Method for manufacturing a device with a first component and with at least one further component

Abstract

Method for manufacturing a device (1) with a first component (2) and with at least one further component (3), the first component (2) and the further component (3) being joined together to form a component assembly, wherein the first component (2) and the further component (3) are mounted in the component assembly so as to be movable relative to each other, and a lubricant is arranged between the first component (2) and the further component (3), wherein the lubricant is produced in the component assembly between the first component (2) and the further component (3), characterized in that, after the component assembly has been manufactured and for the production of the lubricant, a first lubricant component (7) and at least one further lubricant component (8) are introduced between the first component (2) and the further component (3),wherein, after the introduction of the first lubricant component (7) and the at least one further lubricant component (8) between the first component (2) and the further component (3), a reaction of the lubricant components (7, 8) is triggered and / or brought about, the lubricant being produced as a result of the reaction.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a device with a first component and with at least one further component, the first component and the further component are connected to each other to form a component assembly, wherein the first component and the further component are mounted in the component assembly so as to be movable relative to each other, and a lubricant is arranged between the first component and the further component, wherein the lubricant is produced in the component assembly between the first component and the further component.

[0002] Such a process is known from DE 10 2009 032 520 A1 or DE 10 2021 003 313 A1. In this process, solids are first applied to the components, in particular by means of a coating, whereby a liquid is added to the component assembly of the two components and the solids dissolve in the liquid, thereby forming the lubricant.

[0003] From DE 10 2010 037 586 A1 a method is known according to which, in a ball joint within the meaning of the aforementioned component assembly, a lubricant layer is provided between a joint ball and a joint receptacle to improve the sliding properties.

[0004] It is not possible to apply a lubricant between the first and second components in the desired manner in every conceivable component assembly. In particular, depending on the manufacturing process of the component assembly, a contact area between the first and second components may not be adequately or only partially supplied and / or covered with lubricant. For example, if the first component, especially in the form of a joint mount, is injection-molded around the second component, preferably in the form of a ball joint, subsequent application of lubricant between the first and second components may be difficult or even impossible.

[0005] The object underlying the invention is to further develop a method of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that the arrangement of the lubricant between the first component and the further component is facilitated and / or improved and / or made possible. In particular, an alternative embodiment is to be provided.

[0006] The problem underlying the invention is solved by a method according to claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are found in the dependent claims and in the following description.

[0007] The method is designed for manufacturing a device comprising a first component and at least one further component. The first component and the further component are connected to form a component assembly, preferably directly, and are mounted within the assembly so as to be movable relative to each other. Preferably, the first component and the further component are connected to each other by means of hinges. In particular, the first component and the further component are pivotally and / or tiltably and / or rotatably connected and / or mounted relative to each other. A lubricant is placed between the first component and the further component. This reduces the friction between the first component and the further component and / or improves the sliding properties.

[0008] According to the invention, the lubricant is produced in the component assembly between the first component and the further component.

[0009] The advantage here is that the lubricant is produced in the areas and / or at the points where it is desired or needed. This allows even hard-to-reach areas to be lubricated.

[0010] According to the invention, after the assembly of the components has been produced and to produce the lubricant, a first lubricant component and at least one further lubricant component are introduced between the first component and the further component. In particular, the first lubricant component and / or the further lubricant component has a lower or no yield point and / or better flowability than the lubricant. Due to their lower or no yield point and / or better flowability compared to the lubricant being produced, the lubricant components can be introduced more easily and / or more effectively between the first component and the further component.

[0011] A lubricant component can be an oil, in particular a base oil or carrier oil. The oil can contain an acid, preferably a fatty acid. The acid can be dissolved and / or dispersed in the oil. For example, the acid is a carboxylic acid and / or a hydroxy fatty acid, in particular 12-hydroxystearic acid.

[0012] Preferably, a lubricant component comprises a metal hydroxide. In particular, a lubricant component is an aqueous solution. The aqueous solution may contain a metal hydroxide. In particular, the metal hydroxide is dissolved and / or dispersed in water. For example, the metal hydroxide is lithium hydroxide.

