GB2094921A

GB2094921A - Mounting member

Info

Publication number: GB2094921A
Application number: GB8200894A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Tokico Ltd
Current assignee: Tokico Ltd
Priority date: 1981-01-20
Filing date: 1982-01-13
Publication date: 1982-09-22
Also published as: DE3201637A1; JPS57120710A; GB2094921B

Abstract

A mounting member 18 integrally connected to a first component 15 such as a gas spring rod and being adapted to be connected to a second component such as a body of a vehicle to mount the first component 15 on the second component. The mounting member 18 is formed of at least two elements 19, 20 of synthetic resin material which are welded together by supersonic welding process along respective mating surfaces of respective elements 19, 20. The mating surfaces of respective elements cooperate to define a recess 21 in which a portion 16, 17 of the first component 15 is received prior to the welding process. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Mounting member This invention relates to a mounting member which is integrally connected to a first component such as a gas spring and is utilized to mount the first component on a second component such as a body of a vehicle.

Conventionally, an annular member formed of metal is welded to each end of a gas spring and is utilized to mount the gas spring on such a vehicle.

In case when the annular member is welded to the tip end of such as a piston rod of the gas spring, the annular member and the welded portion must be finished and painted or coated after the welding process, thereby complicating the manufacturing process. Further, in order to prevent the deformation of the annular member due to the welding, the annular member is usually connected to the piston rod through a plate-like connecting member, which further complicates the manufacturing and welding process.

The present invention aims to solve the problems aforementioned and provides a mounting member which is formed of at least two elements formed of synthetic resin material and having mating surfaces respectively, and the mating surfaces cooperate to define a recess for receiving therein a portion of the first component.

The elements are welded together by supersonic welding process along the mating surfaces with the portion of the first component being received in the recess.

The welding process is very simple and it is possible to omit finishing, painting, coating or masking process. Preferably, the portion of the first component such as the tip end of the piston rod is formed to have a mushroom-like configuration and the mating surfaces extend in the directions of the axis and radius of the piston rod, whereby the force acting on the mating surfaces or the welded surfaces can be minimized.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partial elevational view of a prior art gas spring having a mounting member on the tip end of a piston rod; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a gas spring having a mounting member according to the invention; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the essential portion of Fig. 3; Figs. 5 and 6 are exploded views of the mounting member of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a front view of one element of a mounting member which is similar to Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line VIll-Vill in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a modified form;; Figs. 10 and 11 are exploded views of the mounting member of Fig. 9; Fig. 12 is a front view of Fig. 11 but showing the arrangement of ridges provided on the mating surface; and Fig. 1 3 is a mounting member according to the invention as applied on a socket member of a ball joint.

Figs. 1 and 2 show a typical prior art mounting member connected to the tip end of a piston rod 1 of a gas spring. The mounting member comprises a plate-like connecting member 2 having an opening 3 and being formed of such as a steel plate by press work, and two mating bushes 4 and 5 mounted on the opening 3. The connecting member 2 is welded to the piston rod 1 and, thereafter, the welded portion is finished, and the mounting member 2 is painted with the piston rod 1 being masked. The assembling, welding, and painting process are complicated very much and, further, the welding between the connecting member 2 and the piston rod 1 is not necessarily reliable.

First embodiment according to the invention is shown in Figs. 3-6 wherein a gas spring 11 includes a cylinder 12, a piston 13 working in the cylinder 12, and a piston rod 1 5 connected to the piston 1 3 and projecting to the outside through a rod guide 14. The cylinder 1 2 contains therein pressurized gas. The tip end of the piston rod 1 5 has a mushroom-like shape having an annular recess or small diameter portion 1 6 and an annular projection or large diameter portion 1 7.

According to the invention, a mounting member 1 8 is integrally connected to the tip end of the piston rod 1 5. The mounting member consists of a first element 1 9 and a second element 20. The elements 1 9 and 20 are formed of synthetic resin material and are welded together by supersonic welding process along mating surfaces. There are provided recesses 22 and 23 in mating surfaces of elements 19 and 20 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and the recesses 22 and 23 cooperate to define a recess 21 having the configuration corresponding to that of the tip end of the piston rod 1 An annular opening 24 is formed in the element 20 for receiving a mounting bolt or the like in mounting the gas spring on such as a body of a vehicle.

it is preferable to provide a ridge 26 on a mating surface 25 of at least one.of the elements 20 to improve the welding property in the supersonic welding as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The ridge 26 melts in the initial stage of the welding process and flows along the mating surfaces and assures reliable welding characteristics. Since the mounting member is formed of synthetic resin material, it is possible to omit the painting process thereby simplifying the manufacturing process.It will be noted that the mating surfaces extend generally along in the direction of the axis and radius of the piston rod thus the axial force acting between the mounting member and the piston rod does not tend to separate the two elements 1 9 and 20 of the mounting member, while, in the prior art gas spring shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the axial force between the mounting member and the piston rod tends to separate the member 2 from the piston rod 1.

Figs. 9 to 12 show another embodiment of the invention, wherein two elements 30 and 31 of the mounting member are generally symmetrical.

Preferably, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 12, ridges 33 similar to the ridge 26 in Figs. 7 and 8 are formed on the element 31. The mating surfaces on the elements 30 and 31 extend generally along the axis and a diameter of the piston rod.

In the embodiments described, the mounting members are formed of two elements respectively, however, the mounting member according to the invention may be formed of three or more elements.

The mounting member according to the invention is not limited to the mounting member integrally connected to the piston rod of a gas spring and may be applied to various components.

For example, Fig. 13 shows a mounting member 41 according to the invention constituting a socket member of a ball joint. The socket member 41 is formed of two elements 42 and 43 of synthetic resin material. The elements 42 and 43 are generally similar to the elements 1 9 and 20 of the first embodiment and are connected integrally to the tip end of a rod 1 5 by supersonic welding process.

As described heretofore in detaii, it is possible, according to the invention, to omit the masking and painting steps in the coating process thereby simplifying assembling process. Further, the mounting member can reliably be connected to the first component.

Claims

1. A mounting member integrally connected to a first component such as a gas spring and being adapted to be connected to a second component such as a body of a vehicle to mount said first component on said second component, said mounting member is formed of at least two elements formed of synthetic resin material and having mating surfaces respectively, said mating surfaces cooperate to define a recess for receiving a portion of said first component therein, said elements being welded together by supersonic welding process along the mating surfaces with said portion of the first component being received in the recess.

2. A mounting member according to Claim 1 wherein a ridge is formed on at least one of the mating surfaces for melting initially in the welding process, thereby flowing along the mating surfaces.

3. A mounting member according to Claim 1 wherein said recess has the configuration such that a mushroom-like shaped end of said first component can snugly be received therein.

4. A mounting member substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 3 to 8, 9 to 12 or 13 of the accompanying drawings.