Coil spring device

Abstract

A coil spring device is provided with: a main body spring in which a wire rod extends in the vertical direction in a spiral shape around a coil axis; and a rubber or elastic insulator supporting the lower end portion of the main body spring from below the main body spring, the insulator being provided with a support groove extending around the coil axis and into which the lower end portion of the main body spring is inserted, and a support plate formed of plastic or metal material being fixed to the inner surface of the support groove. And the lower end part of the main body spring is adhered to the supporting plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to coil spring devices.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Japanese patent application No. 2022-174243 filed in Japan on October 31, 2022, and the contents are cited here. Background Art

[0003] As a coil spring device installed in a suspension device, the following structure is known in the past, which includes: a main spring whose wire extends in a spiral shape in the up-down direction around a coil axis; and an insulator made of rubber or elastic material, which supports the lower end of the main spring from below the main spring, and the insulator is provided with a support groove extending around the coil axis and into which the lower end of the main spring is inserted, and the lower end of the main spring is bonded to the inner surface of the support groove.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-15249 Summary of the invention

[0007] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] In order to fix the lower end of the main body spring to the insulator by bonding, it is necessary to preliminarily treat the inner surface of the support groove made of rubber or elastomer with a chlorine-containing agent or an organic solvent, or to remove precipitates such as wax components from the inner surface of the support groove. In this case, not only is the production time increased, but also there is a possibility of limiting the production equipment, etc.

[0009] In this invention, an object is to provide a coil spring device in which the lower end portion of a main body spring can be fixed to an insulator by bonding without performing pre-treatment such as surface treatment.

[0010] Solutions for solving problems

[0011] A coil spring device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a main body spring, whose wire extends in a spiral shape in the up-down direction around a coil axis; and an insulator made of rubber or elastic material, which supports the lower end of the main body spring from below the main body spring, wherein the insulator is provided with a support groove, the support groove extends around the coil axis and the lower end of the main body spring is inserted, and a support plate formed of a plastic or metal material is fixed to the inner surface of the support groove, and the lower end of the main body spring is bonded to the support plate.

[0012] The lower end of the main body spring is not bonded to the inner surface of the support groove made of rubber or elastic material, but bonded to the support plate formed of plastic or metal material. Therefore, even if the surface is not treated in advance with a chemical containing chlorine or an organic solvent, or precipitates such as wax components are removed, as in the case where the lower end of the main body spring is bonded to the inner surface of the support groove, the lower end of the main body spring can be reliably bonded to the support plate. Thus, even if pre-treatment such as surface treatment is not performed, the lower end of the main body spring can be fixed to the insulator by bonding.

[0013] The support plate may be configured to deform following the elastic deformation of the insulator.

[0014] The support plate fixed to the inner surface of the support groove deforms following the elastic deformation of the insulator, thereby preventing the support plate from affecting the performance of the coil spring device.

[0015] The support plate may also be bonded to the inner surface of the support groove by vulcanization.

[0016] The support plate is bonded to the inner surface of the support groove by vulcanization. Therefore, when the support plate is fixed to the inner surface of the support groove, the following steps can be omitted: pre-processing the inner surface of the support groove with, for example, a chlorine-containing agent and an organic solvent, or removing precipitates such as wax components from the inner surface of the support groove. This can prevent restrictions on production equipment and the like, and effectively reduce production man-hours.

[0017] The support plate may be formed in a semi-cylindrical shape that is open upward and is bent so as to extend around the coil axis, and the lower end portion of the main body spring may be inserted into the inner side of the support plate.

[0018] The support plate is formed into a semi-cylindrical shape extending around the coil axis, and the lower end of the main body spring is inserted into the inner side of the support plate, so that a large bonding area between the support plate and the lower end of the main body spring can be ensured.

[0019] A spacer may be provided between the support plate and the lower end portion of the main body spring, the spacer supporting the outer peripheral surface of the wire and providing a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the wire and the support plate.

[0020] A spacer is provided between the support plate and the lower end of the main body spring, so that the thickness of the adhesive layer bonding the support plate and the lower end of the main body spring can be constant, and the support plate and the lower end of the main body spring can be bonded stably and firmly.

