The present invention relates to a mount structure for a fluid strut in a vehicle. A resilient bushing is mounted within a mount plate that attaches the mount structure to a vehicle frame. The resilient bushing is formed as a separate piece from the mount plate. Two distinct embodiments allow enlarged surfaces on the resilient bushing to be positioned on opposed ends of a smaller base in the mount plate.
Various types of vehicle suspensions are employed in modern vehicles. One common type of suspension is a McPherson strut suspension. McPherson struts typically include a hydraulic damper with a knuckle secured to the damper by fasteners. A wheel end is supported on the knuckle. A coil spring is secured to an upper portion of the strut and extending between the strut and a mount structure which mounts to the vehicle frame.
The conventional mount structure has a first upper plate, known as the “rate” plate, which is bolted to a rod on the strut. A second lower plate or “jounce bumper” is secured on the rod at a lower position. A resilient bushing is secured between the two plates, and has radially outwardly extending portions for contacting the jounce bumper and the rate plate. A mount plate is secured to a vehicle frame to mount the resilient bushing to a vehicle frame. Typically, the resilient bushing contacts the jounce bumper and the rate plate. The radially outwardly extending portions have a larger diameter than an inner bore of the mount plate.
Another feature of a lower one of the radially outwardly extending portions of the resilient bushing is that it secures a bearing seat onto the mount plate.
In the prior art, since the resilient bushing has been molded as a one piece item to the mount plate, molds have not been able to make as many parts as would be desirable. The surface area of each part has been relatively large, as required by the mount plate. Further, the requirement that there be a single component has restricted the designer in designing desired shapes to the components.
In a disclosed embodiment of this invention, mounting structure for a strut includes a mount plate for securing a mount structure to a vehicle frame. A resilient bushing is received as a separate component from the mount plate, and has a portion mounted within an inner bore formed within the mount plate. A bearing seat is captured between a lower radially outwardly extending surface of the resilient bushing and the mount plate.
In one embodiment, this bearing seat has a radiused lower surface to facilitate movement of a radially outwardly extending upper portion of the resilient bushing through the inner bore in the mount plate.
In a second embodiment, the resilient bushing is formed of two pieces with one being brought upwardly and one being brought downwardly into the inner bore in the mount plate. A nut and threaded end of a rod of the strut secure the plates to hold the resilient bushing in compression when the component is fully assembled.
These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.
The spring 18 is retained between the mount system 24 and a fixed lower spring mount 26 attached to the strut 12. Strut 12 provides hydraulic dampening for a wheel knuckle 28 mounted at the lower portion 16 through a bracket 29 or the like. The knuckle 28 supports a brake assembly 30 and a wheel (not shown) as is well known. The strut 12 may rotate to accommodate a steering input, as is also generally known in the art.
Referring to
An annular upper retention plate, or rate plate, 38 forms an upper portion of mount system 24. Rate plate 38 is separated from the jounce bumper 36 by a resilient bushing 40. Preferably, a nut 42 is threaded upon the threaded section 32 to compresses the resilient bushing 40 between the rate plate 38 and the jounce bumper 36. The rate plate 38 and the jounce bumper 36 are preferably cup shaped members with their open ends facing away from each other. The resilient bushing 40 of the mount system 24 resiliently retains the strut 12 with a cylindrical frame opening 44 in a rigid mount plate 122, which is attached to the vehicle frame 22.
A bearing seat 46 is mounted about the cylindrical frame opening 44 to provide support for bearing 102 and to assist in the insertion of the resilient bushing 40 by covering an edge 47 of the mount plate 122 with a radial pilot surface 200. Edge 47 may be relatively sharp while an angled annular upper frame area 49 opposite thereto is of a radiused shape. The radial pilot surface 200 is located adjacent to the relatively sharp edge 47 to pilot installation of the resilient bushing 40 during assembly, as will be explained below. This surface also facilitates centering of the resilient bushing 40 during operation of the strut 12.
The bearing seat 46 generally includes an annular section 210 defined about the axis A, and a mount section 212 transverse to the annular section 210. The annular section 210 is received over and around the mount plate 122. The mount section 212 extends to an annular frame area 49 to provide support for bearing 102. Notably, because the strut 12 is typically installed at an angle relative the vehicle frame 22, the mount section 212 defines a bearing seating surface for the bearing 102 that is not perpendicular to the axis A. It should be understood that various relationships may be provided by the bearing seat 46 and the angled relationship illustrated in the disclosed embodiment shall not be limiting.
The bearing seat 46 is also at least partially retained by the resilient bushing 40. A radially outwardly extending lip 100 of the resilient bushing 40 extends beneath the bearing seat 46 to provide this retention feature. It should be understood that the bearing seat 46 and the resilient bushing 40 extend about axis A such that the bearing seat 46 also serves to pilot or position the resilient bushing 40 during assembly (
Referring to
The resilient bushing 40 may be provided with internal support from an optional annular carrier 48. The annular carrier 48 is preferably a rigid member surrounded by the resilient bushing 40 (
A rigid annular member 52 is mounted within an inner diameter 53 (
In this embodiment, the resilient bushing 40, the annular carrier 48, and the annular member 52 are formed of two-pieces that are preferably mirror images when reflected through an equator S (
As known in the art, bearing seat 46 supports a bearing 102. A spring seat 104 (
Referring to
The annular carrier 66 is preferably cylindrical to assist the one-piece resilient bushing 54 with insertion through the cylindrical frame opening 44 in the mount plate 122. That is, the annular carrier 66 is generally tubular rather than having the cup shape described above, as the resilient bushing 54 is one-piece rather than two-piece. The annular member 52′ is mounted within an inner diameter 53′ of the resilient bushing 54 and functions as described above. See
Referring to
As can be appreciated from either
Referring to
Although
The foregoing description is exemplary rather than defined by the limitations within. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. The preferred embodiments of this invention have been disclosed, however, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. For that reason the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.
Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.
The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/278,299, filed Oct. 23, 2002.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 10278299 | Oct 2002 | US |
Child | 11350415 | Feb 2006 | US |