Suspension bearing with a bushing that has a vibration damping feature.

Abstract

Suspension bearing for coupling a first component and a second component of a vehicle (10), wherein the suspension bearing comprises: a housing (74) comprising a bore and a first shoulder (140), wherein the housing (74) is configured for coupling with the first component of the vehicle (10); an elastomeric bushing (72) comprising a bore (92) configured for receiving the second component of the vehicle, wherein the elastomeric bushing (72) comprises a first section (130), a spaced ring section (134) and a web section (138) connecting the ring section (134) and the first section (130), wherein the ring section (134), the web section (138) and the first section (130) are integrally formed with one another;and a cap (76) comprising a circumferential section (82) having a second shoulder (142) having a radially extending annular web and an axially extending wall, wherein the elastomeric bushing (72) is positioned in the housing (74), the annular section (134) engaging with the first shoulder (140) and with both the annular web and the wall of the second shoulder (142), the first shoulder (140) cooperating with the second shoulder (142) to hold the annular section (134) between the housing (74) and the cap (76) and to provide a seal and vibration isolation between them.

Description

AREA The present disclosure relates to suspension bearings used in shock absorbers / struts used in suspension systems of motor vehicles, and in particular to a suspension bearing having a bushing designed to dampen vibrations occurring between a cap and a housing of the suspension bearing. Corresponding suspension bearings are described, for example, in DE 103 46 979 B3 , DE 199 07 672 C1 , CN 2 04 322 974 U , CN 1 05 697 629 A and DE 10 2013 208 366 A1. BACKGROUND Some current shock absorber / strut assemblies use a suspension bearing that includes a cap and a housing to which the cap is secured. An elastomeric bushing is positioned within the housing, and one end of it is partially covered by the cap. NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) problems can occur if vibrations are transmitted between the cap and the housing. There is also a need to provide a seal between the cap and the housing. SUMMARY A suspension bearing for use in a shock absorber / strut assembly is disclosed. The suspension bearing assembly includes an elastomeric bushing having an integrally formed annular section around its circumferential edge. The bushing with its integrally formed annular section allows for quick assembly and provides a cost-effective suspension bearing. The bushing with its integrally formed annular section also reduces or eliminates the possibility of improper installation. A suspension bearing for coupling a first component and a second component of a vehicle comprises a housing that includes a bore and a first shoulder. The housing is designed for coupling with the first component of the vehicle. An elastomeric bushing includes a bore designed to receive the second component of the vehicle. The elastomeric bushing comprises a first section, a spaced annular section, and a web section for connecting the annular section of the first section. The annular section and the web section of the first section are integrally formed. A cap includes a circumferential section that has a second shoulder. The elastomeric bushing is positioned in the housing with the annular section engaging with the first shoulder.The first shoulder works together with the second shoulder to hold the ring section between the case and the cap in place and to provide a seal between them. DRAWINGS The drawings described here are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to restrict the scope of protection of the present disclosure in any way. Fig. 1 is a representation of a motor vehicle in which suspension bearings according to the present disclosure are used; Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the front wheel suspension units in which the suspension bearing according to the present disclosure is integrated; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an upper bearing arrangement according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the suspension bearing comprises a bushing having an integrally formed annular section along a circumferential edge configured for engagement between an edge section of a cap and an inner surface of a housing, and wherein the cap, the bushing, and the housing form the suspension bearing for a strut; Fig. 4 is a perspective side view of the bushing of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a top view of the bushing of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the bushing of Fig. 1; and Fig.Figure 7 shows a further embodiment of the present disclosure in which a bushing having an integral ring section is captured below a cap, and wherein the cap is