Sheet rubber with cup

Abstract

To provide a sheet rubber with cup with a new configuration which can reduce a noise caused by a contact between a cup member and a spring support part.SOLUTION: A sheet rubber 10 with cup includes an annular sheet rubber 14 which is interposed between a coil spring 22 and a spring support part 12 in a suspension mechanism, with a hard cup member 16 being attached to the sheet rubber 14. The cup member 16 has a configuration where a tipped cylindrical peripheral wall part 50 projects in a center-axial direction from an inner peripheral end part of the bottom wall part 46 overlapped in contact with the spring support part 12. The cup member 16 includes a through hole 60 formed to penetrate the peripheral wall part 50 overlapped on a tipped thin-shaped insertion part 78 of the spring support part 12 with a gap 82 between therebetween. The sheet rubber 14 is provided with a damper projection part 30 projecting toward the insertion part 78 on an inner periphery from the peripheral wall part 50 of the cup member 16 via the through hole 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cup-equipped seat rubber that is interposed between a coil spring and a spring support portion of a shock absorber in a vehicle suspension mechanism. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in vehicle suspension mechanisms, sheet rubber is known that is interposed between a coil spring and a spring support part (the support part of the shock absorber for the coil spring) provided on the shock absorber for the purpose of preventing hitting noises and the like caused by direct contact between the coil spring and the spring support part. As shown in Japanese Patent No. 6615857 (Patent Document 1), for example, the sheet rubber is annular and is interposed between the end of the coil spring and the spring support part by overlapping with the flange-shaped part of the spring support part that is provided so as to protrude outward from the shock absorber. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6615857 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, a cup member may be attached to the seat rubber for the purpose of adjusting the spring characteristics, etc. The cup member is provided, for example, so as to cover the lower surface and inner peripheral surface of the seat rubber and is superimposed on the spring support portion.

[0005] However, if a cup member is interposed between the seat rubber and the spring support portion, there is a risk that the cup member and the spring support portion will hit each other due to vibration input while the vehicle is running, which can cause abnormal noise. In particular, if the cup member is hard, abnormal noise is more likely to become a problem than if the seat rubber and the spring support portion are in direct contact without the cup member in between.

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a cupped seat rubber of a novel structure that can reduce abnormal noise caused by the cup member hitting the spring support portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The following describes preferred embodiments for understanding the present invention, but the embodiments described below are merely examples and may be appropriately combined with one another. Multiple components described in each embodiment may be recognized and employed independently to the greatest extent possible, and may also be appropriately combined with any of the components described in other embodiments. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and various other embodiments may be realized.

[0008] The first aspect is a cupped seat rubber comprising an annular seat rubber interposed between a coil spring and a spring support part in a vehicle suspension mechanism, and a hard cup member disposed between the seat rubber and the spring support part and attached to the seat rubber, wherein the cup member has a structure in which a tapered cylindrical peripheral wall part protrudes in the direction of the central axis from the inner peripheral end of a bottom wall part that is superimposed in abutting contact with the spring support part, the cup member has a through hole formed through the peripheral wall part that is superimposed with a gap against the tapered insertion part of the spring support part, and the seat rubber is provided with a buffer protrusion part that protrudes through the through hole toward the insertion part, more inward than the peripheral wall part of the cup member.

[0009] With a cup-equipped sheet rubber constructed in accordance with this embodiment, the peripheral wall portion of the cup member is overlapped with a gap against the insertion portion of the spring support member, thereby preventing the occurrence of assembly defects of the cup member to the spring support member, such as the bottom wall portion of the cup member not abutting against the spring support member due to interference between the peripheral wall portion of the cup member and the insertion portion of the spring support member.

[0010] If a gap is provided between the peripheral wall portion of the cup member and the insertion portion of the spring support member, it would be difficult to position the cup member and the spring support member in a direction perpendicular to the overlapping direction of the bottom wall portion and the spring support member. For example, vibration input during vehicle travel could cause the peripheral wall portion of the cup member and the insertion portion of the spring support member to strike each other, potentially generating abnormal noise. Therefore, the seat rubber is provided with a buffer protrusion that protrudes inward from the peripheral wall portion through a through-hole provided in the peripheral wall portion of the cup member. This buffer protrusion buffers and maintains the gap between the peripheral wall portion and the insertion portion. Therefore, even when vibrations, such as those input during vehicle travel, are absorbed by the elastic deformation of the buffer protrusion, maintaining the gap between the peripheral wall portion and the insertion portion, thereby preventing the generation of abnormal noise due to strikes.

[0011] In a second aspect, in the cup-equipped seat rubber described in the first aspect, the through holes and the buffer protrusions inserted into the through holes are provided at multiple locations in the circumferential direction.

[0012] In the cup-equipped seat rubber constructed according to this aspect, the multiple buffer protrusions are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction on the annular seat rubber, which more reliably avoids contact between the cup member and the insertion portion of the spring support member, thereby stably reducing noise caused by contact between the cup member and the insertion portion of the spring support member, etc. Furthermore, by adjusting the number and positions of the multiple buffer protrusions in the circumferential direction, a large degree of freedom in designing the size and shape of each buffer protrusion, as well as in tuning the overall elastic properties, can be ensured.

[0013] In a third aspect, in the cup-equipped seat rubber described in the first or second aspect, the buffer protrusion portion has a protruding portion that protrudes toward the inner circumference of the cup member, and the circumferential width dimension of a first end portion located on the bottom wall portion side is larger than the circumferential width dimension of a second end portion located on the opposite side of the bottom wall portion.

