JPH10292841A - Top cover structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the generation of a rusting phenomenon of a suspension spring, and a damage or an abrasion phenomenon in the seals at the rising and setting end of a cylinder body resulting from that the upper end of a hydraulic shock absorber having a cover to cover from the outer peripheral side of the suspension spring, and a side cover such as a boot, receives a dirt or a muddy water. SOLUTION: This top cover structure is composed by inserting its lower end side in a cylinder body to be an axle side member to compose a hydraulic shock absorber 1 allowable to rise and set, and providing a top cover 6 connecting to the upper end side of a rod body 1a to be a body side member to compose the hydraulic shock absorber 1 in the same way under the liquidtight structure, and providing an air vent hole 6a to the top cover 6, and furnishing an air pipe 6b communicating to the air vent hole 6a, and with an adequate length.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a top cover structure for preventing an adverse effect caused by mud or mud on an upper end portion of a hydraulic shock absorber.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a hydraulic shock absorber such as a shock absorber mounted upright on a vehicle, a suspension spring has an outer peripheral side on an upper end side as a protruding end of a rod body as a vehicle body-side member constituting the hydraulic shock absorber. Often arranged to be interposed.

On the other hand, when the vehicle is set to be off-road oriented, for example, in a sand buggy vehicle,
If the suspension spring is disposed in a so-called exposed state and mud or muddy water adheres to the upper end of the hydraulic shock absorber having the suspension spring, the suspension spring or its inner peripheral side is made using running water or jet water. Is often set so that mud and muddy water adhering to the outer periphery on the upper end side of the rod body can be washed away.

[0004] However, in order to prevent the undesired rusting phenomenon of the suspension spring, it is preferable that mud or muddy water does not adhere, if possible. In particular, various types of seals disposed at the protruding and retracting ends of the cylinder body for projecting the rod body are preferred. From the standpoint of preventing scratches and abrasion phenomena in the class, it is preferable that mud or muddy water does not adhere to the outer periphery on the upper end side of the rod body.

Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in the hydraulic shock absorber 1, a so-called side cover is formed so as to cover the suspension spring 2 from the outer peripheral side, that is, a single cylindrical member made of a hard material having excellent rigidity such as metal. A cover 3 (see FIG. 5) formed, or a boot 4 (see FIG. 6) formed in a bellows cylindrical shape with a soft material having excellent elasticity such as plastic may be provided.

Incidentally, the upper ends of the cover 3 and the boot 4 are formed in a disk shape or the like so as to lock the upper end of the suspension spring 2 and the outer peripheral end of the spring receiver 5 held at the upper end of the rod body 1a. And so on.

The lower end positions of the cover 3 and the boot 4, that is, the hanging length, are set so that the lower end of the suspension spring 2 is not exposed even when the hydraulic shock absorber 1 is in the maximum extension state. Is set.

The lower end of the cover 3 is a free end that is an open end, and the lower end of the boot 4 is a fixed end that is a closed end connected to the outer periphery of the upper end side of the cylinder body 1b with a fastener (not shown). It has been.

Therefore, in a case where the side cover composed of the cover 3 and the boot 4 is provided, even if the upper end side of the hydraulic shock absorber 1 is covered with mud or muddy water, the suspension spring 2 and the rod on the inner peripheral side thereof may be used. Mud or muddy water is not required to adhere to the outer periphery of the body 1a, and a mischievous rusting phenomenon in the suspension spring 2 and various seals (not shown) disposed at the protruding and retracting end of the cylinder 1b in which the rod 1a protrudes and protrudes. It can be said that the occurrence of scratches and abrasion phenomena caused by mud and the like can be prevented.

[0010]

However, even when the hydraulic shock absorber 1 is provided with the side cover as described above,
When the vehicle on which the hydraulic shock absorber 1 is mounted is, for example, an off-road oriented vehicle such as a sand buggy vehicle,
As before, there is a concern that the rusting phenomenon of the suspension spring 2 and the damage and wear of various seals may occur.

That is, an off-road vehicle such as a sand buggy often travels in rough terrain or in a puddle. You will be buried.

As a result, when the hydraulic shock absorber 1 has the cover 3 (see FIG. 5), the inner periphery of the lower end of the cover 3 has an appropriate size with respect to the outer periphery of the upper end of the cylinder body 1b. Because it is configured to be adjacent with a gap S,
When the hydraulic shock absorber 1 expands and contracts, there is an inconvenience that mud and muddy water enter the inner peripheral side of the cover 3 through the gap S due to a vacuum phenomenon caused by a so-called pump action on the inner peripheral side of the cover 3.

