DE19921695A1 - Strut suspension for vehicles with telescopic struts on steered wheels - Google Patents

Abstract

The suspension includes a bearing (9) forming an axial counter-bearing between the resting dish (12) for a spring (11) and a rubber-metal bearing (3) fixed to the chassis (4) of the vehicle. The bearing includes upper and lower rings (13, 14). There is also a sealing device (20). The part (23, 26) of the sealing device acting as a seal also secures the spring resting dish relative to the suspension.

Description

The invention relates to the upper shock absorber suspension, especially in motor vehicles with telescopes heavy legs (McFerson strut) on the steered wheels.

The suspension strut is generally at the top Area of the shock absorber between a lower metal plate, which serves as a seat for the suspension spring, and one Rubber metal bearings arranged. The rubber-metal bearing exists made of metallic and elastomeric parts and is on the Vehicle chassis attached. The suspension spring surrounds the piston rod of a shock absorber, the end of which in space mean the piston rod end, on the rubber-metal bearing is attached. The suspension strut allows on this Way between the spring and the vehicle chassis transmitted axial forces, making an angle moderate relative movement between the contact plate of the spring and the rubber-metal bearing that attaches to the chassis  is allowed. This relative angular movement can vary from one Steering movement of the steerable wheels and / or a compression the suspension spring.

It is important to transport the suspension strut and assembling the strut suspension with the surroundings NEN parts and especially to combine with the metal plate fold, which represents the abutment for the spring.

For this purpose, US-A-4,995,737 proposes to everyone the bearing rings on the strut suspension with a cover made of plastic. Each lid has axial Si securing extensions for the other lid and one of the Both lids have hooks that are capable of using Openings work together in the lower lid are trained. This way it will not be a demon animalable unit from the suspension strut suspension and the lower ren plate created what the transport and handling the subunit from the suspension strut and plate as well the assembly of the subunit in the strut suspension System of the vehicle as well as automation at least simplified some of these processes.

The known device shows a number of disadvantages:

• - It is necessary to ver two plastic lids turn, resulting in an increase in cost and size rer axial space requirement of the arrangement results;
• - It is necessary at a precisely defined point of the lower plate to provide an opening with the Hook of the lower lid interacts, resulting in a Increase in cost results
• - when assembling it is necessary the lower plate  the bracket with respect to the opening in the plate to align moderately what the assembly and its eventual Automation complicated and costs increased further.

DE-U 295 06 796 shows a suspension strut suspension which belongs to a bearing with two metal rings, the lower one Right ring with a lower plastic lid in connection dung, which also serves as an investment area for the Spring serves what the possibility of using the plant excludes plates as a raceway for the rolling elements.

The present invention overcomes these problems times the mean by simultaneously counting the number of parts le, the axial space requirement and the cost reduced and simplifies the assembly process.

The suspension strut suspension according to the invention has Axial roller bearing on that between a system plate for the Spring and a rubber metal bearing is inserted, which on the Vehicle chassis is attached. The camp breaks down an upper ring that connects to the rubber metal bearing dung, and a lower ring that connects with the Investment plate is connected. To the suspension strut hanger axial securing means for the system plate and the spring, which ensure that an assembly ent stands, wherein the upper ring carries a sealing element that with an active area is provided with the Federanla plate works together. The active area of the Dichtele mentes interacts with the spring plate to ensure that axial holding together of the spring plate on the to ensure hanging. It arises in this way without additional parts and without increasing the space requirement a unit consisting of a spring plate and suspension.  

According to one embodiment, the sealing element attached to the outer circumference of the upper ring.

In one embodiment of the invention, the Sealing device an annular sealing connection and ring-shaped metallic sheath, which also on the upper ring is attached and is suitable for sealing device to hold.

In another embodiment of the invention the sealing device has an integral annular Seal on that with means of attachment to the top Ring is provided.

The sealing device advantageously has a Sealing lip on that with a seat surface of the plate works together. This sealing lip can be in the axial direction pre-tension the seat of the plate.

In another embodiment of the invention is the sealing device with an annular area provided with respect to an annular, radial area ches of the plate is arranged radially and a labyrinth seal forms. The sealing arrangement can be a metallic rule part that is attached to the upper ring and extends along the plate.

The plate and the bottom are advantageous One-piece ring.

In this way it will be particularly economical Unity obtained from the suspension and the bottom the plate that forms the seat for the spring  puts.

For the rest, further developments of the invention are against stood by subclaims.

In the drawing are exemplary embodiments of the subject presented the invention. Show it:

Figure 1 shows the upper part of a strut suspension system of a motor vehicle with the strut suspension according to the invention in an axial section.

Fig. 2 shows the embodiment of FIG. 1 in an enlarged view and

Fig. 3 to 5 different embodiments of the strut type suspension according to the invention.

