BALL JOURNAL WITH A PRESS ON ANNULAR BODY AND BALL JOINT WITH SAID TYPE OF BALL JOURNAL

Abstract

A ball stud (21) for a ball joint (20) having an annular body (22) pressed onto the ball stud (21). The annular body (22) is held fast to the ball stud (21) by at least one circumferential securing element to prevent loosening, that acts between the ball stud (21) and the annular body (22) and is in the form of a deformation edge (23). The at least one deformation edge (23) is formed integrally with the ball stud (14). A ball joint (20) that has a housing (36) in which a ball stud (21) is held.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A ball stud (21) for a ball joint (20), with an annular body (22) pressed onto the ball stud (21), such that the annular body (22) is held fast onto the ball stud (21) by at least one securing element to prevent loosening, the at least one securing element being in a form of a deformation edge (23) acting between the ball stud (21) and the annular body (22), and the at least one deformation edge (23) being made integrally with the ball stud (21).

17. The ball stud (21) according to claim 16, wherein the deformation edge (23) is produced by a chip-removing process.

18. The ball stud (21) according to claim 16, wherein the deformation edge (23), when viewed in a longitudinal section through a central axis (24) of the ball stud (21), is shaped like a barbed hook.

19. The ball stud (21) according to claim 16, wherein the ball stud (21) has at least one recess (30) for receiving at least a part-volume of the deformation edge (23) when the annular body (22) is pressed on.

20. The ball stud (21) according to claim 19, wherein the recess is in a form of a circumferential annular groove (30).

21. The ball stud (21) according to claim 20, wherein the annular groove (30) is shaped tangentially, consistently in an extension direction of a central axis (24) of the ball stud (21), to avoid a notch effect.

22. The ball stud (21) according to claim 18, wherein after the annular body (22) is pressed onto the ball stud (21), the ball stud and the annular body (22) have an essentially cylindrical area (31) therebetween that extends in a direction of the central axis (24), and there is a clearance fit, in the cylindrical area (31), between the ball stud (21) and the annular body (22).

23. The ball stud (21) according to claim 16, wherein the ball stud (21) and the annular body (22) are in contact over a contact surface (32) shaped like an outer surface of a truncated cone.

24. The ball stud (21) according to claim 23, wherein the deformation edge (23), when viewed in a direction of a central axis (24) of the ball stud (21), is substantially in a middle of the cylindrical area (31).

25. The ball stud (21) according to claim 16, wherein the ball stud (21), after the annular body (22) is fully pressed onto the ball stud, has a surface provided with electroplated surface protection at least in an area of overlap (34) between the ball stud (21) and the annular body (22).

26. The ball stud (21) according to claim 16, wherein the annular body (22) is an extrusion molded part.

27. The ball stud (21) according to claim 16, wherein the annular body (22) is provided with a surface coating.

28. The ball stud (21) according to claim 16, wherein the annular body (22) has a contact surface with a first connected component, and the contact surface is in a form of an outer surface of one of a truncated cone, a spherical cap and a circular surface.

29. A ball joint (20) having a housing (36) in which a ball stud (21) is held, the ball stud (21) having an annular body (22) pressed onto the ball stud (21) such that the annular body (22) being held fast to the ball stud (21) by at least one securing element to prevent loosening, the at least one securing element being in a form of a deformation edge (23) acting between the ball stud (21) and the annular body (22), and the at least one deformation edge (23) being made integrally with the ball stud (21).

30. The ball joint (20) according to claim 29, wherein the housing (36) has an outer circumferential surface (37) which facilitates holding the housing (36) in a bore of a second connected component (38).

31. A ball stud for a ball joint, the ball stud defining a longitudinal axis, an annular body being pressed along the longitudinal axis in a first axial direction to an axially fixed position on the ball stud, the ball stud having an integrally formed deformation edge that mates with the annular body for preventing movement of the annular body in a second axial direction along the longitudinal axis from the fixed position, the ball stud having a cylindrical outer surface and an abutment surface that projects radially outward from the cylindrical outer surface and mates with a contact surface of the annular body to stop movement of the annular body in the first direction and define the fixed position of the annular body on the ball stud, the annular body having a cylindrical inner surface that surrounds the cylindrical outer surface of the ball stud, the cylindrical inner surface of the annular body having a diametrical dimension that is smaller than a diametrical dimension of the deformation edge such that movement of the annular body in the first direction along, the cylindrical outer surface of the ball stud, deforms the deformation edge.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Below, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to drawings that illustrate only one example embodiment, in which drawings the same indexes refer to the same components or elements. The figures show:

