CHASSIS BEARING

Abstract

The present invention relates to a solid rubber bearing for arranging on an axle of a motor vehicle, the solid rubber bearing comprising an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve, with an elastic intermediate layer being arranged between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve; on one side the inner sleeve has a stop disc that extends radially outwards from the inner sleeve, with the outer sleeve extending in the axial direction A over a portion of the inner sleeve; and with a space being formed between the outer sleeve and the stop disc, the solid rubber bearing being characterized in that at least one spacer made of a solid material is arranged in the region of the space.

Claims

1. Solid rubber bearing for arranging on an axle of a motor vehicle, the solid rubber bearing comprising an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve, with an elastic intermediate layer being arranged between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve; on one side the inner has a stop disc that extends radially outwards from the inner sleeve, with the outer sleeve extending in the axial direction over a portion of the inner sleeve; and with a space being formed between the outer sleeve and the stop disc, wherein at least one spacer made of a solid material is arranged in the region of the space.

2. The solid rubber bearing, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastic intermediate layer is arranged in the space and preferably the elastic intermediate layer in the space projects beyond at least the inner shell surface of the inner sleeve in the radial direction.

3. The solid rubber bearing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spacer is designed in a radially circumferential manner as a disc; or that the spacer is constructed in multiple pieces distributed circumferentially in the radial direction.

4. The solid rubber bearing, as claimed in claim 1, wherein two or more spacers are located parallel at a distance from each other in the axial direction.

5. The solid rubber bearing, as claimed in claim 1, wherein an outer shell surface of the inner sleeve and the spacer are radially spaced apart from each other, and the intermediate layer is arranged so as to extend through the spacer.

6. The solid rubber bearing, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer is made of a rubber-like material and/or elastomeric material and is glued to the outer sleeve and/or the inner sleeve and/or the stop disc.

7. The solid rubber bearing, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer sleeve has a collar, which is outwardly oriented in the radial direction, on its end facing the stop disc.

8. The solid rubber bearing, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spacer is made of a metallic material or a synthetic plastic material.

9. The solid rubber bearing, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stop disc is made in one piece and in a materially uniform manner with the inner sleeve or that the stop disc is coupled to the inner sleeve as a separate component.

10. The solid rubber bearing, as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cavity, which extends at least in sections in the axial direction and which extends at least partially circumferentially in the radial direction, is formed in the intermediate layer between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve.

11. The solid rubber bearing, as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cavity, which extends at least in sections in the axial direction and which extends at least partially circumferentially in the radial direction, is formed in the outer sleeve.

12. The solid rubber bearing, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratio of the axial rigidity to the radial rigidity is greater than 1.5 to 1, in particular, greater than 2 to 1 and preferably greater than or equal to 2.5 to 1.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Other advantages, features, properties and aspects of the present invention are shown in the schematic figures, which are intended to facilitate a better understanding of the invention. The drawings show in:

[0047] FIG. 1 consists of FIGS. 1A and 1B in each case a longitudinal cross sectional view of the solid rubber bearing;

[0048] FIG. 2 an alternative variant of the embodiment from FIG. 1;

[0049] FIG. 3 consists of FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C various plan views of a spacer; and

[0050] FIG. 4 a longitudinal cross sectional view of a bearing of an alternative embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0051] In the figures the same reference numerals are used for identical and similar components, even if there is no repetition of the description for the sake of simplification.

[0052] FIG. 1A shows a longitudinal cross sectional view of a solid rubber bearing 1 of the invention. The inner sleeve 3, the outer sleeve 2 as well as the stop disc 4 and an elastic intermediate layer 7, also called the rubber layer, can be seen in this drawing. At this point the invention provides that between the end 9 of the outer sleeve 2 and the stop disc 4 a space 6 is formed. In this space 6 a spacer 10 is arranged, where, in this case, the spacer 10 is made of a solid material, in particular, a synthetic plastic material or metal. The thickness 11 of the spacer 10 reduces the existing elastic volume in the region of the space 6, an aspect that greatly impedes the rubber layer from expanding in the transverse direction and that results in a higher axial rigidity. The interspace between the outer sleeve 2 and the inner sleeve 3, which is filled with the elastic intermediate layer 7, remains almost unchanged, for which reason the radial rigidity, thus, the rigidity in the radial direction R remains approximately constant or increases only insignificantly in comparison to the axial rigidity. Therefore, such an inventive solid rubber bearing 1 has an axial rigidity that is higher than the radial rigidity, in particular, in a ratio greater than 1.5:1, in particular, greater than 2:1, preferably greater than or equal to 2.5:1. The intermediate layer 7 projects beyond the inner shell surface 15 of the inner sleeve 3 in the radial direction R in the region of the space 6.

