FR2513334A1 - Bearing for motor vehicle front suspension strut - has needle thrust rollers and ball guide bearings for axial and radial location - Google Patents

Abstract

The bearing supports the upper end of a front suspension strut for a motor car and consists of an upper race (1) and a lower race (2) with roller bearings (5) taking the thrust, and a ball guide bearing (11). The lower race is force fitted into a plastics flange (14) which has a peripheral 'L'-slot (16) into which the outward turned flange (8) of the upper race locks. The two races form lateral guides for the ball bearings and thrust faces for the rollers. The inner plastics cage (6) and ball bearing thrust ring (12) are moulded together, joined by a feather edge (18a). The two components separate as the upper race is pressed downward, an assembly to lock into the flange slot (16).

Description

The present invention relates to the stops and

  relates more particularly well than not exclusively-

  ment to the stops intended to ensure the assembly of a

  shock absorber secured to a steering wheel rocket

  that of a motor vehicle, to the bodywork of said vehicle. A steering wheel shock absorber generally has a body welded to the rocket crown, which

  constitutes the rocket pivot together with a rotu-

  the lower cooperating with the end of a triangle

  lower articulated on the cradle of the vehicle.

  At its end opposite the rocket, the amor-

  weaver has a rod by means of which it is tied

  fixed to the vehicle body, a needle stop being interposed between the upper end of the damper rod and an elastic support for fixing the rod to the body, said elastic support constituting

thereby an axle support.

  In the certificate of addition N O 2 145 082

  Patent No. 1,527,177 describes a suction device.

  semblage of the aforementioned type which includes a needle stop

  including two bearing washers which take

  respectively support on a pad integral with the former

  end of the shock absorber rod and in a recess in a part fixed to the vehicle body,

  by means of said elastic axle support.

  Between the bearing washers are inter-

  placed needles mounted in a grid.

  The support ring of the lower washer

  bearing is fitted with sliding contact in a

  housing of said part fixed to the body.

  It can therefore be seen that when moving

  angular cement of the wheel of the vehicle from which it is secured

  re the damper body, the effect of the needle stopper is counteracted by the friction which remains between

  the end of the shock absorber rod capped with its neck

  sinet and the integral part of the bodywork, in the-

which said pad is received.

  The invention aims to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks by creating a stop which makes it possible to mount the end of the rod of an associated shock absorber.

  linked to a steering wheel of an automotive vehicle by removing

  mant practically everything rubs% to 2 t between the rod and its sup-

  Harbor. It also aims to create a stop of the type

  above which can be mounted as an indissociable whole-

  ble without the need to provide any special adaptation of the end of the shock absorber which must be

assembled to the body.

  It further aims at least in one of its embodiments to create a stop of the above type

  which has a reduced axial size.

  It therefore has an axial stop for O'bjet and

  combined radial comprising a first ring, a pre-

  first series of rolling elements arranged against a

  first horizontal part of said ring in a pre-

  first holding part, a second series of rolling elements arranged against a second vertical part

  of said ring in a second holding part, charac-

  characterized in that e Q Le comprises * 1 N in addition to a second ring which has a horizontal first part cooperating with the first rolling elements and a second part provided with an axial holding member for said

  second series of rolling elements and a piece of

  appearance of the first and second rings, said piece of as-

  semblage being provided with axial immobilization means

  of said first ring relative to the second.

  According to a particular characteristic of

  the invention, said first and second handpieces-

  yours are initially made in one piece and joined together by breakable connecting means

under the action of an axial force.

  Other features of the invention appear

  will appear during the description which follows A -

  In the accompanying drawings, given only in part

tre examples

  Fig 1 is an axial sectional view of a

  first embodiment of a stop according to the invention

tion;

  Fig 2 is a partial perspective view

  ve of the holding assembly of the rolling elements of the stopper of FIG 1;

  Fig 3 is an elevational view in section

  eg mounting of a motor vehicle shock absorber using the stopper in FIG. Fig 4 is an axial sectional view of a

  variant of the stop according to the invention.

