Rolling bearing and suspension apparatus for automobile

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9581213-B2
Application number	US-201514662336-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2015
Priority date	Jan 29, 2015
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

Provided are a rolling bearing and a suspension apparatus for an automobile enhanced in stiffness. To do so, in a rolling bearing and a suspension apparatus for an automobile according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an upper cover's upward surface in contact with an upper case and an upper cover's peripheral surface in contact with the upper case are orthogonal to each other, and a length of the upward surface in a radial direction is longer than a length of the peripheral surface in a vertical direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A suspension apparatus for an automobile comprising:
a strut tube;
a strut rod provided to be movable within the strut tube;
a lower spring sheet combined with a peripheral surface of the strut tube;
a spring mounted on the lower spring sheet;
an upper spring sheet mounted on an upper end of the spring;
an insulator combined with the strut rod and a chassis of the automobile to connect the strut rod to the chassis of the automobile; and
a rolling bearing provided between the upper spring sheet and the insulator,
wherein the rolling bearing includes:
an upper cover;
a lower cover;
a ring member arranged to be rotatable between the upper cover and the lower cover;
an upper case arranged between the insulator and the upper cover; and
a lower case arranged between the upper spring sheet and the lower cover and combined with the upper case,
wherein an upward surface of the upper cover which is in contact with the upper case and a peripheral surface of the upper cover which is in contact with the upper case are orthogonal to each other, and a length of the upward surface of the upper cover in a radial direction is longer than a length of the peripheral surface of the upper cover in a vertical direction, and
wherein the upper case includes an upper portion including a bottom surface in direct contact with the upward surface of the upper cover and positioned immediately on and above the upward surface of the upper cover and a slant top surface opposite to the bottom surface and upwardly inclined with respect to the bottom surface in the radial direction toward an outer peripheral surface of the upper case such that the upper portion of the upper case has a thickness gradually increasing in the radial direction toward the outer peripheral surface of the upper case,
wherein the insulator includes:
a cup member into which an upper end of the strut rod is inserted to be combined with the strut rod;
an elastic member which is combined with a peripheral surface of the cup member and of which a downward surface is combined with the upper case; and
a connection member combined with an inside of the elastic member and combined with the chassis of the automobile through a clamping member,
wherein the connection member includes:
a first horizontal portion horizontally arranged in a radial direction;
a first slanting portion upwardly slanted and extended from an inner end of the first horizontal portion toward an inside;
a second slanting portion downwardly slanted and extended from an inner end of the first slanting portion toward an inside;
a second horizontal portion horizontally extended from a lower end of the second slanting portion toward an outside;
a third slanting portion upwardly slanted and extended from an outer end of the first horizontal portion toward an outside; and
a third horizontal portion horizontally extended from an outer end of the third slanting portion and combined with the chassis of the automobile through the clamping member.

2. The suspension apparatus for an automobile of claim 1 , wherein the upper cover, the upper case, and the elastic member are made of materials different from one another and formed as a unitary body.

3. The suspension apparatus for an automobile of claim 1 , wherein the top surface of the upper case includes one or more protrusions and one or more grooves.

4. The suspension apparatus for an automobile of claim 3 , wherein the protrusions include a first protrusion annularly formed along a circumference of the top surface of the upper case and multiple second protrusions extended in a radial direction from the first protrusion, and the grooves are arranged between multiple second protrusions.

5. The suspension apparatus for an automobile of claim 3 , wherein one or more third protrusions and one or more second grooves are further formed at the outer peripheral surface of the upper case.

6. The suspension apparatus for an automobile of claim 1 , wherein the upper case includes:
the upper portion constituting an upward surface of the upper case;
an inner portion downwardly extended from an inner end of the upper portion;
a first outer portion downwardly extended from an outer end of the upper portion;
a second outer portion extended in a radial direction from a lower end of the first outer portion; and
a third outer portion downwardly extended from an outer end of the second outer portion.

7. The suspension apparatus for an automobile of claim 1 , further comprising:
a reinforcing member arranged within the lower case and configured to reinforce stiffness of the lower case.

8. The suspension apparatus for an automobile of claim 1 , wherein a combination protrusion inserted into the upper case and combined with the upper case is formed at an upward surface of the lower case.

9. The suspension apparatus for an automobile of claim 8 , further comprising:
a first sealing member for sealing a space between an upward surface of the combination protrusion and the upper case; and
a second sealing member for sealing a space between an edge of the upward surface of the lower case and the upper case.

Assignees

• Hyndai Mobis Co Ltd
• Hyundai Mobis Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Kye Ho

Classifications

• F16C2220/04

  by injection-moulding · CPC title

• F16C2326/05

  Vehicle suspensions, e.g. bearings, pivots or connecting rods used therein · CPC title

• B60G15/068

  specially adapted for MacPherson strut-type suspension · CPC title

• F16C19/163

  with angular contact · CPC title

• F16C35/06

  Mounting {or dismounting} of ball or roller bearings; Fixing them onto shaft or in housing · CPC title