Ball and socket joint for a vehicle

摘要

A ball joint for a vehicle, with a ball pin that has a joint ball, a joint housing that encloses the joint ball and is provided with a pin opening, in which the joint ball of the ball pin is fitted and able to move. The ball pin extends out of the joint housing through the pin opening. An actuator can press a pressure element, in an axial direction, against the joint housing in such a manner that pressure can be exerted by the joint housing and the pressure element onto the joint ball. The actuator acts upon a spring which acts upon the pressure element. The length of the spring can be measured by a displacement sensor.

主权项

1. A ball joint, for a vehicle, with a ball pin (3) comprising:
a joint ball (2), a joint housing (9) enclosing the joint ball (2) and being provided with a pin opening (10) in which the joint ball (2), of the ball pin (3), is fitted and movable, the joint housing defines an axis, the ball pin (3) extending out of the joint housing (9) through the pin opening (10), an actuator (14) having a static part and a moving part, the static part is axially fixed with respect to the joint housing and the moving part is connected to the static part, the moving part is axially movable with respect to the static part such that movement of the moving part away from the static part presses a pressure element (11) in an axial direction (7) against the joint housing (9) such that pressure is exerted by the joint housing (9) and the pressure element (11) onto the joint ball (2), the actuator comprising a spring (12) that extends axially and by way of which the actuator (14) acts upon the pressure element (11), and a displacement sensor (19) comprising a sensor element and an emitter element for measuring an axial length (d) of the spring (12), a first axial end of the spring and one of the sensor and the emitter elements abut a common surface of the moving part of the actuator, and a second axial end of the spring and the other of the sensor and the emitter elements abut a common surface of the pressure element.