electronic component in the receptacle area axially between the top surface of the closure element and the cover of the holding element, wherein the exterior side of the closure element is either flat or planar.

3. The closure element according to claim 1 , wherein the annular edge of the closure element projects radially, relative to a central longitudinal axisof the closure element, beyond the receptacle.

4. The closure element according to claim 1 , wherein a material-merged, cohesive connection is formed between the exterior side of the closure element and the receptacle, and at least one of
an adhesion-promoting agent is applied between the exterior side of the closure element and the receptacle, or
the exterior side of the closure element, in an area envisaged for contacting the receptacle, is pretreated with a plasma process.

5. The closure element according to claim 1 , wherein an interlocking connection is formed between the closure element and the receptacle, and
the interlocking connection is produced by virtue of an undercut of the closure element.

6. The closure element according to claim 5 , wherein the exterior side of the closure element has either a T-shaped or a mushroom-head-shaped elevation, located centrally relative to a central longitudinal axis of the closure element, and the receptacle engages in a groove of the elevation to form the interlocking connection, the groove of the elevation being an annular groove in a radially outer surface of the elevation.

7. The closure element according to claim 5 , wherein at least one opening is arranged in the closure element, and to form the interlocking connection at least one of
the plastic material of the receptacle extends through the at least one opening, or
the at least one opening is filled with the plastic material of the receptacle.

8. The closure element according to claim 1 , further comprising a holding element having sides that are releasably connectable to the sides of the receptacle to secure the electronic component within the receptacle, and
the sides of the receptacle and the sides of the holding element being releasably connectable to one another by at least one of a latching connection and a snap-in connection, and
the holding element and the receptacle each having a side that is open and aligned with each other such that the electronic component secured within the receptacle extends through the open sides of the holding element and the receptacle.

9. The closure element according to claim 1 , wherein the closure element is designed as either a closure cap or a closure ring, and
the closure element is made of a metal.

10. A ball joint with a closure element, the closure element of the ball joint comprising:
a receptacle accommodating an electronic component,
the receptacle being made of a plastic material and being injection-molded onto a top side of the closure element,
the ball joint having a joint housing, the joint housing defines a longitudinal axis and has an opening at an axial end thereof,
the closure element being received within the opening and having an annular edge fixed to the joint housing such that the closure element entirely closes the opening of the joint housing, and
the ball joint having an inner joint portion which is fitted into and movable within a joint interior of the joint housing, and
the closure element being fixed to the joint housing such that the top side of the closure element with the receptacle axially faces away from the inner joint portion, and such that the top side of the closure element is axially located between the electronic component, which is receivable within the receptacle, and the inner joint portion and axially separates the electronic component from the inner joint portion, and
the electronic component being accommodated within the receptacle such that the electronic component is removable from the receptacle while the closure element and the receptacle are fixed to the joint housing.

11. A closure element of a ball joint in a vehicle, the closure element comprising:
a radially outer edge that is configured to engage with the ball joint,
the radially outer edge being fixed to a joint housing of the ball joint such that the closure element entirely encloses an opening of the joint housing on an axial first end of the joint housing opposite an axial second end of the joint housing through which a joint pin of the ball joint extends, the joint housing having a joint interior which extends axially from the closure element to the axial second end,
the closure element having a receptacle formed of plastic and injection molded onto a top side of the closure element, the closure element being connected to the joint housing such that the top side of the closure element faces away from the joint interior and the receptacle extends beyond an axial extent of the joint housing, and
an electronic component being received by the receptacle such that the electronic component is fixed in position relative to the closure element and the joint housing, and the top side of the closure element is axially located between the electronic component and the joint interior and axially separates the electronic component from the joint interior.

Assignees

• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Lahrmann Tobias
• Duetz Jan
• Kramer Thomas
• Blanke Arnold

Classifications

• F16C11/0657

  the socket member being mainly made of plastics · CPC title

• F16C11/0642 Primary

  Special features of the plug or cover on the blind end of the socket · CPC title

• B60G2204/416

  Ball or spherical joints · CPC title

• B60G2204/1162

  directly mounted on the suspension arm · CPC title

• F16C2326/05

  Vehicle suspensions, e.g. bearings, pivots or connecting rods used therein · CPC title