Unit Mount, in particular for a Motor Vehicle

Abstract

A unit mount (1) for a motor vehicle is provided. The unit mount (1) includes a closed, one piece housing (7) with a housing opening (15, 33) on each of two sides that lie opposite each other; an elastomeric bearing spring (5) that is accommodated in the housing (7), and a support arm (3) that is secured within the housing (7) with at least one end protruding from one of the two housing openings (15, 33). For providing a cost-effective unit mount (1) with a simplified assembly, the elastomeric bearing spring (50) is inserted after the support arm (3) has been mounted.

Claims

1. A unit mount (1), comprising: a closed, one-piece housing (7) having a respective housing opening (15, 33) on each of two opposite sides, an elastomeric bearing spring (5) receivable in the housing (7), and a support arm (3) which is fixed inside the housing (7) and projects at least with one end from one of the two housing openings (15, 33), wherein the elastomeric bearing spring (5) is inserted after the support arm (3) has been mounted.

2. The unit mount (1) according to claim 1, wherein the elastomeric bearing spring (5) is inserted into the housing (7) through a first (15) of the two housing openings (15, 33) after the support arm (3) has been mounted, wherein the support arm (3) protrudes not at all or only slightly from the first housing opening (15).

3. The unit mount (1) according to claim 2, wherein the elastomeric bearing spring (5) is pre-stressed in the assembled stats.

4. The unit mount (1) according to claim 1, wherein the elastomeric bearing spring (5) is inserted into the housing (7) through a second (33) of the two housing openings (15, 33) after the support arm (3) has been mounted and with the support arm (3) protruding from the second housing opening (33).

5. The unit mount (1) according to claim 1, wherein the elastomeric bearing spring (5) is segmented and has at least two separating surfaces (45, 47).

6. The unit mount (1) according to claim 5, wherein the at least two separating surfaces (45, 47) extend in a vertical direction (Z) of the vehicle.

7. The unit mount (1) according to claim 1, wherein the housing opening (15, 33) through which the elastomeric bearing spring (5) is inserted after the support arm (3) has been mounted, is trapezoidal and becomes wider in the vertical direction (Z) of the vehicle.

8. The unit mount (1) according to claim 1, wherein the housing opening (15, 33) through which the elastomeric bearing spring (5) is inserted after the support arm (3) has been mounted, is shaped as a segment of a circle that is open in the vertical direction (Z) of the vehicle and has rounded transitions.

9. The unit mount (1) according to claim 1, wherein the housing (7) is constructed as one piece.

10. The unit mount (1) according to claim 9, wherein the housing (7) is constructed of several housing parts (9, 11) in mixed construction, with at least one housing part (9) formed from the group consisting of stamped sheet metal part, cast part and extruded part, and at least one other housing part (11) formed from a different part type of the same group.

11. A method for mounting a unit mount (1) comprising successive steps of: placing the support arm (3) into the housing (7); inserting the elastomeric support spring (5) into the housing (7).

12. The method for mounting a unit mount (1) according to claim 11, wherein the support arm (3) is inserted into the housing (7) such that the support arm (3) bears against a shape-matching region of an inner wall of the housing (7) by virtue of its own weight.

13. The unit mount (1) according to claim 1 is utilized for a motor vehicle.

Description

[0038] The invention will now be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings which only show an exemplary embodiment, wherein:

[0039] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a unit mount;

[0040] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the unit mount according to FIG. 1 from another viewing direction and in a quarter section;

[0041] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the unit mount according to FIG. 1 from another viewing direction, also in a quarter section;

[0042] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the mount according to FIG. 1 along the sectional plane I-I; and

[0043] FIG. 5 is another sectional view of the unit mount according to FIG. 1 along the sectional plane II-II wherein only one elastomeric bearing spring of the unit mount is illustrated.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a unit mount 1 which has a support arm 3 and an elastomeric support spring 5. The support arm 3, which is connected at one end to an internal combustion engine, has a longitudinal extension in a vehicle transverse direction Y in relation to a vehicle coordinate system. The vehicle coordinate system is a three-dimensional, right-handed coordinate system that defines the position of all vehicle parts with respect to a vehicle zero point which is located in the middle of an imaginary line between the center points of both front wheels. A longitudinal direction X of the vehicle and a vertical direction Z of the vehicle extend each orthogonal to the transverse direction Y of the vehicle and orthogonal to one another. The arrows in the coordinate system shown in FIG. 1 indicate the respective positive orientation of the three abovementioned directions, with the positive orientation of the vehicle longitudinal direction X corresponding to a direction of travel. The coordinate system shown in FIG. 1 with the indicated definitions of the directions applies to all figures of the drawing.