  The stop shown in Fig l comprises mainly

  generally an upper ring 1 and a lower ring

  2 The said rings each have an annular portion ho-

  rice 3 and 4 Portions 3 and 4 constitute

  rolling faces for needles 5 maintained by a

grid 6.

  The upper ring 1 comprises an outer skirt 7 perpendicular to the annular portion 3 terminated at its lower end by a flange 8 folded outwards. It further comprises an internal flange

9 folded down.

  The lower ring 2 has an outer rim

  laughing 10 in the shape of a torus portion.

  The skirt 7 of the upper ring 1 and the

  edge 10 of the lower ring 2 respectively form rolling surfaces for balls 11 carried by

a cage 12.

  The ring 2 finally has an inner skirt 13 of cylindrical shape on which is fitted a piece 14 of plastic material for example, which serves both as a piece of assembly of the stop and support

mounting thereof.

  Part 14 has a peripheral groove

  16 provided with an annular shoulder 17.

  During assembly of the stop, the rim 8 of the upper ring 1 is introduced into said groove 16 and held therein by the shoulder 17, so as to ensure the axial immobilization of the ring

  higher than the lower ring.

  According to a particular characteristic of the invention, the grid 6 for holding the needles 5 and

  the cage 12 for the balls 11 which are shown se-

  trimmed in Fig 1, initially constitute only one

  one and the same piece as shown in Fig 2.

  We can see in this figure which represents

  feel the grid 6 cage 12 assembly before putting it in place

  this in the stop, that this set which is advantageous-

  ment obtained by molding a plastic material comprising

  te a portion of grid 5 and a portion of cage 12 initially assembled by legs 18 breakable under

  the action of an axial force, regularly distributed.

  According to a variant, the legs 18 can be

  replaced by a continuous break zone.

  The grid portion 6 comprises, from the inside, two oblique sealing edges 19 in the form of crowns, surrounded by an annular area 20 in which are provided orifices 21 for receiving

needles.

  Area 20 is surrounded by an extra thickness

  annular 22 forming support shoulder of the grid

  be the surface of the upper ring 1, during the operation

shear tab 18.

  The cage portion 12 is simpler In the present embodiment, it comprises at its lower part, a positioning groove 23 for contiguous balls For non-contiguous balls, it could

  include cells for receiving the balls.

  The upper surface 24 of the portion of ca

  ge 12 is, before separation into two narties at one level

  calf lower than shoulder 22.

  The positioning of the grid-cage assembly will now be described with reference again to FIG. 1 and assuming that the stop to be made is with contiguous balls. The one-piece grid-cage assembly is

  placed in the upper ring 1 after receiving the ai-

  guilles 5 and the balls 11 For this purpose, the upper ring

  lower 1 is turned over so that its flat face is

ve on a horizontal support plane.

  The lower ring 2 is then put in place, the rim 10 in the form of a torus portion enters

contact with the balls 11.

  An axial force is then exerted on the ring 2 to cause shearing of the connecting lugs 18

of grid 6 with cage 12.

  This axial force transmitted by the balls 11 can be

  exerted through the connecting piece 14.

  The grid 6 is supported by its shoulder 22 against the ring 1 so that the tabs 18 which are

  overhang undergo shear stress

  and break, allowing the installation of the

  ge 12 in the ring 1, around the grid 6.

  Simultaneously, the rim 8 of the ring 1 is engaged in the peripheral groove 16 so that the assembly is

  finished The rim 10 ensures the axial maintenance of the balls 11.

  So that the burrs 18 a resulting from the rup-

  ture of the legs 18 do not obstruct the relative movements of the cage 12 and the grid 6, the latter

  has a peripheral clearance 25 formed in the shoulder

  22 and facing outwards.

  The thickness e of the grid 6 taken between the

  clearance 25 and the legs 18 is sufficient to resist

  ter to the radial forces between the grid 6 and the cage 12.

  The clearance j between the outside edge of the grid 6 and the inside edge of the cage 12 is determined during

  of the design of the grid-cage assembly.

