Filter subassembly for upper stop assembly of suspension strut of motor vehicle, and related assembly, suspension strut and method of assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to a filter subassembly (10) comprising: a filter block (20); a lower support (30) having a central portion (31) and a peripheral portion (32) surrounding the central portion (31); a cover (40) comprising a central portion (41) abutting against the upper surface (23) of the filter block (20) and a peripheral portion (42) surrounding the central portion (41) and abutting against the peripheral portion (32) of the lower support (30). The filter subassembly (10) includes a locking washer (90), a first element from the lower support (30) and the cover (40), the first element being located between the locking washer (90) and a second element from the lower support (30) and the cover (40), flaps (50) and associated notches (96) being formed on the locking washer (90) and the second element, therefore, the components can be fixed together in a manner similar to a bayonet fixing manner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the technical field of motor vehicle suspensions.

[0002] More particularly, the present invention relates to a filter subassembly for an upper stop assembly of a motor vehicle suspension, related assemblies, and suspension struts incorporating such a stop assembly, and to methods of assembling such a filter subassembly. Background Art

[0003] The suspension strut of a motor vehicle comprises a coil spring wound around a telescopic shock absorber, which is connected to the vehicle body via a multifunctional interface, known as the suspension upper stop, which integrates, inter alia, the functions of fastening to the vehicle body, rotational guidance of the coil spring and / or the upper end of the suspension strut when the wheels are turned, vibration filtering of the telescopic shock absorber rod where appropriate, and carrying the shock absorber at the end of the telescopic shock absorber rod stroke. Such a stop requires a large number of parts, some of which can be preassembled before installation on the vehicle, while others must be assembled when fastened to the vehicle.

[0004] Document EP1591691A1 gives an example of a stop on a suspension strut of the above type. The stop includes a rolling bearing, which is composed of an upper washer, a lower washer and balls rolling in raceways formed on the upper and lower washers, and also includes a rigid multifunctional component composed of a stamped sheet and an elastomer filter block located between the upper washer and the multifunctional component. The multifunctional component contains a plurality of fixing holes, each of which leads to a downward supporting wall. Nuts are welded to the supporting wall of the multifunctional component at the extension of the fixing holes. Therefore, the upper stop can be fixed to the vehicle body using screws that pass through the fixing holes and are screwed into the nuts. Before being installed on the vehicle, the stop is not a complete whole. Precautions must also be taken to prevent corrosion of the metal multifunctional component.

[0005] The upper stop assembly of a suspension strut shown in document DE 10 2009 059 168 A1 differs from the above in that the multifunctional component is made of molded plastic material and has a threaded metal insert at the fixing hole. Such a component can be lighter than a sheet metal component and is relatively resistant to rust, except at the metal insert. In practice, the production of a multifunctional component with an overmolded metal insert by injection molding results in a plastic part having a lower performance in terms of resistance to impact damping forces.

[0006] Document FR3112101A1 describes an upper stop assembly for a suspension strut that minimizes the final installation steps on the vehicle while still adapting to the requirements of high productivity. This construction is achieved by providing fixing interfaces on the multifunctional component, each of which comprises an open fixing slit on the peripheral wall of the multifunctional component, and each slit is configured to receive at least a portion of a fixing element in a direction inclined relative to the fixing axis of the rod, the arrangement of the slits ensuring that the fixing element does not escape from the slit during assembly. The construction described in this document makes it possible to avoid the step of permanently fixing the fixing element to the multifunctional component before installation on the vehicle, in particular by welding or overmolding.

[0007] Despite these advantages, there is always a drive to simplify assembly, in particular by reducing the number of parts in the upper stop assembly, which can reduce assembly operations on the one hand and the number of suppliers involved in this assembly on the other hand. Summary of the invention

[0008] The present invention aims to remedy some or all of the drawbacks present in the prior art, in particular by proposing a simple solution that minimizes the final assembly steps on the vehicle while remaining compatible with a high production rate.

