JP2007191111A - Stabilizer bush structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide stabilizer bush structure provided with a stopper useful to improve operation stability of a vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: The stabilizer bush structure is provided with a stabilizer bush 10 for turnably holding an inserted stabilizer bar 12 and the stopper 11 fixed to the stabilizer bar 12 to regulate movement of the stabilizer bush 10 in the axial direction of a turning shaft of the stabilizer bar 12. The stabilizer bush 10 and the stopper 11 are arranged opposite to each other to increase friction force to be applied between the stabilizer bush 10 and the stopper 11 when bounding. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a structure of a stabilizer bush for attaching to a vehicle a stabilizer disposed between left and right wheels in order to improve the steering stability of the vehicle.

Conventionally, a stabilizer in which a lateral displacement stopper for preventing lateral displacement in the axial direction of the stabilizer bar is fixed to the stabilizer bar is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). According to this stabilizer, the rubber elastic body through which the stabilizer bar is inserted and held has a two-layer structure, and its inner layer is made of a highly slidable rubber, so that the handling stability and the riding comfort are improved. Further, the end face of the rubber elastic body facing the lateral displacement stopper is made of a highly slidable rubber integral with the inner layer rubber, so that abnormal noise caused by interference between the lateral displacement stopper and the rubber elastic body is prevented.
JP 2001-260624 A

  As described above, a conventional stabilizer having a lateral displacement stopper is known, but the conventional lateral displacement stopper is merely provided for the purpose of preventing lateral displacement in the axial direction of the stabilizer bar. On the other hand, it has been conventionally required to realize a stabilizer with better steering stability.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the stabilizer bush structure provided with the stopper which contributes to the improvement of the steering stability of a vehicle.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a stabilizer bush structure according to an aspect of the present invention includes a bush that rotatably holds an inserted stabilizer bar, and a bush that is fixed to the stabilizer bar and that extends in the rotational axis direction of the stabilizer bar. And a stopper bushing that restricts the movement of the bushing. The bushing and the stopper are arranged to face each other so that the frictional force acting between the bushing and the stopper increases at the time of bouncing.

  According to this aspect, when one of the pair of wheels connected to the stabilizer is displaced at the time of bouncing, the frictional force acting between the bush and the stopper increases. Here, “bound” means that the wheel is displaced upward from the neutral state. Since the frictional force acts in the direction opposite to the direction of displacement, the frictional force acts to suppress the displacement of the one wheel that is displaced upward at the time of bouncing. As a result, the amount of upward displacement of the wheel is suppressed, so that steering stability can be improved.

  In this case, at least one of the mutually opposing end surfaces of the bush and the stopper is formed with a concave portion or a convex portion, and the concave portion or the convex portion is pressed against the other of the bush and the stopper during sliding and slides on each other. Thus, the frictional force may be increased. According to this aspect, the frictional force that acts between the bush and the stopper can be increased at the time of bouncing with a simple configuration of the concave portion or the convex portion formed on the end face of the bush or the stopper.

  Further, the bush and the stopper may be arranged so that the frictional force acting between the bush and the stopper at the time of rebound is smaller than the frictional force acting between the bush and the stopper at the time of bouncing. According to this aspect, since the friction force acting between the bush and the stopper at the time of rebound is smaller than the friction force at the time of bound, the degree to which the displacement of the wheel is suppressed at the time of rebound is also smaller than that at the time of bound. Therefore, the wheel is grounded relatively quickly at the time of rebound, which is preferable in that the grounding property is maintained smoothly. Here, “rebound” means that the wheel is displaced downward from the neutral state.

  Furthermore, the sliding part between the bush and the stopper may be formed of a solid lubricant. If it does in this way, the abrasion resistance between a bush and a stopper can be made favorable.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the steering stability of a vehicle.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a stabilizer bush 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the stabilizer bush 10 is assembled to a round bar-shaped stabilizer bar 12. The stabilizer bush 10 is fixed to the vehicle body via a bracket (not shown) with one side surface in contact with the vehicle body. A stopper 11 is fixed to the stabilizer bar 12, and the stopper 11 and the stabilizer bush 10 are disposed to face each other on the rotating shaft of the stabilizer bar 12. The stopper 11 restricts lateral displacement of the stabilizer bush 10 in the rotation axis direction. In FIG. 1, the rotation axis direction of the stabilizer bar 12 is shown as an arrow A direction.

  The stabilizer bush 10 includes a rubber part 14, a first sliding part 16, a second sliding part 18, and a liner part 20, and rotates the inserted stabilizer bar 12 about a rotational axis. Hold as possible. An insertion hole 22 through which the stabilizer bar 12 is inserted is formed in the rubber part 14, and a liner part 20 is formed in a thin cylindrical shape on the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 22. The liner portion 20 is formed as a highly slidable thin layer, such as a liner layer formed including a polytetrafluoroethylene fiber. For this reason, when the stabilizer bar 12 rotates with respect to the stabilizer bush 10, both slide smoothly, and it can implement | achieve high abrasion resistance.