[0014] In the cup-equipped seat rubber of the present invention, the peripheral wall of the cup member inserted inside and outside and the insertion portion of the spring support member are cylindrical and tapered upward, and the spring support member is easily tilted relative to the cup member with the bottom wall side as a reference, so the elastic properties of the protruding portion are more easily affected by the second end side than the first end side. Here, with the cup-equipped seat rubber structured according to this aspect, the circumferential width dimension of the protruding portion on the second end side is smaller than that on the first end side, which makes it possible to prevent the protruding portion from becoming too elastically hard and ensures flexibility in tuning the elastic properties of the protruding portion.

[0015] A fourth aspect is a cup-type seat rubber according to the third aspect, wherein the circumferential width dimension of the second end of the protruding portion of the buffer protrusion is smaller than the circumferential width dimension of the through hole.

[0016] According to the cup-equipped seat rubber constructed in accordance with this embodiment, the circumferential width dimension of the second end of the protruding portion is made smaller than the circumferential width dimension of the through hole, thereby reducing the constraint caused by the through hole on the second end side of the protruding portion, thereby achieving lower springiness and improved durability by avoiding stress concentration.

[0017] In a fifth aspect, in the cup-equipped sheet rubber described in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the buffer protrusions have a cross-sectional shape that is the same as or smaller than that of the through-holes.

[0018] With a cup-type seat rubber constructed in accordance with this embodiment, the buffer protrusion can be easily inserted into the through hole, and stress concentration during elastic deformation of the buffer protrusion is reduced or avoided, thereby reducing the springiness of the protruding portion and improving durability.

[0019] In a sixth aspect, in the cup-attached sheet rubber described in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the upper part of the inner surface of the through hole has an inclination angle closer to the axial direction than to the axis-perpendicular direction at the opening side portion toward the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion of the cup member.

[0020] In a cup-equipped sheet rubber constructed in accordance with this embodiment, the upper portion of the inner surface of the through hole has an inclination angle closer to the axial direction than to the direction perpendicular to the axis at the opening side toward the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall of the cup member.Therefore, by overlapping the sheet rubber having a buffer protrusion protruding toward the inner peripheral side with the cup member from above, the buffer protrusion can be easily fitted into the through hole, and the sheet rubber and cup member can be easily assembled.

[0021] In a seventh aspect, in the cup-equipped sheet rubber described in the sixth aspect, the upper portion of the inner surface of the through hole extends toward the inner periphery at an inclination angle closer to the axis-perpendicular direction than to the axial direction at the opening side portion toward the inner periphery surface of the peripheral wall portion of the cup member.

[0022] In a cup-type sheet rubber constructed according to this embodiment, the upper portion of the inner surface of the through hole has an inclination angle closer to the axis-perpendicular direction than the axial direction at the opening side toward the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the cup member. Therefore, when the buffer protrusion is fitted into the through hole, for example, the outer surface of the buffer protrusion and the inner surface of the through hole can abut at an inclination angle close to the axis-perpendicular direction, and the sheet rubber and the cup member are positioned relative to each other, thereby preventing the sheet rubber from slipping out of the cup member when the cup-type sheet rubber is in a standalone state.

[0023] In an eighth aspect, in the cup-equipped sheet rubber described in the sixth or seventh aspect, a lower portion of the inner surface of the through hole extends between the inner surface and the outer surface of the peripheral wall portion of the cup member at an inclination angle closer to the axis-perpendicular direction than to the axial direction.

[0024] In a cup-equipped sheet rubber constructed according to this aspect, the cup member has a tapered peripheral wall portion protruding upward from the inner peripheral end of the bottom wall portion, but the peripheral wall portion does not rise from the inner peripheral end of the bottom wall portion at the position where the through hole is formed. Instead, the lower portion of the inner surface of the through hole extends between the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the peripheral wall portion at an inclination angle closer to the axis-perpendicular direction than to the axial direction. This allows, for example, the lower end of the buffer protrusion to be supported by the lower portion of the inner surface of the through hole, extending further inward than the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion, thereby ensuring a large axial overlapping surface area between the sheet rubber and the cup member. In particular, by combining this with the seventh aspect, when the buffer protrusion is fitted into the through hole, for example, the upper and lower portions of the inner surface of the through hole can abut against the outer surface of the buffer protrusion, effectively preventing relative axial displacement between the sheet rubber and the cup member after assembly. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to the present invention, in a cupped seat rubber, it is possible to reduce abnormal noise caused by, for example, the cup member hitting the spring support portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a state in which a cup-equipped seat rubber according to a first embodiment of the present invention is attached to a spring support part. [Figure 2] II-II cross section in Figure 1 [Figure 3] 2 is a perspective view from the bottom side showing the cup-equipped seat rubber shown in FIG. 1 in a state before being attached to the spring support part. [Figure 4] Bottom view of the cup-equipped seat rubber shown in Figure 3 [Figure 5] VV cross section in Figure 4 [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom surface of the sheet rubber constituting the cup-type sheet rubber shown in FIG. 3 . [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cup member constituting the cup-equipped seat rubber shown in FIG. 3, seen from the top side. [Figure 8] 8 is a perspective view of the cup member shown in FIG. 7 from the bottom side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0028] 1 and 2 show a cupped seat rubber 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention attached to an arm member 12 that serves as a spring support in a suspension mechanism. In addition, FIGS. 3 to 5 show the cupped seat rubber 10 in a state before being attached to the arm member 12. The cupped seat rubber 10 has a structure in which a cup member 16 is attached to a seat rubber 14. In the following description, the up-down direction generally refers to the up-down direction in FIG. 2.

[0029] 6 shows the seat rubber 14 in a separate state before being assembled to the cup member 16. The seat rubber 14 is made of rubber or synthetic resin elastomer and has rubber-like elasticity. The seat rubber 14 integrally comprises an annular lower wall portion 18 and a tubular portion 20 that protrudes upward from the inner peripheral end of the lower wall portion 18.

