Patents Assigned to ZF Lemförder GmbH
  • Patent number: 7357590
    Abstract: A ball-and-socket joint, for example for use with an articulated support in an automobile, includes an essentially ring-shaped or cup-shaped joint housing and a bearing shell disposed in an interior space of the joint housing. The ball of a ball pin is slidingly received in the bearing shell. The inside contour of the joint housing and the outside contour of the bearing shell are essentially shaped as a truncated cone. The bearing shell can be essentially freely positioned in the joint housing in an axial direction of the ball pin. The position at which the bearing shell is anchored in the joint housing can then be precisely and reproducibly adjusted by way of the truncated conical surfaces. The service life, robustness and quality of ball-and-socket joints can be significantly improved during manufacture, while simplifying their fabrication and reducing their manufacturing cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: ZF Lemförder GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Höppner, Carsten Schütte