[0009] To this end, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a filter subassembly for an upper stop assembly of a motor vehicle suspension strut is proposed, the filter subassembly comprising: a filter block made of elastic material, extending along a reference axis and having an interface for fixing one end of a rod of a shock absorber of a suspension strut; a lower support of the filter block, the lower support having an annular central portion that abuts against the surface of the filter and having a passage through which the end of the rod of the shock absorber passes axially, the lower support having an annular peripheral portion surrounding the annular central portion; and The filter block cover comprises a central portion abutting against the upper surface of the filter block, and a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion and abutting against the annular peripheral portion of the lower support, The filter subassembly further comprises a locking washer, a first element from the lower support and the cover, the first element being axially located between the locking washer and the second element, the second element being from the lower support and the cover, tabs and notches being formed on the locking washer and the second element, each tab formed on a component of the locking washer and the second element being associated with one of the notches formed on the other component of the locking washer and the second element, the locking washer being movable relative to the second element between the following positions: By relative translational movement between the locking washer and the second element along the reference axis, the locking washer and the second element are moved between a relatively close position and a relatively interpenetrating position, so that in the relatively interpenetrating position, each of the fixing tabs is inserted into the associated notch; By relative rotational movement between the locking washer and the second element around the reference axis, movement between the relative insertion position and the relative assembly position is achieved, so that in the relative assembly position, each fixing wing is accommodated in the circumferential extension of the associated notch and is axially retained therein by axially abutting against the edge of the associated notch.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the second element is a metal part, preferably a stamped sheet metal.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the locking washer is a metal part, preferably a stamped sheet metal.

[0012] According to one embodiment, at least some of said fixing tabs protrude from an annular peripheral portion of said second element.

[0013] According to one embodiment, at least some of said indentations are formed in said locking washer.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the peripheral portion of the first element is provided with a fixing hole associated with each fixing tab of the second element, through which the associated fixing tab passes, the peripheral portion of the first element being axially located between the annular peripheral portion of the second element and the locking washer.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the filter block is pre-mounted between the lower support and the cover of the filter block.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the lower support of the filter block is made of a single piece and of metal.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the cover of the filter block is made of plastic material, where appropriate with reinforcements or inserts.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the filter subassembly includes a device for rotationally locking the relative assembly position, and the rotational locking device preferably includes at least one elastic blade, which is configured to be at least partially inserted into one of the notches so as to rotationally lock the locking washer relative to the second element in the relative assembly position.

[0019] Preferably, the rotation locking device comprises a plurality of elastic blades, each of the elastic blades being configured to be at least partially inserted into the associated notch so as to rotationally lock the top lock washer relative to the second element in the relative assembly position.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an upper stop assembly for a motor vehicle suspension strut, the assembly comprising: Sliding or rolling bearings that define the axis of rotation; As described above, the filter subassembly abuts against the bearing directly or indirectly.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the cover of the filter block comprises a peripheral portion provided with fixing openings configured to fix the filter subassembly to a body part of the motor vehicle.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the annular portion of the motor vehicle body component is tightly fitted axially between the annular peripheral portion of the second element and the locking washer, preferably between the annular peripheral portion of the first element and the locking washer, and more preferably between the cover and the locking washer.

[0023] The invention also relates to a suspension strut for a motor vehicle, comprising a coil spring, a telescopic shock absorber and a buffer, It is characterized in that it also includes the upper stop assembly as described above.

[0024] According to another aspect, the present invention also relates to a method of assembling a filter subassembly as described above, comprising at least the following steps: by relative translational movement between the first element and the second element along the assembly axis, from a relatively close position to a relatively interpenetrating position, so that the fixing tabs are inserted into the associated notches, each of the notches being associated with one of the first element and the second element and being associated with one of the fixing tabs rigidly connected to the other of the first element and the second element; The cover is fixed to the lower support of the filter block by relative rotational movement between the first element and the second element about the assembly axis, moving from the relative insertion position to the relative assembly position so that in the relative assembly position each of the fixing tabs is accommodated in the circumferential extension of the notch associated with the relative insertion position and is axially retained therein, thereby fixing the cover to the lower support of the filter block.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the final assembly of the filter subassembly is performed simultaneously with the operation of fixing the filter subassembly to the vehicle body component. To this end, the filter subassembly is previously partially assembled and held in place by radial interference between the outer peripheral surface of the fin and the inner peripheral surface of the fixing hole of the cover. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show: Figure 1 : A cross-sectional view of the top of a motor vehicle suspension strut and a cross-sectional view of a suspension upper stop assembly of the suspension strut according to a first embodiment; Figure 2 : Figure 1 Isometric view of the components in the Figure 3 : An isometric exploded view of a suspension upper stop assembly according to a second embodiment; Figure 4 : Figure 3 A partially exploded perspective view of the stop assembly on the mid-suspension frame, wherein the filter subassembly is not exploded and shown; Figure 5 : Figure 3 A perspective and partially exploded view of the stop assembly on the center suspension; Figure 6 : Figure 3 A view of the relative interleaved position of the center suspension upper stop assembly with the retaining tabs in the associated notches and the locking washers in the unlocked position; Figure 7 : Figure 3 A view of the relative assembled position of the center suspension upper stop assembly with the retaining tabs in the associated notches and the locking washers in the locked position; Figure 8 : Figure 3 An isometric cutaway view of the center suspension upper stop assembly in a relatively close position between the lower support and the cover; Fig. 9 : Figure 7 An isometric cutaway view of the stop assembly on the center suspension; Fig.10 According to the second embodiment, Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of the top of a motor vehicle suspension strut in a relative assembly position and a cross-sectional view of a suspension upper stop assembly of the suspension strut; Fig.11 : A three-dimensional and partially exploded view of a suspension upper stop assembly according to a third embodiment; Fig.12 : Fig.11The center suspension upper stop assembly is in the unlocked position when the fixed tab is in the relevant notch and the locking washer is in the unlocked position. Isometric cutaway view of

