Abstract:
A suspension mount assembly for coupling a first component and a second component of a vehicle comprises a housing including a bore and a first shoulder. The housing is adapted to be coupled to the first component of the vehicle. An elastomeric bushing includes a bore adapted to receive the second component of a vehicle. The elastomeric bushing includes a first portion, a spaced apart ring portion, and a web portion interconnecting the ring portion of the first portion. The ring portion, the web portion and the first portion are integrally formed with one another. A cap includes a peripheral portion having a second shoulder. The elastomeric bushing is positioned within the housing bore with the ring portion being engaged with the first shoulder. The first shoulder cooperates with the second shoulder to trap the ring portion between the housing and the cap and provide a seal and vibration isolator therebetween.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/359,482, filed on Jul. 7, 2016. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to top mount assemblies used with shocks/struts employed on suspension systems of motor vehicles, and more particularly to a top mount assembly having a bushing constructed to dampen vibration occurring between a cap and a housing of the top mount assembly. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
         [0004]    Some present day shock/strut assemblies use a top mount assembly having a cap and a housing to which the cap is secured. An elastomeric bushing is positioned within the housing and one end thereof is partially covered by the cap. Noise, vibration, and harshness issues may exist when vibrations are transferred between the cap and the housing. A need to provide a seal between the cap and housing also exists. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    A suspension mount for use with a shock/strut assembly is disclosed. The suspension mount assembly incorporates an elastomeric bushing having an integrally formed O-ring about its peripheral edge. The bushing with its integrally formed O-ring allows expedited assembly and provides a low cost suspension mount. The bushing with its integrally formed O-ring also reduces or eliminates the possibility of improper installation. 
         [0006]    A suspension mount for coupling a first component and a second component of a vehicles comprises a housing including a bore and a first shoulder. The housing is adapted to be coupled to the first component of the vehicle. An elastomeric bushing includes a bore adapted to receive the second component of a vehicle. The elastomeric bushing includes a first portion, a spaced apart ring portion, and a web portion interconnecting the ring portion of the first portion. The ring portion and the web portion of the first portion are integrally formed with one another. A cap includes a peripheral portion having a second shoulder. The elastomeric bushing is positioned within the housing with the ring portion being engaged with the first shoulder. The first shoulder cooperates with the second shoulder to trap the ring portion between the housing and the cap and provide a seal therebetween. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of an automobile using top mount assemblies in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a side view of one of the front suspension units that incorporate the top mount assembly in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a top mount assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the top mount assembly includes a bushing having an integrally formed O-ring along one peripheral edge which is adapted to engage between an edge portion of a cap and an interior surface of a housing, and wherein the cap, bushing and housing form the top mount assembly for a strut; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a perspective side view of the bushing of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the bushing of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a side cross-sectional view of the bushing of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  shows another embodiment of the present disclosure in which a bushing having an integral O-ring portion is captured beneath a cap, and wherein the cap is held in place by a roll formed edge feature or other mechanical deformation of an edge portion of the housing which eliminates the need for a circlip. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features. 
         [0016]    There is shown in  FIG. 1  a vehicle incorporating a suspension system having the top mount assembly in accordance with the present disclosure and which is designated generally by the reference numeral  10 . The top mount assembly may more generally be identified as a suspension mount. Vehicle  10  comprises a rear suspension  12 , a front suspension  14  and a body  16 . Rear suspension  12  has a transversely extending rear axle assembly (not shown) adapted to operatively support the vehicle&#39;s rear wheels  18 . The rear axle assembly is operatively connected to body  16  by means of a pair of shock absorbers  20  and a pair of helical coil springs  22 . Similarly front suspension  14  includes a transversely extending front axle assembly (not shown) to operatively support the vehicle&#39;s front wheels  24 . The front axle assembly is operatively connected to body  16  by means of a second pair of shock absorbers  26  and by a pair of shaped helical coil springs  28 . Shock absorbers  20  and  26  serve to dampen the relative motion of the unsprung portion (i.e. front and rear suspensions  12  and  14 , respectively) and the sprung portion (i.e. body  16 ) of vehicle  10 . While vehicle  10  has been depicted as a passenger car having front and rear axle assemblies, shock absorbers  20  and  26  may be used with other types of vehicles and/or in other types of applications such as vehicles incorporating independent front and/or independent rear suspension systems. Further, the term “shock absorber” as used herein is meant to be dampers in general and thus will include struts. Also, while front suspension  14  is illustrated having a pair of struts or shock absorbers  26 , it is within the scope of the present disclosure to have rear suspension  12  incorporate a pair of struts or shock absorbers  26  if desired. 
         [0017]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a portion of the front wheel suspension for vehicle  10  is illustrated in greater detail. Body  16  defines a shock tower  32  comprising sheet metal of vehicle  10  within which is mounted a strut assembly  34  which comprises a telescoping device in the form of shock absorber  26 , coil spring  28  and a top mount assembly  36 . Strut assembly  34  including shock absorber  26 , coil spring  28  and top mount assembly  36  are attached to vehicle  10  using shock tower  32 . 
         [0018]    Strut assembly  34  further includes an upper spring seat  42  and a jounce bumper  50 . Jounce bumper  50  is disposed between upper spring seat  42  and shock absorber  26 . Jounce bumper  50  comprises an elastomeric material. A protective bellows  52  is integrally formed with upper spring seat  42 . A bumper cap  54  is located on shock absorber  26  to interface with jounce bumper  50 , if necessary. 
