A ball bowl and its manufacturing process

Abstract

This invention discloses a ball bowl and its manufacturing process, comprising a ball bowl body, wherein the ball bowl body is provided with a ball groove for riveting with a ball pin, and the outer surface of the ball bowl body is provided with a first anti-deformation component located at the upper end of the ball bowl body and a second anti-deformation component located at the lower end of the ball bowl body; the first anti-deformation component is used to increase the strength of the upper end of the ball groove, and the second anti-deformation component is used to counteract the internal stress generated by the cooling deformation of the lower end of the ball groove. This invention provides a ball bowl with small cooling deformation and its manufacturing process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive parts technology, and in particular to a ball bearing cup and its manufacturing process. Background Technology

[0002] The ball joint assembly of an automotive control arm is a spatial hinge mechanism, particularly suitable for the spatial articulation between the steering knuckle and the control arm. It is a common consumable part during automotive use. The ball cup is a key component of the automotive steering joint, requiring extremely high precision in its fit: in qualified products, the clearance between the ball joint and the ball groove is precisely controlled within 0.1mm to ensure steering accuracy and support stability. This clearance will be compromised after cooling and deformation.

[0003] According to existing technology, there is a type of rocker arm ball joint, with publication number CN211174985U, which includes a dust cover, a ball pin, a ball cup, and a ball housing. The ball pin is used to connect to the steering knuckle on a car, and the dust cover is used to prevent mud and sand from entering the assembly gaps of the parts, thereby increasing the service life of the rocker arm ball joint. The ball pin can pass through the dust cover and is riveted to the ball cup, which is embedded in the ball housing. The ball cup has a ball groove, and the bottom of the ball groove has a through hole. However, because the bottom of the ball groove has a through hole, the strength of the ball cup is reduced. During the production process, the deformation stress generated by cooling will affect the gap between the ball pin segment and the ball groove, which will increase. In particular, the part of the ball cup near the through hole is prone to excessive deformation due to deformation stress. The fit gap between the ball pin segment and the ball groove is prone to increase. The cooling deformation of the ball cup will have a significant impact on performance, and in severe cases, it will directly endanger the driving safety of the vehicle. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art and provide a ball bowl with small cooling deformation and a manufacturing process.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is: a spherical bowl, comprising a spherical bowl body, The ball cup body is provided with a ball groove for riveting with a ball pin. The outer surface of the ball cup body is provided with a first anti-deformation component located at the upper end of the ball cup body and a second anti-deformation component located at the lower end of the ball cup body. The first anti-deformation component is used to increase the strength of the upper end of the ball groove, and the second anti-deformation component is used to counteract the internal stress generated by the cooling deformation of the lower end of the ball groove.

[0006] With the above structure, the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art: a first anti-deformation component and a second anti-deformation component are respectively provided on the outer surface of the ball cup body. The first anti-deformation component is used to increase the strength of the upper end of the ball groove, and the second anti-deformation component is used to offset the internal stress generated by the cooling deformation of the lower end of the ball groove. In this way, the ball cup body deforms less after cooling, the gap between the ball pin segment and the ball groove does not easily become larger, and the performance is good.

[0007] Preferably, the first anti-deformation component includes an annular sleeve, which is fitted onto the outer side of the upper end of the ball bowl body to strengthen the upper end of the ball bowl body.

[0008] Preferably, the second anti-deformation component includes at least two stress-reducing protrusions, which protrude from the outer surface of the ball cup body and are spaced apart to offset the deformation stress generated by cooling and improve the overall rigidity of the structure.

[0009] Preferably, the stress-reducing protrusions are distributed along the circumferential direction of the spherical bowl body, and adjacent stress-reducing protrusions are distributed alternately, so that the spherical bowl body is not easily deformed.

[0010] Preferably, the stress-reducing protrusion extends from the upper end of the ball cup body to the lower end of the ball cup body, which greatly improves the ball cup body's resistance to deformation.

[0011] Preferably, the bottom of the ball groove is provided with an oil collection groove, and the end of the stress-reducing protrusion facing the lower end of the ball cup body is located at the position of the outer circumference of the corresponding oil collection groove, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity of the bottom of the ball cup body and reducing the deformation after cooling.

[0012] Preferably, the stress-reducing protrusion has a triangular cross-section, with one side of the triangle parallel to the upper surface of the ball bowl body and the second side of the triangle located on the outer surface of the ball bowl body. This not only avoids excessive differences in the wall thickness of the ball groove, but also facilitates the compression of the stress-reducing protrusion to adjust the size of the ball groove.

