A high-performance thrust bearing

Abstract

A high-performance thrust bearing comprises an upper shell, a lower shell, and a friction-reducing gasket group. The upper shell comprises an inclined surface. The angle between the inclined surface and the central axis of the upper shell in a cross section along the arrangement direction of the upper shell and the lower shell is an acute angle. The lower shell comprises a receiving groove. The receiving groove is rectangular in a cross section along the arrangement direction of the upper shell and the lower shell, and the length of the rectangle is parallel to the inclined surface. The friction-reducing gasket group consists of a plurality of friction-reducing gaskets, and two adjacent friction-reducing gaskets must be tightly pressed against each other. The inner diameter of the friction-reducing gasket of the annular arc structure is equal to the inner diameter of the annular receiving groove, and the outer diameter of the friction-reducing gasket of the annular arc structure is smaller than the outer diameter of the annular receiving groove. This thrust bearing not only causes friction on both sides of the friction-reducing gasket to improve the friction effect, but also increases the life of the friction-reducing gasket.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of automobile parts, in particular to a high-performance thrust bearing. Background Art

[0002] As is well known, strut-type suspensions used on the front wheels of four-wheeled vehicles feature a strut assembly and a coil spring inserted into the outer cylinder of a main shaft within a hydraulic shock absorber. When the strut assembly and the coil spring rotate together during steering, there are two types of strut assembly piston rods that rotate or those that do not. However, in both types of strut-type suspensions, smooth rotation of the strut assembly is essential. Therefore, a bearing is required for the strut assembly.

[0003] The upper end of the suspension bearing is usually connected to the vehicle body through a top connecting plate. The force from the wheel is transmitted to the vehicle body through the coil spring and the suspension bearing. Therefore, the suspension bearing needs to be able to withstand both axial and radial forces. The suspension bearing structure usually includes an upper bearing cover connected to the top connecting plate, a lower bearing cover directly or indirectly connected to the coil spring, and a rolling assembly located between the upper and lower covers. Another commonly used suspension bearing structure is that, in addition to the upper and lower covers, there is also a horizontally arranged annular plastic sheet. The lower bearing cover and the plastic sheet can rotate around the axis relative to the upper cover. This type of suspension bearing is inexpensive.

[0004] The above-mentioned suspension bearings in the prior art are only provided with a single annular plastic sheet, which results in friction on only one surface, shortening the service life of the plastic sheet and, consequently, the entire suspension bearing. Furthermore, the plastic sheet is typically stamped and cut from a single piece of plastic plate, resulting in significant material waste, which increases the overall product cost and hinders market adoption. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a high-performance thrust bearing that can avoid the above-mentioned problems.

[0006] A high-performance thrust bearing comprises an upper shell, a lower shell connected to the upper shell, and a friction-reducing shim assembly disposed between the upper and lower shells. The upper shell comprises an upper shell body and an inclined surface disposed on the upper shell body and facing the lower shell body. In a cross-section along the alignment direction of the upper and lower shells, the angle between the inclined surface and the central axis of the upper shell body is acute. The lower shell comprises a lower shell body and a receiving groove disposed on the lower shell body and facing the lower shell body. In a cross-section along the alignment direction of the upper and lower shells, the receiving groove is rectangular, with the length of the rectangle parallel to the inclined surface. The friction-reducing shim assembly comprises a plurality of friction-reducing shims, with adjacent pairs of friction-reducing shims tightly abutting against each other. Each friction-reducing shim has an annular arc-shaped structure, with an inner diameter equal to the inner diameter of the annular receiving groove and an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the annular receiving groove. When the upper shell and the lower shell are combined together, the height of the accommodating groove in the cross section along the arrangement direction of the upper shell and the lower shell is greater than the thickness of the anti-friction gasket but less than 1.2 times the thickness of the anti-friction gasket.

[0007] Furthermore, the upper shell and the lower shell are made of thermoplastic plastic.

[0008] Furthermore, the angle between the length of the rectangle and the central axis of the upper shell is also an acute angle, and the value of the acute angle is equal to the value of the angle between the inclined surface and the central axis of the upper shell.

[0009] Furthermore, the value of the acute angle is between 35 degrees and 73 degrees.

