BEARING ELEMENT AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A STABILIZER OF A VEHICLE

Abstract

A bearing element for receiving a stabilizer on a vehicle may include a first elastomer body and a second elastomer body that are of half-shell-shaped design and that are arranged on one another so as to form a receiving passage. The receiving passage may receive a stabilizer rod of the stabilizer. The first and second elastomer bodies can be pressed onto and cohesively attached to the stabilizer rod of the stabilizer such that the stabilizer rod extends through the receiving passage. Further, the inner contour of the receiving passage may be configured so as to deviate from a circular contour.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. A bearing element for receiving a stabilizer on a vehicle, the bearing element comprising a first elastomer body and a second elastomer body that are half-shell shaped and that are disposed on one another so as to form a receiving passage for receiving a stabilizer rod of the stabilizer, with an inner contour of the receiving passage deviating from a circular contour, wherein the first and second elastomer bodies are configured to be pressed onto and cohesively attached to the stabilizer rod such that the stabilizer rod extends through the receiving passage.

14. The bearing element of claim 13 further comprising an adhesive or an adhesion promoter configured to be disposed between the first and second elastomer bodies and the stabilizer rod, wherein the inner contour of the receiving passage is configured such that the adhesive or the adhesion promoter is pressed uniformly between the inner contour and the stabilizer rod when the first and second elastomer bodies are pressed onto the stabilizer rod.

15. The bearing element of claim 13 wherein the inner contour of the receiving passage is configured such that a uniform distribution of the adhesive or the adhesion promoter is generated over a circumference of the stabilizer rod when the first and second elastomer bodies are pressed onto the stabilizer rod.

16. The bearing element of claim 13 wherein the inner contour of the receiving passage comprises thickened portions that project into the receiving passage for guiding the stabilizer rod, the thickened portions being deformable when the first and second elastomer bodies are disposed on the stabilizer rod.

17. The bearing element of claim 16 wherein the first and second elastomer bodies are joined together from a joining direction, wherein the thickened portions are formed in the inner contour laterally with respect to the joining direction.

18. The bearing element of claim 16 wherein the first and second elastomer bodies are joined together from a joining direction, wherein the thickened portions are formed in the inner contour in a region of the joining direction.

19. The bearing element of claim 13 further comprising two or four thickened portions disposed over a circumference of the inner contour.

20. The bearing element of claim 13 further comprising thickened portions disposed in the inner contour in a state in which the elastomer bodies are not subjected to force.

21. The bearing element of claim 13 wherein at least one of the first or second elastomer bodies is seated in a receiving means, wherein a deviation of the inner contour is formed by a shaping of the receiving means.

22. A method for arranging a bearing element on a stabilizer rod of a stabilizer for a vehicle, the method comprising: positioning a first elastomer body and a second elastomer body on one another so as to form a receiving passage for the stabilizer rod of the stabilizer, wherein the first and second elastomer bodies each have a half-shell shape, wherein the receiving passage has an inner contour that deviates from a circular contour; and pressing the first and second elastomer bodies onto the stabilizer rod with elastic deformation of the inner contour of the receiving passage such that the inner contour molds onto a contour of the stabilizer rod and such that the stabilizer rod of the stabilizer extends through the receiving passage.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein at least one of the first or second elastomer bodies is received in a receiving means, the method further comprising shaping the receiving means to form a deviation of the inner contour that deviates from the circular contour.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the receiving means comprises an indentation that is geometrically replicated in the at least one of the first or second elastomer bodies received in the receiving means when an assembly force is applied, thereby forming a thickened portion that points into the inner contour.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising pressing uniformly an adhesive or an adhesion promoter between the inner contour and the stabilizer rod when the first and second elastomer bodies are pressed onto the stabilizer rod.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising generating a uniform distribution of an adhesive or an adhesion promoter over a circumference of the stabilizer rod when the first and second elastomer bodies are pressed onto the stabilizer rod.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein a portion of the inner contour that deforms when the first and second elastomer bodies are pressed onto the stabilizer rod is a thickened portion.

Description

EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Further measures which improve the invention will be presented in more detail below together with the description of preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention on the basis of the figures, in which:

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a simplified illustration of a stabilizer with a stabilizer rod and with two bearing elements for receiving the stabilizer rod on a motor vehicle component (not shown),

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a section of the stabilizer rod with a bearing element comprising two elastomer bodies,

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of two placed-together elastomer bodies, with a first design of thickened portions for forming a non-circular inner contour,

[0026] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of two placed-together elastomer bodies, with a further design of thickened portions for forming a non-circular inner contour,

[0027] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of two placed-together elastomer bodies, with a further design of thickened portions with an inner contour having multiple thickened portion,

[0028] FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of two elastomer bodies pressed onto a stabilizer rod under the action of an assembly force, wherein multiple force arrows are used to indicate a uniform force distribution over the circumference of the stabilizer rod,

[0029] FIG. 7 shows a modified exemplary embodiment of a bearing element with elastomer bodies received in a receiving means, and

[0030] FIG. 8 shows the exemplary embodiment as per FIG. 7 in a fully assembled state on a motor vehicle component.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a stabilizer 10 for a motor vehicle in a perspective view, and the stabilizer 10 comprises a stabilizer rod 14 which can be received by means of two bearing elements 1 on a motor vehicle component (not illustrated). The stabilizer serves for the roll stabilization of the vehicle, and is normally connected to the vehicle by means of elastomer bearings and connectors fixed over said elastomer bearings. The elastomer bearings form constituent parts of the bearing elements 1, which are rigidly connected to the motor vehicle component, for example to the vehicle frame, by corresponding receiving means. In this way, the stabilizer rod 14 can perform small torsional movements in the bearing element 1.

