Self-Lubricating Anti-Vibration Rubber with Bleeding Lubricant
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing anti-vibration rubber members, such as stabilizer bushings, face challenges with high friction resistance between the rubber member and the mating member, leading to increased noise and reduced comfort, and existing solutions like PTFE liners are costly or complex to implement.
Innovation Solution
An anti-vibration rubber member with a self-lubricating rubber elastic body, a deformable coating film containing specific functional groups, and a lubricating film formed by the bleeding lubricant, which reduces friction resistance and prevents coating film separation, allowing for a simpler production method without the need for complex surface features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a PTFE liner is inserted into the holding hole to reduce friction, then the friction resistance between the stabilizer bushing and stabilizer bar is reduced, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the lubricating function into the rubber elastic body itself by incorporating a bleeding lubricant during rubber compound preparation. This eliminates the need for a separate PTFE liner, reducing friction resistance while simplifying the structure and lowering manufacturing cost. The lubricant is uniformly distributed within the rubber matrix, providing continuous lubrication without requiring additional components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material by combining rubber elastic body with bleeding lubricant (fatty acid amide) during compound preparation. This composite structure allows the rubber to inherently provide lubrication through the bleeding lubricant, replacing the need for separate PTFE liner materials and achieving both friction reduction and cost savings.
2Force
If a self-lubricating rubber is used to reduce friction, then the friction resistance is reduced, but the lubricant may cause coating film separation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a coating to the inner circumferential surface of the holding hole before the lubricant has a chance to cause separation. The coating serves as a protective layer that prevents direct contact between the bleeding lubricant and the rubber surface, thereby maintaining coating adhesion while still allowing the lubricant to function. This preliminary protective action resolves the conflict between lubrication and adhesion.
Solution Approach 2:
The coating acts as an intermediary layer between the bleeding lubricant and the rubber elastic body surface. It mediates the interaction by preventing the lubricant from directly causing separation while still allowing the system to benefit from reduced friction. The coating protects the rubber surface integrity while enabling the self-lubricating function to operate.
3Quantity of substance
If grid-like ribs are formed on the inner circumferential surface to retain lubricant, then the lubricant retention ability is increased, but the shape complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of lubricant retention by controlling the bleeding properties of the fatty acid amide lubricant through compound formulation rather than through geometric features. By adjusting the lubricant concentration and bleeding characteristics in the rubber compound, adequate lubricant is naturally supplied to the sliding surface without requiring complex grid-like rib structures, thus maintaining surface simplicity.
4Force
If a dry coating film is applied to the inner circumferential surface, then the friction resistance is reduced, but the coating film is more prone to separation due to bleeding lubricant
Solution Approach 1:
The coating is applied as a preliminary protective layer before the lubricant can cause separation issues. This pre-applied coating serves as a stable base that prevents the bleeding lubricant from compromising adhesion, while still providing low-friction properties. The preliminary coating application resolves the timing conflict between lubricant release and coating stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The coating film serves as an intermediary layer that reconciles the conflicting requirements of low friction and high stability. It provides a stable, low-friction surface that is not susceptible to separation from the bleeding lubricant, thereby mediating between the lubricant's lubricating function and the coating's adhesion requirement.
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 low friction resistance and high durability between the anti-vibration rubber member and the mating member, reducing noise and improving comfort while maintaining the rubber's integrity and simplifying production.
Implementation Method 1
a lubricating film that covers at least a portion of a surface of the coating film, is formed by the bleeding lubricant of the rubber elastic body penetrating the coating film and oozing onto the surface of the coating film
Implementation Method 2
is deformable to follow up deformation of the rubber elastic body
Implementation Method 3
contains a resin having at least one type of functional group selected from a mercapto group, a vinyl group, an epoxy group, a methacryloxy group, and an amino group
Implementation Method 4
an anti-vibration rubber member that absorbs at least a portion of the vibration of a mating member
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Provided is an anti-vibration rubber member wherein there is low friction resistance between the anti-vibration rubber member and a mating member, and a coating film is not prone to separation from a rubber elastic body, and a production method thereof. An anti-vibration rubber member 3R absorbs at least a portion of the vibration of a mating member 840R and has a sliding surface that is relatively in sliding contact with the mating member 840R. The anti-vibration rubber member 3R further includes: a rubber elastic body 32R that is made of a self-lubricating rubber containing an elastomer 321R and a bleeding lubricant 322R; a coating film 33R that covers at least a portion of a sliding inner surface that is among a surface of the rubber elastic body 32R and disposed on an inner side of the sliding surface, contains a resin 330R having a mercapto group, and is deformable to follow up deformation of the rubber elastic body 32R; and a lubricating film 34R that covers at least a portion of a surface of the coating film 33R, is formed by the bleeding lubricant 322R of the rubber elastic body 32R penetrating the coating film 33R and oozing onto the surface of the coating film 33R, and forms at least a portion of the sliding surface.