A low-friction automotive tie rod assembly

Abstract

A low-friction automobile pull rod assembly, including a shell, an opening arranged on the center of the upper end face of the shell and a ball seat arranged in the shell, the shell has a ball head pin above, the lower end of the ball head pin has a ball head in the ball seat, the lower part of the ball head pin is connected with the upper end of the shell through a dust cover; the lower end of the ball head pin is connected with the upper end of the ball head through a connecting neck; the inner wall of the lower part of the dust cover is provided with a sealing washer sleeved outside the connecting neck, the lower surface of the sealing washer is attached to the upper end face of the shell; the inner wall of the opening is provided with a sealing conical surface which is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom; the lower surface of the sealing washer is provided with an annular sealing part sleeved outside the connecting neck. The low-friction automobile pull rod assembly can not only ensure the sealing property when the sealing of the upper and lower ends of the dust cover fails, and play a dustproof effect, but also effectively ensure the stability of the upper and lower ends of the dust cover.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to an automotive tie rod assembly, and more particularly to a low-friction automotive tie rod assembly. Background Technology

[0002] The tie rod assembly is a key connecting component in the steering and suspension systems, and its performance directly affects the vehicle's steering agility and driving safety. The core of the ball joint assembly lies in the fit between the ball joint pin and the ball seat, and a dust cover prevents the intrusion of dust, mud, and other contaminants.

[0003] In existing technologies, dust covers are typically fixed to the ball joint pin and housing using snap rings. However, automotive tie rod assemblies are often affected by vehicle vibrations during actual use. Therefore, the fixed end of the dust cover is prone to loosening under long-term vibration and frequent swinging of the ball joint pin, leading to seal failure at the fixed end of the dust cover. At this time, external dust can easily penetrate into the dust cover, drastically increasing the friction between the ball joint and the ball seat, resulting in heavy steering, abnormal wear of components, or even failure. Meanwhile, since the dust cover's seal mainly relies on the fixed ends on the upper and lower sides, and the dust cover is made of rubber, even if the snap rings are not loose, the fixed ends on the upper and lower sides of the dust cover will lose their elasticity due to aging. At this time, the automotive tie rod assembly will completely lose its sealing means, and the dust entering between the outer wall of the ball joint and the inner wall of the ball seat at the lower end of the ball joint pin will cause serious wear to both, affecting the service life of the automotive tie rod assembly. Utility Model Content

[0004] The present invention aims to solve the existing technical problem by providing a low-friction automotive tie rod assembly that not only ensures a tight seal and dustproof effect even when the seals at the upper and lower ends of the dust cover fail, but also effectively guarantees the stability of the upper and lower ends of the dust cover.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: This utility model discloses a low-friction automotive tie rod assembly, including a housing, an opening at the center of the upper surface of the housing, and a ball seat inside the housing. A ball head pin is located on the upper part of the housing, and the lower end of the ball head pin has a ball head located within the ball seat. The lower part of the ball head pin is connected to the upper end of the housing via a dust cover. The lower end of the ball head pin and the upper end of the ball head are connected via a connecting neck. A sealing gasket is provided on the lower inner wall of the dust cover, outside the connecting neck, and the lower surface of the sealing gasket is in contact with the upper surface of the housing. The inner wall of the opening has a sealing conical surface that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. The lower surface of the sealing gasket is provided with an annular sealing part that fits outside the connecting neck; the outer wall of the annular sealing part is provided with a sealing spherical surface that fits against the sealing cone surface; the upper end of the inner hole of the sealing gasket extends upward to form a sealing sleeve that fits outside the connecting neck; the inner wall of the dust cover, the upper surface of the sealing gasket, the outer wall of the sealing sleeve, and the outer wall of the ball head pin form an oil reservoir; the oil reservoir is filled with lubricating grease; the lower end of the sealing sleeve is provided with a matching clamping structure; the dust cover, sealing gasket, annular sealing part, and sealing sleeve are integrally formed and are all made of rubber.

[0006] The clamping structure includes a clamping groove on the outer wall of the lower end of the sealing sleeve, the clamping groove being annular; a matching clamping ring is provided inside the clamping groove; an elastic notch is provided on one side of the clamping ring; and several through holes are provided on the clamping ring in a circumferentially evenly distributed manner.

[0007] The lower outer wall of the ball head pin is provided with an annular upper groove; the upper outer wall of the outer shell is provided with an annular lower groove; the upper end of the dust cover is secured in the upper groove by an upper retaining spring set on its outer side; the lower end of the dust cover is secured in the lower groove by a lower retaining spring set on its outer side.