         [0019]    A lower spring seat  60  is attached to shock absorber  26  and coil spring  28  is disposed between upper spring seat  42  and lower spring seat  60  to isolate body  16  from front suspension  14 . Shock absorber  26  comprises an outer tube  62 , a piston assembly  64  and a telescoping rod or piston rod  66 . While shock absorber  26  is illustrated as a mono-tube design, it is within the scope of the present disclosure to utilize a dual-tube shock absorber for shock absorber  26 . In this design, lower spring seat  60  would attach to the reserve tube of the dual tube shock absorber. Also, while shock absorber  26  is illustrated in  FIG. 2 , it is to be understood that shock absorber  20  may also include the features described herein for shock absorber  26 . A retaining nut  68  is threadingly received on the end of piston rod  66  to secure piston rod  66  to top mount assembly  36 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 3-6 , there is shown a portion of a suspension mount or top mount assembly  36  for a strut, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The top mount assembly  36  generally includes an elastomeric bushing  72  which is enclosed within a housing  74  and covered by a cap  76 . The cap  76  and the housing  74  are typically made from cast aluminum. A circlip  78  is typically installed within a groove  80  which is cooperatively formed by a peripheral portion  82  of the cap  76  and an interior surface  84  of the housing  74 . The circlip  78  retains the cap  76  on the housing  74 . 
         [0021]    The bushing  72  is shown in greater detail in  FIG. 6 . The bushing  72  includes an inner tube  90  including a bore  92  and a radially outwardly extending protrusion  94 . Inner tube  90  may be constructed from grade  1045  cold formed steel. An inner body  98  is overmolded onto an outer surface  100  of inner tube  90 . Inner body  98  may be constructed from a plastic material such as PA66 nylon filled with 50% glass fiber. An outer body  104  is overmolded onto an external surface  106  of inner body  98 . Outer body  104  is preferably constructed from elastomeric material, possibly conforming to SAE J200, encapsulating a first rate plate  108  and a second rate plate  110 . First rate plate  108  is positioned within a lower portion  126  of bushing  72 . Second rate plate  110  is positioned within an upper portion  130  of bushing  72 . A central portion  128  is positioned between lower portion  126  and upper portion  130 . Bore  92  extends fully through the bushing for allowing piston rod  66  of shock absorber  26  to project therethrough. Outer body  104  is an integrally formed, single piece component made from a suitably high strength elastomer. 
         [0022]    A principal feature of the outer body  104  is an integrally formed O-ring  134 , which is formed about a peripheral edge of the upper portion  130 . The O-ring  134  includes a main body portion  136  and a web portion  138  which projects radially outwardly from the upper portion  130 . In this embodiment, the O-ring extends a full 360 degrees around the upper portion  130 , although it need not necessarily extend a full 360 degrees. It is possible that the O-ring  134  may include a plurality of circumferentially spaced sections arranged around the upper portion  130 , and these spaced apart sections could also have slightly different thicknesses. The diameter of the main body portion  136  of the O-ring  134  may vary significantly, but is typically between about 2.00 mm-6.35 mm in diameter. At certain points around the circumference of the O-ring  134 , the thickness of the web portion  138  may be increased so as to help retain the main body portion  136  even if the thinner profile web portion  138  should partially tear or rip from the upper portion  130  of the bushing  72 . It is understood by one skilled in the art that certain points around the O-ring or web may be void of any bushing material. 
         [0023]    With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , assembly of the top mount assembly  36  may be achieved by first inserting the bushing  72  into the housing  74  to a predetermined position in which the main body portion  136  of the O-ring  134  engages and seats on a shoulder  140  of an interior wall of the housing  74 , as best seen in  FIG. 3 . At this point, the O-ring will be slightly compressed against the shoulder  140 . The cap  76  may then be placed on the housing  74  and pressed into place so that an inner shoulder  142  on a peripheral edge  144  of the cap presses against the O-ring  134 . While holding the cap  76  in this position, the circlip  78  may be pressed into the groove  80 . The groove  80  is cooperatively formed by an arcuate section  146  of the housing  74  and an arcuate section  148  of the cap  76 . Once fully seated in the groove  80 , the circlip  78  holds the O-ring  134  in a slightly compressed state. 
         [0024]    One function of the O-ring  134  is that it compresses to allow the cap  76  to move axially away from slot  80 . This cap movement opens up the slot  80  so that the circlip  78  can be placed into the slot, after which the cap  76  moves back up keeping the circlip  78  from popping out during overload while at the same time limiting vibration between the top cap and housing shoulders. 
         [0025]      FIG. 7  shows a portion of another embodiment of a strut assembly  200  that makes use of a bushing  212  having an integrally formed O-ring  234 . However, in this embodiment the bushing  212  is held in place beneath a cap  216 , which is in turn held to a housing  214  by a roll formed edge feature  214   a  of the housing  214 . The roll formed edge feature  214   a  is formed through a manufacturing operation during assembly of the strut assembly  200 . The roll formed edge feature  214   a  captures the cap  216  in place on the housing  214 , with the bushing  212  held in place in a slightly compressed condition. While a roll form of the housing edge is shown, it is understood by one skilled in the art that any other mechanical deformation of the edge of the housing is considered to be an interchangeable part of the disclosure. 
         [0026]    The O-ring  134  (or  234 ) performs the important operation of preventing vibration between the cap  76  (or  216 ) and the housing  74  (or  214 ), as well as helping to sealing an interior area of the housing  74  (or  214 ). O-ring  134  functions as a vibration isolator. It also serves to accommodate material springback of the cap during the manufacturing operation. 
         [0027]    While various embodiments have been described, those skilled in the art will recognize modifications or variations which might be made without departing from the present disclosure. The examples illustrate the various embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Therefore, the description and claims should be interpreted liberally with only such limitation as is necessary in view of the pertinent prior art.