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US 2012/0114412 A1Published application
Ball joint
AssigneeZF Friedrichshafen AG
InventorsDirk Sokolihs, Sonja Ahlert, Frank Grundmann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A ball joint for a motor vehicle having a housing and a ball pin (2) whose joint ball (3) is rotatably and pivotally supported in a bearing shell (6). The bearing shell (6) has a sheet-metal strip provided with recesses and which is formed for the formation of the bearing shell. A method for producing a component of a bearing shell of a ball joint is also disclosed.
Claims15
1-13. (canceled)
A ball joint for a motor vehicle comprising:
- a housing (1),
- a ball pin (2), and
- a joint ball (3) being rotatably and pivotably supported in a bearing shell (6), the bearing shell (6) being is provided with recesses, and, for the formation of either the bearing shell or a component of the bearing shell, contains formed metal strips (7).
A method of producing a component of a ball joint bearing shell of a ball joint for a motor vehicle comprising:
- a housing (1), a ball pin (2), and a joint ball (3) that is rotatably and pivotably supported in the bearing shell (6), the bearing shell (6) being provided with recesses, and, for the formation of either the bearing shell or a component of the bearing shell, contains formed metal strips (7), and the method comprising the steps of:
- producing a band-shaped bearing shell blank from a metal strip (7);
- inserting one of a prong-like and a tooth-like contour into one longitudinal side of the bearing shell blank (7) by a separation process, such that the bearing shell blank (7) has a geometry of an unrolling of the bearing shell (6);
- and
- forming the bearing shell blank (7) such that the bearing shell (6) has either a ball-shaped bearing surface or a bearing shell part (4, 5) having a ball-shaped bearing surface.
2 more elements
A ball joint for a motor vehicle comprising:
- a housing (1),
- a ball pin (2), and
- a joint ball (3) being rotatably and pivotably supported within a bearing shell (6), the bearing shell (6) comprising recesses and being formed from a metal strip (7).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.