Zf Friedrichshafen Ag

Benjamin Ziebart

Horst Pott

Christian Rziczny

Michael Heuer Gen Hallmann

Reinhard Buhl

Wolfgang Kleiner

Jürgen Schmitz

Frank Schmeink

Dirk Maehlmann

Philippe Milos

Dirk Mählmann

A ball joint with a housing formed entirely by a cold forming method. The housing having an inner chamber for receiving the joint ball of a ball pin and an opening through which the ball pin extends, and a contact area on the outer surface area of the housing forms a seal with a bellows. A forming section of the housing secures the joint ball within the inner chamber such that the joint pall can both rotate and pivot. Following completion of the housing, the material displaced during the cold forming method creates the forming section of the housing. The method for producing a ball joint comprises the steps of producing a metallic housing blank with a thickening formed by compression, forming the outer contour of the housing by compression, shaping the inner contour of the housing through dishing, and using the displaced material for creating the forming section.

Ball joint and method for the production thereof

A radial joint with a metallic housing (), through the opening () on one side of which a ball pivot () can be inserted into an interior space () of the housing (). The housing () has, in the area of its opening (), a section (), which is prepared by machining and which is deformed by a cold forming process. A process for manufacturing a radial joint includes: manufacturing the housing blank, machining of section () close to the opening () of housing (), inserting the joint ball () of ball pivot () into the interior space () of housing (), cold forming of the opening-side edge section of housing () until a metallic overlap () is attained between the joint ball () and housing ().

Radial joint and process for manufacturing such a radial joint for a motor vehicle

Joint arrangement for a vehicle, with a joint (), which has a joint housing () and a pivot pin () mounted movably in relation thereto; a rod (), which has a cavity () and which is connected to the joint (); a ring element arranged between the joint and the rod; a sealing bellows (), which defines the interior space () and in which the joint () is arranged at least partially; and a gas-permeable connection (), which connects the cavity () of the rod () to the interior space () of the sealing bellows (), wherein at least part of the gas-permeable connection () is formed by at least one groove, which is formed on the ring element and opens into the interior space () of the sealing bellows ().

Joint arrangement for a vehicle

Growing community of inventors

Wallenhorst, Germany

Benjamin Ziebart