Axial clearance eliminating device for metal ball joint with inner and outer sleeve structure

Abstract

A metal ball joint axial clearance eliminating device of an inner and outer sleeve structure is characterized in that a metal ball joint comprises an outer spherical inner sleeve, an inner spherical outer sleeve, a mandrel and a shell, the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve are assembled to form the ball joint, the outer spherical inner sleeve is installed on a spindle of the mandrel, and the inner spherical outer sleeve is installed in the shell; the bottom of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the bottom of the inner spherical outer sleeve are limited and positioned through an inner hole step of the shell and a lower step on a main shaft of the mandrel respectively, the upper portion of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the upper portion of the inner spherical outer sleeve are provided with axial clearance eliminating devices respectively, and the axial clearance eliminating devices are used for compensating the eliminated axial clearance in the axial direction. The axial clearance eliminating device is arranged on the upper portion of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the upper portion of the inner spherical outer sleeve of the metal ball joint, axial clearance generated when the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve operate is eliminated, axial movement caused by the axial clearance in operation is prevented, and the metal ball joint has the advantages of being simple and practical in structure, low in cost and the like. Noise generated by axial movement of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve of the metal ball joint can be eliminated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the structure of a metal ball joint, and more particularly to an axial clearance elimination device for an inner and outer sleeve structure metal ball joint; the axial clearance elimination device for the inner and outer sleeve structure metal ball joint can reduce the axial movement of the inner and outer sleeves of the ball joint under heavy loads, and can effectively improve the load-bearing performance of the metal ball joint; it belongs to the technical field of metal ball joints. Background Technology

[0002] Metal ball joints (also known as metal ball hinges) are, as the name suggests, ball hinges or ball joints made of metal materials; they consist of a spherical component (center) and a spherical shell (bowl); their main feature is that they are made of metal to create a pair of joints that can move spherically together. Because they are made of metal materials, they have high load-bearing capacity and are durable; they are now widely used in various industries.

[0003] There are currently two main structures for metal ball joints. One type directly encases the ball core with a cup, while the other separates the cup and core into inner and outer sleeves. The inner surface of the outer sleeve matches the inner sleeve to achieve smooth spherical rotation, forming a ball head. This ball head is then fitted onto other housings and spindles to form various joint components. Because the latter method is more flexible, its application is becoming increasingly widespread. For example, metal ball joints play an indispensable role in V-shaped thrust rods in heavy-duty trucks, primarily preventing forward and backward displacement of the middle and rear axles, as well as lateral displacement. However, in applications with large vertical swing radius, this type of inner-outer sleeve metal ball joint can experience vertical movement of the inner and outer sleeves within the joint. This not only accelerates wear on the metal ball joint assembly, leading to a decline in overall assembly performance and a significantly reduced service life, but also easily generates noise when it first begins to loosen. Therefore, improvements are necessary.

[0004] The search revealed no identical technical reports, only technical literature in related fields. The most similar articles are as follows:

[0005] 1. Patent No. CN201880055244.6, entitled "Central Joint for Three-Point Linkage", applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG, invention patent, which discloses a central joint with an anti-disengagement mechanism, the central joint having a housing that is rotatable and swingable by a ball joint relative to the axial connection of the central joint. The central joint also has an anti-disengagement mechanism that acts as a stop. This anti-disengagement mechanism extends perpendicularly to the central axis of the shaft connection and prevents the separation of the housing and the shaft connection in the event of ball joint failure. The patent discloses a typical flange-type metal ball joint structure. In the patent document, the inner and outer sleeves of the ball head are respectively fitted onto the spindle of the mandrel or inside the housing. The inner sleeve is simply fitted onto the spindle of the mandrel with a tight fit, while the outer sleeve is press-fitted into the ball head outer sleeve hole of the housing. Although there is a retaining ring in the figure, there is no textual description. It can be understood as an ordinary axial retaining ring for the hole. This structure not only makes the inner sleeve prone to loosening during operation but also easily leads to loosening under severe bumps. Although the patent proposes an anti-disengagement mechanism at the top, the vertical movement in the initial loose state cannot be eliminated, which will cause a lot of noise during operation. The outer ring is said to have an axial retaining ring, but if it is an ordinary axial retaining ring, there will also be axial clearance, which can also easily cause the outer sleeve to move up and down in the hole of the housing, generating a lot of noise.