[0027] For greater clarity, the same or similar elements are identified by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Figure 1 The upper part of the suspension strut is shown, which is supported on a body part 103, in this case in the form of an inverted truncated cone bowl. The suspension strut comprises a coil spring 105, a telescopic shock absorber 106 located inside the coil spring 105, and a suspension upper stop assembly 100, which provides an interface between the body 103 on the one hand and the coil spring 105 and the telescopic shock absorber 106 on the other hand.

[0029] Also like Figure 2 As shown, the upper stop assembly 100 includes a bearing 2 supported on an annular bearing support 80, which in turn is based on a spring filter element that is itself supported on the upper coil of a helical spring 105, and also includes a buffer 104. The assembly 100 includes an attachment part, which is located radially inside the bearing support 80, and the attachment part includes an inner skirt 84 further located radially inside the bearing 2, and the inner skirt 84 has a hook shape for the upper end of a protective bellows (not shown) of a shock absorber 106.

[0030] The upper stop assembly 100 further comprises a filter subassembly 10 which also forms a cover for the bearing 2, the filter subassembly 10 forming a filter block 20 made of elastic material, which is positioned radially and axially inside the filter subassembly 10, and also comprises a rigid single-piece lower support 30 for the filter block 20, which is located here, in particular between the filter block 20 and the bearing 2, and a cover 40 for the filter block 20.

[0031] The function of the bearing 2 is to enable the upper ring of the spiral spring 105 to rotate by guiding the bearing support 80 in rotation about the rotation axis A2 when the spiral spring 105 contracts and relaxes or when the wheel turns. Here, the bearing 2 is a rolling bearing and comprises a lower washer 4 made of stamped sheet metal, an upper washer 5 made of stamped sheet metal defining the rotation axis A2, and rolling elements 6, in this case balls, which roll on raceways 7, 8 formed on the lower washer 4 and the upper washer 5 in order to guide the lower washer 4 in rotation relative to the upper washer 5 about the rotation axis A2. The rolling bearing 2 is of the oblique contact type, and the rolling elements 6 are in contact with the radially outer area of ​​the raceway 8 of the upper washer 5 and the radially inner area of ​​the raceway 7 of the lower washer 4, the inner area being located radially inside the outer area relative to the rotation axis A2. The balls are separated and kept approximately equidistant by a cage 6'.

[0032] The suspension strut is oriented in such a manner that the assembly 100 is mostly located “under” the vehicle body 103 , and the coil spring 105 is at least partially located “under” the assembly 100 .

[0033] The annular bearing support 80 can be made, for example, of a plastic material or a metal alloy, for example aluminum by injection molding under pressure. It can be provided with or without a reinforcing insert and forms a planar annular mating surface (opposite the bearing 2 ) turned axially with respect to the axis of rotation A2 and a cylindrical guide surface directed radially outwards.

[0034] The filter block support 30 and the bearing support 80 together define a confining annular space for the bearing 2. The filter block cover 40 itself forms an outer protective skirt 49 located radially on the outside and at least partially opposite the outer peripheral surface 82 of the bearing support 80.

[0035] The filter block 20 is formed of elastic material and extends along the reference axis A1 , and has an interface 21 for fixing one end of the telescopic rod 102 of the suspension strut shock absorber 106 , which passes through the inner cavity formed in the shock absorber 104 and the channel 33 of the support 30 .