[0013] Preferably, the first anti-deformation component and the second anti-deformation component are an integral unit.

[0014] A manufacturing process for a ball bowl as described in any of the above claims, comprising the following steps: S1: Round billet heating: Heating a round steel billet to a process temperature suitable for plastic deformation; S2: Pre-forming: The basic outline of the spherical bowl is initially forged using a mold; S3: Precision forming: After pre-forming, allow it to age naturally (or temper at low temperature) to release the internal stress of processing. After the deformation stabilizes, perform the final fine grinding. S4: Adjusting the gap: Use the gap adjustment mold to correct the size of the ball groove so that the fit gap between the ball groove and the ball pin is controlled within 0.1mm.

[0015] Through the above process Preferably, the gap adjustment mold includes: The upper template has an annular stamping head and a positioning mold located inside the annular stamping head on its bottom surface; The lower template has an adjustment groove for placing the ball bowl body, and there is a space between the outer side of the ball bowl body and the inner sidewall of the adjustment groove. When the upper and lower templates are closed, the positioning mold is fitted in the ball groove, and the annular stamping head extends into the space to press the outer surface of the ball bowl body. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a ball bowl according to the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a front sectional view of a spherical bowl according to the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the ball bowl and ball pin fitting together according to the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the application of a ball bowl of the present invention on a swing arm.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of a production process gap adjustment mold according to the present invention.

[0021] Among them, 1. Ball cup body, 110. Ball groove, 111. Oil collection groove, 120. Reinforcing protrusion, 2. Ball pin, 3. First anti-deformation component, 310. Ring sleeve, 4. Second anti-deformation component, 410. Pressure relief protrusion, 5. Gap adjustment mold, 510. Upper template, 511. Ring stamping head, 512. Positioning mold, 520. Lower template, 521. Adjustment groove, 5211. Positioning groove, 522. Space, 6. Swing arm. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a ball-shaped bowl according to the present invention. Figure 2 This is a front sectional view of a spherical bowl according to the present invention. Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the ball bowl and ball pin fitting according to the present invention, as shown below. Figure 1 , 2In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the present invention provides a ball cup, including a ball cup body 1, which is used to assemble onto the ball head of an automotive control arm. The ball cup body 1 has a ball groove 110 inside for riveting with a ball pin 2. The outer surface of the ball cup body 1 has a first anti-deformation component 3 located at the upper end of the ball cup body 1 and a second anti-deformation component 4 located at the lower end of the ball cup body 1. The first anti-deformation component 3 is used to increase the strength of the upper end of the ball groove 110; the second anti-deformation component 4 is used to counteract the internal stress generated by the cooling deformation of the lower end of the ball groove 110. Thus, after cooling, the ball cup body 1 is less prone to deformation or has minimal deformation, the gap between the ball segment of the ball pin 2 and the ball groove 110 is less likely to increase, and the cooling of the ball cup body 1 does not significantly affect its performance, ensuring vehicle driving safety.

[0024] In one embodiment, the first anti-deformation component 3 includes an annular sleeve 410, which is fitted onto the outer surface of the upper end of the ball cup body 1 to prevent the ball cup body 1 from deforming in the radial direction and to strengthen the upper end of the ball cup body 1. Since the upper end of the ball groove 110 is mainly subjected to lateral swing tangential force and pre-tightening pressure, the overall force is relatively small, the alternating load accounts for a high proportion, and the force is relatively evenly distributed. Therefore, the annular sleeve 410 is provided to prevent excessive differences in the wall thickness of the upper end of the ball groove 110, reduce the internal stress caused by uneven shrinkage during cooling, and reduce the risk of deformation. In addition, the first anti-deformation component 3 can also be a spiral protrusion, provided along the outer surface of the ball cup body 1, which can also strengthen the upper end of the ball cup body 1.

