JPS6332484Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a suspension of a vehicle such as an automobile, and more particularly to an upper support structure for a rod-shaped suspension member such as a shock absorber or a McPherson strut.

A rod-shaped suspension member such as a shock absorber or a McPherson strut is generally connected at its lower end to a suspension arm such as a control arm via a rubber bushing, and at its upper end to the vehicle body. ,
A rubber-like elastic bushing is interposed between the upper end of the suspension member and the vehicle body to absorb minute relative displacements therebetween.

In a vehicle having such an upper support structure for the suspension member, the bushing interposed between the upper end of the suspension member and the vehicle body provides support for the vehicle when the vehicle is running at medium to low speeds. Low rigidity is required to improve ride comfort, and high rigidity is required to improve vehicle handling when the vehicle runs at high speed or when the vehicle turns. .

However, since the bushings incorporated in the upper supports of conventional suspension members have constant rigidity, it is difficult to achieve both ride comfort and maneuverability of the vehicle.

In view of the above-mentioned problems with the conventional upper support structure of suspension members, the present invention was designed to improve the rigidity of the bushing interposed between the upper end of the suspension member and the vehicle body based on vehicle driving conditions. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved upper support structure for a suspension member that can be changed according to the conditions.

According to the present invention, this object is achieved by providing an upper support structure for a rod-shaped suspension member disposed between a vehicle body and a suspension arm, and extending along an axis of the suspension member. a cylindrical body surrounding a suspension member; an inner bush made of a rubber-like elastic body fixed between the suspension member and the cylindrical body; and a rubber-like elastic body fixed between the cylindrical body and the body. an outer bush of an elastic body; a first state in which the outer bushing is fixed to the suspension member within the cylindrical body and the outer periphery is separated from the inner periphery of the cylindrical body; and a first state in which the outer periphery is separated from the inner periphery of the cylindrical body; This is achieved by an upper support structure of a suspension member characterized in that it has a hydraulic braking means that is changed by fluid pressure between a second state in which the suspension member is engaged with the brake member and a second state in which the suspension member is engaged with the brake member.

According to this configuration, when the vehicle is running at medium to low speeds, the hydraulic braking means is set to its first state and the inner bushing also performs its function as a bushing, thereby increasing the upper support. It is possible to improve the ride comfort of the vehicle by reducing the stiffness between the inner bushings, and when the vehicle is running at high speed or turning, the hydraulic braking means can be set to its second state and the inner bushings can be By substantially stopping the function as a bushing, the rigidity of the upper support can be increased and the maneuverability of the vehicle can be improved.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows one embodiment of the upper support structure according to the present invention applied to the upper support of a McPherson strut. The right half is a sectional view showing the upper support in a highly rigid state. In the figure, numeral 1 indicates a shock absorber rod which is not shown in the figure but is connected at its lower end to the control arm of the vehicle via a rubber bush. The upper end 2 of the rod 1 extends through a hole 5 provided in a fender 4 of a vehicle body 3, and is connected to the fender 4 via an upper support 6 incorporating the present invention. .

The upper support 6 includes a cylindrical body 8 extending along the axis 7 of the rod 1 and surrounding the rod 1. The cylindrical body 8 has a radially outwardly projecting flange 10 near its upper end 9, which flange 10 is provided with a curved surface 1 having a substantially arcuate cross-section on one side thereof.
1 and on the other side a plane 12 perpendicular to the axis 7
have.

A sleeve 13 is fixed to the upper end 2 of the rod 1 by welding at a position opposite to the upper end 9 of the cylindrical body 8, and between the sleeve and the upper end 9 of the cylindrical body 8 there is a vibration-proof rubber An annular inner bush 14 is interposed therebetween. Inner bush 14
are vulcanized and bonded to the outer circumferential surface of the sleeve 13 and the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical body 8 at the inner circumferential surface and outer circumferential surface, respectively. A male thread 15 is provided on the upper end 2 of the rod 1, and a nut 16 is screwed into the male thread. A stopper 17 for suppressing expansion of the inner bush 14 is fixed between the nut 16 and one end of the sleeve 13.