held in position by a roll-formed edge feature or other mechanical deformation of an edge section of the housing, which eliminates the need for a retaining ring. DESCRIPTION The following description is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or uses. It is understood that identical reference numerals across drawings indicate identical or corresponding parts and features. Figure 1 shows a vehicle in which a suspension system is integrated, comprising the suspension bearing according to the present disclosure, and which is generally designated by reference numeral 10. The vehicle 10 comprises a rear suspension 12, a front suspension 14, and a body 16. The rear suspension 12 has a transversely extending rear axle assembly (not shown) designed to functionally support the rear wheels 18 of the vehicle. The rear axle assembly is operatively connected to the body 16 by a pair of shock absorbers 20 and a pair of coil springs 22. Similarly, the front suspension 14 comprises a transversely extending front axle assembly (not shown) for functionally supporting the front wheels 24 of the vehicle. The front axle assembly is connected to the body 16 by a second pair of shock absorbers 26 and a pair of coil springs 28.The shock absorbers 20 and 26 serve to dampen the relative movement of the unsprung part (i.e., the front and rear suspension 12 and 14, respectively) and the sprung part (i.e., the body 16) of the vehicle 10. Although the vehicle 10 has been depicted as a passenger car with a front and a rear axle arrangement, the shock absorbers 20 and 26 can also be used with other types of vehicles and / or in other applications, such as vehicles with independent front and / or independent rear suspension systems. Furthermore, the term "shock absorber," as used here, is intended to mean dampers in general and thus includes spring struts. Moreover, although the front suspension 14 in the illustration has a pair of spring struts or shock absorbers 26, it is within the scope of this disclosure for the rear suspension 12 to include a pair of spring struts or shock absorbers 26, should this be desired. With reference to Fig. 2, a section of the front suspension for vehicle 10 is shown in more detail. The body 16 defines a shock absorber mount 32 of the vehicle 10, in which a strut assembly 34 is mounted. This assembly comprises a telescopic device in the form of the shock absorber 26, a coil spring 28, and a suspension bearing. The strut assembly 34, including the shock absorber 26, the coil spring 28, and the upper bearing assembly 36, is attached to the vehicle 10 using the shock absorber mount 32. The bearing assembly 36 further comprises an upper spring seat 42 and a compression stop 50. The compression stop 50 is arranged between the upper spring seat 42 and the shock absorber 26. The compression stop 50 comprises an elastomeric material. A protective bellows 52 is integrally formed with the upper spring seat 42. A stop cap 54 is positioned on the shock absorber 26 for interaction with the compression stop 50, if necessary. A lower spring seat 60 is attached to the shock absorber 26, and a coil spring 28 is arranged between the upper spring seat 42 and the lower spring seat 60 to isolate the body 16 from the front suspension 14. The shock absorber 26 comprises an outer tube 62, a piston assembly 64, and a telescopic rod or piston rod 66. Although the shock absorber 26 in the illustration has a single-tube construction, the use of a twin-tube shock absorber as the shock absorber 26 is within the scope of this disclosure. In this construction, the lower spring seat 60 would be attached to the spare tube of the twin-tube shock absorber. Furthermore, it is understood that, although the shock absorber 26 is shown in Fig. 2, the shock absorber 20 can also include the features described herein for the shock absorber 26. A retaining nut 68 is screwed onto the end of the piston rod 66 to secure the piston rod 66 to the upper bearing assembly 36. With reference to Figs. 3-6, a section of a suspension bearing or upper bearing assembly 36 for a shock absorber according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The suspension bearing generally comprises an elastomeric bushing 72 enclosed in a housing 74 and covered by a cap 76. The cap 76 and the housing 74 are generally made of cast aluminum. A retaining ring 78 is generally installed in a groove 80 formed by a circumferential section 82 of the cap 76 and an inner surface 84 of the housing 74 in interaction. The retaining ring 78 holds the cap 76 to the housing 74. The bushing 72 is shown in more detail in Fig. 6. The bushing 72 comprises an inner tube 90, which includes a bore 92 and a radially outwardly extending projection 94. The inner tube 90 can be made of cold-formed 1045 steel. An inner body 98 is formed on an outer surface 100 of the inner tube 90. The inner body 98 can be made of a plastic material, such as PA66 nylon filled