[0036] The filter block support 30 may be made of a metal alloy, such as steel or aluminum by pressure injection molding, and is preferably a single piece, i.e., integrally molded. Preferably, the support 30 is made of steel, made from stamped sheet metal. The filter block support 30 comprises a wall 34 having an upper surface 35 facing the filter block and an opposite lower surface 36 cooperating with the shock absorber 104 of the suspension. More precisely, the filter block support 30 has an annular central portion 31 that abuts against the lower surface 22 of the filter block 20 and has an axial passage 33 for the end of the rod 102 of the shock absorber 106 to pass through, and the lower support 30 also has an annular peripheral portion 32 surrounding the annular central portion 31.

[0037] In this embodiment, the rigid single-piece support 30 of the filter block 20 is formed of a stamped sheet forming a receiving bowl of the filter block 20, radially inside the bearing 2, in radial contact with said bearing 2, and in contact with a collar surrounding the bowl and placed on the bearing 2. More precisely, the lower support 30 of the filter block has a cylindrical skirt 39A configured to fit with the cylindrical portion 5A of the bearing 2 of the assembly 100, and an outer transverse shoulder 39B for abutting against the upper surface 5B of said bearing 2, so that the filter subassembly 10 is supported directly on the bearing 2.

[0038] The cylindrical skirt 39A forming a cylindrical centering portion and the outer transverse shoulder 39B forming a direct or indirect planar fit for the bearing 2 are carried by the intermediate annular portion 312 connecting the annular central portion 31 and the annular peripheral portion 32 .

[0039] The bowl-shaped structure accommodating the filter block 20 has a bottom 35 constituting an intermediate wall between the filter block 20 and the shock absorber 104. The lower surface of the intermediate wall is the support surface for the suspension shock absorber 104. The upper surface of the intermediate wall is in contact with the filter block 20, and the bottom 35 receives the filter block 20 axially against the lower surface 22 of the filter block 20.

[0040] The support 30 of the filter block, in particular the sheet metal forming the rigid one-piece support 30 here, is annular and the bottom 35 of the bowl-shaped structure has a circular opening forming a passage 33 for the end of the rod 102 of the telescopic shock absorber 106. The filter block support 30 has a rotational symmetry about a reference axis A1, which also corresponds to the reference axis of the telescopic shock absorber 106, the buffer 104 and the filter block 20 in their reference position. Here, this symmetry axis A1 is parallel to and coincides with the rotation axis A2 of the bearing 2, although other configurations are also conceivable, in particular one in which the reference axis A1 (not shown) intersects the rotation axis A2 of the bearing 2.

[0041] The filter block cover 40 is capable of compressing the filter block 20 no later than when it is mounted on the vehicle, so that the filter block 20 is preloaded between the lower support 30 and the filter block cover 40. The cover 40 can be made, for example, of a rigid plastic material, with reinforcements or inserts where appropriate. The filter block cover 40 comprises a central portion 41 that abuts against the upper surface 23 of the filter block 20, and a peripheral portion 42 surrounding the central portion 41 and abutting against the annular peripheral portion 32 of the lower support 30. The filter block cover 40 also has an outer protective skirt 49 located radially outwardly and at least partially opposite to the outer peripheral surface 82 of the bearing support 80 to define a sealing baffle 83 to protect the bearing 2.

[0042] The fixing between the cover 40 and the support 30 is achieved by fixing means for fixing the cover 40 to the filter block lower support 30. In this first embodiment, the fixing means for fixing the cover 40 to the filter block lower support 30 comprises fins 50 extending from the annular peripheral portion 32 of the lower support 30 for rigidly fixing the lower support 30, these fins 50 are distributed on the annular peripheral portion 32 of the support 30, and are preferably evenly distributed, and their number is six. Each fin 50 is hook-shaped and is configured to be able to enter a fixing position in a fixing hole 60 of the cover 40. These fixing holes 60 are located on the peripheral portion 42 of the cover 40 and are associated with the fins 50 for fixing the lower support 30. More precisely, in the fixing position, the proximal end portion 51 of the associated fixing fin 50 passes through these fixing holes 60 in the axial direction. Each fin 50 also has an associated distal portion 52 of the fixing fin 50, which extends at least along a component perpendicular to the axial direction and overlaps with a mating surface on the side of the cover 40 opposite to the peripheral portion 32 of the lower support 30, As a result, despite the preload force of the filter block 20 , the cover 40 can still be fixed to the lower support 30 of the filter block.

