JP2001330071A - Spring seat structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide string seat structure that unintentional movement of a spring end part is suppressed and the generation of noise is effectively prevented. SOLUTION: A space 5 having a claw part 7 erecting on a portion which the end part of a coil spring 6 seats is interposed between a spring seat 2 and the end part of the coil spring 6. By regulating the position of the external end part on one end side of the outside of the coil spring 6, a clearance 8 is ensured so that the internal end part on the other side of the coil spring 6 is prevented from contacting with the spring seat.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a spring seat structure of a suspension used for a vehicle such as an automobile, in which a coil spring is stretched between inner and outer cylinders of a damper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a suspension used for a wheel suspension device in a vehicle such as an automobile, generally,
A type in which a coil spring is stretched between inner and outer cylinders such as a hydraulic damper is often used. FIG. 5 shows a typical example of such a suspension. As shown in FIG. 5 (A), the lower end of a coil spring 16 whose upper end is supported by an inner cylinder such as a hydraulic damper at the upper part not shown is connected to a spring seat 12 fixed to the outer periphery of the hydraulic damper outer cylinder 11. And supported by the flange 13 to constitute a suspension device.

Normally, the design clearance between the spring guide tube portion 14 of the spring seat 12 and the inner diameter of the coil spring 16 is set slightly larger in consideration of the variation in design error between these two members. For this reason, as a result of assembling the coil spring 16 to the spring seat 12 which is usually performed by visual measurement, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2B, a transition portion (left side in the drawing) of the coil spring 16 is disposed closer to the spring guide tube portion 14 of the spring seat 12 than a seating portion (right side in the drawing) at the end of the coil spring 16. Even if it is properly assembled, the displacement of the coil spring 16 is also caused by the repetition of the running.
2 and the point P
In such a case, abnormal noise is generated due to the contact, and there is a possibility that the quality is reduced.

[0004] Under such circumstances, various techniques have been proposed for preventing abnormal noise due to contact between a transition portion of a coil spring and a spring seat. FIG. 6 shows an example of such a configuration, which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-105476. In brief, the first curved surface portion 32 having a radius of curvature smaller than the radius of the coil spring 24 having the minimum wire diameter is provided at a predetermined position of the lower spring seat 20.
And a second curved surface portion 34 having a radius of curvature slightly larger than the radius of the coil spring 24 having the maximum wire diameter, and two positioning portions 30 (in the circumferential direction) are formed. Is set smaller than the inner diameter dimension of. With these configurations, the coil spring 2
Since the end turn 24A of No. 4 is reliably positioned in a point contact state, generation of abnormal noise is prevented.

FIG. 7 is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-117982, in which a vulcanized sheet rubber 103 is provided at least on a contact surface of a lower spring seat 110 with a coil spring 102, and a lower spring seat 103 is provided. The sheet rubber 103 and / or the sheet rubber 103 and / or the coil spring 102 are bonded with an adhesive to provide an anti-vibration function, and to prevent the metal cover from being turned up and coming into contact with metal to generate abnormal noise. It is configured to prevent this.

[0006]

However, in such a conventional spring seat structure, in the former example, there is certainly a difference in the radially outward movement of the end winding portion, that is, the seating portion at the time of buffer compression of the coil spring. Although the sound can be reduced by the point contact positioning means, it is possible to form curved surfaces having different curvatures.
Since the end turn of the coil spring is in a floating state, there is a danger that the end turn will move outward in the radial direction. Therefore, the end of the coil spring is secured on the side of the transition portion of the coil spring shown in FIG. The clearance δ is also eliminated, and there is a possibility that the transition portion side comes into contact with the outer periphery of the base portion 28 to generate abnormal noise. In the latter example, although another member made of a different material can be interposed between the end of the coil spring and the spring seat, generation of abnormal noise can be prevented, but between the inner periphery of the coil spring and the spring seat. No consideration was given to the generation of abnormal noise due to the clearance.