[0010] Furthermore, the anti-friction gasket is a flat plate structure made of thermoplastic material or thermosetting material.

[0011] Furthermore, the anti-friction pad is a multi-layer structure made of a metal substrate combined with a low friction coefficient and a wear-resistant non-metallic layer.

[0012] Furthermore, when assembling the plurality of anti-friction washers, a tool is used to press the plurality of anti-friction washers into the accommodating grooves so that two adjacent anti-friction washers are tightly pressed against each other.

[0013] Furthermore, each of the anti-friction pads is provided with an oil groove.

[0014] Furthermore, the high-performance thrust bearing also includes a protective plastic shell covering the outer sides of the upper shell and the lower shell. The protective plastic shell not only covers the outer side of the upper shell facing away from the lower shell, but also covers the side wall of the lower shell facing away from the central axis of the upper and lower shells and part of the side wall of the shell facing away from the upper shell.

[0015] Furthermore, the lower shell further comprises a butting ring provided on the lower shell body and extending toward the upper shell body, and the annular inner side wall of the upper shell butts against the butting ring.

[0016] Compared to the prior art, the high-performance thrust bearing provided by the present invention provides the inclined surface on the upper shell and the inclined receiving groove on the lower shell, so that the multiple anti-friction washers received in the receiving groove are also inclined, thereby meeting the axial and radial load requirements of the thrust bearing. At the same time, the multiple anti-friction washers can be manufactured by injection molding and stamping and then spliced ​​to form a circular ring, thereby minimizing material waste. In addition, two adjacent anti-friction washers are tightly abutted against each other, and the inner diameter of the annular arc-shaped anti-friction washers is equal to the inner diameter of the annular receiving groove, and the outer diameter of the annular arc-shaped anti-friction washers is smaller than the outer diameter of the annular receiving groove. At the same time, when the upper shell and the lower shell are assembled together, the height of the receiving groove in a cross section along the arrangement direction of the upper shell and the lower shell is greater than the thickness of the anti-friction washers but less than 1.2 times the thickness of the anti-friction washers. Therefore, when the thrust bearing rotates at a low speed, the adjacent anti-friction washers will not overlap each other. During high-speed rotation, since the accommodating groove is tilted relative to the central axis, and the height of the accommodating groove is greater than the thickness of the anti-friction gasket but less than 1.2 times the thickness of the anti-friction gasket, and the outer diameter of the annular arc structure is smaller than the outer diameter of the annular accommodating groove, the anti-friction gasket will expand outward. At the same time, under the action of the component force generated by the tilted accommodating groove, the anti-friction gasket will float up, thereby not only causing friction on both sides of the anti-friction gasket to improve the friction effect, but also increasing the life of the anti-friction gasket. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a high-performance thrust bearing provided by the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a high-performance thrust bearing.

[0019] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of the high-performance thrust bearing at point A.

[0020] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the anti-friction pad of a high-performance thrust bearing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following is a further detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the description of the embodiments of the present invention herein is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] like Figures 1 to 4 FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the high-performance thrust bearing provided by the present invention. The high-performance thrust bearing comprises an upper shell 10, a lower shell 20 fastened to the upper shell 10, a friction-reducing washer assembly 30 sandwiched between the upper and lower shells 10, 20, and a protective rubber shell 40 covering the outer surfaces of the upper and lower shells 10, 20. It is contemplated that the high-performance thrust bearing may also include other functional modules, such as assembly components, mounting components, and lubricating grease. These are well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0023] The upper shell 10 includes an upper shell 11 and an inclined surface 12 arranged on the upper shell 11 and facing the lower shell 20. The upper shell 11 is annular and can be integrally formed by injection molding. Its material can be hard engineering plastic, such as thermoplastic injection molding, or it can be made of high-strength aluminum alloy. In the cross section along the arrangement direction of the upper shell 10 and the lower shell 20, the angle between the inclined surface 12 and the central axis of the upper shell 11 is an acute angle. The value of the acute angle is between 35 degrees and 73 degrees. The function of the inclined surface 12 and the reason for setting the value of the acute angle will be explained below in conjunction with the lower shell 20 and the anti-friction pad group 30.