When the hydraulic shock absorber 1 has a boot 4 (see FIG. 7) and the boot 4 has a mud hole 4a near the lower end thereof,
There is a disadvantage that mud and muddy water enter the inner peripheral side of the boot 4 through the mud drain hole 4a due to the vacuum phenomenon caused by the pumping action on the inner peripheral side of the boot 4 when the hydraulic shock absorber 1 expands and contracts.

In order to prevent the occurrence of the vacuum phenomenon caused by the above-mentioned pump action, a cover 3 (not shown) is provided.
Alternatively, even if a so-called opening for bleeding air is provided on the upper end side of the boot 4 or in the spring receiver 5, if the opening itself is closed by mud or the like, that is, if the opening is clogged, the above-described vacuum phenomenon occurs. As a result, it becomes impossible to prevent mud or muddy water from entering the inner peripheral sides of the cover 3 and the boot 4.

In addition, if mud or muddy water remains on the inner peripheral side of the suspension spring having the side cover as described above, it is not easy to remove the mud or muddy water.
There is an inconvenience that the rusting phenomenon, the damage of various seals and the wear phenomenon are promoted.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an upper end portion of a hydraulic shock absorber having a side cover such as a cover or a boot for covering a suspension spring from an outer peripheral side. Provides a top cover structure that is optimal for preventing the suspension spring from rusting due to being exposed to mud or muddy water and preventing the seals located at the protruding and retracting ends of the cylinder body from exhibiting scratching and wear phenomena It is to be.

[0017]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the structure of the present invention is basically realized by inserting a lower end side of a hydraulic shock absorber into a cylinder body which is an axle side so as to be able to protrude and retract. A top cover connected to the rod body as a vehicle body-side member also constituting a hydraulic shock absorber under a liquid-tight structure has an air vent hole and communicates with the air vent hole. And an air pipe of an appropriate length.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the illustrated embodiment. The top cover structure according to the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. A top cover 6 which is inserted under its lower end into a cylinder body 1b as an axle-side member so as to be able to protrude and retract, and is connected to an upper end side of a rod body 1a as a vehicle-body-side member also constituting the hydraulic shock absorber 1 under a liquid-tight structure. The top cover 6 has an air vent hole 6a and an air pipe 6b of an appropriate length communicating with the air vent hole 6a.

In the illustrated embodiment, the top cover 6 has an outer peripheral end which can be separated from the upper end base 3a of the cover 3, which is a so-called side cover, which covers the upper end of the rod body 1a from the outer peripheral side. It is linked to the bottom.

Here, the structure of the hydraulic shock absorber 1 and below will be briefly described. First, in the illustrated embodiment, the hydraulic shock absorber 1 has a rod body 1 with respect to the cylinder body 1b.
a of the hydraulic shock absorber 1
The lower end (not shown) of the suspension spring 2 for urging the suspension in the extension direction is supported by the outer periphery of the cylinder body 1b, and the upper end of the suspension spring 2 is supported by the spring seat 7 and the upper end base 3a of the cover 3 adjacent thereto. The outer peripheral side flange 8a of the spring receiver 8 is locked.

The spring receiver 8 is integrated with a so-called upper end of the rod body 1a in a state in which a bracket 9 provided continuously with the upper end of the rod body 1a is fitted into a concave portion 8b formed at the center thereof. It is linked.

The bracket 9 has a mounting portion 9a at the upper end.
Are continuously provided, while a bump cushion 10
The upper end of the bump cushion 10 is fitted.
Of the cylinder body 1b is opposed to the bump plate 1c connected to the upper end of the cylinder body 1b.

Next, as described above, the cover 3 constitutes a side cover, and a so-called main body (not shown) is formed of a rigid material having excellent rigidity such as metal in a single cylindrical shape. The upper end has an upper end base 3a formed in a thick annular shape so as to have a predetermined mechanical strength.

The upper end base 3a is pressed against and fixed to the outer peripheral side flange 8a of the spring receiver 8 by the urging force of the suspension spring 2, so that the cover 3 is maintained in a predetermined arrangement state. It is set so that the lower end (not shown) always covers the lower end of the suspension spring 2.

Therefore, although not shown, at the lower end of the cover 3, its inner periphery is adjacent to the outer periphery of the suspension spring 2 with an appropriate gap (not shown). ,
Because of this gap, the inner peripheral side on the upper end side of the cover 3 can communicate with the outer peripheral side on the lower end side of the cylinder body 1b.