Accordingly, the present invention solves the problem of such a conventional spring seat structure, and suppresses unintended movement of a spring end at a transition portion as well as a seat portion, thereby effectively generating abnormal noise. It is an object of the present invention to provide a spring seat structure having a simple structure that can be prevented and applied to a spring seat using a material whose molding is restricted.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides a suspension strut spring seat structure in which a spacer having a claw portion erected at a position where an end of a coil spring is seated is provided between the spring seat and the coil spring. The coil spring is interposed between the coil springs, and the outer end of one end of the coil spring is regulated so that the inner end of the coil spring does not contact the spring seat. I do. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the spacer is previously mounted on a flange of a spring seat so as to be relatively non-rotatable. Further, the present invention is characterized in that a plurality of guides are press-fitted to the outer periphery of the flange of the spring seat of the spacer. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the guide is formed with an edge to be fitted to the outer peripheral portion of the flange of the spring seat. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the guide provided on the spacer and the outer peripheral portion of the flange of the spring seat are assembled by non-circular alignment, and the spring seat is made of a material such as aluminum which is difficult to bend. Even in the case where the spacer is formed by interposing a spacer made of a material that is easy to bend, such as a claw portion, the seat portion of the coil spring is reliably pressed against the spring guide cylinder portion by the claw portion erected on the spacer. As a result, unintended movement in the radial direction during the buffering operation is not performed, and the predetermined clearance is always ensured between the spring guide cylinder and the transition portion of the coil spring on the opposite side.
Since no abnormal noise occurs due to contact, a high quality feeling is maintained.

[0009]

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of a spring seat structure according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view of a main part of a lower end portion of a coil spring, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. It is an exploded perspective view. According to the present invention, in a spring seat structure of a suspension strut, a spacer 5 having a claw 7 erected at a position where an end of a coil spring 6 is seated is provided between the spring seat 2 and an end of the coil spring 6. The outer end of the outer end of the coil spring 6 is regulated so that the inner end of the transition portion on the other side of the coil spring 6 comes into contact with the spring seat 2 (spring guide tube 4). It is characterized by not being configured.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the lower end of a coil spring 6 whose upper end is supported by an inner cylinder such as a damper (hydraulic damper or pneumatic damper) at an upper part (not shown) as shown in FIG. The suspension unit is supported and mounted on the flange 3 of the spring seat 2 fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the outer cylinder 1 to constitute a suspension device. In particular, the present invention provides a spring seat having the spring seat flange 3. 2 is made of a material that is not suitable for bending, such as aluminum. The spring seat 2 made of aluminum or the like is a damper outer cylinder 1
Axial spring guide cylindrical portion 4 fixed to the shaft, and spiral spring seat flange 3 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.
The inner diameter side of the coil spring 6 is mounted with a predetermined clearance δ between the coil spring 6 and the spring guide cylinder 4.

The spacer 5 interposed between the flange 3 of the spring seat and the end of the coil spring 6 is made of a steel plate or the like which can be easily bent and formed (other materials may be used). 3, as shown in FIG. 3, the spring seat has a shape conforming to the surface of the flange 3 of the spring seat formed on the spiral surface, and its planar shape is also substantially the same as the flange 3 of the spring seat. You. The outer periphery of the spacer 5 is provided with a flange 3 of a spring seat.
A plurality of guides 8A, 8B, and 8C are formed toward the side (in the illustrated example, three are used to effectively exhibit the centering function), and the claw portion 7 is formed by bending toward the coil spring 6 side. These guides 8 and pawls 7 preferably have flexible elements. That is, in addition to the elasticity of the spacer 5 itself, as described later, a flexible deforming portion for pressing the portion of the guide 8 that contacts the outer peripheral portion of the flange 3 of the spring seat and the portion of the claw portion 7 that presses against the portion that contacts the coil spring 6. It may be.

Further, the inner peripheral hole 5A of the spacer 5 is formed at a transition portion from the spring guide cylindrical portion 4 of the spring seat 2 to the flange 3 of the spring seat, as shown by an enlarged portion of an arrow in FIG. A large hole (indicated by the dimension B in FIG. 2) is provided with some margin so as not to interfere with the R portion (radius r), so that the weight can be reduced and
When the spacer 5 is mounted together with the coil spring 6, a secondary effect such as positioning can be obtained while checking the end of the coil spring 6. It should be noted that a flange may be formed in the inner peripheral hole 5A of the spacer 5 to improve the press forming accuracy of the spacer 5 itself. Also,
The spacer 5 is mounted in advance on the flange 3 of the spring seat such that the position of the claw portion 7 does not move unintentionally in the circumferential direction. Preferably, the spring seat is mounted so as not to rotate relative to the flange 3 of the spring seat. However, if the design permits, the spring seat can be connected to the spring guide cylinder 4 by non-circular alignment.

