Damper having reinforced catcher
View Patent ↗A strut-type damper is disclosed. The damper has a shock absorber having a housing with a telescoping piston rod, a coil spring, an upper spring seat operably coupled to a distal end of the piston rod, and a lower spring seat operatively coupled to the housing. The upper and lower spring seats capture the coil spring therebetween. The lower spring seat has a base portion having an opening for receiving the housing and is fixedly securable to the housing. A generally circumferential wall portion extends from the base portion and forms a catcher for catching a broken portion of the coil spring if the coil spring fractures. An impact absorbing structure is formed on the lower spring seat adjacent both of the catcher and the base portion, and is configured to be crushed in the event of a fracture of the coil spring.
1. A strut-type damper comprising:
a shock absorber having a housing with a telescoping piston rod projecting at least partially therefrom;
a coil spring;
an upper spring seat operably coupled to a distal end of the piston rod;
a lower spring seat operatively coupled to the housing of the shock absorber, the upper and lower spring seats capturing the coil spring therebetween; and
the lower spring seat including:
a base portion having an opening for receiving the housing of the shock absorber and being fixedly securable to the housing;
a generally circumferential wall portion extending from the base portion and forming a catcher for catching a broken portion of the coil spring in an event where the coil spring fractures; and
an impact absorbing structure formed on the lower spring seat base portion, and configured to be crushed in the event of a fracture of the coil spring, wherein the impact absorbing structure comprises a plurality of spaced apart, impact absorbing structures extending from the base portion arranged and extending circumferentially around the catcher.
2. The strut-type damper of claim 1 , wherein the impact absorbing structure comprises:
a first crush rib arranged to project generally inwardly from an inside wall surface of the catcher towards an axial center of the lower spring seat, the first crush rib having a first height, the first crush rib being operative to be crushed by the broken portion of the coil spring when the coil spring fractures and to absorb energy from the broken portion of the coil spring; and
a second crush rib projecting upwardly from the base portion, the second crush rib operating to be crushed by the broken portion of the coil spring and to further help absorb the energy from the broken portion of the coil spring.
3. The strut-type damper of claim 2 , wherein the first crush rib is arranged to project radially inwardly generally toward the axial center of the lower spring seat.
4. The strut-type damper of claim 3 , wherein the second crush rib is arranged tangentially relative to the axial center of the lower spring seat.
5. The strut-type damper of claim 2 , wherein the second crush rib is formed to extend generally perpendicularly to the first crush rib.
6. The strut-type damper of claim 2 , wherein the first crush rib and the second crush rib are integrally formed with the catcher and the base portion.
7. The strut-type damper of claim 2 , wherein the lower spring seat, the first crush rib and the second crush rib are all integrally formed from plastic.
8. The strut-type damper of claim 2 , wherein the second crush rib has a different thickness than the first crush rib.
9. The strut-type damper of claim 2 , wherein the first crush rib has an upper portion having a first thickness and a lower portion having a second thickness, the second thickness being greater than the first thickness.
10. The strut-type damper of claim 1 , wherein the lower spring seat further includes at least one coil locating rib formed on the base portion.
11. The strut-type damper of claim 10 , wherein the coil locating rib includes a portion in contact with an inside surface of the catcher.
12. The strut-type damper of claim 1 , wherein the impact absorbing structure comprises a plurality of impact absorbing structures that extend from the base to an inside wall portion of the catcher, wherein an edge of the impact absorbing structure is generally parallel to the base portion.
13. The strut-type damper of claim 1 , wherein the impact absorbing structure comprises a plurality of impact absorbing structures that interconnect the base portion and the wall portion, the lower spring seat further comprising a plurality of additional support structures provided on an outside surface of the catcher.
14. The strut-type damper of claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of the impact absorbing structures interconnecting the base portion and the wall portion is aligned with each of the plurality of the additional support structures provided on the outside surface of the catcher.
