U.S. patent application number 16/153274 was filed with the patent office on 2019-12-05 for mount assembly for vehicle.
The applicant listed for this patent is Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation. Invention is credited to Seung Won Kim.
Application Number | 20190366826 16/153274 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 68695185 |
Filed Date | 2019-12-05 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190366826 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kim; Seung Won |
December 5, 2019 |
MOUNT ASSEMBLY FOR VEHICLE
Abstract
A mount assembly for a vehicle is provided. The mount assembly
includes a mount that supports an in-vehicle device and a support
bracket that is coupled and locked to the mount. The support
bracket includes a first hook. In addition, the mount assembly
includes a mounting bracket that couples the mount to a vehicle
body. The mounting bracket includes a housing to which the mount is
coupled and a first stop protrusion to which the first hook of the
support bracket is hook-coupled. A wedge ring supports the first
hook from behind to prevent the first hook from bending backward
and being separated from the first stop protrusion. The wedge ring
is formed in a ring shape and includes a protruding portion that
protrudes radially outward to support the first hook from
behind.
Inventors: |
Kim; Seung Won; (Seoul,
KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hyundai Motor Company
Kia Motors Corporation |
Seoul
Seoul |
|
KR
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
68695185 |
Appl. No.: |
16/153274 |
Filed: |
October 5, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60K 5/1208
20130101 |
International
Class: |
B60K 5/12 20060101
B60K005/12 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 4, 2018 |
KR |
10-2018-0063993 |
Claims
1. A mount assembly for a vehicle, comprising: a mount to support
an in-vehicle device; a support bracket coupled to the mount and
locked thereto, wherein the support bracket includes a first hook;
a mounting bracket configured to couple the mount to a vehicle body
side and support the mount, wherein the mounting bracket includes a
housing to which the mount is coupled and a first stop protrusion
to which the first hook of the support bracket is hook-coupled to
couple and lock the support bracket to the mounting bracket by
coupling between the first hook and the first stop protrusion; and
a wedge ring to support the first hook coupled to the first stop
protrusion from behind when assembled to a lower outer
circumferential surface of the mount to prevent the first hook from
bending backward and being separated from the first stop protrusion
of the mounting bracket, wherein the wedge ring is formed in a ring
shape and includes a protruding portion that protrudes radially
outward, and wherein the protruding portion supports the first hook
from behind to prevent the first hook from being separated from the
first stop protrusion.
2. The mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the support bracket is
coupled and locked to the mount to surround a lower portion of the
mount, a plurality of first hooks are arranged at predetermined
intervals along a circumferential direction in the support bracket,
a plurality of first stop protrusions are disposed in the mounting
bracket with the plurality of first hooks coupled thereto, and the
wedge ring is assembled to be disposed between the lower outer
circumferential surface of the mount and the plurality of first
hooks.
3. The mount assembly of claim 2, wherein a plurality of protruding
portions are arranged at predetermined intervals along a
circumferential direction, and each of the protruding portions
supports one of the plurality of the first hooks.
4. The mount assembly of claim 2, wherein a plurality of protruding
portions are arranged at predetermined intervals along a
circumferential direction, the number of the protruding portions
and the number of the first hooks are equal, and each of the
protruding portions and each of the first hooks are arranged at
predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction.
5. The mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the wedge ring includes:
a first semicircular member; and a second semicircular member,
wherein the first and the second semicircular members are formed to
have a substantially same shape, and wherein each of the first and
the second semicircular members includes an insertion groove
disposed at a first end thereof and an insertion protrusion
disposed at a second end thereof to allow the insertion protrusion
of the first semicircular member is inserted in the insertion
groove of the second semicircular member to assemble the first and
the second semicircular members to the wedge ring of a circular
shape.
6. The mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the protruding portion
includes an inclined surface on a side surface thereof.
7. The mount assembly of claim 1, wherein when a stop end of the
first hook is hook-coupled to the first stop protrusion, the wedge
ring is disposed to support an end portion of the first hook with
the stop end disposed thereon from behind.
8. The mount assembly of claim 7, wherein the protruding portion
includes an inclined surface on a side surface thereof.
9. The mount assembly of claim 1, wherein a lower portion of the
mount is a pipe coupled to a lower portion of an insulator.
10. The mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing of the
mounting bracket accommodates the mount therein, and a ring
manipulation aperture is formed through the housing of the mounting
bracket to allow rotation of the wedge ring to dispose the
protruding portion behind the first hook.
11. The mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing of the
mounting bracket accommodates the mount therein, the housing of the
mounting bracket is disposed on an inner circumferential surface
thereof with the first stop protrusion, and the first hook of the
support bracket is hook-coupled downwardly to the first stop
protrusion on the inner circumferential surface of the housing.
