Spring guide and suspension device

Abstract

A spring guide (100) attached to an outer peripheral surface of a shock absorber (1) provided between a vehicle body and a wheel, and configured to support a coil spring (4) for elastically supporting the vehicle body, the spring guide (100) comprising: a base portion (110) configured to support the coil spring (4); and an opening portion (120) provided to penetrate the base portion (110), wherein the opening portion (120) is configured such that the shock absorber (1) is inserted into the opening portion (120), wherein the opening portion (120) is provided with: protruding portions (122) protruding from an inner peripheral surface (121) of the opening portion (120), the protruding portions (122) being configured to support the shock absorber (1); and a recessed portion (123, 323, 423) recessed in the inner peripheral surface (121) of the opening portion (120), a plurality of said projecting portions (122) are provided along a circumferential direction of said opening portion (120), and a sprue track (130, 430) of an injection mold is formed in the recessed portion (123, 323, 423).

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present invention relates to a spring guide and a suspension device. State of the art

[0002] There is a known strut-type damper (suspension device) in which a coil spring is arranged around a shock absorber device (a shock absorber) to be concentric therewith (see JP2017-172801 A). The coil spring is arranged between an upper spring seat and a lower spring seat of the damper. A hole (an opening portion) for receiving a housing of the shock absorber device is provided in the lower spring seat (a spring guide).

[0003] Further prior art is given in the documents DE 10 2016 200 307 A1 and JP 2007- 276 661 A. Summary of the invention

[0004] When the lower spring seat is formed by injection molding, there is a risk that the sprue mark (burr) of an injection mold is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the hole when the shock absorber device is to be inserted into the hole of the lower spring seat. As a result, there is a problem in that inserting the shock absorber device into the hole of the lower spring seat requires time and effort.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to improve an insertability of a shock absorber into an opening portion of a spring guide.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a spring guide attached to an outer peripheral surface of a shock absorber provided between a vehicle body and a wheel and configured to support a coil spring for elastically supporting the vehicle body, the spring guide including: a base portion configured to support the coil spring; and an opening portion provided to penetrate the base portion, the opening portion being configured so that the shock absorber is inserted into the opening portion, the opening portion being provided with: protruding portions protruding from an inner peripheral surface of the opening portion, the protruding portions being configured to support the shock absorber;and a recessed portion recessed in the inner peripheral surface of the opening portion, a plurality of the projecting portions are provided along a circumferential direction of the opening portion, and a gate of an injection mold is formed in the recessed portion.; Short description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a suspension device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a spring guide according to the embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an opening portion of the spring guide according to the embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4A is an exploded view of the opening portion of the spring guide according to the embodiment of the present invention, exploded in the circumferential direction. Fig. Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 4A is taken. Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a cross section of an injection mold for explaining a mold positioning step. Fig. 6 is a schematic view of a cross section of the injection mold for explaining a resin filling step and a curing step. Fig. 7 is a schematic view of a cross section of the injection mold for explaining a mold release step. Fig. 8 is an exploded view of the opening portion of the spring guide according to a third modification of the embodiment of the present invention, exploded in the circumferential direction. Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the opening portion showing a gate mark projecting from a groove of the spring guide according to a fourth modification of the embodiment of the present invention. Description of the embodiments

[0007] A spring guide 100 and a suspension device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0008] As in Fig. 1, the suspension device 10 is a device for stably suspending a vehicle body by being installed on an automobile (not shown), by positioning a wheel (not shown), and by absorbing shocks and vibrations generated from a road surface during running of a vehicle by generating a damping force.

[0009] The suspension device 10 is provided with: a strut-type shock absorber 1 provided between the vehicle body and the wheel; an upper bracket 2 attached to a tip end of a piston rod (hereinafter referred to as a rod) 1a of the shock absorber 1; the spring guide 100 attached to an outer peripheral surface of a cylinder 1b of the shock absorber 1; a coil spring 4 provided between the spring guide 100 and the upper bracket 2 and elastically supporting the vehicle body; a stopper buffer 5 fitted to the rod 1a and restricting a stroke of the shock absorber in a contraction direction; a stopper cap 6 serving as a cap member fitted to an end portion of the cylinder 1b on the rod 1a side; and a dust boot 7 serving as a tubular cover member that protects the rod 1a.

