Vibration isolator and method for manufacturing same

Claim 1

In an isolator for supporting a load on a part, such as a vehicle part, which is subject to vibrations, in a manner insulating the load from the vibrations, a pair of elongated substantially coextensive bar means of substantially the same size and configuration respectively situated in alignment with each other and respectively being spaced from each other while being situated in substantial parallel planes, one of said bar means being adapted to be connected with the load while the other of said bar means is adapted to be connected with the part which is subject to vibrations, and a plurality of elongated spring means portions distributed longitudinally along each side of said pair of bar means and being fixed thereto, said plurality of spring means portions respectively being situated substantially in parallel planes which are substantially normal to the parallel planes in which said pair of bar means are located, each said spring means portion extending between said bar means along a path at least a portion of which is curved, one spring means portion on each side of said bar means being aligned in the same plane, each pair of spring means portions aligned in a single plane being integral with each other and formed from a single spring member, each of said spring members having an intermediate portion fixed to one of said bar means and a pair of ends fixed to the other of said bar means, said plurality of spring members interconnecting said pair of bar means for yieldable springy movement of one bar means with respect to the other, said intermediate portion of each spring member being situated substantially midway along the length thereof so that both of said spring means portions formed therefrom are substantially identical, both of said bar means being made of a molded material, said intermediate portions of said spring members being embedded in said one bar means during molding while said ends of each spring member are embedded in the other of said bar means during molding, said other bar means including a pair of separate elongated molded bodies in which said ends of each spring member are respectively embedded, said plastic bodies being situated in side-by-side relation and extending longitudinally of each other, and said other bar means including a retainer means operatively connected with said pair of molded bodies for retaining them connected to each other in side-by-side relation.