[0013] At least one lubricant component may contain at least one additive or several additives. The at least one additive or the several additives may modify or improve the properties of the at least one lubricant component and / or the lubricant to be produced in a predetermined and / or desired manner. For example, the at least one additive or the several additives may be designed to reduce wear and / or to modify the friction and / or sliding properties between the first component and the subsequent component.

[0014] According to the invention, at least two lubricant components are introduced between the first component and the further component. More than two lubricant components, in particular three, four, five, or more lubricant components, can be introduced between the first component and the further component to produce the lubricant.

[0015] According to the invention, after the introduction of the first lubricant component and at least one further lubricant component between the first component and the further component, a reaction of the lubricant components is triggered and / or brought about. This reaction produces the lubricant as a result of the reaction between the lubricant components. Preferably, the reaction of the lubricant components to produce the lubricant is triggered and / or brought about by mixing the lubricant components.

[0016] In particular, a saponification reaction is initiated and / or induced to produce the lubricant. A metal soap can be produced as a result of or by means of the saponification reaction. The lubricant can then be produced as a byproduct of the saponification reaction. Specifically, the metal soap is a component of the produced lubricant.

[0017] According to a further embodiment, after the introduction of the first lubricant component and at least one further lubricant component between the first component and the further component, the temperature of the lubricant components is increased. In particular, the temperature is increased to a predetermined temperature range. Preferably, upon reaching a predetermined temperature and / or temperature range, a reaction of the lubricant components is triggered and / or induced, with the lubricant being produced as a result of the reaction. For example, the temperature of the first component and / or the further component can be increased externally, for example by means of inductive heat treatment. In particular, due to the temperature increase, saponification is triggered and / or induced to produce the lubricant.

[0018] Preferably, after the introduction of the first lubricant component and at least one further lubricant component between the first and the further component, the components are moved relative to each other. In particular, this causes the lubricant components to mix. Preferably, the relative movement triggers and / or induces a reaction between the lubricant components, with the lubricant being produced as a result of the reaction. In particular, this relative movement of the components increases the temperature of the lubricant components. The relative movement can simultaneously achieve both mixing and an increase in the temperature of the lubricant components. This can trigger and / or induce the desired reaction between the lubricant components to produce the lubricant.

[0019] The relative movement between the first component and the next component can be realized as a joint movement and / or pivoting movement and / or tilting movement and / or rotational movement and / or linear movement and / or sliding movement.

[0020] According to a further development, during or after a reaction of the lubricant components, at least one byproduct of the reaction and / or water, as a component of the first lubricant component and / or of at least one further lubricant component and / or of a reaction product, evaporates. The reaction product can be the lubricant to be produced. In particular, the evaporation of the byproduct and / or the water is triggered and / or brought about by an increase in the temperature of the lubricant components. Preferably, the lubricant components are heated to a temperature above 95°C or above 100°C to evaporate the byproduct and / or water.

[0021] According to a further embodiment, after a reaction of the lubricant components with each other, in particular after the evaporation of the at least one by-product and / or water as a component of the first lubricant component and / or the at least one further lubricant component, the temperature of the produced lubricant is reduced. The temperature reduction can be achieved by stopping the relative movement of the components. In particular, a coolant is introduced between the first component and the further component to reduce the temperature. Preferably, an additional quantity of the first lubricant component or the at least one further lubricant component is used as the coolant. The coolant can be an oil, in particular a quenching oil, a base oil, or a carrier oil. In particular, the temperature is cooled to below 80°C.

[0022] Preferably, a joint receptacle is used as the first component and a joint inner part as the second component. The joint receptacle and the joint inner part together form a ball joint. In particular, the joint receptacle is injection molded around a ball joint of the joint inner part to produce the ball joint. The joint receptacle can be designed as a joint housing or as a bearing shell. Preferably, the first lubricant component and / or at least one further lubricant component are then introduced between the joint receptacle and the ball joint.