[0010] A bracket 1c for connecting a hub carrier (not shown) that holds the wheel and the shock absorber 1 is provided at an end portion of the cylinder 1b on the opposite side from the rod 1a. For convenience of description, the vertical direction is shown in Fig. 1, wherein the upper bracket 2 side corresponds to the upper side of the suspension device 10, and the bracket 1c side corresponds to the lower side of the suspension device 10. The vertical direction of the suspension device 10 corresponds to the axial direction (the central axis direction) of the suspension device 10, that is, the extension-contraction direction of the shock absorber 1. In addition, the radial direction of the suspension device 10 (the radial direction of the shock absorber 1) intersects with the axial direction of the suspension device 10 perpendicularly.

[0011] The shock absorber 1 is installed on the vehicle by connecting it to the vehicle body via the upper bracket 2 and by connecting it to the hub carrier with the bracket 1c. The shock absorber 1 configured as described above is configured to generate a damping force when the rod 1a is displaced relative to the cylinder 1b in the axial direction (the vertical direction in Fig. 1). The suspension device 10 quickly attenuates vibrations of the vehicle body through the damping force generated by the shock absorber 1.

[0012] The coil spring 4 is clamped between the upper bracket 2 and the spring guide 100 in a compressed state, thereby biasing the shock absorber 1 in the extension direction. A rubber seat 8 is provided between the upper bracket 2 and the coil spring 4. With such a configuration, the upper bracket 2 and the coil spring 4 are prevented from coming into direct contact with each other. An arcuate rubber seat 40 is provided between the spring guide 100 and the coil spring 4. With such a configuration, the spring guide 100 and the coil spring 4 are prevented from coming into direct contact with each other.

[0013] As in Fig. 1 and Fig. As shown in Fig. 2, the spring guide 100 is a cup-shaped resin member fixed to an outer periphery of the cylinder 1b. The spring guide 100 is provided with: a disc-shaped base portion 110 for supporting the coil spring; a side wall 111 extending upward (toward the upper bracket 2 side) from an outer edge of the base portion 110; an opening portion 120 provided to penetrate the base portion 110 in the axial direction of the suspension device 10 (in the vertical direction) and into which the cylinder 1b of the shock absorber 1 is inserted; a cylindrical sleeve portion 112 formed to project upward and downward from the base portion 110 and circumnavigate the opening portion 120; and a boss 113 having a bottomed cylindrical shape.

[0014] An attachment region for attaching the rubber seat 40 is formed around the hub 113 on the base portion 110. A position restricting portion (not shown) for restricting the position of the rubber seat 40 is provided on the base portion 110. The rubber seat 40 is formed of a material having elasticity, such as rubber. A support portion 40a, which is formed such that the cross section of the support portion 40a is curved to follow the cross-sectional shape of the coil spring 4, is provided on the rubber seat 40 (see Fig. 1). A plurality of through holes (not shown) are formed in the spring guide 100 to reduce weight and remove water accumulated in the base portion 110.

[0015] The circular opening portion 120 is formed by an inner periphery of the sleeve portion 112, which protrudes from the base portion 110 in the axial direction. As shown in Fig. 1, the opening portion 120 is formed to be positioned eccentrically toward the vehicle body from the center of the spring guide 100 when the spring guide 100 is fixed to the outer periphery of the cylinder 1b. A metallic support ring 3 is fixed to the outer periphery of the cylinder 1b by welding. The spring guide 100 is fixed to the outer periphery of the cylinder 1b by fitting the opening portion 120 to the outer periphery of the cylinder 1b, such that a lower end portion of the sleeve portion 112 of the spring guide 100 is supported by the support ring 3. The fit between the cylinder 1b and the opening portion, more specifically, the fit between the cylinder 1b and ribs 122 formed in the opening portion 120 (see Fig. 2 to 4B) may be a "clearance fit" or an "interference fit." By applying the "interference fit," rattling between the opening portion 120 and the cylinder 1b is prevented, and thus, it is possible to prevent the generation of noise due to rattling. In addition, it is also possible to improve the operational reliability of the suspension device 10.