[0006] 2. Patent document DE112006000910T5 discloses a flange-type metal ball joint structure. This metal ball joint lacks effective axial stops in both its inner and outer sleeves, relying solely on a central joint anti-disengagement mechanism, constructed as a transverse lock, referred to as a stop element. The central joint has a ball-and-socket joint and is connected to a rigid shaft. The transverse lock is oriented only in the lateral direction of the vehicle; that is, only in a single spatial direction. While this provides room for movement, preventing the transverse lock from colliding with adjacent components, especially under strong compression and / or rebound motion of the rigid shaft when the central joint's structural height is low, this approach sacrifices the safety of central joint separation if the transverse lock is used as a stop after the connection between the inner and outer rings of the ball-and-socket joint becomes loose. In this case, separation of the central joint can only be prevented jointly by the two ends of the transverse lock when there is no swaying deflection angle in the central joint. Conversely, if the central joint deflects due to swaying motion, the chassis force attempting to disengage the central joint must be absorbed entirely by the single end of the transverse lock. If this single effective end of the transverse lock, which prevents central joint disengagement, bears additional load beyond the normal operating loads during driving, such as due to a special event like running over a curb, it may bend completely or even break. Such a shortened transverse lock can no longer prevent disengagement because it is more likely to detach from the central joint during further driving, thus failing to solve the aforementioned problem.

[0007] 3. Patent No. CN200720062370.3 discloses a metal ball joint for automobile suspension, including two riveted ball heads, one V-shaped ball head, two sleeves, and a flange mounting seat. One end of each of the two sleeves is connected to a riveted ball head, and the other end is connected to a V-shaped ball head. The riveted ball head is a pin-type rubber joint structure, and the V-shaped ball head is a pin-hole type rubber joint structure. The metal ball joint, with riveted ball heads, V-shaped ball heads, and sleeves assembled via hot riveting, uses pin-type and pin-hole type rubber joints, which are axially pre-compressed into the riveted ball heads and V-shaped ball heads respectively. Washers are used to adjust the pre-compression of the rubber joints, thus adjusting their stiffness. Elastic retaining rings are used to prevent the rubber joints from axially dislodging. A flange mounting seat is bolted to a V-shaped ball head mounting seat on the drive axle. The flange mounting seat, with a 1:10 taper, engages with the conical surface of the pin-hole type rubber joint at the V-shaped ball head end, allowing for rotation and oscillation within a certain angle and torque, facilitating the transmission of forces in various directions. However, this technical solution still relies solely on ordinary axial retaining rings to limit the axial position of the outer sleeve, and the aforementioned problem of vertical movement still exists.

[0008] All of the aforementioned patents relate to engine mounts and propose structural improvements to automotive mounts. Among them, CN201880055244.6 is the closest technical solution, but none of these improved technical solutions have effectively solved the problem of axial movement of the inner and outer sleeves of the metal ball joint during operation; therefore, further research and improvement are still needed. Utility Model Content

[0009] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is that, in the case of existing inner and outer sleeve structures of metal ball joints, the axial movement of the inner and outer sleeves is serious, which easily generates noise and even leads to insufficient disengagement. This utility model provides an axial clearance elimination device for inner and outer sleeve structures of metal ball joints. This axial clearance elimination device can reduce the axial movement of the inner and outer sleeves of the ball joint under heavy loads and can effectively improve the load-bearing performance of the metal ball joint.

[0010] This utility model is mainly achieved through the following technical solution: an axial clearance elimination device for an inner and outer sleeve structure metal ball joint, the metal ball joint including an outer spherical inner sleeve, an inner spherical outer sleeve, a spindle, and a shell, the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve are assembled to form a ball joint, and the outer spherical inner sleeve is installed on the main shaft of the spindle, and the inner spherical outer sleeve is installed inside the shell; wherein, the bottom of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve are respectively restricted and positioned by the inner hole step of the shell and the lower step on the main shaft of the spindle, and axial clearance elimination devices are respectively provided on the upper part of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve, and the axial compensation of the axial clearance elimination devices is used to eliminate the axial clearance of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve, and to prevent the axial movement of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve during operation.

[0011] Furthermore, the self-locking elastic compensation stop is obliquely engaged in the slots provided in the inner hole of the outer shell and the mandrel in a self-locking manner. Wide slots are respectively opened on the mandrel and in the inner hole of the outer shell at the upper part of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve. The width of the wide slots is greater than the thickness of the self-locking elastic compensation stop. The upper end faces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve extend into the wide slots, and then the self-locking elastic compensation stop is obliquely engaged in the wide slots with a radial self-locking angle. As the self-locking elastic compensation stop is radially engaged in the wide slots, the self-locking elastic compensation stop moves axially downward at the same time until the lower end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is tightly attached to the upper end face of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve, thus eliminating the clearance between the self-locking elastic compensation stop and the upper end face of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve.