[0008] The dust cover has a main sealing lip and a secondary sealing lip located below the main sealing lip on its upper inner wall; the main sealing lip is shaped like a trumpet, narrower at the top and wider at the bottom; the secondary sealing lip is shaped like a funnel, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom; the inner walls of the upper part of the main sealing lip and the inner walls of the lower part of the secondary sealing lip are both in contact with the outer wall of the ball head pin; the inner wall of the lower part of the dust cover has a lower sealing lip that is attached to the upper part of the outer shell.

[0009] The dust cover has an annular upper skeleton groove on its upper outer wall, the position of which corresponds to the positions of the main sealing lip and the secondary sealing lip; the upper skeleton groove contains a matching upper skeleton; the dust cover has an annular lower skeleton groove on its lower outer wall, the position of which corresponds to the position of the lower sealing lip; the lower skeleton groove contains a matching lower skeleton.

[0010] The upper skeleton groove opening is provided with upper annular stop parts on both the upper and lower sides that fit with the outer wall of the upper skeleton; the lower skeleton groove opening is provided with lower annular stop parts on both the upper and lower sides that fit with the outer wall of the lower skeleton.

[0011] The outer wall of the ball head is provided with several oil storage grooves that are evenly distributed in a circle.

[0012] This utility model has the following beneficial effects: Compared with the prior art, the low-friction automotive tie rod assembly using the structure of this utility model can add two new seals to the basic seals at the upper and lower ends of the dust cover by using sealing gaskets and grease in the oil reservoir. Even if the seals at the upper and lower ends of the dust cover fail, it can prevent external dust from entering the gap between the outer wall of the ball head and the inner wall of the ball seat, which would cause the friction to increase, thus playing a lubricating role and achieving a low-friction effect. At the same time, the presence of the upper and lower skeletons can effectively resist the loosening caused by vibration and effectively ensure the rigidity of the connection between the upper end of the dust cover and the ball head pin, and between the lower end of the dust cover and the outer shell. Even if the upper and lower retaining springs fixed to the upper and lower ends of the dust cover loosen, the stability of the upper and lower ends of the dust cover can still be guaranteed, avoiding seal failure. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a structural block diagram of the low-friction automotive tie rod assembly of this utility model; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An enlarged view of part A; Figure 3 yes Figure 1 An enlarged view of part B; Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Enlarged view of part C. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments: Please see Figures 1 to 4This utility model provides a low-friction automotive tie rod assembly, including a housing 1, an opening 2 located at the center of the upper surface of the housing 1, and a ball seat 3 located inside the housing 1. A ball head pin 4 is located on the upper part of the housing 1, and a ball head 5 located inside the ball seat 3 at the lower end of the ball head pin 4. The lower part of the ball head pin 4 is connected to the upper part of the housing 1 via a dust cover 6. The lower end of the ball head pin 4 is connected to the upper end of the ball head 5 via a connecting neck 7. A sealing washer 8 is provided on the lower inner wall of the dust cover 6, outside the connecting neck 7, and the lower surface of the sealing washer 8 is in contact with the upper surface of the housing 1. The inner wall of the opening 2 is provided with a sealing conical surface 9 that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. The lower surface of the sealing gasket 8 is provided with an annular sealing part 10 that is fitted outside the connecting neck 7; the outer wall of the annular sealing part 10 is provided with a sealing spherical surface 11 that fits against the sealing cone surface 9; the upper end of the inner hole of the sealing gasket 8 extends upward to form a sealing sleeve 12 that is fitted outside the connecting neck 7; the inner wall of the dust cover 6, the upper surface of the sealing gasket 8, the outer wall of the sealing sleeve 12, and the outer wall of the ball head pin 4 form an oil reservoir 13; the oil reservoir 13 is filled with grease; the lower end of the sealing sleeve 12 is provided with a matching clamping structure; the dust cover 6, the sealing gasket 8, the annular sealing part 10, and the sealing sleeve 12 are integrally formed and are all made of rubber.

[0015] The clamping structure includes a clamping groove 14 located on the outer wall of the lower end of the sealing sleeve 12. The clamping groove 14 is annular. A clamping ring 15 matching the clamping groove 14 is provided inside the clamping groove 14. An elastic notch 16 is provided on one side of the clamping ring 15. A plurality of through holes 17 are provided on the clamping ring 15 in a circularly evenly distributed manner.

[0016] The lower outer wall of the ball head pin 4 is provided with an annular upper groove 18; the upper outer wall of the outer shell 1 is provided with an annular lower groove 19; the upper end of the dust cover 6 is secured in the upper groove 18 by an upper retaining spring 20 set on its outer side; the lower end of the dust cover 6 is secured in the lower groove 19 by a lower retaining spring 21 set on its outer side.

[0017] The dust cover 6 has a main sealing lip 22 and a secondary sealing lip 23 located below the main sealing lip 22 on its upper inner wall. The main sealing lip 22 is shaped like a trumpet with a narrow top and a wide bottom. The secondary sealing lip 23 is shaped like a funnel with a wide top and a narrow bottom. The upper inner wall of the main sealing lip 22 and the lower inner wall of the secondary sealing lip 23 are both in contact with the outer wall of the ball head pin 4. The lower inner wall of the dust cover 6 has a lower sealing lip 24 that is attached to the upper part of the outer shell 1.

