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US 8,602,673 B2Granted
Housing for a ball joint
AssigneeZF Friedrichshafen AG
InventorsJürgen Schmitz, Frank Schmeink
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A housing component for a ball joint which has an interior space (3) for mounting the joint ball (1) of a ball journal, an opening (4) for guiding the journal section (5) of the ball journal (2) adjoining the joint ball (1), a contact region (7) formed on an outer lateral surface of the housing (6) for fastening a sealing bellows edge (8) thereto and forming a seal, and a deformed section (9) which rotationally and pivotally fixes the joint ball (1) of the ball journal (2) in the interior space (3) of the housing (6). The deformed section (9) has a smaller material cross-section in comparison to the contact region (7) for the sealing bellows edge (8).
Claims20
A housing for a ball joint, the housing comprising:
- an interior space (3) adapted for mounting a joint ball (1) of a ball journal (2);
- an opening (4) having an initial dimension for receiving a journal section (5) of the ball journal (2) adjoining the joint ball (1);
- a contact region (7) is provided along an outer lateral surface of the housing (6) for sealing engagement with a sealing bellows edge (8);
- a deformed section (9) for rotationally and pivotably retaining the joint ball (1) of the ball journal (2) within the interior space (3) of the housing (6), and the deformed section (9), following deformation thereof, reducing the initial dimension of the opening (4) of the housing (6) so as to captively retain the joint ball (1) within the interior space (3) of the housing (6) while the joint ball (1) still remains rotatable and pivotable with respect to the housing (6), the joint ball being retained solely by the deformed section;
- the deformed section having a beveled end that defines the opening;
- and
- the entire deformed section (9) having a smaller longitudinal thickness than the contact region (7) for the sealing bellows edge (8).
4 more elements
A ball joint housing comprising:
- an interior space (3) for receiving a joint ball (1) of a ball journal;
- an opening (4) having an initial dimension for receiving a journal section (5) of the ball journal (2) to which the joint ball (1) is fixed;
- a contact region (7) formed on an outer lateral surface of the housing (6) for engaging and sealing with a first edge (8) of a sealing bellows (14) to form a seal therewith;
- a deformed section (9) for rotationally and pivotably retaining the joint ball (1) of the ball journal (2) within the interior space (3) of the housing (6), and the deformed section (9), following deformation thereof, reducing the initial dimension of the opening (4) of the housing (6) so as to captively retain the joint ball (1) within the interior space (3) of the housing (6) while the joint ball (1) still remains rotatable and pivotable with respect to the housing (6), the joint ball being retained solely by the deformed section;
- the deformed section having a beveled end that defines the opening, and
- the entire deformed section (9) having a smaller longitudinal thickness than the contact region (7) for the sealing bellows edge (8).
3 more elements
A ball joint housing comprising:
- an interior space (3) for receiving a joint ball (1) of a ball journal, the interior space defining an longitudinal axis;
- an opening (4) for receiving a journal section (5) of the ball journal (2) to which the joint ball (1) is fixed, the opening defining a plane that is normal to the longitudinal axis;
- an outer lateral surface of the housing extends axially from the opening and comprises a deformed section, a transition region and a contact region, the deformed section axially bordering the opening and the transition region and the transition region axially bordering the deformed section and the contact region;
- the contact region (7) of the outer lateral surface of the housing (6) for engaging and sealing with a first edge (8) of a sealing bellows (14) to form a seal therewith;
- the deformed section (9) for rotationally and pivotably retaining the joint ball (1) of the ball journal (2) within the interior space (3) of the housing (6), and the deformed section (9), following deformation thereof, captively retaining the joint ball (1) within the interior space (3) of the housing (6) while the joint ball (1) still remains rotatable and pivotable with respect to the housing (6);
- the deformed section (9), following deformation thereof, retains a bearing shell (13) within the housing (6), and curves the bearing shell (13) radially inwardly due to deformation of the deformed section (9), the deformed section retaining only the bearing shell and the joint ball within the interior space;
- and
- the outer lateral surface of the housing tapers such that a lateral cross-sectional dimension of the ball joint housing continually reduces along the deformed section from the transition region to the opening.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.