[0045] The support arm 3 and the elastomeric support spring 5 are enclosed by a housing 7 in a plane spanned by the longitudinal direction X of the vehicle and the vertical direction Z of the vehicle. In the present embodiment, the housing 7 is formed by a first housing part 9 and a second housing part 11, wherein both housing parts 9, 11 are constructed as shaped sheet metal parts produced by a deep-drawing process. The second housing part 11 has two fastening lugs 13 for attaching the unit mount 1 to a longitudinal beam of a vehicle body.

[0046] The housing 7 of the unit mount 1 has excursion limits in a positive and a negative orientation of the three aforedescribed, mutually orthogonal vehicle directions X, Y, Z for oscillatory movements introduced by the internal combustion engine into the unit mount 1 via the support arm 3. The unit mount is therefore a so-called fixed bearing.

[0047] The elastomeric support spring 5 is arranged inside the housing 7 below the support arm 3. The housing 7 has a first housing opening 15 to enable insertion of the elastomeric support spring 5 into the housing 7 after the support arm 3 is already mounted. The first housing opening 15 provides an unobstructed passage surface 17 arranged below the support arm 3, which allows insertion of the elastomeric support spring 5 when the support arm 3 is already mounted. The passage surface 17 is somewhat smaller than the corresponding cross-sectional area of the relaxed elastomeric support spring 5, which is to be inserted into the housing 7 after passing through the passage surface 17 in the course of the assembly of the unit mount 1. Likewise, the installation space available for the elastomeric support spring 5 inside the housing 7 after the support arm 3 has been installed is smaller than the corresponding volume of the elastomeric support spring 5 in the relaxed state. In this way, the elastomeric support spring is pre-stressed in the assembled state.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 2, the first housing part 9 and the second housing part 11 are materially connected together by a weld joint 19. The bracket 3 has a metallic core which is in sections surrounded by an elastomeric material 21.

[0049] The elastomeric support spring 5, which is inserted into the housing 7 through the first housing opening 15 when the support arm 3 is already installed, has a contact surface 23 to the elastomer material 21 which surrounds the metallic core of the support arm 3 in sections. The support arm 3 and the elastomeric suspension spring 5 are in loose contact with one another in the region of the common contact surface 23. There is no material connection in the region of this contact surface 23. The elastomeric material 21, which surrounds the metallic core of the support arm 3 in sections, and the material from which the elastomeric support spring 5 is formed, are different from each other. However, it is also conceivable to use identical materials. In the illustrated sectioned region of the unit mount 1 a first bump stop 25 is shown, which is formed from the elastomeric material 21 surrounding the metallic core of the support arm 3 in sections. The first bump stop 25 cooperates with a corresponding first stop face 27 disposed on the inside of the housing 7 facing the first bump stop 25, as a travel limit for oscillatory movements of the support arm 3 in the negative longitudinal direction X of the vehicle, i.e. in a direction opposite to the direction of travel.

[0050] The second housing part 11 has a sword-shaped tongue 29, which is formed by a folded edge and extends into the interior of the housing 7. The sword-shaped tongue 29 engages in a shape-matching groove 31 of the support arm 3 and thus acts as a travel limit in the transverse direction Y of the vehicle, both in the positive and the negative orientation.

[0051] The support arm 3 is mounted through a second housing opening 33 shown in FIG. 3, which is arranged on the side of the housing 7 opposite the first housing opening 15. After the support arm 3 is mounted, the support arm 3 is substantially arranged inside the housing 7 with an end section 35 that is fully covered by the elastomer material 21. The elastomeric support, spring 5 inserted under prestress is arranged below the support arm 3. The opposite end section of the support arm 3 which extends from the second housing opening 33 in the vehicle transverse direction Y, is rigidly connected to the unit to be damped by fastening screws. This end section of the support arm 3 has several elongated holes for receiving the fastening screws.