[0012] Furthermore, the upper surfaces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve extending into the wide groove are such that when the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve are respectively installed on the mandrel or the inner hole of the outer shell, the upper surfaces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve are tightly attached to the steps on the mandrel and the inner hole of the outer shell, respectively, and the upper surfaces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve are higher than the lower surface of the wide groove on the mandrel and the inner hole of the outer shell, so that the upper surfaces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve extend into the inner surface of the wide groove on the mandrel and the inner hole of the outer shell.

[0013] Furthermore, the upper end faces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve are higher than the inner hole of the outer shell and the lower end face of the wide groove on the mandrel. The upper end faces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve protrude into the wide groove by 0.5-1.5mm compared to the inner hole of the outer shell and the lower end face of the wide groove on the mandrel.

[0014] Furthermore, the self-locking elastic compensation stop is obliquely inserted into the wide groove with a radial self-locking slope. This means that the upper end face of the wide groove and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop are in oblique contact, and the slope of the oblique contact is a radial self-locking slope. This ensures that the radial component of the force on the upper end face of the wide groove and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is always less than the radial elastic force of the self-locking elastic compensation stop. This allows the self-locking elastic compensation stop to always maintain a radial self-locking state, moving in the direction of insertion into the wide groove and not automatically retracting radially.

[0015] Furthermore, the oblique contact between the upper end face of the wide groove and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop means that at least one part of the upper end face of the wide groove and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is a self-locking oblique surface relative to the axis of the metal ball joint, while the other upper end face is an arc surface. The contact between the upper end face of the wide groove and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is a contact between the oblique surface and the arc surface, and the contact angle between the oblique surface and the arc surface is the self-locking angle, that is, radial self-locking relative to the axis of the metal ball joint.

[0016] Furthermore, the contact between the upper end face of the wide groove and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is a contact of inclined and arc surfaces. This means that the upper end face of the wide groove is an inclined surface of the upper end face of the stop, which is arranged obliquely to the axis of the metal ball joint. This ensures that when the self-locking elastic compensation stop is engaged in the wide groove, the arc angle of the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop makes oblique contact with the inclined surface of the upper end face of the wide groove. It also ensures that the normal force of the arc angle of the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop contacting the inclined surface of the upper end face of the wide groove forms a radial self-locking angle with the axial direction of the metal ball joint. As the self-locking elastic compensation stop extends into the wide groove, the lower end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop gradually moves downward until it hits the upper end face of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve, eliminating the play between the upper end face of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve and the self-locking elastic compensation stop, ensuring that the self-locking elastic compensation stop will not detach from the wide groove during vehicle operation.

[0017] Furthermore, the contact between the upper end face of the wide groove and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is a contact of inclined and arc surfaces, meaning that at least one section of the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is a retaining ring inclined surface, and the port of the upper end face of the wide groove is an arc-shaped port fillet. When the self-locking elastic compensation stop is engaged in the wide groove, the port fillet contacts the retaining ring inclined surface of the self-locking elastic compensation stop, and ensures that the normal force of the arc angle of the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop contacting the inclined surface of the upper end face of the wide groove forms a radial self-locking angle with the axial direction of the metal ball joint. As the self-locking elastic compensation stop extends into the wide groove, the lower end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop gradually moves downward until it hits the upper end face of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve, eliminating the clearance between the upper end face of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve and the self-locking elastic compensation stop, ensuring that the self-locking elastic compensation stop will not detach from the wide groove on its own during vehicle operation.

[0018] Furthermore, the contact between the upper end face of the wide groove and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is a contact of inclined and arc surfaces, meaning that at least one section of both the self-locking elastic compensation stop and the upper end face of the wide groove is an inclined surface, and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop and the upper end face of the wide groove have the same inclination, forming an inclined sliding fit surface. The normal force of the contact of the formed inclined sliding fit surface forms a radial self-locking angle with the axial direction of the metal ball joint, ensuring that the self-locking elastic compensation stop will not disengage from the wide groove during vehicle operation.

[0019] Furthermore, the self-locking angle is the angle between the normal force direction of the upper end face of the wide groove and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop in oblique contact with the axis of the metal ball joint, with an angle value of 5-14 degrees.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0021] This invention features axial clearance elimination devices on the upper surfaces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve of a metal ball joint. These devices automatically eliminate the clearance between the elastic stop and the axis of the outer and inner spherical inner sleeves formed during assembly and operation. This effectively eliminates noise caused by the clearance between the elastic stop and the axis of the outer and inner spherical inner sleeves, and effectively prevents axial movement of the ball joint during operation, improving operational stability. The main advantages are as follows:

[0022] 1. This utility model provides axial clearance elimination devices on the upper end faces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve respectively, which can simultaneously prevent the axial movement of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve. In this way, the axial movement of both the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve can be eliminated, effectively avoiding the deficiency of the current outer spherical inner sleeve, which only prevents dislodgement but does not prevent axial movement. Only in this way can the axial movement of the entire ball head be effectively eliminated.