[0043] The filter subassembly 10 also comprises a locking washer 90. The locking washer 90 is here made of metal and is made of stamped sheet metal. In the assembled position, the cover 40 is axially located between the locking washer 90 and the lower support 30, on which the pair of tabs 50 and the notch 96 are formed. It should be noted that, according to a variant not shown here, a configuration can also be obtained in which the lower support 30 is axially located between the locking washer 90 and the cover 40.

[0044] The cover 40 is secured to the lower support 30 by the engagement of the securing tabs 50 with the notches 96 in a manner similar to a bayonet-type securement. In practice, the assembly of the filter subassembly 10 is performed in a mechanical sequence of a series of appropriate movements.

[0045] Specifically, the filter subassembly 10 includes a plurality of fixing tabs 50 configured to cooperate with associated notches 96. Each tab 50 of the locking washer 90 is fixed to one of the locking washer 90 and a second element, and the notch 96 is formed on the other of the locking washer 90 and the second element. In this way, the cooperation of each fixing tab 50 with the associated notch 96 enables the two elements to be assembled together, with the first of the two elements (either the lower support 30 or the cover 40) being located between the locking washer 90 and the second of the two elements (either the lower support 30 or the cover 40).

[0046] The cooperation of the fixing tabs 50 with the associated notches 96 ensures that the filter subassembly 10 is locked at least in the axial direction, while the rotational locking is ensured by specially adapted elastic locking means.

[0047] In this embodiment, each tab 50 is formed on the lower support 30 and is associated with one of the notches 96 formed on the locking washer 90. Thus, the filter subassembly 10 includes the same number of retaining tabs 50 as the number of notches 96.

[0048] In a first step, during assembly, the cover 40 is positioned so that it is axially located between the locking washer 90 and the lower support 30. The locking washer 90 and the lower support 30 are movable relative to each other between a relatively close position and a relatively interpenetrated position. This movement is achieved by a relative translation movement between the locking washer 90 and the lower support 30 along the reference axis A1, so that in the relatively interpenetrated position, each fixing tab 50 is inserted in the associated notch 96.

[0049] In a second step, to complete the assembly and once the relative interpenetration position is reached, the locking washer 90 and the lower support 30 are They are movable relative to each other between a relative insertion position and a relative assembly position. This movement is achieved by a relative rotational movement between the locking washer 90 and the filter block lower support 30 about the reference axis A1, so that in the relative assembly position, each fixing fin 50 is housed in the circumferential extension of the associated notch 96 and is axially retained therein by axially abutting against the edge of the associated notch.

[0050] The notches 96 can have a variety of forms. However, they each have a first portion 961 extending parallel to the reference axis A1 and having an opening dimensioned to allow the axial profile of the fin 50 to pass therethrough, and a second portion 962 extending from the first portion 961 in a circumferential direction relative to the reference axis A1 of the filter subassembly 10.

[0051] In the process of moving from the relatively close position to the relatively interpenetrating position, the distal end portion 52 of each hook head-forming fin 50 axially passes through the fixing hole 60 associated with the fixing fin 50 of the lower support 30, and then passes through the first portion 961 associated with each notch 96. In the interpenetrating position, the proximal end portion 51 of each hook base-forming fixing fin 50 passes through the first portion 961 associated with each notch 96.

[0052] Then, during the movement from the relative insertion position to the relative assembly position, the proximal end portion 51 of each wing 50 The second portion 962 of the notch 96 is rotated relative to the profile of each fixing tab 50 (particularly relative to the profile of each associated distal portion 52) and is accommodated in the circumferential extension 962 of the associated notch 96. The reduced cross-section of the second portion 962 forming the notch 96 relative to the axial extension of the first portion 961 provides axial engagement for the distal portion 52 of the associated fixing tab 50. In this way, in the relative assembly position, the distal portion 52 of each associated fixing tab 50 extends at least along a component perpendicular to the axial direction and overlaps with an associated mating surface on the side of the cover 40 opposite to the peripheral portion 32 of the lower support 30.

[0053] The bearing surface is provided here by a locking washer 90 , so that each fixing tab 50 is held axially by the locking washer 90 in the relative assembly position, thereby fixing the cover 40 to the lower support 30 of the filter block.

[0054] Of course, the size of the fixing hole 60 of the cover 40 is designed so that when the filter subassembly 10 is moved from the relative insertion position to the relative assembly position, there will be no restriction on this rotational movement, and the peripheral portion 42 of the cover 40 carrying the fixing hole 60 is axially located between the annular peripheral portion 32 of the lower support 30 and the locking washer 90.