[0030] The lower wall portion 18 is a portion that includes a spring contact surface 24 that is superimposed on the lower end of the coil spring 22, which is shown imaginarily by a two-dot chain line in Figure 2, and in this embodiment, it has a substantially constant cross-sectional shape and is continuous around the entire circumference. An annular protrusion 26 that protrudes above the spring contact surface 24 at the outer peripheral end is integrally formed with the lower wall portion 18.

[0031] The tubular portion 20 has a generally cylindrical shape overall. In this embodiment, the tubular portion 20 has an outer peripheral surface that is a cylindrical surface with a generally constant diameter, and an inner peripheral surface that is a tapered cylindrical surface that decreases in diameter toward the top, with the radial thickness increasing toward the top. In this embodiment, not only the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 20 but also the inner peripheral surface of the lower wall portion 18 is a tapered cylindrical surface, and the inner peripheral surfaces of the lower wall portion 18 and the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 20 are continuous, so that the inner peripheral surface 28 of the sheet rubber 14 is configured as a tapered cylinder. Note that the tubular portion 20 may have an outer peripheral surface that is a tapered cylindrical surface corresponding to the inner peripheral surface.

[0032] Here, buffer protrusions 30 that protrude inward are integrally formed on the inner peripheral surface 28 of the sheet rubber 14. These buffer protrusions 30 are provided from the vertical middle portion of the inner peripheral surface 28 to the lower end. In this embodiment, multiple (six) buffer protrusions 30 are provided circumferentially spaced apart from one another, and each has a predetermined circumferential dimension. In particular, in this embodiment, these multiple buffer protrusions 30 are formed at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Each of these buffer protrusions 30 includes an insertion portion 32 that is positioned within each through hole 60 (described later) when the buffer protrusion 30 is fitted into the through hole 60, and a protruding portion 34 that protrudes inward beyond each through hole 60 (an inner peripheral wall portion 50 as a peripheral wall portion, described later). That is, each insertion portion 32 protrudes inward from the inner peripheral surface 28 of the sheet rubber 14, and each protruding portion 34 protrudes further inward from a protruding tip surface 36 of each insertion portion 32.

[0033] The protruding tip surface 36 of each of these insertion portions 32 is a flat surface that expands in the vertical direction. As described above, the inner peripheral surface 28 of the sheet rubber 14 is a tapered surface that gradually decreases in diameter toward the top, so the protruding dimension of each insertion portion 32 toward the inner peripheral side gradually increases toward the bottom.

[0034] Furthermore, the protruding portion 34 protruding further inward is integrally formed on the lower portion of the protruding tip surface 36 of each insertion portion 32. That is, in this embodiment, six protruding portions 34 are provided, and the protruding portions 34 are formed at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The protruding dimension of each of these protruding portions 34 toward the inner periphery is larger at the upper portion than at the lower portion of each protruding portion 34. As a result, the inner surface of each protruding portion 34 forms an inclined surface 38 that gradually slopes inward toward the upper portion. The inclination angle of the inclined surface 38 is approximately equal to the taper angle of the outer circumferential surface 80 of the mounting tube portion 78, which serves as an insertion portion and has a tapered cylindrical shape, as described below. Furthermore, because the protruding dimension toward the inner periphery is increased as described above, each protruding portion 34 has an upper end surface 40 that expands with a predetermined area in the horizontal direction (a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction). Each upper end surface 40 has a substantially rectangular shape with a predetermined width dimension (circumferential dimension) in a plan view.

[0035] In particular, in this embodiment, each protruding portion 34 has a first end 42 located on the side (lower side) of a bottom wall portion 46 of the cup member 16 (described later) and a second end 44 located on the opposite side (upper side). The circumferential width dimension of the first end 42 is larger than the circumferential width dimension of the second end 44. Specifically, the second end 44 of each protruding portion 34 has a circumferential dimension approximately equal to that of the lower end portion of each insertion portion 32, while the first end 42 has a smaller circumferential dimension. The portion of each protruding portion 34 on the first end 42 side (lower portion) has a substantially constant circumferential width dimension and a predetermined vertical dimension, while the portion of each protruding portion 34 on the second end 44 side (upper portion) has a substantially constant circumferential width dimension and a predetermined vertical dimension. In this embodiment, the portion of each protruding portion 34 on the second end 44 side (upper portion) protrudes upward from the circumferential center of the portion of the portion of the portion of the portion of the first end 42 side (lower portion). This portion of the portion of the portion of the second end 44 side (upper portion) has the above-mentioned upper end surface 40.

[0036] The cup member 16 is a hard member made of metal or synthetic resin. The cup member 16 is preferably made of a synthetic resin material such as polyamide, polyethylene, polypropylene, or polytetrafluoroethylene. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the cup member 16 integrally includes a bottom wall portion 46, an outer peripheral wall portion 48 protruding upward from the outer peripheral end of the bottom wall portion 46, and an inner peripheral wall portion 50 protruding upward from the inner peripheral end of the bottom wall portion 46. That is, the inner peripheral wall portion 50 protrudes from the inner peripheral end of the bottom wall portion 46 in the vertical direction (particularly, from bottom to top) that corresponds to the central axis direction.

[0037] The bottom wall 46 has a generally annular plate shape overall. The bottom wall 46 extends generally perpendicular to the vertical direction. The bottom wall 46 is provided with a height adjustment portion 52 that protrudes downward. The height adjustment portion 52 has a structure in which an inner tubular portion 54 that protrudes downward from the inner periphery of the bottom wall 46 and an outer tubular portion 56 that protrudes downward from the outer periphery of the bottom wall 46 are integrally and continuously provided by inner and outer connecting portions 58 that are provided at multiple locations in the circumferential direction and extend radially. Because the height adjustment portion 52 is composed of the inner tubular portion 54, the outer tubular portion 56, and the multiple inner and outer connecting portions 58, it is possible to ensure a large maximum outer dimension in the vertical direction of the bottom wall 46 including the height adjustment portion 52, while preventing the thickness dimensions of each portion that constitutes the bottom wall 46 from becoming excessively large. This prevents molding defects such as voids caused by excessive differences in thickness. Furthermore, if the height adjusting section 52 has such a hollow structure, it is possible to expect a reduction in weight and resin material.

