SPRING PLATE

Abstract

A spring plate for supporting a vehicle suspension spring, with a surface facing toward the vehicle suspension spring and with at least one support point, wherein the spring plate has a region which extends from the surface in the direction of the vehicle suspension spring and forms the support point, and wherein a sheet-metal element acting as a corrosion protection element is fastened to the extended region and is in contact with the vehicle suspension spring in all operating states.

Claims

1.-8. (canceled)

9. A spring plate configured to support a vehicle suspension spring, the spring plate comprising: a surface facing toward the vehicle suspension spring and with at least one support point; a region that extends from the surface in the direction of the vehicle suspension spring and forms the support point; and a sheet-metal element configured to act as a corrosion protection element, the sheet-metal element fastened to the region and configured to contact the vehicle suspension spring in all operating states.

10. The spring plate of claim 9, wherein the sheet-metal element consists essentially of zinc or of a zinc alloy.

11. The spring plate of claim 9, wherein the sheet-metal element includes limbs that are bent around the region to fasten the sheet-metal element.

12. The spring plate of claim 9, wherein the spring plate consists essentially of plastic.

13. The spring plate of claim 12, wherein the region is formed as a one-piece construction with the spring plate and the spring plate is produced by injection molding.

14. The spring plate of claim 9, wherein the spring plate consists essentially of metal.

15. The spring plate of claim 14, wherein the region is formed as a one-piece construction with the spring plate and the spring plate is produced by casting.

16. The spring plate of claim 14, wherein the region is formed as a one-piece construction with the spring plate and is produced by shaping the spring plate.

Description

[0014] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing. Specifically:

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a spring plate according to the invention,

[0016] FIG. 2 shows the support point formed by the extended region of the spring plate with a corrosion protection element attached thereto.

[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a spring plate according to the invention, in which the surface 1 facing toward the vehicle suspension spring (not illustrated) is illustrated in a perspective view. The surface 1 has an end stop 10 on which an end face of the vehicle suspension spring, which is formed as a helical compression spring, is supported during operation. Furthermore, a region 3 which extends from the spring plate material is present and forms a defined support point for the vehicle suspension spring (not illustrated). In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the spring plate has been produced from a sheet-metal-like semifinished product by shaping and the extended region has also been created by shaping.

[0018] The extended region 3 is in the form of a bridge and bears a sheet-metal element 4 acting as a corrosion protection element. This sheet-metal element 4 is thus arranged on the support point 2 and is in contact with the spring in all operating states, i.e. in particular in all spring deflection states of the vehicle suspension spring. In this way, the corrosion protection element acts on the vehicle suspension spring in a permanent and uninterrupted manner.

[0019] In the solution according to the invention, a separate spring pad can be entirely dispensed with. It is also advantageous that the corrosion protection element can be simply, and furthermore also detachably and thus exchangeably, connected to the spring plate.

[0020] FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged detail of the spring plate according to the invention. The detail illustrated shows the extended region 3 of the spring plate on an enlarged scale. It can clearly be seen that the sheet-metal element 4 acting as a corrosion protection element has limbs 5 which are bent around the extended region 3 of the spring plate to fasten the sheet-metal element 4. This type of fastening makes it possible for the sheet-metal element 4, if required, to be pulled off again from the extended region 3 of the spring plate and replaced by a new sheet-metal element 4. Interchanging the corrosion protection element thus makes it possible to ensure permanent corrosion protection of the spring over the entire service life of the vehicle.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0021] 1 Surface [0022] 2 Support point [0023] 3 Extended region [0024] 4 Sheet-metal element [0025] 5 Limb [0026] 10 Stop face