In this embodiment, in order to mount the spacer 5 on the flange 3 of the spring seat so as to be relatively non-rotatable, a plurality of guides 8A pressed into the outer periphery of the spacer 5 are pressed into the outer periphery of the flange 3 of the spring seat. , 8B and 8C are installed. That is, the plurality of guides 8
A, 8B, and 8C are flexible deformation portions that are pressed against the outer peripheral portion of the flange 3 of the spring seat in a tight fit form. The presence of the plurality of guides 8A, 8B, and 8C enables an effective centering function of the spacer 5 with respect to the spring seat 2 to be exhibited. The spacer 5 is attached to the flange 3 of the spring seat so as to be relatively non-rotatable, and the guide 8 provided on the spacer 5 and the outer peripheral portion of the flange 3 of the spring seat are assembled by non-circular alignment. May be. That is, the outer peripheral portion of the flange 3 of the spring seat is formed in a planar shape and is non-circular (polygonal, partially straight or engraved with a groove), and the guides 8 of the outer peripheral portion of the spacer 5 are aligned with the non-circular shape without excess or shortage. May be formed in a continuous cylindrical shape, and these members may be attached to each other without being tightly fitted, so that relative rotation is impossible. This simplifies relative rotation positioning, and eliminates the need for press fitting, edges, and the like, which will be described later. Preferably, the flange 3 of the spring seat and the spacer 5 are fixed by appropriate means such as screws.

Thus, the lower end of the coil spring 6 supported by the flange 3 of the spring seat with the spacer 5 having the claw 7 erected at the site where the end of the coil spring 6 is seated, At a seating portion (on the right side in the drawing, an end winding portion) seated over a predetermined distance on the circumference, the coil spring 6 is securely held by a claw portion 7 formed by bending a protruding piece or the like integrally formed with the spacer 5. Of the coil spring 6 on the opposite side (the left side of the drawing,
The effective winding portion also does not come into contact with the spring guide tube portion 4 (clearance δ is reliably ensured), so that the coil spring 6 does not move unintentionally in the radial direction during the cushioning operation.

With this configuration, the seating portion at the lower end of the coil spring 6 is reliably pressed against the spring guide tube portion 4 of the spring seat 2 by the claw portion 7 of the spacer 5 so that the radial direction during the cushioning operation is achieved. Since there is no unintended movement, no abnormal noise is generated. A predetermined clearance δ is always ensured between the spring guide cylinder 4 and the transition portion of the coil spring 6 on the opposite side, so that abnormal noise due to contact does not occur, resulting in high quality. Feeling is maintained. Moreover, even when the spring seat 2 is made of a material such as aluminum which is not suitable for bending and is restricted in forming, the claw portion 7 can be easily formed by using the spacer 5 which is easily formed by bending. Becomes When the claw portion 7 has a flexible element, the end of the coil spring 6 is always effectively biased toward the opposite side (in the direction of the strut axis) appropriately in response to the size of the wire diameter, and the coil The transition portion of the spring 6 can be configured not to contact the spring seat 2 (clearance δ is reliably ensured).

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a principal part showing a second embodiment of the spring seat structure of the present invention. The present embodiment is characterized in that the guides 8A, 8B and 8C formed on the outer periphery of the spacer 5 are formed with edges 9A and 9B to be fitted on the outer periphery of the flange 3 of the spring seat. I do. The edges 9A and 9B are formed, for example, by forming the guide 8A on a curved surface having a predetermined radius R, as shown in the example shown, so that both ends in the circumferential direction are at a predetermined angle with the outer peripheral portion of the flange 3 of the spring seat. (A press burr can be used as it is), or it may be formed in an appropriate form such as by cutting and raising only one side or an intermediate portion to form an edge portion. With this configuration, the guide edges 9A and 9B of the spacer 5 press-fitted to the outer peripheral portion of the spring seat flange 3 bite into the outer peripheral portion of the spring seat flange 3, and the spacer 5 and the spring seat Relative to the flange 3 is effectively prevented, so that the position of the claw portion 7 does not move unintentionally in the circumferential direction, prevents displacement, disengagement, chattering, etc., and regulates the positional accuracy of the end turn portion. Can be guaranteed.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, within the spirit of the present invention, the shape of the damper,
Type, shape of coil spring, type, shape including flat shape of spring seat including flange of spring seat and spring guide tube, type, material and related configuration with damper, shape of spacer, material and claw part of it The shape, the number and shape of the guides, the shape and number of the guides, and the shapes and types of the flexible deformable portions as the elastic elements of the claws and the guide can be appropriately selected.

