Patent ID: 8602673

Claim:
A housing for a ball joint, the housing comprising: an interior space ( 3 ) adapted for mounting a joint ball ( 1 ) of a ball journal ( 2 ); an opening ( 4 ) having an initial dimension for receiving a journal section ( 5 ) of the ball journal ( 2 ) adjoining the joint ball ( 1 ); a contact region ( 7 ) is provided along an outer lateral surface of the housing ( 6 ) for sealing engagement with a sealing bellows edge ( 8 ); a deformed section ( 9 ) for rotationally and pivotably retaining the joint ball ( 1 ) of the ball journal ( 2 ) within the interior space ( 3 ) of the housing ( 6 ), and the deformed section ( 9 ), following deformation thereof, reducing the initial dimension of the opening ( 4 ) of the housing ( 6 ) so as to captively retain the joint ball ( 1 ) within the interior space ( 3 ) of the housing ( 6 ) while the joint ball ( 1 ) still remains rotatable and pivotable with respect to the housing ( 6 ), the joint ball being retained solely by the deformed section; the deformed section having a beveled end that defines the opening; and the entire deformed section ( 9 ) having a smaller longitudinal thickness than the contact region ( 7 ) for the sealing bellows edge ( 8 ).