  It can be seen that during operation, the

  ge 12 ensures the centering of the grid 6. In FIG. 3, to which we will now refer, the upper end of a steering wheel damper of a motor vehicle is shown.

  assembled to the vehicle body by means of

  re of a stop according to the invention.

  The peer of the shock absorber visible in FIG. 1 comprises the spring 30 and its upper bearing cup 31. On a bearing surface 32 of the cup 31 is disposed the stop B according to the invention, the centering of which relative to the cup. 31 is provided by the inner skirt 13 of the lower ring 2, engaged

  in a corresponding axial hole 33 formed in ladi-

cup you.

  Note that at this stage of the assembly of the a-

  mortisor, the stop can either be assembled in advance and be placed ready-made on the cup 31, or be assembled during assembly of the damper

  as indicated above "snent.

  The goal e B being in place, its upper ring

  is brought into contact with a support piece 34 in sheet metal

  having a shoulder 35 around which is fixed by

  example by adhesion of an elastic block 36.

  The outer surface of the elastic block 36

  is in turn engaged in a groove 37 formed by em-

  cutting of the sheet metal of the body 38 and bonded

in this gorge.

  The groove 37 is coaxial with an orifice 38 for

  the passage of the end of the rod 39 of the damper.

  The support piece 34 is crossed by the ladi-

  the rod 39 and immobilized against a shoulder 40 thereof

this by a nut 41.

  A washer 42 is interposed between the shoulder-

  ment 40 of the rod 39 and the support piece 34, while-

  between the latter and the nut There is mounted a bowl 43 with an edge 44 folded outwards beyond the diameter of the hole 38 a and carrying a peripheral rod 45 of elastomer. The tightening of the bowl 43 by the nut 41

  is ensured by means of a washer 46.

  The small height of the balls

  allows an axial stop associated with a roller

  radial whose thickness is roughly equal to that

  the one of a single needle stopper.

  Furthermore, in the arrangement described with reference to

  Refer to Fig 3, we remove almost all rubs-

  ment during the relative angular displacement of the body of the shock absorber integral with the rocket (not shown) and

  of the rod 39 fixed to the body.

  Furthermore, the fact that in the stop of FIG. 1, the grid 6 and the cage 12 are separated, allows the needles 5 and the balls 11 to move at their own speed and avoids the formation of "hard spots"

  during a rotational movement.

  Although in the application which has just been described, the stop according to the invention undergoes only angular displacements of small amplitude, this stop is therefore well suited to support real movements

of rotation.

  In Fig 4, there is shown a stop

  the invention realized in the form of a stopper with two

rows of needles.

  Like the stopper in Fig 1, this stopper comprises

  te an upper ring 46 and a lower ring 47 which

  have respectively horizontal rolling surfaces

  zontales 48,49 for a first series of needles 50 held by a first grid 51 and surfaces of

  vertical bearings 52.53 for a second series of ai-

  guilles 54 maintained by a second grid 55.

  As in the case of FIG. 1, the vertical rolling surface of the upper ring consists of the internal surface of an outer skirt 56 provided with a lower rim 57 folded outwards engaged in a peripheral groove 58 provided in a piece of as-

plastic fitting 59.

  The vertical rolling surface of the lower ring 47 is formed on an outer skirt 60 of this ring, said skirt having a folded rim

  61 supported during assembly on the reinforced end

  forced 62 of the vertical grid 55 to cause under

  the action of an axial force, the rupture of liai-

  its 63 between the grids 51 and 55 which are: as in the previous embodiment, produced by molding in one piece The flange 61 furthermore ensures the axial maintenance of the grid After assembly of the various parts of the

  stop of Fig 4 occupy the relative positions shown

felt on this figure.

  This latter stop has a relatively large overall height due to the position

  vertical of the needle series 54.

  On the other hand, its radial size is reduced

  due to the fact that the needles have a diameter

  be significantly lower than the balls of an equivalent bearing

slow.

  The assembly of the stopper in Fig 4 is sem-

  similar to that of the stopper in Fig l and will therefore not

not described in more detail.

