Breakaway shock isolating mount

• US 6,095,481 A
• Filed: 05/07/1999
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Norkus, James, Curley, William J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Braun, Leslie A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WUJCIAK, ALFRED J
• Application Number:
  US09/306,766
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 248/560, 248/635, 248/561, 248/562, 248/564, 248/602, 248/638, 225/94, 225/92, 225/93, 225/96, 225/96.5
• US Class Current: 248/560
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/15 Mounting of subframes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/16 Mounting of vehicle body on chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/41 Elastic mounts, e.g. bushings
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/4404 Retainers for holding a fixing element, e.g. bushing, nut, bolt etc., until it is tightly fixed in position
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 99/004 Other suspension arrangements with rubber springs
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 37/043 with snap action
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0241 with the possibility for the connection to absorb deformation, e.g. thermal or vibrational
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 1/3814 characterised by adaptations to counter axial forces F16F1/393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 1/44 loaded mainly in compression

Abstract

An improved shock isolating mount for securing a body part of a vehicle to a support is provided. The shock mount includes a two-part spool having: a spacer formed from an annular flange integral with a tube, the tube projecting through apertures in mating elastically resilient bodies and a mounting part of a vehicle body part disposed between them; and a thimble, formed from a flange integral with a tube designed such that the thimble tube can telescope into the spacer tube. The thimble tube is formed into a polygon shape at the tube shoulder adjacent the thimble flange and the spacer tube is formed in a matching polygon shape such that the thimble tube shoulder can mate with the spacer tube. The thimble tube has an enlarged end which is engaged by a plurality of inward protrusions mounted in the spacer tube to prevent the spacer and thimble assembly from accidental engagement. The thimble tube is internally threaded to engage a threaded fastener inserted through the support, through the spool tube, and into the thimble tube. Passing through the thimble flange surrounding the thimble tube are a plurality of perforations. Although the perforations preferably take the form of circular holes, they may be formed as elongated slots, curved elongated slots, or any of numerous other shapes, which extend through the thimble flange. The perforations are preferably equally spaced radially about the thimble tube.

Claims

1. A shock isolating mount for securing a mounting part of a structure onto a support, comprising:

a rigid spacer having a spacer flange and a spacer tube extending from the spacer flange;

a rigid thimble having a thimble flange and a thimble tube projecting from the thimble flange, the thimble tube being integral with the thimble flange and being telescopingly receivable in the spacer tube, the thimble flange having a plurality of perforations passing therethrough surrounding the thimble tube, each of the perforations having a size, shape and location selected to provide the shock isolating mount with a desired separation strength.

2. A shock isolating mount according to claim 1 wherein the perforations comprise a plurality of perforations equally spaced radially about the thimble tube.

3. A shock isolating mount according to claim 2 wherein the plurality of perforations comprise a plurality of circular holes passing through the thimble flange.

4. A shock isolating mount according to claim 2 wherein the plurality of perforations comprise a plurality of elongated holes passing through the thimble flange.

5. A shock isolating mount according to claim 2 wherein the plurality of perforations comprise a plurality of elongated curved holes passing through the thimble flange.

6. A shock isolating mount for securing a mounting part of a structure onto a support, comprising:

a rigid spacer having a spacer flange and a spacer tube extending from the spacer flange;

a rigid thimble having a thimble flange and a thimble tube projecting from the thimble flange, the thimble tube being integral with the thimble flange and being telescopingly receivable in the spacer tube, the thimble flange having a plurality of holes passing therethrough equally spaced radially about the thimble tube, each of the holes having a size, shape and location selected to provide the shock isolating mount with a desired separation strength.

7. In a shock isolating mount for securing a mounting part of a structure onto a support, the shock isolating mount comprising a rigid spacer having a spacer flange and a spacer tube projecting from the spacer flange, and a mating thimble, the improvement wherein the thimble comprises:

a thimble flange;

a thimble tube projecting from said thimble flange, said thimble tube being integral with said thimble flange and being telescopingly receivable in the spacer tube, said thimble flange having a plurality of perforations passing therethrough surrounding the thimble tube, each of the perforations having a size, shape and location selected to provide the shock isolating mount with a desired separation strength.

8. In a shock isolating mount according to claim 7 wherein the perforations comprise a plurality of perforations equally spaced radially about the thimble tube.

9. In a shock isolating mount according to claim 8 wherein the plurality of perforations comprise a plurality of circular holes passing through the thimble flange.

10. In a shock isolating mount according to claim 8 wherein the plurality of perforations comprise a plurality of elongated holes passing through the thimble flange.

11. In a shock isolating mount according to claim 8 wherein the plurality of perforations comprise a plurality of elongated curved holes passing through the thimble flange.