Semimanufactured product of movement regulation member, stabilizer bar having movement regulation member, and method for installing semimanufactured product of movement regulation member to a stabilizer bar

{
  "publication_number": "US9278603B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Semimanufactured product of movement regulation member, stabilizer bar having movement regulation member, and method for installing semimanufactured product of movement regulation member to a stabilizer bar",
  "abstract": "A semimanufactured product of a stopper includes: a plate-shaped bridging portion; a first curved portion extending from one end portion of the bridging portion integrally; and a second curved portion extending from the other end portion of the bridging portion integrally, and an entirety of the semimanufactured product is formed in a C-shape. The first curved portion includes a first locking part at the end portion. The second curved portion includes a second locking part that engages with the first locking part at the end portion. The first locking part includes a convex-shaped convex portion and a pair of receiving portions positioned so as to sandwich the convex portion. The second locking part includes: a concave-shaped concave portion which can accommodate the convex portion; and a pair of projecting portions positioned so as to sandwich the concave portion.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A semimanufactured product of a movement regulation member to be installed onto a stabilizer bar for a vehicle, wherein the semimanufactured product includes: a plate-shaped bridging portion; a first curved portion which extends from one end portion of the bridging portion integrally; and a second curved portion which extends from the other end portion of the bridging portion integrally, and an entirety of the semimanufactured product is formed in a C-shape; the first curved portion includes a first locking part at an end portion of the first curved portion; the second curved portion includes a second locking part that engages with the first locking part at an end portion of the second curved portion; the first locking part includes a convex-shaped convex portion and a pair of receiving portions positioned so as to sandwich the convex portion; the second locking part includes a concave-shaped concave portion which can accommodate the convex portion and a pair of projecting portions positioned so as to sandwich the concave portion; each of the pair of projecting portions includes a protruding portion which protrudes from a tip portion of the projecting portion toward an opening of the concave portion; the convex portion includes a constricted portion in a base end portion of the convex portion; the pair of receiving portions include: a shoulder portion which is positioned at an outer side of the first locking part in a width direction and projects in an expanding direction of the convex portion; and a guide surface which is inclined to a direction opposite to the expanding direction of the convex portion toward the constricted portion with respect to the shoulder portion; height of the pair of protruding portions is larger as compared with depth of the concave shape of the guide surface; a gap between the first and second locking parts is larger as compared with diameter of the stabilizer bar, and the semimanufactured product of the movement regulation member is to be installed onto the stabilizer bar as a completed product by making an inner circumferential surface of the bridging portion and the first and second curved portions pressingly contact with an outer circumferential surface of the stabilizer bar using a pair of molds which cover outer peripheral sides of the first and second curved portions, respectively, in a state where the stabilizer bar is placed onto an inner circumferential surface of one curved portion among the first and second curved portions by passing the stabilizer bar through the gap; by accommodating the convex portion in the concave portion upon administrating clamping work that makes the first and second locking parts engage with each other; and by the pair of protruding portions being plastically deformed so as to fill concave spaces sectioned by the guide surface including the constricted portions toward an inner side in a width direction of the first locking part by being pressed onto the guide surfaces which are continuous to the shoulder portions after contacting the guide surface of the pair of receiving portions.",
    "2. The semimanufactured product of a movement regulation member according to claim 1, wherein radius of curvature of an inner circumferential surface of one curved portion where the stabilizer bar is placed on among at least the first and second curved portions is set to the same size as radius of the stabilizer bar; and length of an inner circumferential surface along a curving direction of the one curved portion is set longer as compared with length of an inner circumferential surface along a curving direction of the other curved portion.",
    "3. The semimanufactured product of a movement regulation member according to claim 1, wherein maximum size of the convex portion in the width direction of the semimanufactured product is set to comparable size to maximum size of the concave portion in the width direction of the semimanufactured product.",
    "4. The semimanufactured product of a movement regulation member according to claim 1, wherein maximum size of the convex portion in the width direction of the semimanufactured product is slightly larger than maximum size of the opening of the concave portion in the width direction of the semimanufactured product; the semimanufactured product of the movement regulation member is to be installed onto the stabilizer bar as a completed product by accommodating the convex portion in the concave portion while pushing and expanding the opening of the concave portion upon administrating clamping work that makes the first and second locking parts engage with each other; and by the pair of protruding portions that once moved toward an outer side of the first locking part in a width direction as the opening is pushed and expanded being plastically deformed so as to fill concave spaces sectioned by the guide surface including the constricted portions toward an inner side in a width direction of the first locking part by being pressed onto the guide surfaces which are continuous to the shoulder portions after contacting the guide surface of the pair of receiving portions.",
    "5. The semimanufactured product of a movement regulation member according to claim 1, wherein an end portion of the convex portion in the expanding direction and an inner portion of the concave portion in a concave direction are formed in a circular shape having the same diameter.",
    "6. The semimanufactured product of a movement regulation member according to claim 1, wherein anti-sliding work is administrated on an inner circumferential surface of the bridging portion and the first and second curved portions, which pressingly contact an outer peripheral surface of the stabilizer bar.",
    "7. A stabilizer bar including a movement regulation member, wherein the semimanufactured product of a movement regulation member according to claim 1 is installed as a completed product.",