12. The mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the support bracket
includes a second hook, and the mount is disposed on the lower
outer circumferential surface thereof with a second stop protrusion
to which the second hook is hook-coupled to couple and lock the
support bracket to the mount by coupling between the second hook
and the second stop protrusion.
13. The mount assembly of claim 12, wherein a plurality of second
hooks are arranged at predetermined intervals along a
circumferential direction in the support bracket, and a plurality
of second stop protrusions are disposed on the lower outer
circumferential surface of the mount with the plurality of second
hooks coupled thereto.
14. The mount assembly of claim 12, wherein a lower portion of the
mount is a pipe coupled to a lower portion of an insulator.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority to Korean Patent
Application No. 10-2018-0063993, filed on Jun. 4, 2018, the entire
contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a mount assembly for a
vehicle, and more particularly, to a mount assembly for a vehicle
that prevents release of coupling between parts due to separation
of a hook from a stop protrusion in a hook structure.
Description of the Related Art
[0003] As the vehicle technologies gradually develop and consumer
demands for low vibration and low noise increase, efforts are being
made to maximize ride comfort through analysis of noise, vibration,
and shock in vehicles. Engine vibration generated in a specific
rotations per minutes (RPM) region when the vehicle operates is
transmitted to the interior of the vehicle at a specific frequency
through the vehicle body, and the frequency component of the
detonation in the engine influences the interior of the
vehicle.
[0004] In the engine of a vehicle, vibration is generated
structurally due to the periodic change of the center position
caused by the reciprocal movement of the piston and the connecting
rod, the inertial force of the reciprocating portion that is
exerted in the cylinder axis direction, the inertial force caused
by the connecting rod that swings to the left and right sides of
the crankshaft, a periodic change in the rotational force applied
to the crankshaft, and the like. Accordingly, an engine mount is
disposed between the engine and the vehicle body to support the
engine and attenuate noise and vibration transmitted from the
engine. The engine mount is classified into a rubber engine mount,
an air damping mount, and a fluid encapsulated engine mount.
[0005] The rubber engine mount, which is usually made of a rubber
material, is vulnerable to vibration with low frequency/high
amplitude, and attenuation performance thereof is insufficient for
the vibration with high frequency/low amplitude and the vibration
with low frequency/high amplitude. Accordingly, the fluid
encapsulated engine mount is wide used since the fluid encapsulated
engine mount is capable of absorbing and attenuating vibrations
over a wide range of frequencies including the vibration with high
frequency/low amplitude and the vibration with low frequency/high
amplitude that is input to the engine mount according to the
operation of the engine. In the fluid encapsulated engine mount,
also referred to as a fluid mount or a hydro mount, a damping force
is generated as the fluid enclosed under the insulator flows
through a flow path between an upper liquid chamber and a lower
liquid chamber. The fluid encapsulated engine mount is capable of
attenuating both high-frequency vibration (low amplitude vibration)
and low-frequency vibration (large amplitude vibration).
[0006] Recently, active mounts and semi-active mounts have been
developed to improve the vibration isolation characteristics of the
fluid encapsulated engine mount. Furthermore, weight reduction of a
vehicle is related to fuel efficiency and to collision performance
and assemblability. The engine mounting system has also been
developed with a change in material from steel to aluminum and to
plastic for lighter weight, and plastic parts such as plastic
cores, plastic brackets, plastic orifices, and the like are
increasingly used.
[0007] However, to achieve reduced weight by replacing the material
of the parts to plastics, a consideration of the assembly of the
components in the mounting system is required since plastic parts
have strength and tolerance issues compared to steel or aluminum
parts. Thus, the robustness of the assembly is considered in the
application of plastic materials. A representative example is an
assembly structure of a plastic cover (e.g., a bearing cover) that
uses a hook structure, which is an assembly method using a
plurality of hooks. Since strength and tolerance may be
complemented by the number of hooks, the hook structure is widely
used.
[0008] However, the application of the hook structure for fastening
the parts using hooks is insufficient in terms of fastening force
and assembly robustness. In other words, the fastening force
between the parts by the hooks is weak, and when the hooks move
from the corresponding parts due to vibrations, the hooks may be
separated from the corresponding parts. Further, the rigidity at a
center bolt (e.g., the rigidity at the mount input point) is low
for the conventional mount since the support height of the inner
core and the center bolt coupled to the engine is high with respect
to the support surface of the lower side.
