Zf Friedrichshafen Ag

Michael Hahn

Manfred Heidemann

Wolfgang Eulerich

Friederike Person

Linda Tönsing

Thomas Herrmann

A joint has a housing with journal openings, an inner joint portion with a bearing area, which is fitted into the housing and extends axially out of the housing through the openings. A bearing body is arranged in and firmly connected to the housing which encloses the bearing body and comprises plastic. The inner joint portion is fitted and able to move within the body. Sealing bellows surround the inner joint portion and extend from a bearing-body-side bellows contact area, provided on the body or the housing, to an inner-joint-portion-side bellows contact area, provided on the inner joint portion. A sleeve is provided, on at least one of the bellows contact areas, that surrounds the inner joint portion and extends axially. The sleeve surrounds the bellows or is surrounded by the bellows, and has, at an axial end, a radial limb against which the bellows is axially supported.

Joint and method for producing a joint of this type

A ball joint, in particular a chassis joint, which has a housing and a ball socket that comprises a ball bearing section for receiving a joint ball. An anti-rotation member prevents movement of the ball socket within the housing. To improve operational performance of the ball joint, the anti-rotation member is formed by a connecting element of the housing and a mating connecting element of the ball socket. The connecting elements have corresponding holding profiles so that, in an assembled condition, the connecting elements form a shape-enclosing plug-in connection.

Ball joint

A joint arrangement, for a vehicle, is provided with a joint (), which has a joint housing () and a pivot pin () mounted movably in relation thereto. The arrangement also includes a rod (), which has a cavity () and is connected to the joint (); a sealing bellows (), which defines an 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 () and has at least one groove (), which is formed in a front side () of the joint (), which said front side faces the rod (), opens into the interior space () and has a radially outer end (). The groove () with its radially outer end ends at a spaced location from the outer circumferential contour of the front surface ().

Growing community of inventors

Wallenhorst, Germany

Michael Hahn