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US 4,070,123 AGranted
Ball joint
AssigneeDaimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsWalter Willingshofer, Gerhard Hopsch, Karlheinz Bose
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ball joint which includes a ball pin that is connected with a coaxial strut, a bearing part of synthetic material, a ball housing surrounding the bearing part, and a bellows seal, particularly as used with front axles of motor vehicles equipped with a braking support. The ball housing is equipped with abutment surfaces which abut at rubber spring elements having a progressive spring characteristic while the rubber spring elements project from an outer housing which has a spacing on all sides from the ball housing.
Claims25
A ball joint comprising:
- strut means including a member extending along an axis,
- a ball pin and ball connected with and carried by the strut means, said ball pin adjoining said strut means at an end of said member, and extending along said axis,
- bearing means engaged directly with the ball,
- ball housing means directly supporting the bearing means, said ball housing means including abutment surface means,
- outer housing means spaced from and at least partially surrounding the ball housing means,
- and first and second rubber spring element means interposed between said outer housing means and said abutment surface means for elastically absorbing and transferring forces during relative movement of said ball pin and ball with said outer housing means,
- wherein said first and second rubber spring element means include a series connection of first and second rubber spring elements of different types, said first rubber spring element being constructed and disposed for elastically absorbing and transferring both tension and compression loads in said strut means during relative movement of said ball pin and ball with said outer housing means, said second rubber spring element being constructed and disposed for elastically absorbing primarily only compression loads in said strut means during relative movement of said ball pin and ball with said outer housing means.
4 more elements
A ball joint comprising:
- strut means,
- a ball pin connected with and carried by the strut means,
- bearing means engaged directly with the ball pin,
- ball housing means directly supporting the bearing means, said ball housing means including abutment surface means,
- outer housing means spaced from and at least partially surrounding the ball housing means,
- first and second rubber spring element means interposed between said outer housing means and said abutment surface means for elastically absorbing and transferring forces during relative movement of said ball pin and said outer housing means,
- wherein said first and second rubber spring element means include first and second rubber spring elements of different types, said first rubber spring element being constructed and disposed for elastically absorbing and transferring both tension and compression loads in said strut means during relative movement of said ball pin and said outer housing means, said second rubber spring element being constructed and disposed for elastically absorbing primarily only compression loads in said strut means during relative movement of said ball pin and said outer housing means, and
- a spring retainer means interposed between said abutment surface means and at least one of said first and second rubber spring elements, wherein said spring retainer means is a spring washer supportingly engaged with said second rubber spring element.
5 more elements
A ball joint comprising:
- strut means,
- a ball pin and ball connected with and carried by the strut means,
- bearing means engaged directly with the ball,
- ball housing means directly supporting the bearing means, said ball housing means including abutment surface means,
- outer housing means spaced from and at least partially surrounding the ball housing means,
- and first and second rubber spring element means including first and second rubber spring elements interposed between said outer housing means and said abutment surface means for elastically absorbing and transferring forces during relative movement of said ball pin and ball with said outer housing means,
- wherein said strut means extends in an axial direction with said ball pin extending coaxially at one end thereof, and wherein said second rubber spring element is disposed in axial alignment with said strut means and mounted on the axis of said strut means and said ball pin facing the extreme axial end of said ball for absorbing compression forces in said strut means during axial movement of said ball pin in an inward direction into said outer housing means.
4 more elements
A ball joint comprising:
- strut means
- a ball pin connected with and carried by the strut means,
- bearing means engaged directly with the ball pin,
- ball housing means directly supporting the bearing means, said ball housing means including abutment surface means,
- outer housing means spaced from and at least partially surrounding the ball housing means,
- first and second rubber spring element means interposed between said outer housing means and said abutment surface means for elastically abosrbing and transferring forces during relative movement of said ball pin and said outer housing means,
- wherein said strut means extends in an axial direction with said ball pin at one end thereof, wherein said second rubber spring element is disposed in axial alignment with said strut means and facing the extreme axial end of said ball pin for absorbing compression forces in said strut means during axial movement of said ball pin in an inward direction into said outer housing means, and
- wherein said first rubber spring element is disposed laterally of an axis extending in the axial direction of said strut means for elastically absorbing tension forces in said strut means during axial movement of said ball pin opposite said inward direction, and
- a third rubber spring element disposed laterally of said axis for aiding said first rubber spring element in elastically absorbing compression forces in said strut means during axial movement of said ball pin in said inward direction.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.