JPS5842667Y2 - Button assembly - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a generally cylindrical bushing assembly, in particular,
The present invention relates to a bushing assembly suitable for use in a connection part of a vehicle suspension system.

A vehicle suspension system such as a four-link type includes a swing arm for swingably supporting the vehicle on the vehicle body, one end of the swing arm being connected to the vehicle body, and the other end being connected to an axle housing. ing.

A bushing assembly is generally applied to each of these connecting portions for the purpose of alleviating impact.

This bushing assembly includes an inner cylindrical member, an outer cylindrical member, and a cylindrical elastic member disposed between the two cylindrical members, and has a cylindrical shape as a whole.

An inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface of the elastic member are fixed to the inner cylinder member and the outer cylinder member, respectively.

A pivot supported by a vehicle body or an axle housing is inserted into the inner cylindrical member, and the outer cylindrical member is fixed to an end of the swinging arm such that the pivot is positioned perpendicular to the swinging arm.

Therefore, according to the bushing assembly, the impact from the swing arm can be absorbed by the elastic deformation of the elastic member between the two cylindrical members.

In order to enhance the shock absorption effect of the bushing assembly,
It is desirable to use a soft material as the elastic member, but the elastic member is subjected to strong compressive deformation in the radial direction between the inner cylinder member and the outer cylinder member due to an external force acting along the axial direction of the swing arm. In this case, the rigidity of the connecting portion decreases, resulting in a decrease in vehicle maneuverability.

Therefore, in order to prevent excessive compressive deformation of the elastic member in the radial direction between the two cylindrical members, attempts have been made such as embedding a stopper member having an elastic modulus larger than that of the elastic member. is being done.

As a result, the bushing assembly exhibits suitable nonlinear spring characteristics such that its spring constant increases as the external force increases in response to the external force acting in the radial direction.

However, an external force along the axial direction also acts between the outer cylinder member and the inner cylinder member of the bushing assembly, and this external force causes the elastic member to undergo shearing deformation in the axial direction between the two cylinder members. However, the conventional bushing assembly is not provided with a means for suppressing excessive shearing deformation of the elastic member in the axial direction.

Therefore, in the conventional bushing assembly, an excessive shearing deformation may occur in the elastic member due to an external force acting in the axial direction, and this excessive shearing deformation impairs the maneuverability of the vehicle and the elastic member itself. The disadvantage was that it caused deterioration and lacked durability.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a radial external force that compressively deforms a cylindrical member and a cylindrical elastic member disposed between the outer cylindrical members, and an axial direction that causes shear deformation between the two cylindrical members. An object of the present invention is to provide a bushing assembly that exhibits suitable nonlinear spring characteristics without causing excessive deformation in response to any external force.

In the present invention, both protrusions of the inner cylinder member protrude from the end faces of a cylindrical elastic member that is located between the inner cylinder member and the outer cylinder member and are fixed to each other. A stopper extending outward in the radial direction is provided, and the elastic member includes a groove whose both ends are open to the end face of the elastic member and a recess that is open to the bottom face of the ridge groove to define a slit between the elastic member and the outer cylinder member. the outer cylindrical member is provided with a convex portion that extends toward the recess and comes into contact with the bottom surface of the recess when no load is applied, and the distance between the convex portion and the inner cylindrical member when no load is applied; It is characterized in that the depth dimension is greater than or equal to the depth of the groove.

According to the present invention, in response to an external force acting in the radial direction to compress and deform the elastic member between the two cylindrical members, the convex portion cooperates with the inner cylindrical member to excessively compress the elastic member in the radial direction. The convex portion cooperates with the stopper to suppress excessive shear deformation in response to an external force that acts in the axial direction of the elastic member between the two cylindrical members to suppress deformation and shear deformation of the elastic member. Since it does not have a portion that functions as an air spring, it is possible to obtain nonlinear spring characteristics suitable for both of the external forces acting in the radial direction and the axial direction.

The features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description of the illustrated embodiment.

A bushing assembly according to the present invention is shown generally at 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively.

The bushing assembly 10 includes a generally cylindrical elastic member 12;
An outer cylinder member 14 having a generally cylindrical shape and disposed to cover the outer circumferential surface 12a of the elastic member, and an inner cylinder member having both end portions 18a protruding from both end surfaces 16 of the elastic member 12 and disposed within the hole of the elastic member. cylindrical member 18.

The inner cylindrical member 18 is fixed to the inner circumferential surface 12b of the elastic member 12, and both ends of the inner cylindrical member 18 that protrude from the end surface 16 of the elastic member 12, that is, both protrusions 18a, are provided with a gap between the opposing end surfaces 16. An annular stopper 20 extending radially at a distance is fixed.

Further, on the outer circumferential surface 12a of the elastic member 12, a pair of grooves 2 extending in the axial direction of the elastic member 12 are provided at radially opposite locations.
2 are formed, and the ridges define a slit 24 between the outer cylinder member 14 and the ridge.

The outer circumferential surface 12a of the elastic member 12 is fixed to the outer cylinder member 14 except for the groove 22, and the elastic member 12 is provided with a recess 26 that opens at the bottom of the groove 22.

A convex portion 28 that protrudes toward the concave portion is provided at a portion of the outer cylinder member 14 facing the concave portion 26, and the convex portion is fitted into the concave portion 26.

In the illustrated example, the recess 26 is formed by press forming the outer cylinder member 14.
Although a portion of the convex portion 28 is formed to protrude into the recess 26, the convex portion 28 may be formed by fixing a separate member to the outer cylinder member 14 instead.

The protrusion 28 abuts against the bottom surface of the recess 26 when the bushing assembly 10 is under no load.

