Gencorp, Inc.

The General Tire & Rubber Company

Btr Antivibration Systems, Inc.

Richard D Hein

Douglas M McLelland

Paul T Wolfe

Bradley G Hampton

Walter J Kelly

James E Britton

John A Welch

James A Roth

James R Goewey

Donald L Deane

Solomon H Tang

Fred V Sandels

Pamela J Harrison

Tony R Jones

Gary L Fordyce

William L Fleshood

An elastomeric mount for automotive application is provided having a preassembled, sealed fluid composite with a first and a second fluid chamber connected by means of a restricted orifice. The fluid package is accepted into and supported by an upper and a lower compliance member which provide general damping of vibration and oscillation of an automotive component. Means are provided to regulate the flow of the fluid and/or the fluid flow characteristics between the first and the second chamber in response to a stimulus to selectively isolate and dampen undesired vibration.

Methods of formation and installation of prepackaged fluid-damping

Prepackaged fluid-damping article for elastomeric mounts and methods of

The present invention relates to a hydraulically damped powertrain mount (10) which includes an inner and outer in-series elastomeric springs (12, 14), having a cylindrical form with an oval cross section. The powertrain mount is secured to a supporting object by a flange extending outwardly from the periphery of an outer support housing (18) conforming generally to the shape of the outer elastomeric spring. Adjoining the inner and outer springs is a intermediate metal plate (16) utilized to assemble the springs concentrically in a partially nested relation therewith. A mounting member (22) is received within a centrally located recess portion formed in the inner spring and projects freely from the inner spring for attaching the engine or motor which is to be supported. A diaphragm (32) is secured to the intermediate metal plate and cooperates with the inner spring to define a fluid filled chamber. The fluid chamber is divided by a partition assembly (28) into two fluid filled holding chambers (A, B). The holding chambers communicate with one another through a fluid track (40) within the partition assembly. Fitted within the partition assembly is a decoupler (38) for controlling fluid flow between the fluid-filled chambers.

Hydraulically damped powertrain mount

A fluid damped bushing (10, 100) comprising a metallic sleeve (12, 112) and an annular elastomeric body (14, 114) mold bonded to the exterior of the metallic sleeve. The elastomeric body has a spaced apart pair of fluid containing recesses (18, 118 and 20, 120) in its exterior surface with a serpentine shaped inertia track (26, 126) in the outermost surface of the elastomeric body to provide communication between the recesses. A window metal sleeve (16, 116) is encapsulated within the elastomeric body by mold bonding, and the window metal sleeve has a longitudinally spaced apart pair of rings (30, 130 and 32, 132) above and below the level of the recesses, respectively, and a diametrically opposed pair of webs (38, 138 and 40, 140) extending between the rings. In a first embodiment, a plurality of outwardly projecting pads (28) is located in one of the webs in the region of the inertia track to prevent deformation of the inertia track under lead. The annular elastomeric body inserted into an outer metallic sleeve (36, 136), while the sleeve and the elastomeric body are immersed in a damping fluid, and the diameter of the outer sleeve is then reduced by a swaging process to tightly seal the sleeve against the annular elastomeric body and to seal the damping fluid in the recesses and the inertia track. In another embodiment of the invention the metallic sleeve (112) has a generally elliptical, axially short rigid polymeric collar (140) affixed to the central portion thereof. The radially longer lobes (140a) of the collar are aligned with the recesses (118, 120) and serve to limit the amount of radial deflection of the bushing (100).

Fluid damped bushing with encapsulated window metal

A stabilizer bar bushing adapted to receive a metal stabilizer bar and to be secured within a mounting assembly that is attached to a vehicle frame for cooperatively resisting excessive sway when a vehicle is turning and a method of manufacture. The stabilizer bar bushing includes an elastomeric member and a low coefficient of friction film layer. The elastomeric member has an outer diameter, an inner diameter defining a bore and a slot extending the longitudinal length of the elastomeric member from the outer diameter to the inner diameter. The low coefficient of friction film layer is adhered to the inner diameter and the slot to facilitate ease of insertion of the stabilizer bar within the bore and reduce frictional engagement of the elastomeric member with the stabilizer bar.

Stabilizer bar bushing with ultra high molecular weight polyethylene

A fluid damped bushing (10) comprising a metallic sleeve (12) and an annular elastomeric body (14) mold bonded to the exterior of the metallic sleeve. The elastomeric body has a spaced apart pair of fluid containing recesses (16, 18) in its exterior surface with an intermediate recess (20) positioned between the fluid containing recesses. An inertia track plate (22), which is formed from a relatively rigid material, is positioned within the intermediate recess, and the track plate has a flow passage (24) formed in its exterior surface, opposed ends of the flow passage being in fluid communication with the fluid containing recesses. The bushing is circumscribed by longitudinally short, metallic rings (26, 28) on longitudinally opposed sides of the recesses, and is then tightly surrounded by a metallic sleeve (30) which has an elastomeric inner liner (32) mold bonded to its interior surface.. The elastomeric body also has a second intermediate recess (34), which is like the intermediate recess (20) and which is diametrically opposed thereto, and the second intermediate recess is also fitted with a track plate (36). The track plate (36) is like the inertia track plate (22), except that the track plate is not provided with a flow passage corresponding to the flow passage (24).