[0023] 2. This utility model employs a self-locking elastic compensation stop that enters the slot obliquely with an elastic retaining ring. This automatically compensates for the axial clearance between the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve and the elastic retaining ring when the elastic retaining ring enters the slot. This effectively eliminates the axial clearance caused by machining inaccuracies or wear, which is only an axial stop in existing systems. Experimental research has shown that this is crucial for eliminating the axial movement of the ball joint. Currently, much of the axial noise in ball joints is caused by the axial movement of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve. Therefore, only by effectively eliminating the axial movement of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve can the noise of the ball joint be effectively eliminated.

[0024] 3. This utility model adopts an oblique self-locking method for compensation. The upper end face of the wide groove of the wide groove contacts the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop in an oblique contact with the self-locking angle. The radial component of the force when the upper end face of the wide groove of the wide groove contacts the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is always less than the elastic tension of the self-locking elastic compensation stop. This can effectively prevent the risk of the self-locking elastic compensation stop coming out radially and avoid the self-locking elastic compensation stop coming out during operation.

[0025] 4. In this utility model, the upper end face of the wide groove of the wide groove and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop are in contact with an inclined surface and an arc surface. This can effectively reduce the resistance of the self-locking elastic compensation stop when it is inserted into the wide groove, so that the self-locking elastic compensation stop can be quickly inserted into the wide groove under the action of its own elastic force. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the principle of the axial clearance elimination device of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the axial clearance elimination device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an axial clearance elimination device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an axial clearance elimination device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Explanation of reference numerals: 1. Outer spherical inner sleeve; 2. Metal ball joint outer shell; 3. Outer spherical inner sleeve 3; 4. Ball head spindle; 5. Inner hole step; 6. Lower step; 7. Axial clearance elimination device; 8. Ball head; 9. Wide groove; 10. Self-locking elastic compensation stop; 11. Lower end face of the stop; 12. Lower end face of the wide groove; 13. Upper end face of the wide groove; 14. Upper end face of the stop; 15. Ball head axis; 16. Inner hole; 17. Arc-shaped contact surface; 18. Force point; 19. Direction of normal force. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Example 1

[0033] This embodiment is an axial clearance elimination device for a metal ball joint with an inner and outer sleeve structure. The inner spherical sleeve 1 of the metal ball joint head 8 is press-fitted into the metal ball joint housing 2, and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 is press-fitted onto the ball head mandrel 4. The bottoms of the inner spherical sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 are respectively restricted and positioned by the inner hole step 5 of the metal ball joint housing 2 and the lower step 6 on the ball head mandrel 4. Axial clearance elimination devices 7 are respectively provided on the upper part of the inner spherical sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3. The axial compensation of the axial clearance elimination devices 7 eliminates the axial clearance of the inner spherical sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 within the metal ball joint housing 2 and on the ball head mandrel 4, preventing axial movement of the inner spherical sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 during operation.

[0034] The axial clearance elimination device 7 eliminates the axial clearance of the inner spherical sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 within the metal ball joint housing 2 and on the ball head spindle 4 by pressing the inner spherical sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 into the inner hole of the metal ball joint housing 2 and onto the ball head spindle 4, respectively. The lower parts of the inner spherical sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 are respectively limited by steps within the inner hole of the metal ball joint housing 2 and on the ball head spindle 4. Further steps are provided within the inner hole of the metal ball joint housing 2 and on the ball head spindle 4 at the upper part of the inner spherical sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3. An axial clearance elimination device 7 is provided, which is equipped with a self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 that can adjust the axial position. The self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 is obliquely inserted into the groove provided in the inner hole of the metal ball joint housing 2 and the ball head spindle 4 in a self-locking manner. The axial position is adjusted by the depth of oblique insertion into the groove, thereby eliminating the clearance between the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 and the upper part of the inner spherical outer sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3, and preventing the inner spherical outer sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 from making noise due to the clearance with the retaining ring during operation.

