Description

Field of the art

The present invention regards the automotive industry, in particular it regards small components suitable to serve as elements for damping the transmission of vibrations. Even more in detail, the device subject of the present invention regards a new and innovative anti-vibrating device to be used in the installation of the engine cover on any motor vehicle engine.

Prior art

It should be observed at the current state of the art, various antivibration systems to be applied to the motor-vehicle engine covers so as to avoid the propagation of the vibrations deriving from the engines.

Devices consisting of fitting a spacer 20 and a pair of bushings 10 like the ones represented in figures 1 and 2 of the drawings attached to the present patent are commonly used nowadays.

Said spacer 20 is cylindrical-shaped and it has a central through hole 20.b. Thus, said spacer has an external surface 20.c, which may have a recess 20. c’ at half the height thereof, and a completely smooth internal surface 20. d.

The bushings 10 are suitable to be inserted at the two ends of the through hole 20.b of the spacer 20. More in detail, they consist of a flat and circular upper surface 10. a which serves as a device for stopping the insertion of the bushing 10 into the through hole 20.b of the spacer 20.

The bushings 10 consist of a cylindrical body 10. c and a through hole lO.b.

The bushings 10 used up to date have the external surface of the cylindrical body 10. c completely smooth. They are to be inserted with the cylindrical body 10. c into the through hole 20.b of the spacer 20 until the upper surface 10. a of the bushing 10 touches the spacer 20. Though these antivibration devices thus made satisfactorily carry out the vibrations damping function, they do not constitute a stable device.

Given its elastic nature, the spacer 20 is the element subjected to vibrations coming from the engine of the vehicle which uses these devices. Due to these movements and the strong pressure to which it is subjected, it often happens that the bushings 10 exit from the through hole 20.b of the spacer 20, destroying the device and its function.

An object of the present invention is to overcome this problem, making the anti vibrating device a stable component in the connection between an engine and its cover.

Description of the invention

According to the present invention, an anti-vibrating device for an engine cover which efficiently solves the aforementioned problems is provided.

The device consists of a spacer and a pair of bushings suitable to be inserted into the central through hole of said spacer.

Advantageously, said spacer is made of any synthetic or natural polymer provided with elastic properties suitable to damp the vibrations and said bushings are made of any metal or metal alloy material, preferably steel.

Advantageously, said spacer is provided with an external diameter comprised between 10 mm and 30 mm, preferably 21 mm and height comprised between 8 mm and 25 mm, preferably 14.6 mm. Advantageously, said bushings can be inscribed in a cylinder with diameter comprised between 11 mm and 31 mm, preferably 22 mm and height comprised between 5 mm and 12 mm, preferably 7.8 mm.

As described in detail hereinafter, the device is designated for use in the automotive industry for connecting a cover to the relative engine, thus avoiding propagating the vibrations coming from the engine, when running. This does not limit the other possible uses of the device in question.

Advantageously, said spacer is provided, at the internal surface thereof, with at least one pair of circumferential recesses, positioned symmetrically with respect to the transverse median axis of said spacer. Each circumferential recess is advantageously suitable to be engaged, stably, with a corresponding circumferential projection arranged on the external surface of the cylindrical body of each bushing.

The engagement between each bushing and the spacer is advantageously resistant to tensile forces equal to 20 N.

In order to efficiently damp the vibrations, a pre-established separation space between the two bushings advantageously remains vacant between the cylindrical bodies of said bushings, when engaged with the corresponding spacer. Possibly, the internal surface of said spacer can have, at said space, an internal circumferential projection. Advantageously, said spacer has - on the external surface thereof - at least one circumferential external recess arranged at the transverse median axis thereof. Even more than one circumferential recess like the one described above can be possibly present.

Furthermore, in a version of the present invention said spacer is provided with a plurality of pairs of circumferential recesses suitable to be engaged, stably, with a corresponding plurality of circumferential projections arranged on the external surface of the cylindrical body of each bushing.

The advantages provided by the present invention will be clear in light of the description outlined up to now. Furthermore, they will be more apparent due to the attached figures and relative detailed description.

Description of the figures

The invention will be described hereinafter in at least one preferred embodiment, provided by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the attached figures, wherein: - FIGURE 1 shows a bushing 10 of the prior art showing the cylindrical body 10. c completely smooth. In order to understand the geometry of the bushing 10 better, FIG.1(a) shows a vertical section according to the section line AA shown in FIG. 1(b). FIG 1(b) shows the plan view of the bushing 10 and FIG. 1(c) shows a perspective view thereof.