Fluid damped bushing

A bushing for an automotive torque strut is described as having a resilient, elastomeric insert which is bonded to a rigid, inner sleeve, and provided with a plurality of resilient, elastomeric fingers which are flexible and not bonded to an outer sleeve or housing of the bushing. The fingers are specially located in the insert. In one embodiment, there are aligned pairs of oppositely disposed fingers which extend into large pie-shaped voids which are spaced on opposite sides of the inner sleeve. In the other embodiment, the insert is provided with radially oriented grooves and fingers which are alternately disposed around the inner sleeve.

Automotive torque strut bushing

A torque strut for an automobile engine is described as having a unique energy absorbing housing in which is mounted a unique energy absorbing device which has a block-shaped center piece from which a pair of resilient rubber shock absorbers extend in opposite directions for receipt in a pair of adjacent cavities which are formed in the housing. The farthest spaced opposing ends of the rubber shock absorbers are free of the housing, but are designed to compressively engage adjacent ends of the cavities and fill the cavities when the shock absorbers are compressively expanded in the cavities, as a result of forward or reverse roll of the engine. A rolling rubber torus with a special mechanism for interlocking engagement with the device, is provided to stabilize the position of the energy absorbing device within the housing of the torque strut.

Force dampening torque strut for an automobile engine

A resilient mount is described as having a special spring steel retainer spring for locking the mount in a frusto-conically shaped opening which is defined by a hollow truncated rigid metal sleeve which has an annular abutment at its free outer edge. The mount has inner and outer rigid metal sleeves to which a resilient rubber insert is bonded. The insert essentially encases the outer sleeve and has a circumferential recess which extends inwardly of the insert adjacent the annular abutment. The recess is designed to receive the retainer spring which has a plurality of radially extending fingers for engaging the annular abutment to limit axial movement of the mount in one direction. The insert is also provided with an integral annular flange for engaging the opposite end of the truncated sleeve to limit axial movement of the mount in the other direction.

Snap in automotive mount

A resilient, elastomeric jounce bumper is described as having a cylindrical head which protrudes from a larger diameter cylindrical body which has a cylindrical extension which surrounds at least a portion of the head in spaced radial relation, such that an annular void is formed around the head in the area of the body extension. The outer, free annular end of the body extension curves inwardly towards the head and terminates in close proximity to the head to prevent harmful particulate matter from entering the annular void. The body extension is provided with at least one, circular metal ring which is embedded in the extension adjacent the curved end of the extension to restrict radial expansion of the head, when the bumper is place under a heavy load.

Jounce bumper with hoop stress rings

A mount assembly is described for resiliently mounting a stabilizer bar on an automobile frame. The mount assembly comprises a bracket assembly and a bushing assembly. The bushing assembly includes an outer sleeve adjacent to the bracket and an inner sleeve for contacting the stabilizer bar. The nesting sleeves are designed so as to provide restraint of axial movement while allowing ease of rotational movement. The restraint can be provided by a positive stop such as a projecting flange member, or by cooperating conical or tapered surfaces which defines an increased frictional engagement and compression of the stabilizer bar as the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve move increasingly out of relative axial alignment.

Stabilizer bar slip bushing with axial restraint

An engine mount is described as having two concentrically disposed annular resilient rubber springs, the outermost of which is provided with a pair of cavities and connecting passageway for receiving a dampening fluid. The spring rates of the two rubber springs can be individually tuned by the use of voids or cavities. Thus, there is a threefold manner in which the spring rate of the engine mount can be tuned.

Dual elastomeric/fluid engine mount

An automotive power transmission mount is described as having resilient elastomeric springs radially disposed with a non-rigid intermediate mass which has its own spring rate and an outer member which is also of a non-rigid construction. The resilient elastomeric springs are located about a rigid, inner, hollow, metal core.

Automotive powertrain mount

A shock absorber mount is described as having two pressed fittings which are mounted in end-to-end relationship. Each insert has two rigid, radially spaced cylindrical sleeves which are separated by a resilient rubber insert. The inner sleeve of the vertically lowermost fitting, when the fittings are properly mounted on, for example, an automobile frame, extends upwardly beyond the associated outer sleeve and is coated with rubber to enter a hollow bore formed by the inner sleeve of the upper fitting. The extension allows the lower fitting to initially absorb an upwardly applied axial force until it moves into shock absorbing relation with the upper fitting. The extension also acts to bolster the radial shock absorbing characteristics of the upper fitting to provide improved shock absorbing characteristics of the mount; namely, low axial shock absorption and high radial shock absorption.

Dual/slipper shock mount

A jounce bumper is described as being formed of resilient eleastomeric material. The bumper comprises a cylindrical head protruding from a hollow cylindrical body which terminates at an outstanding annular flange. An annular extension of the body extends from the body in spaced relation around the head to form an annular void around the head. The body extension has a free marginal edge which curves inwardly towards the head and terminates in close proximity to the head to prevent particulate matter from entering the void which is sized to have a volume which is correlated to the displacement of the head when a predetermined load is applied against the head. Voids are placed in the head and body to provide the deflection control characteristics desired. A rigid metal sleeve is encased in the extension of the body to prevent radial displacement of the head beyond filling of the void around the head.

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Wabash, IN, United States of America

Richard D Hein