JP6956596B2 - Cylinder device and manufacturing method of cylinder device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cylinder device and a method for manufacturing the cylinder device.

Conventionally, some cylinder devices function as a shock absorber and have a variable damping force valve attached to the side of the outer shell (for example, Patent Document 1). In the shock absorber, the damping force generated by the shock absorber can be adjusted to be high or low by adjusting the resistance given to the flow of the hydraulic fluid generated when the shock absorber expands and contracts with the variable damping force valve. Further, if the variable damping force valve is provided on the side of the outer shell so as to project radially outward, the axial length of the shock absorber can be shortened without sacrificing the stroke length of the shock absorber. Therefore, in such a cylinder device, the mountability can be improved.

Further, some cylinder devices are used for strut suspensions and are connected to a knuckle via a bracket welded and fixed to the outer periphery of the lower end portion of the outer shell to be used as a support for positioning wheels. When the cylinder device having the bracket has a protrusion such as the above-mentioned variable damping force valve, the protrusion may be arranged in a portion covered by the bracket. In that case, a hole is provided in the bracket to allow the protrusion to be inserted, and the protrusion is welded to the side portion of the outer shell exposed by the hole (for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-59574 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-197129

The bracket of the cylinder device used in the strut suspension extends substantially parallel to the C-shaped tubular portion that holds the outer circumference of the outer shell and both ends in the circumferential direction of the tubular portion in the radial direction. It has a pair of mounting portions. Then, the bracket is fixed with the knuckle arm sandwiched between the pair of mounting portions.

In such a cylindrical portion of the bracket, the portion where the pair of mounting portions are connected is directed to the front portion, the front portion is directed to the front, and the axis passing through the center of the tubular portion is arranged so as to extend in the vertical direction. When the left portion and the right portion are side portions, it may be preferable to project the protrusion to be welded to the outer shell outward from the side portion of the tubular portion for the convenience of vehicle layout (for example, special feature). FIG. 2) of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-197129.

However, in the state where the protruding portion is projected outward from the side portion of the tubular portion in this way, it is difficult to weld even if the hole for inserting the protruding portion is enlarged. This is because the mounting portion is connected to the front portion of the tubular portion and the distance between the protruding portion and the mounting portion is short, so that the mounting portion interferes with the welding work. Therefore, when the outer shell with the bracket mounted on the outer circumference and the protruding portion are set in the welding machine and welded automatically, the torch or the arm for driving the torch and other parts constituting the machine are used. In order to avoid interference with the mounting portion, the welding machine may become large and costly, or automatic welding by the machine may have to be abandoned.

Therefore, according to the present invention, in the case of obtaining a cylinder device in which the protruding portion is projected outward from the side portion of the tubular portion in a state where the bracket is fixed to the outer shell by welding or the like, the protruding portion is easily welded to the outer shell. An object of the present invention is to provide a cylinder device capable of being formed and a method for manufacturing the cylinder device.

In a cylinder device that solves the above problems, in a bracket attached to the outer circumference of an outer shell provided with a protruding portion, a protruding portion from one side to a back portion of a cylindrical portion having a C-shaped cross section that holds the outer circumference of the outer shell. A wide hole is formed to allow the insertion of the metal, and a bridge part and a narrow hole separated from the wide hole in the circumferential direction by the bridge part are formed on the other side of the cylindrical part, and the bracket has a protruding part. It is attached to the outer circumference of the outer shell so as to project outward from the side of the tubular portion through the wide hole.

According to the above configuration, the protruding portion can be projected outward from the side portion of the tubular portion or outward from the back portion while the protruding portion is inserted into the wide hole. Therefore, even when the protruding portion is projected outward from the side portion of the tubular portion when the cylinder device is completed, the protruding portion is projected outward from the back portion of the tubular portion when the protruding portion is welded. , The mounting part is directed to the opposite side of the protruding part.

Therefore, the mounting portion does not get in the way when welding the protruding portion, and the protruding portion can be easily welded to the outer shell. Then, after welding the protruding portion, the bracket is turned, and if the protruding portion is fixed to the outer shell by welding or the like with the protruding portion protruding outward from the side portion of the tubular portion, the bracket is fixed to the outer shell and then protrudes. The portion is projected outward from the side portion of the tubular portion.

Further, according to the above configuration, for example, when the bracket is formed by bending, bridge portions are provided on both side portions of the cylindrical portion of the base metal in the stage before bending, and after bending. The above-mentioned bracket can be formed by cutting off one of the bridge portions by punching. According to this method, at the stage of bending, the difference in rigidity of the portions on both sides of the tubular portion of the base metal can be reduced, so that the bracket can be easily formed. Further, since the cylindrical portion can be reinforced by the remaining bridge portion, it is advantageous in terms of strength.

In addition, according to the above method, regardless of which bridge portion is excised, if the projecting portion can be allowed to protrude from the side portion of the tubular portion through the wide hole formed on the excised side. , When connecting the bracket to the wheel of the vehicle, the bracket can be used for both the left wheel and the right wheel by selecting the bridge part to be cut. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is easy to make the bracket compatible with both the left wheel and the right wheel.

Further, in the cylinder device, the axial length of the portion of the wide hole located on the back of the tubular portion may be longer than the axial length of the portion located on one side. According to this configuration, welding of the protruding portion can be made easier.