[0053] FIG. 1B shows a variant of the embodiment analogous to FIG. 1A. In this case, two spacers 10 are arranged parallel at a distance from each other in the axial direction A. As an alternative, the thickness 11 of the spacer 10 can also vary as a function of the desired axial rigidity.

[0054] FIG. 2 shows a variant of the embodiment analogous to FIGS. 1A and 1B. However, in this case, the collar 5 from FIG. 1 is drawn in the region of the end 9 of the outer sleeve 2. As a result, the surfaces of the collar 5 and the stop disc 4 are opposite each other with the incorporation of the spacer 10 and the intermediate layer 7 and increase the surface area on which a force that is to be transmitted is distributed in the axial direction A. Similarly, it is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 that, based on the radial direction R, the spacer 10 and the outer shell surface 12 of the inner sleeve 3 are spaced apart from each other; and that here, too, the intermediate layer 7 is arranged in such a way that it extends to either side of the spacer 10. At the same time, the spacer 10 can be totally enclosed by the intermediate layer 7 or, instead, can also terminate, based on the radial direction R, outwards with the intermediate layer 7 and/or can be designed to project beyond the intermediate layer 7.

[0055] FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C show various variants of the embodiment of the spacers 10 in a plan view. According to FIG. 3A, the spacer 10 is designed as a disc, according to the principle of a washer. According to FIG. 3B, the spacer 10 is designed in two pieces in a radially circumferential manner, where, in this case, each piece of the spacer 10 extends in a radially circumferential manner over an angular region a. According to FIG. 3C, the spacer 10 is constructed of six partial pieces extending circumferentially in multiple sections in the radial direction. In the area, in which there is no spacer 10, the intermediate layer 7 would be formed.

[0056] FIG. 4 shows an alternative variant of the embodiment of the solid rubber bearing 1 of the invention in a longitudinal cross-sectional view. This view shows in turn an inner sleeve 3 and an outer sleeve 2, with the inner sleeve 3 having a stop disc 4 on an axial end. Similarly, the outer sleeve 2 extends only over a portion of the inner sleeve 3 in the axial direction A. Therefore, a space 6 is produced between the end 9 of the outer sleeve 2 and the stop disc 4. A spacer 10 is arranged in the space 6. As an alternative to FIG. 2, however, the elastic intermediate layer 7 between the outer sleeve 2 and the inner sleeve 3 has now a cavity 13, so that the conditions for a progressivity of the intermediate layer 7, based on the radial rigidity, are met. At the same time, the cavity 13 extends radially at least partially circumferentially, preferably completely circumferentially and in the axial direction A at least partially, preferably, as shown, over a large portion of the axial length L of the outer sleeve 2. It is also possible to introduce hollow channels that are also distributed circumferentially. Furthermore, the outer sleeve 2 also has preferably a cavity 14, where, in this case, the cavity is also formed preferably at least partially circumferentially in the axial direction A. This aspect leads to a weight reduction of the outer sleeve 2. In this case, too, the radius of the outer sleeve 2 is also designed to be larger than the radius of the stop disc 4. Furthermore, in this variant of the embodiment, the spacer 10 has preferably a diameter D10 that is larger than a diameter D5 of the collar 5, where, in this case, the diameter D5 in turn is larger than a diameter D4 of the stop disc 4. The elastic intermediate layer 7 is arranged between the collar 5 and the end 9 of the outer sleeve and the spacer 10 and also between the spacer 10 and the stop disc 4. Similarly, the elastic intermediate layer 7 is arranged in such a way that it extends through the spacer 10.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS AND SYMBOLS

[0057] 1solid rubber bearing

[0058] 2outer sleeve

[0059] 3inner sleeve

[0060] 4stop disc

[0061] 5collar

[0062] 6space

[0063] 7intermediate layer

[0064] 9end with respect to 2

[0065] 10spacer

[0066] 11thickness with respect to 10

[0067] 12outer shell surface with respect to 3

[0068] 13cavity with respect to 7

[0069] 14cavity with respect to 2

[0070] 15inner shell surface with respect to 3

[0071] Aaxial direction

[0072] D4diameter with respect to 4

[0073] D5diameter with respect to 5

[0074] D 10diameter with respect to 10

[0075] Llength with respect to 2

[0076] Rradial direction