[0030] FIG. 1: An overall representation of a chassis assembly, according to a first design of the prior art;

[0031] FIG. 2: A ball joint according to a second design of the prior art;

[0032] FIG. 3: A ball joint with a ball stud according to the invention, viewed in section;

[0033] FIG. 4: An enlarged detail view of the area X in FIG. 3;

[0034] FIG. 5: An enlarged detail view of the area Y in FIG. 4, in which the sealing bellows is not shown;

[0035] FIG. 6: An enlarged detail view similar to FIG. 5, with the deformation edge shown in its deformed condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a chassis assembly 1 known from the prior art, which comprises a first connected component 2 in the form of an aluminum transverse control arm and a second connected component 3 in the form of a wheel carrier. A bore of the wheel carrier 3 holds a ball joint 4 with a ball stud 5, onto which is pressed an annular body 6 in the form of a bevel washer. In this case the annular body 6 serves to enlarge a contact surface 7 with the aluminum transverse control arm 2, whose strength is lower than that of the material, in this case steel, of the annular body 6. By enlarging the contact area 7 between the aluminum transverse control arm 2 and the steel annular body 6, the surface pressure in the area of the contact surface 7 is reduced to a value which is within the acceptable limit value for the load situation of the aluminum transverse control arm 2 concerned, this being the material with lower strength.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a further ball joint 11 also known from the prior art, with an annular body 12 which at its inside circumference is provided integrally with a surrounding deformation edge 13. After the annular body has been pressed onto a ball stud 14 of the ball joint 11, the deformation edge rests against the outer circumference of the ball stud 14 and thereby acts as a securing element to prevent loosening which prevents the annular body 12 from working loose from the ball stud 14. The annular body 12 is in the form of an extrusion molded component on which the deformation edge 13 is produced by an additional turning step.

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a ball joint 20 with a ball stud 21 and an annular body 22 pressed onto the ball stud 21, such that the annular body 22 is fixed onto the ball stud 21 by a securing element to prevent loosening, in the form of a circumferential deformation edge 23 acting between the ball stud 21 and the annular body 22. The deformation edge 23 is formed integrally with the ball stud 21. Due to the circumferential deformation edge 23, which has a larger outer diameter than the corresponding inside diameter of the annular body 22, a dimensional overlap between the annular body 22 and the ball stud 21 is produced. Compared with the total height of the annular body 22 the deformation edge 23 has a relatively small thickness in the direction of the central axis 24 of the ball stud 21 and can therefore be deformed relatively easily when the annular body 22 is pressed onto the ball stud 21. Perpendicularly to the central axis 24 of the ball stud 21, the deformation edge 23 projects all round by 0.15 millimeters relative to the adjacent areas in the direction of the central axis 24 of the ball stud 21, which have a diameter of 14.8 millimeters. During the press-fitting process of the annular body 22 onto the ball stud 21, the deformation edge 23 rests against the inside wall 25 of the annular body 22. The press-fitting takes place in a pressing direction 28 that extends along the central axis 24 of the ball stud 21.

[0039] When the annular body 22 has been pressed onto the ball stud 21, there are both plastically and elastically deformed zones in the area of the deformation edge 23. The plastically deformed zones ensure, as it were, tolerance compensation between the outer circumferential surface of the ball stud 21 and the inside circumferential surface of the annular body 22. The elastically deformed zones ensure that the annular body 22 is held firmly by friction force on the ball stud 21, so that the annular body 22 is fixed onto the ball stud 21 by the deformation edge 23 which functions as a securing element to prevent loosening. Thanks to this friction-force connection an undesired loosening of the annular body 22 from the ball stud 21, for example during transport or in the course of assembly, is effectively prevented. The surface clamped by the deformation edge 23 extends perpendicularly to the central axis 24 of the ball stud 21. The deformation edge 23 is produced in a turning operation of the ball stud 21 during which, in the same working step, a groove 26 for receiving a sealing bellows 27 is also produced adjacent to the annular body 22 in the direction of the central axis 24 of the ball stud 21.