[0016] The spring guide 100 is attached to the cylinder 1b by fitting the spring guide 100 to the cylinder 1b from the top side to contact the support ring 3. In other words, the cylinder 1b is inserted from a lower opening end 125L of the opening portion 120 of the spring guide 100. Thus, it can be said that the lower opening end 125L is an entrance through which the cylinder 1b is inserted, and an upper end portion of the cylinder 1b protrudes from an upper opening end 125U, which is an opening end on the opposite side of the lower opening end 125L.

[0017] A shape of the opening portion 120 having a circular inner peripheral surface will be specifically described with reference to Fig. 2 to 4B. As described in Fig. 2 to 4B, the opening portion 120 is provided with ribs 122 serving as projecting portions projecting radially inward from an inner peripheral surface 121 of the opening portion 120; and grooves 123 serving as recessed portions recessed radially outward from the inner peripheral surface 121 of the opening portion 120. The ribs 122 serve as support portions supporting the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder 1b of the shock absorber 1, and the grooves 123 serve as receiving portions receiving a sprue (a ridge) 130 of an injection mold 150 (see Fig. 5 to 7) which is formed by injection molding.

[0018] The ribs 122 are formed, for example, so that their cross-sectional shape is a rounded trapezoidal shape or a semicircular shape, and the ribs 122 come into line contact with the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder 1b. A plurality of ribs 122 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the opening portion 120. Therefore, the spring guide 100 is positioned so that the center axis of the opening portion 120 coincides with the center axis of the cylinder 1b.

[0019] The grooves 123 are formed, for example, so that their cross-sectional shape is trapezoidal. Each of the grooves 123 has a flat bottom surface 123a and inclined surfaces 123b, each extending toward the inner peripheral surface 121 from both ends of the bottom surface 123a in the circumferential direction. A plurality of grooves 123 are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the opening portion 120. With such a configuration, compared with a case where a single groove 123 is provided, it is possible to reduce the weight of the spring guide 100, and at the same time, it is possible to achieve balanced strength in the circumferential direction.

[0020] The ribs 122 are each provided to extend linearly along the axial direction of the opening portion 120 (in other words, the axial direction of the suspension device 10). Similarly, the grooves 123 are each provided to extend linearly along the axial direction of the opening portion 120 (in other words, the axial direction of the suspension device 10). In this embodiment, the ribs 122 and the grooves 123 are alternately arranged at equal intervals. Thus, the groove 123 is arranged between adjacent ribs 122.

[0021] As in Fig. 2 and Fig. As shown in FIG. 4A, each of the grooves 123 extends in the axial direction from the lower opening end 125L, which is a first opening end of the opening portion 120 in the axial direction, to a vicinity of the upper opening end 125U, which is a second opening end of the opening portion 120 in the axial direction. Thus, the grooves 123 serving as the recessed portions are not formed in a region 121a in the inner peripheral surface 121 of the opening portion 120 between the upper opening end 125U and the vicinity of the upper opening end 125U (the position away from the upper opening end 125U by a predetermined distance). Therefore, compared with a case where the grooves 123 extend from the lower opening end 125L to the upper opening end 125U of the opening portion 120, it is possible to improve the strength of the spring guide 100.

[0022] As in Fig. As shown in FIG. 1, the spring guide 100 is supported by the metallic support ring 3 at the lower end portion of the sleeve portion 112 thereof, so that a lower end portion of the coil spring 4 is arranged around the boss 113. Therefore, when a load is applied to the spring guide 100 via the coil spring 4, the opening portion 120 is deformed so that the upper opening end 125U is stretched. In this embodiment, the grooves 123 are not formed in the region 121a extending between the upper opening end 125U and the vicinity of the upper opening end 125U. An upper opening end portion of the sleeve portion 112 has the thickness that is uniform in the circumferential direction. Therefore, when the load is applied to the spring guide 100 from above via the coil spring 4, the deformation causing expansion of the opening portion 120 is suppressed, and it is possible to suppress tensile stress.

