Fluid damped bushing with encapsulated window metal

A fluid damped bushing comprising:

• a rigid cylindrical member;
• an annular elastomeric member having an inner surface, said elastomeric member engaging an outer surface of said rigid cylindrical member in surface to surface contact, said annular elastomeric member further having first and second circumferentially spaced apart recesses in an outer, generally cylindrical surface thereof;
• an inertia track passage formed in an outer surface of said annular elastomeric member, said inertia track passage providing restricted fluid communication between said first and second circumferentially spaced apart recesses;
• window metal means encapsulated in said annular elastomeric member, said window metal means comprising first and second rings longitudinally spaced apart at locations external to said first and second circumferentially spaced apart recesses;
• an outermost sleeve circumscribing said elastomeric member, said outermost sleeve sealing a damping fluid contained in said first and second circumferentially spaced apart recesses;
• and
• a substantially incompressible damping fluid contained in said circumferentially spaced apart recesses, said damping fluid being added by immersing a subassembly comprising said annular elastomeric member and said window metal means in damping fluid and then pressing the subassembly into said outermost sleeve;
• a generally elliptical, rigid polymeric collar affixed to a central portion of said rigid cylindrical member, said collar being encapsulated within said annular elastomeric member and having;
• a first diametrically opposed pair of lobes extending radially outwardly from said cylindrical member for a first distance;
• and
• a second diametrically opposed pair of lobes extending radially outwardly from said cylindrical member for a second distance, said lobes of said second pair of lobes being interleaved with the lobes of said first pair of lobes, said second distance being less than said first distance;
• said first pair of lobes being circumferentially aligned with said first and second circumferentially spaced apart recesses and serving to limit the radial deflection of said bushing beyond a predetermined amount of radial deflection.