[0009] Accordingly, to compensate for the low rigidity at the input
point, a mass damper is disposed on the mount or mounting bracket,
and thus, the weight of the mass damper adversely affect the weight
reduction of the vehicle. Further, since the orifice assembly of
the mount is proximate to the tire space due to the nature of the
location where the mount is disposed, decreasing the height is
limited. In addition, reducing the size of the insulator of rubber
material is also limited, and therefore, a technique for reducing
the size of the orifice assembly has been developed to decrease the
height of the mount. The height of the mount may be reduced by
reducing the size of the orifice assembly by applying the
above-described hook structure to the mount, but since the hook
structure has insufficient fastening force and assembly robustness
as described above, applying the hook structure is difficult.
[0010] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a
problem of a mount and a hook structure applied to the mount and
according to the related art will be described in more detail.
[0011] First, a device in the related art is configured to allow a
bearing cover to be hook-coupled to an elastic support, thereby
integrally coupling the bearing cover, a bellows, a barrier, the
elastic support, which are components of a mount. In this
reference, the mount is referred to as bearing, a diaphragm as
bellows, and an orifice plate as barrier. In this configuration of
the mount, since the conventional forced press-fit assembly method
is changed to the hook assembly method, in which the components of
the mount are coupled using a hook structure of the bearing cover,
the size of the orifice assembly is reduced and the height of the
mount is lowered, thereby reducing weight and cost.
[0012] The hook structure is easily separated, and is merely a
structure that merely connects the components of the mount to each
other and maintains the assembled state thereof before mounting the
mount to a vehicle body. However, the hook structure is not
suitable for coupling or supporting a pre-assembled assembly
including an insulator to a mounting bracket. Accordingly, when
mounting the mount to the vehicle body, the mount is supported by a
separate subframe or the like, but when the subframe is unusable,
the use of the mount is restricted.
[0013] Generally, when mounting and fixing the mount to the vehicle
body using a metal mounting bracket (e.g., aluminum alloy), a
housing of the mounting bracket is assembled to surround the mount
from the outside. In particular, a lower end portion of the housing
is curled (e.g., curved) to be disposed and abut the lower portion
of the bearing cover, to allow the housing of the mounting bracket
to support the lower portion of the bearing cover of the mount. As
a result, a lower side of the bearing cover of the mount is
hook-coupled downward by the lower end portion of the curled
housing as described above to allow the bearing cover of the mount
to be supported by the housing of the mounting bracket.
Accordingly, in the structure in which the housing of the mounting
bracket is curled, the housing is curled to allow the lower end
portion of the housing to surround the lower side of the bearing
cover from the side surface thereof. In particular, the mounting
bracket is manufactured in aluminum alloy with high elongation.
[0014] However, when aluminum materials with high elongation are
used, the cost is high, and strength and rigidity are low. When an
aluminum material with high strength and rigidity is used, the
elongation is low and cracks occur during curling of the housing,
which results in a high defect rate. Accordingly, instead of
curling, a pipe with the insulator of the mount locked thereto may
be forcedly press-fitted into the housing of the mounting bracket
of metal (e.g., aluminum), but with this forced press-fitting
method, securing the parts together is difficult.
[0015] Further, the mount and the mounting bracket are fixed by a
hook structure, and the hook structure for fastening the mount with
the mounting bracket is illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 is a
cross-sectional view exemplarily showing a mount assembly in the
related art, and FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of
portion A in FIG. 8. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a support bracket
160 is used to couple a mount 100 to a mounting bracket 170 for
mounting the mount to a vehicle body.
[0016] The support bracket 160, which is a ring-shaped bracket
fixedly coupled to a lower portion of the mount 100, is fitted over
an orifice assembly 140 from the lower portion of the mount 100,
and includes a plurality of hooks 164 along a circumferential
direction. Thus, when the hooks 164 of the support bracket 160 are
coupled to a housing 171 of the mounting bracket 170, the mount 100
are coupled to the mounting bracket 170 via the support bracket
160. In particular, the hook structure, for coupling and fixing the
mount 100 to the mounting bracket 170 by using the hooks 164,
includes the hooks 164 formed on the support bracket 160, and the
hooks 164 of the support bracket 160 are coupled to stop
protrusions 173 of the mounting bracket 170, thereby coupling the
mount 100 to the mounting bracket and maintaining the assembled
state therebetween simultaneously.
[0017] The hooks 164 of the support bracket 160 are configured to
be hook-coupled downwardly to the stop protrusions 173 on a groove
172 formed on an inner surface of the housing 171 of the mounting
bracket 170, and with the hooks 164 respectively hook-coupled to
the stop protrusions 173, the mount 100 coupled to the support
bracket 160 is supported by the mounting bracket 170. In such a
configuration that uses the hook structure, since the height of the
mount is decreased, the rigidity at the mount input point is
increased and the weight is reduced due to the application of the
plastics, and since the hooks, which are elastic structures for
hook-coupling, are disposed inside the mounting bracket, the layout
is improved as well.
