Fluid-filled cushioning device having sealing arrangement for easy assembling

A fluid-filled cushioning device connected to two support members for damping vibrations applied therebetween, comprising:

• an inner sleeve through which one of said two support members is inserted for attachment to the inner sleeve;
• a cylindrical elastic body mounted on an axially intermediate portion of said inner sleeve, said elastic body being provided at its outer circumferential portion with orifice-defining means which has an orifice formed therethrough;
• a pair of annular elastic members each having an integrally formed inner retainer member and an integrally formed outer sleeve which are spaced apart from each other in an axial direction of the elastic members, said pair of annular elastic members being mounted on said inner sleeve such that said inner retainer member is press-fitted in a corresponding one of axial end portions of said inner sleeve while said orifice defining means of said cylindrical elastic body is sandwiched by and between corresponding axial end faces of said outer sleeves of said pair of annular elastic members, in said axial direction of the elastic members;
• a cylindrical bracket which is mounted on outer circumferential surfaces of said outer sleeves of said pair of annular elastic members and to which the other of said two support members is fixed, said bracket forcing said outer sleeves of said pair of elastic members against each other via said orifice-defining means in said axial direction of the elastic members, said inner sleeve, said cylindrical elastic body and said annular elastic members cooperating with each other to define two fluid chambers which are separated from each other by said elastic body and which communicate with each other through said orifice, said fluid chambers being filled with a non-compressible fluid;
• and
• an axial dimension of said each annular elastic member before mounted on said inner sleeve being determined to permit said each annular elastic member to be axially compressed upon mounting of said pair of annular elastic members on said inner sleeve, so that said outer sleeves are urged against said orifice-defining means with a force sufficient to maintain fluid tightness between said pair of annular elastic members and said orifice-defining means, whereby the mounting of said cylindrical bracket on said outer sleeves of the elastic members may be effected in a condition that said two fluid chambers are filled with said non-compressible fluid;
• and
• wherein said inner sleeve and said cylindrical elastic body having said orifice-defining means constitute a first intermediate component prepared in the process of manufacture of said device, while said pair of annular elastic members are prepared as second intermediate components which are mounted on said inner sleeve of said first intermediate component, within a mass of said non-compressible fluid, said cylindrical bracket being mounted on said outer sleeves of said second intermediate components after an assembly of said first and second intermediate components is removed from said mass of the non-compressible fluid.