FR2753497A1 - ANTI-TILT BAR BEARINGS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES OR HEAVY VEHICLES - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a suspension bearing for a bar to a frame and in particular of an anti-roll bar (1) of a motor vehicle, comprising an elastically deformable sleeve (2) fixed around said bar (1) and capable of to be housed and locked in a bracket (3) made integral with said frame, characterized in that said sleeve (2) is provided, on the one hand, with at least one longitudinal locking rib (21,22) intended to s 'engage in a corresponding guide groove (31,32) formed in the caliper (3) and, on the other hand, a radial fin (23) intended to come laterally in abutting contact against the caliper (3) ).

Description

A The present invention relates to a suspension bearing from a bar to a

  chassis and in particular a vehicle anti-roll bar

automobile or truck.

  The anti-roll bars have a general U-shaped profile with, on the one hand, a central part fixed to the vehicle body by two bearings and, on the other hand, two branches connected to the suspension triangle or to the

wheel by connecting rods.

  These bars work in flexion and torsion to limit the inclination of vehicles in curves. During these deformations, the suspension bearings of the central part are subjected to transverse and radial forces and to torsional torques. These bearings generally consist of a ring or a rubber sleeve which is tightened on the body of the anti-roll bar by means of a metal bracket, which bracket is bolted to the body of the vehicle. Despite this tightening, there is a strong tendency for the bar to run transversely with, if necessary, friction

against the rubber of the sleeve.

  A first improvement consisted in sticking the rubber

  of the sleeve on the metal of the bar to avoid any relative movement.

  But in this solution, the metal bracket, when it is fixed to the body of the vehicle, must always compress the glued rubber

on the bar.

  An alternative embodiment consists in using a circular stirrup

  that we just force fit on the rubber sleeve.

  In this variant, the necessary compression of the rubber is ensured by the fitting action because the circular stirrup then has a housing whose opening is smaller than the diameter

outside of the sleeve.

  However in this variant, the wall of the caliper housing has a biconical section and the sleeve is provided with two lateral beads to avoid the transverse path of the bar relative to

to the stirrups.

  In addition, the compression of the rubber, during the fitting of the stirrup, must be strong enough so that the

  sleeve does not rotate in the caliper.

  Consequently, this variant does not make it possible to use stirrups with straight edges such as the stirrups obtained by simple cutting off of a profile which would then be capable of cutting the beads of the

rubber sleeve.

  The object of the present invention is to solve these problems

  techniques satisfactorily.

  This object is achieved, in accordance with the invention by means of a suspension bearing from a bar to a chassis and in particular from an anti-roll bar of a motor vehicle, comprising an elastically deformable sleeve fixed around said bar and capable of '' be housed and locked in a stirrup made integral with said chassis, characterized in that said sleeve is provided, on the one hand, with at least one longitudinal locking rib intended to engage in a corresponding guide groove formed in the caliper and, on the other hand, a radial fin intended to come laterally into contact with

stop against the stirrup.

  According to an advantageous characteristic, said sleeve comprises

  at least one longitudinal groove to facilitate its deformation.

  According to another characteristic, the insertion edge in

  the stirrup of the internal end of said sleeve is bevelled.

  According to a particular embodiment, said longitudinal rib and said radial fin are carried by an external collar

rigid, integral with said sleeve.

  Preferably, said collar then consists of two

half shells.

  According to yet another characteristic, said radial fin is

  performed on the periphery of said sleeve.

  According to a variant, said sleeve is provided with two diametrically opposite longitudinal ribs cooperating with two grooves

the caliper.

  According to another variant, said radial fin is arranged at

  the outer end of said sleeve.

  The bearing of the present invention makes it possible both to use as a stirrup parts obtained by cutting a profile which is itself raw for drawing or threading, and to avoid rotation of the rubber sleeve in the stirrup, even if the compression of the rubber during

  the fitting in the stirrup remains weak.

