Spring devices – Resilient shock or vibration absorber – Including energy absorbing means or feature
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-23
2001-10-09
Oberleitner, Robert J (Department: 3613)
Spring devices
Resilient shock or vibration absorber
Including energy absorbing means or feature
C267S293000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299148
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid-filled vibration isolator in which an annular mounting portion provided at an end portion of an arm and an inner cylinder disposed inside the annular mounting portion are connected by a resilient member so as to damp vibration through a volumetric change of an annular liquid chamber formed in such a manner as to face this resilient member.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 14
shows a conventional liquid-filled vibration isolator for a suspension for an automobile, and an outer cylinder
101
and an inner cylinder
102
which are disposed coaxially are connected by a resilient member
103
, and an annular liquid chamber
104
with a liquid sealed therein is defined between the resilient member
103
and the outer cylinder
101
. An outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder
101
is fixed to an inner peripheral surface of an annular mounting portion
105
, which is formed at an end portion of a suspension arm, by means of press fitting. Then, when a relative displacement in a diametrical direction occurs between the outer cylinder
101
and the inner cylinder
102
by application of a load, damping occurs when both diametrical end portions of the liquid chamber
104
alternately undergo enlargement and shrinkage in volume, and the liquid flows from a volume-shrunk portion to a volume-enlarged portion of the liquid chamber
104
.
In the above-described conventional vibration isolator, since the outer cylinder
101
is interposed between the liquid chamber
104
and the annular mounting portion
105
, if an attempt is made to sufficiently secure the radial thickness of the resilient member
103
and the sectional area of the liquid chamber
104
, there is a problem in that the radial dimension of the liquid-filled vibration isolator tends to become large in size. In addition, since the outer cylinder
101
is merely press-fitted to the annular mounting portion
105
, and a detent means is not provided, there is a possibility that the outer cylinder
101
comes off the annular mounting portion
105
due to an axial load.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been devised in view of the above-described problems, and its object is to make the radial dimension of the liquid-filled vibration isolator as small as possible and prevent the positional offset of the resilient member when an axial load is applied.
To attain the above object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a liquid-filled vibration isolator in which an inner peripheral surface of an annular mounting portion provided at an end portion of an arm and an outer peripheral surface of an inner cylinder disposed inside the annular mounting portion are connected by two resilient members disposed adjacent to each other in an axial direction to thereby define an annular liquid chamber facing the inner peripheral surface of the annular mounting portion and the resilient members, wherein two ring members respectively fixed to outer peripheral surfaces of the two resilient members are press-fitted to the inner peripheral surface of the annular mounting portion, and are made to abut against two stepped portions formed on the inner peripheral surfaces, respectively.
In accordance with the above-described arrangement, since the liquid chamber is defined by the inner peripheral surface of the annular mounting portion provided at an end portion of the arm, as compared with the vibration isolator in which another member is interposed between the liquid chamber and the inner peripheral surface of the annular mounting portion, the radial dimension of the liquid-filled vibration isolator can be made small while sufficiently securing the radial thicknesses of the resilient members and the sectional area of the liquid chamber. Moreover, when the two ring members respectively fixed to the outer peripheral surfaces of the two resilient members are press-fitted to the inner peripheral surface of the annular mounting portion, these ring members are respectively made to abut against the two stepped portions formed on the inner peripheral surface of the annular mounting portion; therefore, even if an axial load is applied, the resilient members are prevented from becoming positionally offset from the annular mounting portion.
In addition, according to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a liquid-filled vibration isolator in which an inner peripheral surface of an annular mounting portion provided at an end portion of an arm and an outer peripheral surface of an inner cylinder disposed inside the annular mounting portion are connected by a resilient member to thereby define an annular liquid chamber facing the inner peripheral surface of the annular mounting portion and the resilient member, wherein an outer peripheral surface of the resilient member is directly fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the annular mounting portion.
In accordance with the above-described arrangement, since the liquid chamber is defined by the inner peripheral surface of the annular mounting portion provided at the end portion of the arm, as compared with the vibration isolator in which another member is interposed between the liquid chamber and the inner peripheral surface of the annular mounting portion, the radial dimension of the liquid-filled vibration isolator can be made small while sufficiently securing the radial thicknesses of the resilient members and the sectional area of the liquid chamber. Moreover, since the outer peripheral surface of the resilient member is directly fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the annular mounting portion, the number of component parts can be reduced as compared with an arrangement in which the resilient member is fixed to the annular mounting portion by means of a ring member.
In addition to the above arrangement, an annular recessed portion extending in a circumferential direction may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the resilient member, and the outer peripheral surface of the resilient member may be bonded to the inner peripheral surface of the annular mounting portion, to thereby define the liquid chamber.
In accordance with the above-described arrangement, since the annular recessed portion extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the resilient member, it becomes difficult for a bonding agent to adhere to the annular recessed portion making up the inner wall surface of the liquid chamber when the outer peripheral surface of the resilient member is bonded to the inner peripheral surface of the annular mounting portion. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of variations in the resiliency of the resilient member and damage to the resilient member due to the breakage of the adhering bonding agent.
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Miyamoto Yasuo
Takko Kunihisa
Tokimoto Hiroshi
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Oberleitner Robert J
Siconolfi Robert A
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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