[0023] As in Fig. 4A, each of the ribs 122 extends in the axial direction from the upper opening end 125U to a vicinity of the lower opening end 125L of the spring guide 100. As shown in Fig. As shown in Fig. 4B, a guide portion 122a is provided at a lower end portion of each of the ribs 122. The guide portion 122a is inclined so that the protruding height of the rib 122 at a tip end of the guide portion 122a is gradually increased from the lower opening end 125L side to the upper opening end 125U side.

[0024] When the spring guide 100 is to be attached to the cylinder 1b, the cylinder 1b is inserted from the lower opening end 125L of the spring guide 100. Therefore, when the shock absorber 1 is to be inserted into the opening portion 120 of the spring guide 100, the spring guide 100 is moved relative to the cylinder 1b by the tip ends of the ribs 122 so that the center axis of the opening portion 120 coincides with the center axis of the shock absorber 1. Therefore, the positioning of the spring guide 100 in the radial direction with respect to the cylinder 1b is smoothly achieved.

[0025] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the opening portion 120 of the spring guide 100. In Fig. 3, an outer peripheral surface 11 of the cylinder 1b when the spring guide 100 is attached to the cylinder 1b is shown with a two-dot chain line. In addition, in Fig. 3, an imaginary reference plane 121b extending from the inner peripheral surface 121 of the opening portion 120 in the circumferential direction is shown by a broken line.

[0026] As in Fig. As shown in Fig. 3, because the cylinder 1b is supported by the ribs 122, a gap 129 is formed between the inner peripheral surface 121 of the opening portion 120 and the outer peripheral surface 11 of the cylinder 1b. If a sprue mark (burr) 930 is formed on the inner peripheral surface 121, there is a risk that the sprue mark 930 will come into contact with the outer peripheral surface 11 of the cylinder 1b when the cylinder 1b is inserted into the opening portion 120. The sprue mark 930 may have an irregular shape including projections and depressions on its surface. In addition, due to deterioration of the injection mold 150 over time, an accuracy of a process of cutting a gate portion is reduced, and therefore the protruding height of the gate track 930 may be higher than that achieved during an initial usage period of the injection mold 150.Therefore, when the sprue 930 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface 11 of the cylinder 1b, the insertion of the cylinder 1b into the opening portion 120 is interfered by the sprue 930, and some extra effort is required to insert the cylinder 1b into the opening portion 120. In addition, when a tip end of the sprue 930 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface 11 of the cylinder 1b, there is a risk that a coated surface constituting the outer peripheral surface 11 of the cylinder 1b will be damaged.

[0027] In the above, a problem is caused in that the ribs 122 are easily bent in the circumferential direction when the protruding height of the ribs 122 is increased (for example, when the protruding height of the ribs 122 is increased to be larger than a width of the ribs 122 in the circumferential direction) in order to prevent the gate mark 930 formed on the inner peripheral surface 121 of the opening portion 120 from coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface 11 of the cylinder 1b.

[0028] In contrast, in this embodiment, the sprue track 130 of the injection mold 150 (see Fig. 5 to 7) is formed in the groove 123 serving as a depressed portion recessed in the inner peripheral surface 121 of the opening portion 120. By forming the sprue 130 in the groove 123, a tip end of the sprue 130 can be positioned radially outward compared to a case where the sprue 930 is formed on the inner peripheral surface 121. With such a configuration, when the shock absorber 1 is to be inserted into the opening portion 120 of the spring guide 100, it is possible to prevent the insertion of the shock absorber 1 from being interfered with due to the sprue 130 coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the shock absorber 1. Thus, according to this embodiment, it is possible to improve insertability of the shock absorber 1 into the opening portion 120 of the spring guide 100.

[0029] Additionally, in this embodiment, there is no need to increase the protruding height of the ribs 122. For example, there is no need to increase the protruding height of the ribs 122 to be greater than the width of the ribs in the circumferential direction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ribs from being buckled when the cylinder 1b is inserted into the opening portion 120.

