Zf Friedrichshafen Ag

Michael Heuer Gen Hallmann

Reinhard Buhl

Wolfgang Kleiner

Jürgen Schmitz

Benjamin Ziebart

Horst Pott

Christian Rziczny

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

Growing community of inventors

Ostercappeln, Germany

Michael Heuer Gen Hallmann