[0038] The outer peripheral wall portion 48 has a generally cylindrical shape overall. The outer peripheral wall portion 48 extends in the vertical direction with a generally constant radial thickness. The outer peripheral wall portion 48 is thinner than the bottom wall portion 46. The inner diameter of the outer peripheral wall portion 48 is larger than the outer diameter of the lower wall portion 18 of the seat rubber 14. The upper end surface of the outer peripheral wall portion 48 is positioned generally flush with the spring abutment surface 24 of the seat rubber 14 in the vertical direction. Note that the outer peripheral surface of the lower wall portion 18 of the seat rubber 14 protrudes upward beyond the outer peripheral wall portion 48 of the cup member 16 due to a protrusion 26 provided on the lower wall portion 18.

[0039] The inner circumferential wall portion 50 has a generally tapered cylindrical shape with a diameter that decreases toward the top. In this embodiment, the inner circumferential wall portion 50 decreases in diameter toward the top at a generally constant inclination angle, but the inclination angle may vary in the vertical direction. The inner circumferential wall portion 50 extends in the vertical direction with a generally constant radial thickness. The inner circumferential wall portion 50 is thicker than the outer circumferential wall portion 48 and is even thicker than the bottom wall portion 46.

[0040] Here, through holes 60 are formed in the lower portion of the inner circumferential wall portion 50, penetrating the inner circumferential wall portion 50 in the thickness direction. That is, the through holes 60 open to an inner circumferential surface 62 and an outer circumferential surface 64 of the inner circumferential wall portion 50, and each through hole 60 has an inner circumferential opening 66 that opens to the inner circumferential surface 62 and an outer circumferential opening 68 that opens to the outer circumferential surface 64. In this embodiment, the through holes 60 are formed corresponding to each of the buffer protrusions 30 of the sheet rubber 14, and six through holes 60 are formed at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Each through hole 60 has a predetermined circumferential width. In particular, in this embodiment, the circumferential width of each through hole 60 is approximately constant in the extension direction (up-down direction) of the inner circumferential wall portion 50, so that each through hole 60 has a rectangular shape, for example, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0041] The buffer protrusions 30 of the sheet rubber 14 are inserted into these through holes 60 when the sheet rubber 14 is assembled to the cup member 16. In particular, the protrusions 34 of the buffer protrusions 30 protrude inward from the inner peripheral openings 66 of the through holes 60. The left side of Fig. 2 shows a vertical cross section of a portion of the inner peripheral wall 50 where the through holes 60 are formed, and the right side of Fig. 2 shows a vertical cross section of a portion of the inner peripheral wall 50 where the through holes 60 are not formed. In addition, in the left side of Fig. 2, the inner peripheral surface 62 and the outer peripheral surface 64 of the inner peripheral wall 50 where the through holes 60 are not formed (i.e., similar to the right side of Fig. 2) are shown by two-dot chain lines.

[0042] Specifically, the lower portion of the hole inner surface 70 of each through hole 60 has an inclination angle closer to the axis-perpendicular direction than to the axial direction. In this embodiment, the lower end of the hole inner surface 70 of each through hole 60 extends flush with the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 46. In other words, at the inner circumferential end of the bottom wall portion 46 where each through hole 60 is formed, the lower end of the hole inner surface 70 of each through hole 60 does not rise upward but extends radially inward, forming the lower end of the hole inner surface 70 of each through hole 60. In particular, in this embodiment, the lower portion of the hole inner surface 70 of each through hole 60 extends between the inner circumferential surface 62 and the outer circumferential surface 64 of the inner circumferential wall portion 50.

[0043] Further, the upper part of the inner surface 70 of each through-hole 60 is provided at the radial intermediate part of the inner peripheral wall part 50, and is shaped like being cut by a plane that extends in the vertical direction in the radial intermediate part of the inner peripheral wall part 50. That is, the upper part of the inner surface 70 of each through-hole 60 has an inclination angle closer to the axial direction than the direction perpendicular to the axis at the opening side part (outer peripheral side opening 68) to the outer peripheral surface 64 of the inner peripheral wall part 50. In the present embodiment, the upper end part of the inner surface 70 of each through-hole 60 includes a vertical surface 72 that extends in the vertical direction. Each vertical surface 72 has a predetermined vertical dimension, and the lower end part of the vertical surface 72 that constitutes the upper part of the inner surface 70 of each through-hole 60 extends inward in the inner peripheral side with an inclination angle closer to the direction perpendicular to the axis than the axial direction at the opening side part (inner peripheral side opening 66) to the inner peripheral surface 62 of the inner peripheral wall part 50, and is connected to the inner peripheral surface 62 of the inner peripheral wall part 50. In the present embodiment, the part connecting from each vertical surface 72 to the inner peripheral surface 62 of the inner peripheral wall part 50 is chamfered, and the lower end part of each vertical surface 72 is connected to the inner peripheral surface 62 of the inner peripheral wall part 50 via an arcuate curved surface 74. As a result, the upper end part of each through-hole 60 is constituted.

[0044] In this way, as shown in the left side part in FIG. 2, each through-hole 60 penetrating the inner peripheral wall part 50 in the thickness direction is formed. In particular, in the present embodiment, the radial separation distance a (see FIG. 2) between the inner peripheral end part at the lower end part of each protruding part 34 and the opening edge (in the present embodiment, each vertical surface 72) at the upper part of each through-hole 60 is larger than 0 (0 < a). When the inner peripheral end part at the lower end part of each protruding part 34 is chamfered in an R surface shape, it is preferable that the radial separation distance a between the inner peripheral end of the R surface and the opening edge (each vertical surface 72) at the upper part of each through-hole 60 is larger than 0. Further, in the present embodiment, the outer peripheral side opening 68 of each through-hole 60 formed on the outer peripheral surface 64 of the inner peripheral wall part 50 is formed larger than the inner peripheral side opening 66 of each through-hole 60 formed on the inner peripheral surface 62 of the inner peripheral wall part 50.