Bolt insertion holes 18 are provided in a plurality of positions around the hole 5 in the fender 4 of the body 3, and a ring 21 is attached to the fender by a bolt 19 inserted into the bolt insertion hole and a nut 20 screwed into the bolt. Fixed to 4. An annular outer bush 23 made of anti-vibration rubber is interposed between the inner circumference 22 of the ring 21 and the upper end 9 of the cylindrical body 8. and the curved surface 11 of the upper end 9 of the cylindrical body 8 by vulcanization.

An annular groove 24 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 8 at a position close to the flat surface 12 of the flange 10, and a C ring 25 is fitted into the annular groove. Between the C-ring 25 and the plane 12 of the flange 10 there is a spring seat 27 for a suspension spring 26 and a bearing 28 that allows the spring seat to rotate about the axis 7.
is interposed.

The rod 1 has a hydraulic braking means 2 inside the cylindrical body 8.
9 is provided. The hydraulic braking means 29 is fitted with a cylinder member 30 fixed to the rod 1, and is movable reciprocally along the axis 7 relative to the rod 1, and cooperates with the cylinder member to open the cylinder chamber. 31 and a piston 32 defining the piston 31. The piston 32 has a flange 33 at one end, and is connected to the other end of a sleeve 34 which is configured to be able to reciprocate along the axis 7 relative to the rod 1. Rod 1 has flange 3 of sleeve 34.
A brake bushing stopper 35 is fixed at a position spaced apart from the flange 33, and an annular brake bushing 36 made of anti-vibration rubber and fitted onto the rod 1 is interposed between the stopper and the flange 33. equipped.

The cylinder chamber 31 of the hydraulic braking means 29 has a plurality of radial passages 37 communicating with the cylinder chamber and extending perpendicularly to the axis 7 of the rod 1; Hydraulic oil 39 is supplied via an extending axial passage 38 . Thus, the hydraulic braking means 29
By selectively controlling the pressure of the hydraulic oil 39 in the cylinder chamber 31, the outer circumferential surface 40 of the brake bush 36 is aligned with the inner circumferential surface 40 of the circular body 8, as shown in the left half of FIG. The first state in which the outer circumferential surface 4 is more separated and the outer peripheral surface 4 as shown in the right half of FIG.
0 engages with the inner circumferential surface 41, thereby suppressing the relative displacement between the rod 1 and the circumferential body 8.

The state of the hydraulic braking means 29, that is, the pressure of the hydraulic oil 39 in the cylinder chamber 31 is controlled by the other end of the hydraulic hose 43, which is connected at one end to the passage 38 of the rod 1 via the hydraulic plug 42. This is performed by a hydraulic control device 44 connected to. The hydraulic control device 44 includes a reservoir tank 45 that stores hydraulic oil 39, and a pump 4 that is rotationally driven by a vehicle engine (not shown in the figure) and pumps and pumps the hydraulic oil from the reservoir tank 45.
6, a pressure regulating valve 49 that controls the pressure of the hydraulic oil discharged from the pump 46 and supplied to the hydraulic hose 43 via the conduit 47 and the electromagnetic switching valve 48, the electromagnetic switching valve 48, and the reservoir tank 45 are directly connected to each other. It has a conduit 50. When the electromagnetic switching valve 48 is not energized, it is switched to a first switching position that connects the hydraulic hose 43 and the conduit 50 in communication, and when it is energized, it connects the hydraulic hose 43 and the conduit 47. It is adapted to switch to a second switching position for connecting.

Energization to the electromagnetic switching valve 48 is controlled by a computer 51. A computer 51 uses a vehicle speed sensor 52 that outputs an ON signal when the vehicle's running speed exceeds a predetermined value, and a vehicle speed sensor 52 that detects fluctuations in the force input to the suspension of the vehicle via the tires to detect when the unevenness of the road surface exceeds a predetermined value. a road surface sensor 53 that outputs an on signal when
4 and the steering angle sensor 55, which detects the rotation angle of the steering wheel and outputs an ON signal when the rotation angle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. A signal for switching the electromagnetic switching valve 48 to the second switching position is output when an ON signal is output from any of the sensors 52 to 55.

