Bushings for damping vibrations in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10914355-B2
Application number	US-201916416456-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2019
Priority date	May 20, 2019
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

Bushings and methods of manufacturing bushings to be used in a chassis of a vehicle or the like for damping and absorbing vibrations, oscillations, and noise are provided. In one implementation, a method of manufacturing a bushing includes the steps of positioning a flexible member around a cylindrical outer surface of a rigid inner member having a cylindrical inner surface or solid core and positioning an outer member having a cylindrical inner surface around the flexible member. The method also includes the step of clamping a cylindrical outer surface of the outer member to form an indentation in the cylindrical outer surface of the outer member, thereby deforming the flexible member. This method may be executed to create a bushing having certain axial, radial, and torsional stiffness.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bushing for damping vibrations, the bushing comprising:
a rigid inner member having a cylindrical inner surface or solid core and a cylindrical outer surface;
an outer member having a cylindrical inner surface and a cylindrical outer surface; and
a flexible member disposed between the cylindrical outer surface of the rigid inner member and the cylindrical inner surface of the outer member, a center portion of the flexible member having a cylindrical shape;
wherein an indentation is formed via an indentation process in a center portion of the cylindrical outer surface and the cylindrical inner surface of the outer member, the indentation correspondingly deforming and compressing the cylindrical shape of the center portion of the flexible member, wherein the indentation comprises a flat bottom portion parallel to the cylindrical outer surface of the rigid inner member disposed between a plurality of transition portions that transition the flat bottom portion into a remainder of the outer member, and wherein the indentation, the flat bottom portion, and the plurality of transition portions circumferentially traverse the entire outer member.

2. The bushing of claim 1 , wherein the indentation process does not change the cylindrical outer surface of the rigid inner member.

3. The bushing of claim 1 , wherein the flexible member includes an elastomeric material.

4. The bushing of claim 3 , wherein the indentation process is performed before or during a vulcanization process of the elastomeric material.

5. The bushing of claim 1 , wherein the indentation process is performed by a calibration tool.

6. The bushing of claim 1 , wherein the indentation process includes applying a clamping force to the outer member to obtain a desired axial stiffness, radial stiffness, and torsional stiffness of the bushing.

7. A method of manufacturing a bushing, the method comprising the steps of:
disposing a flexible member around a cylindrical outer surface of a rigid inner member having a cylindrical inner surface or solid core;
disposing an outer member having a cylindrical inner surface around the flexible member; and
clamping a cylindrical outer surface of the outer member to form an indentation in the cylindrical outer surface and cylindrical inner surface of the outer member, thereby deforming and compressing a portion of the flexible member, wherein the indentation comprises a flat bottom portion parallel to the cylindrical outer surface of the rigid inner member disposed between a plurality of transition portions that transition the flat bottom portion into a remainder of the outer member, and wherein the indentation, the flat bottom portion, and the plurality of transition portions circumferentially traverse the entire outer member.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of clamping the cylindrical outer surface of the outer member does not change the cylindrical outer surface of the rigid inner member.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of disposing the flexible member around the cylindrical outer surface of the rigid inner member includes a step of molding the flexible member around the cylindrical outer surface of the rigid inner member.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the flexible member includes an elastomeric material.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising a step of vulcanizing the elastomeric material during or after the step of clamping the cylindrical outer surface of the outer member.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of clamping the cylindrical outer surface of the outer member includes the step of utilizing a calibration tool to form the indentation.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of clamping the cylindrical outer surface of the outer member includes the step of utilizing the calibration tool to apply a clamping force to obtain a desired axial stiffness, radial stiffness, and torsional stiffness of the bushing.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of clamping the cylindrical outer surface of the outer member includes the step of clamping a portion of the cylindrical outer surface of the outer member, the portion being less than half of the entire cylindrical outer surface.

15. A vehicle chassis, the vehicle chassis comprising:
a frame;
one or more metal assemblies selected from a suspension system, an engine mount, and/or a transmission mount; and
one or more bushings connected between the frame and the one or more metal assemblies for damping vibrations, each of the one or more bushings comprising:
a rigid inner member having a cylindrical inner surface or solid core and a cylindrical outer surface;
an outer member having a cylindrical inner surface and a cylindrical outer surface; and
a flexible member disposed between the cylindrical outer surface of the rigid inner member and the cylindrical inner surface of the outer member, a center portion of the flexible member having a cylindrical shape;
wherein an indentation is formed via an indentation process in a center portion of the cylindrical outer surface and the cylindrical inner surface of the outer member, the indentation correspondingly deforming and compressing the cylindrical shape of the center portion of the flexible member, wherein the indentation comprises a flat bottom portion parallel to the cylindrical outer surface of the rigid inner member disposed between a plurality of transition portions that transition the flat bottom portion into a remainder of the outer member, and wherein the indentation, the flat bottom portion, and the plurality of transition portions circumferentially traverse the entire outer member.

16. The vehicle chassis of claim 15 , wherein the indentation process does not change the cylindrical outer surface of the rigid inner member.

17. The vehicle chassis of claim 15 , wherein the flexible member includes an elastomeric material.

18. The vehicle chassis of claim 17 , wherein the indentation process is performed before or during a vulcanization process of the elastomeric material.

19. The vehicle chassis of claim 15 , wherein the indentation process is performed by a calibration tool.

20. The vehicle chassis of claim 15 , wherein the indentation process includes applying a clamping force to the outer member to obtain a desired axial stiffness, radial stiffness, and torsional stiffness of the bushing.

Assignees

• Volvo Car Corp

Inventors

• Aho Christian
• Samuelsson Johan

Classifications

• F16F1/3863

  characterised by the rigid sleeves or pin, e.g. of non-circular cross-section (F16F1/3807, F16F1/387 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16F1/3835

  characterised by the sleeve of elastic material, e.g. having indentations or made of materials of different hardness (F16F1/3807, F16F1/387 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16F1/3842 Primary

  Method of assembly, production or treatment; Mounting thereof (supports for pipes, cables or protective tubing F16L3/00) · CPC title

• F16F2226/04

  Assembly or fixing methods; methods to form or fashion parts · CPC title

• F16F1/3856 Primary

  Vulcanisation or gluing of interface between rigid and elastic sleeves · CPC title