Damper for a vehicle having a flange for connecting an external module tube

Abstract

A shock absorber having a shock absorber tube (10) is disclosed and has an external module tube (11) which is connected to the shock absorber tube (10) via a flange (12), wherein the flange (12) has one or more fluid ducts (13, 14) which fluidly couple the module tube (11) to the shock absorber tube (10). The flange (12) has at least one metallic support cage (15) which forms a retentive connection between the shock absorber tube (10) and the module tube (11), and the flange (12) has a plastics body (16) in which the fluid duct (13, 14) for the fluidic coupling of the module tube (11) to the shock absorber tube (10) is formed.

Claims

1. A shock absorber comprising: a shock absorber tube; an external module tube; and a flange connecting the external module tube to the shock absorber tube, the flange further comprising: a metallic support cage forming a retentive connection between the shock absorber tube and the module tube; a plastic body received in the metallic support cage; and one or more fluid ducts formed in the plastic body which fluidly couple the module tube to the shock absorber tube, and wherein the metallic support cage is arranged on an outside of and in contact engagement with the plastic body to form the sides of the plastic body.

2. The shock absorber as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metallic support cage is formed from a sheet-metal component produced by deformation processes, or wherein the plastic body is produced by way of a plastics injection molding process.

3. The shock absorber as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more fluid ducts is formed by passages in the plastic body.

4. The shock absorber as claimed in claim 3, wherein sealing elements for sealing the passages are arranged between the plastic body and the shock absorber tube and/or the module tube.

5. The shock absorber according to claim 1, wherein the one or more fluid ducts are formed by metallic tube elements which are received in the plastic body.

6. The shock absorber as claimed in claim 5, wherein sealing elements for sealing between the metallic tube elements and the shock absorber tube or the module tube are arranged between the metallic tube elements and the shock absorber tube or the module tube.

7. The shock absorber as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metallic support cage is substance bonded to the shock absorber tube and to the module tube.

8. The shock absorber as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flange is delimited by inwardly-arched abutment sides shaped to the curvature of the shock absorber tube and the module tube.

9. The shock absorber as claimed in claim 8, wherein the metallic support cage has edge regions engaged with the shock absorber tube and the module tube.

10. The shock absorber as claimed in claim 9, wherein the edge regions of the metallic support cage are substance bonded to the shock absorber tube and to the module tube.

11. The shock absorber as claimed in claim 10, wherein the edge regions of the metallic support cage are welded to the shock absorber tube and to the module tube.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a shock absorber with a shock absorber tube, a module tube and a flange which connects the tubes, as per a first possible embodiment,

(2) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the flange having the features of the present invention as per the first embodiment,

(3) FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the flange as per the first embodiment,

(4) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a flange in a modified embodiment and in a partially sectional view,

(5) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a shock absorber with a shock absorber tube, a module tube and a flange which connects the tubes, as per a further possible embodiment,

(6) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the flange as per the further embodiment shown in FIG. 5, wherein the plastics body is illustrated in section, and

(7) FIG. 7 shows the exemplary embodiment of the flange as per FIGS. 5 and 6 in a non-sectional view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) FIG. 1 shows, as a first exemplary embodiment and in a perspective view, parts of a shock absorber having a shock absorber tube 10 and having an external module tube 11, and a flange 12 is arranged between the shock absorber tube 10 and the external module tube 11. The flange 12 connects the module tube 11 to the shock absorber tube 10, and the module tube 11 is held mechanically on the shock absorber tube 10 by way of the flange 12. The shock absorber tube 10 and the module tube 11 are shown merely schematically, and in the module tube 11 there may be accommodated, for example, a valve assembly which fluidically communicates with the shock absorber tube 10 via fluid ducts in the flange 12. Alternatively, in the module tube 11, there may be formed an additional absorber volume, which likewise requires fluid ducts in the flange 12 in order to fluidically communicate with the shock absorber tube 10. The exemplary embodiment of the flange 12 is illustrated in detail in the following FIG. 2.

(9) FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a flange 12 for connecting a shock absorber tube 10 to an external module tube 11, as shown in FIG. 1. The flange 12 has a metallic support cage 15 in which a plastics body 16 is received. The metallic support cage 15 is formed from a sheet-metal component produced by deformation processes, and on the top side, the sheet-metal component of the support cage 15 has a connecting region 22. It is thus possible for the sheet-metal component to be provided initially from a flat punched strip, before subsequently being bent into the box shape that is shown. Finally, in the connecting region 22, a connection of the opposite ends of the sheet-metal component may be produced in order to realize a mechanically loadable support cage 15.

(10) In the longitudinal direction, the flange 12 is delimited by abutment sides 23 which are inwardly arched, and the arching is adapted to the curvature of the outer side of the shock absorber tube 10 and of the module tube 11. It is thus possible for the abutment sides 23 to surround the outer circumference of the tubes 10 and 11 in the region of overlap, without a gap being formed between the flange 12 and the outer side of the shock absorber tube 10 and/or of the module tube 11. For the connection of the tubes 10, 11 to the abutment sides 23, the metallic support cage 15 has edge regions 26 which face toward the tubes 10, 11, and a substance bounded connection can be produced between the edge regions 26 and the outer surface of the tubes 10, 11. In this case, the edge regions 26 border the abutment sides 23 of the flange 12, such that, for example, an encircling weld in the edge region 23 can connect the tubes 10, 11.

(11) In the plastics body 16 there are formed fluid ducts 13 and 14 which are formed by simple passages 17, 18 in the plastics body 16, such that the module tube 11 can fluidically communicate with the shock absorber tube 10 through the fluid ducts 13 and 14.