[0045] As described above, each through hole 60 has a substantially constant circumferential width in the extension direction (vertical direction) of the inner circumferential wall portion 50, and the inner circumferential opening 66 and the outer circumferential opening 68 are each substantially rectangular in plan view. In this embodiment, the circumferential width of the through hole 60, particularly of the inner circumferential opening 66, is larger than the circumferential width of the second end 44 of each protruding portion 34. In particular, the circumferential width of the inner circumferential opening 66 of the through hole 60 is larger than the circumferential width of the first end 42 of each protruding portion 34. As a result, when each protruding portion 34 is inserted into each inner circumferential opening 66, a small gap is formed circumferentially between each inner circumferential opening 66 and each protruding portion 34. Furthermore, the vertical dimension of the inner circumferential opening 66 of each through hole 60 (the vertical separation distance between each curved surface 74 and the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 46) is substantially equal to the vertical dimension of each protruding portion 34. As a result, in this embodiment, when each protruding portion 34 is inserted into each inner peripheral opening 66, the upper end surface 40 of each protruding portion 34 abuts against each curved surface 74 without being deformed, and the lower end surface of each protruding portion 34 (i.e., the lower end surface of each buffer protrusion 30) abuts against the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 46 without being deformed.

[0046] Similarly, it is preferable that the circumferential width dimension of the outer peripheral opening 68 of each through hole 60 be larger than the circumferential width dimension of each insertion portion 32, so that when each insertion portion 32 is inserted into each through hole 60, a small gap is formed circumferentially between each outer peripheral opening 68 and each insertion portion 32. Furthermore, it is preferable that the vertical dimension of the outer peripheral opening 68 of each through hole 60 (the vertical dimension between the upper end of each vertical surface 72 and the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 46) be approximately equal to the vertical dimension of each insertion portion 32. In short, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the outer peripheral surface shape of each insertion portion 32 located in each buffer protrusion 30 of each through hole 60 corresponds to the inner peripheral surface shape of each through hole 60. Furthermore, in this embodiment, each buffer protrusion 30 has a cross-sectional shape that is the same as or smaller than that of each through hole 60.

[0047] As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the sheet rubber 14 is attached to the cup member 16 by being superimposed on the cup member 16 from above. The lower surface of the lower wall portion 18 of the sheet rubber 14 is superimposed in abutting contact with the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 46 of the cup member 16. The buffer protrusions 30 on the inner circumferential surface 28 of the sheet rubber 14 are fitted into the through holes 60 on the inner circumferential wall portion 50 of the cup member 16. The portions of the inner circumferential surface 28 of the sheet rubber 14 other than the buffer protrusions 30 are superimposed in abutting contact with the portions of the outer circumferential surface 64 of the inner circumferential wall portion 50 other than the through holes 60. By attaching the cup member 16 to the sheet rubber 14, the deformation of the sheet rubber 14 is limited to some extent by the cup member 16, and the spring characteristics of the sheet rubber 14 can be adjusted by attaching the cup member 16. In this embodiment, the sheet rubber 14 is overlapped with the inner peripheral wall portion 50 of the cup member 16 in a state of abutment with no interference, but it may be overlapped with a gap formed, or may be fitted with interference. The outer peripheral surface of the lower wall portion 18 of the sheet rubber 14 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall portion 48 of the cup member 16 are separated from each other in the radial direction when the sheet rubber 14 and the cup member 16 are assembled.

[0048] The cupped seat rubber 10 thus constructed is attached to an arm member 12 that constitutes a suspension mechanism of an automobile, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The arm member 12 is a hard member made of a metal such as iron. The arm member 12 integrally comprises an annular flange portion 76 and a mounting tube portion 78 that serves as a tapered cylindrical insertion portion that protrudes upward from the inner peripheral end of the flange portion 76. In this embodiment, the mounting tube portion 78 gradually reduces in diameter upward at a substantially constant taper angle in the vertical direction.

[0049] The cup-equipped sheet rubber 10 is attached to the arm member 12 by overlapping the bottom wall portion 46 of the cup member 16 from above onto the flange-shaped portion 76 of the arm member 12 and overlapping the inner wall portion 50 of the cup member 16 onto the outer surface 80 of the mounting tube portion 78 of the arm member 12.

[0050] The cup member 16 is overlapped with the lower surface of the height adjustment portion 52 of the bottom wall portion 46 abutting against the upper surface of the flange-shaped portion 76 of the arm member 12. The cup member 16 is also overlapped with the inner circumferential surface 62 of the inner circumferential wall portion 50 facing the outer circumferential surface 80 of the mounting tubular portion 78 of the arm member 12 with a gap 82 between them. In this way, the inner circumferential wall portion 50 of the cup member 16 and the mounting tubular portion 78 of the arm member 12 are overlapped with a gap 82 between them, which allows for dimensional tolerances and assembly tolerances of the inner circumferential wall portion 50 of the cup member 16 and the mounting tubular portion 78 of the arm member 12. This prevents improper assembly of the cup member 16 and the arm member 12 due to interference between the inner circumferential wall portion 50 of the cup member 16 and the mounting tubular portion 78 of the arm member 12.

