Shock absorber bearing and method for calculating arc length of lubricating fabric of shock absorber bearing

Abstract

The invention provides a shock absorber bearing which comprises a bearing seat connected with a shock absorber supporting column, a swing groove is formed in the bearing seat, a rolling seat capable of circumferentially swinging in a sliding groove is arranged in the swing groove in a sliding mode, and the end, opposite to the bearing seat, of the rolling seat is fixed to a vehicle body. The invention further provides a calculation mode of the arc length of the lubricating fabric so as to adapt to the swing range of the rolling seat. The bearing seat has the beneficial effects that through the design of the swing groove in the bearing seat and the rolling seat capable of swinging in the circumferential direction, when a vehicle bears lateral force, the rolling seat can conduct self-aligning motion, the lateral force is effectively absorbed and dispersed, and therefore the problems of abrasion and abnormal sound of bearing parts are reduced, meanwhile, the overall structure is simplified, and the cost is reduced. And the durability and the reliability of the suspension system are improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a kind of shock absorber bearings and its lubrication fabric arc length calculation method. BACKGROUND

[0002] Mcpherson shock absorber as a kind of classic independent suspension system, widely used in the front wheel drive structure of modern automobile, especially in compact car and urban SUV occupies an important position. Its main function is to absorb the impact of uneven road, and through the combination of spring and shock absorber to realize the vertical movement of wheel buffer, while being connected with steering knuckle to support steering operation. In the system, the thrust ball bearing is installed on the upper end of shock absorber and the vehicle body connection, its core role is to bear the weight of vehicle and the axial load generated in driving, and allow shock absorber to rotate relative to the vehicle body when steering, so as to ensure the flexibility and stability of steering mechanism. In the process of use, when the vehicle turns or encounters bumps, the thrust ball bearing transmits axial force through its ball structure and reduces friction to maintain the smoothness and control response of driving. This design is simple and efficient, but its carrying capacity may face challenges under complex working conditions.

[0003] However, the thrust ball bearing used in the Mcpherson shock absorber in the prior art has obvious defects, mainly reflected in the difficulty in effectively bearing the lateral force generated when the vehicle body rotates. Since the thrust ball bearing is mainly optimized for the transmission of axial load, when the vehicle turns sharply or changes lanes at high speed, lateral force will be applied to the bearing, causing uneven stress on its balls and tracks, which can easily cause premature wear, noise increase and even jamming problems. This not only affects the durability and reliability of the suspension system, but also may reduce the safety and control stability of the vehicle under extreme driving conditions, and the multi-directional carrying capacity of the bearing needs to be improved through structural improvement. SUMMARY

[0004] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the present application provides a shock absorber bearing that can solve the problem of bearing noise caused by lateral force of shock absorber and simplify the structure.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical scheme of the present application is as follows: a shock absorber bearing, comprising a bearing seat connected to a shock absorber strut, the bearing seat is provided with a swing groove, a rolling seat capable of circumferential swing in the swing groove is slidably arranged in the swing groove, and the end of the rolling seat away from the bearing seat is fixed to the vehicle body.

[0006] The beneficial effects of the present application are: through the design of the swing groove on the bearing seat and the circumferentially swingable rolling seat, when the vehicle bears lateral force, the rolling seat can perform centering movement, effectively absorbing and dispersing lateral force, thereby reducing the wear and abnormal sound problems of the bearing parts, while simplifying the overall structure, improving the durability and reliability of the suspension system. As a preferred mode, the rolling seat can adopt a hemispherical head structure, which cooperates with the arc-shaped inner wall of the swing groove, and under the action of lateral force, the rolling seat can slide along the arc-shaped trajectory to realize automatic centering and avoid stress concentration. As another preferred mode, a low-friction polymer liner can be provided in the swing groove, and when the rolling seat contacts the liner, smooth sliding is generated, further reducing the friction resistance and ensuring smooth swing without the need for a complex lubrication system. This design not only solves the problem of premature wear and jamming of the existing thrust ball bearing due to lateral force during sharp turning or high-speed lane changing, but also enhances the multidirectional load carrying capacity through structural optimization, improving the safety and control stability of the vehicle under extreme driving conditions.

