Universal weakened strut support

An improved adjustable lift strut support adapted for permanent attachment to a shock tube of a vehicle's failed lift strut. It is capable of quick safe attachment to a plethora of different diameter struts. It wont damage the shock tube assembly if it is left connected to the shock tube, nor will it damage the vehicles hood or liftback when they are closed with the support connected to the shock tube.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a extremely compact weakened strut (shock tube assembly) support that will universally fit a plethora of different diameter shock tubes adapted to provide both safety and convenience for the user.

The life expectancy of motor vehicles has dramatically increased due to technological advances and with the cost of cars taking an all time high percentage out of the working classes' income, people are keeping their cars for longer periods. One of the components that commonly fail on vehicles is the pneumatic or hydraulic shock tube assembly or strut that hold the vehicle's hood up. These are expensive to replace whereas a simple inexpensive fix would work. The prior art is not universal, must be removed after each use and can damage the shock tube it is connected to if the hood is closed prematurely.

Henceforth, a universal fitting, permanently mounted weakened strut support would fulfill a long felt need in the automotive industry. This new invention utilizes and combines known and new technologies in a unique and novel configuration to overcome the aforementioned problems and accomplish this.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a support to safely hold up the hood (or trunk or liftback) of a vehicle that has a weakened or broken lift strut. It has many of the advantages mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new support which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.

In accordance with the invention, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved lift strut support capable of universally fitting a plethora of struts.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved an improved strut support capable of permanent attachment to the shock tube.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved strut support that is simple to operate and adjust.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide for an improved strut support that wont damage the shock tube assembly if it is left connected to the shock tube.

The subject matter of the present invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. However, both the organization and method of operation, together with further advantages and objects thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like elements. Other objects, features and aspects of the present invention are discussed in greater detail below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The strut support2was intended to let mechanics work under the hood of a vehicle having a failed or leaky gas strut support although it works equally well on any support such as those found on a vehicle's trunk, hatch or the like. Looking atFIGS. 1 and 2the advantages of the strut support2can best be seen.

The strut support2may be mechanically affixed to the upper end of the shock tube4of a gas strut support and engaged to frictionally constrain the piston arm6in the extended position (FIG. 1) or it may be left mechanically affixed to the shock tube4and frictionally disengaged from the piston arm6such that the piston arm6is free to be retracted back into the shock tube4(FIG. 2). Once installed the strut support need not be removed again, providing a lost cost alternative to replacing a failed gas strut support.

Looking atFIGS. 3 and 4, the assembled and disassembled front perspective views of the preferred embodiment strut support, in light ofFIGS. 5,6and7the various parts and the overall operation can best be explained. The housing cylinder10has the physical configuration of a right cylinder with a round bottom dado12formed along the longitudinal axis of the cylinder10so as to form a slot to allow the placement of a shock tube4therein. The top of the housing cylinder10has an internal flange14formed thereon. This flange14serves to help constrain the semi circular friction pad assembly16within the housing cylinder10. The friction pad assembly16is made of a semi circular resilient flexible polymer friction disk18attached to a semi circular rigid backing plate20. The friction disk18has a semi circular central groove22therein to increase the amount of surface area of the friction disk that contacts the piston arm6. There is a first threaded recess24formed normally in the housing cylinder10adjacent where the backing plate20resides such that a matingly conformed first set screw26may be threadingly engaged to advance the friction pad assembly16parallel to the transverse axis of the dado12. Below the friction pad assembly16and still residing within the dado14there is a nested set of decreasing diameter partially circular shims28. A partially circular spacer28, (shown as a circlip inFIG. 4) provides a sliding surface for movement of the friction pad assembly16rather than having it slide across the top of the nested shims28. A second threaded recess32and third threaded recess34are formed in the housing cylinder10adjacent where the circular shims28reside such that a matingly conformed second set screw36and third set screw38may be threadingly engaged to advance in their recesses to exert pressure on one side of the outermost nested shim to elastically deform them reduce the inside diameter of the circular shims28. This pressure frictionally holds the strut support onto the outside of the shock tube4.

In operation the support2is placed around the outside of a shock tube4of a failed lift strut as may be found under the hood of a car. Depending upon the outside diameter of the shock tube4some of the innermost of the nested shims28may have to be removed to accommodate the shock tube4. The top end of the shock tube4is slid in the dado12of the strut support2such that the washer30resides adjacent to the end of the shock tube4. In this position the friction pad assembly16extends beyond the end of the shock arm4and resides adjacent to the piston arm6of the strut. The second set screw36and third set screw38are threadingly engaged to advance in their recesses until they contact the outer surface of the outermost of the curved shims28and elastically deform them until they frictionally secure the support2to the outside of the shock tube4. The first set screw26is threadingly engaged until it contacts the backing plate20and advances the friction pad assembly16until the semi circular central groove22of the friction disk18contacts the piston arm6with enough force to frictionally engage and constrain the movement of the piston arm6. Once installed only the first set screw26need be backed out to allow the piston arm6to freely retract into the shock tube4and close the vehicle's hood.

FIGS. 8,9,10,11and20show the first alternate embodiment strut support40. In this embodiment the frictional engagement between the support40and the shock tube4is accomplished by a grouping of set screws42about the housing cylinder10that can be advanced to bear against the outside of the shock tube4. The curved shims28are not necessary in this embodiment. This embodiment like the preferred embodiment universally fit different sized struts.

FIGS. 12,13,14and15illustrate a second alternate embodiment strut support44that differs from the preferred embodiment by the addition of a reinforcement strip46in the area surrounding where the threaded orifices24,32and34lie, and the relocation of the second and third threaded orifices32and34from the side of the housing cylinder10to the back.

FIGS. 16,17,18,19, and21illustrate the third alternate embodiment strut support48which differs from the preferred embodiment by the use of a set of nested quarter circle shims50(instead of the circular shims28) that are inserted into the dado12after the shock tube4, and also by the relocation of the second and third threaded orifices32and34to the back of the housing cylinder10. In operation the second and third set screws36and38threadingly advance from their housing to contact the shock tube4and force it into frictional engagement with the quarter circle shims50.

It is to be noted that the frictional engagement of the piston arm6is accomplished in the same way in each of the embodiments. Although all embodiments are illustrated with set screws it is known that there are a host of equivalents that may be substituted such as winged bolts, T-handle bolts and the like.