Stopper buffer

Abstract

A stopper buffer body having a novel structure is provided that can easily prevent the buffer body from being attached upside down to a cylindrical vibration-isolating device. [Solution] A stopper buffer 10 used in a stopper mechanism that limits the amount of relative displacement between an inner axial member 32 and an outer tubular member 34 in a cylindrical vibration-damping device 12, comprising an attachment plate portion 14 having an attachment hole 22 formed therein that fits into the inner axial member 32, and the attachment plate portion 14 is provided with an anti-misassembly protrusion 26 that protrudes from the opening periphery of the attachment hole 22 and interferes with the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12 when mounted upside down, thereby preventing the attachment plate portion 14 from fitting into the inner axial member 32.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a stopper buffer body used in a stopper mechanism that is attached to a cylindrical vibration-isolating device and limits the amount of elastic deformation of a main rubber elastic body of the cylindrical vibration-isolating device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, cylindrical vibration-damping devices have been known for use in automobile engine mounts, motor mounts, etc. As shown in Japanese Patent No. 5094300 (Patent Document 1), for example, a cylindrical vibration-damping device has a structure in which an inner shaft member and an outer cylindrical member are elastically connected by a main rubber elastic body, and the inner shaft member and the outer cylindrical member are attached to either a vibration source or an object to be vibration-damped, thereby connecting the vibration source and the object to be vibration-damped in a vibration-damping manner.

[0003] Furthermore, a stopper mechanism may be provided in a cylindrical vibration-damping device to limit the amount of relative axial displacement between the inner axial member and the outer tubular member when a large load is input, thereby limiting the amount of elastic deformation of the main rubber elastic body and improving the durability of the main rubber elastic body. The stopper mechanism is configured, for example, by the inner axial member side and the outer tubular member side abutting against each other via a stopper buffer body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5094300 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, stopper buffers are sometimes formed as separate parts from the cylindrical vibration-damping device and then attached to the cylindrical vibration-damping device in order to achieve required performance such as load resistance and buffering performance. Also, for example, in Patent Document 1, the stopper buffers are fitted and attached to both axial ends of an inner shaft member protruding from the main rubber elastic body so that the stopper buffers are held in an appropriate position relative to the cylindrical vibration-damping device.

[0006] However, the plate-shaped stopper buffer body as shown in Patent Document 1 is easily mistaken for a wrong front and back, and there is a risk that the stopper buffer body will be attached upside down when it is later attached to the inner shaft member.

[0007] Patent Document 1 shows a structure in which an incorrect assembly prevention part is provided to detect incorrect installation using a sensor in order to prevent the stopper buffer from being installed in the wrong direction. However, such an incorrect assembly prevention part requires a process for detecting incorrect installation, and also requires inspection equipment such as a sensor, so it is not possible to easily prevent incorrect installation.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a stopper buffer body having a novel structure that can easily prevent the cylindrical vibration isolator from being mounted upside down. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] 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.

[0010] The first aspect is a stopper buffer used in a stopper mechanism that limits the amount of relative displacement between an inner axial member and an outer tubular member in a cylindrical vibration-damping device, and is provided with an attachment plate portion having an attachment hole formed therein that fits into the inner axial member, and the attachment plate portion is provided with an anti-misassembly protrusion that protrudes from the opening periphery of the attachment hole and interferes with the cylindrical vibration-damping device when attached upside down, thereby preventing the attachment plate portion from fitting into the inner axial member.

[0011] With a stopper cushion constructed according to this aspect, if the stopper cushion is attached upside down to the cylindrical vibration-damping device, the misassembly prevention protrusion formed on the periphery of the opening of the attachment hole in the stopper cushion will interfere with the cylindrical vibration-damping device. The interference between the misassembly prevention protrusion and the cylindrical vibration-damping device prevents the inner shaft member from being properly inserted into the attachment hole, thereby preventing the stopper cushion from being attached upside down to the cylindrical vibration-damping device. In this way, the physical interference between the misassembly prevention protrusion and the cylindrical vibration-damping device prevents the stopper cushion from being attached upside down, making it possible to easily and reliably prevent reverse attachment without requiring special inspection equipment, etc.

[0012] In the second aspect, in the stopper buffer body described in the first aspect, the misassembly prevention protrusion protrudes from the mounting plate portion toward either the opposite side to the cylindrical vibration-damping device or the inner side of the mounting hole.

[0013] With a stopper buffer constructed according to this aspect, if the misassembly prevention protrusion protrudes away from the cylindrical vibration-damping device, then the stopper buffer is prevented from being installed backwards, for example, by the misassembly prevention protrusion interfering with the main rubber elastic body of the cylindrical vibration-damping device. Furthermore, if the misassembly prevention protrusion protrudes toward the inner periphery of the mounting hole, then the stopper buffer is prevented from being installed backwards, for example, by the misassembly prevention protrusion interfering with the inner shaft member of the cylindrical vibration-damping device.

