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US 8,770,882 B2Granted
Ball joint
AssigneeZF Friedrichshafen AG
InventorMetin Ersoy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ball joint comprising a housing (4) having a pin opening (12), a ball pin (3) having a joint ball (2), the ball pin being movably supported in the housing (4) by the joint ball (2). The ball pin extends out through the pin opening (12) of the housing (4) and the joint ball (2) has a non-planar control surface (7) which is in contact with an abutment (8) provided on the housing (4).
Claims20
A ball joint comprising:
- a housing (4) having a pin opening (12), and the housing defines a longitudinal axis,
- a ball pin (3) having a joint ball (2), and the ball pin defines a longitudinal axis (20),
- the ball pin being movably supported within the housing (4) by the joint ball (2) such that the ball pin is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the ball pin with respect to the housing, and the ball pin extending out through the pin opening (12) of the housing (4), and
- the joint ball (2) having a non-planar control surface (7) engaging with an abutment (8) provided on the housing (4) such that, as the joint ball (2) rotates relative to the housing (4), the engagement between the non-planar control surface (7) and the abutment (8) deflects the ball pin (3) laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the housing.
1 more element
A ball joint comprising:
- a housing (4) having a locking ring (19) with an oval shaped pin opening (12), the housing defining a longitudinal axis,
- a ball pin (3) having an integral joint ball (2) and defining a longitudinal axis (20), the ball pin being movably secured within the housing (4) by the locking ring (19) with the ball pin (3) extending out through the pin opening (12) of the housing (4),
- the oval shape of the pin opening (12) limiting movability of the ball pin (3) and the joint ball (2), and
- the joint ball (2) having a partially flattened control surface (7), opposite the ball pin (3), which engages with an abutment (8) provided on the housing (4) such that, as the joint ball (2) rotates relative to the housing (4), the engagement between the partially flattened control surface (7) and the abutment (8) deflects the ball pin (3) laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the housing.
1 more element
A ball joint comprising:
- a housing that defines a housing longitudinal axis, the housing having a pin opening;
- an abutment is fixed to the housing at an axial side of the housing opposite the pin opening;
- a ball pin having a joint ball, the ball pin defining a pin longitudinal axis that extends diametrically through the joint ball and the joint ball having a non-planar control surface that is located on a side of the joint ball that is diametrically opposite the ball pin;
- an elongated bore (17) is formed within the ball pin (3) and an unlocking pin (16) being slidably guided within the elongated bore (17);
- and
- the ball pin being movably supported in the housing by the joint ball such that the ball pin extends out of the housing through the pin opening, and the control surface of the joint ball contacts the abutment such that the ball pin is laterally deflected with respect to the housing longitudinal axis due to rotation of the ball pin about the pin longitudinal axis, and the ball pin being rotatable about the pip longitudinal axis at least 180 degrees in two opposed rotational directions.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.