JP3414280B2 - Suspension assembly jig - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a suspension assembly jig used for connecting a lower arm of a vehicle suspension with a lower end of a shock absorber.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 shows a main part of a typical vehicle suspension structure. A base end of a lower arm 4 is connected to a rigid part such as a suspension member of a vehicle body with a rubber elastic body 41 interposed therebetween. The lower end of the shock absorber 8 whose upper end is connected to the upper end surface of the suspension tower provided in the wheel house of the vehicle body is directly connected to the tip end or indirectly via the knuckle 9 to which the wheel T is attached. 42 in the figure is a service hole provided in the middle of the lower arm 4.

[0003]

When assembling the suspension, the upper end of the shock absorber 8 is attached to the suspension tower and the lower arm 4 is mounted.
The base end of is attached to the rigid portion of the vehicle body, and finally the tip of the lower arm 4 and the lower end of the shock absorber 8 are connected.
In connecting these, the lower end of the shock absorber 8 extended to the maximum extent by the suspension spring 80 is located below the tip of the lower arm 4 that protrudes substantially horizontally from the rigid portion of the vehicle body, so that the operator manually The work of connecting the tip of the lower arm 4 and the lower end of the shock absorber 8 while pushing down the lower arm 4 is performed. However, the lower arm 4 is pushed down due to the twisting of the rubber elastic body 41, which requires a strong force and requires heavy muscle work. Moreover, since the shock absorber 8 must be connected while the lower arm 4 is pushed down, workability is poor. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a suspension assembly jig that can connect the tip of the lower arm of the suspension and the lower end of the shock absorber to workability without requiring heavy work.

[0004]

According to the present invention, a base end is elastically supported by a rigid portion of a vehicle body and a tip of a lower arm extending in a substantially horizontal direction is integrally formed with a suspension spring.
A suspension assembly jig used for connecting a lower end of a shock absorber, which has an upper end fixed to a vehicle body and extends downward, with the lower arm being pushed down, the assembly jig being an outer periphery of a double-acting cylinder device. In addition, a plurality of locking claws are provided which are opened and closed in an umbrella shape to be accommodated along the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder device when the cylinder device is contracted, and which are opened outward when the cylinder device is extended (claim 1). Insert the cylinder device in the contracted state from below into the through hole formed in the lower arm, position the locking claw above the lower arm, and bring the tip of the cylinder device into contact with the vehicle body. The lower arm is pushed down by the locking claw that moves downward relative to the tip.

The above-mentioned assembly jig has a larger diameter than the general portion of the rod at the tip of the rod projecting from one end of the cylinder of the cylinder device composed of a cylinder and a rod that move relative to each other, and the upper end surface serves as the vehicle body receiving surface. While forming a head having an end surface as a tapered surface, the locking pawl is supported on the outer periphery of the one end of the cylinder so as to be swingable in the radial direction of the cylinder, and the locking pawl has the upper end as the tapered surface. The engaging surface is formed in a mating inclined shape, and the lower end is provided with a biasing means for biasing the engaging surface outward (claim 2). When the cylinder device contracts, the taper surface of the rod head is engaged with the engagement surface of the locking claw, and the locking claw is stored along the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder. The locking claw is separated from the tapered surface, and the lower end of the locking claw is opened outward by the biasing means.

[0006]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 are operation diagrams of the suspension assembly jig of the present invention, and FIG. 3 shows a main part of the assembly jig. As shown in FIG. 3, the assembly jig M includes a cylinder device 1 that expands and contracts due to relative movement of the cylinder 11 and the rod 12, and a plurality of locking claws 3 that open and close as the cylinder device 1 expands and contracts.

The cylinder device 1 is of a double-acting type in which the rod 12 is projected from the upper end of the cylinder 11 and is expanded and contracted by raising and lowering the rod 12 by controlling hydraulic pressure or the like.
A head portion 13 having a larger diameter than the general portion of the rod 12 is provided at the upper end of the rod 12, and the outer shape of the head portion 13 is substantially the same as that of the cylinder 11. A recess 14 is formed in the center of the upper end surface of the head 13. The lower end surface is a tapered surface 15 that is inclined upward from the general portion of the rod 12 toward the outside.