  The invention will be better understood on reading the description

  which follows, accompanied by the drawings in which: - Figures la and lb show perspective and sectional views of a traditional bearing before and after fitting the stirrup; - Figures 2a and 2b show an embodiment of the bearing of the present invention, respectively in side and front views, in the free state before fitting the stirrup; - Figure 2c shows a perspective view of the bearing of the invention, according to the embodiment of Figures 2a, 2b in the position prior to the fitting of the stirrup on the sleeve; - Figure 3 shows a front view of the bearing of Figure 2c after assembly by fitting the stirrup on the sleeve; - Figure 4 shows a general view of a bar

  anti-rollover provided with two bearings according to the present invention.

  Figures la and lb illustrate the technological background of the invention in the form of a traditional bearing with a stirrup 3 respectively before and after fitting onto a sleeve 2. The rubber sleeve 2 is glued to the bar body 1 The sleeve

  2 consists of a cylindrical body 2c framed by two beads 2d.

  The stirrup 3 is provided with a housing 30 with a circular opening 30a whose diameter is slightly less than the outside diameter of the body

2c rubber sleeve 2.

  By moving the stirrup 3 parallel to the axis of the bar 1 towards the sleeve 2, the press fitting is carried out, which has the effect of

  compress the rubber radially.

  FIG. 1b shows in section that the wall 30b of the housing 30 of the stirrup 3 has a biconical section in order to center the stirrup well on the sleeve 2 and limit the relative displacement of the stirrup relative to the sleeve along the Y axis This biconical form presupposes machining or molding in the shape of the stirrup 3. The beads 2d of the sleeve 2 offer an additional guarantee with regard to the path, but experience shows that the retention is essentially based on the biconical form and on the

rubber compression ratio.

  FIGS. 2a and 2b respectively represent a side and front view of the sleeve 2 used for the bearing of the invention in

being fixed around the bar 1.

  The sleeve 2 is provided with at least one, and in the embodiment shown, with two longitudinal ribs 21, 22 for locking and a radial fin 23 forming a lateral stop. The ribs 21, 22 extend here over the entire length of the sleeve 2 until they reach the fin 23 disposed at the end 2b of the sleeve 2 which is intended, for its part, to remain outside the housing 30 of stirrup 3 after

fitting.

  The sleeve 2 further comprises at least one, and here two longitudinal grooves 25 intended to facilitate its deformation in compression. Of course, if the compression of the elastomeric material is

  weak, the slots may no longer be necessary.

  The ribs 21, 22 are preferably diametrically opposite, as are the grooves 25 which are here arranged in a

  plane perpendicular to that of the ribs 21.22.

  The radial fin 23 is here produced on the periphery of the sleeve 2

  and is only interrupted at the level of the grooves 25.

  It is nevertheless conceivable, according to another embodiment, not shown, that the fin 23 extends only over a fraction of the periphery of the sleeve while still ensuring its function of

  lateral stop against the stirrup 3.

  In the embodiment shown, the ribs 21, 22 and the fin 23 are carried by a rigid external collar 20 consisting of two half shells 20a, 20b secured to the sleeve 2. It is also possible according to another embodiment, that the ribs and fin are directly formed by molding on the sleeve to

form a single piece.

  At the end 2a of the sleeve 2 onto which the stirrup 3 comes as a priority, the insertion edge 24 is bevelled in order to obtain

  a continuous and increasing deformation of the sleeve 2.

  In the embodiment shown, Figure 2c shows a perspective view of the components of the bearing of the invention

before fitting.

  In this figure, the bar 1 carrying the sleeve 2 already passes through the housing 30 of the stirrup 3. The translation of the bar 1 will allow the sleeve 2 to be brought closer to the stirrup 3 until its edge

  introduction 24 enters the opening 30a of the housing 30.

  The internal wall 30b of the housing 30 is provided with longitudinal guide grooves 31, 32 intended to receive in a sliding manner the ribs 21, 22 of the sleeve 2. The cooperation between the ribs 21, 22 and the grooves 31, 32 ensures the guiding of the sleeve during its introduction into the housing 30 and the anti-rotation blocking of the bar 1 after assembly. The fitting of the stirrup 3 on the sleeve will be done taking care to align beforehand the grooves 31, 32 with the ribs 21, 22 by angularly orienting the bar 1 during its translation. The bracket 3 is also provided with holes 34 for fitting

  fasteners on the vehicle chassis (not shown).