[0055] The filter subassembly 10 also includes a rotation locking device 59 relative to the assembly position to prevent reverse rotation. In this embodiment, the rotation locking device 59 is integral with the component without the fixing fin 50 (ie, the cover 40).

[0056] These rotation locking devices 59 include at least one elastic blade, preferably a plurality of elastic blades, and preferably the number of elastic blades is the same as the number of wings 50.

[0057] Each elastic blade is located adjacent to one of the fixing fins 50 in the circumferential direction and extends from the base to the blade head extending in the circumferential direction and the axial component, thereby protruding axially on one side of the relevant fin 50. At the same time, the fin axially passes through the fixing hole 60 of the cover 40 and then enters the notch 96, and each relevant blade extending in the circumferential direction from the circumferential edge of the corresponding fixing hole 60 is also inserted into the associated notch 96 to form an obstacle to the rotation of the locking washer 90 when it is in the relative assembly position. These blades are formed by stamping.

[0058] In the insertion position, each wing 50 is inserted into the first portion 961 of the associated notch 96, and the elastic blade is forced to rest against the lower surface of the locking washer 90. During the rotational movement about the reference axis A1 from the insertion position to the relative assembly position, the proximal portion 51 of each wing 50 is rotated and accommodated in the second portion 962 of the notch 96, vacating a space in the first portion 961 of the notch 96, in which the elastic blade appears in the relative assembly position, and the elastic release allows the corresponding blade to enter the space defined by the first portion 961 of the notch 96. In this position, the head of each locking blade 59 forms an obstruction in the associated notch 96, and each head is placed within the thickness of the locking washer 90 to prevent any rotation that could allow it to move from the relative assembly position to the insertion position.

[0059] In the assembly method, during the step of moving from the relatively close position to the relatively interpenetrated position, the translation of the cover 40 and the support 30 brings the two components closer to each other, with the filter block 20 located between the two components. It is during this step that the filter block 20 is compressed by the cover 40 and the lower support 30, so that the filter block 20 is preloaded between the lower support 30 and the filter block cover 40. Then, during the process of moving from the relatively interpenetrated position to the relative assembly position, the relative rotation of the cover 40 and the lower support 30 enables axial locking of the filter subassembly 10 and the compressed position of the filter block 20 to ensure the preload.

[0060] Thus, generally speaking, the filter subassembly includes a first element in the lower support 30 or cover 40, the first element being axially located between a locking washer 90 and a second element in the lower support 30 or cover 40, the locking washer 90 and the second element having tabs 50 and notches 96 formed thereon, each retaining tab 50 formed on one of the locking washer 90 and the second element being associated with one of the notches 96 formed on the other, and a method of assembling the filter subassembly 10 including at least the following steps: by a relative translation movement between the first and second elements along the assembly axis A1, from a relatively close position to a relatively interpenetrating position, so that the fixing tabs 50 are inserted into the associated notches 96, each notch 96 being associated with one of the first and second elements and with one of the fixing tabs 50 rigidly connected to the other of the first and second elements; The cover 40 is fixed to the lower support 30 of the filter block by relative rotational movement between the first and second elements about the assembly axis A1, from the relative insertion position to the relative assembly position, so that in the relative assembly position, each fixing wing 50 is received in the circumferential extension of the notch 96 associated with the relative insertion position and is axially retained therein, thereby fixing the cover 40 to the lower support 30 of the filter block.

[0061] In the embodiment shown, the first element is the cover 40 and the second element is the lower support 30. However, in a variant not shown, the first element may be the support 30 and the second element the filter block cover 40. In this case, the annular portion 1031 of the motor vehicle body part 103 is clamped axially between the annular peripheral portion of the cover 40 and the locking washer 90.

[0062] In other variants, also not shown, the fixing tabs 50 and the notches 96 may be distributed both on the first element and on the second element.

[0063] According to this embodiment, the final assembly of the filter subassembly 10 is performed simultaneously with the operation of fixing the filter subassembly 10 to the vehicle body component 103. To this end, the filter subassembly 10 is partially assembled in advance and is held in place by radial interference between the outer peripheral surface of the fin 50 and the inner peripheral surface of the fixing hole 60 of the cover 40.

[0064] In this case, the cover 40 and the support element 30 are fastened to the body part 103 of the motor vehicle via the fastening opening 44 independently of the filter subassembly 10 .