[0007] Further, the bearing seat comprises an upper bearing seat and a lower bearing seat, the lower bearing seat is fixed with the shock absorber strut, the swing groove is formed between the upper bearing seat and the lower bearing seat, and the inner side surface of the swing groove in contact with the rolling seat is spherical.

[0008] By dividing the bearing seat into an upper seat and a lower seat and forming a spherical swing groove between the two, the smooth swing of the rolling seat is facilitated, reducing friction and wear, thereby improving the response speed and life of the bearing. As a preferred mode, the upper bearing seat and the lower bearing seat can adopt a split casting structure, and the spherical inner wall is finely ground to match the spherical outer contour of the rolling seat, so that the rolling seat can slide freely along the spherical surface under the action of lateral force, realizing multi-angle centering. As another preferred mode, the spherical inner wall can be embedded in an elastic buffer layer, such as polyurethane material, which provides a buffering effect during swing, reducing noise and vibration caused by hard contact. This spherical design not only optimizes the swing efficiency, but also facilitates manufacturing and assembly through the split structure, reducing production costs, while enhancing the adaptability and reliability of the bearing under variable loads.

[0009] Further, the upper bearing seat and the lower bearing seat are provided with a contact step, and the upper bearing seat and the lower bearing seat are fixed by spot welding at the contact step.

[0010] By means of the contact step and spot welding, the combination between the upper bearing seat and the lower bearing seat is ensured to be firm, and the strength and durability of the overall structure are improved, preventing loosening or separation under load. As a preferred mode, the contact step can be designed as an interlocking concave-convex structure, and the spot welding positions are uniformly distributed around the step, forming a high-strength connection through local fusion to enhance the tensile and shear resistance. As another preferred mode, automatic spot welding equipment is used to weld at multiple key points of the step, ensuring that the welds are uniform and consistent in depth, thereby providing stable binding force to adapt to high-frequency oscillation conditions. This fixing method not only simplifies the assembly process, but also reduces component fatigue caused by vibration through reliable connection, prolonging the service life of the bearing.

[0011] Further, a gap is formed between the rolling seat and the inner side of the oscillation groove.

[0012] The gap cooperation enables the rolling seat not only to oscillate circumferentially, but also to oscillate axially within a certain angle, providing additional buffering capacity to avoid component damage and abnormal noise caused by hard impact. As a preferred mode, the gap can be uniformly distributed in a ring shape, and the outer surface of the rolling seat is filled with a micro-porous elastomer such as a silicone ring between the inner wall of the oscillation groove, which compresses and absorbs impact energy when oscillating in the plane, achieving soft limiting. As another preferred mode, the rolling seat can be designed as a multi-segment structure, each segment being connected by a hinge to produce segmented deformation when oscillating in the gap, further dispersing stress and preventing local overload. This gap cooperation not only improves the flexibility and impact resistance of the bearing, but also reduces noise and vibration when making sharp turns or changing lanes through the buffering mechanism, prolonging the service life of the bearing.

[0013] Further, a rolling space is formed between the rolling seat and the bottom of the oscillation groove for the rolling seat to oscillate circumferentially in the oscillation groove, and the rolling seat is in contact with the bottom of the oscillation groove to limit the rolling seat.

[0014] The rolling seat in contact with the bottom of the oscillation groove can form limiting on the opposite side of the rolling seat to prevent it from continuously tilting up. The rolling space and limiting design ensure that the rolling seat oscillates circumferentially within a predetermined range, preventing components from being dislodged or damaged due to excessive movement, improving the stability and safety of the bearing. As a preferred mode, the bottom of the oscillation groove can be provided with a raised annular limiting ring, and the bottom of the rolling seat is correspondingly provided with a groove. When oscillating to the limit position, the groove contacts the limiting ring to achieve mechanical stop, avoiding accidental displacement. As another preferred mode, the rolling space can be adjusted by installing an elastic gasket on the groove bottom, which provides reverse support when the rolling seat oscillates, ensuring that the oscillation angle is controllable and smooth. This limiting mechanism not only optimizes the dynamic performance of the bearing, but also achieves reliable protection through a simple structure, reducing the risk of failure caused by excessive oscillation under extreme driving conditions.