Further, in the cylinder device, with the front portion of the tubular portion facing the front, the bridge portion is located at a position that is line-symmetric with the bridge portion with the center line passing through the center of the tubular portion in the axial direction as the axis of symmetry. Assuming that there is an axisymmetric virtual bridge portion, the shape of the bracket should be axisymmetric with the center line as the axis of symmetry.

According to this configuration, when the bracket is formed by the above-mentioned method, the rigidity of both side portions of the tubular portion of the base material is substantially the same, so that the bracket can be formed more easily. Further, according to the above configuration, when the bracket is connected to the wheel of the vehicle, the bracket can be used for both the left wheel and the right wheel depending on the selection of the bridge portion to be cut. Therefore, it is easier to make the bracket correspond to both the left and right wheels. In addition, in the case of manufacturing brackets for the left wheel and the right wheel, it is possible to standardize the steps before cutting the bridge portion.

Further, in the cylinder device, the wide hole and the narrow hole may be opened at least at positions that are line-symmetrical with a straight line passing through the center of the protruding portion in the axial direction as the axis of symmetry. According to this configuration, when a mounting hole leading to the inside of the protrusion is formed in the outer shell after welding the bracket, the hole can be drilled while the outer circumference of the outer shell located directly behind the protrusion is directly supported by a jig. .. Therefore, the dimensional accuracy of the mounting hole can be improved.

Further, in the cylinder device, the bracket is formed by bending a plate-shaped base material, and at a stage before bending, it becomes one side portion and the other side portion of the cylindrical portion of the base material. Side holes are formed in each portion, and a central hole is formed between these side holes, which is partitioned from these side holes by a bridge portion. Then, after the bending process, one bridge portion may be cut off to connect the central hole and one side hole to form a wide hole, and the other side hole may be made a narrow hole. According to this method, a bracket having a bridge portion on one side portion can be easily formed.

According to the cylinder device and the method for manufacturing a cylinder device of the present invention, when a cylinder device is obtained in which a protruding portion is projected outward from a side portion of a tubular portion in a state where the bracket is fixed to an outer shell by welding or the like. The protrusion can be easily welded to the outer shell.

It is a mounting figure which showed the mounting state of the shock absorber which is a cylinder device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a vertical cross-sectional view which simplified the vertical cross-section of the main body part of the shock absorber which is a cylinder device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a right side view which showed the bracket of the shock absorber which is a cylinder device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a left side view which showed the bracket of the shock absorber which is a cylinder device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which showed the bracket of the shock absorber which is a cylinder device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which showed the bracket of the shock absorber which is a cylinder device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a reference figure which showed the shape of the wide hole and the narrow hole when the bracket of the shock absorber which is a cylinder device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is unfolded. It is explanatory drawing of the manufacturing process of the bracket in the shock absorber which is a cylinder device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the manufacturing process of the shock absorber which is the cylinder device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, (a) (b) shows the state of the shock absorber at the time of welding of the protrusion, (c) (d) ( e) indicates the state of the shock absorber at the time of bracket welding. It is explanatory drawing of the manufacturing process of the shock absorber which is a cylinder apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and (a) (b) (c) show the state of the shock absorber at the time of drilling.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals attached throughout several drawings indicate the same parts.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cylinder device according to the embodiment of the present invention is a shock absorber A used for a strut type suspension, and is used for a vehicle such as a four-wheeled vehicle. In the following description, the upper and lower parts of the shock absorber A attached to the vehicle are simply referred to as "upper" and "lower" unless otherwise specified.

The shock absorber A includes a main body D having an outer shell 1, a rod 2 movably inserted into the outer shell 1 in the axial direction, and a bracket B connecting the lower end of the outer shell 1 to the wheels W. A mount (not shown) that connects the upper end of the rod 2 protruding upward from the outer shell 1 to the vehicle body, an upper spring receiver (not shown) that is attached to the mount, and a lower that is attached to the outer circumference of the outer shell 1. A side spring receiver 10 and a suspension spring S interposed between the upper and lower spring receivers are provided.

The bracket B of the present embodiment is a knuckle bracket fixed to a knuckle N that rotatably supports the wheel W, and is fixed to the knuckle arm n1 with a bolt. That is, the main body D of the shock absorber A is connected to the knuckle N via the bracket B, which is a knuckle bracket. The shock absorber A functions as a support column for positioning the wheels W, and when the wheels W vibrate up and down with respect to the vehicle body, such as when the vehicle travels on an uneven road surface, the rod 2 moves in and out of the outer shell 1. Then, the shock absorber A expands and contracts.

When the shock absorber A expands and contracts, the upper and lower spring receivers come close to each other, so that the suspension spring S also expands and contracts. In the present embodiment, the suspension spring S is a coil spring, and when compressed, it elastically deforms and exerts an elastic force commensurate with the amount of deformation. Then, in the shock absorber A, the vehicle body is elastically supported by the suspension spring S.

The configuration and arrangement of the suspension spring S can be changed as appropriate. For example, the suspension spring S may be a spring other than a coil spring such as an air spring. Further, in the present embodiment, the suspension spring S is provided on the outer periphery of the main body D and integrated as the shock absorber A, but the suspension spring S may be installed separately from the shock absorber A.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the main body D of the shock absorber A has a triple tube structure, the outer shell 1, the intermediate cylinder 11 provided inside the shell 1, and the cylinder 12 provided inside the outer shell 1. And have. Further, the main body D includes a piston 20 slidably inserted into the cylinder 12, an annular rod guide 13 fitted to the upper end of the cylinder 12, and a bottom member 14 fitted to the lower end of the cylinder 12. Be prepared.

