Ball joint for a chassis
AssigneeZF Friedrichshafen AG
InventorsWolfgang Meyer, Ignacio Lobo Casanova, Martin Wachtel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A ball joint having a ball pin and a housing. The ball pin together with the ball is accommodated in the housing to move in a rotational and pivotal manner. The ball is at least partially surrounded by a structural component. The structural component is essentially formed from a fiber-plastic composite structure and at least partially forms the housing.
Claims16
A ball joint comprising:
- a ball pin defining an axis,
- a housing defining an axis, the ball pin and the housing, when coaxially aligned, define a longitudinal axis of the ball joint,
- the ball pin together with a ball being accommodated within a hole in the housing such that the ball pin and the ball are rotatable and pivotable in the housing relative to the longitudinal axis of the ball joint,
- the ball being at least partially surrounded by a structural component,
- the structural component being formed primarily from a fiber-plastic composite structure and at least partially forming the housing of the ball joint, and the structural component only extending from the housing in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ball joint, and
- the structural component having a plurality of further holes extending therethrough.
A process of manufacturing a ball joint having a ball pin and a housing, the ball pin together with a ball being rotationally and pivotally movably accommodated in the housing, and the ball being at least partially surrounded by a structural component and the structural component is formed primarily from a fiber-plastic composite structure and at least partially forming the housing, the method comprising the steps of:
- manufacturing and providing the structural component from a preform structure including forming either a hole or a ball-cup type recess for receiving the ball pin;
- introducing either further holes or interruptions into the structural component that extend therethrough and are arranged in a circular arc pattern that is concentric with a center of the hole or the ball-cup type recess for receiving the ball pin;
- providing the ball pin;
- positioning the provided structural components;
- and
- joining the provided structural components by at least one of gluing, penetrating injection, riveting, and injection molding by thermoplastic encapsulation or thermosetting encapsulation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.