Patent ID: 6702502
Filing Date: 2004-03-09
Classification: F16C,Y10T

Abstract:
A ball-and-socket joint for motor vehicles, the ball-and-socket joint comprising:a joint ball and a pivot pin; a housing; a bearing shell formed of a plastic, said bearing shell being elastic, said joint ball being mounted movably in said bearing shell, said bearing shell having recesses accommodating lubricant on an inner jacket surface of said bearing shell facing said joint ball, said housing accommodating said bearing shell and tightly surrounding said bearing shell with an inner wall, said recesses comprising groove sections with each of said groove sections limited by two side walls of substantially identical height and defining elastically deformable segments between the groove sections which deform upon movement of said joint ball relative to said bearing shell with said groove sections forming a structural system in said bearing shell with groove sections extending a length with a distance between two adjacent groove sections being up to three times a width of the respective adjacent groove sections with each groove section having a depth and said width, said depth being equal to or greater than said width.