[0015] Further, the rolling seat is provided with lubricating fabric between the inner side surface of the two ends of the swing groove, and the rolling seat rotates circumferentially between the lubricating fabrics on both sides.

[0016] By setting the lubricating fabric at the contact position between the rolling seat and the inner side surface of the swing groove, a solid lubrication interface is constructed, effectively replacing the direct metal contact between the rolling seat and the inner side surface of the swing groove, significantly reducing the friction coefficient when the two rotate circumferentially, reducing the wear between metals, and prolonging the service life of the key components of the shock absorber bearing. At the same time, the solid lubrication method does not need to be replenished as frequently as liquid lubrication, reducing the maintenance frequency and cost, and avoiding the pollution problem caused by leakage of liquid lubricant during vehicle driving, and maintaining stable lubrication performance under complex working conditions such as high and low temperature and dust, preventing abnormal noise due to lubrication failure, and ensuring the quietness and smoothness of the shock absorber bearing operation. As a preferred way, PTFE can be used as lubricating fabric, which is cut into a sheet structure that matches the curvature of the inner side surface of the two ends of the swing groove, and is pasted on the inner side surface of the swing groove by using high-temperature resistant epoxy adhesive, to ensure that the lubricating fabric is closely attached to the contact surface, and when the rolling seat rotates, it can form a uniform lubricating film on the contact surface, further reducing the friction resistance; as another preferred way, a carbon fiber reinforced polyimide based lubricating fabric is used, which is cut and has multiple micro positioning holes at the edges, which are fixed by cooperating with the pre-set micro positioning protrusions on the inner side surface of the swing groove, to avoid displacement of the lubricating fabric during long-term rotation of the rolling seat, and to ensure the persistence of the lubrication effect.

[0017] Further, the bearing upper seat and the bearing lower seat are provided with first and second planes arranged horizontally on both sides of the swing groove, and the swing space for the rolling seat to swing circumferentially is formed between the first and second planes.

[0018] The horizontally arranged first plane and the second plane provide clear and stable movement boundaries for the circumferential swing of the rolling seat, the swing space formed can accurately match the swing track of the rolling seat, avoid the rolling seat from appearing lateral deviation or jamming during the swing process, ensure the rolling seat always rotates smoothly along the preset direction, and further ensure the stability of the overall operation of the shock absorber bearing. At the same time, the plane structure has low processing difficulty, and the planeness and parallelism of high precision can be easily realized by mechanical processing, which reduces the production and manufacturing difficulty of the upper seat and the lower seat of the bearing, and the plane structure is easy to position and align during assembly, which improves the assembly efficiency of the shock absorber bearing. In addition, the first plane and the second plane can also play a certain axial limiting role on the rolling seat, preventing the rolling seat from moving in the axial direction, further enhancing the structural stability of the shock absorber bearing. As a preferred mode, an arc-shaped guide edge can be machined near the edge of the first plane close to the swing space, the curvature of the guide edge is consistent with the curvature of the rolling seat swing track, when the rolling seat swings close to the edge of the plane, the guide edge can fine-tune the movement direction of the rolling seat, avoiding rigid collision between the rolling seat and the plane edge; as another preferred mode, a plurality of micro heat dissipation holes are uniformly arranged on the second plane, the heat dissipation holes penetrate the second plane, the friction heat generated during the swing process of the rolling seat can be quickly dissipated to the outside through the heat dissipation holes, preventing heat from accumulating in the swing space and causing the performance of the lubricating fabric to decrease, prolonging the effective working time of the lubricating fabric.

[0019] Further, the rolling seat is provided with a limiting abutting inclined surface radially outside the center of the bearing upper seat, the bearing upper seat is provided with a limiting abutting arc surface radially outside the center of the swing groove, and the limiting abutting inclined surface and the limiting abutting arc surface are in contact to form a limit in the circumferential rotation direction of the rolling seat.