The top cover 6 is made of a material having excellent elasticity, such as oil-resistant rubber or soft plastic, and has an appropriate size at the center, that is, an opening having a diameter that allows the mounting portion 9a of the bracket 9 to be inserted. (Not shown), and is formed in an appropriately thick pot lid shape, and is connected to the upper end side of the rod body 1a under a liquid-tight structure as described above.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, in the top cover 6, the inner peripheral end 6c forming the above-mentioned opening is set as a seal portion, and the inner peripheral end 6c serving as the seal portion is formed on the outer periphery of the bracket 9. It is said that a liquid-tight structure is realized by being pressed into contact.

On the other hand, the top cover 6 has a hook portion 6e on the inner periphery of the lower end of an outer peripheral portion 6d hanging down to an appropriate length, and the hook portion 6e is connected to the upper end base 3a of the cover 3.
Under the locking structure fitted in the locking groove 3c formed on the outer periphery of the upper end, the upper end base 3a is separably connected to the lower end base 3a.

As a result, in this top cover 6,
By appropriately setting the hanging length of the outer peripheral portion 6d, the inner peripheral end portion 6c serving as the seal portion can be pressed against the outer periphery of the bracket 9 when the hook portion 6e is fitted into the locking groove 3c. At this time, the above liquid-tight structure is realized.

As described above, when the top cover 6 is connected to the upper end base 3a of the cover 3, the outer periphery of the upper end of the rod body 1a, which is the inner periphery of the cover 3, has an air vent hole. As far as the presence of the top cover 6a and the presence of a gap below the cover 3 is insignificant, the top cover 6 and the cover 3 are shielded from the outside, that is, the outside.

Therefore, under this condition, the hydraulic shock absorber 1
Even if the upper end of the cover 3 is covered with mud or mud, the mud or mud can be prevented from entering the inner peripheral side of the cover 3 and the suspension spring 2 and the rod 1a on the inner peripheral side can be prevented. Mud or muddy water does not adhere to the outer periphery of the cylinder body, and unnecessarily rusting phenomenon in the suspension spring 2 and mud in various seals (not shown) disposed at the protruding end of the cylinder body 1b where the rod body 1a protrudes and protrudes. Thus, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of scratches and wear phenomena caused by such factors.

However, as described above, the inner peripheral side of the cover 3, which is in a state of being isolated from the outside as described above,
Since the inner circumference of the lower end of the cover 3 is close to the outer circumference of the suspension spring 2 with an appropriate gap, the lower circumference of the cover 3 communicates with the outer circumference of the lower end of the cylinder body 1b through this gap.

Therefore, when a vacuum phenomenon due to a pump action caused when the hydraulic shock absorber 1 expands and contracts on the inner peripheral side of the cover 3 is developed, mud and muddy water are formed on the outer peripheral side on the lower end side of the cylinder body 1b. At one time, the vacuum phenomenon causes mud or muddy water to enter the inner peripheral side of the cover 3 through the gap.

Therefore, in the present invention, it is assumed that the top cover 6 has the air vent hole 6a which allows the inner peripheral side of the cover 3 to communicate with the outer side, and the vacuum phenomenon on the inner peripheral side of the cover 3 is performed. And the air vent hole 6
The air pipe 6 communicates with the air vent hole 6a in order to prevent a from being clogged with mud or muddy water, ie, to prevent clogging.
b.

Incidentally, the inner peripheral side of the cover 3 is, specifically, an air vent passage, that is, in the illustrated embodiment, a notch hole 7a formed at the inner peripheral side end of the spring seat 7, and the upper end base 3a. Notch groove 3b and spring receiver 8 formed at the inner peripheral end
Is communicated with the upper end side of the spring receiver 8, ie, the air vent hole 6a, through a through hole 8c formed in the outer peripheral side flange portion 8a.

FIG. 3 shows a top cover 6 according to another embodiment. The top cover 6 according to this embodiment is formed in such a manner that a boot 4 (see FIG. 6) as a side cover is integrally provided. The feature is that it is.

That is, the outer peripheral portion 6d of the top cover 6 is formed to be slightly thick so as to have a predetermined mechanical strength, and is formed in a bellows cylindrical shape from the lower end of the outer peripheral portion 6d and extends downward. And a boot portion 6f.

