Insert for a ball joint in a motor vehicle, ball joint or link having an insert of this type, and method for producing an insert of this type, a ball joint of this type or a link of this type

A ball joint with a joint ball and an insert having a first part-structure which is at least in partial slide-bearing contact with the joint ball,

• the first part-structure being connectable, by over-molding, to at least one of a joint socket and a joint housing,
• an open part-structure being designed as a cage-like configuration, the open part-structure having a plurality of axially extending fastening elements, each of the fastening elements having axially opposite first and second ends and a curved section therebetween, the curved section of the fastening elements having an inner surface that is radially separated from and parallel to an outer surface of the joint ball, and only the first end of the fastening elements directly contacts the first part-structure,
• the open part-structure being configured to radially surround the joint ball and to be radially separated from the joint ball, and
• the insert being at least one of:
• at least partially integrated in at least one of the joint socket and the joint housing, and
• at least partially over-molded by an injection-molding process to produce the at least one of the joint socket and the joint housing.

A method for producing a ball joint comprising an insert which is integrated into a chassis component or link of a motor vehicle, the insert having a first part-structure which is at least in partial slide-bearing contact with a joint ball, the method comprising:

• forming the insert to have an open part-structure designed as a cage-like configuration to surround the joint ball,
• forming the open part-structure with a plurality of axially extending fastening elements, each of the fastening elements having axially opposite first and second ends and a curved section therebetween, and directly connecting only the first end of the fastening element to the first part-structure,
• supporting the open part-structure on the first part-structure such that the open part-structure radially surrounds the joint ball and is radially separated from the joint ball by an open gap,
• connecting the first part-structure of the insert, by over-molding, to at least one of a joint socket and a joint housing, and
• filling the open gap between the open part-structure and the joint ball by over-molding to encase the open part-structure within injection-molded material.