Land vehicles – Wheeled – Running gear
Patent
1998-04-22
2000-11-21
Johnson, Brian L.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Running gear
280794, 280124108, 280124128, 280124134, B60G 1300, B60G 312, B62D 2103
Patent
active
061491985
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The subject of the invention is a suspension arm comprised of hollow machined parts for fastening wheels to vehicles.
Above all, the subject of the invention is suspension arms that employ hollow pipe sections in the process of high interior pressure metal forming for shaping machined parts for axle supports, whereby in this case pipe sections are any stretched out, ductile hollow pieces, including shaped rectangular pipes, hexagon pipes or other hollow profiles that are used as starting materials in a high interior pressure metal forming process. Pipes can be extruded as well as straight bead welded pipes.
A suspension arm in this case is a so-called "floating steering axle" that, by means of a framework, intercepts the different loads that the wheels transfer to the axles and thus the vehicle, partially cushioning and absorbing them in a ductile manner. Usually this elasticity is obtained by means of a supporting framework that has two parallel longitudinal mounts which in essence are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, with the longitudinal mounts each having a loop at their respective two extreme ends that allow them to be attached to the body of the vehicle and that are connected by means of two transverse parts. The longitudinal mounts have receptacles--usually bores--so that wheel mounts can be attached in a ductile manner with the wheel mounts often being lined with elastic material in order to make an elastic bedding of the wheel mount components possible.
Compared to the rigid axles that were usually used in the past, these floating steering axles have a much higher degree of torsion ability; the vehicle is less likely to swerve in curves and therefore has a completely different cornering ability, especially at high speeds.
The suspension arms used up until now were mainly comprised of solid parts--i.e. solid transverse and longitudinal mounts.
These parts are heavy and the torsion ability of their individual components has room for improvement. The assembly of the individual components was a comprehensive process since a considerable number of screw processes were required that had to be carried out with a high degree of precision.
Therefore the invention is charged with providing an improved suspension arm that is easier to assemble and manufacture.
The means for attaining the object of the invention are a suspension arm with hollow machined parts for fastening the wheels to a vehicle by means of a supporting structure for the elastic absorption of transverse and longitudinal forces that are transferred from the wheels to the machined parts together with two hollow rear axle supports that are formed by means of the high interior pressure metal forming process (IHP process), and that possibly have cross sections that can be modified (D--D, C--C, A--A, B--B), with the rear support axles having fastening devices for fastening the suspension arm to the vehicle whereby the hollow rear support axles that are formed by means of the IHP process are connected.
Advantageous advancements are indicated in the sub-claims.
Compared to solid suspension arms and compared to the customary suspension arms that use deep-drawn pieces made of steel, the so-called hollow floating steering axles, as shown schematically in the figures, offer a weight advantage of up to 50%. The fact that, in accordance with the invention, pipes are used that have favorable elastic and deformation properties such as return behavior and torsion bracing, it is possible to use lighter materials, for example aluminum, as well as relatively thin-walled metal pipes that were formed into mechanically/statically favorable shapes by means of the IHP process.
In this application the high interior pressure process or IHP process is the process that is described in Industrieanzeiger [industrial publication] No. 20 dated Mar. 9, 1984 and in "Metallumformtechnik" [metal forming technique], issue 1D/91, page 15 and subsequent pages: A. Ebbinghaus: "Prazisionswerkstucke in Leichtbauweise, hergestellt durch Innenhochdruckumformen" [precis
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Johnson Brian L.
Luby Matthew
LandOfFree
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