Then, the rod 2 is inserted inside the rod guide 13 and is slidably supported in the axial direction by the rod guide 13, and the piston 20 is connected to the lower end of the rod 2 inserted in the cylinder 12. ing. That is, the rod 2 of the present embodiment is a piston rod and extends to one side of the piston 20.

Further, the outer shell 1 has a bottomed tubular shape, and has a tubular portion 1a and a bottom cap 1b that closes the lower end of the tubular portion 1a, and the bottom cap 1b is the bottom portion of the outer shell 1. On the other hand, the upper end of the tubular portion 1a is closed by the rod guide 13. In this way, the inside of the outer shell 1 is a closed space, and a liquid such as hydraulic oil and a gas are housed inside the outer shell 1.

More specifically, a liquid chamber filled with a liquid is formed in the cylinder 12 provided inside the outer shell 1, and the liquid chamber is the extension side chamber R1 on the rod 2 side of the piston 20 and the opposite side thereof. It is partitioned into a compression side chamber R2 (on the anti-rod side). The piston 20 is formed with a piston passage 20a that allows only the flow of liquid from the compression side chamber R2 to the extension side chamber R1.

Further, the tubular gap R3 formed between the cylinder 12 and the intermediate cylinder 11 is filled with a liquid. A through hole 12a is formed at a position of the cylinder 12 facing the extension side chamber R1, and the tubular gap R3 is always communicated with the extension side chamber R1 through the through hole 12a.

Further, a liquid storage chamber R4 is formed between the intermediate cylinder 11 and the outer shell 1. In the liquid storage chamber R4, a liquid is stored and a gas is sealed on the upper side of the liquid surface. The bottom member 14 is formed with a notch 14a that guides the liquid in the liquid storage chamber R4 between the bottom cap 1b and the bottom member 14, and allows only the flow of the liquid from the liquid storage chamber R4 to the compression side chamber R2. A suction passage 14b is formed.

Further, the liquid storage chamber R4 communicates with the cylindrical gap R3 via the discharge passage L. The discharge passage L is provided with a damping force variable valve V that provides resistance to the flow of liquid and can adjust the resistance.

According to the above configuration, when the piston 20 moves upward in the cylinder 12 and the extension side chamber R1 shrinks when the shock absorber A is extended, the liquid in the extension side chamber R1 moves to the tubular gap R3 through the through hole 12a. , The liquid in the cylindrical gap R3 moves to the liquid storage chamber R4 through the discharge passage L. Since resistance is applied to the flow of the liquid by the variable damping force valve V, the pressure in the extension side chamber R1 rises, and an extension side damping force that hinders the extension operation of the shock absorber A is generated. Further, when the shock absorber A is extended, the suction passage 14b is opened, and the liquid in the liquid storage chamber R4 is supplied to the compression side chamber R2 which expands through the suction passage 14b.

On the contrary, when the piston 20 moves downward in the cylinder 12 and the compression side chamber R2 contracts when the shock absorber A contracts, the liquid in the compression side chamber R2 moves to the extension chamber R1 which expands through the piston passage 20a. Further, when the shock absorber A contracts, the liquid for two volumes of the rod entering the cylinder 12 becomes surplus in the cylinder 12, and the surplus liquid moves to the cylindrical gap R3 through the through hole 12a. The liquid in the tubular gap R3 moves to the liquid storage chamber R4 through the discharge passage L. Since resistance is applied to the flow of the liquid by the variable damping force valve V, the pressure in the cylinder 12 rises, and a pressure side damping force that hinders the contraction operation of the shock absorber A is generated.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the shock absorber A is a uniflow type, and when the shock absorber A expands and contracts, the liquid circulates in the extension side chamber R1, the liquid storage chamber R4, and the compression side chamber R2 in this order in a one-way manner. It has become like. Further, since the liquid always flows through the discharge passage L when the shock absorber A expands and contracts, the single damping force variable valve V provided in the discharge passage L can exert the damping force on both sides of the expansion. Further, by adjusting the resistance applied to the liquid flowing through the discharge passage L by the variable damping force valve V, the damping force on both sides of the expansion force can be adjusted to be high or low.

The variable damping force valve V may have any configuration. For example, a valve seat member having a passage connected to the discharge passage L and a main valve that is detached from and seated on the valve seat member to open and close the passage. It is provided with a pilot passage that reduces the pressure on the upstream side of the main valve and guides it to the back surface of the main valve, and a pilot valve that is provided in the middle of the pilot passage to control the back pressure of the main valve. When the pilot valve is a solenoid valve, the damping force can be adjusted to be high or low by increasing or decreasing the valve opening pressure of the main valve by adjusting the amount of electricity supplied to the pilot valve to increase or decrease the valve opening pressure of the pilot valve. ..

Further, in the present embodiment, the variable damping force valve V is housed in a case, and the case is a tubular sleeve welded to the edge of the mounting hole 1c formed on the side portion of the outer shell 1. It is configured to have a 30 and a cap 31 that closes the opening of the sleeve 30. According to this configuration, when the damping force variable valve V is housed inside the sleeve 30 welded to the outer shell 1 and the cap 31 is fitted, the damping force variable valve V can be mounted on the side portion of the outer shell 1.