[0023] A device comprising a first component and at least one further component is particularly advantageous, wherein the first component and the further component are connected to form a component assembly. The first component and the further component are movably mounted relative to each other within the component assembly, in particular by means of joints. A lubricant is arranged between the first component and the further component, the lubricant being produced within the component assembly between the first component and the further component. In particular, the device is manufactured according to the method of the invention.

[0024] Preferably, the device and / or the component assembly is designed as a vehicle equipment or chassis equipment.

[0025] In particular, the component assembly is designed as a ball joint, with the first component serving as the joint bearing and the second component as the inner joint part. Ball joints can be used in a variety of ways in vehicle construction. In a chassis, ball joints can serve to connect chassis components such as control arms, wheel carriers, tie rods, or the like to each other or to the vehicle body or an axle carrier attached to it. The ball joint can be designed as a stud joint or a ball sleeve joint. The inner joint part can be a stud or a ball sleeve.

[0026] In particular, the device produced according to the method of the invention is a device described previously. Preferably, the method is further developed according to the embodiments explained in connection with the device described here. Furthermore, the device described here can be further developed according to the embodiments explained in connection with the methods.

[0027] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the figure. It shows: Fig. 1 A schematic cutaway side view of a device produced by means of the method according to the invention.

[0028] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic cutaway side view of a device 1 produced by means of the method according to the invention.

[0029] The device 1 comprises a first component 2 and a further component 3. The first component 2 and the further component 3 are connected to each other to form a component assembly. In this embodiment, the first component 2 and the further component 3 are mounted in the component assembly so that they are movable relative to each other, namely by means of hinges.

[0030] According to this embodiment, the device 1, or the component assembly, is designed as a ball joint, specifically a ball-and-socket joint. Here, the first component 2 forms a joint receptacle, and the second component 3 forms an inner joint part. The first component 2, or the joint receptacle, is schematically represented here as a bearing shell. Alternatively, the joint receptacle can be designed as a joint housing or as a component of a structural part of a chassis component. According to this example, the inner joint part is realized as a ball stud. Accordingly, the second component 3, or the ball stud, has a ball joint 4 and a stud section 5 extending away from the ball joint 4. The ball joint 4 is slidably mounted in the first component 2, or the joint receptacle, while the stud section 5 extends outwards through an opening 6 in the first component 2.

[0031] In order to place a lubricant between the first component 2 and the further component 3, the lubricant is produced directly between the first component 2 and the further component 3 as explained in more detail below.

[0032] According to this embodiment, a first lubricant component 7 and a further lubricant component 8 are introduced between the first component 2 and the further component 3 to produce the lubricant. The lubricant components 7 and 8 have a lower or no yield point or better flowability than the lubricant to be produced, which makes it easier to introduce the lubricant components 7 and 8 between the first component 2 and the further component 3.

[0033] In this example, the first lubricant component 7 is a carrier oil containing a fatty acid such as 12-hydroxystearic acid. The second lubricant component 8 in this embodiment is an aqueous solution containing a metal hydroxide such as lithium hydroxide.

[0034] After the introduction of the first lubricant component 7 and the further lubricant component 8 between the first component 2 and the further component 3, a reaction of the lubricant components 7, 8 is brought about, whereby the desired lubricant is produced as a result of the reaction.

[0035] According to this embodiment, components 2 and 3 are moved relative to each other. In this example, as schematically indicated by arrow 9, the second component 3 is pivoted and / or tilted relative to the first component 2. This causes the lubricant components 7 and 8 to mix together. This relative movement of components 2 and 3 alone can increase the temperature of the lubricant components. Alternatively or additionally, the temperature of the first component 2 and / or the second component 3 can be increased externally, for example, by means of inductive heat treatment. This is indicated here schematically by temperature symbol 10. Due to the temperature increase and the mixing of the lubricant components, saponification is triggered or induced. A metal soap is produced as a result of or by means of the saponification reaction.In this process, the metal soap is a component of the desired lubricant to be produced.