Claims (11)

  1 combined axial and radial stop comprising a first ring (1; 46), a first series of rolling elements (5; 50) disposed against a first horizontal part of said ring in a first holding part (6; 51), a second series of rolling elements (11; 54) arranged against a second vertical part of said ring in a second holding part (12; 55), characterized in that it further comprises a second ring (2; 47 ) which has a first horizontal part cooperating with the first rolling elements (5; 50) and a second part provided with an axial holding member for said second series of rolling elements (11; 54) and a part (14 ; 59) for assembling the first and second rings (1,2; 46,47), said assembly part being provided with means (16,17; 58) for axially immobilizing said first ring (1; 46) by compared to the second (2; 47).   2 Stopper according to claim 1, character-   sée in that said first rolling elements (5) constituted by needles mounted in a grid (6) while the second rolling elements (11) consist of balls mounted in a cage (12) and in that said second part (10) of said second   ring (2) is in the form of a torus portion.   3 stopper according to claim 1, character-   that said first and second rolling elements   ment (50,54) are constituted by needles mounted respectively in first and second grids (51,   ) and in that said second part (60) of said se-   conde ring (47) is a vertical part, provided at its end with a flange (61) for holding in place of said second grid (55).   4 Stopper according to any of the claims   cations 1 to 3, characterized in that said first and second holding pieces (6,11; 51,54) are initially made in one piece and joined together by connecting means (18; 63) breakable under the action of an axial force.   Stop according to claims 2 and 4,   taken together, characterized in that the second part (10) of said second ring i 2) also constitutes a means for exerting said axial force on the connecting means (18) of the grid (6 j for holding the needles (5 ) and the cage (12) for holding the balls (11), said balls (11) forming elements for transmitting the axial force.   6 Stopper according to claims 3 and 4,   taken together, characterized in that the flange (61) for holding the second grid provided at the end   of the second part (60) of the second ring (47) constitutes   is also a means of exercising by pressing on the   te second grid (54) said axial breaking force of   said means (63) for connecting said first and second grids (51.54).   7 Stopper according to any one of the claims   cations 4 to 6, characterized in that said first   part (6; 51) for holding the first rolling elements   ment (5; 50) has an extra thickness (22) forming a shoulder   Lement of support of said first piece of maintenance against   the surface of the first ring (1; 46) during shearing-   ment means (18; 63) of connection between said first- re and second holding pieces.   8 Stopper according to any one of the res-   previous indications, characterized in that the second   part (12; 55) for holding the second rolling elements   ment (11; 54) surrounds the first part (6; 51) for holding the first rolling elements (5; 50) and constitutes a centering piece thereof.   9 Stopper according to any one of the claims   cations 4 to 8, characterized in that said first   part (6; 51) for holding the first rolling elements   ment (5; 50) includes a clearance (25) intended to prevent   the friction of the burrs (18 a; 63) resulting from the ruptu-   re said connecting means of said first and second holding piece (6.12; 51.55).   10 stop according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said second ring (2; 47) has an inner skirt (13) for mounting in a bore of a part intended to receive said stop and reception by fitting of said part assembly (14; 59).   11 Stop according to any one of the res-   dications 1 to 10, characterized in that the means of im-   axial mobilization of said first ring (1; 46) by   compared to the second (2; 47) include a peripheral groove   risk (16; 58) provided with a flange (17) facing inwards   laughing, and cooperating with a flange (8; 57) folded towards   the outside provided at the end of the second green part   ticale of said first ring (1; 46).   12 Assembly with the body of a vehicle   automobile, a direct wheel damper rod   trice, the body of which is made integral with the rocket of said wheel, comprising a support piece (34) connected by its periphery to the bodywork (38) of the vehicle, and   fixed in its center to the rod (39) of the shock absorber,   characterized in that said support piece (34) is further connected to the cup (31) supporting the spring (30)   of the shock absorber via an axial stop   combined radial according to any one of the claims 1,2,4,5 and 7 to 11.