Bracket assembly

Abstract

To inhibit vibration transmitted from a brake actuator to a vehicle body.SOLUTION: A bracket assembly includes: a first bracket fixed to a vehicle body; a second bracket connected to the first bracket and attached with a brake actuator; a first vibration suppression member inserted into a space between the first bracket and the second bracket and formed of a material having viscoelasticity; and a second vibration suppression member joined to one of the first bracket and the second bracket and formed of a material having viscoelasticity.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a bracket assembly, and more particularly to a bracket assembly for attaching a brake actuator to a vehicle body.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a bracket assembly for attaching a brake actuator to a vehicle body. This bracket assembly includes a first bracket fixed to the vehicle body and a second bracket connected to the first bracket and to which the brake actuator is attached. A vibration damping member is inserted between the brake actuator and the second bracket.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a brake actuator, a pump and a valve are built in, and vibrations occur during its operation. The vibrations generated in the brake actuator may be transmitted to the vehicle body through the bracket assembly, and the vibration noise generated at that time may cause discomfort to the vehicle user. Therefore, this specification provides a technology capable of suppressing vibrations transmitted from the brake actuator to the vehicle body.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] This specification discloses a bracket assembly for mounting a brake actuator to the body of a vehicle. The bracket assembly comprises a first bracket fixed to the vehicle body, a second bracket connected to the first bracket and to which the brake actuator is mounted, a first damping member interposed between the first bracket and the second bracket and made of a viscoelastic material, and a second damping member joined to one of the first bracket and the second bracket and made of a viscoelastic material.

[0006] In the bracket assembly described above, a first vibration damping member is interposed between the first bracket and the second bracket. This suppresses the transmission of vibrations generated by the brake actuator from the second bracket to the first bracket. Furthermore, a second vibration damping member is joined to one of the first or second brackets. With this configuration, vibrations generated in the first or second bracket can be attenuated by the second vibration damping member. In particular, the second vibration damping member can be provided over a relatively wide area of ​​any space on the first or second bracket. As a result, vibrations generated in the first or second bracket where the second vibration damping member is provided can be effectively attenuated. In this way, the combination of the first and second vibration damping members can sufficiently suppress vibrations transmitted from the brake actuator to the vehicle body. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A side view showing the configuration of the bracket assembly 10. [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view of bracket assembly 10 along line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Enlarged view of Part III in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the retaining plate 28, the second vibration damping member 24, and the collar 26, and shows the retaining plate 28 as viewed from the back surface 28b side. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] In one embodiment of this technology, the second vibration damping member may be joined to the first bracket. With this configuration, the first vibration damping member first suppresses the transmission of vibration from the second bracket to the first bracket, and then the vibration transmitted to the first bracket can be attenuated by the first vibration damping member. However, the position to which the second vibration damping member is joined is not limited to the first bracket, but may also be the second bracket.

[0009] In the embodiment described above, the first bracket is fixed to the vehicle body at one end and connected to the second bracket at the other end, and the second vibration damping member may be joined between the one end and the other end of the first bracket, across the entire width of the first bracket. With such a configuration, vibrations transmitted from the second bracket to the vehicle body via the first bracket can be dampened more effectively.

[0010] In the embodiment described above, the first bracket may have a first plate-shaped portion having the aforementioned end and a second plate-shaped portion that is bent relative to the first plate-shaped portion and has the aforementioned other end. In this case, the second vibration damping member may be joined to the first plate-shaped portion of the first bracket.

[0011] In one embodiment of this technology, the bracket assembly may further include a retaining plate attached to the first bracket, which sandwiches a second vibration damping member between itself and the first bracket. In this case, the retaining plate may be made of a material with higher rigidity than the material constituting the second vibration damping member. With such a configuration, even if the second vibration damping member is a flexible sheet-like member, for example, the second vibration damping member can be easily attached by using a relatively rigid retaining plate. Furthermore, since the second vibration damping member is sandwiched between the first bracket and the retaining plate, it is possible to prevent the second vibration damping member from peeling off from the first bracket.

[0012] In the embodiment described above, the bracket assembly may further include a spacer positioned between the first bracket and the retaining plate to maintain the distance between the first bracket and the retaining plate. With such a configuration, a constant distance can be maintained between the first bracket and the retaining plate. Therefore, creep deformation of the second vibration damping member due to excessive pressure from the retaining plate can be suppressed.

