Ball Joint Disc Spring Preload Wear Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ball joints in automotive suspension systems face wear issues between spherical surfaces, leading to clearance changes, reduced cycle life, and potential overstressing of components, necessitating a mechanism to maintain close clearance and alignment.
Innovation Solution
A ball joint design incorporating a housing with a disc spring-loaded bearing system, where a disc spring is housed in an annular recess, providing preload to maintain close tolerances and prevent overstressing, while allowing for relative movement to compensate for wear and extend the component's life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a ball joint uses grease to reduce wear between spherical surfaces, then wear is reduced, but clearance eventually increases due to wear of contact surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The ball joint incorporates a compensating mechanism with movable components that dynamically adjust the position of the spherical surfaces relative to each other. This allows the system to adapt to wear over time by maintaining optimal clearance through relative movement, rather than being fixed at initial manufacturing tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state or position parameters of the bearing components through the compensating mechanism. By allowing controlled movement and adjustment of component positions, the system compensates for wear-induced clearance changes while maintaining reliable operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the ball joint allows pivoting movement to accommodate steering, then steering capability is improved, but clearance between spherical surfaces increases due to movement
Solution Approach 1:
The compensating mechanism is designed to operate dynamically during steering movements. As the ball joint pivots to accommodate steering, the compensating mechanism adjusts the relative positions of the spherical surfaces to maintain optimal clearance throughout the range of motion, rather than allowing clearance to increase with movement.
3Productivity
If the ball joint operates for extended periods to extend cycle life, then productivity is improved, but components become overstressed and misaligned
Solution Approach 1:
The compensating mechanism is pre-configured to counteract the effects of wear and stress accumulation before they lead to component failure or misalignment. By continuously maintaining optimal clearance and alignment through the compensating mechanism, the system prevents the buildup of excessive stresses that would otherwise occur during extended operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The disc spring-loaded bearing system effectively maintains close clearance between spherical surfaces, reduces wear-related issues, and extends the cycle life of the ball joint by preventing overstressing and maintaining alignment, thereby enhancing the durability and performance of the suspension system.
Implementation Method 1
a first disc spring disposed in a first disc annular recess in at least one of: an outer surface of the first bearing; and an inner surface of the retention plate
Implementation Method 2
A ball joint design incorporating a housing with a disc spring-loaded bearing system, where a disc spring is housed in an annular recess, providing preload to maintain close tolerances
Data Source
AI summary
A ball joint comprising: a housing having an inner cavity defined inward of a seat end, a side wall and a closure end having an opening, an edge about the opening in an assembly position extending upwardly; a ball stud having: a lower ball end with an outer convex spherical surface, a middle portion, and a connector end; a first bearing, slidably housed within the cavity, having an inner concave spherical surface; a retention plate, housed within the cavity inward of the edge about the opening, wherein the edge of the opening extends inwardly engaging an outer surface of the retention plate in a closed position; and a first disc spring disposed in a disc annular recess in at least one of: an outer surface of the first bearing; and an inner surface of the retention plate.