Ball joint and production method therefor
AssigneeNHK Spring Co., Ltd.
InventorShigeru Kuroda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ball joint, which has high reliability and reduced weight, is provided. A ball joint includes: a ball stud having a columnar stud portion and a ball portion which has a spherical side surface and a center positioned on an axis of the stud portion; a ball seat which is made of a resin and has a spherical recess portion into which the ball portion is relatively rotatably and slidably fitted; a housing which is made of a resin and holds the ball seat therein; and a support bar which is integrally formed with the housing, wherein the support bar has a bar portion which is a center portion extending along an axis of the support bar.
Claims8
(canceled)
A ball joint comprising:
- a ball stud having a columnar stud portion and a ball portion which has a spherical side surface and a center positioned on an axis of the stud portion;
- a ball seat which is made of a resin and has a spherical recess portion into which the ball portion is relatively rotatably and slidably fitted;
- a housing which is made of a resin and holds the ball seat therein;
- and
- a support bar which is connected with the housing, wherein the housing has a boss portion having an opening portion which opens at a side surface of the housing,
- the support bar has a bar portion and a flange portion, the bar portion being a center portion extending along an axis of the support bar, the flange portion formed at a leading end portion of the bar portion so as to have a flanged shape, and
- the support bar is connected with the boss portion so that the opening portion is formed in close contact with and covers an entire periphery of the flange portion.
A production method for a ball joint, comprising:
- injection molding in which a support bar having a flange portion and a straight portion is formed by injection using a resin;
- and
- insert molding in which the straight portion is supported and a housing having a boss portion is formed by injection using a resin so that the boss portion covers a leading end portion of the support bar which includes the flange portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.