[0013] In the embodiment described above, the retaining plate may be further secured to the first bracket by a fastener, and the spacer may be a collar arranged coaxially with the fastener. With such a configuration, both the retaining plate and the spacer can be held by a common fastener. [Examples]

[0014] The bracket assembly 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bracket assembly 10 of this embodiment is a component for attaching the brake actuator 4 to the vehicle body 2. In one example, the bracket assembly 10 is located in the front compartment at the front of the vehicle. The front compartment here refers to the part in front of the dashboard panel. The bracket assembly 10 attaches the brake actuator 4 to, for example, the front side member 3 of the vehicle body 2. The front side member 3 is a skeletal member that extends along the front-rear direction on both the left and right sides of the vehicle. The brake actuator 4 is connected in the vehicle's brake system between the brake master cylinder (not shown) and the brake caliper (not shown) of each wheel. The brake actuator 4 incorporates electric equipment such as an electric motor and an electromagnetic valve, and can control the brake fluid pressure supplied to the wheel cylinder of each wheel.

[0015] Here, each direction of the bracket assembly 10 in the drawing corresponds to the direction when mounted on the vehicle, i.e., the direction of the vehicle. Therefore, direction FR indicates the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and direction RR indicates the rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Direction LH indicates the left in the lateral direction of the vehicle, and direction RH indicates the right in the lateral direction of the vehicle. Direction UP indicates the upward in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and direction DW indicates the downward in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0016] The bracket assembly 10 comprises a first bracket 12, a second bracket 16, a first vibration damping member 22, a second vibration damping member 24, a collar 26, and a retaining plate 28. The first bracket 12 is fixed to the vehicle body 2. The second bracket 16 is connected to the first bracket 12. The brake actuator 4 is attached to the second bracket 16.

[0017] The first bracket 12 includes a first plate-shaped portion P1 and a second plate-shaped portion P2. The first plate-shaped portion P1 has one end 12a that is fixed to the vehicle body 2. The first plate-shaped portion P1 is fastened to the vehicle body 2 via fasteners 15 at each of the multiple connection points provided on the one end 12a. The fasteners 15 can be threaded members such as bolts and nuts. The second plate-shaped portion P2 is bent relative to the first plate-shaped portion P1 and has the other end 12b that is connected to the second bracket 16.

[0018] Specifically, the first bracket 12 is constructed using a plurality of plate members 13 and 14. The plurality of plate members 13 and 14 include a first plate member 13 and a second plate member 14. The first plate-shaped portion P1 of the first bracket 12 includes the first plate member 13, and the second plate-shaped portion P2 of the first bracket 12 includes the first plate member 13 and the second plate member 14. The first plate member 13 extends upward from the side surface of the front side member 3 of the vehicle body 2 and has a bent portion 13w between one end 12a and the other end 12b of the first bracket 12. The second plate member 14 is arranged on top of the first plate member 13. The second plate member 14 is joined to the first plate member 13, for example, by welding.

[0019] The second bracket 16 includes a third plate-like portion P3 and a fourth plate-like portion P4. The third plate-like portion P3 has one end 16a to which the brake actuator 4 is attached. At each of a plurality of connection locations provided at the one end 16a, the brake actuator 4 is fastened via a fastener 19. A screw member can be adopted for the fastener 19. The fourth plate-like portion P4 is bent with respect to the third plate-like portion P3 and has the other end 16b connected to the first bracket 12.

[0020] Specifically, the second bracket 16 is configured using a plurality of plate members 17, 18. The plurality of plate members 17, 18 includes a third plate member 17 and a fourth plate member 18. The third plate-like portion P3 of the second bracket 16 includes the third plate member 17, and the fourth plate-like portion P4 of the second bracket 16 includes the third plate member 17 and the fourth plate member 18. The third plate member 17 extends from the side surface of the brake actuator 4 downward and has a bent portion 17w between the one end 16a and the other end 16b of the second bracket 16. The fourth plate member 18 is disposed on top of the third plate member 17. The fourth plate member 18 is joined to the third plate member 17 by, for example, welding.