  A first opening 24 and a second opening 26 are formed on the outer peripheral side of the insertion hole 22 of the rubber part 14 so as to face each other with the insertion hole 22 interposed therebetween. The first sliding portion 16 is fitted into the first opening 24, and the second sliding portion 18 is fitted into the second opening 26. That is, the 1st sliding part 16 and the 2nd sliding part 18 are arrange | positioned facing the insertion hole 22, ie, the stabilizer bar 12, (refer FIG. 2). The first sliding portion 16 and the second sliding portion 18 are formed of a solid lubricant such as a polyolefin-based elastomer resin.

  Both the first sliding portion 16 and the second sliding portion 18 protrude from the rubber portion 14 toward the stopper 11 by a predetermined amount. As a result, the stabilizer bush 10 comes into contact with the stopper 11 at the tip ends of the first sliding portion 16 and the second sliding portion 18, and good slidability can be realized. The amount of protrusion is, for example, from a few mm to about sub millimeters. In the present embodiment, the protruding amount G1 of the first sliding portion 16 is, for example, about 2 mm, the protruding amount G2 of the second sliding portion 18 is, for example, about 1 mm, and the protruding amount G1 of the first sliding portion 16 is. Is set larger than the protruding amount G2 of the second sliding portion 18.

  The stopper 11 is a substantially disk-shaped member, and is fixed to the stabilizer bar 12 substantially coaxially. A flat portion 28 and a concave portion 30 are formed on the surface of the stopper 11 facing the stabilizer bush 10. The stabilizer bush 10 is assembled to the stabilizer bar 12 so that the flat portion 28 and the second sliding portion 18 are in contact with each other, and the concave portion 30 and the first sliding portion 16 are in contact with each other. For this reason, the recess 30 is formed in a direction away from the stabilizer bush 10 from the flat portion 28 by a difference G1-G2 between the protrusion amount G1 of the first sliding portion 16 and the protrusion amount G2 of the second sliding portion 18. ing. The flat portion 28 and the concave portion 30 are connected by a step portion 32.

  FIG. 2 is a side view of the stopper 11 when viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. Shown by the dotted lines are the first sliding portion 16 and the second sliding portion 18 of the stabilizer bush 10. 1 corresponds to a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. In FIG. 2, an arrow C indicates a direction in which the stopper 11 rotates together with the stabilizer bar 12 at the time of bounding, and an arrow D indicates a direction in which the stopper 11 rotates at the time of rebounding. Here, bouncing refers to shifting from a neutral state in which no load is applied to the stabilizer to a state in which one of the left and right wheels connected by the stabilizer is displaced upward relative to the other, contrary to rebounding. The transition from a neutral state to a state in which one wheel is relatively displaced downward.

  With respect to the rotation direction of the stabilizer bar 12, a first clearance 34 and a second clearance 35 are set between the step portion 32 of the stopper 11 and the first sliding portion 16. The clearance that becomes narrower by rotating the stopper 11 relative to the stabilizer bush 10 at the time of bound is the first clearance 34, and conversely, the clearance that becomes narrow at the time of rebound is the second clearance 35.

  In the present embodiment, the first clearance 34 is set narrower than the second clearance 35. Specifically, the first clearance 34 is set to be smaller than the maximum rotation amount of the stopper 11 at the time of bouncing, and is set to, for example, about half or less of the maximum rotation amount. The maximum rotation amount of the stopper 11 corresponds to the maximum stroke of the suspension mechanism. On the other hand, the second clearance 35 is set larger than the maximum rotation amount of the stopper 11 at the time of rebound.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing the stopper 11 and the stabilizer bush 10 when the rotation of the stopper 11 is maximized during bounding. With the above-described configuration, when the amount of rotation of the stopper 11 is maximized at the time of bouncing, the first sliding portion 16 and the flat portion 28 interfere with each other in the pressing sliding portion 36 indicated by hatching in FIG. Both are pressed against each other in the direction of the rotation axis. As a result, the frictional force acting between the stabilizer bush 10 and the stopper 11 increases compared to the neutral state. More specifically, when the amount of rotation of the stopper 11 at the time of bouncing becomes larger than the first clearance 34, the first sliding portion 16 and the flat portion 28 interfere with each other and the frictional force acting between the two increases.

  Since the frictional force acts in the direction opposite to the direction of displacement, the frictional force increases at the time of bouncing, and eventually the wheel displacement at the time of bouncing is suppressed. Therefore, the steering stability of the vehicle is improved. The frictional force is increased when the amount of rotation of the stopper 11 is larger than that of the first clearance 34, while the frictional force is not increased when the amount of rotation is smaller than that of the first clearance 34. Therefore, it is possible to improve steering stability when the wheel displacement is large while maintaining the riding comfort of the vehicle when the wheel displacement is small enough to prevent the frictional force from being increased.

