Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Thomas E Rau

John E Mutzner

John F Eilerman

David S Richard

A method of forming a bond between a resilient rubber member with a chlorinated surface and a bracket, especially in a vehicle mount assembly, includes forming a cured epoxy coating on the bracket member and heating the bracket member and the chlorinated surface of the rubber body to a bonding temperature while pressing them together to form a bond between them.

Vehicular mount assembly with bonded rubber

A vehicular powertrain mount assembly comprising two metal bracket members and a volume of a resilient elastomeric material sandwiched between and adhesively bonded to the two brackets. An epoxy adhesive is used in bonding the metal to the elastomer producing a bond having a minimum tensile rupture strength of 3,000 Newtons when tested by ASTM D-429.

Vehicular powertrain mount assembly

A composite leaf spring for a motor vehicle has an elongated body of layers of epoxy coated fibers extending in the longitudinal direction of the spring. The composite fiber/adhesive body is formed and cured to provide sufficient strength and flexibility to suspend the vehicle. A synthetic fiber pad is fixed adjacent the end of the spring for engagement with the spring hanger of the suspension system to resist wear of the body at the interface with the hanger. In the preferred embodiment, the pad is a woven fabric of aramid fibers at least some of which extend substantially normal to the wear interface. A specific double plane weave fabric including a warp/fill fiber ratio of approximately 7:1 provides superior results. Epoxy resin is preferred for the adhesive both for the body of the spring and for pre-impregnation of the pad. In the related method, the pre-impregnated pad is applied to the mold contoured to correspond to the shape of the spring and elongated fibers are layered in the mold over the pad. Sufficient heat and pressure is applied to integrally bond the pad to the spring to form the wear surface.

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Dayton, OH, United States of America

Thomas E Rau