Spring Steel Ball Joint for Vehicle Headlight Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ball joints used for fastening vehicle headlights have low locking moments due to plastic material, require complex interfaces with high dimensional accuracy, are costly, cumbersome to manufacture, and consume excessive installation space and material, failing to meet strength, shock, and temperature resistance requirements.
Innovation Solution
A ball joint with a resiliently elastic metal joint socket made from spring steel, featuring radially inclined rear and front joint wings that press against a joint ball, providing enhanced locking torque and adaptability to various production methods and volumes, with a design that simplifies assembly and disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional plastic ball joints are used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the locking torque is low and insufficient for strong vibrations and temperature fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from plastic to resiliently elastic metal (spring steel), which fundamentally alters the mechanical properties including locking torque, vibration resistance, and temperature resistance. This material parameter change resolves the contradiction by providing both the required strength and maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material strategy by combining resiliently elastic metal for the socket with other materials for the ball and housing, creating a multi-material system that optimizes both strength and manufacturability. The resiliently elastic metal socket provides high locking torque while the overall structure remains simple and manufacturable.
2Reliability
If complex interfaces are used to meet dimensional accuracy requirements, then the connection strength is sufficient, but the manufacturing cost increases and design effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The resiliently elastic metal socket changes the contact parameters and force distribution at the interface, allowing for more forgiving dimensional tolerances while maintaining connection strength. The elasticity compensates for tolerance variations, reducing the need for complex precision interfaces and lowering manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The resiliently elastic material provides beforehand cushioning by absorbing dimensional variations and tolerance errors before they can compromise the connection strength. This pre-compensation mechanism allows simpler interfaces to achieve reliable connections.
3Reliability
If conventional ball joints are used, then the basic function is achieved, but they require excessive installation space and material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates unnecessary material and space from conventional ball joint designs. The resiliently elastic metal socket achieves the same or better functional performance with reduced volume, thereby reducing installation space requirements while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The resiliently elastic metal socket acts as a flexible shell that provides the necessary structural function with thin-walled construction, reducing the overall volume and installation space compared to rigid conventional designs.
4Adaptability or versatility
If individual components are used in ball joints, then the design flexibility is high, but the components can fall off during assembly and the assembly process becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the socket components into an integrated resiliently elastic metal structure that inherently retains the ball during assembly. The elasticity and geometry of the socket prevent component separation, eliminating the need for additional retention mechanisms while maintaining design flexibility for different applications.
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 ball joint offers improved locking torque, durability, and cost-effectiveness, with a fault-tolerant design that accommodates component tolerances and environmental conditions, while reducing manufacturing complexity and material usage.
Implementation Method 1
the socket joint has a hollow cylindrical shape and is made of a resiliently elastic metal, preferably spring steel
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
A ball joint (1), particularly for a vehicle headlight, characterized by a joint pin (10) comprising a ball (11) which transitions on one side into an end face of a substantially cylindrical joint shaft (12), and a socket (20) for receiving the ball (11), wherein the socket has a hollow cylindrical shape and is made of a resiliently elastic metal, preferably spring steel, and joint wings are formed along the circumference of the hollow cylindrical socket (20). The joint wings form at least a portion of an inner joint surface of the ball joint (1), which, in the assembled state, is designed to bear against the ball (11) and be pressed against the ball (11) by spring force.