[0024] The lower shell 20 includes a lower shell 21, a receiving groove 22 disposed on the lower shell 21 and facing the lower shell, and a support ring 23 disposed on the lower shell 21 and extending toward the upper shell 10. The lower shell 21 is also annular and can be made of a hard engineering plastic, such as a thermoplastic injection-molded high-strength polyurethane. Of course, it can also be made of metal. Since the lower shell 20 is annular, the receiving groove 22 should also be an annular groove. In a cross-section along the alignment of the upper shell 10 and lower shell 20, the receiving groove 22 is rectangular, with the length of the rectangle parallel to the inclined surface 12. That is, the angle between the length of the rectangle and the central axis of the upper shell 11 is also acute. This acute angle is equal to the angle between the inclined surface 12 and the central axis of the upper shell 11. The width of the rectangle should be slightly larger than the thickness of the anti-friction pad assembly 30, which will be described in detail below. Since the receiving groove 22 is arranged at an angle, the thrust bearing can meet the requirements of bearing both axial and radial loads. In actual use, there is not only axial external force, but also radial external force, such as when the car is swaying or bumping. When the upper shell 10 and the lower shell 20 are fastened together, the annular inner wall of the upper shell 10 abuts against the abutting ring 23. When the protective plastic shell 40 is covered on the outside of the upper shell 10 and the lower shell 20, the protective plastic shell 40 and the abutting ring 23 together clamp the upper shell 10 therebetween, thereby fixing the relative position of the upper shell 10 and the lower shell 20 in their radial direction.

[0025] The anti-friction gasket group 30 is composed of multiple anti-friction gaskets. The circumferential dimensions, i.e., the arc lengths of the inner and outer radial directions, of the multiple anti-friction gaskets may be the same or different, but the thickness of the multiple anti-friction gaskets must be consistent. In this embodiment, the circumferential dimensions of the anti-friction gaskets are the same, so each anti-friction gasket is identical. The structure of the anti-friction gasket is described using one anti-friction gasket as an example. At least one of the multiple anti-friction gaskets is provided with an oil groove 31. In this embodiment, to facilitate industrial manufacturing, each anti-friction gasket is provided with an oil groove 31. The oil groove 31 is used to fill with lubricating grease. The anti-friction gasket can be a flat plate structure made of a thermoplastic material or a thermosetting material. Therefore, it can be first injection molded into a strip and then cut into an annular arc-shaped piece of the same specifications and dimensions. It is understood that the oil groove 31 can be injection molded simultaneously during the injection molding process. In addition, the thermoplastic material or thermosetting material should be a material with a low friction coefficient and high wear resistance. Specifically, the thermoplastic material includes but is not limited to one of POM, PA, PPS, PES, PEEK, PEI, PAI, or a composite wear-resistant material containing one of these materials. The thermosetting material includes but is not limited to one of PTFE, PI, phenolic resin, epoxy resin, or a composite wear-resistant material containing one of these materials. The anti-friction gasket can be a multilayer structure made of a metal substrate combined with a low friction coefficient and a wear-resistant non-metallic layer. The metal substrate includes but is not limited to a low carbon steel plate, a stainless steel plate, a copper plate, etc. The wear-resistant non-metallic layer includes but is not limited to one of POM, PA, PPS, PES, PEEK, PEI, PAI, PTFE, PI, phenolic resin, epoxy resin, or a composite wear-resistant material containing one of these materials. The seat-resistant non-metallic layer is arranged on both sides of the metal substrate. When the anti-friction gasket is a multi-layer structure made of a metal substrate combined with a low friction coefficient and a wear-resistant non-metallic layer, it can first be made into a strip of metal strip and then stamped into a single anti-friction gasket. This not only reduces material waste but also improves production efficiency.