[0021] Effects of the Invention

[0022] According to this invention, even without performing pre-processing such as surface treatment, the lower end portion of the main body spring can be fixed to the insulator by bonding. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of a coil spring device shown as one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 Yes means Figure 1 A top view of a portion of a coil spring device.

[0025] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Sectional view taken along line III-III.

[0026] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Sectional view taken along line IV-IV.

[0027] Figure 5 The first modification of the present invention is shown as Figure 3 The corresponding figure.

[0028] Figure 6 The first modification of the present invention is shown as Figure 4 The corresponding figure.

[0029] Figure 7 The second modification of the present invention is shown as Figure 3 The corresponding figure.

[0030] Figure 8 The third modification of the present invention is shown as Figure 3 The corresponding figure ( Fig. 9 (Sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII).

[0031] Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 Bottom view of . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Below, refer to Figure 1 to Figure 4 , an embodiment of the coil spring device of the present invention is described.

[0033] The coil spring device 1 includes a main body spring 11 whose wire W extends in a spiral shape in the vertical direction around a coil axis O, and an insulator 12 made of rubber or elastic material, which supports the lower end of the main body spring 11 from below the main body spring 11. The coil spring device 1 is used by being mounted on a suspension device, and the suspension device has, for example, a shock absorber inserted into the inner side of the main body spring 11 and a support seat mounted on the upper end of the shock absorber.

[0034] The main body spring 11 is configured as an expandable coil spring in which the end portion w1 of the wire W is separated from the wire W adjacent to the end portion w1 in the vertical direction from the inner side in the direction of the coil axis O. The cross-sectional shape of the wire W is equal over the entire length including the end portion w1. In the example shown in the figure, the cross-sectional shape of the wire W is circular.

[0035] In addition, as the main body spring 11, a closed coil spring can also be used in which the end portion w1 of the wire rod W abuts and overlaps with the wire rod W adjacent to the end portion w1 on the inner side of the coil axis O. In this structure, the end portion w1 of the wire rod W can also be subjected to grinding, etc., to form a flat surface extending in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the up-down direction and facing the outer side of the up-down direction. The cross-sectional shape of the wire rod W can also be, for example, a rectangle.

[0036] The insulator 12 is formed of, for example, vulcanized rubber, thermosetting elastomer, or thermoplastic elastomer. Figure 2 As shown, the insulator 12 has an arc shape extending around the coil axis O when viewed from the top and bottom. The insulator 12 extends within an angle range of 180° to 360° with the coil axis O as the center.

[0037] A support groove 13 extending around the coil axis O and into which the lower end of the main body spring 11 is inserted is provided on the upper surface of the insulator 12. The support groove 13 extends within an angle range of 180° to 360° with the coil axis O as the center.

[0038] like Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 As shown, when viewed from the top and bottom, in a radial section intersecting the coil axis O, the inner surface of the support groove 13 presents a concave curve curved along the outer peripheral surface of the wire W. The support groove 13 opens integrally toward one side along the circumferential direction around the coil axis O and upward.

[0039] In addition, the support groove 13 may have a structure that opens toward both sides in the circumferential direction or a structure that opens toward at least one side in the radial direction.

[0040] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a support plate 14 formed of a plastic or metal material is fixed to the inner surface of the support groove 13 , and the lower end portion of the main body spring 11 is bonded to the support plate 14 .

[0041] When the support plate 14 is formed of plastic, the wettability of the surface of the support plate 14 that is bonded to the lower end of the main body spring 11 as specified in JIS K6768:1999 is higher than the wettability of the inner surface of the support groove 13. Examples of plastic include epoxy resins. Plastics may also contain reinforcing fibers such as glass fibers and carbon fibers. When the support plate 14 is formed of plastic, the support plate 14 may be formed, for example, by injection molding.

[0042] When the support plate 14 is formed of a metal material, the support plate 14 may be formed, for example, by press forming, etc. When the support plate 14 is formed of a metal material, at least the surface of the support plate 14 bonded to the lower end of the main body spring 11 may be subjected to, for example, chromate treatment for rust prevention.

