Joint, especially a ball-and-socket joint, for chassis parts in a motor vehicle

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a joint ( 1 ) with a joint housing ( 2 ) and with a joint shell ( 3 ) arranged therein with a ball ( 4 ), whose pivot pin ( 5 ) protrudes from the joint housing ( 2 ) and is surrounded by a rubber bellows ( 6 ) with a protective cap ( 7 ), wherein a ring ( 8 ) for holding the protective cap ( 7 ) is connected to the edge area ( 6 a ) of the rubber bellows ( 6 ), which said edge area ( 6 a ) concentrically surrounds the pivot pin ( 5 ), and wherein the ring ( 8 ) has a circular bead ( 8 b, 8 c ) on its annular outer side ( 8 a ) and is vulcanized into the edge area ( 6 a ) of the rubber bellows ( 6 ), and the protective cap ( 7 ) is provided on its inner side ( 7 a ) with a plurality of projections ( 9 ), which can be bent from the outside through openings ( 10 ) in the protective cap ( 7 ) by means of a tool ( 11 ) radially (arrow 12 ) in relation to the pivot pin ( 5 ) against the bead ( 8 b, 8 c ) of the ring ( 8 ) in a non-positive and positive-locking manner.

1 . A ball-and-socket joint for chassis parts in a motor vehicle, comprising: 
 a joint housing;    a joint shell arranged in said housing;    a ball with a pivot pin protruding from said joint housing a rubber bellows with a protective cap, said pivot pin being surrounded by said rubber bellows;    a protective cap; and    a ring for holding the protective cap, said ring being connected to the edge area of the rubber bellows that concentrically surrounds said pivot pin, said ring having an annular outer side having at least one bead and being vulcanized into said edge area of said rubber bellows, said protective cap having an inner side with a plurality of projections on a side facing away from said ball-and-socket joint, said projections being bent by a tool having access through openings in said protective cap from an outside against said bead in a positive locking manner to connect said cap to said ring and said bellows in a non-positive manner and in a positive-locking manner, said openings being prepared in advance and connecting said ring to said protective cap by a mechanical or a thermal deformation after passing through said protective cap.    
   
   
       2 . A ball-and-socket joint for chassis parts in a motor vehicle, the joint comprising: 
 a joint housing;    a joint shell arranged in said housing;    a ball with a pivot pin protruding from said joint housing a rubber bellows with a protective cap, said pivot pin being surrounded by said rubber bellows; and    a ring for holding the protective cap connected to the edge area of the rubber bellows concentrically surrounding the pivot pin, wherein said ring is vulcanized into an edge area of said rubber bellows and has a plurality of projections on a side facing away from said ball-and-socket joint, said projections extending through openings of identical cross-sectional configuration of said protective cap, said openings being prepared in advance and connecting said ring to said protective cap by mechanical or thermal deformation after passing through said protective cap.    
   
   
       3 . A joint in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said projections of said ring are formed by teeth of equal size spaced at equally spaced locations, which engage a corresponding hole pattern of said protective cap when said protective cap is placed on.  
   
   
       4 . A joint in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said rings consist of steel or plastic such as PA 66.  
   
   
       5 . A joint in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said ring provided with a bead consists of hardened carbon steel.  
   
   
       6 . A joint in accordance with one of the  claim 1 , wherein said ring provided with said projections in said rubber bellows is made of either metal or a plastic with high heat resistance.  
   
   
       7 . A joint in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said protective cap consists of special steel, hot-galvanized steel plate or a glass fiber-reinforced plastic.  
   
   
       8 . A joint in accordance with one of the  claim 1 , wherein said ring provided with said projections in said rubber bellows is made of either PA 66, PTFE or PEEK.  
   
   
       9 . A joint in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said ring provided with said projections in said rubber bellows is made of either PA 66, PTFE or PEEK.  
   
   
       10 . A joint in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said rings consist of steel or plastic such as PA 66.  
   
   
       11 . A joint in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said ring provided with a bead consists of hardened carbon steel.  
   
   
       12 . A joint in accordance with one of the  claim 2 , wherein said ring provided with said projections in said rubber bellows is made of either metal or a plastic with high heat resistance.  
   
   
       13 . A joint in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said protective cap consists of special steel, hot-galvanized steel plate or a glass fiber-reinforced plastic.  
   
   
       14 . A ball-and-socket joint for chassis parts in a motor vehicle, comprising: 
 a joint housing;    a joint shell arranged in said housing;    a ball with a pivot pin protruding from said joint housing a rubber bellows;    a protective cap, said pivot pin being surrounded by said rubber bellows;    a ring for holding the protective cap, said ring being connected to an edge area of said rubber bellows that concentrically surrounds said pivot pin, said ring having an annular outer side having at least one bead and being vulcanized into said edge area of said rubber bellows, said protective cap having an inner side with a plurality of projections, said projections being bent by a tool having access through openings in said protective cap from an outside against a bead of said ring with said projections dug into the ring at the edge area of the bellows to connect the protective cap to the bellows in a positive-locking manner or in a non-positive manner and in a positive-locking manner.