[0026] The size of each of the anti-friction gaskets is very critical. Each of the anti-friction gaskets is an annular arc-shaped structure. The inner diameter r of the annular arc-shaped structure is equal to the inner diameter of the annular receiving groove, and the outer diameter of the annular arc-shaped structure is smaller than the outer diameter of the annular receiving groove 22. At the same time, when the upper shell 10 and the lower shell 20 are combined together, the height h of the receiving groove 22 in the cross section along the arrangement direction of the upper shell 10 and the lower shell 20 is greater than the thickness of the anti-friction gasket but less than 1.2 times the thickness of the anti-friction gasket. Since the inner diameter r of the annular arc-shaped structure is equal to the inner diameter of the annular receiving groove, when assembling, the adjacent two anti-friction gaskets must be tightly pressed together. Preferably, when assembling multiple anti-friction gaskets, the multiple anti-friction gaskets are pressed into the receiving groove 22 using a tool so that the adjacent two anti-friction gaskets are tightly pressed together. This is because, in most cases, the lower shell 20 rotates at a low speed relative to the upper shell 10, and two adjacent anti-friction washers cannot overlap each other. Once overlap occurs, it will be difficult to restore the original state because the height h of the accommodating groove 22 is greater than the thickness of the anti-friction washers but less than 1.2 times the thickness of the anti-friction washers. During high-speed rotation, since the accommodating groove 22 is tilted relative to the central axis, the height h of the accommodating groove 22 is greater than the thickness of the anti-friction washers but less than 1.2 times the thickness of the anti-friction washers, and the outer diameter of the annular arc structure is smaller than the outer diameter of the annular accommodating groove 22, the anti-friction washers will expand outward. At the same time, under the action of the component force generated by the tilted accommodating groove 22, the anti-friction washers will float, thereby not only causing friction on both sides of the anti-friction washers, improving the friction effect, but also increasing the life of the anti-friction washers. Furthermore, the acute angle is between 35 and 73 degrees. If the acute angle is less than 35 degrees, not only will the radial load-bearing capacity of the anti-friction shim assembly 30 be reduced, but the anti-friction shims will also have difficulty floating during high-speed rotation. If the acute angle is greater than 73 degrees, in addition to affecting the axial load-bearing capacity of the anti-friction shim assembly 30, the anti-friction shims may also tilt during use. For example, the outer diameter edge of the anti-friction shim may abut against the inclined surface 12, while the inner diameter edge of the anti-friction shim may abut against the receiving groove 22. This can cause the thrust bearing to become inoperable within a short period of time and may be damaged. In addition, it should be noted that since the height h of the accommodating groove 22 is greater than the thickness of the anti-friction gasket but less than 1.2 times the thickness of the anti-friction gasket, when in use, the anti-friction gasket group 30 and the inclined surface 12 of the upper shell 10 are in a virtual connection state. In reality, lubricating grease will be filled between the anti-friction gasket group 30 and the inclined surface 12 of the upper shell 10.

[0027] The protective rubber shell 40 can be made of fluororubber and, through a rubber encapsulation process, covers not only the outer side of the upper shell 10 facing away from the lower shell 20, but also the side wall of the lower shell 20 facing away from the central axis of the upper and lower shells 11, 21, and a portion of the side wall of the shell 20 facing away from the upper shell 10, thereby fixing the relative position between the upper and lower shells 10, 20 and also facilitating improved sealing between the upper and lower shells 10, 20. Therefore, the shape of the protective rubber shell 40 is determined by the outer shapes of the upper and lower shells 10, 20.

[0028] In addition, it can be understood that in order to improve the sealing performance of the thrust bearing, a sealing ring (not shown) can be provided between the protective rubber shell 40 and the side wall of the lower shell 21, and between the top ring 23 of the lower shell 20 and the inner side wall of the upper shell 10. This is a prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the high-performance thrust bearing provided by the present invention has the inclined surface 12 set on the upper shell 10 and the receiving groove 22 set obliquely on the lower shell 20, so that the multiple anti-friction gaskets accommodated in the receiving groove 22 are also set obliquely, thereby meeting the axial and radial load requirements of the thrust bearing. At the same time, multiple anti-friction gaskets can be made by injection molding and stamping, and then spliced ​​to form a ring, thereby minimizing material waste. In addition, the two adjacent anti-friction gaskets should be tightly against each other, and the inner diameter r of the anti-friction gasket of the annular arc structure is equal to the inner diameter of the annular accommodating groove, and the outer diameter of the anti-friction gasket of the annular arc structure is smaller than the outer diameter of the annular accommodating groove 22. At the same time, when the upper shell 10 and the lower shell 20 are combined together, the height h of the accommodating groove 22 in the cross section along the arrangement direction of the upper shell 10 and the lower shell 20 is greater than the thickness of the anti-friction gasket but less than 1.2 times the thickness of the anti-friction gasket. Therefore, when the thrust bearing rotates at a low speed, there will be no overlap between the two adjacent anti-friction gaskets. During high-speed rotation, since the accommodating groove 22 is tilted relative to the central axis, and the height h of the accommodating groove 22 is greater than the thickness of the anti-friction gasket but less than 1.2 times the thickness of the anti-friction gasket, and the outer diameter of the annular arc structure is smaller than the outer diameter of the annular accommodating groove 22, the anti-friction gasket will expand outward. At the same time, under the action of the component force generated by the tilted accommodating groove 22, the anti-friction gasket will float up, thereby not only causing friction on both sides of the anti-friction gasket to improve the friction effect, but also increasing the life of the anti-friction gasket.