[0014] In a third aspect, in the stopper buffer body described in the first or second aspect, a plurality of the misassembly prevention protrusions are partially provided at the opening periphery of the mounting hole, spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the mounting hole.

[0015] The stopper buffer constructed according to this aspect prevents the weight of the stopper buffer from increasing due to the formation of the misassembly prevention protrusions. Furthermore, because the misassembly prevention protrusions are arranged at multiple circumferential locations that are spaced apart from one another, interference between the misassembly prevention protrusions and the cylindrical vibration-damping device reliably prevents the stopper buffer from being installed backwards, even if the misassembly prevention protrusions are not provided around the entire periphery of the mounting hole.

[0016] In a fourth aspect, in a stopper buffer body described in any one of the first to third aspects, a relief portion having a larger diameter than the fitting portion of the inner shaft member that fits into the mounting hole is provided on the opening periphery of the mounting hole on the surface side of the mounting plate portion.

[0017] With the stopper buffer constructed according to this aspect, even if the inner shaft member is inserted into the opening on the back side of the mounting hole when the stopper buffer is installed backwards, the large-diameter relief portion provided on the periphery of the opening on the back side of the mounting hole prevents the inner shaft member from fitting into the mounting hole. This prevents the stopper buffer member from being forcibly installed onto the inner shaft member with the front and back facing backwards, and more reliably prevents the stopper buffer member from being installed backwards into the cylindrical vibration-damping device.

[0018] In a fifth aspect, in the stopper buffer body described in the fourth aspect, the relief portion is configured to include a tapered portion formed on the opening periphery of the mounting hole and expanding toward the surface side of the mounting plate portion.

[0019] With a stopper buffer constructed in accordance with this embodiment, the opening periphery on the front side of the mounting hole is tapered so that the diameter increases toward the front side, making it possible to easily form an escape portion that prevents the stopper buffer from being mounted backwards on the cylindrical vibration-damping device.

[0020] The sixth aspect is a stopper buffer body described in any one of the first to fifth aspects, in which a pair of mounting plate portions that are fitted to the inner shaft member from both axial sides are connected to each other by connecting plate portions that are integrally formed with the mounting plate portions.

[0021] The stopper buffer constructed according to this aspect can be configured as a pair of stopper mechanisms that prevent the relative axial displacement of the inner axial member and the outer tubular member on both sides in the axial direction with a single stopper buffer. Furthermore, compared to a case in which two independent stopper buffers are attached to both axial sides of the inner axial member, the number of parts is reduced and the management and attachment of the stopper buffers is made easier.

[0022] In a seventh aspect, in the stopper buffer body according to the sixth aspect, the misassembly prevention protrusion is provided in a range of less than halfway around the opening periphery of the mounting hole.

[0023] With a stopper buffer constructed in accordance with this embodiment, it becomes difficult for the inner shaft member to fit into the misassembly prevention protrusion, and the stopper buffer is prevented from being attached upside down to the cylindrical vibration-damping device due to the fit between the inner shaft member and the misassembly prevention protrusion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily prevent the stopper buffer body from being attached upside down to the cylindrical vibration-isolating device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cylindrical vibration-isolating device with a shock absorber to which a stopper shock absorber is attached according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] A front view of the cylindrical vibration isolation device with a buffer shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] A plan view of the cylindrical vibration isolation device with a buffer shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Left side view of the cylindrical vibration isolation device with shock absorber shown in Figure 1 [Figure 5] VV cross section of Figure 2 [Figure 6] VI-VI cross section of Figure 2 [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a stopper buffer that constitutes the cylindrical vibration-isolating device with a buffer shown in FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a perspective view of a cylindrical vibration-isolating device with a buffer body in which the stopper buffer body shown in FIG. 7 is mounted in an inverted position. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view of a cylindrical vibration-isolating device with a buffer body in which the stopper buffer body shown in FIG. 8 is mounted in the reverse direction. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a stopper buffer body according to a second embodiment of the present invention attached to a cylindrical vibration-damping device, showing the proper attachment state of the front and back sides. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the stopper buffer body of FIG. 10A attached to a cylindrical vibration-damping device, showing the attachment state with the front and back facing inversely; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0027] 1 to 6 show the stopper buffer 10 attached to the cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12. In the following description, as a general rule, the up-down direction refers to the up-down direction in FIG. 2, the left-right direction refers to the left-right direction in FIG. 2, and the front-rear direction refers to the up-down direction in FIG. 3. Note that although the stopper buffer 10 is elastically deformable, in the following description, as a general rule, it will be described as having the same shape and orientation as when attached to the cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12 shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, and each direction of the stopper buffer 10 refers to the direction when attached to the cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12 in the appropriate orientation.