The hook portion 6e formed on the inner periphery of the lower end of the outer peripheral portion 6d is set on the lower surface of the outer peripheral end of the spring sheet 7 to constitute a separable locking structure. .

Also, the top cover 6 is made of a material having excellent elasticity such as oil-resistant rubber or soft plastic, similarly to the embodiment shown in FIG. In addition to having the hole 6a and the air pipe 6b, the inner peripheral end 6c is set as a seal portion to enable connection under a liquid-tight structure.

By the way, although not shown, the boot 6
The lower end of f is connected to the outer periphery of the upper end side of the cylinder body 1b by using a fastener, as well as not exposing the lower end of the suspension spring 2 similarly to the conventional boot 4 described above.

Therefore, in the top cover 6 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, as in the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. The inner peripheral side communicates with the outer side through the air vent hole 6a and the air pipe 6b, and the occurrence of the vacuum phenomenon on the inner peripheral side of the boot 6f is prevented.

Then, in the case of this embodiment,
Since the inner peripheral side of the boot 6f communicates with the outside via the air vent 6a, it is not necessary to form a mud vent (see 4a in FIG. 6) at the lower end of the boot 6f. When the formation is omitted, even if the lower end side of the boot portion 6f is buried in muddy water or the like, there is no fear that mud or muddy water may enter the inner peripheral side of the boot portion 6f. Also yields the benefits that will be saved.

In this embodiment, the top cover 6 is integrally formed with the boot 4 as a side cover, and the formation of the upper end base 3a in the cover 3 as a side cover can be omitted. From
This is advantageous in that the amount of material can be reduced and the so-called number of parts can be reduced.

By the way, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the air vent passage comprises an annular groove 10a formed on the outer periphery of the upper end side of the bump cushion 10 and an air vent passage 9b formed in the bracket 9.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which a top cover 6 according to another embodiment is disposed at the upper end of the hydraulic shock absorber 1 according to the other embodiment. In this embodiment, the top cover 6 is provided. Is basically the same as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 described above, while the configuration of the hydraulic shock absorber 1 is different from that of the above-described embodiment. Hereinafter, the top cover 6 will be described while describing the configuration of the hydraulic shock absorber.

That is, in the illustrated embodiment, first, in the illustrated embodiment, the upper end of the suspension spring 2 having the lower end supported on the lower end of the cylinder body 1b is slidably mounted on the outer periphery of the cylinder body 1b. It is said that the locking member 11 is locked.

The hydraulic shock absorber 1 has a sub-spring 12 which is connected to the suspension spring 2 in two upper and lower stages via a locking member 11, and a lower end of the sub-spring 12. The upper end of the rod body 1 is
a is locked to the upper end side.

The hydraulic shock absorber 1 includes a sub-spring 1
2 has a cover 3 as a side cover so as to cover the sub-spring 12 from the outer peripheral side.
The top cover 6 is detachably connected to a rotating plate 13 rotatably provided adjacent to the upper end surface of the upper end base 3a under the locking structure.

That is, the hook portion 6e formed on the inner periphery of the lower end of the outer peripheral portion 6d of the top cover 6 is engaged with the lower surface of the outer peripheral end of the rotating plate 13 so as to be connected in a separable manner. At this time, the inner peripheral end portion 6c serving as the seal portion is pressed against the outer periphery of the bracket 9, so that a desired liquid-tight structure is realized.

The inner periphery of the lower end of the cover 3 is in sliding contact with the outer peripheral end of the locking member 11 and does not form a so-called gap, but the inner periphery of the locking member 11 which is in sliding contact with the outer periphery of the cylinder body 1b. Has a mud removal groove 11a, and allows communication with the outer peripheral side at the lower end side of the cylinder body 1b on the inner peripheral side of the cover 3.

On the other hand, the hydraulic shock absorber 1 has a suspension spring adjusting device 20 on the inner peripheral side of the sub-spring 12, that is, on the outer peripheral side of the upper end of the rod body 1a. By the operation of 20, the magnitude of the stroke in which the locking member 11 slides can be selected.

That is, the suspension spring adjusting device 20
An upper cylinder 22 and a lower cylinder 23 are provided on the outer periphery of the guide cylinder 21 on the inner peripheral side and are connected in a lower part of the cam structure so as to be upper and lower, and the upper cylinder 22 reciprocates at an appropriate angle. When being moved, the lower cylindrical body 23 whose lower end faces the above-mentioned locking member 11 at an appropriate distance with an appropriate distance is vertically moved by an appropriate stroke.

