Top Mount Bushing with Integral O-Ring Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current shock/strut assemblies with top mount assemblies experience noise, vibration, and harshness issues due to vibration transfer between the cap and housing, and require a seal to prevent improper installation.
Innovation Solution
A suspension mount assembly featuring an elastomeric bushing with an integrally formed O-ring that provides a seal between the cap and housing, reducing vibration and simplifying assembly by ensuring proper installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate O-ring is used to seal between cap and housing, then sealing reliability is improved, but device complexity and assembly steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the O-ring seal directly onto the peripheral edge of the cap, merging two previously separate components (cap and O-ring) into an integrated assembly. This eliminates the need for separate O-ring installation steps while maintaining sealing reliability between the cap and housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is designed with an integrated O-ring that automatically provides sealing functionality when the cap is installed. The O-ring is pre-positioned on the cap's peripheral edge, allowing the assembly to self-seal without requiring additional sealing components or complex assembly procedures.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional bushing assembly methods are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but improper installation and vibration issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The O-ring is integrally formed onto the cap, combining the sealing function with the cap structure itself. This integrated design ensures proper installation by eliminating the possibility of forgetting to install a separate O-ring, while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through a single-component assembly approach.
3Reliability
If multiple separate components are used for sealing and vibration damping, then functional performance is improved, but assembly time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the O-ring seal and the bushing into a single integrated assembly where the O-ring is directly attached to the cap. This reduces the number of separate components from three (cap, O-ring, bushing) to two integrated units, thereby improving assembly productivity while maintaining vibration damping and sealing performance.
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 elastomeric bushing with an integrally formed O-ring effectively reduces noise, vibration, and harshness while ensuring proper assembly and sealing, enhancing the performance of shock/strut assemblies.
Implementation Method 1
An elastomeric bushing includes a bore adapted to receive the second component of a vehicle. The elastomeric bushing includes a first portion, a spaced apart ring portion, and a web portion interconnecting the ring portion of the first portion.
Implementation Method 2
The elastomeric bushing with an integrally formed O-ring effectively reduces noise, vibration, and harshness while ensuring proper assembly and sealing
Data Source
AI summary
A suspension mount assembly for coupling a first component and a second component of a vehicle comprises a housing including a bore and a first shoulder. The housing is adapted to be coupled to the first component of the vehicle. An elastomeric bushing includes a bore adapted to receive the second component of a vehicle. The elastomeric bushing includes a first portion, a spaced apart ring portion, and a web portion interconnecting the ring portion of the first portion. The ring portion, the web portion and the first portion are integrally formed with one another. A cap includes a peripheral portion having a second shoulder. The elastomeric bushing is positioned within the housing bore with the ring portion being engaged with the first shoulder. The first shoulder cooperates with the second shoulder to trap the ring portion between the housing and the cap and provide a seal and vibration isolator therebetween.