Spring element, in particular jounce bumper, for a vehicle suspension

Abstract

A spring element, in particular a jounce bumper, for a jounce bumper assembly, contains a longitudinal axis, a base body extending along the longitudinal axis, and an end portion configured for being brought into contact with a vehicle part moving relatively to the spring element. The base body is elastically deformable between an uncompressed basic state and a compressed state in which the base body is at least partially compressed in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The end portion contains a circumferential outer surface, and at least one recess in the circumferential outer surface. The recess extends inwards and defines a hollow space in the base body.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16: A spring element, comprising: a longitudinal axis and a base body extending along the longitudinal axis, the base body being elastically deformable between an uncompressed basic state and a compressed state in which the base body is at least partially compressed in the direction of the longitudinal axis, and an end portion configured for being brought into contact with a vehicle part moving relatively to the spring element; wherein the end portion comprises a circumferential outer surface and at least one recess in the circumferential outer surface, said at least one recess extending inwards and defining a hollow space in the base body, wherein the end portion comprises an end face, and the at least one recess is spaced apart from the end face in the direction of the longitudinal axis, and wherein the end face, in the uncompressed basic state of the base body, comprises a substantially planar surface and is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and the at least one recess is configured to collapse to allow the end face to assume a concave shape.

17: The spring element of claim 16, wherein the at least one recess extends radially towards the longitudinal axis, and has a maximal lateral width in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis that is smaller than a diameter of the base body in the end portion.

18: The spring element of claim 16, wherein the at least one recess extends all the way through the base body.

19: The spring element of claim 16, wherein the at least one recess extends to a predetermined depth in the base body, wherein said predetermined depth is less than half of the diameter of the base body.

20: The spring element of claim 19, comprising a first recess and a second recess opposite the first recess, each one extending to a predetermined depth in the base body, wherein said predetermined depth is less than half of the diameter of the base body.

21: The spring element of claim 16, wherein the base body comprises a plurality of recesses spaced-apart from one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis, in the circumferential outer surface, wherein said recesses respectively extend inwards and define a hollow space in the base body.

22: The spring element of claim 21, wherein at least one of the recesses spaced-apart from one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis extends to a predetermined depth in the base body, wherein said predetermined depth is less than half of the diameter of the base body.

23: The spring element of claim 16, wherein the base body comprises a recess, coaxial with the longitudinal axis, extending all the way through the end portion.

24: The spring element of claim 16, wherein the at least one recess in the circumferential outer surface has an oblong cross section in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein said cross section is defined by a lateral width in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and an axial width in the direction of the longitudinal axis, and wherein the lateral width is greater than the axial width.

25: The spring element of claim 16, wherein the base body is partly or completely composed of an elastomer that is compressible in volume.

26: A jounce bumper assembly for damping a relative movement of two vehicle parts to one another, comprising the spring element of claim 16 configured to be operatively coupled to a first vehicle part, wherein the end portion is positioned on the base body to face away from the first vehicle part when mounted, and is configured for being brought into contact with a second vehicle part moving relative to the spring element when mounted.

27: A vehicle, comprising: a first vehicle part, a second vehicle part, wherein the first vehicle part and the second vehicle part are configured to move relatively to one another during operation of the vehicle, and at least one jounce bumper assembly according to claim 26, wherein the spring element is operatively coupled to the first vehicle part.

28: The vehicle of claim 27, wherein the second vehicle part comprises a convex surface oriented such that the longitudinal axis of the spring element intersects the convex surface.

29: The spring element of claim 16, wherein the spring element is a jounce bumper for a jounce bumper assembly.

30: The spring element of claim 17, wherein the maximal lateral width is 90% or less of the diameter of the base body in the end portion.

31: The spring element of claim 23, wherein the recess coaxial with the longitudinal axis extends all the way through the base body.

32: The spring element of claim 24, wherein the lateral width is 110% of the axial width or greater.

33: The spring element of claim 24, wherein the lateral width is 200% of the axial width or greater.

34: The spring element of claim 25, wherein the base body is partly or completely composed of a cellular polyisocyanate polyaddition product.

35: The vehicle of claim 28, wherein the second vehicle part comprises a cylindrical surface.

Description

[0047] The invention will hereinafter be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiments herein,

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a jounce bumper assembly that is part of a vehicle suspension having a spring element according to a first preferred embodiment,

[0049] FIG. 2 shows a first cross sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 1,

[0050] FIG. 3 shows a second cross sectional view of the assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2,

[0051] FIG. 4 shows a third cross sectional view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3,

[0052] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of an assembly according to a second preferred embodiment,

[0053] FIG. 6 shows a first cross sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 5,

[0054] FIG. 7 shows a second cross sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6,

[0055] FIG. 8 shows a third cross sectional view of the embodiment of FIGS. 5-7; and

[0056] FIG. 9 shows a cross sectional view of a third preferred embodiment.

[0057] In FIG. 1, a jounce bumper assembly 100 is depicted. The jounce bumper assembly 100 comprises a spring element 1 and a spacer 50. The spring element 1 comprises a base body 3. The spring element 1 and spacer 50 are mounted together and held coaxially to a longitudinal axis L of the spring element 1. The spring element 1 comprises a tip end 4 and a base end 6 which is mounted in the spacer 50. On the tip end 4, the spring element 1 comprises an end portion 5 having a circumferential outer surface 2. A recess 7 is formed in the end portion 5 and extends from the outer circumferential surface 2 inwards towards the longitudinal axis.