with 50% glass fiber. An outer body 104 is formed on an external surface 106 of the inner body 98. The outer body 104 is preferably made of an elastomeric material, possibly conforming to SAE J200, which encloses a first dimension plate 108 and a second dimension plate 110. The first dimension plate 108 is positioned in a lower section 126 of the bushing 72. The second measuring plate 110 is positioned in a first section 130 of the socket 72.A central section 128 is positioned between a lower section 126 and a first section 130. The bore 92 extends completely through the bushing to allow the piston rod 66 of the shock absorber 26 to protrude through it. The outer body 104 is an integrally formed, one-piece component made of a suitable high-strength elastomer. A key feature of the outer body 104 is an integrally formed ring section 134 that surrounds a circumferential edge of the first section 130. The ring section 134 comprises a main body section 136 and a web section 138 that projects radially outward from the first section 130. In this embodiment, the ring section extends a full 360 degrees around the first section 130, although it need not necessarily do so. The ring section 134 may comprise several circumferentially spaced regions arranged around the first section 130, and these spaced regions could also have slightly different thicknesses. The diameter of the main body section 136 of the ring section 134 can vary considerably, but is typically between 2.00 mm and 6.35 mm.At certain points around the circumference of the ring section 134, the thickness of the web section 138 may be increased to assist in holding the main body section 136, even if the web section 138, which has a thinner profile, should partially tear or detach from the first section 130 of the bushing 72. It is understandable to a person skilled in the art that certain points around the ring section or the web may be free of any bushing material. With reference to Figs. 2 and 3, the installation of the upper bearing assembly 36 can be achieved by first inserting the bushing 72 into the housing 74 in a predetermined position, in which the main body section 136 of the ring section 134 engages with and sits on a first shoulder 140 of an inner wall of the housing 74, as best seen in Fig. 3. At this point, the ring section is slightly compressed against the first shoulder 140. The cap 76 can then be placed on the housing 74 and pressed into position so that an inner shoulder 142 on a circumferential edge 144 of the cap presses against the ring section 134. While the cap 76 is held in this position, the retaining ring 78 can be pressed into the groove 80. The groove 80 is formed by an arcuate section 146 of the housing 74 and an arcuate section 148 of the cap 76.Once the retaining ring 78 is completely seated in the groove 80, it holds the ring section 134 in a slightly compressed state. One function of the ring section 134 is that it is compressible to allow axial movement of the cap 76 away from the groove 80. This cap movement opens the groove 80 so that the retaining ring 78 can be placed in the groove 80, after which the cap 76 moves back upwards, preventing the retaining ring 78 from popping out during an overload, while simultaneously limiting vibrations between the shoulders of the upper cap and the housing. Fig. 7 shows a section of another embodiment of a strut assembly 200, in which a bushing 212 with an integrally formed annular section 234 is used. In this embodiment, however, the bushing 212 is held in position under a cap 216, which in turn is held in position on the housing 214 by a roll-formed edge feature 214a. The roll-formed edge feature 214a is formed in a manufacturing operation during the assembly of the strut assembly 200. The roll-formed edge feature 214a holds the cap 216 in position on the housing 214, with the bushing 212 being held in a slightly compressed state. Although a roll forming of the housing edge is shown, the person skilled in the art understands that any other mechanical deformation of the housing edge is considered an interchangeable part of the disclosure. The ring section 134 (or 234) performs the important function of preventing vibrations between the cap 76 (or 216) and the housing 74 (or 214), as well as supporting the sealing of an inner area of ​​the housing 74 (or 214). The ring section 134 acts as a vibration decoupling device. It also serves to accommodate material springback of the cap during the manufacturing process. Although various embodiments have been described, modifications or variations are obvious to the person skilled in the art that can be carried out without departing from the present disclosure. The examples illustrate the different embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Therefore, the description and the claims are to be interpreted broadly and only with such limitations as are necessary in view of the relevant prior art.

