JOINING ARRANGEMENT HAVING A RECEIVING MEANS AND A BALL JOINT

Abstract

A joining arrangement having a receiver and a ball joint, wherein the ball joint comprises a joint pin with a joint ball and comprises a joint socket for receiving the joint ball, and wherein the ball joint is spread open resiliently into the receiver. According to the invention, the receiver has a guide element with a guide region which extends in a guide direction, wherein the joint socket is, by means of at least two locking arms, spread open resiliently into the guide element in a preselectable setpoint position within the guide region.

Claims

1. A joining arrangement comprising: a receiver; and a ball joint that comprises a joint pin with a joint ball and comprises a joint socket for receiving the joint ball, wherein the ball joint is spread open resiliently into the receiver, wherein the receiver has a guide element with a guide region that extends in a guide direction, and wherein the joint socket is, via at least two locking arms, spread open resiliently into the guide element in a preselectable setpoint position within the guide region.

2. The joining arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the guide element has a receiving opening with an elongated extension to form the guide region.

3. The joining arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the joint socket comprises at least one positioning rib by means of which rotation of the joint socket against the guide element is prevented.

4. A ball joint for a joining arrangement according to claim 1, the joint socket comprises at least two resilient tongues that extend from an outer sleeve of the joint socket into a joint ball receiving opening, and the joint ball is adapted to be assembled with the joint socket via a resilient spreading open of the resilient tongues.

5. The ball joint according to claim 4, wherein the joint socket comprises at least one support web, which is arranged or formed on the outer sleeve and forms a socket bearing at least in sections.

6. The ball joint according to claim 4, wherein the locking arms form a socket bearing at least in sections.

7. The ball joint according to claim 4, wherein the joint pin is a ball screw.

8. A method for mounting a light module on a support frame of a vehicle lighting device, the method comprising: providing a support frame having a receiver, wherein the receiver has a guide element having a receiving opening with an elongated extension to form a guide region; providing a joint pin and joint socket to form a ball joint; inserting the joint socket into the guide element; moving the joint socket along a guide direction within the guide region to a setpoint position; inserting the pivot pin into the joint socket to form a joining arrangement; and connecting the joint pin to the light module.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0017] FIGS. 1a to 1d show perspective views of a joint socket of a ball joint of the invention;

[0018] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a joint socket in a receiver as part of a joining arrangement of the invention;

[0019] FIG. 3a shows a cross-sectional view of a joining arrangement of the invention; and

[0020] FIG. 3b shows a perspective view of the joining arrangement from FIG. 3a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] FIGS. 1a to 1d show perspective views of a joint socket 4 of a ball joint of the invention, which comprises annular outer sleeve 8 from which four resilient tongues 7 extend in the direction of joint ball receiving opening 40, wherein two locking arms 5, two U-shaped positioning ribs 6, and support web 9 project in the rearward direction from outer sleeve 8. Joint socket 4 is formed of, for example, of a thermoplastic, for instance, polyoxymethylene (POM), and is advantageously manufactured by means of an injection molding process.

[0022] The two locking arms 5 each have a notch 50 on the outside for receiving a guide element of a receiver, and a concavely curved surface section on the inside, which serves to form a socket bearing for a joint ball. The socket bearing is further formed by the surface sections of support web 9, which are concavely curved on the inside. To assemble the ball joint, a joint pin with a joint ball is inserted into joint ball receiving opening 40, wherein the four resilient tongues 7 are resiliently spread open and contact the joint ball at the end face after complete insertion. Resilient tongues 7 thus secure the joint ball against being pulled out of joint ball receiving opening 40, wherein socket bearings formed by the corresponding sections of locking arms 5 and support web 9 ensure a rotatable mounting of the joint ball. By inserting a joint ball into joint socket 4, locking arms 5 are also resiliently spread open, so that a clamping connection to a guide element received in notches 50 can thereby be established.

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a joint socket 4 of a ball joint of the invention received in guide element 10 of a receiver 1, wherein guide element 10 is formed with an elongated receiving opening to form guide region 11. In the arrangement shown without the joint pin inserted, joint socket 4 is not yet fixedly engaged in guide element 10, but can be moved laterally along guide direction 12 in guide region 11, which results in the possibility of tolerance compensation according to the invention. Within the scope of the method of the invention for mounting a light module on a support frame of a vehicle lighting device, wherein the light module is provided for mounting on one or more ball joints and a corresponding number of receiver 1 are part of the support frame, a mounting for the light module in a production-related setpoint position can be realized by such lateral fine positioning of joint socket 4. In particular, when the light module is mounted on a plurality of ball joints, this ensures stress- and distortion-free assembly.

[0024] For example, the width of guide region 11 can be made 5 mm wider than the outer diameter of outer sleeve 8 of joint socket 4. During lateral movement of joint socket 4 in guide region 11, guide element 10 is received in notch 50 on the two locking arms 5, and positioning ribs 6 additionally ensure that no undesired rotation of joint socket 4 occurs during movement.

[0025] After joint socket 4 has been brought into its setpoint position, the arrangement is fixed in place by engaging a ball screw in joint socket 4 as part of the assembly process of the invention, wherein a clamping connection between joint socket 4 and guide element 10 is achieved by means of the resilient spreading of the two locking arms 5.

[0026] FIGS. 3a and 3b show a cross-sectional view and a rear view, respectively, of the entire joining arrangement 100 of the invention with ball joint 2 in the arrangement in receiver 1. Ball joint 2 is located here in a setpoint position centrally within guide region 11, wherein a horizontal movement along guide direction 12 precedes the adjustment into this setpoint position. Joint pin 3 is designed here by way of example as a ball screw 30, the head of which represents joint ball 31. Joint ball 31 spreads the two locking arms 5 apart, which results in a clamping connection between ball joint 2 and guide element 10 received in the two notches 50. Resilient tongues 7 form contact surfaces with joint ball 31 and thus prevent an axial pulling out of ball screw 30 from joint socket 4. The contact surfaces between resilient tongues 7 and joint ball 31, together with corresponding sections of the two locking arms 5 and support web 9, form the socket bearing in which ball screw 30 is rotatably mounted.

[0027] The invention is not limited in its implementation to the preferred exemplary embodiment described above. Rather, a number of variants are conceivable which make use of the shown solution even in the case of fundamentally different embodiments. All features and/or advantages arising from the claims, the description, or the drawings, including structural details, spatial arrangements, and method steps, can be essential to the invention both individually and in a wide variety of combinations.

[0028] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.