Bonded Stabilizer Bar Preventing Stick-Slip

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional stabilizer bars with rubber bushes and brackets face issues such as stick-slip phenomena, foreign substance intrusion leading to strange sounds, abrasion, and breaking, due to non-bonded interfaces, which affect steering stability and are costly to resolve.

Innovation Solution

A bush- and bracket-integrated stabilizer bar is developed using an amine-based curable epoxy paint or amine-containing cationic paint with a halogen donor-based surface treatment agent on the stabilizer bar and rubber bush, forming an adhesive layer with an amine-based or organic hydrazide-based curing agent and epoxy resin for strong bonding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the stabilizer bar and rubber bush are non-bonded, then the cost is reduced and manufacturing is simplified, but stick-slip phenomenon occurs causing strange sounds and steering instability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidsteering stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies surface treatment (halogen donor-based treatment) and painting (amine-based curable epoxy paint or amine-containing cationic paint) to the stabilizer bar and rubber bush before assembly. This preliminary preparation enables subsequent strong bonding through chemical reaction between the amine groups in the paint and halogen donors on the surface, preventing stick-slip phenomenon and ensuring steering stability while maintaining manufacturing efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediate chemical layer (amine-based curable epoxy paint or amine-containing cationic paint with halogen donor-based surface treatment) between the stabilizer bar and rubber bush. This intermediary layer facilitates strong chemical bonding without requiring complex vulcanization equipment, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and bonding reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If the stabilizer bar and rubber bush are non-bonded, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but clearances develop allowing foreign substance intrusion leading to abrasion and breaking

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidcomponent durability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies surface treatment and bonding agents before assembly to create a strong chemical bond between components. This preliminary preparation eliminates clearances that would otherwise allow foreign substance intrusion, preventing abrasion and breaking while maintaining cost-effectiveness through simplified manufacturing processes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite structure by chemically bonding the stabilizer bar (metal) to the rubber bush through an amine-based epoxy system. This composite construction eliminates clearances and prevents foreign substance intrusion, enhancing component durability without requiring expensive manufacturing methods

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Strength

If vulcanization bonding is used to bond the stabilizer bar and rubber bush, then bonding strength is improved, but equipment cost increases and coating defects occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebonding strengthVSAvoidequipment cost
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical vulcanization bonding system with a chemical bonding system using amine-based curable epoxy paint or amine-containing cationic paint. This substitution eliminates the need for expensive vulcanization equipment and molds while achieving strong bonding through chemical reaction between amine groups and halogen donors on the surface

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the bonding mechanism from thermal-vulcanization to chemical-reaction bonding. By using amine-based curable epoxy or amine-containing cationic paint with halogen donor-based surface treatment, the bonding process occurs at lower temperatures and without complex equipment, reducing device complexity while maintaining bonding strength

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Ease of manufacture

If painting is performed after vulcanization bonding, then the stabilizer bar is protected, but coating defects develop at the bonding interface

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepainting processVSAvoidcoating reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs surface treatment and applies the amine-based curable epoxy paint or amine-containing cationic paint before vulcanization bonding. This preliminary action ensures that the bonding interface is properly prepared and coated, preventing coating defects while maintaining painting process efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent inverts the conventional sequence by applying the bonding agent (amine-based epoxy paint or amine-containing cationic paint) before vulcanization bonding rather than after. This reversal ensures proper coating coverage at the bonding interface, eliminating coating defects while maintaining manufacturing ease

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution provides a cost-effective, bonded stabilizer bar system that prevents stick-slip, foreign substance intrusion issues, and maintains excellent steering stability while withstanding environmental conditions.

Implementation Method 1

a halogen donor-based surface treatment agent on the paint

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSurface treatment reaction: Chemical Bonding

Implementation Method 2

an adhesive layer containing an amine-based or an organic hydrazide-based curing agent and an epoxy resin is formed between the stabilizer bar and the rubber bush

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectChemical bonding through curing reaction: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentEP2650150B1Bush- and bracket-integrated stabilizer bar
Publication Date: 2015.09.02 NHK SPRING CO LTD
  • EP2650150B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2650150B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(b)
  • EP2650150B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A bush- and bracket-integrated stabilizer bar comprising a stabilizer bar, a rubber bush attached to an outer periphery of the stabilizer bar, and a bracket configured to mount the stabilizer bar to a bottom of a vehicle body with the rubber bush intervened, characterized in that the stabilizer bar comprises an amine-based curable epoxy paint or an amine-containing cationic paint and a surface treatment layer containing a halogen donor-based surface treatment agent on the paint, in that the rubber bush comprises a surface treatment layer containing a halogen donor-based surface treatment agent on an inner surface thereof, and in that a thermosetting epoxy adhesive layer containing an amine-based or an organic hydrazide-based curing agent and a bisphenol type epoxy resin is formed between the stabilizer bar and the rubber bush with each of the surface treatment layers intervened.