Further, the distance between the convex portion and the inner cylinder member when no load is applied, that is, the thickness of the bottom of the recess of the elastic member is set to be greater than or equal to the depth of the groove 22.

The bushing assembly 10 is conventionally used, for example, as a connection part of a swing arm of a four-link suspension system.

The outer cylinder member 14 has both slits 24 aligned in the axial direction of the swing arm (not shown), that is, both convex portions 28 are aligned in the axial direction of the swing arm, and the bush assembly 10
is fixed to a centerpiece provided at the end of the swinging arm so that the axis of the swinging arm is perpendicular to the axis of the swinging arm.

In addition, a pivot shaft (not shown) such as a bolt is provided inside the inner cylinder member 18.
is inserted, and the pivot shaft is supported at both ends, as is well known in the art, on brackets provided on the power vehicle body or axle housing that connects the swing arm.

Therefore, the external force acting in the axial direction of the swing arm is
An external force acts on the elastic member 12 in its radial direction to compress the slit 24 between the two cylindrical members 14,18.

In response to this radial external force, the convex portion 28 does not strongly compress the vicinity of the bottom of the recess 26 of the elastic member between the convex portion and the inner cylinder member 18 until the slit 24 is completely compressed. The external force is mainly absorbed by shearing deformation of the solid portion of the elastic member 12 located at right angles to the slit 24, and since it does not have an air-tight chamber functioning as an air spring, the bushing assembly 10 exhibits a relatively small spring constant. .

Further, when the vicinity of the recess 26 is strongly compressed between the convex portion 28 and the inner cylindrical member 18 due to an increase in the radial external force, the elastic member 12 is compressed between the two cylindrical members 14 and 18 by the convex portion 28. Excessive compressive deformation is suppressed, and the bushing assembly 10 increases its spring constant as the external force increases.

As a result, the bushing assembly 10 exhibits suitable nonlinear spring characteristics in response to the above-mentioned radial external force by increasing the spring constant as the external force increases.

Furthermore, the bushing assembly 10 exhibits the same nonlinear spring characteristics as described above even in response to an external force that imparts shearing deformation to the elastic member 12.

That is, an external force acting along the axial direction of the bushing assembly 10 acts on the elastic member 12 between the two cylindrical members 14 and 18 in order to apply shearing deformation along the axial direction.
When the aforementioned external force in the axial direction is relatively small, one end surface 16 of the elastic member 12 corresponding to the acting direction of the external force does not come into contact with the stopper 20 facing the end surface 16 .

Therefore, the shearing deformation of the elastic member 12 is not suppressed by the stopper 20, and the bushing assembly 10 exhibits a relatively small spring constant.

When the end surface 16 of the elastic member 12 comes into contact with the stopper 20 as the external force in the axial direction increases, the stopper suppresses the above-described shearing deformation of the elastic member 12, and in this state, a part of the elastic member 12 is compressively deformed between the stopper 20 and the portion of the convex portion 28 facing the stopper 20, so that the spring constant of the bushing assembly 10 increases.

As a result, the bushing assembly 10 exhibits suitable nonlinear spring characteristics in response to the above-described external force in the axial direction by increasing the spring constant as the external force increases.

Therefore, the bushing assembly 10 does not undergo excessive shearing deformation in response to an external force in the axial direction, and it is possible to prevent deterioration of the maneuverability of the axle due to this excessive shearing deformation, and to prevent deterioration of the elastic member. By preventing this, durability can be improved.

According to the present invention, as described above, the cylindrical elastic member disposed between the cylindrical member and the outer cylindrical member is subjected to either a radial external force that causes compressive deformation between the two cylindrical members or an axial external force that causes shear deformation. It is also possible to obtain nonlinear spring characteristics.

Further, since the convex portion contacts the bottom surface of the recess under no load, an air-tight chamber is not formed by the concave portion and the convex portion, and the slit is roughly formed in the elastic member. Since the end face is open to the outside air, there is no part that functions as an air splash, and therefore, stable nonlinear spring characteristics can be obtained, and the elastic member can resist external forces acting in the radial direction. The spring constant in a small external force region where the convex portion does not function can be set sufficiently low, and thereby even a relatively small impact force acting in the radial direction of the elastic member can be effectively absorbed. .

Therefore, the bushing assembly according to the present invention is not limited to the connection part of the swinging arm in a vehicle suspension system, and can be applied to both an external force that applies a compressive force to the elastic member in the radial direction and an external force that applies a shearing force to the elastic member in the axial direction. It can be applied to various connecting parts that require non-linear spring characteristics to prevent excessive deformation due to the external force and to effectively absorb impact.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a bushing assembly according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 1--2 shown in FIG. 12... Elastic member, 14... Outer cylinder member, 16...
End face of elastic member, 18... Inner cylinder member, 20... Stopper 22... Groove, 24... Slit, 26... Recess, 28... Convex portion.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] a cylindrical elastic member; an outer cylinder member arranged to cover the outer peripheral surface of the elastic member and fixed to the outer peripheral surface; and an outer cylinder member arranged to protrude from both end surfaces of the elastic member and attached to the inner peripheral surface of the elastic member. an inner cylindrical member to which the inner cylindrical member is fixed; both protruding portions of the inner cylindrical member are provided with stoppers extending radially outward at intervals on the end faces so as to be able to abut on the end faces of the elastic member; The elastic member is provided with a groove whose both ends are open to the end surface of the elastic member and a recess that is open to the bottom surface of the ridge groove to define a slit between the elastic member and the outer cylinder member. A convex portion is provided that extends toward the recess and comes into contact with the bottom surface of the recess when no load is applied, and an interval between the convex portion and the inner cylindrical member during no load is equal to or greater than the depth dimension of the groove. A bushing assembly characterized by: