Torque Rod Outside Member Level Difference for Vulcanization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional torque rods face deformation or breakage during vulcanized molding due to radial outward pressure from thermal expansion of rubber-like elastic bodies, especially when the outside member's rigidity varies circumferentially, leading to potential deformation or breakage of the outside member integrated with the connecting member.
Innovation Solution
A torque rod design featuring a cylindrical outside member with a level difference, such as a groove portion axially concaved from the axial end face around the entire circumference, which engages with the metallic mold to prevent radial outward deformation, and a manufacturing method involving a holding process where the outside member is fixed in a metallic mold with protrusions or grooves to stabilize the component during vulcanization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the connecting member is integrated with the outside member to reduce the number of component parts, then the device complexity is reduced, but the outside member becomes more susceptible to deformation or breakage due to rigidity differences at different circumferential positions
Solution Approach 1:
The outside member is designed with varying thickness in different circumferential positions, creating local quality differences. The thicker portion corresponds to where the connecting member is integrated, providing enhanced rigidity and strength at this specific location while maintaining overall device simplicity. This local reinforcement prevents deformation or breakage at the integrated section during vulcanized molding.
2Reliability
If the rubber-like elastic body is vulcanized to form the antivibration base body, then the adhesive strength and vibration damping performance are improved, but thermal expansion during vulcanization applies radially outward pressure that can deform or break the outside member
Solution Approach 1:
The outside member features a thicker portion at the circumferential position where the connecting member is integrated. This local thickness increase provides enhanced rigidity and resistance to the radially outward pressure generated during rubber-like elastic body vulcanization, preventing deformation or breakage while allowing the vulcanization process to proceed for achieving strong adhesive bonds.
3Ease of manufacture
If the outside member has uniform thickness around the circumference, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the rigidity varies depending on position when integrated with the connecting member, leading to potential deformation or breakage
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniform thickness, the outside member is designed with a thicker portion at the specific circumferential position where the connecting member integrates. This creates localized strength enhancement exactly where needed to prevent deformation or breakage during vulcanization, while the rest of the member maintains simpler geometry for manufacturing.
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 design effectively suppresses deformation and breakage of the outside member by distributing pressure evenly and providing additional rigidity where needed, ensuring the torque rod remains intact during the vulcanization process while also reducing weight and improving operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a heat at the time of a vulcanized molding of the antivibration base body of the first antivibration device expands the rubber-like elastic body, to thereby apply radially outward a pressure to the outside member of the first antivibration device
Implementation Method 2
one of an axial end face of the axial end faces and a contact face of the contact faces has a protrusion which protrudes toward another of the axial end face and the contact face and which is formed around an entire circumference, and wherein the other of the axial end face and the contact face includes a groove portion in which the protrusion fits
Implementation Method 3
a vulcanizing process for making a vulcanized molding by injecting a rubber-like elastic body into a cavity of the metallic mold to which the inside member and the outside member are fixed in the holding process, to thereby form the antivibration base body connecting the external peripheral face of the inside member with the internal peripheral face of the outside member
Data Source
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AI summary
[Problem] To provide a torque rod capable of suppressing an outside member from being deformed or broken at the time of a vulcanized molding. [Solution] A torque rod (1) includes: a first antivibration device (10) including: a cylindrical outside (11) member having an axial end face (11b, 11c), an axial inside member (12) disposed on an internal peripheral side of the outside member (11), and an antivibration base body (13) including a rubber-like elastic body adhered, in a vulcanized manner, to an external peripheral face (12a) of the inside member (12) and to an internal peripheral face (11a) of the outside member (11); and a connecting member (30) connected to a second antivibration device (20) connecting two members by a rubber-like elastic body, the connecting member (30) being an article integrated with the outside member (11), wherein the outside member (11) includes a level difference (19, 51) which is provided at the axial end face (11b, 11c) around an entire circumference and which has a radial outside axially concaved relative to a radial inside.