[0051] It is desirable that the inner diameter of the upper end of the inner circumferential wall portion 50 of the cup member 16 protruding upward from the arm member 12 is smaller than the outer diameter (preferably the inner diameter) of the upper end of the arm member 12 so that the inner circumferential wall portion 50 covers the upward opening of the gap 82 from above. This makes it possible to prevent foreign matter such as water from entering the gap 82 from above. Also, it is possible to integrally form a dust seal portion that covers the upward opening of the gap 82, for example, by making the upper end of the tubular portion 20 of the sheet rubber 14 extend inward beyond the inner circumferential wall portion 50 of the cup member 16.

[0052] A coil spring 22 is attached to the cupped seat rubber 10 attached to the arm member 12 in this manner. That is, with the cup member 16 attached to the arm member 12, the lower end of the coil spring 22 is fitted onto the tubular portion 20 of the seat rubber 14, and the lower surface of the coil spring 22 is vertically overlapped with the spring abutment surface 24 of the seat rubber 14, thereby attaching the cupped seat rubber 10 to the vehicle suspension mechanism. When attached to the suspension mechanism in this manner, the cupped seat rubber 10 is interposed between the arm member 12 and the lower end of the coil spring 22. By interposing the seat rubber 14 between the arm member 12 and the coil spring 22, the generation of abnormal noise due to rubbing or impact is prevented compared to when the coil spring 22 is directly overlapped on the arm member 12. Furthermore, by interposing the cup member 16 between the seat rubber 14 and the arm member 12, the amount of axial compression of the coil spring 22 can be adjusted, thereby tuning the spring characteristics of the coil spring 22. The coil spring 22 may be loosely inserted into the cylindrical portion 20 of the seat rubber 14 with a gap therebetween, or may be fitted with a tight interference fit. Also, for example, when the lower wall portion 18 of the seat rubber 14 is compressed vertically by the coil spring 22 and deformed so as to bulge outward, the amount of deformation of the lower wall portion 18 of the seat rubber 14 outward is limited by its contact with the outer peripheral wall portion 48 of the cup member 16.

[0053] As described above, when assembling the seat rubber 14 and the cup member 16, each buffer protrusion 30 is fitted into each through hole 60, and as shown in FIG. 2, each buffer protrusion 30 protrudes toward the mounting tube portion 78, which is located more inward than each through hole 60 in the inner wall portion 50, and the inclined surface 38, which is the inner surface of each protruding portion 34, abuts against the outer surface 80 of the mounting tube portion 78.

[0054] Specifically, when each buffer protrusion 30 is fitted into each through hole 60, the protruding tip surfaces 36 of the insertion portions 32, which extend in the vertical direction, preferably come into contact with or are close to vertical surfaces 72 provided at the outer peripheral openings 68 in the upper portions of the hole inner surface 70 of each through hole 60. In this embodiment, the protruding tip surfaces 36 and the vertical surfaces 72 abut against each other. Furthermore, the upper end surfaces 40 of each protrusion 34 preferably come into contact with or are close to curved surfaces 74 provided at the inner peripheral openings 66 in the upper portions of the hole inner surface 70 of each through hole 60. In this embodiment, the upper end surfaces 40 and the curved surfaces 74 abut against each other. Furthermore, the lower end surfaces of each buffer protrusion 30 preferably come into contact with or are close to the lower portions (bottom wall portions 46) of the hole inner surface 70 of each through hole 60. In this embodiment, the lower end surfaces of each buffer protrusion 30 and the upper surface of the bottom wall portions 46 abut against each other. Furthermore, since the inclination angle of the inclined surface 38 of the protruding portion 34 of each buffer protrusion 30 is approximately equal to the taper angle of the outer surface 80 of the mounting tube portion 78, each buffer protrusion 30 abuts against the outer surface 80 of each mounting tube portion 78 over approximately the entire length of the inclined surface 38.

[0055] As a result, a gap 82 between the inner peripheral wall 50 of the cup member 16 and the mounting tube 78 of the arm member 12 is maintained by the contact between the buffer protrusions 30 and the mounting tube 78, and the inner peripheral surface 62 of the inner peripheral wall 50 and the outer peripheral surface 80 of the mounting tube 78 are spaced apart without directly contacting each other. In particular, because the inner peripheral end portions of the protrusions 34 (i.e., the second end portions 44, which are the upper ends of the protrusions 34) are located more inward than the vertical surfaces 72 of the cup member 16, when the sheet rubber 14 is assembled from above the cup member 16, the lower portions of the inner peripheral surface 28 of the sheet rubber 14 (the buffer protrusions 30) come into contact with the vertical surfaces 72 and are elastically deformed outward. This allows the assembly of the sheet rubber 14 to the cup member 16, and the sheet rubber 14 is guided downward toward the cup member 16 with the buffer protrusions 30 coming into contact with the vertical surfaces 72. Then, as the second end 44 of each protruding portion 34 passes through the curved surface 74 provided at the lower end of each vertical surface 72, each protruding portion 34 elastically restores its original shape, and the upper end surface 40 of each protruding portion 34 comes into contact with each curved surface 74 in the vertical direction. This causes each buffer protrusion 30 to engage with the inner circumferential wall portion 50, preventing the seat rubber 14 from slipping out of the cup member 16 upward.

[0056] As described above, because the buffer protrusions 30 of the sheet rubber 14 protrude further inward than the inner peripheral wall 50 of the cup member 16 and abut against the outer peripheral surface 80 of the mounting tube 78, the cup member 16 and the arm member 12 can be positioned relative to each other in the radial direction, which is the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, while a gap 82 is defined between the inner peripheral wall 50 of the cup member 16 and the mounting tube 78 of the arm member 12. For example, when a radial force acts between the cup member 16 and the arm member 12, the relative radial displacement between the cup member 16 and the arm member 12 is absorbed by the deformation of the buffer protrusions 30, thereby suppressing the radial relative displacement and preventing noise caused by rubbing between the bottom wall 46 of the cup member 16 and the flange-shaped portion 76 of the arm member 12 and hitting sounds caused by the inner peripheral wall 50 and the mounting tube 78 hitting each other.