[0043] The support plate 14 is formed thin so that the support plate 14 elastically deforms following the elastic deformation of the insulator 12 and the rubber volume of the insulator 12 can be ensured. Alternatively, the support plate 14 may plastically deform following the elastic deformation of the insulator 12 .

[0044] The support plate 14 is bonded to the inner surface of the support groove 13 by vulcanization. That is, the support plate 14 is fixed in the cavity as an insert, and unvulcanized rubber is injected into the cavity and pressurized and heated. Thus, the support plate 14 is bonded to the inner surface of the support groove 13 by vulcanization while the insulator 12 is vulcanized.

[0045] The support plate 14 and the inner surface of the support groove 13 are not limited to being bonded by vulcanization, but may be bonded via an adhesive layer or by an anchoring effect.

[0046] The lower end of the main body spring 11 is bonded to the support plate 14 via the adhesive layer 16. Between the inner surface of the support groove 13 and the lower end of the main body spring 11, the support plate 14 and the adhesive layer 16 are stacked.

[0047] Alternatively, a through hole may be formed in the support plate 14 integrally fixed to the inner surface of the support groove 13 , and the adhesive layer 16 may be bonded to the inner surface of the support groove 13 through the through hole.

[0048] A spacer 15 is provided between the support plate 14 and the lower end portion of the main body spring 11 . The spacer 15 supports the outer peripheral surface of the wire W and spaces a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the wire W and the support plate 14 .

[0049] The spacer 15 is provided on the support plate 14 and is formed integrally with the support plate 14. The spacer 15 is formed as a protrusion extending in the radial direction. The spacer 15 extends over the entire length of the support plate 14 in the radial direction. A plurality of spacers 15 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction. A plurality of spacers 15 are provided over the entire circumferential direction of the support plate 14.

[0050] In addition, the form of the spacer 15 is not limited to the example shown in the drawings and can be changed as appropriate, and the spacer 15 may not be provided.

[0051] The support plate 14 is formed into a half-split cylinder (semi-cylindrical shape) that is open upward and bent in a manner extending around the coil axis O. The lower end of the main spring 11 is inserted into the inner side of the support plate 14. The support plate 14 is bent along the inner surface of the support groove 13 and the outer peripheral surface of the wire W in a radial cross-section. The support plate 14 is bonded to the entire inner surface of the support groove 13. The upper end opening edge of the support plate 14 is coplanar with the upper surface of the insulator 12.

[0052] The lower end of the main spring 11 is bonded to the inner surface of the support plate 14 via an adhesive layer 16. A spacer 15 is provided on the inner surface of the support plate 14. Figure 4 As shown, in a cross-section along the radial direction, the top surface of the spacer 15 extends along the inner surface of the support groove 13 and the outer peripheral surface of the wire W. The thickness of the adhesive layer 16 is equal throughout the entire region.

[0053] As described above, according to the coil spring device 1 of the present embodiment, the lower end of the main body spring 11 is not bonded to the inner surface of the support groove 13, but is bonded to the support plate 14 formed of a plastic or metal material. Therefore, even if the surface is not treated in advance with a chemical containing chlorine or an organic solvent, or precipitates such as wax components are removed, as in the case where the lower end of the main body spring 11 is not bonded to the inner surface of the support groove 13, the lower end of the main body spring 11 can be reliably bonded to the support plate 14.

[0054] Thus, even without performing pre-processing such as surface treatment, the lower end portion of the main body spring 11 can be fixed to the insulator 12 by bonding.

[0055] The support plate 14 fixed to the inner surface of the support groove 13 deforms following the elastic deformation of the insulator 12. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the support plate 14 from affecting the performance of the coil spring device 1.

[0056] The support plate 14 is bonded to the inner surface of the support groove 13 by vulcanization. Therefore, when the support plate 14 is fixed to the inner surface of the support groove 13, the following steps can be omitted: the inner surface of the support groove 13 is treated with a reagent containing chlorine or an organic solvent in advance, or the precipitate of the wax component is removed from the inner surface of the support groove 13. This can prevent restrictions on production equipment and the like, and effectively reduce production man-hours.