[0018] The dust cover 6 has an annular upper skeleton groove 25 on its upper outer wall, the position of which corresponds to the position of the main sealing lip 22 and the secondary sealing lip 23; an upper skeleton 26 matching it is provided in the upper skeleton groove 25; the dust cover 6 has an annular lower skeleton groove 27 on its lower outer wall, the position of which corresponds to the position of the lower sealing lip 24; a lower skeleton 28 matching it is provided in the lower skeleton groove 27.

[0019] The upper skeleton groove 25 has upper annular stop portions 29 on both the upper and lower sides of the groove opening, which fit against the outer wall of the upper skeleton 26; the lower skeleton groove 27 has lower annular stop portions 30 on both the upper and lower sides of the groove opening, which fit against the outer wall of the lower skeleton 28.

[0020] The outer wall of the ball head 5 is provided with several oil storage grooves 31 that are evenly distributed in a circle.

[0021] The method of using this utility model is as follows: The inner walls at the top and bottom of the dust cover 6 provide two basic seals. The fit between the lower surface of the sealing gasket 8 and the upper surface of the outer shell 1 forms a new seal. Even if the seal at the bottom of the dust cover 6 fails, this new seal can still ensure the seal at the bottom of the dust cover 6. At the same time, the sealing spherical surface 11 on the outer wall of the annular sealing part 10 and the sealing conical surface 9 on the inner wall of the opening 2 cooperate with each other. Since the sealing conical surface 9 is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, when the ball head pin 4 is forced to swing the ball head 5 to one side, the connecting neck 7 will squeeze the sealing gasket 8, so that the sealing spherical surface 11 on the outer wall of the annular sealing part 10 presses more tightly against the sealing conical surface 9. The greater the swing amplitude of the ball head pin 4, the stronger the sealing pressure between the sealing spherical surface 11 and the sealing conical surface 9. The sealing structure formed by the sealing gasket 8 and the annular sealing part 10 is located below the car tie rod assembly, so it can effectively prevent large hard particles such as mud and sand splashed up under bad road conditions from intruding into the car tie rod assembly.

[0022] Since the oil reservoir 13 is filled with grease, the grease fills the space above the sealing gasket 8. At this time, the grease can form a new seal. Even if the seal at the top of the dust cover 6 fails, this new seal can effectively prevent external dust from approaching the sealing gasket 8, thereby effectively preventing dust from entering the gap between the outer wall of the ball head 5 and the inner wall of the ball seat 3.

[0023] The presence of the retaining ring 15 further ensures that the inner wall of the lower end of the sealing sleeve 12 is tightly attached to the outer wall of the connecting neck 7, thereby effectively preventing grease from leaking into the opening direction through the gap between the inner wall of the sealing sleeve 12 and the outer wall of the connecting neck 7. This ensures that the grease can be stored in the oil reservoir 13 for a long time, achieving the effect of isolating dust. If any grease breaks through the seal of the sealing sleeve 12, the grease will enter the gap between the outer wall of the ball head 5 and the inner wall of the ball seat 3, playing a lubricating role and preventing the situation where only dust enters the gap between the outer wall of the ball head 5 and the inner wall of the ball seat 3, causing a sharp increase in the friction between the two.

[0024] Because the main sealing lip 22 is flared, narrower at the top and wider at the bottom, when external dust enters the dust cover 6 from top to bottom, the main sealing lip 22 will fit more tightly against the outer wall of the ball head pin 4 under external pressure, thus achieving a dustproof effect. The secondary sealing lip 23 is funnel-shaped, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. It can not only cooperate with the main sealing lip 22 to achieve an auxiliary dustproof effect, but also fit more tightly against the outer wall of the ball head pin 4 under the pressure of the grease when the grease in the oil reservoir 13 overflows upwards, thus achieving an oil leakage prevention effect.

[0025] The lower outer wall of the ball head pin 4 is provided with an annular upper groove 18, and the upper outer wall of the outer shell 1 is provided with an annular lower groove 19. The upper end of the dust cover 6 is secured in the upper groove 18 by an upper retaining spring 20 on its outer side, and the lower end of the dust cover 6 is secured in the lower groove 19 by a lower retaining spring 21 on its outer side. This fixing method facilitates the disassembly and assembly between the upper end of the dust cover 6 and the ball head pin 4, and between the lower end of the dust cover 6 and the outer shell 1, thereby facilitating the replacement of the dust cover 6.