    "8. A method for installing a semimanufactured product of a movement regulation member onto a stabilizer bar for a vehicle, wherein the semimanufactured product includes: a plate-shaped bridging portion; a first curved portion which extends from one end portion of the bridging portion integrally; and a second curved portion which extends from the other end portion of the bridging portion integrally, and an entirety of the semimanufactured product is formed in a C-shape; the first curved portion includes a first locking part at an end of the first curved portion; the second curved portion includes a second locking part that engages with the first locking part at an end portion of the second curved portion; the first locking part includes a convex-shaped convex portion and a pair of receiving portions positioned so as to sandwich the convex portion; the second locking part includes a concave-shaped concave portion which can accommodate the convex portion and a pair of projecting portions positioned so as to sandwich the concave portion; each of the pair of projecting portions includes a protruding portion which protrudes from a tip portion of the projecting portion toward an opening of the concave portion; the convex portion includes a constricted portion in a base end portion of the convex portion; the pair of receiving portions include: a shoulder portion which is positioned at an outer side of the first locking part in a width direction and projects in an expanding direction of the convex portion; and a guide surface which is inclined to a direction opposite to the expanding direction of the convex portion toward the constricted portion with respect to the shoulder portion; height of the pair of protruding portions is larger as compared with depth of the concave shape of the guide surface; a gap between the first and second locking parts is larger as compared with diameter of the stabilizer bar; a step of setting the first and second curved portions to first and second molds that have a cavity in which an outer circumferential surface of the first and second curved portions is accommodated, respectively; a step of placing the stabilizer bar on an inner circumferential surface of one curved portion among the first and second curved portions by passing the stabilizer bar through the gap; a step of making an inner circumferential surface of the bridging portion and the first and second curved portions pressingly contact with an outer peripheral surface of the stabilizer bar using the first and second molds in a state where the stabilizer bar is placed onto an inner circumferential surface of the one curved portion, and performing clamping work which makes the first and second locking parts engage with each other; and the semimanufactured product of the movement regulation member is to be installed onto the stabilizer bar as a completed product in the step of performing clamping work, by the convex portion being accommodated in the concave portion, by the pair of protruding portions being plastically deformed so as to fill concave spaces sectioned by the guide surface including the constricted portions toward an inner side in a width direction of the first locking part by being pressed onto the guide surfaces which are continuous to the shoulder portions after contacting the guide surface of the pair of receiving portions.",
    "9. The method for installing a semimanufactured product of a movement regulation member onto a stabilizer bar according to claim 8, wherein maximum size of the convex portion in the width direction of the semimanufactured product is slightly larger than maximum size of the opening of the concave portion in the width direction of the semimanufactured product, and the semimanufactured product of the movement regulation member is to be installed onto the stabilizer bar as a completed product in the step of performing clamping work, by the convex portion being accommodated in the concave portion while pushing and expanding the opening of the concave portion, by the pair of protruding portions that one moved toward an outer side of the first locking part in a width direction as the opening is pushed and expanded being plastically deformed so as to fill concave spaces sectioned by the guide surface including the constricted portions toward an inner side in a width direction of the first locking part by being pressed onto the guide surfaces which are continuous to the shoulder portions after contacting the guide surface of the pair of receiving portions.",
    "10. The method for installing a semimanufactured product of a movement regulation member onto a stabilizer bar according claim 8, wherein a circumferentially extending burr protruding portion is integrally formed on an outer wall of the engagement portion in the step of performing clamping work by pressing and crushing the semimanufactured product of the movement regulation member while maintaining a gap for forming burr between the first and second molds in a state where an engagement portion between at least the first and second locking parts is positioned near a boundary portion of the first and second molds.",
    "11. A stabilizer bar having a movement regulation member, wherein the movement regulation member is installed using the method for installing a semimanufactured product of a movement regulation member onto a stabilizer bar according to claim 8."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a stabilizer bar that suppresses rolling of a vehicle body and improves running stability of the vehicle, and in particular, to a semimanufactured product of a movement regulation member to be installed onto a stabilizer bar, a stabilizer bar having a movement regulation member and a method for installing a semimanufactured product of a movement regulation member to a stabilizer bar.\n\nA cylindrical member called a stabilizer bar is used in order to suppress rolling of a vehicle body and to improve running stability of the vehicle (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). The above-described stabilizer bar has a torsion bar portion extending linearly in the vehicle width direction and a pair of arm portions respectively extending from both ends of the torsion bar portion, and the entirety of the stabilizer bar is formed in a U-shape, for example.\n\nThe stabilizer bar is installed onto the vehicle body via a buffer member made of rubber and a U-shaped bracket in a portion of the torsion bar portion near both arm portions. Meanwhile, ends of both arm portions are supported by suspension arms.\n\nIn a stabilizer bar configured as described above, when the torsion bar portion of the stabilizer bar is twisted at the time of a circular run of a vehicle, the reaction force produced by the twist of the torsion bar portion acts as a force that suppresses rolling of the vehicle body.\n\nA pair of movement prevention members (hereafter referred to as “stopper”) of flange shape are respectively provided in positions of the torsion bar portion of the stabilizer bar adjoining the buffer member.",
  "cpc": [
    "B60G 21/0551",
    "B23P 11/005",
    "B60G 21/055",
    "B60G 2204/1222",
    "B60G 2204/41",
    "F16B 2/00",
    "F16F 1/16",
    "F16F 15/08",
    "Y10T 29/49909",
    "Y10T 403/46"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B23P 11/00",
    "B60G 21/055",
    "F16B 2/00",
    "F16B 2/02",
    "F16B 2/06"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "NHK Spring Co Ltd",
    "NHK Spring Production Co"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Toshiharu Yoshizawa",
    "Juichi Sugita"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2013-09-03",
  "publication_date": "2016-03-08",
  "grant_date": "2016-03-08",
  "priority_date": "2012-09-11",
  "application_number": "US-201314427098-A",
  "family_id": "50278154",
  "cited_by_count": 7,
  "citations": [
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    "JPH11210713A",
    "US6685381B1",
    "JP2001163026A",
    "US20030204979A1",
    "US20060235391A1",
    "US20070161987A1",
    "US20110046674A1",
    "US20110150566A1",
    "US20130176401A1",
    "US20150322784A1"
  ]
}