[0057] The support plate 14 is formed into a half-split cylinder extending around the coil axis O, and the lower end of the main body spring 11 is inserted into the support plate 14. Therefore, a large bonding area between the support plate 14 and the lower end of the main body spring 11 can be ensured.

[0058] A spacer 15 is provided between the support plate 14 and the lower end of the main body spring 11. Thus, the thickness of the adhesive layer 16 bonding the support plate 14 and the lower end of the main body spring 11 can be made constant, and the support plate 14 and the lower end of the main body spring 11 can be bonded stably and firmly.

[0059] In addition, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0060] As the support plate 14, the following structure may be adopted: for example, a structure in which a plurality of plates are arranged at intervals around the coil axis O, or Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 As shown, in the cross-section along the radial direction, the plate body is only provided on a part of the inner surface of the support groove 13.

[0061] In the latter structure, Figure 5 As shown, the inner surface of the support plate 14 is connected to the inner surface of the support groove 13 without a step difference in the cross-section along the radial direction, and the support plate 14 is embedded in the insulator 12 except for the inner surface. Figure 6 As shown, in a radial cross-section, a first protrusion 15a is formed on a portion of the inner surface of the support groove 13 where the support plate 14 is not provided, and a second protrusion 15b is formed on the inner surface of the support plate 14. The first protrusion 15a and the second protrusion 15b are connected in the radial direction to form the spacer 15. In the example shown in the figure, the support plate 14 is provided in the radial middle portion of the inner surface of the support groove 13, the first protrusion 15a is provided at both radial ends of the support groove 13, and the second protrusion 15b is sandwiched by the two first protrusions 15a in the radial direction.

[0062] The spacer 15 may be formed integrally with the insulator 12 . In this case, a through hole through which the spacer 15 is inserted is formed in the support plate 14 .

[0063] The spacer 15 may not be provided.

[0064] like Figure 7 As shown, an inner flange portion 14a protruding radially inward may be formed at the inner peripheral edge portion of the upper end portion of the support plate 14, which is located at the radial inner end, and an outer flange portion 14b protruding radially outward may be formed at the outer peripheral edge portion of the upper end portion of the support plate 14, which is located at the radial outer end.

[0065] The inner flange portion 14a and the outer flange portion 14b extend continuously over the entire length of the circumferential direction of the support plate 14. The lower surfaces of the inner flange portion 14a and the outer flange portion 14b are bonded to the upper surface of the insulator 12. The inner flange portion 14a protrudes from the upper surface of the insulator 12 toward the inner side in the radial direction, and the outer flange portion 14b protrudes from the upper surface of the insulator 12 toward the outer side in the radial direction.

[0066] When the insulator 12 is vulcanized by using the support plate 14 as an insert, the portion of each of the inner flange portion 14a and the outer flange portion 14b that protrudes radially from the upper surface of the insulator 12 is clamped by the mold surface of the forming mold in the up-down direction, so that the support plate 14 can be fixed in the cavity. At this time, the upper surfaces of the inner flange portion 14a and the outer flange portion 14b are in contact with the mold surface of the forming mold over the entire range. The lower surfaces of the inner flange portion 14a and the outer flange portion 14b are in contact with the mold surface of the forming mold over the entire range only in the portion that protrudes radially from the upper surface of the insulator 12.

[0067] like Figure 8 As shown in FIG. 1 , instead of making the inner flange portion 14a and the outer flange portion 14b protrude radially from the upper surface of the insulator 12, the lower surfaces of the inner flange portion 14a and the outer flange portion 14b may be bonded to the upper surface of the insulator 12 over the entire circumference. A recess 12a may be formed in the insulator 12 at a portion separated from the support groove 13, the recess 12a passing through the insulator 12 in the up-down direction and opening toward the lower surface of the inner flange portion 14a or the lower surface of the outer flange portion 14b. That is, the recess 12a opening toward the inner circumferential surface of the insulator 12 is provided on the inner circumferential surface side of the insulator 12, and the recess 12a opening toward the outer circumferential surface of the insulator 12 is provided on the outer circumferential surface side of the insulator 12. The recessed portion 12a provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the insulator 12 opens toward the lower surface of the inner flange portion 14a, and the recessed portion 12a provided on the outer peripheral surface side of the insulator 12 opens toward the lower surface of the outer flange portion 14b. Figure 8 as well as Fig. 9As shown, the recessed portion 12a may be open to the inner circumferential surface or the outer circumferential surface of the insulator 12, or may be a through hole that is not open to the inner circumferential surface or the outer circumferential surface of the insulator 12. A plurality of recessed portions 12a are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction. The plurality of recessed portions 12a arranged on the inner circumferential surface side of the insulator 12 and the plurality of recessed portions 12a arranged on the outer circumferential surface side of the insulator 12 are arranged at different circumferential positions.

[0068] When the insulator 12 is vulcanized and formed using the support plate 14 as an insert, the upper surface of each of the inner flange portion 14a and the outer flange portion 14b is brought into contact with the mold surface of the forming mold, and the lower surface is brought into contact with the upper end surface of the protrusion provided in the cavity and forming the recessed portion 12a. Thus, the inner flange portion 14a and the outer flange portion 14b can be clamped in the cavity in the vertical direction by the mold surface of the forming mold and the upper end surface of the protrusion, and the support plate 14 can be fixed in the cavity.

[0069] Furthermore, the components of the above-described embodiments may be appropriately converted to known components, and the above-described embodiments and modifications may be appropriately combined without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0070] The aspects of the present invention are as follows, for example.

[0071] <1>

[0072] The coil spring device has:

[0073] a main body spring whose wire material spirally extends in the up-down direction around the coil axis; and

[0074] an insulator made of rubber or elastic material, which supports the lower end of the main body spring from below the main body spring,

[0075] The insulator is provided with a support groove, the support groove extends around the coil axis and the lower end of the main body spring is inserted into the support groove.

[0076] A support plate made of plastic or metal material is fixed on the inner surface of the support groove.

[0077] The lower end portion of the main body spring is bonded to the support plate.

[0078] <2>

[0079] In the coil spring device described in <1>,

[0080] The support plate is configured to deform following the elastic deformation of the insulator.

[0081] <3>

[0082] In the coil spring device described in <1> or <2>,

[0083] The support plate is bonded to the inner surface of the support groove by vulcanization.

[0084] <4>

[0085] In the coil spring device described in any one of <1> to <3>,

[0086] The support plate is formed into a semi-cylindrical shape that is open upward and is bent so as to extend around the coil axis.

[0087] A lower end portion of the main body spring is inserted into the inner side of the support plate.

[0088] <5>

[0089] In the coil spring device described in any one of <1> to <4>,

[0090] A spacer is provided between the support plate and a lower end portion of the main body spring. The spacer supports an outer peripheral surface of the wire and spaces a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the wire and the support plate.

[0091] Industrial Applicability

[0092] According to the present invention, it is possible to enable the heat conduction characteristics to be stably exhibited as designed and to suppress damage to the heat generating element.

[0093] Description of reference numerals:

[0094] 1: Coil spring device

[0095] 11: Main spring

[0096] 12: Insulator

[0097] 13: Support slot

[0098] 14: Support plate

[0099] 15: Spacer

[0100] O: Coil axis

[0101] W: Wire

Claims

1. A coil spring device, It is characterized in that have: a main body spring whose wire material spirally extends in the up-down direction around the coil axis; and an insulator made of rubber or elastic material, which supports the lower end of the main body spring from below the main body spring, The insulator is provided with a support groove, the support groove extends around the coil axis and the lower end of the main body spring is inserted into the support groove. A support plate made of plastic or metal material is fixed on the inner surface of the support groove. The lower end portion of the main body spring is bonded to the support plate.

2. The coil spring device according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The support plate is configured to deform following the elastic deformation of the insulator.

3. The helical spring device according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The support plate is bonded to the inner surface of the support groove by vulcanization.

4. The helical spring device according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The support plate is formed into a semi-cylindrical shape that is open upward and is bent so as to extend around the coil axis. A lower end portion of the main body spring is inserted into the inner side of the support plate.

5. The helical spring device according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that A spacer is provided between the support plate and a lower end portion of the main body spring. The spacer supports an outer peripheral surface of the wire and spaces a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the wire and the support plate.

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