Spring insulator

Abstract

To provide a spring insulator with a novel structure, capable of being mounted to two types of coil springs whose end parts have different inner diameter dimensions.SOLUTION: A spring insulator 10 comprises a base part 12 of an annular ring plate shape that is axially overlapped with a coil spring 32, and a cylindrical part 14 that protrudes from an inner peripheral end part of the base part 12 toward the coil spring 32. The cylindrical part 14 is partially provided with a small diameter part 22 and a large diameter part 24 in a circumferential direction, each of which has an outer diameter dimension capable of being fitted into the inner periphery of one of two types of coil springs 32a, 32b of which inner diameter dimensions at their end parts are different from each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a spring insulator that is overlapped on an end of a coil spring in, for example, an automobile suspension mechanism. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a spring insulator that is overlapped with an end of a coil spring has been known in the suspension mechanism of an automobile. As shown in JP 2018-071756 A (Patent Document 1), the spring insulator includes an annular base that is overlapped with the coil spring in the axial direction, and a cylindrical portion that protrudes from the inner peripheral end of the base and is fitted onto the end of the coil spring. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-071756 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, the spring insulator positions the coil spring by fitting its cylindrical portion to the inner circumference of the coil spring, and is therefore specially designed to match the inner diameter of the coil spring used in the vehicle. For example, if a spring insulator is used in which the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion is smaller than the inner diameter of the coil spring, the coil spring may not be positioned properly by fitting the cylindrical portion, which may result in increased noise and vibration, or may adversely affect driving stability.

[0005] Furthermore, the coil springs of the suspension mechanism may have different diameters to achieve different driving performances not only for different vehicle models but also for different grades of the same vehicle model. In this case, multiple types of spring insulators are required, each of which has a cylindrical portion that is appropriately fitted to the inner periphery of the end of each coil spring.

[0006] If a dedicated spring insulator is prepared for each vehicle model and grade in this way, the number of types of spring insulators will be enormous, which can easily lead to problems such as reduced manufacturing efficiency and mix-up of parts.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a spring insulator with a novel structure that can be attached to two types of coil springs having different inner diameter dimensions at the ends. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The following describes preferred embodiments for understanding the present invention, but the embodiments described below are merely illustrative and may be combined with one another as appropriate, and the multiple components described in each embodiment may be recognized and used independently as far as possible, and may also be combined with any of the components described in another embodiment as appropriate. As a result, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and various other embodiments may be realized.

[0009] The first aspect is a spring insulator comprising a circular plate-shaped base portion which is axially overlapped with the end portion of a coil spring, and a cylindrical portion which protrudes from the inner peripheral end portion of the base toward the coil spring, the cylindrical portion partially comprising a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion in the circumferential direction, the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion each having an outer diameter dimension which allows the small diameter portion to fit into the inner circumference of one of two types of coil springs which have mutually different inner diameter dimensions at their ends.

[0010] According to the spring insulator constructed according to this embodiment, the cylindrical portion has a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion with different outer diameters, and therefore can be attached to both a small diameter coil spring into which the small diameter portion fits, and a large diameter coil spring into which the large diameter portion fits. In this way, since a common spring insulator can be used for two types of coil springs with different inner diameters, the number of types of spring insulators can be reduced compared to the case where a dedicated spring insulator is prepared for each coil spring.

[0011] In a second aspect, in the spring insulator according to the first aspect, a step surface is provided at one of the connecting portions between the outer circumferential surfaces of the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion.

[0012] With a spring insulator constructed according to this embodiment, the circumferential end face of the coil spring that is fitted into the small diameter portion can be abutted against the step surface, thereby allowing the circumferential orientations of the coil spring and the spring insulator to be positioned relative to one another.

[0013] In a third aspect, in the spring insulator described in the second aspect, the other connection portion between the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion and the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion is continuous in the circumferential direction without being shifted in the radial direction.

[0014] According to the spring insulator constructed according to this aspect, the coil spring fitted into the small diameter portion can be easily prevented from interfering with the large diameter portion at the other connection portion between the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion.

