Suspension spring adjusting apparatus of hydraulic shock absorber

• US 7,967,117 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2006
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Showa Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Abe, Shigenobu
• Primary Examiner(s): King; Bradley T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Irvin; Thomas
• Application Number:
  US11/424,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20070144847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: 310/413, 310/418
• US Class Current: 188/299.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/3207 Constructional features F16F9/34 - F16F9/50 take precedence; assembly or repair F16F9/3271
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/463 characterised by electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/54 Arrangements for attachment grommet-type rubber mounting springs per se F16F1/3732; construction of cylinder ends F16F9/3242; attachments to vehicles B60G13/001, B60G15/00

Abstract

In a suspension spring adjusting apparatus of a hydraulic shock absorber, a mounting structure of a motor to a spring adjusting case is constituted by a three-point support structure in a plan view including a motor shaft of the motor.

Claims

1. A suspension spring adjusting apparatus of a hydraulic shock absorber comprising:

a piston rod inserted into a cylinder;

a spring adjusting jack provided in an outer periphery of the cylinder;

a jack chamber provided in a spring adjusting case in which the spring adjusting jack is fixed to the outer periphery of the cylinder, wherein a plunger is provided in the jack chamber, a pump supplying a hydraulic pressure to the jack chamber installed in the spring adjusting case, a motor driving the pump provided in the spring adjusting case, and the motor is covered by a case cover attached to the spring adjusting case; and

a suspension spring interposed between a spring receiver supported by the plunger of the spring adjusting jack and a spring receiver provided on a side of the piston rod,

wherein a mounting structure of the motor to the spring adjusting case is constituted by a three-point support structure in a plan view including a motor shaft of the motor;

two points of the three-point support structure are located at a leading end side of a direction along the motor shaft of the motor and one point of the three-point structure is located at a terminal end side of the direction along the motor shaft of the motor;

wherein the two points of the three-point support structure located at the leading end side of the motor are constituted by a structure of fixing two mounting bosses provided in a speed reducer arranged in the leading end side of the motor in the direction along the motor shaft of the motor to the spring adjusting case by a bolt, and the one point of the three-point support structure is constituted by a structure of screwing a mounting holder wound around a mounting protrusion provided in the terminal end side of the motor in the direction along the motor shaft of the motor to a mounting stay provided in a rising manner on the spring adjusting case;

wherein a center of gravity of the motor is arranged in a triangle obtained by connecting three points of the three-point support structure of the motor.

2. A suspension spring adjusting apparatus of a hydraulic shock absorber as claimed in claim 1, wherein a mounting error in a direction parallel to the bolt is absorbed by applying the mounting protrusion of the motor to a mounting surface of the mounting stay in a fastening and rotating direction of the bolt,

wherein a mounting error in a direction normal to the screwing hole is absorbed by forming the screwing hole of the mounting holder as a slot, and

wherein a mounting error in a direction parallel to the motor shaft is absorbed by arranging the mounting holder away from the motor in the direction along the motor shaft.

3. A suspension spring adjusting apparatus of a hydraulic shock absorber as claimed in claim 2, wherein the speed reducer is provided with the two mounting bosses at two points on a plane which is orthogonal to an output shaft of the speed reducer,

wherein a round hole for the bolt is provided in one mounting boss, and

wherein an oblong hole for the bolt is provided in the other mounting boss.

4. A suspension spring adjusting apparatus of a hydraulic shock absorber as claimed in claim 3, wherein a motor mounting seat surface is provided at two points of a mounting mating surface with the case cover in the spring adjusting case, a cylindrical spacer is raised on the motor mounting seat surface, and the mounting bolt inserted to each of the round hole and the oblong hole of two mounting bosses in the speed reducer of the motor is screwed to a mounting hole of the motor mounting seat surface through a hollow portion of the spacer.

5. A suspension spring adjusting apparatus of a hydraulic shock absorber as claimed in claim 1, wherein the speed reducer is provided with the two mounting bosses at two points on a plane which is orthogonal to an output shaft of the speed reducer,

wherein a round hole for the bolt is provided in one mounting boss, and

wherein an oblong hole for the bolt is provided in the other mounting boss.

6. A suspension spring adjusting apparatus of a hydraulic shock absorber as claimed in claim 5, wherein a motor mounting seat surface is provided at two points of a mounting mating surface with the case cover in the spring adjusting case, a cylindrical spacer is raised on the motor mounting seat surface, and the mounting bolt inserted to each of the round hole and the oblong hole of two mounting bosses in the speed reducer of the motor is screwed to a mounting hole of the motor mounting seat surface through a hollow portion of the spacer.

7. A suspension spring adjusting apparatus of a hydraulic shock absorber as claimed in claim 6, wherein a stay mounting seat surface is provided in a mounting mating surface with the case cover in the spring adjusting case, the stay mounting seat surface is provided with a stay mounting hole and a stay rotation preventing hole, a mounting leg of the mounting stay is seated on the stay mounting seat surface, a rotation preventing pin in the mounting leg is locked into the stay rotation preventing hole, and the mounting screw inserted to the thread hole of the mounting leg is screwed to the stay mounting hole.