[0036] In this embodiment, water, a component of the first lubricant component 7, evaporates due to the temperature increase and during the reaction of the lubricant components 7 and 8 with each other. For this purpose, the lubricant components 7 and 8 are heated to a temperature above 100°C in this embodiment.

[0037] After the lubricant components 7 and 8 react with each other and after the evaporation of water, a component of the first lubricant component 7, the temperature of the produced lubricant is reduced. This temperature reduction can be achieved by stopping the relative movement of components 2 and 3. Additionally, a coolant can be introduced between the first component 2 and the second component 3 to further reduce the temperature. The coolant can be an oil, in particular a quenching oil, a base oil, or a carrier oil.

[0038] According to the inventive method, the desired lubricant can thus be produced directly between the first component 2 and the further component 3 from the lubricant components 7, 8. Reference sign 1 Device 2 first component 3 more components 4 ball joints 5 T-section 6 Opening 7 first lubricant component 8 additional lubricant components 9 Arrow 10 Temperature symbol

Claims

[1] Method for manufacturing a device (1) with a first component (2) and with at least one further component (3), the first component (2) and the further component (3) are connected to each other to form a component assembly, wherein the first component (2) and the further component (3) are mounted in the component assembly so as to be movable relative to each other, and a lubricant is arranged between the first component (2) and the further component (3), wherein the lubricant is produced in the component assembly between the first component (2) and the further component (3), characterized by, that after the assembly of the component and to produce the lubricant, a first lubricant component (7) and at least one further lubricant component (8) are introduced between the first component (2) and the further component (3), wherein after the introduction of the first lubricant component (7) and the at least one further lubricant component (8) between the first component (2) and the further component (3) a reaction of the lubricant components (7, 8) is triggered and / or brought about, wherein the lubricant is produced as a result of the reaction. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by , that the first lubricant component (7) and / or the further lubricant component (8) has a lower or no yield point than the lubricant. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by, that after the introduction of the first lubricant component (7) and the at least one further lubricant component (8) between the first component (2) and the further component (3) a temperature of the lubricant components (7, 8) is increased, in particular the temperature is increased to a predetermined temperature range, preferably upon reaching a predetermined temperature and / or temperature range a reaction of the lubricant components (7, 8) is triggered and / or brought about, wherein the lubricant is produced as a result of the reaction. [4] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that after the introduction of the first lubricant component (7) and the at least one further lubricant component (8) between the first component (2) and the further component (3), the components (2, 3) are moved relative to each other, in particular, due to this relative movement, a temperature of the lubricant components (7, 8) is increased and / or the lubricant components (7, 8) are mixed together, preferably, due to the relative movement, a reaction of the lubricant components (7, 8) is triggered and / or brought about, wherein the lubricant is produced as a result of the reaction. [5] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that a saponification reaction is triggered and / or brought about by means of the lubricant components (7, 8), in particular a metal soap is produced by means of the saponification reaction, preferably the lubricant is produced as a result of the saponification reaction. [6] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that during or after a reaction of the lubricant components (7, 8) with each other a by-product of the reaction and / or water as a component of the first lubricant component (7) and / or of the at least one further lubricant component (8) and / or of a reaction product is evaporated. [7] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that after a reaction of the lubricant components (7, 8) with each other the temperature of the produced lubricant is reduced, in particular a coolant is introduced between the first component (2) and the further component (3) to reduce the temperature, preferably an additional amount of the first lubricant component (7) or of the at least one further lubricant component (8) is used as the coolant. [8] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the first component (2) is a joint receptacle and the further component (3) is a joint inner part, wherein a ball joint is formed as a component composite by means of the joint receptacle and the joint inner part, in particular the joint receptacle is injection molded around a ball joint (4) of the joint inner part and to produce the ball joint, preferably the first lubricant component (7) and / or the at least one further lubricant component (8) is then introduced between the joint receptacle and the ball joint (4).

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