Suspension Stop Cup Coating for Spring Wear and Corrosion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing suspension stops for land vehicle suspension struts with helical springs face issues of corrosion and wear, leading to spring breakage, particularly at the interface between the helical spring and the peripheral annular housing zone, and existing compact designs are not adequately resistant to corrosion.
Innovation Solution
A suspension stop with a one-piece cup featuring an anti-wear coating made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with a thickness of less than 2mm, overmolded on the cup's body, covering the peripheral annular housing zone to prevent wear and corrosion, while maintaining a compact structure, and metallic washers with a Shore A hardness greater than 85 for enhanced durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a compact suspension stop design is used with a one-piece cup housing the coil spring, then the compactness requirement is met, but wear of the anti-corrosion coating occurs at the interface between the coil spring and the peripheral annular housing zone
Solution Approach 1:
An anti-wear coating is applied to the peripheral annular housing zone of the one-piece cup to create an intermediary protective layer between the coil spring and the cup body. This coating prevents direct contact and wear, preserving the anti-corrosion coating while maintaining the compact design.
Solution Approach 2:
The suspension stop uses a composite structure combining the one-piece cup body with an anti-wear coating layer. This composite approach integrates two material properties: the structural integrity of the cup and the protective characteristics of the coating, resolving the contradiction between compactness and corrosion resistance.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a ring of elastomeric material is used to filter vibrations of the coil spring, then vibration filtering is achieved, but the significant thickness required makes it incompatible with a compact structure
Solution Approach 1:
The vibration filtering function is extracted from a separate elastomeric ring and integrated into the anti-wear coating applied directly to the cup's housing zone. This eliminates the need for a thick separate component while maintaining vibration filtering capability within the compact structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The anti-wear and vibration filtering functions are merged into a single anti-wear coating layer applied to the peripheral annular housing zone. This multi-functional coating simultaneously protects against wear and filters vibrations, achieving both goals without requiring separate thick components.
3Reliability
If the anti-wear coating thickness is increased to improve wear protection, then corrosion resistance is enhanced, but the compact structure is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-wear coating is applied with an optimized thickness parameter that provides sufficient wear protection while maintaining compact dimensions. By carefully controlling the coating thickness parameter, the invention achieves the necessary protective function without compromising the compact structure.
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 anti-wear coating effectively limits wear on the coil spring, preserves the anti-corrosion coating, and ensures compatibility with a compact assembly, enhancing the corrosion resistance and durability of the suspension stop without compromising its compactness.
Implementation Method 1
The single-piece cup comprises an anti-wear coating having a thickness of less than 2 mm, overmolded onto the body of the single-piece cup and at least partially covering the peripheral annular housing zone to be interposed between the body of the single-piece cup and the upper end of the helical spring
Implementation Method 2
Its Shore A hardness is preferably greater than 85, for example greater than or equal to 90 Shore A
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A suspension strut (10) comprises a telescopic shock absorber (12), a coil spring (14), and a bump stop (18). Rotation of the bump stop (18) is ensured by a bearing (20) comprising at least one one-piece upper washer (22) and one one-piece lower washer (24), the upper washer forming a flat annular bearing surface (32) for a rod of the telescopic shock absorber (12). The interface between the coil spring (14) and the bearing (20) is provided by a one-piece cup (34) comprising a body (35) forming a peripheral annular housing area (47) for an upper end of the coil spring (14).The one-piece cup (34) has an anti-wear coating (56) having a thickness of less than 3mm, and preferably less than 2mm, overmolded on the body (35) and covering at least partially the peripheral annular housing area (47) to interpose between the body (35) of the one-piece cup (34) and the upper end of the helical spring.