Spring-strut supporting bearing

Details Spring-strut supporting bearing Spring-strut supporting bearing

1999-11-05

2001-09-18

Oberleitner, Robert J (Department: 3613)

Spring devices

Vehicle

Mechanical spring and nonresilient retarder

C188S321110, C280S124147, C280S124155

Reexamination Certificate

active

06290218

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a spring-strut supporting bearing having at least one rubber bearing and at least one fastening part for connecting to a vehicle body and having a further fastening part for fixing a piston-cylinder assembly in position relative to the vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior art springspring-strut strut supporting bearings are disclosed, for example, in German references DE 40 15 524 C1 and DE 40 24 696 C1 in which the actual fastening of the spring-strut supporting bearing together with a piston-cylinder assembly to the body of a vehicle has not been described. Spring-strut supporting bearings of this type are conventionally bolted to the vehicle body or to a so-called spur on the vehicle body. However, during assembly of vehicle bolted connections such as the connection of the prior art spring-strut support bearing require corresponding manual machining.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a module including a spring-strut supporting bearing and a piston-cylinder assembly of the spring strut, that can be automatically fitted and fastened into a body of a vehicle.
To achieve this object, a fastening part is fixedly connected to the vehicle body via a securing ring. An advantage of the invention is that a securing ring is placed between the vehicle body and the fastening part to obtain a form-fitting fastening instead of a bolted connection. The securing rings are automatically supplied to a manufacturing assembly line more conveniently than bolts and are easily machined with the assistance of industrial robots.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the fastening part comprises a groove for accommodating the securing ring. In this case, it is of particular advantage that securing rings are easily placed into a groove in the fastening part.
An embodiment which is convenient in terms of manufacturing engineering includes a thin-walled element to be designed in the cross-sectional shape of a U as the groove. It is of advantage here that the thin-walled element may also comprise a component of the actual spring-strut supporting bearing. In this connection, the outer part, on whose inner part the rubber bearing is pressed-in or vulcanized directly or via corresponding reinforcing rings, can preferably be correspondingly deformed.
A further embodiment provides for the vehicle body to have a drilled hole through which the fastening part is insertable. The securing ring being arranged between the edge region of the drilled hole and the fastening part.
To facilitate an installation which is simple in terms of manufacture, the securing ring is divided transversely to the circumferential direction. In this case, the securing ring is advantageously divided into two parts of differing size, so that the larger part snaps securely on the fastening part and then merely has to be connected to the corresponding smaller part.
According to a further refinement, the securing ring is produced from plastic.
According to an essential feature, the fastening part increases in diameter, starting from that side of the drilled hole of the vehicle body which is opposite the securing ring. In this connection, the increasing contour of the fastening part is arranged so that the entire module as it is being automatically loaded into the vehicle body can at the same time be centered with respect to the drilled hole in the vehicle body.
If the module includes the spring-strut supporting bearing, the piston-cylinder unit and an additional helical spring, the increase in diameter of the fastening part continues until the outer circumference of the fastening part reaches the diameter of a spring plate of a helical spring arranged coaxially to the piston-cylinder assembly. In this connection, the spring plate of the helical spring may advantageously be pressed directly to the fastening part of the spring-strut supporting bearing to obtain a ready-fitted constructional unit.
According to another refinement, the securing ring has a step-shaped shoulder for centering it in the body.
The securing ring can, moreover, advantageously include a leading-in slope.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawing and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4474363 (1984-10-01), Numazawa et al.
patent: 4773635 (1988-09-01), Buma
patent: 5000429 (1991-03-01), Wittmar et al.
patent: 5165669 (1992-11-01), Mayerbock et al.
patent: 5454585 (1995-10-01), Dronen et al.
patent: 3619942 (1987-12-01), None
patent: 4024696 (1991-07-01), None

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