  On the other hand, since the second clearance 35 is larger than the maximum amount of rotation of the stopper 11 at the time of rebound, even if the rotation of the stopper 11 is maximized at the time of rebound, the first sliding portion 16 and the flat portion 28 only interfere with each other. do not do. For this reason, the frictional force between the stopper 11 and the stabilizer bush 10 is not increased during rebound. Moreover, since the 1st sliding part 16 and the 2nd sliding part 18 are formed with the solid lubricant, the frictional force between the stopper 11 and the stabilizer bush 10 becomes a comparatively small thing. Therefore, since the wheel can be smoothly displaced without hindering the movement of the suspension mechanism at the time of rebound, the grounding property of the wheel can be improved.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the two are arranged to face each other so that the frictional force acting between the stabilizer bush 10 and the stopper 11 increases when bound. Therefore, the frictional force increases at the time of bouncing, and acts to suppress the displacement on the one wheel that is displaced upward. As a result, steering stability can be improved.

  Further, the stabilizer bush 10 and the stopper 11 are arranged so that the frictional force acting between the stabilizer bush 10 and the stopper 11 at the time of bouncing is smaller than the frictional force acting at the time of rebounding. As a result, at the time of rebounding, the wheel is grounded relatively quickly, and the grounding property is maintained smoothly.

  Further, the sliding portion between the stabilizer bush 10 and the stopper 11 is formed of a solid lubricant. As a result, it is possible to improve the wear resistance and suppress the generation of abnormal noise as compared with a bush formed of a conventional self-lubricating rubber. Further, since the self-lubricating rubber is generally softer than the solid lubricant, it is possible to increase the rigidity of the stabilizer bush 10 by using the sliding portion as the solid lubricant, which also contributes to the improvement of the steering stability. . On the other hand, the use of a solid lubricant is also preferable in that the weight can be reduced as compared with the case of using a conventional aluminum spacer.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications such as design changes can be added to the embodiments based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and such modifications have been added. Embodiments may also be included within the scope of the present invention. Here are some examples.

  The structure described in this embodiment as a structure for increasing the frictional force between the stabilizer bush 10 and the stopper 11 is merely an example, and is not limited thereto. For example, a convex portion that protrudes in a direction approaching the stabilizer bush 10 is formed on the surface of the stopper 11 that faces the stabilizer bush 10, the convex portion contacts the first sliding portion 16, and the flat portion 28 is the second sliding portion. The amount of protrusion of each of the first sliding portion 16 and the second sliding portion 18 may be set so as to contact 18. Alternatively, the protrusion amount of the first sliding portion 16 and the second sliding portion 18 may be the same amount, and a concave portion or a convex portion may be appropriately formed on the surface of the stopper 11. Even in such a case, it is possible to increase the frictional force acting between the stabilizer bush 10 and the stopper 11 at the time of bouncing.

  In the present embodiment, on the surface of the stopper 11, the gap G <b> 2 between the flat portion 28 and the rubber portion 14 and the gap G <b> 1 between the concave portion 30 and the rubber portion 14 change discontinuously at the stepped portion 32. For this reason, the increase in the frictional force at the time of bouncing becomes discontinuous. However, these intervals may be changed more smoothly so that the frictional force acting between the stabilizer bush 10 and the stopper 11 continuously fluctuates. It is preferable to continuously change the frictional force in terms of reducing the impact when the frictional force increases discontinuously. In this case, for example, the protruding amount of the first sliding portion 16 may be gradually changed from the protruding amount G2 to the protruding amount G1 instead of the uniform value G1. Alternatively, the surface shape may be smoothly formed from the flat portion 28 to the concave portion 30 without providing the step portion 32 on the surface of the stopper 11.

It is sectional drawing which shows the cross section of the stabilizer bush which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of a stopper when it sees from the arrow A direction in FIG. It is a top view which shows typically a stopper and a stabilizer bush when rotation of a stopper becomes the largest at the time of a bound.

Explanation of symbols

  10 Stabilizer bush, 11 Stopper, 12 Stabilizer bar, 16 First sliding part, 18 Second sliding part, 28 Flat part, 30 Recessed part, 34 First clearance, 35 Second clearance

Claims (4)

A stabilizer bush structure comprising: a bush that rotatably holds the inserted stabilizer bar; and a stopper that is fixed to the stabilizer bar and restricts the movement of the bush in the rotation axis direction of the stabilizer bar. ,
The stabilizer bush structure characterized by the said bush and the said stopper being arrange | positioned so that the frictional force which acts between the said bush and the said stopper may increase at the time of a bound. A concave portion or a convex portion is formed on at least one of the opposing end surfaces of the bush and the stopper,
2. The stabilizer bush structure according to claim 1, wherein the frictional force is increased when the concave portion or the convex portion is pressed against the other of the bush and the stopper and slides on each other at the time of bouncing.   The bush and the stopper are disposed so that the frictional force acting between the bush and the stopper during rebound is smaller than the frictional force acting between the bush and the stopper during the bounding. The stabilizer bush structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The stabilizer bush structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a sliding portion between the bush and the stopper is formed of a solid lubricant.

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