Zf Friedrichshafen Ag

Tim-Malte Franke

Hubert Siemer

Helmut Kammel

Klaus Kramer

Karl Heuer

Claudia Hoping

Christine Schumacher

Claudia Hartfiel

Nicole Cieslack

An elastomer bush bearing, wherein the bearing body () is encapsulated through axial flanges () of the outer bearing sleeve (), with the bush bearing having an elastomer bearing body () with a special profile in the axial direction. The bearing body () is employed in constructing the bush bearing of the invention, which is capable of supporting high radial loads even with low radial stiffness and without adversely affecting its stability and service life. The two axial end faces () of the bearing body () each have undulated contours which extend in the circumferential direction (u) in the same direction, both with respect to one another and also over the entire region of the material thickness (d) of the bearing body (). The end faces () of the bearing body () thus have wave troughs () and wave crests (), whereby the corresponding wave troughs () of both end faces () and their wave crests () are formed so as to face one another, and each extend radially over the entire material thickness (d) of the bearing body () in the respective circumferential segment.

Bush bearing with bearing body having an axial profile

An elastomeric bush bearing is designed as a slotted bush. To reach a high ratio of static radial stiffness to torsion spring rate along with a high axial stiffness at the same time, a beading is formed at least at one axial end but preferably at both axial ends of the slotted bush. In case of an especially advantageous embodiment, a slotted bush with additional intermediate parts inserted into the elastomeric bearing body, two encapsulated rubber packets are created by the simultaneous special geometric design of the inner part. The individual stiffnesses of the two rubber packets are thus compensated and thus there is a homogeneous increase in the overall stiffness of the bush. The beadings are prepared before the components of the bearing are assembled and vulcanized to the parts of the later outer sleeve.

Elastomeric bush bearing and process for manufacturing same

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Damme, Germany

Tim-Malte Franke