The case portion including the variable damping force valve V projects radially outward to the side portion of the outer shell 1, and the portion is the protruding portion 3 in the present embodiment. However, the protruding portion 3 does not necessarily have to be a portion including the variable damping force valve V. In such a case, it is possible to change the configuration of the passage through which the liquid flows when the shock absorber A expands and contracts, and of course, the shock absorber A exerts a damping force by giving resistance to the liquid flow generated when the cylinder device expands and contracts. It does not have to be. For example, the cylinder device may be a shock absorber that uses an electromagnetic force, a frictional force, or the like to generate a damping force, or an actuator that positively drives an object.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 3-6, the bracket B for connecting the outer shell 1 of the shock absorber A to the knuckle N to which the shock absorber A is attached is curved so as to follow the outer peripheral surface of the outer shell 1 and is outer. A cylindrical portion 4 having a C-shaped cross section covering the outer periphery of the shell 1, a pair of plate-shaped mounting portions 5 and 6 projecting radially outward from both ends in the circumferential direction of the tubular portion 4, and a plurality of reinforcing portions. Ribs 7a, 7b, 7c and wide holes 8a for avoiding interference with the protrusions 3.

In the present specification and claims, the portion where the pair of mounting portions 5 and 6 is provided is the front portion of the bracket B and the cylindrical portion 4, and the portion on the opposite side thereof is the back portion, as shown in FIG. The left portion and the right portion are arranged so that the pair of mounting portions 5 and 6 (front portions) are directed to the front and the center line X passing through the center of the cylindrical portion 4 in the axial direction extends in the vertical direction, respectively. It is on the left and right sides.

3 is a right side view with the right side of the bracket B facing the front, FIG. 4 is a left side view with the left side of the bracket B facing the front, and FIG. 4 is a front view of the bracket B with the front part facing the front. The front view and FIG. 6 are a plan view of the bracket B of FIG. 5 as viewed from above. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the upper, lower, left, right, front and back of the paper surface of the bracket B shown in FIG. 5 are "top", "bottom", "left", "right", "front" and "back" of the bracket B, respectively. ".

The shape of the tubular portion 4 is a tubular shape having a split 4a (FIG. 6) in a part in the circumferential direction. The split 4a is formed in the front portion of the tubular portion 4 along the axial direction, and has a shape when the tubular portion 4 is viewed from one side in the axial direction (axial view) and a diameter of the tubular portion 4. The cross-sectional shape when cut in the direction is C-shaped. Then, in the tubular portion 4, both ends in the circumferential direction facing the split 4a are located in the foreground.

Subsequently, the left and right mounting portions 5 and 6 extend toward the front side while maintaining a predetermined distance from both ends of the tubular portion 4 in the circumferential direction, and are arranged so as to face each other. Ribs 7a, 7b, and 7c are formed at the boundary between the left and right mounting portions 5 and 6 and the tubular portion 4, respectively. In the present embodiment, the ribs 7a, 7b, and 7c are provided at the upper end, the axial center, and the lower end of the bracket B, respectively, but the number, position, and shape of the ribs can be freely set. ..

Further, upper and lower bolt insertion holes 9a and 9b are formed in the left and right mounting portions 5 and 6, respectively (FIGS. 3 and 4). Then, the knuckle arm n1 (FIG. 1) is sandwiched between these mounting portions 5 and 6, and the bolt insertion holes 9a and 9b of one mounting portion (5 or 6) are extended to the bolt insertion holes 9a and 9b of the other mounting portion, respectively. When the bolt is inserted and the nut is tightened, the bracket B is fastened to the knuckle N. In this way, when the bracket B is attached to the vehicle, the top and bottom of the bracket B face upward and downward of the vehicle body, respectively, and the left and right side portions of the bracket B face the front or rear of the vehicle body.

Subsequently, the tubular portion 4 is provided on the left side portion separately from the wide hole 8a (FIGS. 3 and 4) having a long width (circumferential direction) formed from the right side portion to the back portion and the wide hole 8a. The narrow holes 8b (FIG. 4) having a shorter width than the wide holes 8a are formed side by side in the circumferential direction. Assuming that the portion of the tubular portion 4 that separates the wide hole 8a and the narrow hole 8b is the bridge portion 4b, the bridge portion 4b is formed along the axial direction at the central portion in the circumferential direction of the left side portion of the tubular portion 4. There is. The wide hole 8a and the narrow hole 8b are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the tubular portion 4 with the bridge portion 4b interposed therebetween.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the wide hole 8a, the portion formed on the right side of the tubular portion 4 is referred to as the side opening 80, and the portion formed on the back of the tubular portion 4 is referred to as the back opening 81. Then, the side opening 80 allows the protruding portion 3 to protrude outward from the side portion of the tubular portion 4 in a state where the bracket B is welded to the outer periphery of the outer shell 1 (FIG. 1), and the bracket It has a size that can prevent B and the protruding portion 3 from interfering with each other.

Further, the edge 80a of the side opening 80 is curved in an arc shape so as to bulge toward the front side. Therefore, it is easy to secure the strength of the bracket B while avoiding the interference between the edge of the wide hole 8a and the protruding portion 3 in a state where the protruding portion 3 is projected from the side portion of the tubular portion 4 (FIG. 1). Is.

On the other hand, the back opening 81 protrudes from the bracket B while allowing the protruding portion 3 to protrude outward from the back of the tubular portion 4 with the outer shell 1 inserted in the tubular portion 4. It has a size that can prevent the portion 3 from interfering with each other.

