| 摘要 |
In a ball joint assembly and a steering system which includes such an assembly a universal joint is provided between a rack bar 1 and a tie rod 3. Screw threaded for axial adjustment on the bar 1 is a tubular housing 2 which captures a ball cup 5, on the rod 3. Part-spherical inner and outer bearing surfaces 11 and 8 slidably co-operatre between the housing and ball cup and the latter has a part spherical inner bearing surface 7 within which is received a resilient plastics ball 14. A socket 15 of the ball is mounted on a spigot 13 of the bar 1. By screw adjustment of the housing 2 on the bar 1 the ball 14 is axially compressed between the bar and the bearing surface 7 to pre-load the universal joint by the consequential expansive forces in the ball 14. The housing 2 can be pre-formed to capture the ball cup 5 or can be swaged over the bearing surface 8 of the ball cup so that during the swaging operation the ball 14 is pre-loaded. In a modification (Figure 4, not shown) the ball 14 is spherical and is restrained radially relative to the bar 1 by mounting within a part spherical seating in the end of the bar. <IMAGE> |
