Abstract:
An adjustment offset conical mount for use in combination with motor vehicles equipped with conically shaped strut mount towers formed in the chassis of the vehicle. The offset mount is rotatably and adjustably received within the tower and the arcuate position of the offset mount relocates the strut and its associated wheel assembly to a correct position within the vehicle and particularly within vehicular chassis. Camber and caster parameters are correctable, with camber ranges from at least +1.5° and −0.75° being achieved, while caster correction is available between +−1.12°.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to an improved strut mounting member for use in combination with a motor vehicle having a vehicular chassis and a wheel suspension mechanism including a collapsible strut member. Such suspension mechanisms and/or assemblies are in widespread use, and are utilized by a number of motor vehicle and automotive manufacturers in the United States as well as in other countries. The device of the present invention is designed for use in correcting and/or adjusting certain wheel alignment parameters including simultaneous readjustment of camber and/or caster. The present invention is designed for use as an adjustable attachment between the upper strut and the conical strut tower formed within the vehicular chassis. 
     In typical motor vehicle assembly, a portion of the vehicle wheel suspension mechanism is coupled to the chassis through a collapsible strut member, such as, for example, McPherson type strut. These struts typically comprise a central body with upper chassis coupling and lower wheel assembly coupling ends, with a load bearing coil spring being arranged coaxially about the strut. The coil spring creates a responsive and load-supporting force between the chassis and the wheel suspension mechanism and is commonly found in motor vehicles. 
     In normal usage, motor vehicles occasionally strike obstructions such as curbs, gutters, other vehicles, and the like and the suspensions may suffer some damage. Additionally, the normal wear and tear on the suspension systems causes the suspension mechanism to lose or shift from specified alignment parameters. In vehicles equipped with strut suspension systems, camber is a parameter which frequently requires readjustment. 
     The motor vehicles, as manufactured, are equipped with upper strut mounting assemblies which generally lack even limited alignment adjustment features. As such, even moderate or other unusual impacts with curbs, gutters, and/or other vehicles can lead to misalignment from proper and specified alignment parameters. The present invention provides a straightforward and expedient arrangement which may be employed in connection with motor vehicles equipped with strut suspension systems and having vehicular chassis with a conical strut receiving or attachment tower formed therein. Such assemblies are typically found in certain front-wheel drive vehicles such as Ford Focus and Mercury Mystique and Cougar models manufactured from 1995 through at least 2001. Similar systems may also be found in certain rear wheel suspension assemblies as well. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, an improved adjustable offset conical mount is provided which is designed to be received snugly within the conically shaped tower formed in the chassis structure of an automobile. The offset mount is designed to be rotatably and adjustably received within the tower, with its arcuate position relocating the strut and its associated wheel assembly relative to the vehicular chassis. This device provides for correction of camber within a range of from at least +1.5° and −0.75°, while providing for caster correction in the range of between +1.12° and −1.12°. The improved offset conical strut mount accordingly provides a means for receiving and adjustably positionably coupling the distal end of the chassis coupling end of the strut to the conical strut tower of the vehicle chassis. 
     The upper strut mount body member comprises upper and lower offset portions, with each body portion having a generally conical configuration. The upper and lower body portions are spaced apart by a separator plate having a bore extending therethrough, with the bore being positioned centrally of the lower portion and eccentrically of the upper portion. The upper body portion, in turn, has the conical outer wall covered with a resilient pad, preferably with a scalloped outer surface. This combination is, in turn, received within and mated with the vehicular chassis tower, while providing adjustable repositioning of the upper strut end within the chassis tower. 
     The lower body portion has an axis parallel to and offset from the axis of the upper body portion, and preferably has a conical outer wall with an open bottom chamber formed therein. The lower body portion has a flanged base with an annular thrust bearing retaining skirt extending downwardly therefrom. An annular thrust bearing is received within the skirt and retains the spring seat within the inner circumference, thereby enabling relative rotational movement to occur between the strut assembly and the offset conical mount. 
     With its eccentric bore, adjustment of at least one vehicular wheel alignment parameter selected from camber and/or caster is accomplished through selective adjustable rotatable positioning of the mount body within the conical strut tower so as to achieve the desired angular position. 
     These features of the present invention facilitate a relatively straightforward alignment adjustment, particularly relating to camber and/or caster, with a minimum number of new components being required, along with a reduction in the time requirements for the conventional realignment steps. 
     Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for adjustment of wheel alignment parameters of a motor vehicle, particularly those equipped with a collapsible strut coupled to the chassis at a chassis strut tower. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved wheel alignment adjustment assembly which is readily interposed between the chassis and the wheel suspension mechanism of a motor vehicle, and with the adjustment assembly incorporating an offset upper strut mount body member adjustably positionable within the conical strut tower of the vehicle chassis. 
     Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a study of the following specification, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     IN THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a standard prior art equipped concentric strut mount assembly, and illustrating a cut-away or fragmentary portion of the vehicle chassis structure; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the components illustrated in FIG. 1, with the chassis structure being removed; 
     FIG. 3 is a exploded perspective view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating the improved offset mount assembly of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the offset conical mount of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of the mount illustrated in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of arrow  6 — 6  of FIG. 4; 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 are top plan and side views of the rubber covered cup washer utilized in the assembly of the strut mounting system of the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken along and through the diameter of the rubber covered cup washer of FIGS. 7 and 8, and being taken along the line and in the direction of arrows  9 — 9  of FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view taken through the diameter of the offset conical mount assembly in place in a chassis tower, and illustrating the detail of the coupling of the strut shaft to the offset conical mount assembly, and also the configuration of the coil spring within the spring seat; and 
     FIG. 11 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows  11 — 11  of FIG.  10 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and with particular attention being directed to the prior art devices shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the strut assembly generally designated  10  is coupled to the vehicular chassis structure  11  through the strut mounting assembly generally designated  12 . In this connection, the upper distal end  14  of strut  10  is coupled to chassis  11  through conical mount  15  through rubber covered cup washer  16  with appropriate fasteners such as inner and outer flange nuts  17  and  18 . Briefly, inner nut  17  secures the upper distal end  14  of the strut  10  to spring mount  15 , with outer nut  18  serving to engage strut shaft  14  and to clampingly engage rubber covered cup washer  16  with the annular surface of conical shaped tower  19  formed in chassis  11 . 