[0025] Specifically, the first anti-deformation component 3 can be integrally molded with the ball cup body 1, suitable when the ball cup body 1 and the first anti-deformation component 3 are made of the same material, such as medium carbon alloy steel / high-quality carbon structural steel; or it can be molded separately from the ball cup body 1, suitable when the ball cup body 1 and the first anti-deformation component 3 are made of different materials, with the ball cup body 1 being a hard plastic, such as ABS, PC, PMMA, PP (rigid state), etc., and the first anti-deformation component 3 being a soft plastic, such as TPU, TPR, silicone, natural rubber, etc., which can be completed through secondary injection molding. Similarly, the second anti-deformation component 4 can be integrally molded with the ball cup body 1, suitable when the ball cup body 1 and the second anti-deformation component 4 are made of the same material, such as medium carbon alloy steel / high-quality carbon structural steel; or it can be molded separately from the ball cup body 1, suitable when the ball cup body 1 and the second anti-deformation component 4 are made of different materials, with the ball cup body 1 being a hard plastic, such as ABS, PC, PMMA, PP (rigid state), etc., and the second anti-deformation component 4 being a soft plastic, such as TPU, TPR, silicone, natural rubber, etc., which can be completed through secondary injection molding.

[0026] As one embodiment, the second anti-deformation component 4 includes at least two stress-reducing protrusions 410. The stress-reducing protrusions 410 protrude from the outer surface of the lower end of the ball bowl body 1, with a gap between adjacent stress-reducing protrusions 410 to offset the deformation stress generated by cooling and improve the overall structural rigidity. Since the lower end of the ball groove 110 is mainly subjected to radial support loads and impact loads, the overall force is greater, and the proportion of instantaneous impact loads is high. Therefore, stress-reducing protrusions 410 are necessary. This not only strengthens the lower end of the ball groove 110 but also allows the gap adjustment mold 5 to press the stress-reducing protrusions 410, causing the bowl wall to shrink inward, precisely adjusting the size and fitting clearance of the ball groove 110 to meet assembly requirements. Furthermore, the stress-reducing protrusions 410 are distributed along the circumferential direction of the ball bowl body 1, with adjacent stress-reducing protrusions 410 alternating, making the ball bowl body 1 less prone to deformation. Additionally, the stress-reducing protrusions 410 can also be distributed sequentially from top to bottom.

[0027] As one embodiment, the stress-reducing protrusion 410 extends from the upper end of the ball cup body 1 to the lower end of the ball cup body 1, preventing the ball cup body 1 from deforming in the axial direction and greatly improving the deformation resistance of the ball cup body 1. Specifically, the stress-reducing protrusion 410 can extend along the axial direction of the ball cup body 1 or extend in an S-shaped direction.

[0028] As one embodiment, the bottom of the ball groove 110 is provided with an oil collection groove 111. The end of the stress-reducing protrusion 410 facing the lower end of the ball cup body 1 is located on the outer circumference of the corresponding oil collection groove 111, which improves the load-bearing capacity of the bottom of the ball cup body 1 and reduces the deformation after cooling. Since the stress on the ball groove 110 is concentrated on the bottom contact surface, the stress concentration is more obvious. By placing the lower end of the stress-reducing protrusion 410 on the outer circumference of the corresponding oil collection groove 111, that is, on the bottom contact surface, the bottom of the ball cup body 1 is less prone to deformation and has high reliability. In addition, the oil collection groove 111 does not penetrate the ball cup body 1, so the deformation of the ball cup body 1 is small after cooling. Furthermore, the oil collection groove 111 protrudes outward to form a reinforcing protrusion 120 on the bottom surface of the ball cup body 1, which can both increase the volume of the oil collection groove 111 and increase the deformation resistance of the lower end of the ball cup body 1. The lower end of the stress-reducing protrusion 410 is located on the outer circumference of the reinforcing protrusion 120.

[0029] As one embodiment, the stress-reducing protrusion 410 has a triangular cross-section. One side of the triangle (corresponding to the bottom surface of the stress-reducing protrusion 410) is parallel to the upper surface of the ball bowl body 1, and the second side of the triangle (corresponding to the inner surface of the stress-reducing protrusion 410) is located on the outer surface of the ball bowl body 1. This avoids excessive differences in the wall thickness of the ball groove 110, ensures the strength of the stress-reducing protrusion 410, and facilitates the compression of the stress-reducing protrusion 410 to adjust the size of the ball groove 110. Specifically, the third side of the triangle (corresponding to the outer surface of the stress-reducing protrusion 410) is in the same plane as the outer surface of the first anti-deformation component 3, so that the size of the stress-reducing protrusion 410 increases from the center of the ball groove 110 to the distance from the center of the ball groove 110. When the size of the ball groove 110 is corrected to control the fit gap between the ball groove 110 and the ball pin 2 within 0.1mm, the contact area between the gap adjustment mold 5 and the stress-reducing protrusion 410 is large, and the compression makes it easy for the bowl wall to shrink inward, which facilitates the adjustment of the gap. Specifically, the outer surface of the first anti-deformation component 3 and the outer surface of the second anti-deformation component 4 are in the same plane, and the included angle between the outer surface of the second anti-deformation component 4 and the bottom surface of the outer surface of the second anti-deformation component 4 is 75°~85°, so that the first anti-deformation component 3, the second anti-deformation component 4 and the ball cup body 1 form a frustum shape, so that the wall thickness difference of the ball groove 110 is not too large, and the deformation after cooling is small or not easily deformed. In addition, it is also convenient to squeeze the second anti-deformation component 4 so that the fitting gap between the ball groove 110 and the ball pin 2 is controlled within 0.1mm.

[0030] In one embodiment, the first anti-deformation component 3 and the second anti-deformation component 4 are integrally formed, suitable for the first and second anti-deformation components 3 and 4 to be made of the same material, such as medium carbon alloy steel / high-quality carbon structural steel; alternatively, they can be molded separately from the second anti-deformation component 4, suitable for the first and second anti-deformation components 3 and 4 to be made of different materials, both of which are soft rubbers, such as TPU, TPR, silicone, natural rubber, etc. In this embodiment, the first anti-deformation component 3, the second anti-deformation component 4, and the ball cup body 1 are integrally formed.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the application of a ball-shaped bowl to a swing arm according to the present invention, as shown below. Figure 4 In the embodiment shown, the ball cup body 1 and the ball pin 2 are mounted on the swing arm 6. The specific mounting structure is the same as that in the background art, and will not be described again here.

[0032] The principle of this invention is to provide a first anti-deformation component 3 and a second anti-deformation component 4 on the outer surface of the ball cup body 1. The first anti-deformation component 3 is used to increase the strength of the upper end of the ball groove 110, and the second anti-deformation component 4 is used to counteract the internal stress generated by the cooling deformation of the lower end of the ball groove 110. In this way, the deformation of the ball cup body 1 is small after cooling, and the gap between the ball pin 2 and the ball groove 110 is not easily enlarged, resulting in good performance. Moreover, the presence of the second anti-deformation component 4 allows for the correction of the fit clearance between the ball groove 110 and the ball pin 2 after the ball cup body 1 wears out, thereby extending the service life and reducing costs.

[0033] The ball cup body 1 of the present invention can be used on various ball heads of swing arms, such as the swing arms that connect the chassis and tires of automobiles.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of a production process gap adjustment mold according to the present invention, as shown below. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the present invention also provides a manufacturing process for a ball bowl as described in any of the above claims, comprising the following steps: S1: Round billet heating: Heating a round steel billet to a process temperature suitable for plastic deformation; S2: Pre-forming: The basic outline of the spherical bowl is initially forged using a mold; S3: Precision forming: After pre-forming, allow it to age naturally (or temper at low temperature) to release the internal stress of processing. After the deformation stabilizes, perform the final fine grinding. S4: Adjusting the gap: Use the gap adjustment mold 5 to correct the size of the ball groove 110 so that the fit gap between the ball groove 110 and the ball pin 2 is controlled within 0.1mm.

[0035] After cooling and deformation during precision forming, the ball cup body 1 is precision ground. Then, the clearance adjustment mold 5 is used to correct the fit clearance between the ball groove 110 and the ball pin 2, ensuring that the fit clearance between the ball groove 110 and the ball pin 2 is controlled within 0.1mm. In addition, the clearance adjustment mold 5 can also be used to correct the ball cup body 1 that is in a worn state after long-term use, thus extending its service life.

[0036] As one embodiment, the gap adjustment mold 5 includes an upper mold plate 510 and a lower mold plate 520. The bottom surface of the upper mold plate 510 is provided with an annular stamping head 511 and a positioning mold 512 located inside the annular stamping head 511. The shape and size of the positioning mold 512 are consistent with the ball pin 2, and it is used to extend into the ball groove 110 to position the ball cup body 1. The shape of the inner sidewall of the annular stamping head 511 is matched with the first anti-deformation component 3 and the second anti-deformation component 4. The lower mold plate 520 is provided with an adjustment groove 521 for placing the ball cup body 1. There is a space 522 between the outer side of the ball cup body 1 and the inner sidewall of the adjustment groove 521. When the upper mold plate 510 and the lower mold plate 520 are closed, the adjustment groove 521 is matched in the ball groove, and the annular stamping head 511 extends into the space 522 to press the outer surface of the ball cup body 1 and the second anti-deformation component 4, so that the fit gap between the ball groove 110 and the ball pin 2 is controlled within 0.1mm. Specifically, the bottom of the adjustment groove 521 is provided with a positioning groove 5211, and the reinforcing protrusion 120 is stuck in the positioning groove 5211 to realize the positioning of the ball cup body 1 in the adjustment groove 521, so that the annular stamping head 511 can squeeze the outer side of the ball cup body 1.