[0032] FIG. 2 schematically shows, in an enlarged view, a bearing element 1 in an arrangement on a partially illustrated stabilizer rod 14. The bearing element 1 comprises a first elastomer body 11 and a second elastomer body 12, and the elastomer bodies 11 and 12 are of half-shell-shaped design and are arranged opposite one another on the stabilizer rod 14 and form a receiving passage 13 through which the stabilizer rod 14 extends. The elastomer bodies 11 and 12 are of half-shell-shaped design and are placed together in a parting plane 21. The elastomer bodies 11 and 12 form an inner contour 15 which is adapted to the circular cross section of the stabilizer rod 14. The elastomer bodies 11 and 12 are pressed onto the stabilizer rod 14 with the application of an assembly force and are held on said stabilizer rod, for example by a receiving means, which is likewise not shown in the illustration.

[0033] FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show exemplary embodiments of bearing elements 1 with various configurations of the inventive features. The bearing elements 1 comprise a first elastomer body 11 and a second elastomer body 12, and the elastomer bodies 11 and 12 are of half-shell-shaped design and are placed together in a respective parting plane 21. Owing to the half-shell-shaped form of the elastomer bodies 11 and 12, a receiving passage 13 is formed through which a stabilizer rod (not shown) extends when the elastomer bodies 11 and 12 are pressed onto said stabilizer rod. If the elastomer bodies 11 and 12 are pressed onto a stabilizer rod with a circular cross section, the result, in the presence of elastic deformation of the elastomer bodies 11, 12, is a likewise circular inner contour 15, indicated by a dashed line.

[0034] In the exemplary embodiments in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the inner contour 15 deviates from a circular contour, as will be discussed in more detail below.

[0035] FIG. 3 comprises elastomer bodies 11 and 12 with thickened portions 16 pointing into the receiving passage 13. In relation to the joining direction 17 from which the two half-shell-shaped elastomer bodies 11, 12 are joined together, the thickened portions 16 are provided laterally, such that each of the elastomer bodies 11 and 12 comprises two thickened portions 16. If the elastomer bodies 11 and 12 are pressed onto a stabilizer rod 14 by being subjected to an assembly force in said joining direction 17, the elastomer bodies 11, 12 lie closely against the circular inner contour 15 of the stabilizer rod (not shown), and the thickened portions 16 spring back elastically. A substantially uniform pressure distribution over the circumference of the receiving passage 13 can be achieved as a result.

[0036] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment with thickened portions 16 which are situated in the region of the joining direction 17. This can give rise to a special pressure distribution, which may for example be desired, with maximum values in the region of the joining direction and with minimum values laterally with respect to the joining direction.

[0037] FIG. 5 shows a further exemplary embodiment of the bearing element 1 with elastomer bodies 11 and 12 which, forming the receiving passage 13, comprise four thickened portions 16. The thickened portions 16 are situated both in the region of the joining direction 17 and laterally with respect to the joining direction 17.

[0038] FIG. 6 shows, by way of example, a cross section through two elastomer bodies 11 and 12 which are pressed onto a stabilizer rod 14. Here, the elastomer bodies 11 and 12 are pressed on with the application of an assembly force F in the joining direction 17. The multiplicity of force arrows indicates a force distribution which is substantially uniform over the circumference, by virtue of the fact that the thickened portions (see exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 3, 4 and 5) spring back and the elastomer bodies 11 and 12 assume the circular inner contour 15.

[0039] FIG. 7 shows a modified exemplary embodiment of a bearing element 1 with a first elastomer body 11 and a second elastomer body 12, and the two elastomer bodies 11, 12 are illustrated spaced apart from the stabilizer rod 14 and are consequently in a force-free state. A receiving means 18 which is designed as a clamp and which can be fastened to a motor vehicle component 22, as shown in FIG. 8, serves for applying the assembly force F.

[0040] The receiving means 18 comprises indentations 19 such that the elastomer body 11 comprises thickened portions pointing into the inner contour 15 imparted to it in the region of the indentations 19 when the assembly force F is applied to the elastomer body 11 via the receiving means 18, for example in accordance with the thickened portions 16 as illustrated in the elastomer body 11 in FIG. 3. Consequently, regions of increased pressures arise in the regions of the indentations 19, which increased pressures can lead to an ultimately uniform pressure distribution taking into consideration the assembly force F.

[0041] The elastomer body 12 comprises thickened portions 16 which are provided laterally with respect to the joining direction 17 and which, when they spring back, can likewise lead to regions of increased pressure, such that, ultimately, in the assembled arrangement of the bearing element 1, see FIG. 8, a pressure which is uniform over the circumference of the stabilizer rod 14 can be generated between the elastomer bodies 11 and 12 and the stabilizer rod 14.

[0042] The invention is not restricted in terms of its design to the preferred exemplary embodiments presented above. Rather, numerous variants are conceivable which make use of the presented solution even in the case of fundamentally different embodiments. All of the features and/or advantages that emerge from the claims, from the description or from the drawings, including design details or spatial arrangements, may be essential to the invention both individually and in a wide variety of combinations.

LIST OF REFERENCE DESIGNATIONS

[0043] 1 Bearing element [0044] 10 Stabilizer [0045] 11 Elastomer body [0046] 12 Elastomer body [0047] 13 Receiving passage [0048] 14 Stabilizer rod [0049] 15 Inner contour [0050] 15 Inner contour [0051] 16 Thickened portion [0052] 17 Joining direction [0053] 18 Receiving means [0054] 19 Indentation [0055] 20 Adhesion promoter layer [0056] 21 Parting plane [0057] 22 Motor vehicle component [0058] F Assembly force