Zf Friedrichshafen Ag

Frank Schmeink

Reinhard Buhl

Wolfgang Kleiner

Benjamin Ziebart

Horst Pott

Christian Rziczny

Michael Heuer Gen Hallmann

Dirk Maehlmann

Philippe Milos

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 housing component for a ball joint which has an interior space () for mounting the joint ball () of a ball journal, an opening () for guiding the journal section () of the ball journal () adjoining the joint ball (), a contact region () formed on an outer lateral surface of the housing () for fastening a sealing bellows edge () thereto and forming a seal, and a deformed section () which rotationally and pivotally fixes the joint ball () of the ball journal () in the interior space () of the housing (). The deformed section () has a smaller material cross-section in comparison to the contact region () for the sealing bellows edge ().

Housing for a ball joint

Growing community of inventors

Munich, Georgia

Frank Schmeink