[0028] The stopper buffer 10 is made of a rubber elastic body and, as shown in FIG. 7 , includes a pair of mounting plates 14, 14 arranged on both axial sides of the cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12, and a connecting plate 16 that connects the pair of mounting plates 14, 14 to the right of the cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12. The mounting plate 14 includes a buffer plate 18 that is integrally continuous with the connecting plate 16, and a fitting cylindrical portion 20 that is provided on the opposite side of the buffer plate 18 from the connecting plate 16. When the mounting plate 14 is properly mounted to the cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12, the side opposite the cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12 is the front side, and the side facing the cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12 is the back side. Therefore, when the stopper buffer 10 is mounted upside down, as described below, the front side of the mounting plate 14 is located on the cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12 side, and the back side of the mounting plate 14 is located opposite the cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12.

[0029] The buffer plate portion 18 is a flat plate that extends approximately perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction with a substantially constant thickness. The buffer plate portion 18 is provided contiguous with the connecting plate portion 16 and protrudes to the left from the connecting plate portion 16, with its width in the vertical direction decreasing with increasing distance from the connecting plate portion 16. In this embodiment, the buffer plate portion 18 has a lower surface that extends approximately perpendicular to the vertical direction and an upper surface that slopes downward toward the left.

[0030] The fitting tubular portion 20 has a generally elongated cylindrical shape and includes an attachment hole 22 that penetrates in the front-rear direction. The right side of the fitting tubular portion 20 is integrally connected to the buffer plate portion 18, and constitutes the left end of the attachment plate portion 14. The axial length (front-rear length) of the fitting tubular portion 20 is greater than the front-rear thickness of the buffer plate portion 18, and as shown in FIG. 7 , the fitting tubular portion 20 protrudes inward in the front-rear direction from the buffer plate portion 18. The fitting tubular portion 20 has an opening peripheral portion on the front side (outer side in the axial direction) that is flared, and a tapered portion 24 is formed whose inner diameter increases axially outward. The outer diameter of the fitting tubular portion 20 is generally constant at the tapered portion 24, and the tapered portion 24 becomes thinner radially outward in the axial direction.

[0031] The fitting tubular portion 20 is provided with an incorrect assembly prevention protrusion 26. The incorrect assembly prevention protrusion 26 protrudes in the front-rear direction from an end portion of the fitting tubular portion 20 on the outer front-rear direction side (the back surface side of the mounting plate portion 14) that constitutes the opening periphery of the mounting hole 22. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the incorrect assembly prevention protrusions 26 are provided partially in the circumferential direction of the fitting tubular portion 20, and multiple incorrect assembly prevention protrusions 26 are provided spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the fitting tubular portion 20. In this embodiment, three incorrect assembly prevention protrusions 26, 26, 26 are provided spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the fitting tubular portion 20. The incorrect assembly prevention protrusions 26 are preferably provided over a range of less than half the circumference of the fitting tubular portion 20, and in this embodiment, they are provided only on the left semi-cylindrical curved portion of the fitting tubular portion 20, which is shaped like an elongated cylinder. Therefore, the misassembly prevention protrusion 26 of this embodiment is provided on the left end of the mounting plate 14, which is opposite to the connecting side (right side) of the mounting plate 14 with the connecting plate 16.

[0032] The protruding height of the misassembly prevention protrusion 26 is not particularly limited, but is preferably in the range of 2 to 10 mm, and more preferably in the range of 3 to 5 mm. The width of the misassembly prevention protrusion 26 is preferably in the range of 3 to 15 mm, and more preferably in the range of 3 to 7 mm.

[0033] The connecting plate 16 interconnects the right ends of the pair of mounting plates 14. The connecting plate 16 integrally includes a flat intermediate buffer 28 that extends substantially perpendicular to the left-right direction and a pair of connecting portions 30 that protrude outward in both the front and rear directions from the intermediate buffer 28. The intermediate buffer 28 has a wider upper portion than a lower portion, with the wider upper portion positioned between the pair of connecting portions 30 in the front-rear direction and the narrower lower portion protruding downward below the pair of connecting portions 30 and the pair of mounting plates 14. The connecting portion 30 extends at an angle relative to the front-rear and left-right directions, with its left end continuing with the right end of the pair of mounting plates 14 (buffer plates 18) and its right end continuing with the intermediate buffer 28. The mounting plate portions 14, 14, which have buffer plate portions 18, 18 and mating tube portions 20, 20, and the connecting plate portion 16, which has an intermediate buffer portion 28 and a pair of connecting portions 30, 30, are formed integrally, and the pair of mounting plate portions 14, 14 are connected integrally by the connecting plate portion 16.

