Patent ID: 6139788
Filing Date: 2000-10-31
Classification: B29C,B29L,F16C,Y10T

Abstract:
In a method of manufacturing a ball joint for a motor vehicle, the steps of:providing a spindle with a spherically shaped end portion;placing a bearing shell on the spindle;providing a sealing boot having a housing-side opening bead at one end and a spindle-side opening bead at the other end and having an interior;providing a split injection mold having a mold cavity;positioning the housing-side opening bead of the sealing boot on the bearing shell to seal the interior of the bearing shell;placing a cover bushing on a threaded stem of the spindle;locating the spindle-side opening bead of the sealing boot on the cover bushing to stretch and reduce the diameter of the sealing boot;placing an assembly of the spindle, bearing shell, cover bushing, and sealing boot in the mold cavity in the split injection mold after performing said step of positioning the housing-side opening bead of the sealing boot on the bearing shell; and, thereafter,injecting plastic into the mold cavity in the split injection mold to form a plastic molded socket for the ball joint;said step of injecting plastic into the mold cavity including the step of injecting plastic against the housing-side opening bead of the sealing boot.