RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to German Application Number 10 2019 113 847.7 filed May 23, 2019, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a bearing arrangement having a bearing bush and a rubber/solid bearing which is inserted into the bearing bush.

BACKGROUND

The use of the motor vehicle technology of rubber/solid bearings is known from the prior art. Bearing arrangements of this type are used, for example, on chassis components and, specifically here, for the attachment of axle subframes or links of a motor vehicle chassis, but corresponding rubber/solid bearings are also used for the suspension of engines or other peripheral parts of a motor vehicle.

DE 10 2009 051 159 A1 is known from the prior art. Here, a bush for receiving a rubber/solid bearing is configured. There are inwardly directed projections in the bush. A rubber/solid bearing is pressed into the bush. The projections then engage in a positively locking manner into depressions of the rubber/solid bearing, and therefore ensure a fixed bearing seat in the bush.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present disclosure to improve a generic bearing arrangement with regard to the press-in operation, to achieve a higher service life expectation during operation, and to increase the press-out force.

The aspects of the disclosure which are mentioned above and will be described in the following text can be combined individually or in their entirety with one another as desired, without departing from the disclosure of this disclosure process. Here, the bearing arrangement is arranged on a motor vehicle component or is configured on the latter; for example, on an axle component and on a link. The bearing arrangement can also be arranged on an axle subframe or an engine mount.

To this end, the bearing arrangement has a bearing bush which can also be called a bush. The bearing bush is configured from a tubular body or a tubular piece. A rubber/solid bearing is inserted, or pressed, into the bearing bush. The rubber/solid bearing itself has an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve, an elastomer material being arranged between the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve, which elastomer material is connected, by way of vulcanization to the inner and the outer sleeve.

The bearing bush itself is produced from a hard material and from a metallic material, such as a steel material. The bearing bush is then coupled to the motor vehicle component. The outer sleeve of the rubber/solid bearing is produced from a material which is softer in relation thereto, for example a light metal material and from a plastic material.

In order that a fixed seat of the bearing in the bearing bush is then provided after termination of the press-in operation and increased press-out forces are also required, inwardly directed projections are configured in the bearing bush. Depressions are configured in the outer sleeve in a manner which is complementary with respect to the projections. The depressions are configured set back inward in the radial direction with respect to an outer circumferential face of the outer sleeve. In the case of termination of the press-in operation, the projections engage in a positively locking manner into the depressions, with the result that the rubber/solid bearing is latched in the bearing bush. The rubber/solid bearing is additionally held in the bearing bush by way of a press fit between the outer sleeve and the bearing bush. This ensures an improved seat and increased press-out forces of the rubber/solid bearing in the bearing bush.

Here, the projections themselves can be configured as latching tongues or latching lips. They are arranged at an angle with respect to a parallel of the axial direction of the bearing bush. The projections can be produced by way of a stamping or forming operation. The angle, at which the projections are arranged with respect to a circumferential face of the bearing bush, is from 1 to 30 degrees, from 2 to 20 degrees, and from 3 to 15 degrees.

According to the disclosure, it is then provided in a first design variant of the present disclosure that a plurality of projections are arranged in a radially circumferential manner in the bearing bush, in each case two projections which are adjacent circumferentially in the radial direction being arranged offset with respect to one another in the axial direction. In the axial direction itself, only one projection is always configured, however, on a respective parallel to the axial direction. In each case one adjacent projection is then configured radially offset with respect thereto at least on one side, on the left hand side and on the right hand side. The respective adjacent projection is then consequently configured offset in the axial direction at a different height.

According to the disclosure, this affords the advantage that, unlike in the case of the prior art, in the case of which two projections are configured behind one another in the push-in direction on an axial direction, a first projection engages into a first depression during the push-in operation, is pushed beyond the depression and then engages into a second depression. As a result, it might be the case that this has a negative effect on the positively locking seat of the first depression in the push-in direction, for example by the depression becoming frayed here or parts of the depression breaking off.

According to the disclosure, only one projection passes into a depression in the case of the push-in operation.