[0034] The connecting plate 16 is thinner than the mounting plate 14, and has a small bending deformation rigidity in the thickness direction. Therefore, for example, when the stopper buffer 10, which is formed in a plate shape in the unfolded state, is deformed to arrange the pair of mounting plates 14, 14 facing each other, the bending deformation of the connecting plate 16 can cause the pair of mounting plates 14, 14 to be arranged either appropriately facing each other or facing in reverse.

[0035] That is, in this embodiment, taking into consideration manufacturing reasons and the like, the connecting plate 16 and the pair of mounting plates 14, 14 are molded in an expanded state in which they extend in approximately the same direction, and are then bent at the connection points between the connecting plate 16 and each mounting plate 14, 14, to form a U-shape as shown in FIG. 7 when mounted on the vibration-damping device main body 38. Therefore, as described above, there is a greater risk of the mounting plate 14 being incorrectly assembled upside down. In particular, the connection points between the connecting plate 16 and each mounting plate 14 have lower bending deformation rigidity than other parts (particularly the mounting plate 14), so that the expanded molded product can be easily bent to deform the pair of mounting plates 14, 14 into a shape that stands up from the connecting plate 16. This increases the risk of incorrect assembly. However, even if the stopper buffer 10 is molded or shaped, for example, with a shape as shown in FIG. 7 or a similar bent shape, there is still a risk of the mounting plate 14 being incorrectly assembled upside down.

[0036] The stopper buffer body 10 having such a structure is attached to a cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12, as shown in Figures 1 to 6. The cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12 has a vibration-isolating device main body 38 having a structure in which an inner axial member 32 and an outer cylindrical member 34 are elastically connected by a main rubber elastic body 36.

[0037] The inner shaft member 32 is a hard member formed from a metal such as an aluminum alloy or a fiber-reinforced synthetic resin. The inner shaft member 32 has a central shaft portion 40 in the axial center, which is a generally elongated cylindrical shape. A pair of plate-shaped mounting pieces 42, 42 are integrally formed and protrude from the central shaft portion 40 on both sides in the axial direction. A bolt hole 44 is formed in the mounting piece 42, penetrating it in the up-down direction, which is the plate thickness direction. In this embodiment, the mounting piece 42 is provided in the lateral center of the central shaft portion 40, and is provided in a position biased downward relative to the vertical center of the central shaft portion 40.

[0038] The outer cylindrical member 34 has a thin-walled, large-diameter, generally cylindrical shape, and is a hard member made of the same material as the inner axial member 32. The inner diameter dimension of the outer cylindrical member 34 is larger than the maximum outer diameter dimension of the central axial portion 40 of the inner axial member 32, and is capable of being extrapolated around the central axial portion 40 over the entire circumference while being spaced apart from the outer periphery.

[0039] The inner shaft member 32 is inserted into the outer cylindrical member 34, and a main rubber elastic body 36 is disposed radially between the inner shaft member 32 and the outer cylindrical member 34. The inner shaft member 32 and the outer cylindrical member 34 are elastically connected to each other by the main rubber elastic body 36, thereby forming a vibration-damping device main body 38.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6 , the main rubber elastic body 36 has a first recessed hole 46 that penetrates the inner axial member 32 in the upper side and a second recessed hole 48 that penetrates the inner axial member 32 in the lower side. A first stopper rubber 50 that protrudes downward from the inner circumferential surface of the outer tubular member 34 toward the inner axial member 32 is provided in the first recessed hole 46. A second stopper rubber 52 that protrudes upward from the inner circumferential surface of the outer tubular member 34 toward the inner axial member 32 is provided in the second recessed hole 48. When a large load is applied in the vertical direction, the inner axial member 32 and the outer tubular member 34 abut against each other via the first and second stopper rubbers 50, 52, thereby forming upper and lower stoppers that limit the amount of relative displacement between the inner axial member 32 and the outer tubular member 34 in the vertical direction, thereby improving the durability of the main rubber elastic body 36 (rubber legs 54, 54 described below). In this embodiment, the width dimension in the left-right direction of the second stopper rubber 52 is larger than the width dimension in the left-right direction of the first stopper rubber 50, and higher load-bearing performance is achieved against downward input that moves the inner shaft member 32 downward relative to the outer cylindrical member 34.

