Ball Joint Dust Cover Reinforcing Ring Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dust covers for ball joints in vehicles fail to consistently maintain the sealing function of the dust lip due to its dependence on the deformed state of the body part, leading to compromised sealing performance when the ball stud is inclined.
Innovation Solution
A dust cover design featuring a reinforcing ring with a tubular part and an inward flange supported on a fixed member, which presses the dust lip against the annular member's end face, ensuring consistent sealing regardless of the ball stud's orientation, using an elastic material and a metal or resin reinforcing ring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the dust cover uses a deformable body part made of elastic material, then the dust cover can adapt to the ball joint structure, but the sealing function of the dust lip becomes inconsistent when the ball stud is inclined
Solution Approach 1:
The dust cover is segmented into a deformable body part and a sealed part with a reinforcing ring. The reinforcing ring is further divided into a tubular part and a pressing part. This segmentation allows the body part to deform for adaptability while the pressing part maintains consistent sealing pressure on the dust lip independent of ball stud inclination.
Solution Approach 2:
The dust cover combines elastic material (body part) with a reinforcing ring made of metal or resin. This composite structure allows the elastic body to provide adaptability through deformation while the rigid reinforcing ring provides structural support and consistent pressing force to maintain reliable sealing regardless of operational angles.
2Device complexity
If the dust lip relies on the deformed state of the body part for sealing, then the structure remains simple, but the sealing performance is compromised when the ball stud orientation changes
Solution Approach 1:
The dust cover is divided into a deformable body part and a sealed part with a reinforcing ring. This segmentation allows the body part to remain simple and adaptable while the reinforcing ring provides the additional function of consistent sealing pressure without significantly increasing overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcing ring serves multiple functions: it reinforces the sealed part structurally and simultaneously provides consistent pressing force on the dust lip through the pressing part. This multi-functionality maintains sealing reliability across different ball stud orientations without adding excessive complexity.
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 dust cover consistently exhibits its sealing function, maintaining effective sealing performance even when the ball stud rocks or rotates relative to the socket, as the reinforcing ring's design ensures the dust lip remains pressed against the annular member's end face.
Implementation Method 1
a sealing body made of an elastic material and integrally including a deformable body part
Implementation Method 2
a reinforcing ring made of metal or resin and embedded in the sealed part... the reinforcing ring's design ensures the dust lip remains pressed against the annular member's end face
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a dust cover that enables a dust lip to consistently exhibit its sealing function. The dust cover includes a sealing body made of an elastic material and integrally including a body part 110, a fixed part, and a sealed part 120, and a reinforcing ring 150 made of metal or resin and embedded in the sealed part 120. The sealed part 120 includes a first inner circumferential sealed portion 121a, a second inner circumferential sealed portion 121b, and a dust lip 122 slidable against an end face of a knuckle 400. The reinforcing ring 150 includes a tubular part 151 concentric to a shaft part 310, an inward flange part 152 provided at one end of the tubular part 151 and supported on a flange 330 fixed to the shaft part 310, and a pressing part 154 provided at the other end of the tubular part 151 and pressing the dust lip 122 against the end face of the knuckle 400.