Resin Misalignment Preventing Member for Stabilizer Bushings

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional stabilizer devices face issues with misalignment due to centrifugal force, leading to reduced anti-roll effects, excessive load on stabilizer components, and weight concerns, with existing methods like aluminum or iron rings being structurally weak and costly to produce, especially with the need for heat curing processes.

Innovation Solution

A stabilizer device featuring a resin misalignment preventing member integrally formed with the torsion part, using materials like polyphenylene sulfide or polyetheretherketone, which prevents misalignment without structural weak points, maintains bushing position, and reduces weight, with a design that includes inclining parts and ribs to enhance frictional force and reduce material usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If an aluminum ring or iron ring is swaged as a misalignment preventing member, then misalignment is prevented, but the structural strength is low due to connecting parts and weight is increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemisalignment preventionVSAvoidfixing strength

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The misalignment preventing member is integrally formed with the torsion part as a single piece, eliminating the connecting parts that created structural weak points. This merging of the misalignment preventing function directly into the torsion part structure resolves the strength issue while maintaining misalignment prevention capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses resin material for the misalignment preventing member instead of traditional aluminum or iron rings. This material substitution provides both sufficient strength to prevent misalignment and weight reduction, while the integral formation with the torsion part eliminates weak connecting joints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of manufacture

If the misalignment preventing member is fixed via coating, then the aluminum ring is attached to the stabilizer, but the fixing strength depends on coating strength which may not be sufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment methodVSAvoidfixing strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The misalignment preventing member is integrally formed with the torsion part through direct injection molding, creating a unified structure where the misalignment preventing member becomes part of the torsion part itself. This eliminates the need for separate attachment via coating, ensuring fixing strength is inherent to the structure rather than dependent on coating adhesion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the coating-based attachment mechanism with a direct integral formation process. Instead of relying on mechanical adhesion through coating, the misalignment preventing member is formed as part of the torsion part structure, substituting the weak coating bond with a strong structural integration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If aluminum or iron rings are used as misalignment preventing members, then misalignment is prevented, but weight reduction cannot be promoted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemisalignment preventionVSAvoidstabilizer device weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent substitutes traditional metal materials (aluminum or iron rings) with resin material for the misalignment preventing member. This material change achieves weight reduction while maintaining the misalignment prevention function, and the integral formation with the torsion part ensures structural reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 resin misalignment preventing member maintains the stabilizer's performance, increases reliability, reduces weight, and simplifies the production process by eliminating the need for heat curing and reducing material usage, while providing higher frictional force to prevent misalignment and interference with surrounding parts.

Implementation Method 1

which prevents misalignment without structural weak points, maintains bushing position, and reduces weight

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentUS8356825B2Stabilizer device and process for production thereof

Publication Date: 2013.01.22 NHK SPRING CO LTD

AI summary

A stabilizer device having high reliability and light weight is provided. The stabilizer device has a stabilizer consisting of a torsion part and arm parts each extending from both ends of the torsion part and having an overall shape of a square bracket, a “]” shape, a bushing for fixing the stabilizer to an automobile body arranged at both ends of the torsion part, and a resin misalignment preventing member which has a contacting part contacting with the bushing, which is arranged neighboring the bushing, and which is integrally formed with the torsion part and covering all therearound in a predetermined range of axial direction of the torsion part.