Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle component for attachment to a framework of a vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such vehicle components are already known in different embodiments.

For example, from the DE 41 09 548 C3 a vacuum pump for a vehicle is known. Said known vacuum pump comprises a mounting assembly for mounting said vacuum pump to a framework of said vehicle with three flanges and three dampers made from rubber corresponding to each other, whereat said mounting assembly is designed and positioned to said framework of said vehicle in an attachment state of said vacuum pump of said vehicle in such a way, that a force acting from said framework onto said vacuum pump via a force transmission path is damped by said dampers.

It is an object of the invention to provide a vehicle component for attachment to a framework of a vehicle of alternative design.

This object is solved by a vehicle component for attachment to a framework of a vehi- cle according to claim 1 , wherein said mounting assembly comprises a separate mounting bracket for fastening said vehicle component to said framework of said vehi- cle and positioned between said damper and said framework of said vehicle in said attachment state of said vehicle component with respect to said force transmission path.

A main advantage of the vehicle component for attachment to a framework of a vehi- cle according to the invention is, that the overall structure of said mounting assembly of said vehicle component can be made more rigid but still using at least one damper with less shore hardness. Less shore hardness of said at least one damper means an enhanced decoupling of said vehicle component from said framework of said vehicle. That way, said vehicle component is securely fastened to said framework of said vehi- cle, while said vehicle component is isolated very well from forces acting from said framework of said vehicle onto said vehicle component at the same time.

Basically, said at least one solid structure and said at least one damper corresponding to said solid structure can be of any useful and applicable type, material, dimension, arrangement and number. Advantageously, said mounting assembly comprises three solid structures and three dampers each corresponding to one of said solid structures. Hereby, said vehicle component can be mounted to said framework of said vehicle by said mounting assembly of said vehicle component without any undesired movements of said vehicle component relative to said framework of said vehicle. For example, undesired rotational movement of said vehicle component around a rotational axis defined by pairs of solid structures and dampers each corresponding to one of said solid structures. Thus, by using three solid structures and three dampers each corre- sponding to one of said solid structures it is possible to firmly mount said vehicle com- ponent to said framework of said vehicle.

A further advantageous development of the vehicle component according to the inven- tion is, that said at least one damper is built as a separate part and separable or in- separable fixed to said corresponding at least one solid part of said vehicle compo- nent. This way, the production of said at least one damper is simplified. For example, said at least one damper can be sourced as an individual part.

An advantageous development of the aforementioned embodiment is, that said damp- er is fixed to said solid structure corresponding to said damper in a separable manner via a clamp-connection. Hereby, the production of said vehicle component is further simplified. For example, said vehicle component with said at least one solid structure of said mounting assembly of said vehicle component can be designed as a basic component which can be modified by using different types of at least one damper cor- responding to said at least one solid structure in order to satisfy different needs of dif ferent implementations. As already mentioned, said at least one damper corresponding to said at least one solid structure can be of any useful and applicable type, material, dimension, ar- rangement and number. Advantageously, said at least one damper is formed of an elastomer. Dampers made from elastomer can be produced or sourced easily and can be tailored quite simple to the specific needs of a vehicle.

Basically, said mounting bracket can be of any useful and applicable type, material, dimension and arrangement, too. Advantageously, said mounting bracket is built in such a manner, that all of said at least one solid structure with all of said at least one damper are substantially encompassed by said mounting bracket in said attachment state of said vehicle component.

An advantageous development of the aforementioned embodiment of the vehicle component is, that said mounting bracket is built and positioned in such a manner, that all of said at least one damper are secured via said mounting bracket to all of said at least one solid structure. That way, said at least one damper is kept in place and in proper function, despite adverse conditions, like temperature changes, very high and very low temperatures and severe mechanical stress.

A further advantageous development of the vehicle component according to the inven- tion is, that said mounting bracket of said mounting assembly comprises a reception for each of said at least one damper fixed to said corresponding at least one solid structure. Hereby, it is possible to reduce the space needed for the arrangement of said mounting assembly of said vehicle component. Thus, the design of said vehicle component is more compact.