[0018] However, the hook structure has insufficient fastening force
and assembly robustness. In other words, the fastening force
between the parts by the hooks is weak and the part may be
separated easily from the other part when the hooks are moved with
respect to the counterpart due to vibration or the like. FIG. 9 is
a view for illustrating a hook structure of a mount in the related
art. As shown in FIG. 9, when the hooks 164 formed in the support
bracket 160 of a plastic material (e.g., a synthetic resin) are
bent by the force due to vibration or the like, the components of
the mount 100 such as an insulator 130 are separated from the
mounting bracket 170 to the lower side. In other words, when the
hooks 164 are moved or bent in the releasing direction rather than
in the coupling direction with respect to the stop protrusions 173
of the mounting bracket 170, the components of the mount 100
including the insulator 130 may be separated from the mounting
bracket 170.
[0019] The foregoing is intended merely to aid in the understanding
of the background of the present invention, and is not intended to
mean that the present invention falls within the purview of the
related art that is already known to those skilled in the art.
SUMMARY
[0020] Accordingly, the present invention provides a mount assembly
for a vehicle, in particular, the mount assembly capable of
preventing release of coupling between parts due to separation of a
hook from a stop protrusion in a configuration in which a hook
structure is used.
[0021] To achieve the above object, the mount assembly may include
a mount to support an in-vehicle device and a support bracket
coupled to the mount and locked thereto. with the support bracket
may include a first hook The mount assembly may further include a
mounting bracket configured to couple the mount to a vehicle body
side and support the mount. The mounting bracket may include a
housing to which the mount is coupled and a first stop protrusion
to which the first hook of the support bracket is hook-coupled to
allow the support bracket to be coupled and locked to the mounting
bracket by coupling between the first hook and the first stop
protrusion In particular, the mount assembly may further include a
wedge ring to support the first hook coupled to the first stop
protrusion from behind when assembled to a lower outer
circumferential surface of the mount to prevent the first hook from
bending backward and being separated from the first stop protrusion
of the mounting bracket. The wedge ring may be formed in a ring
shape and include a protruding portion that protrudes radially
outward to support the first hook from behind to prevent the first
hook from being separated from the first stop protrusion.
[0022] According to the mount assembly for a vehicle of the present
invention, a wedge ring for supporting and locking a hook with a
mounting bracket coupled therewith is provided to prevent the hook
of the support bracket from being moved or bent due to the wedge
ring. Therefore, the hook may be prevented from being released and
the hook-coupled state may be maintained, and thus, the separation
of the mount including the insulator may be effectively
prevented.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] The above and other objects, features and other advantages
of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the
following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0024] FIGS. 1A to 1E are views sequentially showing an assembly
process of a mount assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of
the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a wedge ring in the mount
assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the wedge ring in the
mount assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
[0027] FIGS. 4A to 4D are cross-sectional views sequentially
showing assembly steps of the mount assembly according to an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing states before and after
the wedge ring is rotated in the mount assembly according to an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0029] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing states before and
after the wedge ring is rotated in the mount assembly according to
an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0030] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a ring manipulation
aperture of a mounting bracket according to an exemplary embodiment
of the present invention;
[0031] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a mount assembly in
the related art; and
[0032] FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of portion A in
FIG. 8 of the related art.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] It is understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicular" or
other similar term as used herein is inclusive of motor vehicles in
general such as passenger automobiles including sports utility
vehicles (SUV), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles,
watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and
the like, and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles,
combustion, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered
vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g. fuels derived
from resources other than petroleum).
[0034] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of
the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and
"the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood
that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this
specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude
the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As
used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of
one or more of the associated listed items.
[0035] Hereinbelow, exemplary embodiments of the present invention
will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The
present invention, however, is not limited to the example
embodiments set forth herein, and those skilled in the art will
appreciate that the present invention may be embodied in many
alternate forms.
[0036] In the present invention, the mount assembly may include a
support bracket of a plastic material, and to prevent hooks of the
support bracket from being moved or bent by the force due to
vibration or the like, an anti-release structure may support and
lock the hooks engaged with the mounting brackets and to firmly
retain the hooks in the engaged state. The mount assembly according
to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and
particularly the mount assembly including the anti-release
structure, will be described in detail with reference to the
drawings.
[0037] FIGS. 1A to 1E are views sequentially showing an assembly
process of a mount assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of
the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a wedge ring
in the mount assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the
wedge ring in the mount assembly according to an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 4A to 4D are
cross-sectional views sequentially showing assembly steps of the
mount assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention.