Further, the vertical width (axial length) of the back opening is longer than the vertical width of the side opening 80, and the lower part of the back opening 81 projects downward from the side opening 80. Therefore, the distance from the protruding portion 3 to the edge of the wide hole 8a can be increased in a state where the protruding portion 3 is projected from the back portion of the tubular portion 4. Further, even when the vertical width of the back opening 81 is long and the side opening 80 is located above the tubular portion 4, the upper and lower edges 81a and 81b of the back opening 81 and the upper and lower ends of the tubular portion 4 are reached. It is possible to secure the width of each of the above parts and prevent the strength of the portion from being insufficient.

FIG. 7 shows the shapes of the wide hole 8a and the narrow hole 8b when the bracket B is unfolded. As shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 7, when the bridge portion 4b is removed and the wide hole 8a and the narrow hole 8b are viewed as a continuous hole, the shape of the hole becomes substantially symmetrical. There is. In other words, assuming that a virtual bridge portion having a symmetrical shape with the bridge portion 4b is provided at a position symmetrical with the bridge portion 4b in the tubular portion 4, the shape of the bracket B is symmetrical.

Further, the bridge portion 4b is formed at a position directly behind the protruding portion 3 in a state where the bracket B is welded to the outer periphery of the outer shell 1, and a straight line Z passing through the center of the protruding portion 3 in the axial direction (FIG. 10). (B)) It has a center in the circumferential direction on the top. The wide holes 8a and the narrow holes 8b located on both sides of the bridge portion 4b in the circumferential direction are opened at positions symmetrical with respect to at least the straight line Z as the target axis.

Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing the bracket B according to the present embodiment will be described.

First, a base material having a contour shape when the bracket B is unfolded is cut out from a metal plate by punching. This base material has a line-symmetrical shape with a straight line extending in the axial direction (the direction that becomes the axial direction when the bracket B is completed) passing through the center as an axis of symmetry.

In this way, the contour shape of the bracket B may be cut out from the metal plate at the same time or after that, but as shown in FIG. 8A, the base material has the left and right side portions of the tubular portion 4. Side holes 801, 802 are formed in each of the portions, and a central hole 810 is formed between the side holes 801, 802. The central hole 810 and two side holes 801 and 802 are respectively partitioned by the bridge portion 4b, 4 c.

Next, the base material is bent to form ribs 7a, 7b, 7c, and left and right mounting portions 5, 6 and bent into a cylindrical shape to form a C-shaped tubular portion 4. Then, as shown in FIGS. 8 (b) and 8 (c), bridge portions 4b and 4c are formed on the left and right side portions of the tubular portion 4 immediately after the bending process.

Next, in the cylindrical portion 4, the bridge portion 4c on the right side on the side where the protruding portion 3 is projected is cut off by punching. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8B, the punching die used in the bridge cutting step has a punch P and an outer diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the outer shell 1, and the punch P. It has a columnar die member Q in which a punching hole q1 is formed to allow insertion of the die member Q1.

Then, the die member Q is inserted into the cylindrical portion 4, the bridge portion 4c is set to face the opening of the punch hole q1, and the bridge portion 4c is cut off by the punch P. Then, as shown in FIGS. 8 (d) and 8 (e), the side hole 802 on the bridge portion 4c side and the central hole 810 are connected to form the wide hole 8a. On the other hand, the remaining side hole 801 on the bridge portion 4b side becomes the narrow hole 8b as it is.

The cutting edge shape of the punch P shown in FIG. 8 is elliptical, but this cutting edge shape may be changed to another shape such as a square shape. Further, if the interference between the bracket B and the protruding portion 3 can be avoided in the state where the bracket B is welded to the outer shell 1, a part of the bridge portion 4c on the cut side may remain in the completed bracket B.

Further, in the present embodiment, in order to project the protruding portion 3 from the right side portion of the bracket B when the shock absorber A is completed (FIG. 1), the bridge portion 4c on the right side portion is cut off. However, when the protruding portion 3 is projected from the left side portion of the bracket B, the bridge portion 4b on the left side portion may be cut off while leaving the bridge portion 4c on the right side portion.

Next, a method of manufacturing the shock absorber A, which is a cylinder device according to the present embodiment, will be described.

First, the outer shell 1 before the protrusion 3 is provided is inserted into the tubular portion 4 of the completed bracket B. Then, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the sleeve 30 forming the projecting portion 3 is pressed against the side portion of the outer shell 1 exposed from the back opening 81 of the wide hole 8a, and the sleeve 30 is pushed to the outer. Weld to shell 1. Then, the sleeve 30 is in a state of protruding outward from the back of the bracket B through the back opening 81 of the wide hole 8a.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 9 (c) and 9 (d), the bracket B is displaced in the axial direction of the outer shell 1 (arrow Y1) and rotated in the circumferential direction (arrow Y2), and the sleeve 30 is widened in the wide hole 8a. The tubular portion 4 is welded to the outer shell 1 in a state of being moved to the side opening 80 of the above. Then, the sleeve 30 welded to the side portion of the outer shell 1 in the previous step is in a state of protruding outward from the side portion of the bracket B through the side opening 80 of the wide hole 8a.