[0035] Furthermore, the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10, which is used to obliquely engage with the grooves on the inner hole of the metal ball joint housing 2 and the ball head spindle 4, consists of wide grooves 9 cut into the ball head spindle 4 and the inner hole of the metal ball joint housing 2 at the upper part of the inner spherical outer sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3, respectively. The width of the wide grooves 9 is greater than the thickness of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10. The upper surfaces of the inner spherical outer sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 are inserted into the wide grooves 9, and then the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 is obliquely engaged with the wide grooves 9 at a radial self-locking angle. As the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 is radially engaged with the wide grooves 9, self-locking occurs. The elastic compensating stop 10 moves downward axially simultaneously until the lower end face 11 of the self-locking elastic compensating stop 10 is tightly against the upper end face of the inner spherical outer sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3, thereby eliminating the clearance between the self-locking elastic compensating stop 10 and the upper end face of the inner spherical outer sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3; and if any clearance exists between the self-locking elastic compensating stop 10 and any upper end face of the inner spherical outer sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 during operation, the self-locking elastic compensating stop 10 will quickly move inward under the action of its own elastic force, and at the same time, compensate and eliminate the existing clearance axially downward; thus completely avoiding noise during operation.

[0036] The process of inserting the upper surfaces of the inner spherical sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 into the wide groove 9 involves ensuring that, when the inner spherical sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 are respectively installed on the ball head mandrel 4 or the inner hole of the metal ball joint housing 2, the inner spherical sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 are tightly attached to the inner hole of the metal ball joint housing 2 and the step on the ball head mandrel 4, and that the upper surfaces of the inner spherical sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 are higher than the width of the wide groove 9 on the ball head mandrel and the inner hole of the metal ball joint housing 2. The lower end face 12 of the groove allows the upper end faces of the inner spherical sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 to extend into the inner hole of the metal ball joint housing 2 and the inner surface of the wide groove 9 on the ball head spindle, leaving space for the inner spherical sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 to move downward. Once there is a clearance between the upper end faces of the inner spherical sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 and the lower end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10, the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 can continue to extend into the inner surface of the wide groove 9, and at the same time, the lower end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 can also move axially downward.

[0037] The upper surfaces of the inner spherical sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 are higher than the inner hole of the metal ball joint housing 2 and the lower end surface 12 of the wide groove 9 on the ball head spindle. The upper surfaces of the inner spherical sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 protrude into the wide groove 9 by a height H, where H is 0.5-1.5mm; preferably H is 0.8-1mm. The required downward distance can be calculated based on the machining errors and wear clearances that may occur during operation, combined with the slope of the self-locking inclined surface, and the height H is reserved.

[0038] The self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 is inserted into the wide groove 9 at a radial self-locking angle. This means the upper end face 13 of the wide groove 9 and the upper end face 14 of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 are in oblique contact, and the angle of this contact is a radial self-locking angle. This ensures that the radial component of the force on the upper end face 13 of the wide groove 9 and the upper end face 14 of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 is always less than the radial elastic force of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10. This keeps the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 in a radially self-locking state, preventing it from automatically withdrawing radially. It is important to note that this point requires careful attention. If the angle is too small, the radial travel of the self-locking elastic compensation stop within the wide groove will be very long, resulting in a deep penetration of the wide groove into the outer shell or mandrel, which will affect the strength of the outer shell or mandrel. Conversely, if the angle is too large, the self-locking elastic compensation stop may fail to self-lock, easily disengaging radially, and requires a large inward elastic force.

[0039] The oblique contact between the upper end face 13 of the wide groove 9 and the upper end face 14 of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 means that at least one part of the upper end face of the wide groove 9 and the upper end face 14 of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 is a self-locking oblique surface relative to the axis of the main ball seat, while the other upper end face is an arc surface 17. The contact between the upper end face 13 of the wide groove 9 and the upper end face 14 of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 is a contact between the oblique surface and the arc surface, and the radius of curvature of the arc surface 17 must be greater than 6mm. The contact angle between the oblique surface and the arc surface is the self-locking angle, that is, radial self-locking relative to the axis 15 of the main ball seat. In this way, the contact between the arc surface and the oblique surface can facilitate the insertion of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10, reduce frictional resistance, and maintain self-locking.

[0040] Furthermore, the contact between the upper end face 13 of the wide groove 9 and the upper end face 14 of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 is an inclined surface and an arc-shaped surface. This means that the upper end face 13 of the wide groove 9 is an inclined surface arranged obliquely to the axis of the main ball seat. This ensures that when the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 is engaged in the wide groove 9, the arc angle of the upper end face 14 of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 makes oblique contact with the inclined surface of the upper end face 13 of the wide groove 9, and ensures that the arc angle of the upper end face 14 of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 is in contact with the wide groove 9. The normal force direction 19 of the contact point 18 of the inclined surface of the upper end face 13 of the wide groove 9 forms a radial self-locking angle with the axis of the main ball seat; as the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 extends into the wide groove 9, the lower end face of the stop of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 gradually moves downward until it hits the upper end face of the inner spherical outer sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3, eliminating the clearance between the upper end face of the inner spherical outer sleeve 1 and the outer spherical inner sleeve 3 and the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10, ensuring that the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 will not come out of the wide groove 9 on its own during vehicle operation.