- FIGURE 2 shows a spacer 20 of the prior art showing the internal surface 20. d completely smooth. In order to understand the geometry of the spacer 20 better, FIG. 2(a) shows a vertical section according to the section line BB shown in FIG. 2(b). FIG 2(b) shows the plan view of the spacer 20 and FIG. 2(c) shows a perspective view thereof.

- FIGURE 3 shows a bushing 1-1’ according to the present invention in which the external surface l.c’ of the cylindrical body l.c has a projection l.d. In order to understand the geometry of the bushing l. U better, FIG. 3(a) shows a vertical section according to the section line A’A’ shown in FIG. 3(b). FIG 3(b) shows the plan view of the bushing 1-U and FIG. 3(c) shows a perspective view thereof.

- FIGURE 4 shows a spacer 2 according to the present invention in which the internal surface 2.d has a pair of recesses 2.d’-2.d”. In order to understand the geometry of the spacer 2 better, FIG. 4(a) shows a vertical section according to the section line B’B’ in FIG. 4(b). FIG 4(b) shows the plan view of the spacer 2 and FIG. 4(c) shows a perspective view thereof.

- FIGURE 5 illustrates a vertical section of the anti-vibrating device in its entirety in which, besides showing the engagement between the projections l.d of the bushings 1-U and the recesses 2.d’-2.d” of the spacer 2, the space 3 between the cylindrical bodies l.c of the two bushings 1-1 is also visible’.

- FIGURE 6 shows a vertical section of a version of the anti-vibrating device in which at the space 3 between the two bushings 1-U, the spacer 2 has an internal projection 3. a. Detailed description of the invention

Now, the present invention will be illustrated purely by way of non-limiting or non binding example, with reference to the figures illustrating some embodiments regarding the present inventive concept.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 a bushing 10 and a spacer 20 are respectively represented as obtained up to now. The geometry remains substantially unvaried, but FIGS. 3 and 4 clearly show the differences that make the anti- vibrating device of the present invention a solution to the problems related to the prior art.

More in detail, in the preferred embodiment thereof, the spacer 2 is provided, at the internal surface 2.d thereof, with a pair of circumferential recesses 2.d’-2.d” positioned symmetrically with respect to the transverse median axis Y.

The two bushings l- which are inserted into the central through hole 2.b of the spacer 2, are instead provided, on their external surface l.c’ of the cylindrical body l.c, with a circumferential projection l.d suitable to be engaged, stably, in the corresponding circumferential recess 2.d’-2.d”.

This constraint is suitable to resist to tensile forces at least equal to 20 N.

It should also be observed that, as observable in FIG. 5, left between the two cylindrical bodies l.c of the bushings l- , once constrained to the spacer 2, is a space 3 without which the vibrations would not be damped.

The materials for obtaining the two types of components that constitute the device in question are the steel for the bushing l- , or any other metal or metal alloy material, and as concerns the spacer 2, any synthetic or natural polymer with elastic properties suitable to damp the vibrations.

The spacer 2 is provided with an external diameter comprised between 10 mm and 30 mm, preferably 21 mm and height comprised between 8 mm and 25 mm, preferably 14.6 mm.

The bushings l- can be inscribed in a cylinder with diameter comprised between 11 mm and 31 mm, preferably 22 mm and height comprised between 5 mm and 12 mm, preferably 7.8 mm.

Remaining in the same inventive concept and in the scope of protection provided by the attached claims, there are other embodiments of the device in question which may provide for:

- one or a plurality of circumferential external recesses 2.c’, arranged at the transverse median axis Y or symmetrically with respect to the latter, of said spacer 2;

- a plurality of pairs of circumferential recesses 2.d’-2.d” suitable to be engaged, stably, with a corresponding plurality of circumferential projections l.d arranged on the external surface l.c’ of the cylindrical body l.c of each bushing i- i’;

- an internal circumferential projection 3. a arranged on the internal surface 2.d of said spacer 2 at the space 3 between the cylindrical bodies l.c of the two bushings 1- .

Lastly, it is clear that the invention described up to now may be subjected to modifications, additions or variants obvious to a man skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of protection outlined by the attached claims.