[0057] In this embodiment, the buffer protrusions 30 are provided at multiple locations in the circumferential direction. As a result, in the initial state before an external force is applied, an annular gap 82 can be provided around the entire circumference between the inner circumferential wall portion 50 and the mounting tubular portion 78. When an external force is applied from any radial direction, the buffer protrusions 30 are deformed to absorb the external force, thereby more reliably preventing the generation of abnormal noise, hammering sounds, and the like.

[0058] The protruding portion 34 of each buffer protrusion 30 has a circumferential width dimension of the first end 42, which is the lower end, that is larger than the circumferential width dimension of the second end 44, which is the upper end. This allows each buffer protrusion 30 to be easily inserted into each through-hole 60. That is, as described above, the second end 44 of each protruding portion 34 is elastically deformed outwardly when it abuts against each vertical surface 72 during assembly into the cup member 16, and elastically restores its original shape after passing each vertical surface 72. However, by keeping the circumferential width dimension of the second end 44 small, the above-described elastic deformation of the second end 44 can be more easily generated, facilitating assembly of the seat rubber 14 and the cup member 16 and, ultimately, manufacturing of the cup-equipped seat rubber 10.

[0059] Furthermore, the circumferential width dimension of the second end 44 of each protruding portion 34 is smaller than the circumferential width dimension of the inner peripheral opening 66 of each through hole 60. In particular, each buffer protrusion 30 has a cross-sectional shape that is the same as or smaller than that of each through hole 60 over substantially the entirety, which makes it easy to insert each buffer protrusion 30 into each through hole 60 and also facilitates deformation of each buffer protrusion 30 when, for example, an external force is input and each buffer protrusion 30 elastically deforms, thereby avoiding stress concentration and improving durability.

[0060] The upper portion of the inner surface 70 of each through-hole 60 has an inclination angle at the outer peripheral opening 68 to the inner peripheral wall 50 that is closer to the axial direction than to the axis-perpendicular direction, and in this embodiment, a vertical surface 72 that extends in the up-down direction is provided. This allows the sheet rubber 14, which has the buffer protrusions 30 provided on its inner peripheral surface 28, to be easily assembled from above the cup member 16.

[0061] In particular, the upper portion of the hole inner surface 70 of each through hole 60 has an inclination angle at the inner peripheral opening 66 to the inner peripheral wall portion 50 that is closer to the axis-perpendicular direction than to the axial direction, and in this embodiment, this portion is chamfered to form a curved surface 74. Then, each protruding portion 34 of the seat rubber 14, which is assembled to the cup member 16 from above, is engaged with each curved surface 74, thereby preventing the seat rubber 14 from coming off the cup member 16.

[0062] Furthermore, when the seat rubber 14 and the cup member 16 are assembled, the lower end surface of each buffer protrusion 30 abuts against the upper surface of the bottom wall 46 that forms the lower portion of the inner surface 70 of each through-hole 60. In other words, the protruding portion 34 of each buffer protrusion 30 can be supported by being sandwiched between the curved surfaces 74 and the upper surface of the bottom wall 46 in the vertical direction, effectively preventing vertical displacement of the seat rubber 14 and the cup member 16.

[0063] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the specific descriptions. For example, the outer peripheral wall 48 of the cup member 16 may be omitted. Furthermore, the outer peripheral wall 48 of the cup member 16 may be in advance in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lower wall 18 of the sheet rubber 14.

[0064] The height adjustment portion 52 on the bottom wall 46 of the cup member 16 is not essential. The height adjustment portion 52 is related to, for example, the support height of the sheet rubber 14 on the arm member 12, and thus the thickness of the sheet rubber 14 and the support height of the coil spring 22, and therefore the height dimension of the height adjustment portion 52 can also be adjusted as appropriate. The height adjustment portion 52 may be partially provided at multiple locations in the circumferential direction, and may have, for example, a hemispherical or other spot-like protrusion shape. It is preferable that the height adjustment portion 52 have a communicating gap that extends radially in the circumferential direction between the overlapping surfaces with the arm member 12 and communicates with the gap 82 between the mounting tube portion 78 and the inner circumferential wall 50. This allows, for example, water or the like that seeps in through the gap 82 to be quickly removed through the upper surface of the arm member 12.

[0065] In the first embodiment, the bottom wall 46 of the cup member 16 is annular and located on a substantially coplanar plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. However, if, for example, the lower end of the coil spring extends at an inclination in a spiral manner and the upper and lower surfaces of the lower wall 18 of the seat rubber 14 are inclined in the circumferential direction, the lower surface of the bottom wall may be a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction, while the upper surface of the bottom wall may be an inclined spiral tapered surface extending in the circumferential direction, or a stepped portion may be provided at a specific location in the circumferential direction. In this manner, the bottom wall 46 of the cup member may have a thickness that varies in the circumferential direction. Alternatively, by varying the height of the height adjustment portion 52 in the circumferential direction, the thickness of the bottom wall 46 of the cup member 16 may be kept substantially constant in the circumferential direction, and a circumferential inclination or the like may be provided on the upper surface of the bottom wall 46 of the cup member 16.

[0066] The specific shape, size, number, arrangement, etc. of the buffer protrusions 30 shown in the first embodiment are merely examples and may be changed as appropriate. In particular, in the first embodiment, the insertion portions 32 are provided on the inner peripheral surface 28 of the sheet rubber 14, and the protruding portions 34 that protrude further inward are provided on the protruding tip surfaces 36 of the insertion portions 32, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, for example, the buffer protrusions may protrude inward with a substantially constant cross-sectional shape, and the through-holes may have a substantially constant cross-sectional shape that penetrates the peripheral wall portion (e.g., the inner peripheral wall portion 50) in the thickness direction.