[0020] By the contact fit of the inclined surface and the arc surface, the circumferential rotation angle of the rolling seat can be accurately limited, so as to avoid that the rolling seat exceeds the design range due to the too large swing angle, resulting in damage to the internal structure of the shock absorber bearing or interference with the surrounding components, and to ensure the safe operation of the shock absorber bearing. At the same time, the contact form of the limiting abutting inclined surface and the arc surface is curved surface contact, compared with the plane contact, the contact area is larger, and the impact force when the rolling seat swings to the limit position can be uniformly dispersed to the contact area, avoiding that the local pressure is too large to cause damage to the rolling seat or the bearing upper seat, prolonging the service life of the components. In addition, the curved surface structure of the arc surface can gradually increase the contact force when the rolling seat approaches the limiting position, realize the buffering effect, prevent the abnormal noise caused by rigid collision, and improve the comfort during vehicle driving. As a preferred mode, a fine net texture is processed on the limiting abutting inclined surface, the net texture can store a small amount of lubricating substances, when the inclined surface and the arc surface are in contact, the stored lubricating substances can form an auxiliary lubricating layer on the contact surface, reducing the friction and wear when the two are in relative contact; as another preferred mode, a layer of polyether ether ketone wear-resistant coating is sprayed on the surface of the limiting abutting arc surface, the polyether ether ketone material has excellent wear resistance and impact resistance, which can further enhance the damage resistance of the arc surface, and at the same time reduce the friction coefficient when the inclined surface and the arc surface are in contact, to ensure the smooth realization of the limiting effect.

[0021] The application also provides a lubricating fabric arc length calculation method, which is implemented according to the following steps: S1, determining the movement ball center of the rolling seat circumferential swing through the axial center line of the axial installation diameter D of the shock absorber bearing and the radial installation height C; S2, determining the starting angle θ of the two lubricating fabric arc lengths through the radial installation height C and the rotation radius R0 between the movement ball center and the outer side surface of the rolling seat close to the axial outer side of the swing groove min ; S3, determining the terminal angle θ of the two lubricating fabric arc lengths according to the swing range of the rolling seat max ; S4, determining the arc length of the lubricating fabric on the inner and outer sides of the rolling seat respectively according to the rotation radius R0 between the movement ball center and the outer side surface of the rolling seat close to the axial outer side of the swing groove and the rotation radius R1 between the movement ball center and the inner side surface of the rolling seat close to the axial inner side of the swing groove.

[0022] This calculation method, based on the core structural parameters of the shock absorber bearing, can accurately determine the required arc length of the lubricating fabric. This avoids insufficient lubrication in certain areas during the rolling seat's oscillation due to an excessively short arc length, or material waste and assembly interference due to an excessively long arc length. It ensures the compatibility of the lubricating fabric with the rolling seat and oscillation groove, maximizing its lubrication effect. Furthermore, the calculation method based on structural parameters guarantees the coordination between the arc length design and the overall bearing structure, preventing improper lubricating fabric dimensions from affecting the overall performance of the shock absorber bearing and providing reliable assurance for subsequent assembly and use. As a preferred method, when determining the initial angle θmin in step S2, the assembly clearance parameters of the rolling seat and oscillation groove are used for correction. The assembly clearance value is incorporated into the calculation of the rotation radius, making the determination of the initial angle more closely match the actual assembly state and further improving the accuracy of the arc length calculation. As another preferred method, when calculating the arc length in step S4, the compression deformation coefficient of the lubricating fabric is introduced. The calculated arc length is fine-tuned based on the compression characteristics of the lubricating fabric material, ensuring that the lubricating fabric can still completely cover the required lubrication area after actual assembly and compression, avoiding lubrication failure due to deformation. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention (in which the rolling seat oscillates circumferentially in the plane containing the X-axis and Z-axis). Figure 3 This is a detailed view of the fit between the rolling seat and the swing groove in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a dimensioning diagram for calculating the arc length of a lubricating fabric in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0024] An embodiment of the present invention provides a shock absorber bearing, such as Figures 1-4 As shown: The bearing mainly includes a bearing housing 1, which is used to connect with the shock absorber strut. The shock absorber strut is a common component in the prior art, used to transmit forces from the vehicle suspension system. A swing groove 13 is provided on the bearing housing 1, and a rolling seat 2 is slidably installed within the swing groove 13. The rolling seat 2 can swing circumferentially within the swing groove 13. The end of the rolling seat 2 away from the bearing housing 1 is fixedly connected to the vehicle body (the vehicle structure). Through this design, the rolling seat 2 can swing within a certain range to absorb lateral forces.