     The disadvantages of the prior art structure include a lack of adjustment capability, thus requiring extensive realignment operations and procedures to take place with the vehicle in order to reposition the wheel assembly to the chassis so as to restore alignment parameters. 
     As further indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 upper spring seat  20  is utilized to coupled coil spring  21  to the overall assembly, with thrust bearing  27  being utilized to permit relative rotation between spring seat  20  and offset conical mount  15 . As will become apparent hereinafter, thrust bearing  27  is seated within the skirt portion  24  of offset conical spring mount  15 , and accommodates the relative motion between spring seat  20  and offset mount  24  as indicated hereinabove. 
     With attention now being directed to FIG. 3 of the drawings, it will be noted that those components of the device of FIG. 3 which are also present in the arrangement of prior art assemblies of FIGS. 1 and 2 will be referred to by the same reference numeral. In this connection, assembly  25  is utilized to couple upper distal end of strut shaft  14  to the conical shaped tower in the chassis, as shown at  11  in FIG.  1 . Assembly  25  includes an offset conical  26  which is provided with a flanged portion to receive thrust bearing  27 . As indicated, the wheel suspension mechanism of the vehicle (not shown) includes a collapsible strut member such as a McPherson strut, the upper distal shaft end being shown at  14  in FIG.  3 . This strut member comprises a central body with strut shaft  14  serving as an upper chassis coupling member, with the lower end of the collapsible strut being coupled to a conventional wheel suspension mechanism. The load bearing coil spring is shown at  21  (FIG. 1) with this spring being arranged coaxially about the body of the McPherson strut, the coil spring thereby creating a responsive load bearing force between the chassis and the wheel suspension mechanism. The offset conical spring mount assembly including offset conical mount body  26  is interposed between the chassis (at the conical strut tower) and the wheel suspension mechanism. Positionable coupling of the upper end of strut member  14  within the chassis conical strut tower provides and facilitates correction and restoration of camber and/or caster within the vehicle. 
     With attention now being directed to FIGS. 3-6, it will be observed that offset upper conical mount  26  comprises upper and lower offset portions  30  and  31  each of generally conical configuration, and spaced apart by separator plate  32 . Separator plate  32  has a bore formed therein as at  33 , with this bore being disposed centrally or axially of lower body portion  31 , and eccentrically of upper body portion  30 . 
     Upper body  30  has a central axis with a conical outer wall arranged to be received within and mate with the inner conical wall of chassis tower  19 , with chassis tower  19 , in turn, having an open top as at  35  (FIG.  10 ). A resilient pad having a scalloped outer wall surface  37  is secured to the outer surface  38  of body portion  30 , with this surface, in turn being designed to mate with the inner surface  39  of tower  19 . 
     With continued attention being directed to FIGS. 3-6 and with further attention being directed to FIG. 10, it will be seen that lower body portion  31  has an axis parallel to an axis of the upper chamber due to the offset, with body portion  31  further having an outer conical wall as at  40 . Lower body portion is further provided with a flanged bearing receiving foot  41 , with skirt  42  extending downwardly. As illustrated in FIG. 10, a shouldered seat is thereby provided for thrust bearing  27 , with bearing  27 , in turn, being interposed between flange surface  44  and the upper surface  45  of spring seat  20 . 
     Cup washer retainer member  50  is arranged to be received in and disposed along the top surface of the conical strut tower, with cup washer  50  having an eccentric bore form therein as at  51  (FIG.  7 ). Bore  51  is arranged to have a radial offset equivalent to that of bore  33 , and thus receives upper tip portion  52  of strut shaft  14 . Cup washer  50  is provided with a resilient rubber ring  54 , with rubber ring  54  being in the form of a closed torroidal ring serving as a resilient shock and vibration isolating pad. 
     Inner flanged nut  17  is designed to fit in counter bore zone  56  of bore  33  to positionably retain and stabilize strut shaft  14 , and to firmly couple strut shaft  14  to offset conical mount  26 . Upper flanged nut  18  is, in turn, utilized to firmly secure and couple the outer tip end  52  of strut  14  directly to the vehicle chassis through cup washer  50  and resilient torroidal isolation ring  54 . For those applications where the offset would cause interference between the interior of cup washer  50  and flanged nut  18 , a spacer sleeve  55  may be interposed in order to provide the appropriate clearance for the flange edge of flanged nut  18 . 
     The arrangement provides for the distal end of the upper end of strut shaft  14  to extend through bore  33 , with cup washer  50  serving a clamping function. The arrangement is such that adjustment of at least vehicular wheel alignment parameter, camber and/or caster, is accomplished through selected adjustable rotatable positioning of offset conical tower mount  26  within vehicular conical strut tower  19 . Bore  33  provides for shaft  14  to be positionably placed along an axis spaced from the axis of the upper body portion, and at a desired angular position relative to the axis of the vehicular conical strut tower, in order to achieve positional readjustment of the upper end of the strut member and its wheel suspension mechanism relative the chassis running axis. 
     Of course, it will be appreciated that the examples given herein are for purposes of illustration only, and are not to be construed as a limitation upon the scope of the present invention.