GB2172938A

GB2172938A - Bearing for the propeller shaft of motor vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2172938A
Application number: GB08525172A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Heinz Peter Habermann
Original assignee: Ford Motor Co
Current assignee: Ford Motor Co
Priority date: 1985-03-29
Filing date: 1985-10-11
Publication date: 1986-10-01
Also published as: DE3511480C1; GB8525172D0; FR2579698A1; CA1271212A; JPS61262223A; US4639150A; GB2172938B; FR2579698B1

Description

1 GB 2 172 938 A 1

SPECIFICATION

Intermediate bearing for the propeller shaft of a motor vehicle The invention relates to an intermediate bearing for the propeller shaft of a motor vehicle.

An intermediate bearing for the propeller shaft of a motor vehicle is known from the German Ausle- geschrift (Published Specification) 20 62 625, in which there is interposed between two rigid casing parts a resilient deformation member of rubber or an equivalent material which is connected on its outer periphery by way of webs to one or both casing parts and which comprises on its inner periphery a receiving means for a bearing for the propeller shaft, a stop or damper member being interposed between each pair of webs. In this specification, the stop or damper members are in- tegral with the resilient material of the deformation member and any necessary alteration of their elasticity is done by using inlays.

This known intermediate bearing has the disadvantage that the resilient deformation member is joined by vulcanization to the rigid casing parts, which is relatively complicated and expensive. In addition, the known intermediate bearing has the disadvantage that the recesses between the web members and the stop and damper members are open, as a result of which dirt can settle in these recesses during the normal operation of the motor vehicle. Furthermore, the known intermediate bearing has no provisions which could damp the pivoting movements of the propeller shaft.

A further intermediate bearing of approximately this type is known from the German Gebrauchsmuster (Utility Model) 81 12 477 which on its inner periphery comprises a receiving means for a bearing for the propeller shaft, the said receiving means being constructed in the form of a universal ball joint in order to permit angular deviations.

This known intermediate bearing too has the disadvantage that the resilient deformation members are joined by vulcanization to the rigid casing parts and that the intermediate bearing does not permit a damping of angular movements of the propeller shaft.

According to the invention, there is provided an intermediate bearing for the propeller shaft of a motor vehicle, the bearing comprising a rigid twopart casing, a resilient deformation member contained in the casing and having on its inner periphery a receiving means for a bearing for the propeller shaft, and independent stop or damper members interposed between the resilient member 120 and the casing, wherein the casing is formed by two parts which meet in a plane generally at right angles to the bearing axis to form an annular cas ing having a generally U-shaped cross-section, and 60' wherein the resilient member has radially out- 125 wardly extending webs which lie in a radial me dian plane of the bearing and engage in openings formed between the casing parts and has annular shoulders which project in both axial directions and which, with lateral walls of the casing parts, form chambers in which independent stop and damper members are located.

With this construction, the outlay and the costs during manufacture and assembly are reduced by the vertical division, while the arrangement of independent stop members consisting of different materials permits a favourable and simple adaptation to the vibration problems of a particular propeller shaft bearing on the other hand; and, on account of the arrangement of the stop members which is possible in the axial direction on both sides of the web members, provisions can be made to prevent pivoting vibrations of the propel ler shaft or to the damp them.

By producing the deformation member with its web members arranged in a star shape independ ently of the housing parts and the nature of its fas tening in the latter by locking, the web members can be arranged in such a way that they are stressed only by tension and not partly be pressure, as is the case with deformation members securely joined to the casing by vulcanization.

By virtue of the absence of the compression columns improved vibration and damping behaviour is produced, since a compressed rubber body does not damp vibrations as well as an unstressed one.

In contrast to the known intermediate bearings the invention thus comprises primarily tension members which, with an appropriately larger di- mensioning of the casing relative to a smaller dimensioning of the deformation member and the reduced web members resulting therefrom, permits assembly of both parts in such a way that at the end of assembly all the web members are al- ready subjected to tension in the unstressed state of the unit.

In this way the possibility of building up pressure members is further reduced, a positioning of the deformation member without play is achieved by pretensioning and, depending upon the setting, a tight or less tight guidance of the propeller shaft is achieved.