[0025] The bearing seat 1 is composed of an upper bearing seat 11 and a lower bearing seat 12, the lower bearing seat 12 is fixedly connected with the shock absorber strut, a swing groove 13 is formed between the upper bearing seat 11 and the lower bearing seat 12 and is used for placing the rolling seat 2, a clearance fit is formed between the rolling seat 2 and the inner side surface 131 of the swing groove 13, a lubricating fabric 132 is arranged in the clearance, the rolling seat 2 is circumferentially swung in the swing groove 13 by being in contact with the lubricating fabric 132, the inner side surface 131 of the swing groove 13 in contact with the rolling seat 2 and the inner side surface of the lubricating fabric 132 in contact with the rolling seat 2 are all designed as spherical surfaces, the two spherical inner side surfaces help the rolling seat 2 to more smoothly adjust the position when swinging, reduce friction and abnormal sound. This makes the rolling seat 2 not only able to circumferentially swing, but also able to realize axial plane swinging at a certain angle, in the swinging process, the rolling seat 2 will not directly and rigidly collide on the swing groove 13, but is buffered by the clearance and the lubricating fabric 132, thereby protecting the bearing structure.

[0026] The upper bearing seat 11 and the lower bearing seat 12 are provided with a first plane 111 and a second plane 121 which are both horizontally arranged at both sides of the swing groove 13, and a swing space for circumferential swinging of the rolling seat 2 is formed between the first plane 111 and the second plane 121.

[0027] The rolling seat 2 is provided with a limit abutting inclined surface 21 corresponding to the radial outer side of the center of the upper bearing seat 11, and the upper bearing seat 11 is provided with a limit abutting arc surface 112 corresponding to the limit abutting inclined surface 21 corresponding to the radial outer side of the center of the swing groove 13, the limit abutting arc surface 112 is located at the edge of the first plane 111 close to the swing groove 13, and the limit abutting inclined surface 21 and the limit abutting arc surface 112 are in contact to form a limit for the circumferential rotation direction of the rolling seat 2 A rolling space for circumferential swinging of the rolling seat 2 in the swing groove 13 is formed between the rolling seat 2 and the bottom of the swing groove 13, the rolling seat 2 is in contact with the bottom of the swing groove 13 to realize a limiting function, preventing the rolling seat 2 from excessively swinging out of the normal position, the swinging angle of the rolling seat 2 is set to be plus or minus 4 degrees based on the horizontal plane, and this angle range ensures sufficient centering ability when bearing lateral force. The upper bearing seat 11 and the lower bearing seat 12 are provided with a contact step 14 at the corresponding position, the upper bearing seat 11 and the lower bearing seat 12 are fixed together at the contact step 14 by spot welding, spot welding is a common welding process, which is used to ensure the bonding strength and stability.

[0028] The working principle of the shock absorber bearing is that when the shock absorber is subjected to a lateral force during vehicle driving, the rolling seat 2 performs circumferential and axial plane swinging in the swinging groove 13, the self-aligning effect is realized through the gap fit of the spherical inner side surface 131, and the lateral force is absorbed and dispersed, thereby reducing the bearing abnormal sound and wear. During assembly, first, the bearing lower seat 12 is fixed with the shock absorber strut, then the rolling seat 2 is placed in the swinging groove 13, the rolling seat 2 is limited by the contact with the bottom of the swinging groove 13, finally, the bearing upper seat 11 is fixed with the bearing lower seat 12 through spot welding at the contact step 14, and the rolling seat 2 is connected with the vehicle body, and the overall installation is completed.

[0029] The arc length calculation method of the lubricating fabric in the embodiment of the application is implemented according to the following steps: S1, determining the motion ball center of the rolling seat circumferential swinging through the axial center line of the axial installation diameter D of the shock absorber bearing and the radial installation height C; The axial installation diameter D and the radial installation height C of the shock absorber bearing are both parameters reserved in the shock absorber shell, and the values thereof can be determined. After the longitudinal section of the shock absorber bearing is cut, the Y axis of the motion ball center is the axial center line of the axial installation diameter D of the shock absorber bearing, and the X axis of the motion ball center is the horizontal line at the first plane along the axial downward minus the radial installation height C, so as to determine the motion ball center of the rolling seat circumferential swinging.