15. A strut-type damper comprising:
a shock absorber having a housing with a telescoping piston rod projecting at least partially therefrom;
a coil spring;
an upper spring seat operably coupled to a distal end of the piston rod;
a lower spring seat operatively coupled to the housing of the shock absorber, the upper and lower spring seats capturing the coil spring therebetween; and
the lower spring seat including:
a base portion having an opening for receiving the housing of the shock absorber and being fixedly securable to the housing;
a generally circumferential wall portion extending from the base portion and integrally formed with the base portion, the generally circumferential wall portion forming a catcher for catching a broken portion of the coil spring in an event where the coil spring fractures; and
a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart, impact absorbing structures formed on the lower spring seat adjacent both of the catcher and the base portion, and extending from an inside wall portion of the catcher, wherein each impact absorbing structure circumferentially and radially extends relative to an axial center of the base portion; and
each said impact absorbing structure configured to be crushed in the event of a fracture of the coil spring and to absorb and dissipate energy from the broken portion of a fractured coil spring.
16. The strut-type damper of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the impact absorbing structures comprises:
a first crush rib extending from an inside wall portion of the catcher and having a first height for absorbing and dissipating energy from the broken portion of the coil spring when the coil spring fractures; and
a second crush rib for further absorbing energy when the coil spring fractures.
17. The strut-type damper of claim 16 , wherein the first crush rib extends radially inwardly toward the opening from the inside wall portion of the catcher.
18. The strut-type damper of claim 16 , wherein the second crush rib extends generally tangentially relative to an axial center of the base portion.
19. The strut-type damper of claim 16 , wherein the first crush rib and the second crush rib are integrally formed.
20. The strut-type damper of claim 15 , wherein the lower spring seat and the impact absorbing structures comprise an integrally formed component.
21. The strut-type damper of claim 20 , wherein the integrally formed component is formed from plastic.
22. A strut-type damper comprising:
a shock absorber having a housing with a telescoping piston rod projecting at least partially therefrom;
a coil spring;
an upper spring seat operably coupled to a distal end of the piston rod;
a lower spring seat operatively coupled to the housing of the shock absorber, the upper and lower spring seats capturing the coil spring therebetween; and
the lower spring seat including:
a base portion having an opening for receiving the housing of the shock absorber and being fixedly securable to the housing;
a generally circumferential wall portion extending from the base portion and integrally formed with the base portion, the generally circumferential wall portion forming a catcher for catching a broken portion of the coil spring in an event where the coil spring fractures; and
a plurality of impact absorbing structures formed on the lower spring seat adjacent both of the catcher and the base portion, and extending from an inside wall portion of the catcher;
each said impact absorbing structure configured to be crushed in the event of a fracture of the coil spring and to absorb and dissipate energy from the broken portion of a fractured coil spring, and each said impact absorbing structure including; and
a first crush rib extending from an inside wall portion of the catcher radially inwardly toward an axial center of the lower spring seat, for absorbing and dissipating energy from the broken portion of the coil spring when the coil spring fractures; and
a second crush rib integrally formed with the first crush rib and arranged generally tangentially relative to the axial center of the lower spring seat; and
wherein the lower spring seat and the impact absorbing structures are integrally formed as a single piece component, the second crush ribs being circumferentially spaced apart from one another.
23. A strut-type damper comprising:
a shock absorber having a housing with a telescoping piston rod projecting at least partially therefrom;
a coil spring;
an upper spring seat operably coupled to a distal end of the piston rod;
a lower spring seat operatively coupled to the housing of the shock absorber, the upper and lower spring seats capturing the coil spring therebetween; and
the lower spring seat including:
a base portion having an opening for receiving the housing of the shock absorber and being fixedly securable to the housing;
a generally circumferential wall portion extending from the base portion and forming a catcher for catching a broken portion of the coil spring in an event where the coil spring fractures; and
an independent impact absorbing structure including:
a plate having a floor portion;
a plurality of rib structures projecting outwardly from the floor portion, the rib structures configured to deform and to absorb energy from the broken portion of the coil spring when the coil spring fractures; and
wherein the plate has a configuration enabling it to fit within the catcher and to rest on the base portion of the lower spring seat, and to receive an end portion of the coil spring thereon.