[0041] The main rubber elastic body 36 is provided with a pair of rubber legs 54, 54 extending between the inner shaft member 32 and the outer tubular member 34, between the first and second recessed holes 46, 48 in the circumferential direction. The inner peripheral ends of the rubber legs 54, 54 are vulcanization-bonded to the central shaft portion 40 of the inner shaft member 32, and the outer peripheral ends are vulcanization-bonded to the outer tubular member 34. The pair of rubber legs 54, 54 are symmetrical with respect to each other in the left-right direction. The rubber legs 54 extend at a downward angle toward the outer periphery. The circumferential width of the rubber legs 54 increases toward the outer periphery. The inner peripheral end of the main rubber elastic body 36 is provided with an inner circumferential cylindrical portion 56 that is fixed around the entire circumference to the central shaft portion 40 of the inner shaft member 32, and the pair of rubber legs 54, 54 are fixed to the inner shaft member 32 via the inner circumferential cylindrical portion 56. In addition, an outer peripheral tubular portion 58 is provided at the outer peripheral end of the main rubber elastic body 36, and is fixed to the outer tubular member 34 around the entire circumference, and a pair of rubber legs 54, 54 are fixed to the outer tubular member 34 via the outer peripheral tubular portion 58.

[0042] An outer bracket 60 is attached to the outer cylindrical member 34 of the vibration damping device main body 38. The outer bracket 60 is a member for attaching the outer cylindrical member 34 to a vehicle body or the like (not shown), and in this embodiment, a press-fit hole 62, into which the outer cylindrical member 34 is press-fitted, is formed so as to penetrate in the front-to-rear direction. The lower surface of the outer bracket 60 has a flat surface that extends approximately perpendicular to the up-down direction, and serves as a mounting surface that is superimposed on and attached to the vehicle body or the like. Note that the mounting structure of the outer bracket 60 to the vehicle body or the like is not particularly limited, and for example, a mounting piece that protrudes outward from the cylindrical portion that forms the wall of the press-fit hole 62 may be provided so that the mounting piece is fixed to the vehicle body or the like.

[0043] The front and rear surfaces of the outer bracket 60 are generally symmetrical in the front-to-rear direction. An annular flat surface 64 that extends generally perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction is provided on each of the front and rear surfaces of the outer bracket 60 at the periphery of the opening of the press-fit hole 62, with a front stopper surface 66 comprising a portion of the front annular flat surface 64 and a rear stopper surface 68 comprising a portion of the rear annular flat surface 64. In addition, the right side surface of the outer bracket 60 is provided with a side stopper surface 70 that is formed of a flat surface that extends generally perpendicular to the left-to-right direction.

[0044] The stopper buffer 10 is mounted to the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12, which has the outer bracket 60 mounted to the vibration-damping device main body 38. That is, the connecting plate 16 is placed on the right side of the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12, and the pair of mounting plates 14 are placed on both axially outer sides of the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12. Then, the fitting cylindrical portions 20 provided on the pair of mounting plates 14 of the stopper buffer 10 are fitted onto the central shaft portion 40 of the inner shaft member 32 from both axial (front-rear) sides, so that the central shaft portion 40 fits into the mounting holes 22, and the stopper buffer 10 is mounted to the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12. Note that the pair of fitting cylindrical portions 20 of the stopper buffer 10 may be fixed to the central shaft portion 40 of the inner shaft member 32 by adhesive or other means, for example.

[0045] The stopper buffer 10 is arranged so that the intermediate buffer portion 28 of the connecting plate portion 16 covers the lateral stopper surface 70 that forms the right side surface of the outer bracket 60, and the inner bracket (not shown) attached to the inner shaft member 32 abuts against the lateral stopper surface 70 of the outer bracket 60 via the intermediate buffer portion 28, thereby forming a lateral stopper that limits the amount of relative displacement of the inner shaft member 32 to the outer tube member 34 to the left.

[0046] The pair of buffer plate portions 18, 18 of the stopper buffer body 10 are arranged to cover a portion of both the front and rear surfaces (front stopper surface 66 and rear stopper surface 68) of the opening periphery of the press-fit hole 62 in the outer bracket 60. Then, the inner bracket (not shown) attached to the inner shaft member 32 comes into contact with the front stopper surface 66 or the rear stopper surface 68 of the outer bracket 60 via the buffer plate portions 18, 18, thereby forming front and rear stoppers as stopper mechanisms that limit the amount of relative displacement of the inner shaft member 32 with respect to the outer cylindrical member 34 in the front-rear direction.

[0047] The stopper buffer 10 of this embodiment has a structure that integrally includes a pair of buffer plates 18, 18 and a connecting plate 16, so that the buffer rubbers of the front and rear stoppers and the side stoppers can be provided as a single component for the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12. This reduces the number of components, and by fixing the pair of fitting cylindrical portions 20, 20 to the inner shaft member 32, the pair of buffer plates 18, 18 and the connecting plate 16 can be attached to the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12, thereby reducing the effort required for installation.

