Assembly guide for vehicle spring and method
First Claim
1. A method for installing a coil spring to a suspension component of a vehicle, the method comprising:
- providing a shock absorbing member adapted to absorb shock loads transmitted from suspension components on the vehicle;
providing a mounting interface member configured to engage the shock absorbing member and to fixedly mount the shock absorbing member to the suspension component of the vehicle;
providing a spring guide including a seating portion configured to mate with one end of a coil spring and flexible fingers extending from the seating portion, the flexible fingers being configured to guide a coil spring during installation of the coil spring onto the vehicle;
fixedly mounting the mounting interface member and the shock absorbing member to the vehicle; and
detachably mounting the spring guide to the mounting interface member by engaging the flexible fingers with the mounting interface member.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle spring guide assembly is shown for mounting a coil spring to a suspension component of a vehicle. The assembly can include a vehicle mounting member and a spring guide member. The vehicle mounting member includes a bumper portion and a mounting interface portion. The mounting interface portion can be configured to engage the bumper portion and fixedly mount the bumper portion to a suspension component of a vehicle. The spring guide member can include an annular portion configured to engage with one end of a coil spring and a flexible frustoconical portion configured to extend within the inside diameter of the coil spring. The flexible frustoconical portion can be detachably engaged with the mounting interface portion of the vehicle mounting member, and can be configured to guide and isolate the coil spring during assembly.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for installing a coil spring to a suspension component of a vehicle, the method comprising:
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providing a shock absorbing member adapted to absorb shock loads transmitted from suspension components on the vehicle; providing a mounting interface member configured to engage the shock absorbing member and to fixedly mount the shock absorbing member to the suspension component of the vehicle; providing a spring guide including a seating portion configured to mate with one end of a coil spring and flexible fingers extending from the seating portion, the flexible fingers being configured to guide a coil spring during installation of the coil spring onto the vehicle; fixedly mounting the mounting interface member and the shock absorbing member to the vehicle; and detachably mounting the spring guide to the mounting interface member by engaging the flexible fingers with the mounting interface member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A vehicle spring guide assembly adapted for installing a coil spring to a suspension component of a vehicle, the vehicle spring guide assembly comprising:
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means for mounting the vehicle spring guide assembly to the vehicle; and means for positioning and guiding a coil spring during installation of the coil spring to a suspension component of the vehicle, wherein the means for mounting the vehicle spring guide assembly includes means for sliding with respect to the means for positioning and guiding a coil such that during installation of the coil the means for positioning and guiding a coil slides with respect to the means for mounting the vehicle spring, and the means for positioning and guiding a coil spring includes resilient engagement fingers for detachably mounting the means for positioning and guiding a coil spring to the means for mounting the vehicle spring guide assembly to the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A vehicle spring guide assembly adapted for installing a coil spring to a suspension component of a vehicle, the vehicle spring guide assembly comprising:
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means for mounting the vehicle spring guide assembly to the vehicle; and means for positioning and guiding a coil spring during installation of the coil spring to a suspension component of the vehicle, wherein the means for mounting the vehicle spring guide assembly includes means for sliding with respect to the means for positioning and guiding a coil such that during installation of the coil the means for positioning and guiding a coil slides with respect to the means for mounting the vehicle spring, and the means for positioning and guiding a coil spring includes an annular seating portion for receiving one end of a coil spring and flexible engagement fingers extending from the annular seating portion for detachably positioning the means for positioning and guiding a coil spring adjacent the means for mounting the vehicle spring guide assembly to the vehicle.
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Specification