BALL-AND-SOCKET JOINT WITH SENSOR SYSTEM AND WEAR MEASUREMENT METHOD

摘要

The invention relates to a ball-and-socket joint, for example for the axle system of a motor vehicle, and to a method for measuring the wear on a ball-and-socket joint. The ball-and-socket joint comprises a substantially annular or pot-shaped housing (1) in whose substantially cylindrical inner chamber a ball socket (2) is arranged. The ball (3) of a ball journal (4) is slidingly received in the ball socket (2). The ball-and-socket joint also comprises a sensor system (7) for measuring forces or loads. The inventive ball-and-socket joint is characterized in that the sensor system (7) is disposed on a flexural elastic plate (6), said plate being flexibly fastened in the housing (1). The sensor system (7) is adapted to measure the deflection or mechanical stresses of the sensor plate (6). The ball-and-socket joint comprises transmission means which pass a force or a moment of flexion into the sensor plate (6) when the ball socket (2) is deformed.