Unit Bearing Assembly

Abstract

A unit bearing assembly (1) with an elastomer bearing body (2) in a rigid bearing housing (4) with an opening (3, 3′). A supporting member (5) takes hold through the opening (3, 3′), the supporting member braced on bearing body (2) and relative movements of the bearing body (2) with respect to the bearing housing (4) along three mutually orthogonal extension directions (X, Y, Z) of the bearing body (2), on both sides of a neutral position of each relative movement, is limited by stops (6, 6′, 7, 7′, 8, 8′) arranged on the bearing housing (4). For providing a unit bearing assembly (1) with a stable, robust, and dimensionally stable bearing housing (4), and provides stops (6, 6′, 7, 7′, 8, 8′) for movements the bearing housing (4) is designed free of joints and is molded in one piece in a forming process for receiving the bearing body (2).

Claims

1. A unit bearing assembly with an elastomeric bearing body (2) which is accommodated in a rigid bearing housing (4) comprising: at least on one side an opening (3, 3′), wherein at least one supporting member (5) which is supported on the bearing body (2) against the bearing housing (4) extends through the at least opening (3, 3′), wherein force-induced relative movements of the bearing body (2) in relation to the bearing housing (4) along three mutually orthogonal extension directions (X, Y, Z) of the bearing body (2) on both sides of a resting position of the respective relative movement are limited by stops (6, 6′, 7, 7′, 8, 8′) arranged on the bearing housing (4), and wherein the bearing housing (4) is designed without any joints and is formed in a forming process as one piece for accommodating the bearing body (2).

2. The unit bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bearing housing (4) essentially forms a hollow profile forming a through-hole (15) with two opposing openings (3, 3′).

3. The unit bearing assembly according to claim 2, wherein at least one edge region in form of at least one surface section (12, 12′) is formed on the at least one opening (3, 3′), wherein the at least one surface section (12, 12′) is articulated with respect to the housing wall (11) of the bearing housing and can be or is permanently pivoted once or several times at least in sections.

4. The unit bearing assembly according to claim 3, wherein the at least one surface section (12, 12′) is designed as part of a securing means of the bearing housing (4) or as a stop (6, 6′, 7, 7′, 8, 8′) of the supporting member (5) on the bearing housing (4).

5. The unit bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one U-shaped insertion part (10) is associated with the bearing housing (4), with the base and the legs of the insertion part (10) making contact with three sides of the bearing housing (4) at least over part of the respective side length in the operating position.

6. The unit bearing assembly according to claim 5, wherein at least one side surface of the insertion part (10) supports an end face of one of the pivoted surface sections (12, 12′) of the bearing housing.

7. The unit bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the supporting member (5) engages in the bearing housing (4) along an insertion direction along the longitudinal axis of the through-hole (15) of the bearing housing (4).

8. The unit bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the end of the supporting member (5) facing the bearing body (4) has a profile (16), which engages with the bearing body (4) on at least three sides, wherein a middle of these sides is completely covered along, its extension direction.

9. The unit bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the supporting member (5) has a U-shaped section (17), with the legs of the U-shaped section (17) arranged the neutral position of one of the directions of movement (X, Y, Z) on both sides of a surface section of the bearing housing (4) forming a stop (6, 6′, 7, 7′, 8, 8′) for this direction of movement (X, Y, Z).

10. The unit bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the stops (6, 6′, 7, 7′ 8, 8′), for limiting the movement is arranged on the bearing housing (4) forward of the bearing body (2), as seen from the direction of the unit.

11. The unit bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one wall opening (20), in which at least one fastening element connected to the bearing body (2) at least engages, is provided on the housing wall (11) of the bearing housing (4).

12. The unit bearing assembly according to claim 10, wherein the at least one of the stops are several stops (6, 6′, 7, 7′ 8, 8′) for limiting the movement.

13. The unit bearing assembly according to claim 2, wherein the two opposing openings (3, 3′) have an identical cross-section and between which a housing wall (11) of the bearing housing extends in form of a frame, with the frame enclosing the through-hole (15).