A shock absorber has a cylinder 1 , in which a piston is displaceable, the piston rod 2 of which is fastened with its upper free end to an elastomeric or rubber-metal bearing 3 .

The elastic rubber-metal bearing 3 is attached to a section from a chassis 4 and it is composed of the following elements:

• an inner fastening element 5 which consists of two parts 5 a and 5 b and on which the free end is screwed onto the piston rod 2 of the shock absorber by means of a nut 6 ,
• - An outer fastening element 7 which serves for attachment to the chassis 4 ,
• - An upper plate 8 , which serves as a seat for a strut bearing 9 and
• - An elastomer block 10 , which is integrally connected to the surfaces of the above three parts and creates a connection between them with a simultaneous vibration damping.

The outer fastener 7 has an extension which is connected to the chassis 4, for example by means of screws, while its other end is arranged in the axial direction between the two parts 5 a and 5 b. The upper plate 8 is based on the axial direction at the height of the inner fastener 5 , but has a larger diameter.

A strut spring 11 is also shown, the upper end of which rests on a lower plate 12 , which in turn rests on the strut bearing 9 .

As can be seen better from FIG. 2, the upper plate 8 has a cylindrical section 8 a, which extends downward away from the chassis 4 , and a radial section 8 b, which points towards the inside, the upper plate 8 is embedded in the elastic material that is used for the elastic holding block 9 , the bil in the vicinity of the upper plate 8, a radial region serving as an abutment seat 6 , and an axial Sitzflä surface 17 by an axial, annular extension 18 is formed, in which the cylindrical portion 8 a is embedded.

To the strut bearing 9 include, more precisely, an upper and a lower ring 13 , 14 made of sheet metal, between de NEN balls 15 are arranged.

The balls 15 of the strut bearing 6 are held by means of a cage 19 made of plastic, which extends towards the inside in the form of a sealing lip 19 a, which slides on the lower ring 14 , and by means of a lip 19 b, which extends on the upper Ring 13 slides along. The upper ring 13 comprises a toroidal portion 13 a, which is a raceway for the balls 15 . This toroidal section 13 a extends inwards and downwards through a cylindrical section 13 b, which is in contact with the lip 19 b, and outwards in the form of a radial section 13 c, which bears against the seat surface 16 , and one cylindrical portion 13 d, which points downward and abuts the axial seat 17 . A radial edge 13 e extends outward from the lower free end of the cylindrical portion 13 d.

On the radial edge 13 e, which forms the periphery of the obe ren ring 13 , a sealing arrangement 20 is arranged on, which prevents the penetration of foreign bodies between the upper ring 13 and the plate 12 . The device arrangement 20 includes an annular metallic part 21 and a seal 22 , which consists of a soft material, for example an elastomer or a natural rubber. The metallic part 21 surrounds the edge of the upper ring 23 after the seal 22 is inserted, and it has a U-shaped section with two ra dialen legs, which are directed inwards, namely a radial upper leg 21 , the with the upper surface of the radial edge 13 e of the upper ring 13 is in contact and a radial lower leg 21 which is arranged under the radial portion 12 a of the plate 12 ; a bore is also included, the diameter of which is somewhat larger than the outer diameter of the plate 12, and a cylindrical back 21 c also belongs to the metallic part, which connects the radial legs 21 a and 21 b to one another.

The seal 22 is arranged between the upper leg 21 a and the lower leg 21 b of the metallic part 21 touching the back 21 c, namely between the edge 13 e and the lower leg 21 b, wherein it the edge of the radial section 12 a radially surrounds the plate 12 .

The seal 22 also includes a lip 23 , which sits with its bore 22 a in the vicinity of the lower leg 21 b and extends inwards and upwards until it contacts the lower surface of the radial section 12 a of the plate 12 is coming. It is envisaged that the material of which the seal 22 and lip 23 are made, although showing some softness, is sufficiently rigid to hold the assembly of the plate 12 and the upper ring 13 together, as well as the lower ring 14 and the balls 15 before installing this unit between the rubber-metal bearing 13 and the spring 11 .

The lower leg 21 b of the metal part 21 allows the seal 22 to be held in the axial direction. It is also possible to provide that the cylindrical seat 17 of the rubber-metal bearing 3 has a diameter which is slightly smaller than that of the cylindrical section 13 d of the outer ring 13 in order to exert a slight prestress on this cylindrical part 13 d Way that the rubber-metal bearing 3 and the upper ring 13 are able to stay together during assembly.