[0041] Furthermore, the self-locking angle α is the angle between the normal force direction of the upper end face 13 of the wide groove 9 and the upper end face 14 of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 in oblique contact with the axis of the ball head, with an angle value of 5-14 degrees; preferably, 8-12 degrees is the best; when it is greater than 14 degrees, it is difficult to achieve self-locking, and the stability of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 10 will be greatly affected. Example 2

[0042] The principle of Embodiment 2 is the same as that of Embodiment 1, except for the structure. Specifically, the upper end face 217 of the wide groove 209 contacts the upper end face 214 of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 210 as a sloped surface and an arc-shaped surface. At least one section of the upper end face 214 of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 210 is a retaining ring slope 213. The port of the upper end face 217 of the wide groove 209 has a rounded port corner 220. When the self-locking elastic compensation stop 210 is engaged with the wide groove 209, the port corner 220 contacts the retaining ring slope 213 of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 210, ensuring that the self-locking elastic compensation stop 210... The normal force direction at the contact point of the arc-shaped inclined surface of the upper end face 214 of the stop and the upper end face 217 of the wide groove forms a radial self-locking angle with the axis of the main ball seat; as the self-locking elastic compensation stop 210 extends into the wide groove 209, the lower end face 211 of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 210 gradually moves downward until the lower end face 211 of the stop hits the upper end face of the outer spherical inner sleeve 201 and / or the inner spherical outer sleeve 202, eliminating the clearance between the upper end face of the outer spherical inner sleeve 201 and the inner spherical outer sleeve 202 and the self-locking elastic compensation stop 210, ensuring that the self-locking elastic compensation stop 210 will not detach from the wide groove 209 on its own during vehicle operation.

[0043] Furthermore, the self-locking angle is the angle between the normal force direction of the oblique contact point between the upper end face 217 of the wide groove and the upper end face 214 of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 210 and the axis of the main ball seat, with an angle value of 8-12 degrees.

[0044] Everything else is the same as in Example 1. Example 3

[0045] The principle of Embodiment 3 is the same as that of Embodiment 1, except that the structure is different. The main difference is that the upper end surface 317 of the wide groove 309 on the main ball bearing housing and the upper end surface 314 of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 310 are both inclined surfaces, namely the wide groove inclined surface 319 and the stop inclined surface 320. The slope of the wide groove inclined surface 319 and the stop inclined surface 320 are the same, forming an inclined sliding mating surface. The normal force of the contact of the inclined sliding mating surface forms a radial self-locking angle with the axial direction of the main ball bearing, ensuring that the self-locking elastic compensation stop will not disengage from the wide groove during vehicle operation. As the self-locking elastic compensation stop 310 extends into the wide groove 309, the lower end face 311 of the self-locking elastic compensation stop 310 gradually moves downward until the lower end face 311 of the stop abuts against the upper end face 321 of the outer spherical inner sleeve and / or the inner spherical outer sleeve, eliminating the clearance between the upper end face 321 of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve and the self-locking elastic compensation stop 310, ensuring that the self-locking elastic compensation stop 310 will not detach from the wide groove 309 on its own during vehicle operation.

[0046] Furthermore, the self-locking angle is the angle between the normal force direction of the upper end face of the wide groove and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop in oblique contact with the axis of the main ball seat, with an angle value of 5-14 degrees.

[0047] Everything else is the same as in Example 1.

[0048] It should be noted that the above-listed embodiments are merely a clear and complete description of the technical solution of this utility model in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this utility model, not all of them. Furthermore, terms such as "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," and "middle" used in this specification are only for clarity of description and not intended to limit the scope of implementation of this utility model. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of implementation of this utility model. Simultaneously, the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., depicted in the accompanying drawings are only used to complement the content disclosed in the specification for those skilled in the art to understand and read, and are not intended to limit the implementation conditions of this utility model. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and purposes achieved by this utility model, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in this utility model. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0049] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0050] 1. This utility model provides axial clearance elimination devices on the upper end faces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve of the V-shaped thrust rod ball head in a flange connection. These devices automatically eliminate the axial clearance between the elastic stop and the axial clearance of the outer and inner spherical inner sleeves formed during assembly and operation of the ball head. This effectively eliminates noise caused by the axial clearance between the elastic stop and the outer and inner spherical inner sleeves, and effectively prevents axial movement of the ball head during operation, improving operational stability. The main advantages are as follows:

[0051] 2. This utility model provides axial clearance elimination devices on the upper end faces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve, which can simultaneously prevent axial movement of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve. In this way, the axial movement of both the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve can be eliminated, effectively avoiding the deficiency of the current outer spherical inner sleeve, which only prevents dislodgement but does not prevent axial movement. Only in this way can the axial movement of the entire ball head be effectively eliminated.