[0065] The cover 40 is suitable for fixing the upper stop assembly 100 to the body 103 of the vehicle. To this end, it comprises a plurality of fixing interfaces distributed around the periphery of the cover 40, in this embodiment there are three, but there may be more or fewer. Each fixing interface comprises an opening 44, which in this embodiment is a threaded hole that functions as a nut for receiving a fixing screw, but where appropriate it may also be a hole for receiving other fixing means (such as a rivet) or a screw / nut assembly. In order to securely fix the fixing screw, the threaded interface as a nut is made of metal, which is realized by an insert locally attached at each opening 44 in the plastic material of the cover 40.

[0066] In this embodiment, the nut constituting the fixing element is "T" shaped in cross section to maximize the structural strength of the nut embedded in the plastic material of the cover 40. Alternatively, fixing elements of different shapes are also conceivable, such as parallelepiped shape.

[0067] Figures 3 to 10 A second embodiment is shown. This second embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in that the filter subassembly 10 comprises fixing means for fixing the cover 40 to the filter block lower support 30, which are combined with the fixing of the filter subassembly 10 to the motor vehicle body part 103. Here, the filter block 20 is still preloaded between the lower support 30 and the filter block cover 40.

[0068] In contrast, in the first embodiment, the cover 40 is fixed to the body part 103 of the motor vehicle independently of the filter subassembly 10 through the opening 44 , thereby achieving fixation with the filter block lower support 30 .

[0069] In this second embodiment, the fixing opening 44 for directly or indirectly fixing the filter subassembly 10 to the motor vehicle body part 103 is formed by the fixing hole 60 associated with the fixing tab 50 of the lower support 30. In this way, the fixing function is combined into a single opening, minimizing the number of holes and fixing interfaces on the cover 40.

[0070] In this embodiment, the motor vehicle body part 103 to which the filter subassembly 10 is fixed has an annular portion 1031 which is tightly fitted in the axial direction between the annular peripheral portion 42 of the cover 40 and the locking washer 90. Under such a configuration, the locking washer 90 is located above the cover 40 to fix it as in the first embodiment, and has some openings which are arranged to be opposite to each hole 60 for fixing the cover 40, and each opening can be passed by an elastic locking device to lock the assembly position.

[0071] Fig.11 and Fig.12 A third embodiment is shown. This third embodiment differs from the second embodiment mainly in that the annular portion 1031 of the motor vehicle body part 103 to which the filter subassembly 10 is fixed has no opening, but is fixed by simply being clamped axially between the annular peripheral portion 42 of the cover 40 and the locking washer 90.

[0072] The annular portion 1031 of the body part 103 is arranged radially outwards relative to the lower support 30. The centering of the annular portion 1031 relative to the reference axis A1 is ensured by the radial inner edge of the annular portion 1031 and the annular shape, which is configured to cooperate with the radial outer edge of a set of fixing fins 50, or even to adapt thereto, so as to form a load-bearing area defined in a circle of complementary size. In this way, the fixing fins 50 are radially surrounded by the annular portion 1031 of the body part 103. Around, in the event of radial displacement, the annular portion 1031 is able to come into contact with the fixing tab 50 , thereby keeping it coaxial with the reference axis A1 . It should be noted that the conical portion of the cover 40 also has a centering function in the body part 103 .

[0073] Of course, the foregoing describes the present invention by way of example. It will be appreciated that those skilled in the art can produce different variant embodiments of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0074] For example, the shape of the notch can be varied without changing its function.

[0075] It should be emphasized that all features conveyed to a person skilled in the art from the present disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims, although they are described with respect to other specific features, can be combined with other features or feature groups disclosed herein, either alone or in any combination, as long as they are not explicitly excluded and there are no technical circumstances that make such a combination impossible or unreasonable.