[0038] A mount assembly for a vehicle according to an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention for supporting an in-vehicle
device may include an engine mount assembly for supporting an
engine. The engine mount assembly may include a mount 100
configured to support an in-vehicle device; a support bracket 160
coupled to the mount 100 and locked thereto; and a mounting bracket
170 to mount the mount 100 to a vehicle body side and support the
mount 100 while being coupled to the mount 100 and the support
bracket 170. Further, in the assembly for a vehicle according to an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the mount 100 may
include a center bolt 110 fastened to an engine side; an inner core
120 with the center bolt engaged therewith; and the insulator 130
of a rubber material formed to be integrally coupled with the inner
core 120.
[0039] The insulator 130 may fix and support the inner core 120 and
may form an upper liquid chamber C1 along with the orifice assembly
140 under the insulator. The inner core 120 may be made of a
metallic material, for example, aluminum alloy, or may be formed of
a plastic material (e.g., a synthetic resin). A pipe 131 may be
coupled to a lower portion of the insulator 130, wherein the pipe
131 may be formed of a plastic material. Further, after the inner
core 120 in which the center bolt 110 is disposed is manufactured,
the inner core 120 and the pipe 131 may be mounted in the mold, and
then the rubber insulator 130 may be formed to be coupled
integrally to the inner core 120 and the pipe 131 through a curing
process.
[0040] The orifice assembly 140 may include an orifice plate 141
and a membrane 145. The orifice plate 141 may be laterally disposed
within the mount 100 at a location below the insulator 130 to
partition a liquid chamber in the mount into the upper liquid
chamber C1 and a lower liquid chamber C2. The orifice plate 141 may
include an upper plate 142 and a lower plate 143. Further, the
orifice plate 141 may include an orifice 144 that forms an annular
bypass flow path (also referred to as an inertia track) for guiding
fluid flow between the upper liquid chamber C1 and the lower liquid
chamber C2. The orifice plate 141 may include a first aperture that
allows communication between the orifice 144 and the upper liquid
chamber C1 and a second aperture that allows communication between
the orifice 144 and the lower liquid chamber C2.
[0041] Accordingly, the upper liquid chamber C1, the orifice 144,
and the lower liquid chamber C2 may communicate with each other
through the apertures of the orifice plate 141 to allow the fluid
to flow therebetween. Thus, the orifice 144 may provide a flow path
for the fluid and may communicate with the upper liquid chamber C1
and the lower liquid chamber C2 through the apertures, thereby
providing a fluid passage that connects the upper liquid chamber C1
and the lower liquid chamber C2, i.e., a flow path that allows the
fluid to move between the liquid chambers C1 and C2 on both sides.
Further, a diaphragm 150 may be disposed below the orifice plate
141 and both the orifice plate 141 and the diaphragm 150 may the
lower liquid chamber C2.
[0042] As described above, after the rubber insulator 130
integrally coupled to the inner core 120 and the pipe 131 is formed
through curing process, a wedge ring 166 may be assembled on a
lower outer circumferential surface of the mount 100, i.e., on
outer circumferential surface of the pipe 131. Subsequently, the
orifice assembly 140 having the upper plate 142 and the lower plate
143 of the orifice plate 141 and the membrane 145 disposed between
the upper plate 142 and the lower plate 143 may be assembled to a
lower end portion of the insulator 130. After the diaphragm 150 is
assembled to a lower portion of the orifice assembly 140, the
support bracket 160 having a hook structure may be assembled at a
lower side of the diaphragm 150 as described below.
[0043] In the mount 100 as described above, the inner space of the
mount 100 including the upper liquid chamber C1 and the lower
liquid chamber C2 may be filled with fluid and sealed, and the
mount 100 may be coupled to the mounting bracket 170 to mount to
the vehicle body. In particular, the lower portion of the mount 100
may be fastened to the mounting bracket 170 using the support
bracket 160, wherein a hook-coupling method may be used in which
the hooks 164 of the support bracket 160 are locked to the mounting
bracket 170. Herein, the lower portion of the mount 100 may refer
to the lower part of the mount 100 where the pipe 131, the orifice
assembly 140, and the diaphragm 150 are disposed.
[0044] In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the
support bracket 160 may be fastened to the mounting bracket 170 by
the hook structure while being coupled to the lower portion of the
mount 100, thereby integrally coupling and fixing the lower portion
of the mount 100 to the mounting bracket 170. Further, the support
bracket 160 may include a hook structure fastened to the lower
portion of the mount 100. Accordingly, in the exemplary embodiment
of the present invention, the support bracket 160 may include a
hook structure that is fastened to the mounting bracket 170 and the
lower portion of the mount 100, respectively.
[0045] Furthermore, the support bracket 160 may include an annular
ring 161 coupled along the entire lower portion of the mount 100 to
abut the lower portion of the mount 100 and support the mount 100
by surrounding the mount 100. The support bracket 160 may also
include a hook structure formed on the ring 161 and fastened to the
mounting bracket 170. In addition, the support bracket 160 may
include a hook structure fastened to the lower portion of the mount
100.