[0030] In other words, a depth D of the groove 123 is the distance from the bottom surface 123a of the groove 123 to the inner peripheral surface 121 (the reference plane 121b) in the radial direction. The depth D of the groove 123 is set so that, in a state before the spring guide 100 is attached to the shock absorber 1, the tip end of the sprue 130 is not positioned radially inward with respect to the position of the outer peripheral surface 11 of the cylinder 1b. Therefore, it is sufficient that the depth of the groove 123 is set so that, in a state before the spring guide 100 is attached to the shock absorber 1, the tip end of the sprue 130 is positioned radially outward from the tip ends of the ribs 122.With such a configuration, it is possible to improve the insertability of the shock absorber 1 into the opening portion 120 of the spring guide 100 compared to a case where the tip end of the sprue 130 is positioned radially inward of the tip ends of the ribs 122. In addition, it is possible to prevent the outer peripheral surface (coated surface) 11 of the shock absorber 1 from being damaged by the tip end of the sprue 130 coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface 11 of the shock absorber 1.

[0031] As shown in the figure, it is preferable that the depth D of the groove 123 be greater than the protruding height H of the sprue 130, in other words, the distance from the bottom surface 123a of the groove 123 to the tip end of the sprue 130 in the radial direction. Thus, it is preferable that the tip end of the sprue 130 be positioned radially outside the reference plane 121b. With such a configuration, the sprue 130 does not protrude from the opening surface of the groove 123 and is completely housed within the groove 123. Because the sprue 130 is completely housed within the groove 123, it is possible to more effectively prevent the sprue 130 from coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the shock absorber 1 when the shock absorber 1 is inserted into the opening portion 120 of the spring guide 100.According to such a configuration, the gate track 130 is prevented from coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface 11 of the cylinder 1b even if the cylinder 1b is forcibly inserted into the opening portion 120.

[0032] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the spring guide 100 will be described. The spring guide 100 is molded in one piece by an injection molding process.

[0033] A configuration of the injection mold 150 used for injection molding will be described with reference to Fig. 5 to 7. The injection mold 150 is provided with an upper mold 151, which is an upper-side mold, and a lower mold 152, which is a lower-side mold. At least one of the upper mold 151 and the lower mold 152 can be moved up / down in the vertical direction. The upper mold 151 has an upper column portion 151a for forming the opening portion 120, and the lower mold 152 has a lower column portion 152a for forming the opening portion 120.

[0034] A flow channel 153 through which a resin flows is formed in the injection mold 150. The flow channel 153 includes: a runner 153a extending linearly in the vertical direction in the upper mold 151; a manifold 153b extending linearly radially outward by bending 90 degrees from a lower end of the runner 153a; and a gate 153c communicating with a resin filling portion 159a for molding the sleeve portion 112 by extending from a tip end of the manifold 153b. The gate 153c is set to be positioned in the bottom surface 123a of the groove 123 of the opening portion 120 of the spring guide 100 to be molded. A flow channel cross-sectional area of ​​the gate opening 153c is smaller than a flow channel cross-sectional area of ​​the distribution channel 153b.

[0035] The distribution channel 153b is defined by a distribution channel groove 151b of the upper mold 151 and a distribution channel groove 152b of the lower mold 152. The gate 153c is defined by a gate groove 151c of the upper mold 151 and a flat end surface of the lower column portion 152a of the lower mold 152.

[0036] The method of manufacturing the spring guide 100 includes a mold positioning step, a resin filling step, a curing step, and a mold release step. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, in the mold positioning step, a resin filling space 159 is formed by positioning the upper mold 151 and the lower mold 152. When the mold positioning step is completed, the resin filling step is performed.

[0037] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 6, in the resin filling step, a molten resin 170 is charged into the resin filling space 159 through the runner 153a, the manifold 153b, and the gate 153c to fill the resin filling space 159 with the resin 170. When the resin filling step is completed, the curing step is performed. In the curing step, heat is removed from the injection mold 150 to cool the resin 170, thereby allowing the resin 170 to be cured. When the curing step is completed, the mold release step is performed.

[0038] As in Fig. As shown in Fig. 7, in the mold separation step, the upper mold 151 or the lower mold 152 is moved so that the upper mold 151 and the lower mold 152 are separated from each other. By separating the upper mold 151 and the lower mold 152, a gate portion 173 having a smaller cross-sectional area than a runner portion 172 is cut off. By cutting off the gate portion 173, the sprue (burr) 130, which is a remnant of the gate portion 173, is formed on the spring guide 100. The gate portion 173 cannot be cut by separating the injection mold 150, and the gate portion 173 may be cut by a tool such as pliers. In this case, too, the gate portion 130 is formed on the spring guide 100. Because the gate track 130 is formed on the bottom surface 123a of the groove 123 of the opening portion 120 (see Fig. 3), it is possible to suppress a process of removing the sprue 130. As described above, the spring guide 100 is completed.

[0039] In this embodiment, the grooves 123 are formed to extend in the axial direction from the first opening end (the lower opening end 125L) of the opening portion 120, and the ribs 122 are formed to extend in the axial direction from the second opening end (the upper opening end 125U) in the axial direction of the opening portion 120. With such a configuration, there is no need to provide a slide core, etc., and the injection mold 150 can be made to have a simple configuration, and therefore, it is possible to achieve a reduction in production costs.

[0040] According to the embodiment described above, the following operational advantages can be provided.

[0041] In the spring guide 100 formed by injection molding, the gate 130 of the injection mold 150 is formed in the groove 123 serving as the recessed portion recessed in the inner peripheral surface of the opening portion 120. With such a configuration, when the shock absorber 1 is to be inserted into the opening portion 120 of the spring guide 100, it is possible to prevent the insertion of the shock absorber 1 from being interfered with due to the gate 130 coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the shock absorber 1. Thus, it is possible to improve the insertability of the shock absorber 1 into the opening portion 120 of the spring guide 100. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide the suspension device 10 in which the insertability of the shock absorber 1 into the opening portion 120 of the spring guide 100 is improved.

[0042] The following modifications are also within the scope of the present invention, and it is also possible to combine the configurations shown in the modification with the configurations described in the above embodiment, or to combine the configurations described in the following various modifications. <Erste Modifikation>

[0043] In the above-mentioned embodiment, a description is given of an example in which a plurality of grooves 123 are provided, and the gate 130 is formed in one of the grooves 123. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In a case where a plurality of distribution channels 153b and gates 153c are provided, a plurality of gates 130 are also formed in the spring guide 100. In this case, it is sufficient that the gates 153c are positioned so that all of the gates 130 are formed in the grooves 123, respectively. <Zweite Modifikation>

[0044] In the above-mentioned embodiment, a description is given of an example in which a plurality of grooves 123 are provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if there is only one gate 153c of the injection mold 150, a single groove 123 in which the gate track 130 is to be formed may be formed. <Dritte Modifikation>

[0045] In the above-mentioned embodiment, a description will be given of an example in which the recessed portion in which the gate track 130 is formed is the groove 123 extending in the axial direction from the first opening end of the shock absorber 1 in the axial direction (see Fig. 4A). However, the present invention is not limited thereto. As shown in Fig. For example, as shown in Fig. 8, instead of providing the groove 123, it may be possible to provide a circular depressed portion 323 in which the sprue track 130 is to be arranged. The circular depressed portion 323 may be formed by providing a slide core, etc., on the injection mold 150. In a case where the depressed portions (the grooves 123) are formed to extend in the axial direction from the first opening end in the axial direction, as in the above-mentioned embodiment, the slide core is not required, and thus the injection mold 150 can be made to have a simple configuration, and therefore, it is possible to achieve reduction in production costs. <Vierte Modifikation>

[0046] In the above-mentioned embodiment, a description will be given of an example in which the depth D of the groove 123 is greater than the projecting height H of the sprue track 130 (see Fig. 3). However, the present invention is not limited thereto. As in Fig. As shown in Fig. 9, the depth of a groove 423 may be smaller than the protruding height of a sprue 430. However, in this case, it is preferable that, in a state before the spring guide 100 is attached to the shock absorber 1, a tip end of the sprue 430 is positioned radially outside the tip ends of the ribs 122. According to such a configuration, when the cylinder 1b is attached by utilizing "the clearance fit" with respect to the ribs 122, it is possible to prevent the sprue 430 from coming into contact with the cylinder 1b. <Fünfte Modifikation>

[0047] The shape of the gate 153c when molding the spring guide is not limited to that in the above-mentioned embodiments, and various shapes are possible. For example, it may be possible to provide a direct gate extending linearly from the oblique direction and disposing a tip end of the direct gate in the bottom surface 123a of the groove 123. In addition, it may be possible to form an arcuate banana gate to extend from the distribution channel 153b and disposing a tip end of the banana gate in the bottom surface 123a of the groove 123. It may be possible to form a conical tunnel gate to extend from the distribution channel 153b and disposing a tip end of the tunnel gate in the bottom surfaces 123a of the groove 123. <Sechste Modifikation>

[0048] The cross-sectional shape of the rib 122 is not limited to those in the above-mentioned embodiments. Various shapes can be used as the cross-sectional shapes of the ribs 122. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the rib 122 can be a triangle and a rectangle, such as an elongated one. In addition, corner portions of the ribs 122 may or may not be rounded.

[0049] The configurations, operations and effects of the present invention configured as described above will be collectively described.

[0050] The spring guide 100 is the spring guide 100 that is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the shock absorber 1 provided between the vehicle body and the wheel, and that is configured to support the coil spring 4 for elastically supporting the vehicle body. The spring guide 100 includes: the base portion 110 that is configured to support the coil spring 4; and the opening portion 120 that is provided to penetrate the base portion 110. The opening portion 120 is configured so that the shock absorber 1 is inserted into the opening portion 120. The opening portion 120 is provided with: the ribs 122 that serve as the protruding portions that protrude from the inner peripheral surface 121 of the opening portion 120, the ribs 122 being configured to support the shock absorber 1;and a recessed portion (the grooves 123, the recessed portion 323, the groove 423) recessed in the inner peripheral surface 121 of the opening portion 120, the plurality of ribs 122 are provided along the circumferential direction of the opening portion 120, and the gate track 130, 430 of the injection mold 150 is formed in the recessed portion (the grooves 123, the recessed portion 323, the groove 423);

[0051] With such a configuration, because the gate track 130, 430 is formed in the recessed portion (the grooves 123, the recessed portion 323, the groove 423) recessed in the inner peripheral surface 121 of the opening portion 120, it is possible to prevent the insertion of the shock absorber 1 from being interfered with due to the gate track 130, 430 coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the shock absorber when the shock absorber 1 is to be inserted into the opening portion 120 of the spring guide 100. Thus, it is possible to improve the insertability of the shock absorber 1 into the opening portion 120 of the spring guide 100.

[0052] In the spring guide 100, the tip end of the sprue track 130, 430 is positioned radially outside the tip ends of the ribs 122.

[0053] With such a configuration, compared to a case where the tip end of the sprue 130, 430 is positioned radially inward of the tip ends of the ribs 122, it is possible to improve the insertability of the shock absorber 1 into the opening portion 120 of the spring guide 100. In addition, it is possible to prevent the outer peripheral surface 11 of the shock absorber 1 from being damaged due to the tip end of the sprue 130, 430 coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface 11 of the shock absorber 1.

[0054] In the spring guide 100, the depth D of the recessed portion (the grooves 123, the recessed portion 323, the groove 423) is greater than the projecting height of the sprue track 130, 430.

[0055] With such a configuration, since the gate track is completely accommodated within the recessed portion (the grooves 123, the recessed portion 323, the groove 423), it is possible to more effectively prevent the gate track 130, 430 from coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the shock absorber 1 when the shock absorber 1 is inserted into the opening portion 120 of the spring guide 100.

[0056] In the spring guide 100, the groove 123, 423 serving as the recessed portion extends in the axial direction from the first opening end (the lower opening end 125L) of the opening portion 120 into which the shock absorber 1 is inserted.

[0057] With such a configuration, it is possible to make the injection mold have a simple shape.

[0058] In the spring guide 100, the groove 123, 423 serving as the depressed portion extends from the first opening end (the lower opening end 125L) of the opening portion 120 in the axial direction to the vicinity of the second opening end (the upper opening end 125U) in the axial direction, and the groove 123, 423 serving as the depressed portion is not formed in the region 121a in the inner peripheral surface 121 of the opening portion 120 between the second opening end (the upper opening end 125U) in the axial direction and the vicinity of the second opening end (the upper opening end 125U) in the axial direction.

