Non-contact spring guide
AssigneeOshkosh Truck Corporation
InventorBrian K. Anderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spring guide for maintaining the alignment of a vehicle's suspension coil spring and for reducing the tendency for such springs to buckle. The spring guide is a smooth tube which fits into and slides in an elastomeric bushing mounted to the top bearing plate of a coil spring assembly. The lower end of the spring guide is threaded into the pivoting support for the lower end of the spring. The guide ensures that the ends of the spring are aligned with respect to one another.
Claims28
A vehicle independent suspension assembly comprising a first control arm configured to be pivotally coupled to a frame, a second control arm pivotally coupled to the frame above the first control arm, a pivotable spring seat rotatably mounted to said first control arm, a coil spring bearing plate carried by a vehicle frame above the second control arm, a coil spring extending from the spring seat on the first control arm past the second control arm to the bearing plate, wherein said spring is normally partially compressed by weight of a vehicle between said coil spring bearing plate and said spring seat on said first control arm, a bumper external to the spring and configured to limit upward pivoting of at least one of the first control arm and the second control arm, an elongated member having a first end portion rigidly mounted to said spring seat, a middle portion extending axially within said coil spring to said bearing plate, and a second end portion extending through an opening in the bearing plate so as to slide relative to the bearing plate, wherein the first end portion, the middle portion and the second end portion of the elongate member are rigidly fixed relative to one another.
A vehicle suspension assembly comprising a control arm, a coil spring, a pivotable spring seat rotatably mounted to said control arm, a coil spring bearing plate carried by a vehicle frame, said spring being normally partially compressed by weight of a vehicle between said coil spring bearing plate and said spring seat on said control arm, an elongated member rigidly mounted to said spring seat and extending axially within said coil spring to said bearing plate, said bearing plate having said elongated member extending through and being guided by an opening, said elongated member being slidable within a bushing carried by said bearing plate;
- said bushing is disposed adjacent to said opening;
- said bushing having a central through-hole aligned with said opening and having mounting flanges at one end mounted to one side of said bearing plate;
- said through-hole being tapered with one end of said through-hole being larger in diameter than said elongated member, and an opposite end of said through-hole having a diameter smaller than said elongated member, and
- said bushing being comprised of wear-resistant material, whereby said bushing guides said elongated member as said elongated member passes through said bushing.
A vehicle suspension comprising:
- a frame;
- a first control arm pivotally coupled to the frame about an axis substantially parallel to the frame;
- a coil spring captured between the frame and the first control arm;
- a bumper external to the spring and configured to limit upward pivoting of the first control arm;
- and
- an elongated member having a first end portion coupled to one of the first control arm and the frame, a middle portion passing through the coil spring and a second end portion slidably coupled to the other of the first control arm and the frame, wherein the first end portion, the middle portion and the second end portion are axially fixed relative to one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.