[0026] The presence of the upper frame 26 can effectively support the upper end of the dust cover 6, ensuring that the inner walls of the main sealing lip 22 and the secondary sealing lip 23 are tightly attached to the outer wall of the ball head pin 4. The presence of the lower frame 28 can effectively support the lower end of the dust cover 6, ensuring that the inner wall of the lower sealing lip 24 is tightly attached to the outer wall of the outer shell 1. Therefore, even if the upper retaining spring 20 and the lower retaining spring 21 are loose, the presence of the upper frame 26 and the lower frame 28 can still ensure the stability of the upper and lower ends of the dust cover 6.

[0027] The upper frame groove 25 has upper annular stop parts 29 on both the upper and lower sides of the groove opening, which fit against the outer wall of the upper frame 26. The lower frame groove 27 has lower annular stop parts 30 on both the upper and lower sides of the groove opening, which fit against the outer wall of the lower frame 28. The presence of the upper annular stop parts 29 can further ensure the stability of the upper frame 26, and the presence of the lower annular stop parts 30 can further ensure the stability of the lower frame 28.

[0028] The outer wall of the ball head 5 is provided with several oil reservoirs 31 evenly distributed in a circle. The oil reservoirs 31 are filled with lubricating oil. The grease in the oil reservoirs 31 can gradually seep out of the oil reservoirs 31 as the ball head 5 rotates with the ball head pin 4, and enter the gap between the outer wall of the ball head and the inner wall of the ball seat, so as to achieve a lubricating effect and effectively reduce friction.

Claims

1. A low-friction automotive tie rod assembly, comprising a housing, an opening at the center of the upper end face of the housing, and a ball seat disposed within the housing, wherein a ball head pin is provided at the upper part of the housing, and a ball head is provided at the lower end of the ball head pin within the ball seat, characterized in that: The lower part of the ball head pin is connected to the upper end of the outer shell via a dust cover; the lower end of the ball head pin is connected to the upper end of the ball head pin via a connecting neck; the inner wall of the lower part of the dust cover is provided with a sealing gasket outside the connecting neck, and the lower surface of the sealing gasket is in contact with the upper end face of the outer shell; the inner wall of the opening is provided with a sealing cone surface that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom; the lower surface of the sealing gasket is provided with an annular sealing part outside the connecting neck; the outer wall of the annular sealing part is provided with a sealing spherical surface that is in contact with the sealing cone surface; the upper end of the inner hole of the sealing gasket extends upward to form a sealing sleeve outside the connecting neck; the inner wall of the dust cover, the upper surface of the sealing gasket, the outer wall of the sealing sleeve, and the outer wall of the ball head pin form an oil reservoir; the oil reservoir is filled with grease; the lower end of the sealing sleeve is provided with a matching clamping structure; the dust cover, sealing gasket, annular sealing part, and sealing sleeve are integrally formed and are all made of rubber.

2. The low-friction automotive tie rod assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping structure includes a clamping groove on the outer wall of the lower end of the sealing sleeve, the clamping groove being annular; a matching clamping ring is provided inside the clamping groove; an elastic notch is provided on one side of the clamping ring; and several through holes are provided on the clamping ring in a circumferentially evenly distributed manner.

3. The low-friction automotive tie rod assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower outer wall of the ball head pin is provided with an annular upper groove; the upper outer wall of the outer shell is provided with an annular lower groove; the upper end of the dust cover is secured in the upper groove by an upper retaining spring set on its outer side; the lower end of the dust cover is secured in the lower groove by a lower retaining spring set on its outer side.

4. A low-friction automotive tie rod assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dust cover has a main sealing lip and a secondary sealing lip located below the main sealing lip on its upper inner wall; the main sealing lip is shaped like a trumpet, narrower at the top and wider at the bottom; the secondary sealing lip is shaped like a funnel, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom; the inner walls of the upper part of the main sealing lip and the inner walls of the lower part of the secondary sealing lip are both in contact with the outer wall of the ball head pin; the inner wall of the lower part of the dust cover has a lower sealing lip that is attached to the upper part of the outer shell.

5. A low-friction automotive tie rod assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The dust cover has an annular upper skeleton groove on its upper outer wall, the position of which corresponds to the positions of the main sealing lip and the secondary sealing lip; the upper skeleton groove contains a matching upper skeleton; the dust cover has an annular lower skeleton groove on its lower outer wall, the position of which corresponds to the position of the lower sealing lip; the lower skeleton groove contains a matching lower skeleton.

6. A low-friction automotive tie rod assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The upper skeleton groove opening is provided with upper annular stop parts on both the upper and lower sides that fit with the outer wall of the upper skeleton; the lower skeleton groove opening is provided with lower annular stop parts on both the upper and lower sides that fit with the outer wall of the lower skeleton.

7. A low-friction automotive tie rod assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer wall of the ball head is provided with several oil storage grooves that are evenly distributed in a circle.

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