Spring retainer clip

Abstract

A spring restraining clip mounts the axial terminus of a coil spring on the chassis via a spring seat. At least two of three spring restraining members that are circumferentially spaced on the spring restraining clip are the open type of spring restraining member so configured as to clasp and hold coil springs inserted in the axial direction, and one of the spring restraining members is a closed spring restraining member that receives the tip of a coil spring when the coil spring is rotated in the circumferential direction after having been inserted in the open type spring restraining members.

Claims

1. A spring restraining clip for mounting the axial terminus of a coil spring on a vehicle chassis via a spring seat, comprising: three circumferentially-spaced spring restraining members disposed on one side of the spring restraining clip; wherein two of the spring restraining members are open-type spring restraining members, such that they are configured to clasp and hold the coil spring when the coil spring is inserted into the open-type spring restraining members in an axial direction along a longitudinal axis of the coil spring; one of the spring restraining members is a closed-type spring restraining member, such that it is configured to receive and axially retain a tip of the coil spring when the coil spring is rotated in a circumferential direction after the coil spring is inserted in the open-type spring restraining members; the coil spring defines a circumferential travel path when it is rotated in said circumferential direction; the closed-type spring restraining member defines a loop structure covered by a bridge; the circumferential travel path lies under the bridge; the closed-type spring restraining member further includes a spring tab that extends obliquely downwardly from the bridge in the direction of travel of the coil spring; and wherein the spring tab is so structured as to contact the coil spring to apply thrust force to the coil spring.

2. The spring restraining clip of claim 1, wherein: the open-type of spring restraining members each includes a spring retaining pawl to arrest looseness of an inserted coil spring, and further includes ribs to prevent the spring retaining pawl from turning up during spring insertion.

3. The spring restraining clip of claim 2, wherein three circumferentially-spaced spring seat locking pawls for attaching the spring seat are disposed on the side of the spring restraining clip opposite the side on which are disposed the spring restraining members.

4. The spring restraining clip of claim 3, wherein the spring seat locking pawls are so configured as to have different structures.

5. The spring restraining clip of claim 4, wherein the spring seat locking pawls include respective portions extending radially inwardly so as to compensate for deformation of the spring seat locking pawls due to spring load.

6. The spring restraining clip of claim 5, wherein the spring restraining members are disposed on the spring restraining clip so as not to be diametrically opposed to one another.

7. The spring restraining clip of claim 1, wherein movement of the coil spring in the direction of travel is facilitated, while movement in the opposite direction is impeded.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a hydraulic shock absorber that incorporates a spring restraining clip pursuant to one embodiment of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is an oblique view of the spring restraining clip pursuant to the first embodiment of the present invention viewed from the spring insertion side.

(3) FIG. 3 is an oblique view of the spring restraining clip of FIG. 2 viewed from the spring seat insertion side.

(4) FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG. 2.

(5) FIG. 5 is a right side view of FIG. 4.

(6) FIG. 6 is a plan view of FIG. 3.

(7) FIG. 7 is an A-A cross-sectional view of FIG. 4.

(8) FIG. 8 is a B-B cross-sectional view of FIG. 4.

(9) FIG. 9 is a C-C cross-sectional view of FIG. 4.

(10) FIG. 10 is a D-D cross-sectional view of FIG. 4.

(11) FIG. 11 is an enlarged diagram of area E of FIG. 7.

(12) FIG. 12 is an F-F cross-sectional view of FIG. 6.

(13) FIG. 13 is a G-G cross-sectional view of FIG. 4.

(14) FIG. 14 is an oblique detail view for illustrating the shape of the rib in FIG. 11.

(15) FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 11 to illustrate the guiding action of the rib in FIG. 14.

(16) FIG. 16A is a partial enlarged diagram of FIG. 3 illustrating an example of the structure of the spring locking pawl.

(17) FIG. 16B is a partial enlarged diagram of FIG. 3 illustrating an example of a structure that differs from that of FIG. 16A.

(18) FIG. 16C is a partial enlarged diagram of FIG. 3 illustrating an example of a structure that differs from those of FIG. 16A and of FIG. 16B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(19) The spring restraining clip pursuant to the first embodiment of the present invention shall now be explained with reference to the appended figures.

(20) As shown in FIG. 1, spring restraining clip 1 is used in a hydraulic shock absorber 2 of an automobile. Hydraulic shock absorber 2 is provided with a wheel side mounting bracket 3 mounted to the wheel, and a chassis side mounting bracket 5 mounted to the chassis. Thrust bearing 6 is supported on the chassis side mounting bracket 5 on the back side, and upper spring seat 7, defining a curved contour portion, is attached to the thrust bearing 6. At the other end, lower spring seat 9 is attached to the wheel side mounting bracket 3, and coil spring 10 is interposed between the upper spring seat 7 and the lower spring seat 9. Concretely, the coil spring 10 is supported on the lower spring seat 9 and is supported on the upper spring seat 7 via the spring restraining clip 1.