(12) In the side regions of the metallic support cage 15 there are formed windows 24, by means of which a further reduction of the weight of the flange 12 is realized. Furthermore, the plastics body 16 has an outer contour 25 which is adapted to the passages 17 and 18 and which likewise serves to realize a further optimization of the overall weight of the flange 12.

(13) FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of the flange 12 as per FIG. 2. The cross section runs along one of the fluid ducts 13, 14 which are formed by simple passages 17, 18 in the plastics body 16. The plastics body 16 is enclosed by the metallic support cage 15, which is likewise illustrated in cross section. In the region of the abutment sides 23, there are fitted sealing elements 19 in the form of O-ring seals for the purposes of sealing off the fluid ducts 13, 14. When the shock absorber tube 10 and the module tube 11 are arranged against the abutment sides 23 of the flange 12, the sealing elements 19 are compressed, such that a sealing action is generated between the plastics body 16 and the shock absorber tube 10 and the module tube 11, respectively.

(14) In a modification of the first exemplary embodiment as per FIGS. 2 and 3, the further exemplary embodiment as per FIG. 4 shows a flange 12 with a metallic support cage 15 in which a plastics body 16 is accommodated, and the fluid ducts 13, 14 in the plastics body 16 are formed by tube elements 20, 21 which run approximately parallel to one another and which extend between the abutment sides 23. Sealing elements 19 are arranged on the ends of the tube elements 20, 21 in order that, when the shock absorber tube 10 and the module tube 11 are arranged against the abutment sides 23, a sealing action is generated between the tube elements 20 and 21 and the shock absorber tube 10 and the external module tube 11 respectively.

(15) The plastics body 16 may be formed for example from a fiber-reinforced polyamide, if the fluid ducts 13 and 14 are formed by passages 17 and 18, which are formed directly in the plastics body 16. Furthermore, the plastics body 16 may be formed from an elastic, for example rubber-like, material, in particular if tube elements 20, 21 are used to form the fluid ducts 13, 14. In particular if tube elements 20, 21 are used, a fluidic pressure in the fluid ducts 13 and 14 does not act on the plastics body 16, such that the latter does not need to withstand high pressures.

(16) FIG. 5 shows, in a perspective view, a further possible exemplary embodiment of a flange 12 between a shock absorber tube 10 and an external module tube 11. The flange 12 connects the module tube 11 to the shock absorber tube 10, and the module tube 11 is mechanically retained on the shock absorber tube 10 by way of the flange 12, wherein the construction of the flange 12 will be described in more detail below in conjunction with FIGS. 6 and 7.

(17) FIGS. 6 and 7 show the flange 12 for arrangement between a shock absorber tube 10 and a module tube 11 as per FIG. 5 in a partially sectional view (FIG. 6) and in a complete perspective external view (FIG. 7). Here, the partially sectional view as per FIG. 6 shows the support cage 15 in its entirety, and the plastics body 16 is illustrated in a half-section, such that an open half of the support cage 15 is freely visible.

(18) In this exemplary embodiment, the support cage 15 forms an insert component in the plastics body 16, such that the plastics body 16 substantially completely surrounds the support cage 15. This variant of the flange 12 can be produced in an advantageous manner in particular by way of an injection molding process in which the metallic support cage 15 can form an insert component in the injection molding die, and the material of the plastics body 16 is injected around the support cage 15 in the injection molding process. For weight optimization, the support cage 15 has recesses 28 which are formed, for example, as circular holes and which permit a weight reduction, similarly to the windows 24 in the support cage 15 as per the first exemplary embodiment in FIG. 2.

(19) On the abutment side 23 of the flange 12 for coupling to the tubes 10, 11, the support cage 15 has connecting tongues 27 which protrude out of the plastics body 16 even after the encapsulation of the support cage 15 in the plastics body 16. Here, the connecting tongues 27 serve for the substance bonded connection of the tubes 10, 11, and may for example be welded to the latter. The welding of the connecting tongues 27 to the tubes 10, 11 may be realized in this case by means of a welding tool which can be moved to the connecting tongues 27 via access openings 29 shown in FIG. 7. The welding tool may be formed for example by a laser beam or by a welding electrode. It is likewise advantageously possible for the welded connection between the connecting tongues 27 and the tubes 10, 11 to be realized by way of a resistance welding process.

(20) The fluid ducts 13, 14 may be formed in the same way as has already been described in conjunction with FIG. 3 and in conjunction with FIG. 4. At the front side there are illustrated sealing elements 19 which are inserted into receiving depressions for receiving said sealing elements. Here, the receiving depressions are formed in the plastics body 16 and may comprise grooves into which lugs arranged on the sealing elements 19 can be seated in order to ensure radial orientation of the sealing elements 19. This may be necessary since the abutment sides 23 of the flange 12 are adapted to the curvature of the tube outer side of the tubes 10, 11, whereby the sealing elements 19 may exhibit a varying cord thickness and are thus likewise adapted to the curvature of the tube outer sides, whereby said sealing elements require radial orientation.

(21) The invention is not restricted, with regard to its embodiment, to the preferred exemplary embodiments specified above. Rather, numerous variants are conceivable which make use of the presented solution even in fundamentally different embodiments. All of the features and/or advantages which emerge from the claims, the description or the drawings, including structural details or spatial arrangements, may be essential to the invention both individually and in a wide variety of combinations.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(22) 10 Shock absorber tube 11 External module tube 12 Flange 13 Fluid duct 14 Fluid duct 15 Metallic support cage 16 Plastics body 17 Passage 18 Passage 19 Sealing element 20 Tube element 21 Tube element 22 Connecting region 23 Abutment side 24 Window 25 Adapted external contour 26 Edge region 27 Connecting tongue 28 Recess 29 Access opening