  FIG. 3 represents a front view of the bearing of the invention

  on the side of the end 2a of the sleeve 2 after assembly with the stirrup 3.

  The sleeve 2 is here locked in the compressed state in the housing 30

bracket 3.

  The radial fin 23 (shown in dotted lines) is then in abutment against the lateral flank 33 of the stirrup 3 and thus prevents any movement

from bar 1 in one direction.

  The grooves 25 are closed by the very fact that the half-shells 20a, 20b of the collar 20 in which the sleeve 2 is enclosed have come together, one and the other, during fitting, to compress the elastomeric material of said muff. When the bar 1 turns on itself, under the effect of the torsion due to the inclination of the vehicle, the sleeve 2 is driven in shear but the collar 20 (or the sleeve 2 itself) is retained in its position mounting by cooperation of the ribs 21,22 with

the grooves 31, 32 of the stirrup 3.

  It can be expected that the number of grooves is greater than the number of ribs so as to be able to give variable angular orientations to the sleeve 2 (and therefore to the bar 1 relative to

the caliper 3).

  FIG. 4 represents a general plan view of two bearings

  according to the invention fitted to an anti-roll bar 1.

  The sleeves 2 are here fitted into the stirrups 3 while the fins 23 are laterally abutting against the inner flanks 33 of the stirrups 3. This assembly makes it possible to prohibit any movement of transverse routing of the bar 1 relative to the stirrups 3 in the Y direction corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the central part of the

bar 1 and back and forth.

  The ends 1a, 1b of the lateral branches of the bar 1 are fixed to the suspension triangle or to the wheel by connecting rods B. The method of manufacturing anti-overturning bars consists first of fixing the two sleeves 2 around the bar 1 by gluing and then fixing the half-shells 20a, 20b of the collars 20 by gluing also, taking care to arrange their respective fins 23 in inverted positions from one sleeve to the other (as shown in the

figure 4).

  Then put a stirrup 3 at each of the two ends la, lb

  bar 1 to bring them close to each sleeve 2.

  We then proceed to the forced fitting of the stirrups 3 on the sleeves 2 by engaging the ribs 21, 22 in the grooves 31, 32 until the fins 23 come into abutment against the flanks 33 as described above. Finally, the stirrups 3 are secured to the chassis of the vehicle by

  amount of fasteners through holes 34.

Claims (8)

  1. Suspension bearing for a bar to a chassis and in particular for an anti-roll bar (1) of a motor vehicle, comprising an elastically deformable sleeve (2) fixed around said bar (1) and capable of being housed and locked in a stirrup (3) made integral with said chassis, characterized in that said sleeve (2) is provided, on the one hand with at least one longitudinal locking rib (21, 22) intended to engage in a corresponding guide groove (31,32) formed in the stirrup (3) and, on the other hand, a radial fin (23) intended to come   laterally in abutment contact against the stirrup (3).   2. Bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that said sleeve (2) comprises at least one longitudinal groove (25) for facilitate its deformation.   3. Bearing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the insertion edge (24) in the stirrup (3) of the internal end (2a) of said sleeve (2) is beveled.   4. Bearing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized   in that said longitudinal rib (21,22) and said radial fin (23) are carried by a rigid external collar (20) integral with said sleeve (2).   5. Bearing according to claim 4, characterized in that said   collar (20) consists of two half-shells (20a, 20b).   6. Bearing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized   in that said radial fin (23) is formed on the periphery of said sleeve (2).   7. Bearing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized   in that said sleeve (2) is provided with two diametrically opposite longitudinal ribs (21,22) cooperating with two grooves   corresponding (31,32) of the stirrup (3).   8. Bearing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized   in that said radial fin (23) is disposed at the outer end (2b) of said sleeve (2).