Schaeffler Technologies Ag & Co .Kg

Kunal Vidyasagar

Shakeel Shaikh

Bogyu Kang

Emily Bygrave

A suspension strut bearing includes a top mount. The top mount is coupled to a guidance ring, wherein relative rotation or oscillation between the guidance ring and the top mount is enabled via rolling elements between an upper raceway and a lower raceway. The top mount has a top mount plate with an internal seal and an external seal. Both seals are overmolded to the top mounted plate and inhibit debris or the like from interfering with the operation of the rolling elements in the raceways. By overmolding the seals, a separate cap is no longer needed to be part of the suspension strut bearing. Further, the upper raceway can be integrated into the top mount plate itself. For example, the top mount plate can be shaped or formed to take the shape of the upper raceway, rather than having a separate element attached to the top mount plate.

Strut bearing integration

A strut bearing has an upper carrier having a first outer rim and a first inner rim, the first inner rim having a first circumferential connector, and a lower carrier having a second outer rim and a second inner rim, the second inner rim having a second circumferential connector. The first inner rim is held to the second inner rim through an overlapping connection of the first circumferential connector to the second circumferential connector. The strut bearing also has a bearing arranged between the upper carrier and the lower carrier, and a first sealing ring positioned between and in contact with the first circumferential connector and the second circumferential connector. The sealing ring is formed from a material that is softer and more elastic than a material from which the first circumferential connector and the second circumferential connector are formed.

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Kunal Vidyasagar