By the way, the upper cylindrical body 22 is
2a is linked to the rotation plate 13 described above, and is set so that the rotation plate 13 is forcibly reciprocated to an appropriate angle to realize a reciprocation rotation of a predetermined angle. I have.

The reciprocating rotation operation with respect to the rotation plate 13 is not shown in detail, but this rotation plate 1
For example, it is set so as to be realized by an external force acting via a link mechanism connected to the link mechanism 3.

Therefore, this suspension spring adjusting device 20
The lower cylinder 23 is in the raised state, and the lower end thereof is the locking member 1.
1 is away from the suspension spring 2
When the lower tubular body 23 is lowered and the lower end is brought into contact with the locking member 11, the sub-spring 12 expands and contracts. It is blocked and functions so as to constitute a single spring consisting of only the suspension spring 2.

The top cover 6 is provided so as to cover the suspension spring adjusting device 20 from above. The top cover 6 has an air vent hole 6a and an air pipe 6b. is there.

In this embodiment, since the suspension spring adjusting device 20 disposed on the outer peripheral side of the rod body 1a has many so-called gaps that allow air to flow, the above-described embodiment is used. There is an advantage that the air vent passage does not need to be actively formed as in the case of the embodiment.

As a result, also in this embodiment, when the upper end of the hydraulic shock absorber 1 is covered with mud or mud, it is possible to prevent the mud or mud from entering the inner peripheral side of the cover 3. Needless to say, in particular, the suspension spring adjusting device 20 disposed on the outer peripheral side on the upper end side of the rod body 1a does not receive mud or muddy water. This makes it possible to prevent difficulties or inoperability from occurring.

[0059]

As described above, according to the present invention, the top cover is disposed at the upper end of the hydraulic shock absorber.
Not only can the upper end surface of the hydraulic shock absorber be prevented from being covered with mud or muddy water, but since the top cover has an air vent hole, the upper end side of the rod body, which is the upper end side of the hydraulic shock absorber, can be prevented. The outer peripheral side, that is, the vacuum phenomenon due to the pump action on the inner peripheral side of the side cover does not need to be developed, and, for example, muddy water is formed through a gap formed between the lower end side of the side cover and the outer periphery of the cylinder body. Inconveniences such as inhalation of air into the inner peripheral side of the side cover can be eliminated in advance.

In the present invention, since the top cover has an air pipe of an appropriate length communicating with the air vent hole, even if mud or muddy water is covered on the upper surface of the top cover, the air vent hole is so-called. Clogging can be prevented from occurring, which is more effective in preventing suction of muddy water into the inner peripheral side of the suspension spring.

As a result, for example, even when a so-called mechanism such as a suspension spring adjusting device is provided on the outer peripheral side of the upper end side of the rod body which is the upper end side of the hydraulic shock absorber, it is difficult to operate the mechanism due to mud or muddy water. This is effective in that its permanent operation can be guaranteed without causing inoperability.

Further, when the top cover is formed integrally with the so-called side cover, it is advantageous in that the amount of material can be reduced and the number of components can be reduced.

As a result, according to the present invention, the suspension spring is rusted due to the upper end of the hydraulic shock absorber having a cover for covering the suspension spring from the outer peripheral side or a side cover such as boots being covered with mud or muddy water. There is an advantage that it is optimal for preventing the phenomenon and the occurrence of scratches and wear phenomena in the seals disposed at the protruding and retracting ends of the cylinder body.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional front view of a hydraulic shock absorber equipped with a top cover according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is partially cut away.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial sectional view showing a state in which the top cover in FIG. 1 is connected to a cover serving as a side cover under a locking structure.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which a top cover according to another embodiment is connected to an upper end side of a rod body.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing a state where a hydraulic shock absorber having a suspension spring adjusting device is equipped with a top cover according to another embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a hydraulic shock absorber as a conventional example equipped with a cover serving as a side cover.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing another conventional hydraulic shock absorber equipped with a boot serving as a side cover.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hydraulic shock absorber 1a Rod body 1b Cylinder body 6 Top cover 6a Air vent hole 6b Air pipe

Claims (1)

[Claims] A lower end is inserted into a cylinder body as an axle-side member constituting a hydraulic shock absorber so as to protrude and retract, and is connected to an upper end side of a rod body as a vehicle body-side member also constituting a hydraulic shock absorber under a liquid-tight structure. A top cover having an air vent hole and an air pipe of an appropriate length communicating with the air vent hole.