[0046] In particular, the ring 161 of the support bracket 160 may
include a ring-shaped bottom portion 162 configured to be coupled
to a lower surface of the mount 100, i.e., the edge portion of the
diaphragm 150 to abut the ring-shaped bottom portion 162 while
being coupled to the lower portion of the mount 100 and a
ring-shaped side portion 163 that extends integrally from the
bottom portion 162 upwardly and is disposed to surround the lower
side surface of the mount 100, i.e., a side surface of the orifice
assembly 140. The bottom portion 162 and the side portion 163 may
be formed integrally to form the ring 161 and the bottom portion
162 may support the edge of the diaphragm 150, which is the lower
surface of the mount 100.
[0047] Further, the side portion 163 of the ring 161 may integrally
include a hook structure for fastening the mounting bracket 170 and
the lower portion of the mount 100 together. The hook structure may
include a first hook 164 for fastening with the mounting bracket
170 and a second hook 165 for fastening with the lower portion of
the mount 100. The first hook 164 and the second hook 165 may be
formed to extend upwardly from an outer circumferential surface of
the ring 161 (i.e., an outer circumferential surface of the side
portion). An end portion of the first hook 164 may be formed with a
stop end 164a to be hook-coupled downwardly to the first stop
protrusions 173 on the groove 172 formed on the inner surface of
the housing 171 of the mounting bracket 170.
[0048] An end portion of the second hook 165 may be formed with a
stop end (165a in FIG. 1D) to be hook-coupled downwardly to the
lower portion of the mount 100, and more particularly, to a second
stop protrusion 132 that protrudes from the outer circumferential
surface of the pipe 131 coupled to the insulator 130. In
particular, each hook may be formed to allow the upper end of the
first hook 164 to be disposed higher than the upper end of the
second hook 165. The first hook 164 may be disposed inside the
housing 171 of the mounting bracket 170 to be fastened to the first
stop protrusions 173 of the housing 171 disposed outside of the
first hook 164, and the second hook 165 may be fastened to the
second stop protrusion 132 of the lower portion of the mount 100
disposed inside of the second hook. Accordingly, the stop end 164a
may protrude outwardly from the upper end portion of the first hook
164 and the stop end 165a may protrude inwardly from the upper end
portion of the second hook 165.
[0049] In an exemplary embodiment, a plurality of first hooks 164
and second hooks 165 may be in plurality to be arranged at
predetermined intervals along a circumferential direction in the
ring 161. As shown in FIG. 5, each first hook 164 and each second
hook 165 may be alternately arranged one after the other in the
circumferential direction of the ring 161 of the support bracket
160. Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment of the present
invention, the support bracket 160 may be made and formed of a
plastic material (e.g., a synthetic resin), and thus, the first
hook 164 and the second hook 165 may have resilient (e.g., elastic)
structures.
[0050] The first hook 164 may be engaged with the first stop
protrusions 173 formed on the inner circumferential surface of the
housing 171 of the mounting bracket 170. Further, after the
insulator 130, the orifice assembly 140, the diaphragm 150, and the
like are assembled, the assembled mount 100 may be press-fitted
into the housing 171 of the mounting bracket 170, whereby the hook
structure is fastened. When press-fitting, the first hook 164 and
the second hook 165 may be bent (e.g., elastically deformed) in a
direction opposite to the fastening direction due to the contact
surfaces. When the hook is press-fitted to the predetermined
position, the hooks may be restored by the elasticity, and the stop
ends 164a and 165a of the hooks may be engaged with respective stop
protrusions 132 and 173.
[0051] In other words, before the first hook 164 is engaged with
the first stop protrusions 173 of the mounting bracket 170, while
the stop end 164a of the first hook 164 is in contact with the
inner circumferential surface of the mounting bracket 170, when the
first hook 164 is deformed inwardly and the stop end 164a of the
first hook 164 reaches the groove 172 of the mounting bracket 170,
the first hook 164 may be restored outwardly to the shape thereof
by elasticity and the stop end 164a of the first hook 164 may be
stopped by the first stop protrusions 173 of the groove 172.
Likewise, before the second hook 165 is fastened to the second stop
protrusion 132 of the pipe 131, which is the lower portion of the
mount 100, while the stop end 165a of the second hook 165 is in
contact with the outer circumferential surface of the pipe 131, the
second hook 165 may be deformed outwardly and the stop end 165a of
the second hook 165 may slide over the second stop protrusion 132.
Accordingly, the second hook 165 may be restored inwardly to the
shape thereof by elasticity, and the stop end 165a of the second
hook 165 may be stopped by the second stop protrusion 132.