[0048] The structure of the inner bracket attached to the inner axial member 32 is not particularly limited, but it has a structure in which it is bolted to a pair of mounting pieces 42, 42 of the inner axial member 32, and a pair of mounting portions extending rightward from the pair of mounting pieces 42, 42 are interconnected on the right side of the outer bracket 60. The inner bracket faces the outer tubular member 34 and the outer bracket 60 with the stopper buffer body 10 sandwiched between them, with a distance therebetween so that a predetermined stopper clearance is secured.

[0049] 1 to 6, the stopper buffer body 10 has an incorrect assembly prevention protrusion 26 that protrudes from the fitting cylindrical portion 20 toward the opposite side (outside in the front-to-rear direction) from the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12. Therefore, when the stopper buffer body 10 is fitted to the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12 in the appropriate orientation, the incorrect assembly prevention protrusion 26 does not prevent the fitting cylindrical portion 20 from fitting with the central shaft portion 40 of the inner shaft member 32.

[0050] 8 and 9, in an inverted mounting state in which the pair of mounting plates 14, 14 of the stopper buffer body 10 are mounted upside down on the inner shaft member 32, the misassembly prevention protrusion 26 protrudes from the fitting cylinder portion 20 toward the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12 (inward in the front-to-rear direction). In this case, as shown in Fig. 9, the misassembly prevention protrusion 26 abuts against the main rubber elastic body 36 of the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12 in the front-to-rear direction, and the misassembly prevention protrusion 26 prevents the central shaft portion 40 of the inner shaft member 32 from fitting into the fitting cylinder portion 20. Therefore, the pair of mounting plates 14, 14 are not maintained in the mounted state on the inner shaft member 32, and the stopper buffer body 10 is not mounted to the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12. Therefore, the stopper buffer 10 is prevented from being mounted upside down to the cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12, with the pair of mounting plate portions 14, 14 reversed, by interference between the incorrect assembly prevention protrusion 26 and the cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12. In this way, the stopper buffer 10 is prevented from being mounted upside down by physical interference between the incorrect assembly prevention protrusion 26 and the cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12 (main rubber elastic body 36), so that an inspection process for detecting upside-down mounting using a sensor or the like can be omitted, and inspection equipment or the like is also unnecessary, making it possible to easily prevent upside-down mounting.

[0051] The misassembly prevention protrusion 26 protrudes in the front-to-rear direction, which is the direction in which the mounting plate 14 and the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12 are superimposed, and when the mounting plate 14 is attached to the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12 upside down, it abuts against the main rubber elastic body 36 of the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12 in the protruding direction. As a result, the force due to interference with the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12 acts on the misassembly prevention protrusion 26 as a compressive force in the protruding direction, thereby reducing the amount of elastic deformation of the misassembly prevention protrusion 26 compared to when it acts as a force in the shearing direction. Therefore, even when the central shaft portion 40 of the inner shaft member 32 is forcibly pushed into the mounting hole 22 of the mounting plate 14 while deforming the misassembly prevention protrusion 26 that has interfered with the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12, a large resistance force is exerted by the compression spring of the misassembly prevention protrusion 26, effectively preventing the stopper buffer body 10 from being mounted upside down.

[0052] Furthermore, a tapered portion 24 is formed on the periphery of the opening on the front side of the fitting tubular portion 20, and the inner diameter of the opening periphery on the front side of the fitting tubular portion 20 is made larger than the outer diameter of the central shaft portion 40 of the inner shaft member 32. As a result, even if the fitting tubular portion 20 is pushed strongly toward the cylindrical vibration isolator 12 and the fitting tubular portion 20 reaches the central shaft portion 40 due to elastic deformation of the misassembly prevention protrusion 26 and the main rubber elastic body 36, the relief portion 72 formed by the tapered portion 24 and spaced outward from the central shaft portion 40 prevents the central shaft portion 40 from fitting with the fitting tubular portion 20. This more reliably prevents the stopper buffer 10 from being installed upside down.

[0053] In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the opening on the front side of the fitting cylindrical portion 20 is made larger than the outer diameter of the central shaft portion 40 at the tapered portion 24, and therefore the inner peripheral surface of the misassembly prevention protrusions 26 protruding from the end face on the front side of the fitting cylindrical portion 20 is located more outer than the outer peripheral surface of the central shaft portion 40. This prevents the central shaft portion 40 from fitting against the inner peripheral surfaces of the multiple misassembly prevention protrusions 26, more effectively preventing the stopper buffer 10 from being installed upside down.

