Integrated Ball Joint Knuckle Thread Assembly

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional ball joint assembly methods require bolts or snap rings for attachment to a knuckle, increasing manufacturing costs and weight, and making it difficult to replace individual ball joints, leading to higher service costs.

Innovation Solution

A ball joint integrated knuckle design where the ball joint housing is integrated into the knuckle with matching screw threads, allowing for easy attachment and detachment without additional components, and providing the ball joint as a kit to be assembled with the knuckle, reducing manufacturing costs and weight.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a ball joint is assembled to a knuckle using bolts or pressurization method, then the ball joint can be securely attached to the knuckle, but manufacturing costs increase and the weight of the knuckle assembly increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment strengthVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The housing of the ball joint is integrated into the knuckle as a single unified structure. The knuckle includes a lower arm portion and a housing portion that forms the ball joint housing, eliminating the need for separate ball joint components and attachment hardware. This merging reduces manufacturing costs by simplifying the assembly process and reducing the number of parts that need to be manufactured and assembled.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The knuckle structure serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for the wheel assembly, houses the ball joint mechanism, and integrates the mounting structure for the caliper. The housing portion of the knuckle simultaneously acts as both the structural component and the ball joint housing, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing overall weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Strength

If a ball joint is assembled to a knuckle using bolts or pressurization method, then the ball joint can be securely attached to the knuckle, but the weight of the knuckle assembly increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment strengthVSAvoidknuckle weight

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The housing of the ball joint is integrated into the knuckle as a single unified structure. The knuckle includes a lower arm portion and a housing portion that forms the ball joint housing, eliminating the need for separate ball joint components and attachment hardware. This merging reduces manufacturing costs by simplifying the assembly process and reducing the number of parts that need to be manufactured and assembled.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The knuckle structure serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for the wheel assembly, houses the ball joint mechanism, and integrates the mounting structure for the caliper. The housing portion of the knuckle simultaneously acts as both the structural component and the ball joint housing, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing overall weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of manufacture

If a ball joint is assembled to a knuckle using conventional methods, then the ball joint can be attached to the knuckle, but the ball joint cannot be partially exchanged for simple functional problems, leading to higher service costs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly simplicityVSAvoidserviceability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The ball joint assembly is segmented into replaceable internal components (ball, seat, bearing, dust cover) that can be independently serviced. The housing remains permanently integrated with the knuckle, but the internal ball joint components can be removed and replaced as a kit without replacing the entire assembly, enabling cost-effective repairs for simple functional problems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The ball joint components (ball, seat, bearing, dust cover) are designed to be extractable from the integrated housing through access openings. This allows the internal components to be removed and replaced independently from the knuckle structure, enabling partial replacement for simple functional problems while maintaining the integrated housing-knuckle structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS7793952B2Knuckle with integrated ball joint and method of assembly

Publication Date: 2010.09.14 DONG A AUTOMOTIVE

AI summary

A ball joint integrated knuckle and an assembling method thereof is provided. The ball joint integrated knuckle includes: a knuckle integrating a housing formed with a first screw thread on its one side surface; and a ball joint having a thread seat formed with a second screw thread, wherein the ball joint is integrated into the knuckle by combining the first screw thread of the housing of the knuckle with the second screw thread of the thread seat of the ball joint. Thus, it is possible to easily attach/detach the ball joint with respect to the knuckle by combining/removing the ball joint using the first screw thread, formed in an inner circumferential surface of the housing integrally formed with the knuckle, and the second screw thread formed in an external circumferential surface of the thread seat. Also, according to the present invention, the ball joint is not manufactured as a finished product, but provided as kit. Thus, costs, which may incur when manufacturing the ball joint as the finished product, may be saved by assembling the ball joint to the housing integrally formed with the knuckle, and thereby manufacturing costs may be reduced.