[0015] A fourth aspect is the spring insulator according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion are provided continuously over each half circumference of the tubular portion.

[0016] According to a spring insulator constructed in accordance with this embodiment, the tubular portion having a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion is fitted over approximately half a circumference of both the small diameter coil spring and the large diameter coil spring, thereby enabling the coil spring to be effectively positioned relative to the spring insulator.

[0017] In a fifth aspect, in the spring insulator according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion each have a constant outer diameter dimension in a circumferential direction.

[0018] With a spring insulator constructed according to this aspect, for example, when the end of the coil spring has a constant inner diameter, the coil spring can be fitted into the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion with a predetermined fit over a longer range in the circumferential direction. Therefore, both the small diameter coil spring and the large diameter coil spring are stably positioned and held by fitting into the cylindrical portion.

[0019] A sixth aspect of the present invention is the spring insulator according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the base portion is provided with a positioning protrusion protruding in a direction opposite to the cylindrical portion.

[0020] With a spring insulator constructed according to this embodiment, the circumferential orientations of the spring insulator and the support member can be positioned relative to each other, for example, by inserting a positioning protrusion into an insertion hole provided in the support member that supports the base of the spring insulator. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to apply a common spring insulator to two types of coil springs having different inner diameter dimensions at the ends. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a spring insulator according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the spring insulator of FIG. 1 from a different angle. [Diagram 3] A plan view of the spring insulator shown in Figure 1 [Figure 4] IV-IV cross section of Figure 3 [Figure 5A] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the spring insulator of FIG. 1 with a small-diameter coil spring attached thereto; [Figure 5B] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the spring insulator of FIG. 1 with a large-diameter coil spring attached thereto; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] 1 to 4 show a spring insulator 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The spring insulator 10 is an elastic body made of rubber or a resin elastomer. The spring insulator 10 integrally comprises an annular plate-shaped base 12 and a tubular portion 14 protruding in the axial direction from an inner peripheral end of the base 12. In the following description, in principle, the up-down direction refers to the up-down direction in FIG. 4, the front-rear direction refers to the up-down direction in FIG. 3, and the left-right direction refers to the left-right direction in FIG. 3.

[0025] The base 12 is generally shaped like an annular plate, with the upper and lower surfaces being generally flat. The base 12 is provided with a positioning protrusion 16 that protrudes downward along a portion of its circumferential direction. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the positioning protrusion 16 is generally cylindrical with a small diameter. The positioning protrusion 16 is provided partially in the radially middle portion of the base 12. The protruding tip portion of the positioning protrusion 16 is a large-diameter retaining portion 18. The outer peripheral surface of the retaining portion 18 is a tapered surface 20 that becomes smaller in diameter toward the protruding tip side of the positioning protrusion 16.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, the tubular portion 14 has a generally cylindrical shape. The tubular portion 14 protrudes upward from the inner peripheral end of the base portion 12 toward the coil spring 32 side described later. The tubular portion 14 has a generally constant inner diameter dimension around the entire circumference, and the inner peripheral surface is a generally cylindrical surface. The center of curvature of the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 14 approximately coincides with the center of curvature O of the base portion 12.

[0027] The cylindrical portion 14 has different outer diameter dimensions on the left and right sides, with a small diameter portion 22 on the right side of the left-right center (dotted line L in Figure 3) and a large diameter portion 24 on the left side of the left-right center.

[0028] The small diameter portion 22 constitutes the right half of the cylindrical portion 14. The small diameter portion 22 has a substantially constant outer diameter dimension in the circumferential direction. The outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 22 is a substantially semi-cylindrical surface having a substantially constant radius of curvature over the entire circumferential length. The small diameter portion 22 has a substantially constant radial thickness dimension over the entire circumferential length. The center of curvature O of the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 22 is 1 As shown in FIG. 3, the center of curvature O of the base portion 12 is approximately coincident with the center of curvature O of the base portion 12.

[0029] The large diameter portion 24 constitutes the left semicircular portion of the cylindrical portion 14. The outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 24 has a larger radius of curvature than the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 22. The large diameter portion 24 has a substantially constant outer diameter dimension in the circumferential direction. The outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 24 is a substantially semicylindrical surface having a substantially constant radius of curvature over the entire length in the circumferential direction. The center of curvature O of the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 24 is 2 As shown in FIG. 3, the center of curvature O of the base portion 12 and the center of curvature O of the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 22 are 11. The large diameter portion 24 is offset forward with respect to the large diameter portion 24. As a result, the radial thickness of the large diameter portion 24 changes in the circumferential direction, and the thickness gradually increases toward the front. In the left half of the circumference where the large diameter portion 24 is provided, the radial projection dimension of the base 12 toward the outer periphery side from the large diameter portion 24 decreases toward the front. However, the maximum outer diameter dimension of the large diameter portion 24 is smaller than the outer diameter dimension of the base 12. The difference between the maximum outer diameter dimension of the large diameter portion 24 and the outer diameter dimension of the base 12 is preferably larger than the radius of the wire of the large diameter coil spring 32b described later, and more preferably larger than the diameter of the wire of the large diameter coil spring 32b.

[0030] 1 and 3, a step surface 26 is formed at the front connecting portion between the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 22 and the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 24. 1 and the center of curvature O of the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 24 2 Due to the longitudinal misalignment between the small diameter portion 22 and the large diameter portion 24 and the difference between the radius of curvature of the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 22 and the radius of curvature of the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 24, the front circumferential end of the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 22 is shifted forward with respect to the front circumferential end of the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 24. The front circumferential end of the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 22 and the front circumferential end of the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 24 are connected by a step surface 26 formed of a plane extending approximately perpendicular to the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the radial width dimension of the step surface 26 is set to be twice the difference between the radius of curvature of the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 22 and the radius of curvature of the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 24.

[0031] The rear connection portion between the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 22 and the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 24 is smoothly continuous in the circumferential direction without any step due to radial displacement. 1 and the center of curvature O of the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 24 2The offset between the small diameter portion 22 and the large diameter portion 24 in the front-rear direction is set to be approximately the same as the difference between the radius of curvature of the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 22 and the radius of curvature of the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 24. As a result, the rear circumferential end of the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 22 and the rear circumferential end of the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 24 are located at approximately the same position in the front-rear direction. Since the small diameter portion 22 and the large diameter portion 24 are provided over each half circumference, the tangent direction at the rear circumferential end of the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 22 and the tangent direction at the rear circumferential end of the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 24 are approximately the same. In this way, the tangent directions of the rear connecting portion between the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 22 and the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 24 are both in the left-right direction when viewed in the up-down direction, and are smoothly continuous.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 4, the spring insulator 10 is supported by a receiving member 28 provided on a suspension member such as a suspension arm. The receiving member 28 is, for example, dish-shaped, and the base 12 of the spring insulator 10 is inserted into the receiving member 28 from above, so that the lower surface of the base 12 is placed on the bottom surface of the receiving member 28. An insertion hole 30 is formed in the receiving member 28. The positioning protrusion 16 protruding from the base 12 is inserted into the insertion hole 30, so that the spring insulator 10 is positioned relative to the receiving member 28. Note that the receiving member 28 may be provided with a positioning protrusion or the like that fits into a central hole of the base 12 of the spring insulator 10, as necessary. In this embodiment, a large-diameter retaining portion 18 is provided at the protruding tip portion of the positioning protrusion 16, and the retaining portion 18 is engaged in the vertical direction with the opening periphery of the insertion hole 30, thereby preventing the positioning protrusion 16 from coming out of the insertion hole 30 in an upward direction. Since the outer peripheral surface of the retaining portion 18 is formed into a tapered surface 20, the retaining portion 18 can be easily inserted into the insertion hole 30 while effectively preventing the positioning protrusion 16 from coming out. Note that the rotational displacement of the spring insulator 10 with respect to the receiving member 28, about the positioning protrusion 16 as the central axis, is limited by the outer peripheral surface of the base 12 coming into contact with the inner peripheral wall of the dish-shaped receiving member 28.