[0054] The misassembly prevention protrusion 26 protrudes from the front end of the fitting tubular portion 20, whose inner diameter is increased by the tapered portion 24, and the inner peripheral surface of the misassembly prevention protrusion 26 is located more outer than the outer peripheral surface of the central shaft portion 40 of the inner shaft member 32. Therefore, when the stopper buffer 10 is attached upside down, the central shaft portion 40 does not come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the misassembly prevention protrusion 26, and engagement between the central shaft portion 40 and the inner peripheral surface of the misassembly prevention protrusion 26 is avoided, thereby preventing the stopper buffer 10 from being attached upside down to the inner shaft member 32.

[0055] The misassembly prevention protrusion 26 is provided partially in the circumferential direction on the opening periphery of the mounting hole 22. As a result, compared to when the protrusion is a continuous cylinder around the entire circumference, it is more difficult for the central shaft portion 40 of the inner shaft member 32 to fit onto the inner circumferential surface of the misassembly prevention protrusion 26, and it is easier to avoid mounting the stopper buffer body 10 upside down.

[0056] In this embodiment, a plurality of partial misassembly prevention protrusions 26 are provided spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction. Therefore, even if each of the misassembly prevention protrusions 26 is narrow, it is possible to effectively prevent the cylindrical vibration isolator 12 from being attached upside down due to interference with the cylindrical vibration isolator 12.

[0057] Moreover, the multiple mis-assembly prevention protrusions 26 are arranged around the opening periphery of the mounting hole 22 within a range of less than half the circumference of the mounting hole 22, and in this embodiment are arranged only on one arc-shaped curved portion of the mounting hole 22, which has an oval cross section. This more effectively prevents the inner shaft member 32 from fitting onto the inner periphery of the multiple mis-assembly prevention protrusions 26, effectively preventing the stopper buffer 10 from being installed upside down.

[0058] Figure 10 partially shows a stopper buffer 80 according to a second embodiment of the present invention attached to a cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12. In the following description, components and parts that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals in the figure and will not be described again. Furthermore, parts outside the range shown in Figure 10 are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment. Note that Figure 10A shows the stopper buffer 80 attached to the cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12 in the appropriate orientation, and Figure 10B shows the stopper buffer 80 attached to the cylindrical vibration-isolating device 12 with the front and back facing inwards.

[0059] The stopper buffer 80 includes an incorrect assembly prevention protrusion 82 that protrudes from the opening periphery of the mounting hole 22. In this embodiment, the incorrect assembly prevention protrusion 82 protrudes from the outer axial (front-rear) end of the fitting tubular portion 20 that constitutes the opening periphery of the mounting hole 22 toward the inner periphery. Similar to the incorrect assembly prevention protrusion 26 of the first embodiment, the incorrect assembly prevention protrusion 82 may be provided partially in the circumferential direction, and multiple protrusions may be provided spaced apart from one another. Furthermore, it is desirable that the partially provided incorrect assembly prevention protrusions 82 are arranged over a range of less than halfway around the mounting hole 22 in the circumferential direction. Because the partially provided incorrect assembly prevention protrusions 82 protrude from the fitting tubular portion 20 toward the inner periphery, the diameter of the axially outer end of the mounting hole 22 is partially reduced at the portion where the incorrect assembly prevention protrusions 82 are formed.

[0060] As in the first embodiment, the stopper buffer 80 is attached to the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12 by fitting the fitting tubular portion 20 onto the central shaft portion 40 of the inner shaft member 32. When the stopper buffer 80 is attached to the inner shaft member 32 with the front and back of the attachment plate portion 14 including the fitting tubular portion 20 facing in the appropriate direction, the misassembly prevention protrusion 82 is positioned axially outward from the central shaft portion 40 of the inner shaft member 32 without interfering with it, as shown in Figure 10A.

[0061] On the other hand, when the mounting plate portion 14 is mounted upside down, with the front and back facing in the opposite direction to the appropriate orientation, as shown in Figure 10B, the misassembly prevention protrusion 82 that protrudes inward from the fitting cylindrical portion 20 comes into contact with the axial end face of the central shaft portion 40 of the inner shaft member 32. This prevents the central shaft portion 40 from being fitted into the mounting hole 22, and prevents the stopper buffer body 80 from being erroneously mounted upside down on the cylindrical vibration-damping device 12.

[0062] 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, in the first embodiment, the stopper buffer 10 is shown to have a structure in which a pair of mounting plates 14, 14 are integrally connected via the connecting plate 16. However, the present invention can also be applied to a stopper buffer that is composed of only one mounting plate 14.

