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.
Claims5
A ball joint comprising:
- a longitudinally extending support bar, said support bar comprising:
- a bar portion formed at a central portion of said support bar,
- a flange portion formed at a leading end portion of said support bar distal to said bar portion, said flange portion comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending protruding portions, said protruding portions projecting radially outward so as to form a plurality of circumferentially spaced ridges around said flange portion, and
- a columnar straight portion formed between said bar portion and said flange portion,
- wherein said bar portion, said straight portion, and said flange portion are of substantially the same outer diameter;
- a housing connected to said support bar, said housing being made of injection-molded resin and comprising:
- a ball seat made of resin and having a spherical recess portion for receiving a ball stud, and
- a boss portion formed adjacent said ball seat, said boss portion comprising an opening portion formed at a side surface of said housing,
- wherein said housing is formed by injecting resin in such a manner that said opening portion of said boss portion covers a periphery of said protruding portions of said flange portion;
- and
- a ball stud, said ball stud comprising:
- a columnar stud portion having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, and
- a ball portion connected to said stud portion, said ball portion having a spherical side surface, with a center of said spherical side surface being aligned with said longitudinal axis of said stud portion,
- wherein said ball portion is rotatably and slidably fitted into said ball seat of said housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.