[0030] S2, determining the starting angle θ of the arc length of the two lubricating fabrics through the rotation radius R0 between the outer side surface of the rolling seat close to the axial outer side of the swinging groove and the motion ball center min ; The calculation formula is θ min = arcsin (C / R0) In the formula, the rotation radius R0 between the outer side surface of the rolling seat close to the axial outer side of the swinging groove and the motion ball center is confirmed through software simulation test.

[0031] S3, determining the terminal angle θ of the arc length of the two lubricating fabrics according to the swinging range of the rolling seat max ; The swinging range θ of the rolling seat is confirmed according to the actual working condition of the shock absorber, and is a definite fixed value.

[0032] S4, respectively determining the arc length of the lubricating fabrics located on the inner and outer sides of the rolling seat according to the rotation radius R0 between the outer side surface of the rolling seat close to the axial outer side of the swinging groove and the motion ball center and the rotation radius R1 between the inner side surface of the rolling seat close to the axial inner side of the swinging groove and the motion ball center.

[0033] The arc length calculation formula of the lubricating fabric close to the axial inner side of the swinging groove is as follows: S=(θ×R1) / (180 / π) The arc length of the lubricating fabric near the swing groove axial outer side is calculated by the following formula: S=(θ×R0) / (180 / π) The above examples are only preferred specific embodiments of the present application, and the usual changes and replacements made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical solutions of the present application are all included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A shock absorber bearing, comprising a bearing housing connected to a shock absorber support, characterized in that: The bearing housing is provided with a swing groove, and a rolling seat that can swing circumferentially is slidably disposed in the swing groove. The end of the rolling seat facing away from the bearing housing is fixed to the vehicle body.

2. The shock absorber bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bearing housing includes an upper bearing housing and a lower bearing housing. The lower bearing housing is fixed to the shock absorber support. The swing groove is formed between the upper bearing housing and the lower bearing housing. The inner side of the swing groove and the outer side that contacts the rolling seat are both spherical.

3. The shock absorber bearing according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper bearing seat and the lower bearing seat are respectively provided with contact steps, and the upper bearing seat and the lower bearing seat are fixed together by spot welding at the contact steps.

4. The shock absorber bearing according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rolling seat and the inner side of the swing groove form a clearance fit.

5. The shock absorber bearing according to claim 4, characterized in that: Lubricating fabric is provided between the inner sides of the rolling seat and both ends of the swing groove, and the rolling seat rotates circumferentially between the lubricating fabric on both sides.

6. The shock absorber bearing according to claim 5, characterized in that: The upper bearing seat and the lower bearing seat have a first plane and a second plane that are both horizontally arranged on both sides of the swing groove, and a swing space is formed between the first plane and the second plane for the rolling seat to swing circumferentially.

7. The shock absorber bearing according to claim 6, characterized in that: The rolling seat is provided with a limiting abutment inclined surface on the radially outer side of the center of the bearing upper seat, and the bearing upper seat is provided with a limiting abutment arc surface on the radially outer side of the center of the swing groove. The limiting abutment inclined surface and the limiting abutment arc surface contact each other to form a limit in the circumferential rotation direction of the rolling seat.

8. A method for calculating the arc length of the lubricating fabric for the bearing of any one of claims 3-7, comprising the following steps: S1, the center of motion of the rolling seat circumferential oscillation is determined by the axial centerline of the axial mounting diameter D of the shock absorber bearing and the radial mounting height C; S2, the initial angle θ of the two lubricating fabric arc lengths is determined by the radial installation height C and the rotation radius R0 between the outer side of the rolling seat near the axial outer side of the swing groove and the center of the moving ball. min ; S3, determine the end angle θ of the two lubricating fabric arc lengths based on the swing range of the rolling seat. max ; S4. Determine the arc length of the lubricating fabric located on the inner and outer sides of the rolling seat according to the rotation radius R0 between the outer side of the rolling seat near the axial outer side of the swing groove and the center of the moving ball and the rotation radius R1 between the inner side of the rolling seat near the axial inner side of the swing groove and the center of the moving ball.

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