The embodiment of FIG. 3 is similar to the previous one, except that the seal arrangement 20 has no metal part. The seal assembly 20 is a one-piece plastic molding, in which the seal 22 is provided with an upwardly extending extension 24 which surrounds the periphery of the radially extending edge 13 e and which carries a plurality of hooks 25 which on the Top radially project the top of the radial edge 13 e, in order in this way to ensure the axial securing of the sealing arrangement 20 on the upper ring 13 . The hooks 25 are resilient and chamfered to be able to pass the periphery of the radial rim 13 when the seal assembly 20 is assembled with the upper ring 13 . As a modification, the hooks can be replaced by a continuous rib that forms an axial lock.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 4, the sealing arrangement 20 is also a one-piece part, but consists only of a metallic part 26 which surrounds the periphery of the upper ring 13 and has essentially the same shape as that of the metallic part 21 according to FIG. 2, apart from the fact that the lower radial leg 26 b extends in part under the radial section 12 a of the lower plate 12 and forms a labyrinth seal with this by ensuring the axial securing of the Tel lers 12 against the upper ring 13 . This embodiment is particularly economical.

The embodiment of Fig. 5 is quite similar to that apart from FIG. 2 that the spring contact plate 12 at the same time as the lower ring for the balls 15 La gers serves the 9th. The plate 12 forms, starting from the inner ring of the radial section 12 a, a toroidal section 12 b, which represents the lower ring. The cylin drical part 13 b of the upper plate 13 forms with the Tel ler 12 a labyrinth seal in the vicinity of the toroidförmi gene section 12 b to ensure the sealing of the bearing 9 ge. This embodiment is still more economical.

According to the invention, a spring suspension is obtained, which is easy to handle before installation, which the manufacturer cost of the vehicle reduced. This suspension also ensures adequate sealing and has only a small number of parts.  

A spring suspension arrangement has a bearing 9 which forms an axial abutment and is inserted between a bearing plate 12 for a spring 11 and a rubber-metal bearing 3 which is fastened to the chassis 4 of the vehicle. The bearing 9 comprises an upper ring 13 which is in contact with the rubber-metal bearing 3 and a lower ring 14 which is in contact with the contact plate 12 for the spring. The arrangement included means to hold the contact plate 12 together with the upper ring 13 in the sense of forming a structural unit which carries a sealing arrangement 20 which is provided with an active part which is together with the contact plate 12 of the spring 11 works. The active part of the sealing arrangement ensures the axial securing of the contact plate 12 of the spring 11 with respect to the suspension.

Claims (9)

1. Suspension strut suspension
with an axial abutment bearing ( 9 ) which is arranged in the axial direction between a contact plate ( 12 ) of a spring ( 11 ) and a rubber-metal bearing ( 3 ) which is fastened to a chassis ( 4 ) of a vehicle, wherein the bearing has an upper ring ( 13 ) which communicates with the rubber-metal bearing ( 3 ) and has a lower ring ( 14 ) which is in contact with the contact plate ( 12 ) of the spring ( 11 ), and
with means for axially securing the contact plate on the upper ring ( 13 ) in order to form a structural unit with the latter, the upper ring ( 13 ) carrying a sealing arrangement 20 which is provided with a part ( 23 , 26 ) acting as a seal which interacts with the contact plate ( 12 ) of the spring ( 11 ), characterized in that
that the part acting as a seal ( 23 , 26 ) of the device arrangement 20 causes the axial securing of the contact plate ( 12 ) of the spring ( 11 ) with respect to the suspension. 2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing arrangement ( 20 ) is attached to the periphery of the obe ren ring ( 13 ). 3. Arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sealing arrangement ( 20 ) has an annular seal ( 22 ) and an annular metallic casing ( 21 ) which surrounds the upper ring ( 13 ) and is capable of Fix the seal ( 22 ). 4. Arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sealing arrangement ( 20 ) has a one-piece, annular seal ( 20 ) which is provided with means ( 25 ) for attachment to the upper ring ( 13 ). 5. Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sealing arrangement ( 20 ) has a sealing lip ( 23 ) which interacts with a contact surface of the contact plate ( 12 ) for the spring ( 11 ). 6. Arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that the sealing lip ( 23 ) is under axial preload on the contact surface of the contact plate ( 12 ) for the spring ( 11 ). 7. Arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sealing arrangement ( 20 ) has a ringförmi gene, radial section ( 26 b) with a ring-shaped, radially extending portion of the contact plate ( 12 ) for the spring ( 11 ) is aligned and forms a labyrinth seal. 8. Arrangement according to claim 7, characterized in that the sealing arrangement ( 20 ) has a metallic part ( 26 ) which is fixed to the upper ring ( 13 ) and extends to the contact plate ( 12 ) for the spring ( 11 ). 9. Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact plate ( 12 ) for the spring ( 11 ) and the ring ( 14 ) are in one piece.