[0059] With such a configuration, it is possible to improve the strength of the spring guide 100 compared to a case where the recessed portion extends from the first opening end (the lower opening end 125L) of the opening portion 120 in the axial direction to the second opening end (the upper opening end 125U) in the axial direction.

[0060] In the spring guide 100, the plurality of recessed portions (the grooves 123, the grooves 423) are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the opening portion 120.

[0061] With such a configuration, compared with a case where a single recessed portion is provided, it is possible to reduce the weight of the spring guide 100 and achieve the balanced strength in the circumferential direction.

[0062] In the spring guide 100, the tip ends of the ribs 122 are inclined so that the protruding height of the ribs 122 gradually increases from the first opening end side (the lower opening end 125L) in the axial direction to the second opening end side (the upper opening end 125U) in the axial direction, with the shock absorber 1 being inserted from the first opening end side (the lower opening end 125L).

[0063] With such a configuration, alignment of the spring guide 100 with respect to the shock absorber 1 in the radial direction can be smoothly achieved by the tip ends of the ribs 122 when the shock absorber 1 is to be inserted into the opening portion 120 of the spring guide 100.

[0064] The suspension device 10 is provided with: the spring guide 100; the shock absorber 1; the upper bracket 2 attached to the tip end of the rod 1a of the shock absorber 1; and the coil spring 4 provided between the spring guide 100 and the upper bracket 2.

[0065] With such a configuration, it is possible to provide the suspension device 10 in which the insertability of the shock absorber 1 into the opening portion 120 of the spring guide 100 is improved.

[0066] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-mentioned embodiments are merely illustrations of parts of application examples of the present invention, and there is no intention to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configuration of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0067] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-235807 filed with the Japan Patent Office on December 17, 2018.

Claims

[1] A spring guide (100) attached to an outer peripheral surface of a shock absorber (1) provided between a vehicle body and a wheel, and configured to support a coil spring (4) for elastically supporting the vehicle body, the spring guide (100) comprising: a base portion (110) configured to support the coil spring (4); and an opening portion (120) provided to penetrate the base portion (110), wherein the opening portion (120) is configured such that the shock absorber (1) is inserted into the opening portion (120), wherein the opening portion (120) is provided with: protruding portions (122) protruding from an inner peripheral surface (121) of the opening portion (120), the protruding portions (122) being configured to support the shock absorber (1); and a recessed portion (123, 323, 423) recessed in the inner peripheral surface (121) of the opening portion (120), a plurality of said projecting portions (122) are provided along a circumferential direction of said opening portion (120), and a sprue track (130, 430) of an injection mold is formed in the recessed portion (123, 323, 423). [2] The spring guide (100) according to claim 1, wherein a tip end of the sprue track (130, 430) is positioned radially outward from tip ends of the projecting portions (122). [3] The spring guide (100) according to claim 2, wherein a depth of the recessed portion (123, 323) is greater than a protruding height of the sprue track (130). [4] The spring guide (100) according to claim 1, wherein the recessed portion (123, 423) extends in the axial direction from a first opening end (125L) of the opening portion (120) into which the shock absorber (1) is inserted. [5] The spring guide (100) according to claim 4, wherein the recessed portion (123, 423) extends from the first opening end (125L) of the opening portion (120) in the axial direction to a vicinity of a second opening end (125U) of the opening portion (120) in the axial direction, and the recessed portion (123) is not formed in a region (121a) in the inner peripheral surface (121) of the opening portion (120) between the second opening end (125U) in the axial direction and the vicinity of the second opening end (125U) in the axial direction. [6] The spring guide (100) according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the recessed portions (123, 423) are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the opening portion (120). [7] The spring guide (100) according to claim 1, wherein the tip ends of the projecting portions (122) are inclined so that a projecting height of the projecting portions (122) gradually increases from the first opening end (125L) side in the axial direction to the second opening end (125U) side in the axial direction, wherein the shock absorber (1) is inserted from the first opening end (125L) side. [8] A suspension device (10) comprising: a spring guide (100) according to claim 1; the shock absorber (1); an upper bracket (2) attached to a tip end of a rod (1a) of the shock absorber (1); and the spiral spring (4) provided between the spring guide (100) and the upper bracket (2).

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