Bearings – Rotary bearing – Antifriction bearing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-27
2001-07-31
Marmor, Charles A (Department: 3682)
Bearings
Rotary bearing
Antifriction bearing
C384S613000, C384S607000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267512
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of suspension thrust bearing used, in particular, in motor vehicles on the telescopic suspension struts of the steered wheels.
The suspension thrust bearing is generally placed at the top of the suspension strut between a lower metal cup which also acts as a seat for the suspension spring, and an elastic support block. The elastic support block is made up of metallic and elastomer elements and is secured to the vehicle body. The suspension spring is arranged around the rod of a damper piston whose end, generally the end of the piston rod, is secured to the elastic support block. The suspension thrust bearing thus allows axial loads to be transmitted between the spring and the vehicle body while at the same time allowing a relative angular movement between the spring cup, which is able to rotate, and the fixed elastic support block secured to the body. This relative angular movement may be the result of a turning of the steered wheel and/or compression of the suspension spring.
It is important to make the transportation and assembly of the suspension thrust bearing with the surrounding components, and in particular with the metal cup which forms the spring seat, easier.
2. Description of the Related Art
For this, document U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,737 proposes that each of the races of the suspension thrust bearing be equipped with a plastic cap. Each cap has projections for the axial retention of the other cap, and one of the two caps has hooks capable of interacting with apertures made in the lower cup. It is thus possible to produce the suspension thrust bearing and the lower cup as a permanently-assembled entity thus making easier the operations of transporting and handling the thrust bearing/cup subassembly, the operations of mounting the subassembly in the vehicle suspension strut system and the automating of at least some of these operations.
A device of this kind does, however, have certain drawbacks:
it dictates the use of two caps made of plastic, hence increasing the cost and axial bulk of the assembly.
it dictates the use of two races for the thrust bearing which, again, leads to an increase in the cost and axial bulk of the assembly.
it dictates that the lower cup must have, in a precise location, an opening to interact with the hook of the lower cap, hence increasing the cost.
on assembly, it is necessary angularly to orientate the lower cap of the thrust bearing relative to the opening in the cup, this making this operation and any automating thereof more complicated, thereby once again increasing the cost.
Document DE U 295 06 796 discloses a suspension thrust bearing device comprising a rolling bearing with two metal races, the lower race being in contact with a lower plastic cap which also acts as a spring seat, thus precluding the possibility of using the cup as a raceway for the rolling bodies.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention sets out to solve these problems using simple and inexpensive means, at the same time making it possible to reduce the number of parts, the axial bulk and the costs, and to simplify the assembly process.
The suspension thrust bearing device, according to the invention, is of the type comprising a rolling bearing forming an axial thrust bearing, a cup for a spring, and an elastic support block. The rolling bearing is placed between the cup and the elastic support block secured to the vehicle frame, and comprises an upper race placed inside a cap acting as an interface between said race and the elastic support block in contact with the cap, and a lower race. The cap has means of axially retaining the cup with a view to forming a unit assembly. Part of the cap covers the periphery of the cup and forms a means of axially retaining the cup relative to the cap, said cup being made of metal. Thus, the cap can be mounted on the cup without angularly orientating it beforehand, while at the same time allowing the use of a lower bearing race which is thin or is built into the cup.
In one embodiment of the invention, the cap comprises at least a radial protuberance directed inwardly arranged on the bore of a cylindrical part or the said cap, for example in the shape of a rim continuous or not, or of circumferentially distributed hooks, Advantageously, the cap comprises a sealing means adapted to cooperate with the cup, for example a sealing lip. The cylindrical part may form a narrow passage with the periphery of the cup.
Advantageously, the cap comprises a radial part adjacent to the cylindrical part and provided with a surface for bearing against the support block.
In one embodiment of the invention, the cap comprises a part of a shape that mates with the upper race.
In one embodiment of the invention, the cap comprises an inner cylindrical pan capable of interacting by its internal diameter with an axial part of the support block on which said cap comes for centering.
In one embodiment of the invention, the lower race and the cup form a single piece.
In another embodiment of the invention, the two races of the rolling bearing are identical.
The cup may be made of steel or light alloy.
The cap is made of a synthetic material, preferably a plastic material. The cap may be made of a material different from the one forming the elastic support block.
In one embodiment of the invention, the axial retaining of the bearing cup with the cap is made by diametral interference between the means of axially retaining of the cap and the periphery of the bearing cup.
In another embodiment of the invention, the axial retaining of the bearing cup with the cap is made by diametral interference between the means of axially retaining of the cap and tho periphery of an intermediary bearing seat of the spring arranged axially between the spring and the bearing cup.
The sealing of the thrust bearing is carried out, independently from the elastic support block, by means joined with the cage and/or the cap. There is thus obtained in a particularly economical way an assembly which combines the suspension thrust bearing and the lower cap forming a seat for the spring. What is more, this assembly is not very bulky, and is easy to assemble, to transport, to handle and to build into the vehicle suspension system.
The invention will be better understood from studying the detailed description of a number of embodiments taken by way of non-limiting examples and illustrated by the appended drawings, in which:
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Beghini Eric
Handke Gunther
Liesener Reinhard
Winslott Lars
Hansen Colby
Marmor Charles A
SKF France
Smith , Gambrell & Russell, LLP
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