Claims

Suspension bearing for coupling a first component and a second component of a vehicle (10), wherein the suspension bearing comprises: a housing (74) comprising a bore and a first shoulder (140), wherein the housing (74) is configured for coupling with the first component of the vehicle (10); an elastomeric bushing (72) comprising a bore (92) configured for receiving the second component of the vehicle, wherein the elastomeric bushing (72) comprises a first section (130), a spaced annular section (134) and a web section (138) connecting the annular section (134) and the first section (130), wherein the annular section (134), the web section (138) and the first section (130) are integrally formed with one another;and a cap (76) comprising a circumferential section (82) having a second shoulder (142) having a radially extending annular web and an axially extending wall, wherein the elastomeric bushing (72) is positioned in the housing (74), the annular section (134) engaging with the first shoulder (140) and with both the annular web and the wall of the second shoulder (142), the first shoulder (140) cooperating with the second shoulder (142) to hold the annular section (134) between the housing (74) and the cap (76) and to provide a seal and vibration isolation between them. Suspension bearing according to claim 1, further comprising a fastening element (78) that fixes the cap (76) to the housing (74). Suspension bearing according to claim 2, wherein the fastening member comprises a retaining ring (78). Suspension bearing according to claim 2, wherein the fastening member comprises a roll-formed lip (214a) which is integrally formed with the housing (214), wherein the roll-formed lip (214a) engages with an outer surface of the cap (216) and preloads the cap (216) into engagement with the elastomeric bushing (212). Suspension bearing according to claim 1, wherein the elastomeric bushing (72) comprises an inner tube (90) made of metal and the second component comprises a shock absorber (26) with a piston rod (66), wherein the piston rod (66) extends through the inner tube (90) and is fixed thereto. Suspension bearing according to claim 1, wherein the elastomeric bushing (72) comprises an inner body (98) which is integrally formed on an outer surface (100) of the inner tube (90), and an elastomeric outer body (104) which is integrally formed on an outer surface (106) of the inner body (98), wherein the ring section (134), the first section (130) and the web section (138) comprise integrally formed sections of the outer elastomeric body (104). Suspension bearing according to claim 6, wherein the inner body (98) comprises a plastic material. Suspension bearing according to claim 1, wherein the first shoulder (140) of the housing (74) comprises an annular web surrounded by a first cylindrical surface (84). Suspension bearing according to claim 8, wherein the second shoulder (142) of the cap (76) comprises a second cylindrical surface surrounded by a second annular web, wherein the cap (76) comprises a through-hole for receiving the second component. Suspension bearing according to claim 2, wherein the cap (76) comprises a first groove (148) and the housing (74) comprises a second groove (146), wherein the fastening member (78) is positioned in the first groove (148) and the second groove (146), wherein the fastening member (78) restricts the removal of the cap (76) from the bore of the housing (74) once it is positioned in the first and the second groove. Suspension bearing according to claim 1, wherein the first section (130) of the elastomeric bushing (72) comprises a conically shaped outer surface and the cap (76) comprises a complementarily curved surface in engagement therewith. Suspension bearing for coupling a first component and a second component of a vehicle, the suspension bearing comprising: an inner tube (90) comprising a through-bore (92) for receiving the second component; an inner body (98) engaging with and surrounding an outer surface (100) of the inner tube (90); an outer body (104) engaging with and surrounding an outer surface (106) of the inner body (98), wherein the outer body (104) is elastomeric and comprises a first section (130), a spaced ring section (134), and a web section (138) connecting the ring section (134) and the first section (130), wherein the ring section (134), the web section (138), and the first section (130) are integrally formed together;a housing (74) designed for coupling with the first component and comprising a bore and a first shoulder (140), wherein the housing bore receives the outer body (104), the first shoulder (140) engaging with the annular section (134); and a cap (76) comprising a circumferential section (82) with a second shoulder (142), the first shoulder (140) cooperating with the second shoulder (142) to retain the annular section (134) between the housing (74) and the cap (76) and to provide a seal between them. Suspension bearing according to claim 12, further comprising a fastening element (78) that fixes the cap (76) to the housing (74). Suspension bearing according to claim 13, wherein the fastening member comprises a retaining ring (78). Suspension bearing according to claim 12, wherein the fastening member comprises a roll-formed lip (214a) which is integrally formed with the housing (214), wherein the roll-formed lip (214a) engages with an outer surface of the cap (216) and preloads the cap (216) into engagement with the elastomeric bushing (212). Suspension bearing according to claim 12, wherein the inner body (98) comprises a plastic material molded onto the inner tube (90), and the outer body (104) comprises an elastomeric material molded onto the inner body (98). Suspension bearing according to claim 16, wherein the outer body (104) encloses a first and a second dimension plate (108, 110). Suspension bearing according to claim 13, wherein the cap (76) comprises a first groove (148) and the housing (74) comprises a second groove (146), wherein the fastening member (78) is positioned in the first groove (148) and the second groove (146), wherein the fastening member (78) restricts the removal of the cap (76) from the bore of the housing (74) once it is positioned in the first and the second groove. Suspension bearing according to claim 12, wherein the first section (130) of the outer body (104) comprises a conically shaped outer surface and the cap (76) comprises a complementarily shaped surface in engagement therewith. Suspension bearing according to claim 12, wherein the outer body (104), the cap (76) and the housing (74) comprise aligned openings for receiving the second component.

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