[0018]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, in the spring seat structure of the suspension strut, the spacer having the claw portion erected at the portion where the end of the coil spring is seated is used as the spring. Interposed between the seat and the end of the coil spring, the outer end of the outer end of the coil spring is regulated so that the inner end on the other side of the coil spring does not contact the spring seat. As a result, even when a spring sheet is made of a material such as aluminum which is not suitable for bending and is limited in forming, it is possible to easily form the claw portion by using a spacer which is easily formed by bending. The seat portion of the coil spring is reliably pressed against the spring seat by the claw portion, and makes an unintended movement in the radial direction during the cushioning operation. Since the predetermined clearance is always ensured between the spring seat and the transition portion of the coil spring on the opposite side, noise due to contact does not occur, and high quality Is maintained.

Further, when the spacer is previously mounted on the flange of the spring seat so as to be relatively non-rotatable, even if the spring seat is made of a material which is restricted in molding, the function of preventing noise from the claw portion is exhibited. The spacer is reliably sub-assembled to simplify the assembly. Further, when a plurality of guides are press-fitted to the outer peripheral portion of the flange of the spring seat of the spacer, the spacer is securely and easily assembled to the spring seat in a concentric state by the centering function of the plurality of guides. In addition, the relative rotation between the spacer and the flange of the spring seat is effectively prevented, so that the position of the claw does not move unintentionally in the circumferential direction to prevent displacement, detachment, chatter, etc. The positional accuracy of the regulation of the end winding portion can be guaranteed.

Further, when the guide is formed with an edge which fits on the outer peripheral portion of the flange of the spring seat, the edge is fitted on the outer peripheral portion of the flange of the spring seat, so that the spacer and the spring seat are more securely connected. Relative rotation with respect to the flange is effectively prevented. Also, when the guide provided on the spacer and the outer peripheral portion of the spring seat flange are assembled by non-circular alignment, the relative rotation between the spacer and the spring seat flange is effectively prevented without press-fitting or the like. Is done. Thus,
According to the present invention, not only the seat portion but also the unintended movement of the spring end portion in the transition portion can be suppressed, the generation of abnormal noise can be effectively prevented, and the spring seat using a material restricted in molding can be used. An applicable simple spring seat structure is provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a main part of a lower end portion of a coil spring, showing a first embodiment of a spring seat structure of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the same.

FIG. 4 is a main part plan view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a typical example of a conventional spring seat structure.

FIG. 6 is a second conventional example of a spring seat structure.

FIG. 7 is a third conventional example of a spring seat structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Damper outer cylinder 2 Spring seat 3 Spring seat flange 4 Spring guide cylinder part 5 Spacer 5A Spacer inner peripheral hole 6 Coil spring 7 Claw part 8 Guide 8A First guide 8B Second guide 8C Third guide 9 Edge 9A First edge 9B 2nd edge

Claims (5)

[Claims] In a spring seat structure of a suspension strut, a spacer having a claw portion erected at a portion where an end of a coil spring is seated is interposed between the spring seat and an end of the coil spring, A spring seat structure, wherein a position of an outer end on one outer side of the coil spring is regulated so that an inner end on the other side of the coil spring does not contact the spring seat. 2. The spring seat structure according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is previously mounted on a flange of the spring seat so as not to rotate relatively. 3. The spring seat structure according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of guides are press-fitted into an outer peripheral portion of the flange of the spring seat of the spacer. 4. The spring seat structure according to claim 3, wherein an edge is formed on the guide so as to be fitted to an outer peripheral portion of a flange of the spring seat. 5. The spring seat structure according to claim 1, wherein a guide provided on the spacer and an outer peripheral portion of a flange of the spring seat are assembled by non-circular alignment.