[0058] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the recess 7 has an oblong, in this case elliptical, shape which is defined by a lateral width w.sub.l and an axial width w.sub.a. The lateral width w.sub.l is greater than the axial width w.sub.a. The lateral width is measured in a plain perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and the axial width is parallel, in particular coaxial to the longitudinal axis L. The lateral width w.sub.l is smaller than diameter d of the base body 3 of the spring element 1.

[0059] On the base end 6, the base body 3 comprises a second end portion 8 having a plurality of retention elements 10 extending radially outwards from the base body 3. The retention elements 10 are in engagement with corresponding recesses and protrusions 53 provided on the spacer 50, and are axially spaced apart in the direction of the longitudinal axis to provide proper retention the base body 3 inside the spacer 50.

[0060] The spacer 50 comprises a sleeve insert 51 for installation purposes.

[0061] In addition to the laterally extending recess 7, the base body 3 comprises a further recess 9 extending coaxially to the longitudinal axis L, and at the present embodiment extending all the way through the base body 3 from the base end 6 to the tip end 4. The recesses 7, 9 intersect one another. In alternative preferred embodiments, the base body 3 is solid, i.e. without a coaxially extending recess.

[0062] As can best be seen from FIG. 3, the recess 7 extends all the way through the base body 3 from one side of the outer circumferential surface 3 to the opposite side of the outer circumferential surface 2. The recess 7 is spaced apart from a substantially planar surface (in the uncompressed state, which is shown) on the tip end 4 of the end portion 5.

[0063] By virtue of this, the base body in the cross section C-C shown in FIG. 4 is reduced to two parallel elongate pylons 14, 16, providing for significant flexibility of the end portion 5 of base body 3.

[0064] While FIGS. 1-4 show a first preferred embodiment of the invention, FIG. 5 shows a second preferred embodiment of a jounce bumper assembly 100′ having the same spacer 50 as the first embodiment, but a modified spring element 1′. With respect to the spring element 1′, most structural and functional features are identical to the spring element 1 show in FIGS. 1-4. For this reason, identical elements are provided with identical reference signs, and reference is made to the description hereinabove for those.

[0065] A main distinction between the two embodiments of FIGS. 1-4 on the one hand side and FIG. 5-8 on the other hand side is that there is a first recess 7a extending from the outer circumferential surface 2, and a second recess 7b extending from the opposite side of the outer circumferential surface 2. Both recesses 7a, 7b extend towards the longitudinal axis L, but only to a predetermined depth which is less than half the diameter d of the base body 3 of the spring element 1′.

[0066] FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view in a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the recesses 7a, 7b extend, which is why the recesses are not visible in FIG. 6. As can be seen from FIG. 6, in particular, the inner recess 9 extends coaxially along the longitudinal axis L entirely through the base body 3 of spring element 1′ without being intersected by the lateral recesses 7a, b. The flexibility in the end portion 5 is not significantly impeded.

[0067] In FIG. 7, which is a cross sectional view perpendicular to the view of FIG. 6, the reduced depth of the recesses 7a, b is illustrated. In between the recesses 7a, b and the coaxial inner recess 9, a residual wall section 13a is formed. Also the recesses 7a, b are spaced apart from the tip end 4 of the end portion 5.

[0068] As can then be seen in FIG. 8, in addition to the peripheral pylons 14, 16, the base body additional comprises the residual wall section 13a and then two radially extending ribs 13b which close off the respective recesses 7a, 7b.

[0069] The embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-8 show a spring element 1; 1′ having one or two recesses 7; 7a,b. Other configurations having a higher number of recesses arranged at identical or varying angles to one another are however also within the scope of the invention.

[0070] For example, FIG. 9 shows a spring element 1″ which comprises, when compared to the above-described two embodiments, an elongated end portion 5. The spring element 1″ comprises, in that end portion 5, a first set 7′ of recesses 7a,b and, axially spaced apart therefrom, in the direction of the longitudinal axis L, a second set 7″ of recesses 7c,d. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the recesses are formed in the same manner as they are formed in the second preferred embodiment of the invention. It would however also be within the scope of the invention if the first set of recesses 7′ were to consists of one continuous recess as in the first preferred embodiment, and the second set of recesses 7″ were also to consist of one continuous recess as in the first preferred embodiment.

[0071] Also, embodiments are within the scope of invention wherein the end portion 5 comprises one continuous recess extending all through the base body as in the first embodiment, and, axially spaced apart therefrom, a set of two recesses as in the second and third embodiments. For identical reference signs, reference is made to the description herein above for FIGS. 1-8 to avoid a necessary repetition.

[0072] Furthermore, while both embodiments show only a recess 7; 7a,b with an elliptical cross section, other cross sectional shapes of the recess are also within the scope of the invention as explained in the description above. For example, the recesses 7; 7a,b might have a cross section that is polygonal, for example rectangular, or shaped as a combination of a polygon and rounded/curved edges.