[0052] 3. This utility model employs a self-locking elastic compensation stop that enters the slot obliquely with an elastic retaining ring. This automatically compensates for the axial clearance between the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve and the elastic retaining ring when the elastic retaining ring enters the slot. This effectively eliminates the axial clearance caused by machining inaccuracies or wear, which is only an axial stop in existing systems. Experimental research has shown that this is crucial for eliminating the axial movement of the ball joint. Currently, much of the axial noise in ball joints is caused by the axial movement of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve. Therefore, only by effectively eliminating the axial movement of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve can the noise of the ball joint be effectively eliminated.

[0053] 4. This utility model adopts an oblique self-locking method for compensation. The upper end face of the wide groove contacts the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop in an oblique contact with the self-locking angle. The radial component of the force when the upper end face of the wide groove contacts the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is always less than the elastic tension of the self-locking elastic compensation stop. This can effectively prevent the risk of the self-locking elastic compensation stop coming out radially and avoid the self-locking elastic compensation stop coming out during operation.

[0054] 5. In this utility model, the upper end face of the wide groove contacts the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop as an inclined surface and an arc surface. This can effectively reduce the resistance of the self-locking elastic compensation stop when it is inserted into the wide groove, so that the self-locking elastic compensation stop can be quickly inserted into the wide groove under the action of its own elastic force.

Claims

1. An axial clearance elimination device for a metal ball joint with an inner and outer sleeve structure, the metal ball joint comprising an outer spherical inner sleeve, an inner spherical outer sleeve, a spindle, and a housing, wherein the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve are assembled to form a ball joint, and the outer spherical inner sleeve is mounted on the spindle of the spindle, and the inner spherical outer sleeve is mounted inside the housing; characterized in that: The bottom of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve is respectively positioned by the inner hole step of the shell and the lower step on the main shaft of the mandrel, and the upper part of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve is respectively provided with an axial clearance elimination device provided with a self-locking elastic compensation stopper capable of being axially adjusted in position, the self-locking elastic compensation stopper is locked in a self-locking manner into a clamping groove provided on the mandrel and in the inner hole of the shell, and the axial position is adjusted by the depth of the clamping groove, the clearance between the self-locking elastic compensation stopper and the upper part of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve is eliminated, and the upper and lower movement of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve due to the clearance with the stop ring during operation is prevented, and the noise is prevented.

2. The metal ball joint with inner and outer sleeve structure and axial play elimination device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The self-locking elastic compensation stopper is locked in a self-locking manner into the clamping groove provided on the mandrel and in the inner hole of the shell, a wide groove is formed on the mandrel or in the inner hole of the shell at a position above the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve, and the width of the wide groove is greater than the thickness of the self-locking elastic compensation stopper; the upper end surface of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve extends into the wide groove, and then the self-locking elastic compensation stopper is locked in a radial self-locking slope into the wide groove, as the self-locking elastic compensation stopper is locked into the wide groove, the self-locking elastic compensation stopper moves axially downward at the same time, until the lower end surface of the self-locking elastic compensation stopper abuts against the upper end surface of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve to stop, and the clearance between the self-locking elastic compensation stopper and the upper end surface of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve is eliminated.

3. The metal ball joint with inner and outer sleeve structure and axial play elimination device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper end surface of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve extends into the wide groove, the upper end surface of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve is tightly abutted against the step on the mandrel or in the inner hole of the shell when the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve is respectively installed on the mandrel or in the inner hole of the shell, and the upper end surface of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve is ensured to be higher than the lower end surface of the wide groove on the mandrel or in the inner hole of the shell, so that the upper end surface of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve extends into the inner surface of the wide groove on the mandrel or in the inner hole of the shell.

4. The metal ball joint with inner and outer sleeve structure and axial play elimination device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The upper end surface of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve is higher than the lower end surface of the wide groove on the mandrel or in the inner hole of the shell, the upper end surface of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve protrudes 0.5-1.5mm into the wide groove than the lower end surface of the wide groove on the mandrel or in the inner hole of the shell.

5. The metal ball joint with inner and outer sleeve structure and axial play elimination device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The self-locking elastic compensation stopper is locked in a radial self-locking slope into the wide groove, the upper end surface of the wide groove and the upper end surface of the self-locking elastic compensation stopper are in a bevel contact, and the slope of the bevel contact is a radial self-locking slope, which ensures that the force direction of the upper end surface of the wide groove and the upper end surface of the self-locking elastic compensation stopper is radial, and the radial elastic force of the self-locking elastic compensation stopper is always smaller than the radial component force, so that the self-locking elastic compensation stopper always moves in the direction of being locked into the wide groove, and does not automatically move radially out of the radial self-locking state.