An advantageous development of the aforementioned embodiment is, that said mounting bracket comprises an inspection window for said reception. That way, the presence, proper condition and arrangement of said at least one damper can be checked after said vehicle component with said mounting assembly is assembled. For example, it could be possible to inspect the presence, the proper condition and ar- rangement of said at least one damper even after said vehicle component is fastened to said framework of said vehicle via said mounting bracket. Said inspection window for said reception of said mounting bracket can be built as an opening or can be cov- ered by a transparent top.

Said vehicle component according to the invention can be of any useful and applicable type, material, dimension and arrangement. For example, said vehicle component is built as a vacuum pump for a vehicle.

The Figures are schematic illustrations of a vehicle component according to the pre- sent invention, wherein only the details necessary for the understanding of the inven- tion are shown.

It is shown by:

Fig. 1 an embodiment of the inventive vehicle component in a first assembly state of said vehicle component,

Fig. 2 said vehicle component of Fig. 1 in a second assembly state of said vehi- cle component,

Fig. 3 said vehicle component of Fig. 1 in a third assembly state of said vehicle component and

Fig. 4 said vehicle component of Fig. 1 in an attachment state of said vehicle component to a framework of a vehicle.

Fig. 1 displays an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle component 2 for attachment to a framework 4 of a vehicle according to the invention. Said framework 4 is shown in Fig. 4; said vehicle is not displayed. Said vehicle component 2 is built as a vacuum pump 2 for said vehicle. Said vacuum pump 2 comprises a mounting assembly 6 for mounting said vacuum pump 2 to said framework 4 of said vehicle with three solid structures 6.1 and three dampers 6.2, each of said dampers 6.2 corresponding to one of said solid structures 6.1. Thus, said solid structures 6.1 and said dampers 6.2 are arranged pairwise to each other. Said three solid structures 6.1 are an integral part of said vacuum pump 2, namely of a flange 2.1 of said vacuum pump 2.

Said three dampers 6.2 are each formed of an elastomer and built as separate parts of said mounting assembly 6. Each of said three dampers 6.2 is fixed to a correspond- ing one of said solid structures 6.1 via a clamp-connection. Thus, each of said damp- ers 6.2 is clamped onto one of said solid structures 6.1 of said mounting assembly 6. This can be seen in Fig. 2. That way, said dampers 6.2 are separable from said solid structures 6.1. Establishing said clamp-connection between said three solid structures 6.1 and said corresponding three dampers 6.2 is symbolized by three arrows 8. Said mounting assembly 6 is designed and positioned to said framework 4 in an attachment state of said vacuum pump 2 in such a way, that a force acting from said framework 4 onto said vacuum pump 2 via a force transmission path is damped by said dampers 6.2. Said attachment state of said vacuum pump 2 is shown in Fig. 4.

Said mounting assembly 6 comprises also a separate mounting bracket 6.3 made from a plastic material and for fastening said vacuum pump 2 to said framework 4 of said vehicle. Said mounting assembly 6 comprising said solid structures 6.1 , said dampers 6.2 and said mounting bracket 6.3 is shown in Fig. 3 and 4. Said mounting bracket 6.3 is positioned between said dampers 6.2 and said framework 4 of said ve- hicle in said attachment state of said vacuum pump 2, with respect to said force transmission path.

Furthermore, said mounting bracket 6.3 is built in such a manner, that all of said three solid structures 6.1 with all of said three dampers 6.2 clamped to said solid structures 6.1 are substantially encompassed by said mounting bracket 6.3, namely that said mounting bracket 6.3 of said mounting assembly 6 is built and positioned in such a manner, that all of said three dampers 6.2 are secured via said mounting bracket 6.3 to all of said three solid structures 6.1 in said attachment state of said vehicle compo- nent 2. This can be seen best by looking at Fig. 3 and 4. Flereby, on the one hand each of the dampers 6.2 are kept in firm contact to the corresponding one of said solid structures 6.1 in order to take care for a proper function of said dampers 6.2 and thus of said mounting assembly 6 in total. On the other hand, said mounting bracket 6.3 gives a rigid overall structure to said mounting assembly 6.