Description

[0021] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail below with reference to the drawing. In a partial schematic representation,

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a plan sectional side view of a first exemplary embodiment of the unit bearing assembly according to the invention with a bearing body, a bearing housing and a supporting member;

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a partially cut-away perspective side view the unit bearing assembly of FIG. 1 obliquely from above;

[0024] FIG. 3 shows an uncut perspective side view of the unit bearing assembly of FIG. 2;

[0025] FIG. 4 shows a perspective side view of the unit bearing assembly from FIGS. 1 to 3 as seen from the rear direction;

[0026] FIG. 5 shows a perspective front view of the unit bearing assembly from FIGS. 1 to 4 from the front below;

[0027] FIG. 6 shows a perspective side view obliquely from the right front of a bearing housing of a unit bearing assembly from the front with non-pivoted surface sections;

[0028] FIG. 7 shows a perspective side view obliquely from the left front of the bearing housing of FIG. 6 with pivoted surface sections;

[0029] FIG. 8 shows a perspective side view obliquely from the right rear of the bearing housing of FIG. 7; and

[0030] FIG. 9 shows a perspective side view obliquely from below of an exemplary embodiment of the unit bearing assembly with additional fastening means disposed between the bearing body and the bearing housing.

[0031] FIGS. 1 to 5 and 9 show a unit bearing assembly having the overall designation 1, with an elastomeric bearing body 2 which is accommodated in a rigid bearing housing 4 having at least on one side an opening, with a supporting member 5 that is not connected with the respective unillustrated unit and extends through the opening 3. The supporting member 5 is supported on the bearing body 2 against the bearing housing 4. The relative movements of the bearing body 2 against the bearing housing 4 caused by the forces acting on the unit along three mutually orthogonal extension directions X, Y, Z of the bearing body 2 on both sides of a neutral position of the respective relative movement can be limited by stops 6, 6′, 7, 7′, 8, 8′ arranged on the bearing housing. The unit bearing assembly is distinguished from the prior art in that the bearing housing 4 is constructed without any joints and can be formed in a forming process as one piece for accommodating the bearing body 2.

[0032] As can be easily seen, the bearing body 2 has a quadrangular cross-section and is accommodated in a through-hole 15 formed by the housing wall 11 of the bearing housing 4 extending between the two opposing openings 3, 3′. The through-hole 15 is thereby enclosed by the housing wall 11 of the bearing housing 4.

[0033] It is also evident that on the opening 3′ of the bearing housing 4 that faces the observer in FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 9, an edge region is formed with a plurality of surface section s 12, wherein the edge region is arranged opposite the housing wall 11 of the bearing housing 4 and is articulated and can be pivoted or is pivoted on the housing wall 11. In this case, the surface sections 12, 12′ form part of a securing means of the bearing housing 4, since a screw connection with a body part can be implemented at each of the fastening openings 13. The aforementioned securing means is completed by the articulated arm 9 arranged on the outer side of the bearing housing, so that the bearing housing 4 can be connected to vehicle body parts at three different points.

[0034] Another pivoted, quasi folded surface section is formed by the Y stop 7, 7′, which partly formed the pot bottom in the forming process of the bearing housing 4.

[0035] FIGS. 2 to 5 and 9 also show a U-shaped insertion part 10 which is associated with and arranged on the bearing housing 4 and which bears with its base and its legs in the operating position against three sides of the bearing housing 4 over a portion of the respective side length. With its forwardly facing side surface 14, the insertion part 10 supports a respective end face of one of the pivoted surface sections 12, 12′ of the bearing housing 4 and thus assists the force introduction via the surface sections 12, 17 by stiffening their construction. FIG. 4 shows that the rear side of the side surface 14 is supported against a projection 21 that is located on the outer housing wall 11 and extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of the through-hole 15.

[0036] FIGS. 1 to 5 and 9 show that the supporting member 5 engages with the bearing housing 4 in an insertion direction along the longitudinal axis of the through-hole 15 of the bearing housing 4. It is also evident that the supporting member 5 has on its end facing the bearing body 2 a profile 16 which engages the bearing body 2 on at least three sides, wherein a middle one of these sides is completely covered over its extension direction. Returning to FIG. 1, this figure only shows that the supporting member 5 has a U-shaped portion 17, with legs that are arranged in the neutral position of one of the directions of movement, namely the Y direction, on both sides of the surface section of the bearing housing 4 that forms a stop 7, 7′ for these directions of movement.