6. The metal ball joint with inner and outer sleeve structure axial play elimination device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The oblique contact between the upper end face of the wide slot and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop refers to that at least one of the upper end faces is a self-locking inclined surface relative to the axis of the metal ball joint, and the other upper end face is an arc surface. The contact between the upper end face of the wide slot and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is the contact between the inclined surface and the arc surface, and the contact angle between the inclined surface and the arc surface is a self-locking angle, that is, a radial self-locking angle relative to the axis of the metal ball joint.

7. The metal ball joint with inner and outer sleeve structure and axial play elimination device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The contact between the upper end face of the wide slot and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is the contact between the inclined surface and the arc surface, which refers to that the upper end face of the wide slot is an inclined surface of the upper end face of the stop arranged in an oblique line relative to the axis of the metal ball joint, so that the arc angle of the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is obliquely contacted with the inclined surface of the upper end face of the wide slot when the self-locking elastic compensation stop is clamped into the wide slot, and the normal force of the contact between the arc angle of the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop and the inclined surface of the upper end face of the wide slot is radially self-locked with the axial direction of the metal ball joint. As the self-locking elastic compensation stop extends into the wide slot, the lower end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop gradually moves downward until the upper end faces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve are contacted, so as to eliminate the clearance between the upper end faces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve and the self-locking elastic compensation stop, and ensure that the self-locking elastic compensation stop does not automatically come out of the wide slot during vehicle operation.

8. The metal ball joint with inner and outer sleeve structure axial play elimination device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The contact between the upper end face of the wide slot and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is the contact between the inclined surface and the arc surface, which refers to that at least one of the upper end faces of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is a stop ring inclined surface, and the port of the upper end face of the wide slot is a circular arc port. When the self-locking elastic compensation stop is clamped into the wide slot, the port circular angle is contacted with the stop ring inclined surface of the self-locking elastic compensation stop, and the normal force of the contact between the arc angle of the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop and the inclined surface of the upper end face of the wide slot is radially self-locked with the axial direction of the metal ball joint. As the self-locking elastic compensation stop extends into the wide slot, the lower end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop gradually moves downward until the upper end faces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve are contacted, so as to eliminate the clearance between the upper end faces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve and the self-locking elastic compensation stop, and ensure that the self-locking elastic compensation stop does not automatically come out of the wide slot during vehicle operation.

9. The metal-on-metal bearing assembly of claim 5, wherein: the inner race is formed of a first material; the outer race is formed of a second material; and the first material is harder than the second material. The contact between the upper end face of the wide slot and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is the contact between the inclined surface and the arc surface, which refers to that at least one of the upper end faces of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is a stop ring inclined surface, and the port of the upper end face of the wide slot is a circular arc port. When the self-locking elastic compensation stop is clamped into the wide slot, the port circular angle is contacted with the stop ring inclined surface of the self-locking elastic compensation stop, and the normal force of the contact between the arc angle of the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop and the inclined surface of the upper end face of the wide slot is radially self-locked with the axial direction of the metal ball joint. As the self-locking elastic compensation stop extends into the wide slot, the lower end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop gradually moves downward until the upper end faces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve are contacted, so as to eliminate the clearance between the upper end faces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve and the self-locking elastic compensation stop, and ensure that the self-locking elastic compensation stop does not automatically come out of the wide slot during vehicle operation.

10. The metal ball joint with inner and outer sleeve structure axial play elimination device according to claim 7, 8 or 9, characterized in that: The contact between the upper end face of the wide slot and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is the contact between the inclined surface and the arc surface, which refers to that at least one of the upper end faces of the self-locking elastic compensation stop is a stop ring inclined surface, and the port of the upper end face of the wide slot is a circular arc port. When the self-locking elastic compensation stop is clamped into the wide slot, the port circular angle is contacted with the stop ring inclined surface of the self-locking elastic compensation stop, and the normal force of the contact between the arc angle of the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop and the inclined surface of the upper end face of the wide slot is radially self-locked with the axial direction of the metal ball joint. As the self-locking elastic compensation stop extends into the wide slot, the lower end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop gradually moves downward until the upper end faces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve are contacted, so as to eliminate the clearance between the upper end faces of the outer spherical inner sleeve and the inner spherical outer sleeve and the self-locking elastic compensation stop, and ensure that the self-locking elastic compensation stop does not automatically come out of the wide slot during vehicle operation. The self-locking angle is the included angle between the normal force direction of the oblique contact between the upper end face of the wide slot and the upper end face of the self-locking elastic compensation stop and the axis of the metal ball joint, and the angle value is 5-14 degrees.

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