Claims

1. A filter subassembly (10) for an upper stop assembly (100) of a motor vehicle suspension strut, the filter subassembly (10) comprising: a filter block (20) made of elastic material, extending along a reference axis (A1) and having an interface (21) for fixing one end of a rod (102) of a shock absorber (106) of the suspension strut; The lower support (30) of the filter block has an annular central portion (31) which abuts against the lower surface (22) of the filter block (20) and through which the end of the rod (102) of the shock absorber (106) passes axially, and the lower support (30) has an annular peripheral portion (32) surrounding the annular central portion (31); and The filter block cover (40) comprises a central portion (41) abutting against the upper surface (23) of the filter block (20), and a peripheral portion (42) surrounding the central portion (41) and abutting against the annular peripheral portion (32) of the lower support (30), Characterized in that the filter subassembly (10) further includes a locking washer (90), a first element from the lower support (30) and the cover (40), the first element being axially located between the locking washer (90) and a second element, the second element being from the lower support (30) or the cover (40), tabs (50) and notches (96) being formed on the locking washer (90) and the second element, each of the fixing tabs (50) formed on one of the locking washer (90) and the second element being associated with one of the notches (96) formed on the other of the locking washer and the second element, the locking washer (90) being movable relative to the second element between the following positions: By relative translational movement between the locking washer (90) and the second element along the reference axis (A1), the locking washer (90) and the second element are moved between a relatively close position and a relatively interpenetrating position, so that in the relatively interpenetrating position, each of the fixing tabs (50) is inserted into the associated notch (96); By relative rotational movement between the locking washer (90) and the second element about the reference axis (A1), the relative insertion position is moved to the relative assembly position, so that in the relative assembly position, each fixing wing (50) is accommodated in the circumferential extension of the associated notch (96) and is axially retained therein by axially abutting against the edge of the associated notch.

2. The filter subassembly (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that The second element is a metal component, preferably a stamped sheet metal.

3. The filter subassembly (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The locking washer (90) is a metal component, preferably a stamped sheet metal.

4. The filter subassembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that At least one of the fixing tabs (50) projects from an annular peripheral portion (32) of the second element.

5. The filter subassembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that At least one of the notches (96) is formed on the locking washer (90).

6. The filter subassembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The peripheral portion (42) of the first element is provided with a fixing hole (60) associated with each fixing tab (50) of the second element and passed through by the associated fixing tab, and the peripheral portion (42) of the first element is axially located between the annular peripheral portion (32) of the second element and the locking washer (90).

7. The filter subassembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The filter block (20) is preloaded between the lower support (30) and the cover (40) of the filter block.

8. The filter subassembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The lower support (30) of the filter block is made from a single piece of metal.

9. The filter subassembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The cover (40) of the filter block is made of plastic material, with reinforcements or inserts where appropriate.

10. The filter subassembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that A device (59) for rotationally locking the relative assembly position is included, and the rotationally locking device (59) preferably includes at least one elastic blade, which is configured to be at least partially inserted into one of the notches (96) so as to rotationally lock the locking washer (90) relative to the second element in the relative assembly position.

11. An upper stop assembly (100) for a suspension strut (101) of a motor vehicle, the assembly comprising: a plain or rolling bearing (2) defining an axis of rotation (A2); The filter subassembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, the filter subassembly (10) directly or indirectly abuts against the bearing (2).

12. The upper stop assembly (100) according to claim 11, characterized in that: The cover (40) of the filter block comprises a peripheral portion (42) provided with fixing openings (60, 44) configured to fix the filter subassembly (10) to a body part (103) of the motor vehicle.

13. The upper stop assembly (100) according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: The annular portion (1031) of the body component (103) of the motor vehicle is tightly fitted in the axial direction between the annular peripheral portion (32) of the second element and the locking washer (90), preferably between the annular peripheral portion (42) of the first element and the locking washer (90), and more preferably between the cover (40) and the locking washer (90).

14. A suspension strut (101) for a motor vehicle, comprising a coil spring (105), a telescopic shock absorber (106) and a buffer (104), characterized in that: It also comprises an upper stop assembly (100) according to any one of claims 11 to 13.

15. A method of assembling a filter subassembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising at least the following steps: by relative translational movement between the first element and the second element along the assembly axis (A1), from the relative proximity position to the relative penetration position, so that the fixing tabs (50) are inserted into the associated notches (96), each of the notches (96) being associated with one of the first element and the second element and with one of the fixing tabs (50) rigidly connected to the other of the first element and the second element; by relative rotational movement between the first element and the second element about the assembly axis (A1), moving from the relative insertion position to the relative assembly position, so that in the relative assembly position each fixing tab (50) is received in a circumferential extension of the notch (96) associated with the relative insertion position and is axially retained therein, The cover (40) is thereby fixed to the lower support (30) of the filter block.

16. The method of assembling a filter subassembly (10) according to claim 15, characterized in that: Final assembly of the filter subassembly (10) is performed simultaneously with the operation of securing the filter subassembly (10) to a vehicle body component (103).

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