Moreover, a quite compact design of the inventive vehicle component 2 according to the exemplary embodiment is achieved by the specific design of said mounting brack- et 6.3 of said mounting assembly 6, which comprises a reception 6.3.1 for each of said three dampers 6.2 fixed to the corresponding one of said three solid structures 6.1. As can be seen from Fig. 3, by encompassing said dampers 6.2 fixed to said solid struc- tures 6.1 via said mounting bracket 6.3, said mounting assembly 6 is secured to said vacuum pump 2. The assembly of said mounting bracket 6.3 to the rest of said vacu- um pump 2 with said solid structures 6.1 and said dampers 6.2 is symbolized in Fig. 3 by an arrow 10. Thus, said mounting bracket 6.3 is encompassing said dampers 6.2 clamped to said solid structures 6.1 via said receptions 6.3.1.

In order to enable for inspection of the presence, the proper position and the proper condition of said dampers 6.2 and said solid structures 6.1 , said mounting bracket 6.3 comprises an inspection window 6.3.2 for each of said receptions 6.3.1. Said inspec- tion windows 6.3.2 are built as openings in said mounting bracket 6.3. In Fig. 3, only two receptions 6.3.1 and only two inspection windows 6.3.2 for said three pairs of solid structures 6.1 and dampers 6.2 are visible. Said mounting bracket 6.3 comprises more than said three receptions 6.3.1 needed to receive said pairs of solid structures 6.1 and dampers 6.2. That way, said mounting bracket 6.3 is universal and can be used for different embodiments. The inspection function of said inspection windows 6.3.2 can be seen best from Fig. 4, where only one of said three inspection windows 6.3.2 is visible. Even in said attachment state of said vacuum pump 2 shown in Fig. 4 said in- spection windows 6.3.2 enable to check the presence, the proper position and the proper condition of said dampers 6.2 as well as of said solid structures 6.1.

For fastening said vacuum pump 2 via said mounting assembly 6 to said framework 4 of said vehicle, said mounting bracket 6.3 comprises three integral bolts 6.3.3. Said integral bolts 6.3.3 of said mounting bracket 6.3 are built as molded-in threaded bolts 6.3.3, which are molded in said mounting bracket 6.3 made from a plastic material. Said vacuum pump 2 with said mounting assembly 6 comprising said mounting brack- et 6.3 is fastened to said framework 4 of said vehicle via said molded-in threaded bolts 6.3.3 of said mounting bracket 6.3, inserted in clearance holes of said framework 4, and nut 12 corresponding to said molded-in threaded bolts 6.3.3. See Fig. 4, from which only one nut 12 is visible. Said clearance holes of said framework 4 are not dis- played.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment of the vehicle component for attachment to a framework of a vehicle discussed above.

For instance, the invention can be employed advantageous for a lot of different vehicle components. The dampers and the solid structures can be of any shape, material, ar- rangement and number. Furthermore, the fixing of the at least on damper to the at least one solid structure corresponding to each other is not limited to clamp- connections, but can be of any useful and suitable type. Thus, the at least on damper and the at least one solid structure corresponding to each other can be fixed to each other in an inseparable way, too.

The mounting bracket does not have to have receptions for each of the at least one damper fixed to the corresponding at least one solid structure. If receptions are used, the mounting bracket does not have to have inspections windows for the receptions. But, if inspections windows are used, the inspection windows can also be covered by transparent tops in order to seal the inner part of the receptions.

Moreover, the mounting bracket does not have to have integral bolts for fastening the vehicle component to the framework of the vehicle. But if integral bolts are used, the integral bolts can be of any useful and applicable type, dimension, material, arrange- ment and number. List of reference numbers

2 Vehicle component, built as a vacuum pump

2.1 Flange of vehicle component 2

4 Framework of a vehicle, to which the vehicle component 2 is mounted 6 Mounting assembly of vehicle component 2

6.1 Solid structure of mounting assembly 6

6.2 Damper of mounting assembly 6

6.3 Mounting bracket of mounting assembly 6

6.3.1 Reception of mounting bracket 6.3

6.3.2 Inspection window of mounting bracket 6.3

6.3.3 Integral bolts of mounting bracket, built as molded-in threaded bolts

8 Arrows, symbolizing the establishing of a clamp-connection of the dampers

6.2 and the corresponding solid structures 6.1

10 Arrow, symbolizing the establishing of the mounting assembly 6

12 Nut for establishing a screw-coupling between vehicle component 2 and framework 4