[0021] The first bracket 12 and the second bracket 16 are fastened by a plurality of fasteners 20. Specifically, a second plate-like portion P2 (i.e., the second plate member 14) having the other end 12b of the first bracket 12 and a fourth plate-like portion P4 (i.e., the fourth plate member 18) having the other end 16b of the second bracket 16 are joined together. Also, a first vibration damping member 22 is inserted between the first bracket 12 and the second bracket 16. The first vibration damping member 22 is made of a viscoelastic material such as rubber or elastomer, for example. The first vibration damping member 22 is a cylindrical member. The first vibration damping member 22 is arranged coaxially with the fastener 20 connecting the first bracket 12 and the second bracket 16. That is, the first vibration damping member 22 is arranged on the vibration transmission path from the brake actuator 4 to the second bracket 16. Thereby, the vibration transmission from the second bracket 16 to the first bracket 12 is suppressed by the first vibration damping member 22. For the fastener 20, a threaded member such as a bolt and a nut can be employed, for example.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a second vibration damping member 24 is further joined to the first bracket 12 via an adhesive (not shown), for example. The second vibration damping member 24 is a sheet-like member having viscoelasticity and is made of a viscoelastic material such as rubber or elastomer, for example. According to such a configuration, in addition to the suppression of vibration transmission by the above-described first vibration damping member 22, the vibration transmitted to the first bracket 12 can then be attenuated by the second vibration damping member 24. The second vibration damping member 24 is joined across the entire width of the first bracket 12 (in this embodiment, the entire width in the front-rear direction of the vehicle; see FIG. 1) between one end 12a and the other end 12b of the first bracket 12. According to such a configuration, the vibration transmitted from the second bracket 16 to the vehicle body 2 via the first bracket 12 can be more effectively attenuated.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2-4, in this embodiment, the second vibration damping member 24 is also joined to the first bracket 12 by a retaining plate 28 attached to the first bracket 12. The retaining plate 28 is a plate member and has a back surface 28b that is joined to the first bracket 12 and a front surface 28a located on the opposite side of the back surface 28b. The retaining plate 28 is made of a material that is more rigid than the second vibration damping member 24, such as metal. The second vibration damping member 24 is sandwiched between the first bracket 12 and the retaining plate 28 (its back surface 28b). In one example, the second vibration damping member 24 and the retaining plate 28 are joined via adhesive. A collar 26 is also placed between the first bracket 12 and the retaining plate 28. The collar 26 maintains the distance between the first bracket 12 and the retaining plate 28. With this configuration, the collar 26 functions as a spacer that can maintain a constant distance between the first bracket 12 and the retaining plate 28. Therefore, creep deformation of the second vibration damping member 24 due to excessive pressure from the retaining plate 28 can be suppressed. The collar 26 is generally a cylindrical member. The collar 26 is made of a material with higher rigidity than the second vibration damping member 24, such as metal.

[0024] The retaining plate 28 is fixed to the first bracket 12 using fasteners 30. The second vibration damping member 24 has a hole 24h formed in its center. A collar 26 is placed inside the hole 24h of the second vibration damping member 24. The collar 26 is positioned coaxially with the fasteners 30. With this configuration, both the retaining plate 28 and the spacer (collar 26) can be held by a common fastener 30. That is, the fasteners 30 pass through the first plate member 13 of the first bracket 12, the collar 26, and the retaining plate 28, fixing the retaining plate 28 and the second vibration damping member 24 to the first bracket 12. Screw members such as bolts and nuts can be used for the fasteners 30. Here, the collar 26 is an example of a "spacer" in the technology disclosed herein. The spacer is not limited to the collar 26 and may be a polygonal prism part that does not have a through hole. Alternatively, the spacer may be a projection formed integrally with the retaining plate 28.

[0025] In this embodiment, the brake actuator 4, to which the bracket assembly 10 is attached to the vehicle body 2, contains a pump and valves, and vibrations are generated during their operation. The vibrations generated by the brake actuator 4 may be transmitted to the vehicle body 2 via the bracket assembly 10, and the resulting vibration noise may cause discomfort to the vehicle user.

[0026] To solve the above-mentioned problems, in the bracket assembly 10 of this embodiment, a first vibration damping member 22 is interposed between the first bracket 12 and the second bracket 16. As mentioned above, this suppresses the transmission of vibrations generated by the brake actuator 4 from the second bracket 16 to the first bracket 12. Furthermore, a second vibration damping member 24 is joined to the first bracket 12. With this configuration, vibrations generated in the first bracket 12 can be attenuated by the second vibration damping member 24. In particular, the second vibration damping member 24 can be provided over a relatively wide area of ​​any space on the first bracket 12. As a result, vibrations generated in the first bracket 12 where the second vibration damping member 24 is provided can be effectively attenuated. In this way, the combination of the first vibration damping member 22 and the second vibration damping member 24 can sufficiently suppress vibrations transmitted from the brake actuator 4 to the vehicle body 2.