Therefore, depressions which are also offset with respect to one another are configured in a complementary manner with respect to the radially and axially offset projections on the outer circumferential face of the outer sleeve. Only one depression is always arranged in the axial direction.

It is a further advantage that unintended deforming of a projection during the passing and exceeding of a first depression is likewise avoided.

A further independent aspect of the disclosure which, however, can also be combined with the aspects which are mentioned above and will be described in the following text provides that the depressions have a length in the axial direction. The projections likewise have a length in the axial direction. The length of the projections, however, is from 0.1 to 0.3 times, from 0.15 to 0.25 times shorter than the length of the depression. If, for example, a projection has a length of 6 mm, the depression can have a length of 7 or else 7.7 mm.

When the rubber/solid bearing has been pushed completely into the bearing bush, the projection engages into the depression in a positively locking manner. Here, a part of the end side of the projection is directly in contact with a part of the depression. The press-out force is increased as a result.

A further advantageous design variant of the present disclosure provides that the depression is not of triangular configuration in its longitudinal section. Rather, the depression has a first bevel in the longitudinal section in the push-in direction, and a second bevel which follows it in the push-in direction. This means that the depression deepens by way of the first bevel from the outer circumferential face in the radial direction toward the inside. By way of the second bevel, the depression in turn passes from the inner radial direction to the outer circumferential face of the outer sleeve. A straight portion can be situated between the two bevels. The straight portion runs parallel to the axial direction of the outer sleeve.

The first depression has an angle of between 20 and 40 degrees, from 25 to 35 degrees, and 30 degrees with respect to a circumferential face of the outer sleeve. An angle of this type makes it possible that, in the case of pushing in, the projection is introduced gently into the depression on account of its springback effect, and therefore does not impact or spring back suddenly or in a spring-like manner into the bottom of the depression.

The second projection in the push-in direction ensures by way of a greater angle relative to the former that a bearing face or end face is provided for an axial end of the projection. The angle of the second bevel is arranged in a range of from 40 to 60 degrees, from 45 to 55 degrees, or approximately 50 degrees. If, therefore, the front-side end of the projection comes into contact with the second bevel, the surfaces and consequently the end faces of the axial end of the projection and the second bevel bear flatly or flush against one another. There is an optimum transmission of force in order to increase the press-out force.

A further aspect of the disclosure provides that the bearing bush is arranged on or in a motor vehicle component. In addition to the fact that the bearing arrangement provides a degree of rotary freedom about the axial direction, a main force direction acts in the radial direction of the bearing arrangement. For example, in the case of a link rod on an axle of a motor vehicle and a bearing arrangement which is arranged on the end side, the axial direction of the bearing arrangement is configured substantially transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the link rod. An axial compressive or tensile force which is transmitted via the link rod therefore acts in the longitudinal direction of the link rod, and therefore acts in the radial direction of the bearing arrangement. It has been proven here to be advantageous according to the disclosure if there are no projections and depressions in the bearing arrangement in the main direction of the action of force, with the result that the full surface area between the outer circumferential face of the outer sleeve and the inner circumferential face of the bearing bush is available for the transmission of force. Therefore, no projections and depressions are configured in an angular region of less than plus 45 and less than minus 45 degrees in each case with respect to a main direction of the introduction of force. This is advantageous in the case of compressive forces. No depressions and projections are likewise optionally configured on that side of the main direction of the introduction of force which lies opposite in the radial direction in the bearing arrangement in an angular region of less than plus 45 degrees and less than minus 45 degrees. This is advantageous in the case of tensile forces which act in the longitudinal direction of the link rod.

The number of projections to be used is made dependent on the diameter of the rubber/solid bearing. For example, in the case of an 80 mm diameter, 8 projections, consequently 4 projections per side, can be provided in a circumferentially distributed manner. In the case of a diameter of 100 mm, 10 or more latching lugs can be provided in a circumferentially distributed manner, consequently 5 latching lugs per side. The respective side relates to the explanation with respect to the followingFIG. 6.