[0040] In FIGS. 4 and 5 it can be seen that as viewed in a longitudinal section through the central axis 24 of the ball stud 21, the deformation edge 23 is shaped like a barbed hook. This is achieved in that due to its geometrical form, the deformation edge 23 has a lower resistance to deformation in the pressing-on direction 28 than in the opposite direction. For that, as viewed in the pressing-on direction 28 the deformation edge has ahead of its maximum diameter in the undeformed condition a relatively flatly rising oblique surface 29 like a ramp, which facilitates the pressing-on of the annular body 22. In contrast, behind the maximum diameter of the deformation edge 23 the diameter of the deformation edge 23 decreases relatively steeply. As can also be seen, the ball stud 21 has a recess 30 for receiving a partial volume of the deformation edge 23 when the annular body 22 has been pressed in place. The recess 30 is designed such that when the annular body 22 is pressed home, the recess is only filled essentially completely if the inside diameter of the annular body 22 corresponds to the outer diameter of the ball stud 21, i.e. when the recess 30 has to receive the maximum possible volume of the deformation edge 23. In that case the inside wall 25 of the annular body 22 would contact the corresponding circumferential surface of the ball stud 21. Thus, the recess 30 has the advantage in relation to the inside diameter of the annular body 22 that it acts to compensate tolerances. As viewed in the pressing-on direction 28 of the annular body 22, the recess 30 is arranged behind the deformation edge 23. According to this example embodiment, the recess is in the form of a circumferential annular groove 30. The circumferential annular groove 30 is produced in the same working step as the deformation edge 23 by turning on an automatic lathe. To avoid notch effects the annular groove 30 is shaped in a tangentially consistent manner in the extension direction of the central axis 24 of the ball stud 21.

[0041] For clarification, in FIGS. 3 to 5 the deformation edge 23 is in each case shown in its undeformed condition. FIG. 6, however, shows the deformation edge 23 in its deformed condition after the annular body 22 has been pressed onto the ball stud 21.

[0042] When the annular body 22 has been pressed home, the ball stud 21 and the annular body 22 have a cylindrical area 31 extending in the direction of the central axis 24, such that in the cylindrical area 31 there is a clearance fit between the ball stud 21 and the annular body 22. In the area of the annular groove 30, owing to the inward-inclined geometry of the annular groove 30 the clearance fit has a larger clearance. In a small part-area the cylindrical area 31 is interrupted by the surrounding, outward-inclined deformation edge 23. In the cylindrical area 31, when the annular body 22 has been pressed fully home the ball stud 21 and the annular body 22 are only in contact in the area of the surrounding deformation edge 23. The clearance fit ensures that during the pressing-on of the annular body 22, the ball stud 21 can make optimum close contact with the inside wall 25 of the annular body 22 with its deformation edge 23 in the cylindrical area 31.

[0043] As can also be seen in FIG. 3, the ball stud 21 and the annular body 22 are in mutual contact, with the formation of a contact surface 32 formed in the manner of an outer surface of a truncated cone. This contact surface is only formed when the annular body 22 has been pressed fully home, and forms an end-stop for the pressing-on process of the annular body 22. In the area of the contact surface 32 the ball stud 21 and the annular body 22 have shape-matched mating faces which meet to form a seal in the area of the contact surface 32. Besides the contact in the area of the contact surface 32, there is another circumferential contact between the ball stud 21 and the annular body 22 in the area of the deformation edge 23. The component geometries of the ball stud 21 and the annular body 22 are matched to one another in such manner that in the assembled condition of the ball joint 20, the main contact area between the ball stud 21 and the annular body 22 is in the outer diameter area of the contact surface 32. In this way, compared with an arrangement having the main contact area in the inner diameter area of the contact surface 32, the surface pressure between the ball stud 21 and the annular body 22 in the area of the contact surface 32 is reduced. The formation of the contact area 32 in the shape of the outer surface of a truncated cone has the advantage that in combination with the above-described clearance fit in the cylindrical area 31, a tolerance-compensating effect is achieved. The finished surface of the ball stud 21 in the cylindrical area 31 and in the area of the contact surface 32 is produced by turning in a single clamping operation, together with the groove 26 for holding the sealing bellows 27.