[0052] To prevent the first hook 164 from being separated from the
first stop protrusions 173 of the mounting bracket 170, the mount
assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention may include the wedge ring 166 that retains the first
hook 164 to be engaged with the first stop protrusions 173 from the
inside of the first hook to prevent the first hook 164 from bending
(e.g., being deflected) inwardly. When the first hook 164 is bent
inwardly, the stop end 164a may be separated from the first stop
protrusions 173 of the mounting bracket 170 disposed outside the
stop end, and the fastening state of the first hook 164 with the
mounting bracket 170 may be released. Accordingly, in the present
invention, the wedge ring 166 may be assembled, which retains the
first hook 164 from the inside of the first hook 164 to prevent the
first hook 164 from being separated from the first stop protrusions
173.
[0053] The wedge ring 166 may be made and formed of a plastic
material (e.g., a synthetic resin), and as shown in FIG. 2, the
wedge ring 166 may be made to have elasticity and to have a
substantially circular ring shape. The wedge ring 166 may include
protruding portions 168 that protrude radially outward that are
arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential
direction. The protruding portions 168 may be formed at
predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the
wedge ring 166, and the number and the circumferential interval
thereof may correspond to the number and the interval of the first
hooks 164 formed on the support bracket 160. Accordingly, the wedge
ring 166 may include a thin base ring 167 and the protruding
portions 168 thicker than the base ring 167, and the protruding
portions 168 may be formed on the base ring 167 at predetermined
intervals.
[0054] In an exemplary embodiment, the protruding portion 168 may
be formed to have an inclined surface 168a on a side surface
thereof. Therefore, when the wedge ring 166 is rotated to allow the
protruding portion 168 to support the first hook 164 from the rear,
the first hook 164 may slide on the inclined surface 168a of the
protruding portion 168, and thus, the protruding portion 168 may be
forcedly fitted into a space between the lower outer
circumferential surface of the mount 100 (i.e., the outer
circumferential surface of the pipe 131) and the first hook 164
more easily.
[0055] As shown in FIG. 3, the wedge ring 166 may be fabricated in
two parts by a length of a half circle. In other words, one wedge
ring 166 may include two semicircular members 166a, and the two
semicircular members 166a may be formed to have substantially the
same shape. In particular, the semicircular member 166a may include
an insertion groove 167a disposed at a first end thereof and an
insertion protrusion 167b disposed at a second end thereof.
Accordingly, the insertion groove 167a of one semicircular member
166a may be assembled to the insertion protrusion 167b of the other
semicircular member by force-fitting, and with this force-fitting
by groove-protrusion, the two semicircular members 166a may be
assembled into a shape of the circular wedge ring 166, as shown in
FIG. 2, to be disposed on the lower outer circumferential surface
of the mount 100, i.e., on the outer circumferential surface of the
pipe 131 with the insulator 130 coupled thereto.
[0056] As shown in FIG. 3, the semicircular members 166a, which are
left and right halves of the wedge ring of substantially the same
shape, may be fabricated, and may subsequently be assembled to the
circular one wedge ring 166. Since one wedge ring 166 may be
constructed by assembling two semicircular members 166a of the same
shape that is made from one mold, cost of building molds and
assembly errors may be reduced.
[0057] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing states before and after
the wedge ring is rotated in the mount assembly according to an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a
cross-sectional view showing states before and after the wedge ring
is rotated in the mount assembly according to an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a perspective
view showing a ring manipulation aperture of a mounting bracket
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Further, when assembled, while the center bolt 110, the inner core
120, the insulator 130, and the pipe 131 are assembled (see FIG.
1A), the wedge ring 166 may be assembled to be disposed on the
lower outer circumferential surface of the mount 100 (see FIG. 1B).
After the orifice assembly 140 and the diaphragm 150 are assembled
(see FIG. 1C), the support bracket 160 may be coupled to the lower
portion of the mount 100 from the lower side to the upper side (see
FIG. 1D).
[0058] During this process, the second hook 165 of the support
bracket 160 may be hook-coupled to the lower portion of the mount
100 and, more particularly, to the stop protrusion 132 that
protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the pipe 131
disposed at the lower portion of the mount 100, whereby the support
bracket 160 may be fastened to the lower portion of the mount 100.
In particular, the wedge ring 166 may be disposed at the back
(inner side) of the first hook 164 formed with the stop end 164a
while being disposed at a location higher than the stop end 165a of
the second hook 165 and the second stop protrusion 132. Further,
although the wedge ring 166 may be disposed on the outer
circumferential surface of the pipe 131 at the back (inner side) of
the first hook 164 of the support bracket 160, each protruding
portion 168 arranged along the circumferential direction of the
wedge ring 166 may be disposed between two adjacent first hooks 164
in the circumferential direction of the support bracket 160.