[0033] Since the spring insulator 10 is generally annular, water is less likely to accumulate on the upper surface when the spring insulator 10 is attached to the receiving member 28. Note that a through hole or the like may be formed in the receiving member 28 so that water that has flowed into the receiving member 28 through the central hole of the spring insulator 10 can be discharged downward through the through hole or the like.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 4, the spring insulator 10 is attached to an end of a coil spring 32. The coil spring 32 is made of a metal wire such as spring steel, and it is desirable that at least the end on the side overlapping the spring insulator 10 is an open end. However, the end of the coil spring 32 is not limited to being an open end, and may be a closed end in which the wires are overlapped so that they come into contact with each other at the end. By interposing the spring insulator 10 between the coil spring 32 and the receiving member 28, it is possible to prevent abnormal noise and damage caused by direct contact between the coil spring 32 and the receiving member 28.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the spring insulator 10 can be attached to both a small diameter coil spring 32a and a large diameter coil spring 32b having mutually different inner diameter dimensions.

[0036] That is, the small diameter portion 22 of the tubular portion 14 of the spring insulator 10 has an outer diameter dimension that allows it to be fitted into the inner periphery of the end of the small diameter coil spring 32a, as shown in Fig. 5A. When the small diameter coil spring 32a is used, the small diameter portion 22 is fitted into the inner periphery of the small diameter coil spring 32a, thereby attaching the spring insulator 10 to the lower end of the small diameter coil spring 32a. The lower end of the small diameter coil spring 32a has a substantially constant inner diameter dimension over half the circumference, and is fitted into the small diameter portion 22 with a substantially constant tightening margin. The center of curvature of the lower end of the small diameter coil spring 32a fitted into the small diameter portion 22 is located at the center of curvature O of the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 22. 1The inner diameter of the small diameter coil spring 32a is gradually increased in an upper intermediate portion above the lower end portion, and is located on the outer circumferential side of the large diameter portion 24 without interfering with the large diameter portion 24.

[0037] The spring insulator 10 and the small diameter coil spring 32a can be positioned relative to each other in the circumferential direction by bringing the lower circumferential end face of the small diameter coil spring 32a into circumferential contact with the stepped surface 26 of the tubular portion 14. In addition, the connection portion of the small diameter portion 22 and the large diameter portion 24 opposite the stepped surface 26 is smoothly continuous without being radially displaced to form a step, so that the small diameter coil spring 32a and the large diameter portion 24 are less likely to interfere with each other.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 5B, the large diameter portion 24 of the tubular portion 14 of the spring insulator 10 has an outer diameter dimension that allows it to be fitted into the inner periphery of the end of a large diameter coil spring 32b, which has an inner diameter dimension larger than that of the small diameter coil spring 32a. When the large diameter coil spring 32b is used, the large diameter portion 24 is fitted into the inner periphery of the large diameter coil spring 32b, thereby attaching the spring insulator 10 to the lower end of the large diameter coil spring 32b. The lower end of the large diameter coil spring 32b has a substantially constant inner diameter dimension over half the circumference, and is fitted into the large diameter portion 24 with a substantially constant tightening margin. The center of curvature of the lower end of the large diameter coil spring 32b fitted into the large diameter portion 24 is located at the center of curvature O of the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 24. 2 and is shifted forward with respect to the center of curvature of the lower end of the small diameter coil spring 32a. Note that since the inner diameter of the large diameter coil spring 32b is larger than the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 22, interference with the small diameter portion 22 does not occur.