(21) FIGS. 2 and 3 are oblique views of the spring restraining clip 1. FIG. 2 is a view from the lower (wheel) side of FIG. 1. FIGS. 3 and 6 are views from the spring seat insertion side, specifically from the upper side of FIG. 1. The spring restraining clip 1 has a ring-shaped structure with an internal space to house part of the upper spring seat, and a curved upper surface contoured to conform to the curved contour portion of the upper spring seat, as shown in FIG. 1.

(22) Three spring restraining members are separately placed in the circumferential direction of the spring restraining clip 1 to restrain the terminus of the coil spring 10 in the axial direction, as shown in FIG. 2. Two of the spring restraining members are the open type of spring restraining members 11, 13 while the other one is a closed spring restraining member 14.

(23) The tops of the open type of spring restraining members 11, 13 are open from above in FIG. 2 (from below in FIG. 7 and FIG. 11) in order to allow the insertion of the coil spring 10. Retaining space 15 (FIGS. 2 and 7) is formed within in order to retain the coil spring 10. As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 8, inner spring retaining pawl 17 and outer spring retaining pawl 18 are mounted at the inner and outer edges, respectively, of the entry of the retaining space 15 in the radial direction. Loosening of the coil spring 10 fitted in the retaining space 15 is prevented by inner and outer spring retaining pawls 17 and 18.

(24) A pair of ribs 19 is mounted in the open type of spring restraining members 11, 13 adjacent to both edges of the inner spring retaining pawl 17 in the circumferential direction (see FIG. 14). The ribs 19 act as guides when inserting the coil spring 10 in the open type of spring restraining members 11, 13 (see FIG. 15). By so doing, the inner spring retaining pawl 17 can be prevented from turning up when inserting the spring.

(25) The upper section of the closed spring restraining member 14 has a loop structure covered by bridge 20, as shown in FIG. 2. The tip of the coil spring is received therein by rotating the coil spring that had been inserted in the open type of spring restraining members 11, 13 in the circumferential direction. The arrows a, b and c in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 and FIG. 10, respectively, illustrate the direction of rotational movement of the spring at that time.

(26) A spring tab 21 that extends obliquely downward in the direction of travel of the coil spring 10 from the bridge 20 is mounted in the closed spring restraining member 14. It is structured so that the spring tab 21 would contact the coil spring 10 to apply thrust force to the coil spring 10. By so doing, movement of the coil spring 10 in the direction of movement denoted by the arrows (FIG. 2, FIG. 4, and FIG. 10, a, b and c respectively) would be facilitated while movement in the opposite direction would be impeded, thus completing a structure that renders insertion easy and removal difficult.

(27) In addition, stopper 23 is mounted in the spring restraining clip 1 in order to arrest the tip of coil spring 10 that had been inserted in the closed spring restraining member 14, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 13.

(28) As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6, spring restraining members 11, 13, 14 are structured so as not to be disposed on the restraining clip 1 on an imaginary diagonal line through the center of the restraining clip, and are thus disposed on the restraining clip so as not to be diametrically opposed to one another. By so doing, the spring restraining members are not turned up even if the spring has a large internal diameter.

(29) As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, three spring seat locking pawls 25, 26, 27 are mounted on the spring restraining clip 1 on the side opposite from the side shown in FIG. 2. These three spring seat locking pawls 25, 26, 27 have mutually different structures. For example, they have the structures shown in FIGS. 9, 12, 16A, 16B and 16C. In this case, a worker could easily insert the upper spring seat 7 in the spring restraining clip 1 by following the insertion sequence of spring seat locking pawls 25, 26, 27 so that the final insertion would be of the spring seat locking pawl 27 with the structure shown in FIG. 16C (for example, 25.fwdarw.26.fwdarw.27) (See FIG. 6).

(30) In addition, when deformation due to a spring load develops in the spring seat locking pawls 25, 26, 27, detachment of the spring seat 7 from the spring restraining clip 1 can be prevented even if deformation develops in the spring seat locking pawls, by providing a structure (see the structure shown in FIG. 16A) such that the spring seat locking pawls 25, 26, 27 extend inwardly in the radial direction so as to compensate for deformation due to the spring load.

(31) It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiments have been described by way of example only, and not in any limitative sense, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.