[0044] As viewed in the direction of the central axis 24 of the ball stud 21, the deformation edge 21 is positioned approximately in the middle of the cylindrical area 31. Arranging the deformation edge 23 in the middle of the cylindrical area 31 has the advantage that the purpose of the deformation edge 23, namely to provide a securing element to prevent loosening, can be reliably fulfilled. Even if the annular body 22 should be displaced slightly on the ball stud 21, the securing element to prevent loosening still holds fast because it is pressed down onto the ball stud 21 by about half the length of the cylindrical area 31.

[0045] Owing to the clearance fit between the ball stud 21 and the annular body 22, at the end of the cylindrical area 31 opposite the contact surface 32 there is an outward-opening annular gap between the ball stud 21 and the annular body 22, as can be seen clearly in FIGS. 4 to 6. The opening 33 of the annular gap can be closed in order to prevent corrosion inside the cylindrical area 31, by providing a further deformation edge connected integrally with the ball stud 21 in the area of the opening 33. However, that further deformation edge has not been provided in the example embodiment currently under consideration.

[0046] In the overlap area 34 between the ball stud 21 and the annular body 22 when the annular body 22 has been fully pressed home, the surface is provided with an electroplated protective surface coating. The overlap area 34 here corresponds to the height of the annular body 22. The electroplated surface coating in the overlap area 34 protects against corrosion in the circumferential gap created by the clearance fit between the ball stud 21 and the annular body 22. The electroplated surface protection is in the form of a zinc-nickel surface coating.

[0047] The annular body 22 is in the form of an extrusion molded component. By designing the annular body as a simple, shaped component it can be produced inexpensively, particularly since no further work step such as an additional turning operation is required. The annular body 22 is provided with an all-over electroplated surface coating in the form of a zinc-nickel surface protective coating. Furthermore, as can be seen in FIG. 4 the annular body 22 has a circumferential outside surface of contact with a first connected component 35, in the form of the outer surface of a truncated cone. The main load acting on the annular body 22 from the first connected component 35 is transferred to the outer diameter area of the contact surface, in order to keep the surface pressure between the annular body 22 and the first connected component low. The first connected component is made of a cast aluminum material. With the material combination of the steel annular body 22 and a first connected component 35 of aluminum, the all-over surface coating of the annular body 22 also serves to avoid contact corrosion in the area of the common contact area, since at that point two different resistant metals are in contact. The first connected component is in the form of a transverse control arm.

[0048] The ball joint 20 shown in FIG. 3 has a housing 36 in which a ball stud 21 as described above is held. The ball stud 21 is held in the housing 36 at one end area in such manner that it can rotate and pivot. For that purpose the end area is of spherical shape. The housing has an outer circumferential surface 37 which is suitable for holding the housing 36 in a bore of a second connected component 38. The second connected component is in the form of a wheel carrier 38. By integrating the function holding the housing 36 in a bore of a second connected component in the outer circumferential surface 37 of the housing 36, an inexpensive ball joint 20 is obtained. Preferably, the ball stud 21, the annular body 22 and the housing 36 are formed rotationally symmetrically relative to the central axis 24 of the ball stud 21. At one axial end the housing 36 has a circumferential collar, which in the direction of the central axis 24 of the ball stud 21 serves as an abutment for holding the housing 36 in the bore of the wheel carrier 38.

INDEXES

[0049] 1 Chassis assembly [0050] 2 First connected component, aluminum transverse control arm [0051] 3 Second connected component, wheel carrier [0052] 4 Ball joint [0053] 5 Ball stud [0054] 6 Annular body [0055] 7 Contact surface [0056] 11 Ball joint [0057] 12 Annular body [0058] 13 Deformation edge [0059] 14 Ball stud [0060] 20 Ball joint [0061] 21 Ball stud [0062] 22 Annular body [0063] 23 Deformation edge [0064] 24 Central axis of the ball stud [0065] 25 Inside wall of the annular body [0066] 26 Groove [0067] 27 Sealing bellows [0068] 28 Pressing-on direction [0069] 29 Oblique face [0070] 30 Recess, annular groove [0071] 31 Cylindrical area [0072] 32 Contact surface [0073] 33 Opening [0074] 34 Overlap area [0075] 35 First connected component, transverse control arm [0076] 36 Housing [0077] 37 Outer circumferential surface [0078] 38 Second connected component, wheel carrier