[0067] In the first embodiment, the circumferential width of the first end 42, which is the lower end of each protruding portion 34, is larger than the circumferential width of the second end 44, which is the upper end of each protruding portion 34. However, the circumferential widths of the first end and the second end may be equal to each other, or the circumferential width of the second end may be larger than the circumferential width of the first end. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, each buffer protrusion 30 has a cross-sectional shape that is the same as or smaller than that of each through hole 60. However, this is not limited to this. That is, each buffer protrusion may have a cross-sectional shape that is larger than that of each through hole, and each buffer protrusion may be press-fitted into each through hole. Alternatively, each through hole may have the same cross-sectional shape as each buffer protrusion, or the shape of the through hole may correspond to the shape of the buffer protrusion. Specifically, for example, the circumferential width of the upper end of the inner peripheral opening may be smaller than the circumferential width of the lower end of the inner peripheral opening.

[0068] Furthermore, the positions of the buffer protrusions provided on the inner peripheral surface of the seat rubber in the vertical direction are not limited, and they may be provided at multiple positions in the vertical direction.

[0069] When multiple buffer protrusions are provided, the buffer protrusions do not need to have the same shape. For example, in the initial state when the cup-equipped seat rubber is attached to the spring support portion, some of the buffer protrusions may abut against the insertion portion (e.g., the mounting tube portion 78) as in the above embodiment, while the remaining some may not abut against the insertion portion. In this case, it is sufficient that some of the buffer protrusions abut against the insertion portion in the initial state, thereby forming a gap between the insertion portion and the peripheral wall portion (e.g., the inner peripheral wall portion 50). Then, when an external force such as vibration is applied, the insertion portion and the peripheral wall portion may displace relative to each other in the radial direction, causing the remaining some of the buffer protrusions to abut against the insertion portion, thereby suppressing the relative displacement in the radial direction.

[0070] The size of the gap 82 (gap dimension) does not need to be constant throughout, and the size of the gap may be increased or decreased at any position in the vertical or circumferential direction.

[0071] In the first embodiment, the protruding tip surfaces 36 of the insertion portions 32 and the vertical surfaces 72 on the outer peripheral surface 64 of the inner peripheral wall portion 50 extend in the vertical direction, but these surfaces may extend in a direction inclined relative to the vertical direction. The protruding tip surfaces 36 and the vertical surfaces 72 do not need to abut each other when the sheet rubber 14 and the cup member 16 are assembled, and may face each other with a small gap between them. Similarly, when the sheet rubber 14 and the cup member 16 are assembled, the upper end surfaces 40 and the curved surfaces 74 may face each other with a small gap between them, and the lower end surfaces of the buffer protrusions 30 and the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 46 may face each other with a small gap between them. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 10 Cup-equipped seat rubber (first embodiment) 12 Arm member (spring support part) 14 Seat Rubber 16 Cup member 18 Lower wall section 20 Cylindrical part 22 coil spring 24 Spring contact surface 26 Protrusion 28 Inner surface 30 Buffer protrusion 32 Insertion part 34 Protruding part 36 Protruding tip surface 38 Slope 40 Top surface 42 First end 44 Second end 46 Bottom wall 48 Outer wall 50 Inner peripheral wall (peripheral wall) 52 Height adjustment section 54 Inner cylinder 56 Outer cylinder 58 Internal and external connection 60 through holes 62 Inner surface 64 Outer surface 66 Inner opening 68 Outer periphery opening 70 Hole inner surface 72 Vertical Plane 74 curved surface 76 Flange-shaped part 78 Mounting tube (insertion part) 80 Outer surface 82 Gap

Claims

1. A cupped seat rubber is provided in a vehicle suspension mechanism, which includes an annular seat rubber interposed between a coil spring and a spring support part, and a hard cup member disposed between the seat rubber and the spring support part and attached to the seat rubber, the cup member has a structure in which a tapered cylindrical peripheral wall portion protrudes in a central axis direction from an inner peripheral end portion of a bottom wall portion that is superimposed on the spring support portion in a state of abutting against the spring support portion, The cup member has a through-hole formed therein that penetrates the peripheral wall portion and is superposed with a gap on the tapered insertion portion of the spring support portion, The seat rubber is provided with a buffer projection that projects through the through hole toward the insertion portion and further inward than the peripheral wall of the cup member.

2. 2. The cup-equipped seat rubber according to claim 1, wherein the through holes and the buffer protrusions inserted into the through holes are provided at a plurality of positions in the circumferential direction.

3. 3. The cup-type seat rubber according to claim 1, wherein the buffer protrusion has a protruding portion that protrudes toward the inner periphery of the cup member, and the circumferential width dimension of a first end portion located on the bottom wall portion side is larger than the circumferential width dimension of a second end portion located on the opposite side from the bottom wall portion.

4. The cup-formed seat rubber according to claim 3, wherein the second end of the protruding portion of the buffer protrusion has a circumferential width dimension smaller than the circumferential width dimension of the through hole.

5. 3. The cup-type seat rubber according to claim 1, wherein the buffer protrusion has a cross-sectional shape that is the same as or smaller than the cross-sectional shape of the through-hole.

6. 3. The cup-shaped seat rubber according to claim 1, wherein an upper portion of the inner surface of the through hole has an inclination angle closer to the axial direction than to the axis-perpendicular direction at an opening side portion of the peripheral wall portion of the cup member toward the outer peripheral surface.

7. 7. The cup-shaped seat rubber according to claim 6, wherein the upper portion of the inner surface of the through hole extends inward at an inclination angle closer to the axis-perpendicular direction than to the axial direction at an opening portion of the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion of the cup member.

8. 7. The cup-shaped seat rubber according to claim 6, wherein a lower portion of the inner surface of the through hole extends between the inner surface and the outer surface of the peripheral wall portion of the cup member at an inclination angle closer to the axis-perpendicular direction than to the axial direction.

Images