[0037] The principle of this invention is that an adjustment groove 521 is provided on the lower template 520, and the ball cup body 1 is positioned in the adjustment groove 521. There is an annular space 522 between the outer side of the ball cup body 1 and the inner sidewall of the adjustment groove 521. An annular stamping head 511 is provided on the bottom surface of the upper template 510. The annular stamping head 511 extends into the space 522 to squeeze the second anti-deformation component 4. At the same time, a positioning mold 512 is provided so that the positioning groove 512 is squeezed into the ball groove 110. Under the action of the positioning mold 512 and the annular stamping head 511, the fit gap between the ball groove 110 and the ball pin 2 is controlled within 0.1mm.

[0038] Based on the above solutions, if various modifications or variations to the present invention do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims and equivalent technologies of the present invention, then the present invention also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A spherical bowl, comprising a spherical bowl body (1), characterized in that: The ball cup body (1) is provided with a ball groove (110) for riveting with the ball pin (2). The outer surface of the ball cup body (1) is provided with a first anti-deformation component (3) located at the upper end of the ball cup body (1) and a second anti-deformation component (4) located at the lower end of the ball cup body (1). The first anti-deformation component (3) is used to increase the strength of the upper end of the ball groove (110), and the second anti-deformation component (4) is used to counteract the internal stress generated by the cooling deformation of the lower end of the ball groove (110).

2. The ball bowl according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first anti-deformation component (3) includes an annular sleeve (310), which is fitted on the outer side of the upper end of the ball bowl body (1).

3. A ball bowl according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second anti-deformation component (4) includes at least two stress-reducing protrusions (410), which protrude from the outer surface of the ball bowl body (1) and are spaced apart from each other.

4. A ball bowl according to claim 3, characterized in that: The stress-reducing protrusions (410) are distributed along the circumferential direction of the ball bowl body (1), and adjacent stress-reducing protrusions (410) are distributed alternately.

5. A ball bowl according to claim 4, characterized in that: The stress-reducing protrusion (410) extends from the upper end of the ball bowl body (1) to the lower end of the ball bowl body (1).

6. A ball bowl according to claim 5, characterized in that: The bottom of the ball groove (110) is provided with an oil collection groove (111), and the end of the stress-reducing protrusion (410) facing the lower end of the ball bowl body (1) is located on the outer circumference of the corresponding oil collection groove (111).

7. A ball bowl according to claim 5, characterized in that: The stress-reducing protrusion (410) has a triangular cross-section, with one side of the triangle parallel to the upper surface of the ball bowl body (1) and the second side of the triangle located on the outer surface of the ball bowl body (1).

8. A ball bowl according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first anti-deformation component (3) and the second anti-deformation component (4) are a whole.

9. A manufacturing process for producing a ball bowl according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that: It includes the following steps: S1: Round billet heating: Heating a round steel billet to a process temperature suitable for plastic deformation; S2: Pre-forming: The basic outline of the spherical bowl is initially forged using a mold; S3: Precision forming: After pre-forming, allow it to age naturally (or temper at low temperature) to release the internal stress of processing. After the deformation stabilizes, perform the final fine grinding. S4: Adjusting the gap: Use the gap adjustment mold (5) to correct the size of the ball groove (110) so that the fit gap between the ball groove (110) and the ball pin (2) is controlled within 0.1mm.

10. A production process according to claim 9, characterized in that: The gap adjustment mold (5) includes: The upper template (510) has an annular stamping head (511) and a positioning mold (512) located inside the annular stamping head (511) on its bottom surface. The lower template (520) is provided with an adjustment groove (521) for placing the ball bowl body (1). There is a space (522) between the outer side of the ball bowl body (1) and the inner side wall of the adjustment groove (521). When the upper template (510) and the lower template (520) are molded together, the positioning mold (512) is fitted in the ball groove (110), and the annular stamping head (511) extends into the space (522) to press the outer surface of the ball bowl body (1).

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