Apparatus for coupling a ball joint to a motor vehicle suspension
AssigneeDaimlerChrysler AG
InventorLuke J Stuart
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for coupling a ball to a frame of a motor vehicle. The apparatus includes a main body portion and a ball joint housing. The main body portion is adapted to be pivotally mounted to the frame and has at least one support surface. The ball joint housing is coupled to the ball joint and has at least one contact surface. At least one fastener couples the main body portion and the ball joint housing in a coupled relationship such that the at least one support surface of the main body portion is in contact with the at least one contact surface of the ball joint housing.
Claims3
A suspension system for a vehicle having a frame and a wheel, the suspension system comprising:
- a wheel carrier adapted for mounting to the wheel, the wheel carrier including a ball;
- and
- a control arm assembly including a main body portion, a ball joint housing and at least one fastener, the main body portion adapted for pivotal connection to the frame at a first end, the main body portion being formed in a stamping operation and including a recessed cavity at a second end opposite the first end, the recessed cavity including a support surface, the ball joint housing disposed within the recessed cavity and including a ball-receiving portion and a mounting portion that cooperate to form a contact surface, the ball-receiving portion including a ball cavity that is configured to receive the ball, the mounting portion being spaced apart from the ball receiving portion, the fastener fixedly coupling the mounting portion to the main body portion such that the contact surface is in a juxtaposed relation with the support surface to facilitate load transmission therebetween;
- wherein the ball-receiving portion maintains the ball in a predetermined spaced relation relative to the support surface of the main body portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.