[0059] Subsequently, the mounting bracket 170 may be assembled (see
FIG. 1E). After the mount 100 is inserted in the housing 171 of the
mounting bracket 170, the support bracket 160 coupled to the mount
100 may be hook-coupled to the mounting bracket 170 with the first
hook 164. In other words, the first hook 164 of the support bracket
160 may be hook-coupled to the first stop protrusions 173 on the
groove 172 formed on the inner surface of the housing 171 of the
mounting bracket 170, and the stop end 164a of the first hook 164
may be hook-coupled downwardly to the first stop protrusions 173
while being inserted in the groove 172. In particular, each
protruding portion 168 may be disposed between two adjacent first
hooks 164.
[0060] Furthermore, the wedge ring 166 may be rotated in a
predetermined direction through a ring manipulation aperture 174 of
the mounting bracket 170, which will be described below. As a
result, the wedge ring 166 may be rotated and the protruding
portions 168 may be fitted into a space between end portions of the
first hooks 164 formed with stop ends 164a, i.e., upper end
portions of the first hooks 164 and the outer circumferential
surface of the pipe 131. Accordingly, the protruding portions 168
of the wedge ring 166 may retain (e.g., hold) the upper end
portions of the first hooks 164 by supporting the upper end
portions of the first hooks 164 from the rear (from the inside),
thereby preventing the first hooks 164 from being bent
backward.
[0061] In other words, since the wedge ring 166 supports the upper
end portions of the first hooks 164 through each protruding portion
168 from the rear (from the inside), after being assembled, each
first hook 164 may be prevented from bending backward by the wedge
ring 166. Therefore, since the stop end 164a of the first hook 164
may be prevented from being separated from the first stop
protrusion 173, the fastening state of the first hook 164 may be
prevented from being released.
[0062] Referring to FIGS. 4A to 4C, the support bracket 160 may be
coupled to the mounting bracket 170 to allow the stop end 164a of
the first hook 164 to be hook-coupled to the first stop protrusions
173 of the mounting bracket 170, and in this process, each
protruding portion 168 of the wedge ring 166 may be disposed
between two adjacent first hooks 164 of the support bracket 160
(e.g., a state of the wedge ring pre-rotation). In other words, as
shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, since the base ring 167 is disposed,
instead of the protruding portion 168, at the back of each first
hook 164 of the support bracket 160, a space may be provided in
which the first hook 164 may be bent backward during the process of
being hook-coupled to the first stop protrusion 173 of the mounting
bracket 170. Accordingly, the first hook 164 may be hook-coupled to
the first stop protrusion 173 and fastened thereto while being bent
backward toward the base ring 167 of the wedge ring 166.
[0063] Subsequently, when an operator rotates the wedge ring 166 at
the back of the first hooks 164 in the predetermined direction, to
lock the first hook 164, i.e, to prevent the stop end 164a from
being separated from the first stop protrusion 173, as shown in
FIG. 4D, the protruding portion 168 of the wedge ring 166 may be
disposed at the back of the upper portion of the first hook 164,
and may support and retain the first hooks 164, whereby the first
hook 164 may be prevented from being bent and separated.
[0064] FIGS. 5 and 6 show states before and after the wedge ring
166 is rotated in the mount assembly. In the state before the wedge
ring 166 is rotated, as shown in the left panels, the protruding
portion 168 may be disposed in the space between two adjacent first
hooks 164. Since the base ring 167 is disposed at the back (inner
side) of the first hook 164, a space may be provided in which the
first hook 164 may be bent, and accordingly, when coupled to the
mounting bracket 170, the first hook 164 of the support bracket 160
may bend backward to be hook-coupled to the first stop protrusions
173 of the groove 172.
[0065] On the other hand, as shown in the right panels of FIGS. 5
and 6, after the wedge ring 166 is rotated counterclockwise, the
protruding portion 168 of the wedge ring 166 may be disposed at the
back (inner side) of the first hook 164, thereby locking the first
hook 164 and preventing the first hook 164 from bending. Thus, the
fastening state of the first hook 164 may be maintained, and the
first hook 164 may be prevented from being moved or bent when the
protruding portion 168 of the wedge ring 166 supports the first
hook 164 on the backside. Accordingly, undesirable disengagement of
the first hook may be prevented.
[0066] FIG. 7 shows the ring manipulation aperture 174 formed
through the housing 171 of the mounting bracket 170. An operator
may rotate the wedge ring 166 assembled on the outer
circumferential surface of the pipe 131 to a desired direction by
inserting a tool through the ring manipulation aperture 174 formed
on a side of the mounting bracket 170 to push the protruding
portion 168.
[0067] Although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
has been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the
art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and
substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and
spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying
claims.
* * * * *