[0063] In the first embodiment, for example, the surfaces of the mounting plates 14, 14 (buffer plates 18, 18) that constitute the front and rear stoppers may be formed with embossments, ridges, grooves, etc. for shock absorption and anti-sticking purposes. Similarly, for example, the surfaces of the connecting plates 16 (intermediate buffer portions 28) that constitute the side stoppers may be formed with embossments, ridges, grooves, etc. for shock absorption and anti-sticking purposes.

[0064] The misassembly prevention protrusion may be, for example, annular or tubular and protrude continuously around the entire circumference from the periphery of the mounting hole. Furthermore, when multiple misassembly prevention protrusions are provided partially in the circumferential direction, the misassembly prevention protrusions may be arranged over an area exceeding half the circumference of the mounting hole. Furthermore, when the axially protruding misassembly prevention protrusions are provided over an area exceeding half the circumference, it is desirable that the inner peripheral surface of the misassembly prevention protrusion be positioned outward from the outer peripheral surface of the portion of the inner shaft that fits into the mounting hole, and that a relief portion be provided on the inner peripheral side of the misassembly prevention protrusion to prevent the misassembly prevention protrusion from fitting into the inner shaft.

[0065] When providing a partial misassembly prevention protrusion in a range of less than half the circumference of the mounting hole, the range of less than half the circumference where the misassembly prevention protrusion is provided is preferably on the opposite side of the connecting plate portion 16 as shown in the first embodiment, but it can also be set in another position.

[0066] When multiple misassembly prevention protrusions are provided, the misassembly prevention protrusions may have different shapes. Specifically, the multiple misassembly prevention protrusions may have different width dimensions, thickness dimensions, or protruding lengths in the circumferential direction of the mounting hole. In short, there are no limitations on the number of misassembly prevention protrusions, their arrangement in the circumferential direction of the mounting hole, their shapes, sizes, etc.

[0067] The fitting cylindrical portion is not limited to an elongated cylindrical shape, and may be, for example, a cylindrical shape, a polygonal cylindrical shape, an irregular cylindrical shape, etc., depending on the shape of the inner shaft member (central shaft portion) to be fitted. As is clear from this, the cross-sectional shape of the mounting hole is not particularly limited. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 10. Stopper buffer body (first embodiment) 12 Cylindrical vibration isolation device 14 Mounting plate 16 Connection plate 18 Buffer plate part 20 fitting cylinder 22 Mounting hole 24 Tapered section 26 Misassembly prevention protrusion 28 Intermediate buffer section 30 Connection 32 Inner shaft member 34 outer cylindrical member 36 Main body rubber elastic body 38 Anti-vibration device body 40 Central shaft section 42 Mounting piece 44 bolt holes 46 First Gouguri Hole 48 Second Gouging Hole 50 First stopper rubber 52 Second stopper rubber 54 Rubber feet 56 Inner cylindrical part 58 Outer cylindrical part 60 Outer bracket 62 Press-fit hole 64 Annular plane section 66 Front stopper surface 68 Rear stopper surface 70 Side stopper surface 72 Relief 80 Stopper buffer body (second embodiment) 82 Misassembly prevention protrusion

Claims

1. A stopper buffer body used in a stopper mechanism that limits the amount of relative displacement between an inner shaft member and an outer cylindrical member in a cylindrical vibration-damping device, a mounting plate portion having a mounting hole that fits onto the inner shaft member; The mounting plate portion is provided with an anti-misassembly protrusion that protrudes from the opening periphery of the mounting hole and interferes with the cylindrical vibration-damping device when the mounting plate portion is mounted upside down, thereby preventing the mounting plate portion from fitting onto the inner shaft member.

2. 2. The stopper buffer body according to claim 1, wherein the misassembly prevention projection projects from the mounting plate portion toward either the opposite side to the cylindrical vibration-damping device or the inner peripheral side of the mounting hole.

3. 3. The stopper buffer according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said mis-assembly prevention projections are provided at portions of the periphery of the opening of said mounting hole, spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction of said mounting hole.

4. A stopper buffer body as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein a relief portion having a larger diameter than the fitting portion of the inner shaft member that fits into the mounting hole is provided on the opening periphery of the mounting hole on the surface side of the mounting plate portion.

5. 5. The stopper buffer according to claim 4, wherein the relief portion includes a tapered portion formed on the periphery of the opening of the mounting hole and expanding toward the front surface of the mounting plate portion.

6. 3. The stopper buffer body according to claim 1, wherein the pair of mounting plate portions fitted onto the inner shaft member from both axial sides are connected to each other by connecting plate portions formed integrally with the mounting plate portions.

7. 3. The stopper buffer according to claim 1, wherein the mis-assembly prevention projection is provided over a range of less than half the circumference of the opening periphery of the mounting hole.

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