[0039] In this way, the spring insulator 10 has the small diameter portion 22 and the large diameter portion 24 provided in the cylindrical portion 14, so that the cylindrical portion 14 can be fitted to the ends of two types of coil springs 32a, 32b having different inside diameters. Therefore, a common spring insulator 10 can be applied to the two types of coil springs 32a, 32b, and the number of types of spring insulators 10 can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to improve the manufacturing efficiency of the spring insulators 10, reduce the number of molds for molding the spring insulators 10, and facilitate the identification and management of the spring insulators 10.

[0040] In this embodiment, the small diameter portion 22 and the large diameter portion 24 are provided on each half circumference of the tubular portion 14. Therefore, in both cases of fitting the small diameter portion 22 into the small diameter coil spring 32a and fitting the large diameter portion 24 into the large diameter coil spring 32b, an effective positioning and holding force can be applied to the coil spring 32. Moreover, since the small diameter portion 22 and the large diameter portion 24 each have a substantially constant outer diameter dimension, a wide range in the circumferential direction is secured for fitting into the coil spring 32, and the effect of positioning and holding the coil spring 32 is more advantageously exerted.

[0041] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to the specific description. For example, the spring insulator 10 does not need to be an elastic body in its entirety, and may have a hard reinforcing material made of metal or synthetic resin inside. The spring insulator 10 may be formed by combining a plurality of elastic bodies made of different materials, and may be a multi-color molded product made of, for example, a resin elastomer.

[0042] The small diameter portion 22 and the large diameter portion 24 are preferably provided on each half of the circumference of the cylindrical portion 14, but one of them may occupy a larger proportion of the circumference than the other.

[0043] In the first embodiment, the small diameter portion 22 has a substantially constant outer diameter over the entire circumference, but the outer diameter may vary over the circumference. Similarly, the large diameter portion 24 may have an outer diameter that varies over the circumference.

[0044] In the first embodiment, the inner diameter dimension of the cylindrical portion 14 is constant, but the inner diameter dimension of the cylindrical portion 14 may vary in the circumferential direction. For example, the inner diameter dimension of the small diameter portion 22 may be smaller than the inner diameter dimension of the large diameter portion 24. This makes it possible to suppress, for example, a change in the thickness dimension of the cylindrical portion 14 in the circumferential direction.

[0045] The outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 14 may be, for example, a tapered cylindrical shape, or a stepped cylindrical shape in which the diameter dimension changes stepwise halfway in the axial direction. In this way, when the outer diameter dimension of the cylindrical portion 14 changes in the axial direction, it is sufficient that the outer diameter dimension of the end portion on the base portion 12 side into which the axial end portion of the coil spring 32 is fitted is of a size that allows it to fit into the inner circumference of the coil spring 32.

[0046] It is desirable that the cylindrical portion 14 is fitted so as to abut at least a portion of the inner circumferential surface of the coil spring 32, but for example, there may be some radial gap between the cylindrical portion 14 and the end of the coil spring 32, and the cylindrical portion 14 may not abut the inner circumferential surface of the end of the coil spring 32. Note that "fitting the cylindrical portion 14 onto the inner periphery of the end of the coil spring 32" means that the cylindrical portion 14 is inserted into the inner periphery of the end of the coil spring 32 and attached in a positioned state, and does not necessarily have to be attached in an abutting state with a tightening margin.

[0047] Center of curvature O of the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 22 1 and the center of curvature O of the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 24 2 In this case, step surfaces 26 are formed at the connection portions on both sides of the small diameter portion 22 and the large diameter portion 24. Also, the center of curvature O of the outer peripheral surface of the base portion 12 is substantially the same as the center of curvature O of the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 24. 2 Alternatively, the center of curvature O of the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 22 may be set at the same position.1 and the center of curvature O of the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 24 2 The position may be different from either of the above.

[0048] A structure may be provided for positioning the spring insulator 10 and the large diameter coil spring 32b relative to each other in the circumferential direction. For example, a groove opening in the upper surface of the base 12 may be formed in a half-circumferential portion on the right side of the base 12, and the end face of the large diameter coil spring 32b may be brought into circumferential contact with the rear end of the groove, thereby positioning the spring insulator 10 and the large diameter coil spring 32b relative to each other in the circumferential direction.