In the upper support structure according to the present invention configured as described above, when no ON signal is output from any of the sensors 52 to 54, the electromagnetic switching valve 48 is not energized, and the electromagnetic switching valve 48 is not energized. is switched to the first position, whereby the pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the cylinder chamber 31 of the hydraulic braking means 29 is reduced, and the brake bush 36 is placed in its first position shown in the left half of FIG. As a result, the upper support 6 exhibits a spring characteristic as shown by the broken line in FIG. 2, and the ride comfort of the vehicle is improved.

On the other hand, when an ON signal is output from any of the sensors 52 to 54, the electromagnetic switching valve 48
is energized to switch the electromagnetic switching valve to its second position, thereby increasing the pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the cylinder chamber 31 of the hydraulic braking means 29 and causing the brake bush 36 to move as shown in FIG. The upper support 6 is brought into the second state as shown in the right half, and the relative displacement between the rod 1 and the cylinder 8 is suppressed, so that the upper support 6 is shown as a solid line in FIG. It exhibits spring characteristics as shown in Figure 1, which improves the running stability of the vehicle.

Although the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and it is understood that various embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention. It will be clear to those skilled in the art. For example, the piston 32 of the hydraulic braking means may be fixed to the rod 1 and the cylinder member 30 may be integrated with the sleeve 34, or the hydraulic braking means may be interposed between flanges fixed to the rod to control the internal hydraulic pressure. It may also be a hydraulic bellows that bulges outward in the radial direction by being increased.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 shows one embodiment of the upper support structure according to the present invention applied to the upper support of a McPherson strut. The right half is a sectional view showing the upper support in a highly rigid state, and FIG. 2 is an illustrative graph showing changes in the spring characteristics of the upper support shown in FIG. 1. 1...Rod, 2...Upper end, 3...Body,
4... Fender, 5... Hole, 6... Upper support, 7... Axis line, 8... Cylindrical body, 9... Upper end, 11... Curved surface, 12... Plane, 13... Sleeve, 14 ...Inner bush, 15...Male thread, 16...Nut, 17...Stopper, 18...
... Bolt insertion hole, 19 ... Bolt, 20 ... Nut, 21 ... Ring, 22 ... Inner circumference, 23 ...
Outer bushing, 24... annular groove, 25... C
Ring, 26...Suspension spring, 2
7...Spring seat, 28...Bearing,
29...Hydraulic braking means, 30...Cylinder member, 31...Cylinder chamber, 32...Piston, 3
3...Flange, 34...Sleeve, 35...Brake bush stopper, 36...Brake bush, 37...Radial passage, 38...Axial passage, 39...Hydraulic oil, 40...Outer periphery Face, 41...
...Inner peripheral surface, 42...Hydraulic plug, 43...Hydraulic hose, 44...Hydraulic control device, 45...Reservoir tank, 46...Pump, 47...Conduit, 48...
... Solenoid switching valve, 49 ... Pressure adjustment valve, 50 ... Conduit, 51 ... Computer, 52 ... Vehicle speed sensor, 53 ... Road surface sensor, 54 ... Vertical acceleration sensor, 55 ... Steering angle sensor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A cylindrical body having an upper support structure for a rod-shaped suspension member disposed between a vehicle body and a suspension arm, and extending along an axis of the suspension member and surrounding the suspension member; an inner bushing made of a rubber-like elastic body fixed between the suspension member and the cylindrical body; an outer bushing made of a rubber-like elastic body fixed between the cylindrical body and the body; A first state in which the suspension member is fixed to the suspension member in the body and the outer circumferential portion is detached from the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder, and a second state in which the outer circumferential portion engages with the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder. An upper support structure for a suspension member, comprising a fluid pressure type braking means that is changed by fluid pressure between them.