Next, a mounting hole 1c is formed in the outer shell 1 from the inside of the sleeve 30. In this step, as shown in FIG. 10B, a hole is drilled in a state where the opposite side surface of the sleeve 30 in the outer shell 1 is supported by the jig G. Then, after the drilling process is completed, the cylinder 12, the intermediate cylinder 11, the rod 2, the piston 20, the bottom member 14, and the like are assembled to the outer shell 1, the damping force variable valve V is housed in the sleeve 30, and the cap 31 is attached. It is attached to complete the main body D.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the protruding portion 3 is completed in the step of assembling the main body portion D of the shock absorber A. However, the timing for assembling the protrusion 3 may be any time after the sleeve 30 is welded to the outer shell 1.

Hereinafter, the action and effect of the shock absorber A, which is a cylinder device according to the present embodiment, will be described.

In the present embodiment, the shock absorber (cylinder device) A is provided on a cylindrical outer shell 1, a protruding portion 3 provided on a side portion of the outer shell 1 and projecting outward in the radial direction, and an outer periphery of the outer shell 1. It is provided with a bracket B to be attached. The bracket B holds the outer circumference of the outer shell 1 and has a C-shaped tubular portion 4 having a split 4a in the front portion, and the tubular portion 4 from both ends in the circumferential direction to the outside in the radial direction. It has a pair of protruding mounting portions 5 and 6.

Further, in the bracket B of the present embodiment, a wide hole 8a that allows the insertion of the protruding portion 3 is formed from the right side portion (one side portion) of the tubular portion 4 to the back portion. Further, on the left side portion (the other side portion) of the tubular portion 4, a bridge portion 4b and a narrow hole 8b that is partitioned from the wide hole 8a in the circumferential direction by the bridge portion 4b are formed.

According to the above configuration, the protruding portion 3 can be projected outward from the side portion of the tubular portion 4 or outward from the back portion while the protruding portion 3 is inserted into the wide hole 8a. Therefore, even when the protruding portion 3 is projected outward from the side portion of the tubular portion 4 when the shock absorber A is completed, the protruding portion 3 is removed from the back portion of the tubular portion 4 in the projecting portion welding step. The mounting portions 5 and 6 are projected toward the opposite side of the protruding portions 3 (FIGS. 9 (a) and 9 (b)).

In this way, even if the torch is moved or the outer shell 1 is swung during welding of the protruding portion 3, the mounting portions 5 and 6 do not interfere with the welding. Therefore, according to the above configuration, even when the protruding portion 3 is projected outward from the side portion of the tubular portion 4 when the shock absorber A is completed, the welding work of the protruding portion 3 can be easily performed and the machine can be used. It is also easy to set it to and perform the above welding automatically.

Further, the bracket B described above can be formed by bending a plate-shaped base material. Then, in order to obtain the above configuration, side holes 801,802 are formed in each of the left and right side portions of the base material at the stage before bending, and the bridge portions are formed between these and the side holes 801,802. A central hole 810 is formed, which is partitioned by 4b and 4c, respectively. Then, after the bending process, one bridge portion 4c may be cut off to connect the central hole 810 and one side hole 802 to form a wide hole 8a, and the other side hole 801 may be directly used as a narrow hole 8b. According to the method, the bracket B can be easily formed.

This is because if the bracket B is formed by the above method, even if the bracket B at the time of completion is provided with the bridge portion 4b on only one side, at the stage of bending, the left and right side portions at the time of completion are formed. difference in rigidity between the parts is reduced there is a bridge portion 4b, 4 c. Therefore, the dimensions after the bending process are less likely to vary from side to side, and the bracket B can be easily formed by the bending process.

Further, even when a part of the tubular portion 4 is excised after bending, only one bridge portion 4c is excised, and the lateral width (width in the circumferential direction) of the excised portion is small. Close to a plane. Therefore, punching using a press die becomes possible. Therefore, even when one bridge portion 4c is cut after the bending process, the cutting can be easily performed.

Further, since the cylindrical portion 4 can be reinforced by the remaining bridge portion 4b, it is advantageous in terms of strength. More specifically, when the vehicle is running, a force is applied to the shock absorber A in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body (front / back side of the middle page of FIG. 1). Further, the left and right side portions of the tubular portion 4 are portions facing the front or rear of the vehicle body with the bracket B attached to the vehicle, and when the above force is input, a load is applied to the portions in the compression or tension direction. It takes. Therefore, when the bridge portion 4b is provided on one side of the tubular portion 4, the compression and tension are reduced as compared with the case where the bridge portion 4b is not provided (the wide hole 8a and the narrow hole 8b are continuous). It becomes stronger and more durable.

Further, as described above, when one bridge portion (4b or 4c) is excised to form the bracket B after the bending process, whichever bridge portion is excised, it is formed on the excised side. If the protrusion of the protruding portion 3 can be allowed from the side portion of the tubular portion 4 through the wide hole 8a to be formed, the bracket B can be used for both the left wheel and the right wheel of the vehicle depending on the selection of the bridge portion to be cut. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is easy to make the bracket B compatible with both the left wheel and the right wheel.

In the shock absorber A of the present embodiment, the protruding portion 3 is projected from the right side portion of the tubular portion 4, and the bridge portion 4b is provided on the left side portion of the tubular portion 4. However, the bridge portion 4b on the left side may be cut off so that the protruding portion 3 protrudes from the left side portion of the tubular portion 4, and the bridge portion 4c may be provided on the right side portion of the tubular portion 4. In this way, the bracket B may be provided with bridge portions 4b and 4c on either the left or right side portion.

Further, in the present embodiment, with the front portion of the cylindrical portion 4 of the completed bracket B facing the front, the bridge portion 4b and the bridge portion 4b have a center line X passing through the center of the tubular portion 4 in the axial direction as an axis of symmetry. Assuming that there is a bridge portion 4b and a virtual bridge portion having a line symmetry shape at a position that is line symmetric (the bridge portion 4c on the excision side remains), the shape of the bracket B is line symmetric with the center line X as the axis of symmetry. It has a shape.

In the case where such a bracket B is formed by bending, as described above, in the stage before bending, bridge portions 4b and 4c are provided on both side portions of the tubular portion 4 of the base material, respectively. If one of the bridges is cut off after bending, even if the shape of bracket B is asymmetrical at the time of completion, the shape of the base metal can be made symmetrical at the stage of bending, and at the time of completion. The rigidity of the left and right side parts is almost the same. Therefore, the left and right dimensions after the bending process are less likely to vary, and the bracket B can be formed more easily by the bending process.

Further, in the case of manufacturing the bracket B by the above method, when the bracket B is connected to the wheel of the vehicle, the bracket B can be used for both the left wheel and the right wheel by selecting the bridge portions 4b and 4c to be cut. It also becomes. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is easier to make the bracket B compatible with both the left wheel and the right wheel. Furthermore, even when manufacturing brackets for left and right wheels that have symmetrical shapes, if bracket B is manufactured by the above method, the process before cutting the bridge can be shared, so both brackets can be manufactured. Easy to manufacture.

Further, in the present embodiment, the vertical width (axial length) of the back opening (the portion located on the back of the tubular portion 4) 81 of the wide hole 8a is the side opening (one side portion of the tubular portion 4). The part located in) is longer than the vertical width of 80. According to this configuration, the distance from the protrusion 3 to the edges 81a and 81b of the wide hole 8a can be sufficiently long in the protrusion welding step. Therefore, the welding work of the protruding portion 3 can be made easier. Further, even if the distance from the protruding portion 3 to the edge of the hole 8 is sufficiently large, the vertical width of the side opening 80 is short, so that the strength of the bracket B can be easily secured.

Further, in the present embodiment, the upper portion of the back opening 81 is connected to the side opening 80, and the lower portion of the back opening 81 projects downward from the side opening 80. Then, in the projecting portion welding step, the projecting portion 3 is welded at a position higher than the position of the bracket B in the welded state (FIG. 7A), and the bracket B is welded to the outer shell 1 before the bracket B is welded. B is rotated in the circumferential direction and shifted downward in the axial direction (arrows Y1 and Y2 in FIGS. 7 (c) and 7 (d)).

According to the above configuration, in the completed shock absorber A, even if the protruding portion 3 is projected outward from the upper portion of the bracket B and the vertical width of the back opening 81 is sufficiently increased, the upper side of the back opening 81 is formed. It is possible to prevent the distance from the edge 81a to the upper end of the tubular portion 4 to become too short and the strength of the portion to be insufficient.

Further, as described above, when the force in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body is input to the shock absorber A, the stress in the vicinity of the upper bolt insertion hole 9a becomes particularly high in the bracket B. Therefore, if the protruding portion 3 is projected from the upper portion of the tubular portion 4 close to the bolt insertion hole 9a and the wide hole 8a and the narrow hole 8b are connected in succession, it tends to be disadvantageous in terms of strength. Therefore, in the bracket B in which the protruding portion 3 is projected outward from the upper portion of the bracket B, a bridge portion 4b is provided on the side portion of the protruding portion 3 opposite to the protruding side to reinforce the tubular portion 4. Especially effective.

The position of the protrusion 3 can be appropriately changed according to the peripheral members of the shock absorber A in the vehicle. Then, the positions and shapes of the wide hole 8a and the narrow hole 8b can be appropriately changed according to the position of the protruding portion 3.

For example, when the protruding portion 3 is projected from the lower portion of the tubular portion 4, the shapes of the wide hole 8a and the narrow hole 8b may be turned upside down in FIG. 7. Further, when the protruding portion 3 is projected from the central side portion of the tubular portion 4, the upper and lower sides of the back opening 81 of the wide hole 8a are projected vertically from the side opening 80, and the narrow hole 8b is projected vertically from the side opening 80. It may be formed at a position corresponding to. Further, the vertical width of the wide hole 8a may be constant in the circumferential direction.

Further, the protruding portion 3 of the present embodiment protrudes radially outward from the center of the side portion of the bracket B in a state where the bracket B is welded to the outer shell 1, but the protruding portion 3 protrudes from the center of the side portion of the bracket B to the front side or the front side. It may be in a position shifted to the back side.

Then, the wide hole 8a is projected outward from one side of the tubular portion 4 in a state where the bracket B is welded to the outer shell 1, and before the bracket B is welded to the outer shell 1. In this state, the protruding portion 3 may have a size that allows the protruding portion 3 to protrude from the back portion of the tubular portion 4, and a part of the wide hole 8a may be applied to the front portion and the other side portion of the tubular portion 4. On the other hand, in the narrow hole 8b, in order to make the bracket B correspond to both the left and right wheels, the protruding portion 3 is placed on the other side of the tubular portion 4 with the bracket B welded to the outer shell 1 and the bridge portion 4b cut off. It is preferable that the size is such that it can be projected from the portion, and a part of the narrow hole 8b may be applied to the front portion of the tubular portion 4.

These changes can be made even when the bracket B is provided with the bridge portions 4b and 4c on either the left or right side portion.

Further, in the present embodiment, the mounting hole 1c is formed in the outer shell 1 after the protrusion welding step and the bracket welding step. According to this method, there is no concern that the dimensions of the mounting hole 1c will change due to the influence of distortion due to welding after the mounting hole 1c is formed. Therefore, even when the dimensional accuracy required for the mounting hole 1c is strict, it is easy to meet the requirement.

Further, in the present embodiment, the wide hole 8a and the narrow hole 8b are opened at a position where they are line-symmetrical with at least a straight line Z (FIG. 10B) passing through the center of the protrusion 3 in the axial direction as an axis of symmetry. do. According to this configuration, when the bracket B is welded to the outer shell 1 and then the mounting hole 1c is formed as in the present embodiment, the outer periphery of the outer shell 1 located directly behind the protruding portion 3 is directly cured. It is supported by the tool G.

More specifically, in the present embodiment, the jig G is formed with a V-shaped groove, and as described above, the wide hole 8a and the narrow hole 8b are opened at positions where the straight line Z is line-symmetrical. In this case, the jig G can come into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the outer shell 1 while avoiding the bridge portion 4b. Since the outer peripheral shape of the outer shell 1 has a smaller dimensional variation than the outer peripheral shape of the bracket B, if the outer shell 1 is directly supported by the jig G during drilling, the dimensional accuracy of the mounting hole 1c can be improved. ..

However, the range in which the wide hole 8a and the narrow hole 8b are formed, and the position of the bridge portion (4b or 4c) partitioning the wide hole 8a and the narrow hole 8b can be appropriately changed. For example, the bridge portions (4b, 4c) do not necessarily have to be directly behind the protruding portion 3, and may be located at a position shifted to the left or right of the straight line Z in FIG. 10 (b).

Further, the timing of forming the mounting hole 1c in the outer shell 1 is not limited to the above, and can be changed as appropriate. For example, the mounting hole 1c may be formed before welding the bracket B. Further, in the present embodiment, the sleeve 30 is used for mounting the variable damping force valve V, and the mounting hole 1c is required to have strict dimensional accuracy. However, as described above, the protruding portion 3 does not necessarily include the damping force variable valve V, and in such a case, the mounting hole 1c may not be necessary.

These changes can be made even when the bracket B is provided with the bridge portions 4b and 4c on either the left or right side, and the positions of the protruding portions 3 and the positions of the wide holes 8a and the narrow holes 8b. And it is possible regardless of the shape.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, modifications, modifications, and changes can be made as long as they do not deviate from the claims.

A ... shock absorber (cylinder device), B ... bracket, X ... center line that passes through the center of the cylindrical part in the axial direction, Z ... straight line that passes through the center of the protruding part in the axial direction, 1・ ・ ・ Outer shell, 3 ・ ・ ・ protruding part, 4 ・ ・ ・ tubular part, 4a ・ ・ ・ split, 4b, 4c ・ ・ ・ bridge part, 5,6 ・ ・ ・ mounting part, 8a ・ ・ ・ wide Hole, 8b ... Narrow hole, 80 ... Side opening (part located on the side of the tubular part in the wide hole), 81 ... Back opening (located on the back of the tubular part in the wide hole) Part), 801,802 ... Side hole, 810 ... Central hole

Claims (5)

With a tubular outer shell,
A protrusion provided on the side of the outer shell and projecting outward in the radial direction,
It is equipped with a bracket that can be attached to the outer circumference of the outer shell.
The bracket has a cylindrical portion having a C-shaped cross section that holds the outer circumference of the outer shell and has a split in the front portion, and a pair of attachments that project radially outward from both ends in the circumferential direction of the tubular portion. Has a part and
A wide hole is formed from one side of the tubular portion to the back portion to allow the protrusion to be inserted.
On the other side of the tubular portion, a bridge portion and a narrow hole that is partitioned from the wide hole in the circumferential direction by the bridge portion are formed .
The bracket is a cylinder device, characterized in that the bracket is attached to the outer periphery of the outer shell in a state in which the protruding portion projects outward from the side portion of the tubular portion through the wide hole. Claim 1 is characterized in that the axial length of a portion of the wide hole located on the back of the tubular portion is longer than the axial length of the portion of the tubular portion located on one side of the tubular portion. Cylinder device according to. With the front part of the tubular part facing the front, a shape symmetrical with the bridge part at a position line-symmetrical with the bridge part with the center line passing through the center of the tubular part in the axial direction as the axis of symmetry. Assuming that there is a virtual bridge part of
The cylinder device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shape of the bracket is a line-symmetrical shape with the center line as the axis of symmetry. Any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the wide hole and the narrow hole are opened at least at positions that are line-symmetrical with a straight line passing through the center of the protruding portion in the axial direction as an axis of symmetry. The cylinder device according to. The method for manufacturing a cylinder device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The bracket is formed by bending a plate-shaped base material.
In the stage before the bending process, side holes are formed in the one side portion and the other side portion of the base metal, and the side holes are separated from each other by a bridge portion. A central hole is formed,
After the bending process, one of the bridge portions is cut off to connect the central hole and one of the side holes to form the wide hole, and the other side hole is made into the narrow hole. Manufacturing method of cylinder device.

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