[0052] The first housing part 9 is connected to the second housing part 11 by the weld joint 19, which is formed as a fillet weld. Only one fastening tab 13 is visible in the perspective view of FIG. 3.

[0053] The unit mount 1 has a second bump stop 37 and a second stop face 39 arranged, mirror-symmetrically to the first bump stop 25 and the first stop face 27.

[0054] A circle with an inscribed diagonal cross indicates in the coordinate system shown in FIG. 4 that the direction of travel, i.e. the positive orientation of the longitudinal direction X of the vehicle, extends into the drawing plane.

[0055] The first housing part 9 accommodates the elastomeric support spring 5, wherein the region where the first housing part 9 and the elastomeric support spring 5 contact each other is constructed so that the elastomeric support spring 5 is at least partially encompassed by the first housing part 9. This ensures that the elastomeric support spring 5 is during the driving operation not unduly displaced from the position assumed in the assembled state position. The same applies to the contact surface 23 between the elastomeric support spring 5 and the elastomeric material 21 which surrounds the end section 35 of the support arm 3 arranged inside the housing 7.

[0056] The first housing opening 15 through which the elastomeric support spring 5 is inserted into the housing 7 while the support arm 3 is already installed is disposed on the opposite side of the housing 7 in relation to the second housing opening 33. A third bump stop 41 is formed by the elastomeric material 21 which surrounds the support arm 3 in sections. The third bump stop 41 forms by way of a third stop face 43 an excursion limit for oscillatory movements of the support arm 3 in the negative orientation of the vertical direction Z of the vehicle, i.e. toward the road surface. The third stop face 43 is disposed on the inner wall of the first housing part 9 facing the third bump stop 41.

[0057] The sword-shaped tongue 29 formed by folding an edge portion of the second housing part 11 engages in the shape-matching groove 31 of the support arm 3, which is lined with the elastomeric material 21 which surrounds the end section of the support arm 3 arranged inside the housing 7.

[0058] A circle with a centrally located point in the coordinate system shown in FIG. 5 indicates that the positive orientation of the transverse direction Y of the vehicle extends out from the drawing plane.

[0059] The elastomeric suspension spring 5 has a segmented construction and has two separation surfaces 45, 47 abutting one another substantially over their entire surface. The two separation surfaces 45, 47 which extend in a plane spanned by the transverse direction Y of the vehicle and the vertical direction Z of the vehicle, constitute a separation disposed within the elastomeric support spring 5. The elastomeric support spring 5 has two segments 49, 51 which are connected to each other at one of their ends to form a common connecting web 53. The connecting web 53 forms in its longitudinal extension along the transverse direction Y of the vehicle a portion of an outer side of the elastomeric support spring 5.

[0060] Alternatively, the elastomeric suspension spring 5 may have more than two segments, for example, four segments of equal size, with the resulting separation surfaces likewise preferably also extending in the vertical direction Z of the vehicle.

[0061] The elastomeric suspension spring 5 may also be designed as a solid block spring without separation surfaces.

REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0062] 1 unit mount [0063] 3 support arm [0064] 5 elastomeric support spring [0065] 7 housing [0066] 9 first housing part [0067] 11 second housing part [0068] 13 fastening tab [0069] 15 first housing opening [0070] 17 passage area [0071] 19 weld joint [0072] 21 elastomeric material [0073] 23 contact surface [0074] 25 first bump stop [0075] 27 first stop face [0076] 29 sword-shaped tongue [0077] 31 groove [0078] 33 second housing opening [0079] 35 end section of the support arm [0080] 37 second bump stop [0081] 39 second stop face [0082] 41 third bump stop [0083] 43 third stop face [0084] 45 separating surface [0085] 47 separating surface [0086] 49 segment [0087] 51 segment [0088] 53 connecting web [0089] X longitudinal direction of the vehicle [0090] Y transverse direction of the vehicle [0091] Z vertical direction of the vehicle