Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Yoshikazu Tsukamoto

Shinji Miyakawa

Harunori Shiratori

Haruhiko Tanahashi

Yasuhiro Morita

Naoki Hayashi

Hiroyuki Koba

A suspension system includes a shock absorber, a coil spring, a tubular dust cover, and an insulator. The shock absorber is provided with a first seat and a second seat at the opposite ends. The insulator is disposed between the first seat and the coil spring, and includes a body for holding the coil spring, and a contact projecting from the body in a centripetal direction and having a portion being brought into contact with one of the opposite ends of the dust cover. The insulator forms a space between the first seat and an outer portion with respect to the portion of the contact. Thus, the insulator reduces the wear of the first seat resulting from the contact with the dust cover, inhibits the first seat from corroding, and keeps the strength of the first seat from decreasing.

Suspension system

A steering coupling structure is disclosed which includes a cylindrical bushing mounted in a transmission line of a steering force in a steering system of a motor vehicle, such that an axis of the bushing extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the steering system. The cylindrical bushing includes an inner sleeve connected to one of the input and output shafts of the steering system, an outer sleeve disposed radially outwardly of the inner sleeve and connected to the other shaft; and an annular elastic body interposed between the input and output sleeves for elastic connection thereof. The elastic body has diametrically opposed hollow portions formed on opposite sides of the inner sleeve such that the hollow portions extend in an axial direction of the bushing between the inner and outer sleeves, and such that the hollow portions are substantially opposed to each other in a diametric direction of the elastic body which is parallel to the axis of rotation of the steering system.

Steering coupling structure having cylindrical bushing with hollow

A cylindrical upper support interposed between a body of a vehicle and a piston rod of a shock absorber of the vehicle, including a generally cylindrical or annular inner rigid member, a generally cylindrical outer rigid member, and an elastic body interposed between the inner and outer rigid members for elastically connecting the inner and outer rigid members. The elastic body has two fluid chambers which are filled with a non-compressible fluid and which are formed in respective intermediate portions thereof as viewed in axial directions of the rigid members, such that the fluid chambers are opposed to each other in a diametric direction of the inner rigid member. One of the inner and outer rigid members has two wing members which extend in a substantially radial direction thereof into the two fluid chambers, respectively, such that each of the two fluid chambers is substantially divided by the corresponding wing member into two sections, and such that the corresponding wing member provides the each fluid chamber with a restricted part through which the two sections communicate with each other.

Cylindrical upper support for shock absorber

A bushing structure in a vehicle suspension system including a support secured to a vehicle chassis or an axle housing, a fulcrum shaft supported by the support and rotatably supporting the bushing structure, and a suspension arm pivotally connected to the bushing structure. The bushing structure comprises an outer metal fitting connected to the suspension member, an inner cylindrical metal member in which the fulcrum shaft is inserted, and an annular resilient member secured to the outer periphery of the inner cylindrical metal member and press-fitted in the outer metal fitting together with the inner cylindrical member. The bushing structure further comprises a plurality of radial stop rings positioned within the annular resilient member in spaced relation with one another axially of the annular resilient member. The bushing structure may preferably further comprise one or two annular axial stop members each including a stop ring embedded therein. The axial stop member is positioned on the respective end portion of the resilient member. The annular resilient member in a preferred form of the bushing structure has a plurality of annular grooves formed outwardly of the radial stop rings.

Bushing structure in a vehicle suspension system

An upper support for a wheel suspension assembly of a vehicle having a shock absorber. The upper support comprises an inner member connected to a piston rod of the shock absorber, an outer member disposed concentrically with the inner member and fixed to the vehicle body, and a resilient member interposed between the inner and outer members. The outer member consists of two annular halves which are fixed together with their outer peripheral flanges in abutment with each other. Stopper means are provided preferably on the outer member for limiting an axial elastic deformation of the resilient member. One or both axial end portions of the resilient member held in the outer member have an annular groove concentric with the inner member and a plurality of bosses equally spaced along the annular groove. The bosses are axially outwardly projected from an annular abutment portion of the resilient member which is radially inward of the annular groove. The ends of the bosses are in constant abutment on the stopper means and the annular abutment portion comes into contact with the stopper means upon application of high loads to the resilient member. The resilient member preferably has air vents communicating the annular groove with outside atmosphere.

Growing community of inventors

Komaki, Japan

Yoshikazu Tsukamoto