[0030] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements or improvements within the spirit of the present invention are included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-performance thrust bearing, characterized by: The high-performance thrust bearing includes an upper shell, a lower shell connected to the upper shell, and a friction-reducing pad group arranged between the upper shell and the lower shell. The upper shell includes an upper shell and an inclined surface arranged on the upper shell and facing the lower shell. The angle between the inclined surface and the central axis of the upper shell is an acute angle in the cross section along the arrangement direction of the upper shell and the lower shell. The lower shell includes a lower shell and a receiving groove arranged on the lower shell and facing the lower shell. The receiving groove is rectangular in the cross section along the arrangement direction of the upper shell and the lower shell, and the rectangular The length is parallel to the inclined surface, and the anti-friction gasket group is composed of a plurality of anti-friction gaskets. Two adjacent anti-friction gaskets should be tightly abutted against each other, and each anti-friction gasket has an annular arc structure, and the inner diameter of the anti-friction gasket of the annular arc structure is equal to the inner diameter of the annular accommodating groove, and the outer diameter of the anti-friction gasket of the annular arc structure is smaller than the outer diameter of the annular accommodating groove. When the upper shell and the lower shell are combined together, the height of the accommodating groove in the cross section along the arrangement direction of the upper shell and the lower shell is greater than the thickness of the anti-friction gasket but less than 1.2 times the thickness of the anti-friction gasket.

2. The high-performance thrust bearing according to claim 1, wherein: The upper shell and the lower shell are made of thermoplastic plastic.

3. The high-performance thrust bearing according to claim 1, wherein: The angle between the length of the rectangle and the central axis of the upper shell is also an acute angle, and the value of the acute angle is equal to the value of the angle between the inclined surface and the central axis of the upper shell.

4. The high-performance thrust bearing according to claim 1, wherein: The value of the acute angle is between 35 degrees and 73 degrees.

5. The high-performance thrust bearing according to claim 1, wherein: The anti-friction pad is a flat plate structure made of thermoplastic material or thermosetting material.

6. The high-performance thrust bearing according to claim 1, wherein: The anti-friction pad is a multi-layer structure made of a metal substrate combined with a low friction coefficient and a wear-resistant non-metallic layer, and the non-metallic layer is provided on both sides of the metal substrate.

7. The high-performance thrust bearing according to claim 1, wherein: When assembling the plurality of anti-friction washers, a tool is used to press the plurality of anti-friction washers into the accommodating grooves so that two adjacent anti-friction washers are tightly pressed against each other.

8. The high-performance thrust bearing according to claim 1, wherein: Each of the anti-friction pads is provided with an oil groove.

9. The high-performance thrust bearing according to claim 1, wherein: The high-performance thrust bearing also includes a protective plastic shell covering the outer sides of the upper shell and the lower shell. The protective plastic shell not only covers the outer side of the upper shell facing away from the lower shell, but also covers the side wall of the lower shell facing away from the central axis of the upper and lower shells and part of the side wall of the shell facing away from the upper shell.

10. The high performance thrust bearing according to claim 1, wherein: The lower shell further comprises a butting ring which is arranged on the lower shell body and extends toward the upper shell, and the annular inner side wall of the upper shell butts against the butting ring.

Images