Vertical hanger isolator assembly

1. An isolator assembly comprising:

a housing having a bore;

a resilient bushing having a lower isolator spring element, a central region and an upper isolator spring element, wherein the central region has a smaller cross sectional area than each of the lower and upper isolator spring elements, and wherein the resilient bushing has a bore extending at least partially axially therethrough;

the lower and upper isolator spring elements being supported within axially spaced apart portions of the housing; and

a hanger pin secured within the bore of the resilient bushing and projecting outwardly therefrom to facilitate mounting the isolator assembly to an exhaust system component.

2. The isolator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing further includes a mounting portion radially offset from an axial center of the bore of the housing.

3. The isolator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bore of the resilient bushing extends at least partially into the central region, the pin extending into the central region, and wherein the central region includes an overmolded inner tube.

4. The isolator assembly of claim 3 , further including a side hanger fixedly secured to the stud to facilitate mounting of the isolator assembly along a vertical axis.

5. The isolator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pin is press fit into the bore in the resilient bushing and extends at least substantially through the central region of the resilient bushing.

6. The isolator assembly of claim 5 , wherein the pin includes an annular pin collar which helps to position the pin at a desired depth in the bore of the resilient bushing when the pin is press fit into the central region of the resilient bushing.

7. The isolator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing further includes an opening at one axial end thereof, and wherein a mounting pin is secured within the opening to project axially from the housing, the mounting stud enabling the isolator assembly to be secured to a portion of a vehicle undercarriage.

8. The isolator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower isolator spring elements each have a circular configuration.

9. The isolator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the central region of the resilient bushing has a circular configuration.

10. The isolator assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the upper and lower isolator spring elements have a circular configuration;

the central region of the resilient bushing has a circular configuration;

the upper isolator spring element is secured within a first journal located at an upper circular portion of the housing; and

the lower isolator spring element is secured within a second journal located at a lower circular portion of the housing.

11. The isolator of claim 10 , wherein:

the pin is secured in the bore of the resilient bushing and is disposed at an axial center of the resilient bushing projecting partially outwardly from a first end of the housing; and

a mounting stud or bolt is disposed in an opening in the housing and projects outwardly from a second end of the housing, the mounting pin further being arranged co-linearly with an axial center of the resilient bushing and co-linearly with the pin.

12. The isolator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bore in the resilient bushing is concentric with the bore in the housing, and wherein the pin extends through the upper isolator spring element, through a full axial length of the central region, and at least partially into the lower isolator spring element.

13. The isolator assembly of 1 , wherein the housing includes a plurality of cutouts forming windows for facilitating assembly of the resilient bushing into the housing.

14. The isolator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes an opening at one axial end which allows air to flow into an out from an area of the isolator assembly defined between the housing and the lower isolator spring element.

15. The isolator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the resilient bushing is formed from rubber.

16. The isolator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the resilient bushing is formed in first and second independent components.

17. The isolator assembly of claim 16 , wherein:

the first independent component comprises the lower isolator spring element and a lower portion of the central region; and

the second independent component comprises the upper isolator spring element and an upper portion of the central region.

18. A vertical hanger isolator assembly comprising:

a housing having a bore;

a resilient bushing having a lower isolator spring element, a central region and an upper isolator spring element, wherein the central region has a smaller cross sectional area than each of the lower and upper isolator spring elements, and wherein the resilient bushing has a bore extending at least partially axially therethrough;

the upper isolator spring element being located within the housing at a first end of the housing, and concentric with the bore in the housing;

the lower isolator spring element being located at a second end of the housing and concentric with the bore in the housing;

the bore of the resilient bushing is axially aligned with the bore of the housing; and

a stud or bolt disposed in the bore of the resilient bushing and extending through the upper isolator spring element, through the central region and at least partially into the lower isolator spring element.

19. The isolator assembly of claim 18 , wherein the resilient bushing is formed in first and second independent components disposed in facing relationship to one another;

the first independent component including the lower isolator spring element and a lower portion of the central region; and

the second independent component including the upper isolator spring element and an upper portion of the central region.

20. The isolator assembly of claim 18 , further including a mounting pin located on the housing and projecting axially from the housing in a direction opposite to the pin and co-linearly with the pin.