US 12,442,409 B2
Closure element for a ball joint, ball joint for a chassis of a vehicle and method for producing such a closure element and/or such a ball joint
Thomas Richter, Damme (DE); Hans Prins, Damme (DE); and Christoph Gierke, Espelkamp (DE)
Assigned to ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Friedrichshafen (DE)
Appl. No. 18/006,713
Filed by ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Friedrichshafen (DE)
PCT Filed Jun. 23, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/067093
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 24, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/022895, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 3, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2020 209 477.2 (DE), filed on Jul. 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0250847 A1, Aug. 10, 2023
Int. Cl. F16C 11/06 (2006.01)
CPC F16C 11/069 (2013.01) [F16C 11/0638 (2013.01); Y10T 403/32737 (2015.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A closure element for a ball joint, defining a central longitudinal axis, the closure element comprising:
a first component made of metal and having a hollow-cylindrical web section that extends axially, and the web section has a cylindrical inner circumferential surface; and
a first bearing component made of a plastic material, the first bearing component being part of a two-part slide bearing, wherein the first bearing component has a cylindrical outer circumferential surface arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the first component in an interlocked, frictionally fixed, and/or material-bonded manner;
wherein the web section of the first component has an axial front end face that extends radially outward from the inner circumferential surface thereof, and the first bearing component has at least one flange that extends radially outward from the outer circumferential surface thereof; and
at least a portion of the front end face of the web section abuts the at least one flange of the first bearing component.