[0037] Overall, it is evident that when the supporting member is deflected out of its neutral position, the stops 6, 6′, 7, 7′, 8, 8′ make contact with correspondingly positioned elastomer sections 18 which are connected to the supporting member 5 via rubber-metal joints, and which, with a suitable strong deflection, comes into contact with the stops 6, 6′, 7, 7′, 8, 8′ formed by surface sections or regions of the housing wall 11. This situation can be seen particularly well in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5. The diagram of FIG. 5 shows very clearly the respective elastomer sections 18 in relation to the stops 6, 6′ in the X direction. FIG. 1 also illustrates that several stops 7, 7′, 8 for limiting the movement are arranged on the bearing housing 4 in front of the bearing body 2 as viewed from the direction of the unit.

[0038] FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of the unit bearing assembly wherein a wall opening 20 is introduced into the housing wall 11 of the bearing housing 4. A fastening element that is connected to the bearing body 2 extends through the wall opening 20, thereby correctly positioning the bearing body with respect to the bearing housing 4.

[0039] FIGS. 6 to 8 show only the pot-shaped bearing housing 4, in which a through-hole 15 is formed, which extends between the openings 3, 3′ of the bearing housing 4 and is enclosed by the housing wall 11. It is also evident that edge regions protrude transversely outwardly from the edge of the opening 3′, wherein the in FIG. 6 lower regions of the edge regions, as seen by an observer, can be pivoted about a swivel seam 19 so as to then form the surface sections 12, 12′ with the mounting openings 13, as seen in FIG. 7. FIGS. 6 to 8 show particularly clearly the design of the through-hole cross-section of the pot-shaped bearing housing 4, which has, with reference to FIG. 6, a slightly outwardly curved roof area which transitions at rounded corners into straight side sections which are slightly tapered towards one another at their lower end and then terminate again with a rounded shape in a flat bottom region. FIG. 8 shows once more in particular the stop 7, 7′, which is formed by a region of the former bottom of the drawn pot from which the bearing housing 4 has been formed. The portion of the stop 7 is hereby pivoted upward by 180 and previously formed the base region approximately to the height where the cross-section of the bearing housing 4 tapers.

[0040] Accordingly, the above-described invention relates to a unit bearing assembly 1 with an elastomeric bearing body 2, which is accommodated in a rigid bearing housing 4 having an opening 3, 3′ on at least on one side. At least one supporting member 5, which is supported on the bearing body 2 against the bearing housing 4, extends through the at least one opening 3, 3′, wherein stops 6, 6′, 7, 7′, 8, 8′ arranged on the bearing housing 4 are configured to limit the relative movements of the bearing body 2 caused by forces acting on the assembly relative to the bearing housing 4 along three mutually orthogonal extension directions X, Y, Z of the bearing body 2 on both sides of a neutral position of the respective relative movement. In order to provide a unit bearing assembly 1 with a stable, robust and dimensionally stable bearing housing 4, which has high ductility and provides a supporting member 5 engaging therewith stops 6, 6′, 7, 7′, 8, 8′ for movements in three spatial directions X, Y, Z, the bearing housing 4 is designed without any joints and can be formed in a forming process as one piece for accommodating the bearing body 2.

REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0041] 1 unit bearing assembly [0042] 2 bearing body [0043] 3, 3′ opening [0044] 4 bearing housing [0045] 5 supporting member [0046] 6, 6′ stop X-direction [0047] 7, 7′ stop Y-direction [0048] 8, 8′ stop Z-direction [0049] 9 articulated arm [0050] 10 insertion part [0051] 11 housing wall [0052] 12, 12′ surface section [0053] 13 mounting opening [0054] 14 side face insertion part [0055] 15 through-hole [0056] 16 end profile supporting member [0057] 17 U-shaped portion of the supporting member [0058] 18 elastomer section [0059] 19 swivel seam [0060] 20 wall opening [0061] 21 projection