[0049] The base 12 of the spring insulator 10 may be formed into an annular plate shape as a whole so as to be overlapped with the end of the coil spring 32 in the axial direction. For example, the base 12 is not limited to a circular annular plate, and may be a rectangular annular plate or the like. In addition, the upper surface of the base 12 may be concave in vertical cross section so that the end of the coil spring 32 can be easily positioned in the radial direction, or the lower surface may be formed into an uneven shape so that the base 12 can be easily positioned with respect to the receiving member 28.

[0050] Also, for example, a step can be provided on the upper surface of the base 12 to be overlapped with the circumferential end surface of the coil spring 32, and the spring insulator 10 and the coil spring 32 can be positioned in the circumferential direction by the coil spring 32 abutting against the step. For example, instead of the step surface 26 that positions the spring insulator 10 and the small diameter coil spring 32a in the circumferential direction, the step of the base 12 can be used, and in that case, even if the step surface 26 of the tubular portion 14 is eliminated, it is possible to position the spring insulator 10 and the small diameter coil spring 32a in the circumferential direction.

[0051] The inner peripheral shape of the spring insulator 10 is not necessarily limited to a circle. For example, the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface may be changed in response to a change in the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 14, thereby reducing or eliminating a change in the thickness dimension in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 14. Also, for example, the inner peripheral surface of the spring insulator 10 may be made noncircular, and a positioning protrusion that is inserted into the inner circumference of the spring insulator 10 may be provided on the receiving member 28, thereby providing the inner peripheral surface with a function for positioning the spring insulator 10 in the circumferential direction.

[0052] The positioning protrusion 16 for positioning the spring insulator 10 and the receiving member 28 relative to each other is not essential. Furthermore, the insertion hole 30 of the receiving member 28 through which the positioning protrusion 16 is inserted is not essential either. For example, the lower surface of the spring insulator 10 and the upper surface of the receiving member 28 may have corresponding concave and convex shapes, and the spring insulator 10 and the receiving member 28 may be positioned relative to each other by fitting these concave and convex shapes together. Note that, for example, the spring insulator 10 may simply be pressed against the receiving member 28 by the elastic force of the coil spring 32 and positioned thereon, and may not have a special positioning structure for the receiving member 28.

[0053] Although a lower spring insulator 10 that is overlapped on the lower end of the coil spring 32 has been exemplified, the present invention can also be applied to, for example, an upper spring insulator that is arranged below an upper support and overlapped on the upper end of the coil spring 32. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10 Spring insulator (first embodiment) 12 Base 14 Cylindrical part 16 Positioning protrusion 18 Stopper 20 Tapered surface 22 Small diameter section 24 Large diameter section 26 Step surface 28 Receiving member 30 Insertion hole 32 Coil spring 32a small diameter coil spring 32b large diameter coil spring

Claims

1. A spring insulator including a base portion having an annular plate shape that is overlapped with an end portion of a coil spring in an axial direction, and a cylindrical portion that protrudes from an inner peripheral end portion of the base portion toward the coil spring, The cylindrical portion is a spring insulator that partially includes a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion in the circumferential direction, the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion having an outer diameter dimension that can fit into the inner circumference of each of two types of coil springs having different inner diameter dimensions at their ends.

2. 2. The spring insulator according to claim 1, wherein a step surface is provided at one of the connecting portions between the outer circumferential surface of said small diameter portion and the outer circumferential surface of said large diameter portion.

3. 3. The spring insulator according to claim 2, wherein the other connection portion between the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion and the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion is continuous in the circumferential direction without being misaligned in the radial direction.

4. 4. The spring insulator according to claim 1, wherein the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion are provided continuously over each half circumference of the cylindrical portion.

5. 4. The spring insulator according to claim 1, wherein the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion each have a constant outer diameter dimension in a circumferential direction.

6. 4. The spring insulator according to claim 1, wherein the base portion is provided with a positioning protrusion protruding in a direction opposite to the cylindrical portion.

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