Suspension strut bearing for a suspension strut

• US 20030002764A1
• Filed: 06/17/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co.KG (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: INA-Schaeffler KG
• Inventors: Weiss, Jurgen, Pflugner, Wolfgang, Zernickel, Alexander, Erhardt, Herbert
• Granted Patent: US 6,948,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 384/609
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 15/00 Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or type of combined spring and vibration damper, e.g. telescopic type combined spring and vibration-dampers per se F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 15/063 characterised by the mounting of the spring on the damper B60G15/065, B60G15/066 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/31 with the spring arranged around the damper, e.g. MacPherson strut
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/1242 on a damper, e.g. MacPerson strut
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/418 Bearings, e.g. ball or roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/10 for axial load mainly
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/05 Vehicle suspensions, e.g. bearings, pivots or connecting rods used therein in general B60G

Abstract

A suspension strut used in a wheel suspension of an automotive vehicle, includes a shock absorber, a suspension strut bearing, and a coil spring at least partially coaxially surrounding the shock absorber and having one spring end supported by the shock absorber. The suspension strut bearing includes two plastic carrier elements, and a roller bearing positioned between the carrier elements. One carrier element is a guide ring connected to a vehicle body of the vehicle, and the other carrier element is a single-piece housing having incorporated therein plural hollow chambers in partial concentric surrounding relationship to the shock absorber and formed with a guide collar and a support surface for supporting the other end of the coil spring. The guide ring has a radially inner collar and a radially outer collar which together receive the roller bearing and extend at least beyond a midsection of the roller bearing.

Claims

1. A suspension strut used in a wheel suspension of an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a shock absorber;

a suspension strut bearing defining a longitudinal axis; and

a coil spring arranged at least in part in coaxial surrounding relationship to the shock absorber and having opposite spring ends, one spring end supported by an abutment of the shock absorber,

wherein the suspension strut bearing includes a pair of carrier elements made of plastic material, and a roller bearing positioned between the carrier elements, one of the carrier elements configured as a guide ring connected to a body of the vehicle, and the other carrier element configured as a single-piece housing having incorporated therein plural hollow chambers in partial concentric surrounding relationship to the shock absorber and formed with a guide collar as well as a support surface for support of the other end of the coil spring,

wherein the guide ring has a radially inner collar and a radially outer collar which together define a ring groove therebetween for receiving the roller bearing, whereby the roller bearing is centered on at least one of the collars, with the collars extending at least beyond a midsection of the roller bearing,

wherein the radially inner collar is configured for engagement in a recess of the housing.

2. The suspension strut of claim 1, wherein the other spring end of the coil spring has a decreasing winding diameter for surrounding the guide collar of the housing on the outside.

3. The suspension strut of claim 1, wherein the guide collar has an axial length which exceeds at least one spring winding of the coil spring.

4. The suspension strut of claim 1, wherein the housing has a ring shoulder which extends inwards from the guide collar.

5. The suspension strut of claim 4, wherein the ring shoulder has a circular ring shaped configuration and extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

6. The suspension strut of claim 5, and further comprising a damping element abutting against the ring shoulder and held in form-fitting connection upon an inner wall of the guide collar.

7. The suspension strut of claim 5, and further comprising a damping element abutting against the ring shoulder and held with play in the guide collar.

8. The suspension strut of claim 4, wherein the ring shoulder is disposed in the housing in substantial axial alignment with the support surface of the housing.

9. The suspension strut of claim 1, wherein the support surface of the housing is formed with a stop member for restraining the other end of the coil spring against rotation in assembled state.

10. The suspension strut of claim 9, wherein the support surface ascends continuously at an angle in axial direction from the stop member in circumferential direction at least over a 90°

area.

11. The suspension strut of claim 10, wherein the support surface ascends in correspondence with a winding direction of the coil spring.

12. The suspension strut of claim 1, wherein the housing has a side which is distal to the support surface for the coil spring and is formed with a circumferential groove.

13. The suspension strut of claim 1, wherein the radially outer collar includes a radially inwardly directed projection for engagement in a radial groove of an outer wall of the housing for realizing a snap connection.

14. The suspension strut of claim 1, wherein the suspension strut bearing is a pre-assembled structure held together by a snap connection between the housing and the guide ring.

15. The suspension strut of claim 14, wherein the snap connection is constructed to form a labyrinth-type sealing gap.

16. The suspension strut of claim 1, wherein the hollow chambers of the housing are arranged in symmetric relationship.

17. The suspension strut of claim 16, wherein the hollow chambers of the housing are arranged in radially spaced-apart relationship.

18. The suspension strut of claim 16, wherein the hollow chambers of the housing are separated by intermediate walls arranged in a radiating manner so as to define hollow chambers of trapezoidal configuration.

19. The suspension strut of claim 16, wherein the housing has partition walls to ensure an axial separation of the hollow chambers.

20. The suspension strut of claim 16, wherein the hollow chambers of the housing extend in axial direction up to the guide collar.

21. A suspension strut bearing, comprising:

a housing defining an axis and having incorporated therein plural hollow chambers, said housing including a guide collar as well as a support surface for support of one end of a coil spring of a suspension strut;

a guide ring connected to a vehicle body and having a radially inner collar, received in a recess of the housing, and a radially outer collar; and

a roller bearing positioned between the housing and the guide ring,

wherein the collars of the guide ring extend in a direction of the axis at least beyond a midsection of the roller bearing.

22. The suspension strut bearing of claim 21, wherein the guide collar of the housing has an axial length which exceeds at least one spring winding of the coil spring.

23. The suspension strut bearing of claim 21, wherein the housing has a ring shoulder which extends inwards from the guide collar.

24. The suspension strut bearing of claim 23, wherein the ring shoulder has a circular ring shaped configuration and extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

25. The suspension strut bearing of claim 23, wherein the ring shoulder is disposed in the housing in substantial axial alignment with the support surface of the housing.

26. The suspension strut bearing of claim 21, wherein the support surface of the housing is formed with a stop member for restraining the end of the coil spring against rotation.

27. The suspension strut bearing of claim 26, wherein the support surface ascends continuously at an angle in axial direction from the stop member in circumferential direction at least over a 90°

area.

28. The suspension strut bearing of claim 21, wherein the housing has a side which is distal to the support surface for the coil spring and is formed with a circumferential groove for placement of a bearing ring of the roller bearing.

29. The suspension strut bearing of claim 21, wherein the radially outer collar includes a radially inwardly directed projection for engagement in a radial groove of an outer wall of the housing for realizing a snap connection.

30. The suspension strut bearing of claim 29, wherein the snap connection is constructed to form a labyrinth-type sealing gap.

31. The suspension strut bearing of claim 21, wherein the hollow chambers have a trapezoidal configuration.

32. The suspension strut bearing of claim 21, wherein the hollow chambers of the housing extend in axial direction up to the guide collar.