[0027] However, the position where the second vibration damping member 24 is joined to the bracket assembly 10 is not limited to the first bracket 12, but may also be the second bracket 16. In that case, vibrations generated in the second bracket 16 can be effectively dampened by the second vibration damping member 24.

[0028] The bracket assembly 10 of this embodiment includes a retaining plate 28. The retaining plate 28 is attached to the first bracket 12 and sandwiches the second vibration damping member 24 between itself and the first bracket 12. With this configuration, even if the second vibration damping member 24 is a flexible sheet-like material, for example, the relatively rigid retaining plate 28 makes it easy to attach the second vibration damping member 24. Furthermore, since the second vibration damping member 24 is sandwiched between the first bracket 12 and the retaining plate 28, it is possible to prevent the second vibration damping member 24 from peeling off from the first bracket 12. However, the bracket assembly 10 does not necessarily have to include a retaining plate 28; the second vibration damping member 24 may simply be joined to the first bracket 12 using only adhesive.

[0029] The specific examples of the technology disclosed in this specification have been described in detail above, but these are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes to the specific examples described above. The technical elements described in this specification or in the drawings exhibit technical usefulness individually or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. The technology illustrated in this specification or in the drawings can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving even one of these objectives itself constitutes technical usefulness. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 2: Vehicle body 3: Front side member 4: Brake actuator 10: Bracket Assembly 12: First bracket 12a: one end 12b: Other end 16: Second bracket 22: First vibration damping member 24: Second vibration damping member 26: Color 28: Retaining plate P1: First plate-like portion P2: Second plate-like portion

Claims

1. A bracket assembly for attaching a brake actuator to the vehicle body, A first bracket fixed to the vehicle body, A second bracket is connected to the first bracket and to which the brake actuator is attached, A first vibration damping member is interposed between the first bracket and the second bracket and is made of a viscoelastic material, A second vibration damping member is joined to one of the first bracket and the second bracket and is made of a viscoelastic material, Equipped with, The second vibration damping member is joined to the first bracket, The first bracket is fixed to the vehicle body at one end and connected to the second bracket at the other end. The second vibration damping member is joined to the first bracket between one end and the other end, across the entire width of the first bracket, in a bracket assembly.

2. The first bracket has a first plate-shaped portion having one end and a second plate-shaped portion that is bent relative to the first plate-shaped portion and has the other end. The bracket assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second vibration damping member is joined to the first plate-shaped portion of the first bracket.

3. The system further includes a retaining plate attached to the first bracket or the second bracket, which sandwiches the second vibration damping member between the first bracket or the second bracket, The bracket assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the retaining plate is made of a material with higher rigidity than the material constituting the second vibration damping member.

4. The bracket assembly according to claim 3, further comprising a spacer disposed between the first bracket or the second bracket and the retaining plate, for maintaining the distance between the first bracket or the second bracket and the retaining plate.

5. The device further includes fasteners for fixing the retaining plate to the first bracket or the second bracket, The bracket assembly according to claim 4, wherein the spacer is a collar arranged coaxially with the fastener.

6. A bracket assembly for attaching a brake actuator to the vehicle body, A first bracket fixed to the vehicle body, A second bracket is connected to the first bracket and to which the brake actuator is attached, A first vibration damping member is interposed between the first bracket and the second bracket and is made of a viscoelastic material, A second vibration damping member is joined to one of the first bracket and the second bracket and is made of a viscoelastic material, A retaining plate attached to the first bracket or the second bracket, which sandwiches the second vibration damping member between itself and the first bracket or the second bracket, A spacer is positioned between the first bracket or the second bracket and the retaining plate to maintain the distance between the first bracket or the second bracket and the retaining plate, Equipped with, The bracket assembly wherein the retaining plate is made of a material with higher rigidity than the material constituting the second vibration damping member.

7. The device further includes fasteners for fixing the retaining plate to the first bracket or the second bracket, The bracket assembly according to claim 6, wherein the spacer is a collar arranged coaxially with the fastener.

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