On the other hand, the cylinder 11 is provided with a cylindrical pedestal 2 extending at the upper end thereof, and the head portion 13 of the rod 12 penetrating the pedestal 2 projects above the pedestal 2. The pedestal 2 has a flange-shaped base end portion 21 superposed on the upper end surface of the cylinder 11 and fastened with a plurality of bolts B.

A boss portion 22 is provided at the upper end of the pedestal 2, and the boss portion 22 is formed with a plurality of vertical grooves 23 penetrating the boss portion 22 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. An intermediate portion of the locking claw 3 made of a rod-shaped metal piece is inserted in each vertical groove 23, and the locking claw 3 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 24 passing through the locking claw 3. The support shaft 24 is inserted into both sides of the vertical groove 23 into the insertion holes 25 formed through the boss portion 22 so as to horizontally traverse the vertical groove 23. Then, the spindle 24 is fixed from the upper end surface of the boss portion 22 by screwing a screw 26 into a vertical hole provided in the fitting hole 25 so as to be orthogonal thereto.

The upper half of each locking claw 3, which is pivotally supported at its intermediate portion, projects upward from the upper end of the pedestal 2 having the boss 22. The inner surface of the upper half portion is a steeply inclined surface 31 that is directed upward and outward, and the tip end portion has a tapered surface 15 of the rod 12 head 13 when the locking claw 3 is in a vertical posture along the pedestal 2.
Is formed as a gently inclined engagement surface 32 that matches and engages with.

On the other hand, a recess 33 opening toward the pedestal 2 is formed at the lower end of the inner side surface of each locking claw 3, and one end of the recess 33 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the pedestal 2. The coil spring 34 is buried, and the coil spring 34 urges the lower end of the locking claw 3 to open outward. Further, the inner corner portion of the lower end of the engaging claw 3 is cut out to be rounded.

Each locking claw 3 is a rod 1 of the cylinder device 1.
In the contracted state in which 2 is the bottom dead center, the engagement surface 32 at the upper end abuts and engages with the tapered surface 15 of the head portion 13 of the rod 12 and is housed in a vertical posture along the cylinder device 1. When the rod 12 is extended from this state, the engagement between the tapered surface 15 of the head 13 and the engagement surface 32 of the locking claw 3 is released, and the lower end of the locking claw 3 is outside by the biasing force of the coil spring 34. It is pushed open to rotate about the support shaft 24, the inclined surface 31 of the upper half of the inner surface abuts the outer peripheral surface of the rod 12 general portion, and the lower end is fixed in an inclined posture protruding from the outer periphery of the cylinder device 1. It When the rod 12 is contracted again, the engagement surface 32 of the locking claw 3 and the taper surface 15 of the head 13 come into contact with each other. Further, as the rod 12 contracts, the engagement surface 32 is guided outward along the tapered surface 15, and the locking claw 3 rotates vertically against the coil spring 34, and the rod 1
When 2 reaches the bottom dead center, the locking claw 3 is stored in the vertical posture.

Next, a method of using the assembly jig M of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG.
The lower arm 4 of the vehicle suspension is connected to the side ends of the left and right side members 6 (only one of which is shown in the figure) of the vehicle body at the side ends of the suspension member 5 by connecting the base end via a rubber elastic body 41. It is installed almost horizontally in the wheel house. The lower arm 4 is a rubber elastic body 41 at the base end.
It can be turned up and down by twisting. The suspension member 5 includes a leg portion 5 extending above the lower arm 4.
The antivibration member 52 of the first terminal is fastened and attached to the bottom surface of the bracket 61 facing the lower surface of the side member 6.

The assembling jig M of the present invention is basically operated by a worker while manually supporting it. The worker supports the cylinder 11 side and the cylinder device 1 contracts the assembling jig M. With the locking claw 3 closed, the lower end of the rod 12 is provided with a service hole 42 which is provided in the middle of the lower arm 4 and is used for connecting the suspension member 5 and the side member 6, from the lower side. Is brought into contact with the bottom surface of the anti-vibration member 52, and the locking claw 3 is disposed above the lower arm 4. At this time, the lower end of the fastening member protruding to the bottom surface of the vibration isolating member 52 is fitted into the recess 14 of the head 13 to prevent the displacement (FIG. 2).

Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the cylinder device 1 is extended while pressing the head portion 13 against the bottom surface of the vibration isolating member 52. At this time, in the cylinder device 1, since the head 13 of the rod 12 is restricted from being lifted by the vehicle body, the cylinder 11 side provided with the locking claw 3 is lowered. When the cylinder 11 side descends, the engagement between the engagement surface 32 of the locking claw 3 and the tapered surface 15 of the head 13 is released, and each locking claw 3 is released.
Opens like an umbrella, and the lower ends of the locking claws 3 project to the outside of the cylinder device 1.

Further, when the cylinder device 1 extends and the cylinder 11 side descends, the lower ends of the locking claws 3 projecting to the outside of the cylinder device 1 are service holes 4 on the upper surface of the lower arm 4.
The lower arm 4 is pressed downward by pushing the lower arm 4 around. As a result, the lower arm 4 tilts downward about the base end, and is held in an inclined posture in which the tip end is lower. At this point, the worker can release his hand from the assembly jig M and move to another work.

In this state, after fixing the upper end of the shock absorber 8 to the top surface of the suspension tower 7 of the vehicle body,
A link member 91 at the lower end of the knuckle 9 connected to the lower end of the shock absorber 8 is fixed to the upper surface of the tip of the lower arm 4. After that, the cylinder device 1 of the assembly jig M is contracted to house the respective locking claws 3, and the assembly jig M is pulled out from the lower arm 4. By pulling out the assembling jig M, the lower arm 4 pushes up the shock absorber 8 via the knuckle 9 against the suspension spring 80, and the lower arm 4 is in a substantially horizontal position.

[0018]

According to the assembly jig of the present invention, when the lower arm is pushed down when connecting the tip of the lower arm and the lower end of the shock absorber, it is not necessary for an operator to manually push down the lower arm as in the prior art. It is possible to connect the distal end of the lower arm and the lower end of the shock absorber with good workability without requiring heavy muscle work with a force sufficient to support the jig.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state where a suspension assembly jig of the present invention is operated.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which a suspension assembly jig of the present invention is installed.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a main part of a suspension assembly jig of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a main part of a vehicle suspension structure.

[Explanation of symbols] M suspension assembly jig 1 cylinder device 11 cylinders 12 rod 13 head 15 Tapered surface 3 locking claws 32 engagement surface 34 Coil spring (biasing means) 4 lower arm 42 Through hole (service hole) 5 Rigid member (suspension member) 8 shock absorber 80 suspension spring 9 knuckles

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A tip of a lower arm whose base end is elastically supported by a rigid portion of a vehicle body and extends in a substantially horizontal direction, and a lower end of a shock absorber which is integral with a suspension spring and whose upper end is fixed to the vehicle body and extends downward. Is a suspension assembly jig to be used for connecting the lower arm with the lower arm pushed down, the assembly jig being opened and closed like an umbrella on the outer periphery of the double-acting cylinder device to allow the cylinder device to contract when the cylinder device contracts. It is in a storage state along the outer peripheral surface and is equipped with a plurality of locking claws that open when the cylinder device expands.When the cylinder device is contracted, it is inserted from below through the through hole formed in the lower arm, and the plurality of locking Position the pawl above the lower arm and bring the tip of the cylinder device into contact with the vehicle body to extend the cylinder device and move it relative to the tip. Suspension assembly jig designed to push down the lower arm by each locking claw that moves downward. 2. The assembly jig has a diameter larger than a general portion of a rod at a tip of a rod projecting from one end of a cylinder of a cylinder device composed of a cylinder and a rod which move relative to each other, and an upper end surface of which is a vehicle body receiving surface. While forming a head having a lower end surface as a tapered surface, the locking pawl is supported on the outer periphery of the one end of the cylinder so as to be swingable in the radial direction of the cylinder, and the upper end of the locking pawl is tapered. The lower end is provided with an urging means for urging it outwardly, and the engagement surface between the taper surface of the rod head and the engaging claw is contracted when the cylinder device contracts. The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein the engagement claw is held along the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder by engagement with the mating surface, and the lower end of the engagement claw is opened outward by the biasing means when the cylinder device is extended. jig.