In addition to the Shore hardness of the rubber or other material used for the deformation mem- ber, the dimensioning of the web members and the number thereof, the variable pretensioning constitutes an additional parameter for determining the characteristic curve of this intermediate bearing.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are

Claims

set out in the additional Claims 2 and 5.

The invention is described in greater detail with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of an intermediate bearing in the axial direction of the propeller shaft, half the figure being in section; Figure 2 is a vertical section along the line 11-11 in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a horizontal half section along the line 111-111 in Figure.

An intermediate bearing 1 for a propeller shaft of a motor vehicle essentially comprises two rigid casing parts 2 and 3, which can be produced in known manner from aluminium or plastics material 2 GB 2 172 938 A 2 either in the form of pressed sheet metal parts or in the form of injection-moulded parts.

The two casing parts 2 and 3 are divided vertically, i.e. in a plane generally at right angles to the bearing axis, in contrast to known designs which are divided horizontally. This vertical division is shown in the section side of Figure 1 in conjunction with Figure 2, the lower fastening strap being formed integrally with one casing part 2.

A resilient deformation member 4 of rubber or an equivalant material is interposed between the two casing parts 2 and 3 or between the joined casing parts 2 and 3. The resilient deformation member 4 is provided on its outer periphery with a plurality of radially extending webs 5 which are held in openings 6 in the mutually joined casing parts 2 and 3. The ends of the webs have enlarged heads 7 which locate outside the casing and lock the webs in place. The inner periphery of the resili- ent deformation member 4 comprises a receiving means 8 for a bearing 9 for the propeller shaft 10 which is only indicated by broken lines.

The radial web members 5 are arranged on the resilient deformation member 4 in a radial median plane of the intermediate bearing 1, and the resilient member 4 is provided on the inside with annular shoulders 11 and 12 which project axially in both directions and which, together with the lateral sides 13 and 14 of the joined casing parts 2 and 3 forming an inwardly directed U profile, form lateral chambers 15 and 16, in which independent stop and damping members 17,18 and 19, 20 etc. consisting of different materials are disposed, pretensioned where appropriate.

The different radial and axial positions of the plurality of stop and damping members 17, 18, 19, 20 etc. makes it possible to select the stop and damping members suitably adapted to correspond to the respective vibration problems on the inter- mediate bearing. In this way it is possible, when using a basic design of the intermediate bearing in the form of a module, to produce bearings having different characteristics which are associated with different driving lines of different motor vehicle models and which are adapted in their vibration behaviour.

The two casing parts 2 and 3, in particular when in the form of fibrereinforced plastics material components, are preferably joined by a catch, for example in the form of an annular bead 21 which cooperates with a corresponding annular groove 22 in the region of the fastening strap and in the form of catching tongues 23 which cooperate with corresponding catching openings 24 in the region of the curved periphery.

The bearing described can be produced and assembled relatively cheaply. It can effectively damp angular motion of the shaft and will be substantially unaffected by contamination.

CLAIMS 1. An intermediate bearing for the propeller shaft of a motor vehicle, the bearing comprising a rigid two-part casing, a resilient deformation mem- ber contained in the casing and having on its inner periphery a receiving means for a bearing for the propeller shaft, and independent stop or damper members interposed between the resilient member and the casing, wherein the casing is formed by two parts which meet in a plane generally at right angles to the bearing axis to form an annular casing having a generally U-shaped cross-section, and wherein the resilient member has radially out- wardly extending webs which lie in a radial median plane of the bearing and engage in openings formed between the casing parts and has annular shoulders which project in both axial directions and which, with lateral walls of the casing parts, form chambers in which independent stop and damper members are located.
2. A bearing as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the stop and damper members are of different material to the resilient member.
3. A bearing as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the stop and damper members are pres tressed.
4. A bearing as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the stop and damper members are foam material blocks of different stiffness and with a reticulated surface.
5. A bearing as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein certain of the stop and damper members are of composite construction. 95
6. A bearing as claimed in Claim 5, wherein a stop and damper member is of fibre-reinforced foam.

Printed in the UK for HMSO, D8818935, 8186, 7102. Published by The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A lAY, from which copies may be obtained.