Rotary joint, framework construction kit and method for manufacturing a rotary joint

• US 10,458,463 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2016
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Benthien, Hermann, Poppe, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Skroupa, Josh
• Application Number:
  US15/164,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20160348711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 403 60, 403 76- 78, 403125, 403127, 403128, 403135, 403170, 464102-105, 464149
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/1942 Struts adjustable in length
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/1969 Ball and socket type connection
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2003/0495 the truss elements being located in several non-parallel surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 7/182 for coaxial connections of two rods or tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 7/185 with a node element
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0604 Construction of the male part
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0623 Construction or details of the socket member
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0661 the two co-operative parts each having both convex and concave interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0685 Manufacture of ball-joints and parts thereof, e.g. assembly of ball-joints
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0695 Mounting of ball-joints, e.g. fixing them to a connecting rod
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/103 frictionally clamped
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2220/24 by built-up welding
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2226/60 with threaded parts, e.g. bolt and nut connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2350/00 Machines or articles related to building
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 7/02 Constructions of connecting-rods with constant length
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 9/04 Connecting-rod bearings; Attachments thereof

Abstract

A rotary joint includes a socket rod having a socket rod flange with an at least partly spheroid concave bearing surface at a first end, a housing nut encircling the socket rod and having a threaded wrenching head, and a ball rod having an at least partly spheroid convex bearing surface and threaded side walls around the bearing surface. The diameter of the threaded side walls of the ball rod corresponds to a diameter of the threaded wrenching head of the housing nut.

Claims

1. A rotary joint comprising:

a socket rod having a socket rod flange with an at least partly spheroid concave bearing surface at a first end;

a housing nut encircling the socket rod and having a threaded wrenching head; and

a ball rod integrally formed to have an at least partly spheroid convex bearing surface with threaded side walls formed around the convex bearing surface,

wherein a diameter of the threaded side walls of the ball rod corresponds to a diameter of the threaded wrenching head of the housing nut.

2. The rotary joint of claim 1, wherein the housing nut has a nut hole on an opposite side thereof from the threaded wrenching head, a diameter of the nut hole being larger than a diameter of the socket rod, but smaller than a diameter of the socket rod flange.

3. The rotary joint of claim 1, wherein a curvature of the concave bearing surface of the socket rod flange corresponds to a curvature of the convex bearing surface of the ball rod.

4. The rotary joint of claim 1, wherein the socket rod comprises a threaded shank at a second end that is opposite to the first end, which is not threaded.

5. The rotary joint of claim 4, wherein the socket rod comprises a wrenching contour arranged on a circumference of the socket rod between the socket rod flange and the threaded shank.

6. The rotary joint of claim 1, comprising a sliding washer arranged between the socket rod flange and inner walls of the threaded wrenching head.

7. The rotary joint of claim 1, wherein the convex bearing surface has a same diameter as the diameter of the threaded side walls, such that the convex bearing surface extends entirely between diametrically opposite sides of the ball rod.

8. A framework construction kit comprising:

at least one rotary joint comprising;

a socket rod having a socket rod flange with an at least partly spheroid concave bearing surface at a first end;

a housing nut encircling the socket rod and having a threaded wrenching head; and

a ball rod integrally formed to have an at least partly spheroid convex bearing surface with threaded side walls formed around the convex bearing surface,

wherein a diameter of the threaded side walls of the ball rod corresponds to a diameter of the threaded wrenching head of the housing nut; and

at least one interconnection strut connected to a second end of the socket rod of the at least one rotary joint or connected to the ball rod.

9. The framework construction kit of claim 8, wherein the at least one interconnection strut comprises a trussed beam having a plurality of substantially longitudinally running chord members and a plurality of web members spanning between the chord members.

10. The framework construction kit of claim 8, wherein the socket rod of the at least one rotary joint comprises a threaded shank at a second end that is opposite to the first end, which is not threaded, and wherein the at least one interconnection strut comprises, at a first strut end portion, a female-threaded socket rod duct engaged with the threaded shank of the socket rod.

11. The framework construction kit of claim 8, wherein the at least one interconnection strut comprises, at a second strut end portion, a receptacle engaged in a snap-fit engagement with an end portion of the socket rod of the rotary joint.

12. The framework construction kit of claim 8, wherein the at least one interconnection strut is interlocked at a second strut end portion with the ball rod by an annular clamping bracket sleeved at least partly over the second strut end portion and the ball rod.

13. The framework construction kit of claim 8, wherein the convex bearing surface has a same diameter as the diameter of the threaded side walls, such that the convex bearing surface extends entirely between diametrically opposite sides of the ball rod.

14. A framework, comprising:

a plurality of rotary joints attached to a plurality of bearing structures, each of the plurality of rotary joints comprising;

a socket rod having a socket rod flange with an at least partly spheroid concave bearing surface at a first end;

a housing nut encircling the socket rod and having a threaded wrenching head; and

a ball rod integrally formed to have an at least partly spheroid convex bearing surface with threaded side walls formed around the convex bearing surface,

wherein a diameter of the threaded side walls of the ball rod corresponds to a diameter of the threaded wrenching head of the housing nut; and

a plurality of interconnection struts, each connected to the socket rods or the ball rods of the plurality of rotary joints.

15. The framework of claim 14, wherein the convex bearing surface has a same diameter as the diameter of the threaded side walls, such that the convex bearing surface extends entirely between diametrically opposite sides of the ball rod.

16. A method for manufacturing a rotary joint, the method comprising:

integrally forming a socket rod having a socket rod flange with an at least partly spheroid concave bearing surface at a first end simultaneously with a housing nut, such that the housing nut encircles the socket rod and has a threaded wrenching head, using a 3D printing or additive manufacturing (AM) technique;

forming a ball rod having an at least partly spheroid convex bearing surface that is integrally formed with threaded side walls around the convex bearing surface using a 3D printing or AM technique; and

threadingly engaging the threaded wrenching head of the housing nut with the threaded side walls of the ball rod, thereby housing the socket rod flange within the housing nut and against the ball rod.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising, before threadingly engaging the threaded wrenching head of the housing nut with the threaded side walls of the ball rod, arranging a sliding washer between the socket rod flange and inner walls of the threaded wrenching head.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the convex bearing surface has a same diameter as a diameter of the threaded side walls, such that the convex bearing surface extends entirely between diametrically opposite sides of the ball rod.