Land vehicles – Wheeled – Running gear
Patent
1992-02-07
1995-03-28
Avila, Stephen P.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Running gear
B60G 100
Patent
active
054010519
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a suspension arrangement which includes a McPherson strut. McPherson struts are widely used in motor vehicle suspensions.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
FIG. 1 shows one standard McPherson strut arrangement where the top end of the strut 2 is received in a seat 4 in the vehicle chassis (usually part of the vehicle bodywork 6). Under normal operating conditions, the weight of the vehicle bodywork is sufficient to ensure that the top end of the strut remains properly positioned in its seat. However at fully extended or `full hang` positions, there is a possibilty that the top end of the strut may fall out of its seat, and to prevent this happening or to guide the top end of the strut back into its seat when normal operation is resumed, a retaining plate 8 is mounted on the inside of the bodywork and connected to the top end of the strut on the axis of the strut. This axially mounted retaining plate prevents the strut from becoming separated from its seat. However the use of a retaining plate of this nature requires access to the inside of the vehicle during assembly to secure a nut 9, and this is disadvantageous.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, there is provided a suspension arrangement which includes a McPherson strut, wherein the top end of the strut is located from below in a seat in the vehicle chassis, is normally retained in its seat by the weight of the vehicle bodywork, and wherein the strut has a radial projection arranged so that the projection will come into contact with part of the chassis when the strut extends, to define the maximum strut extension, before the top end of the strut is displaced from its seat.
A suspension arrangement of this type has particular advantages during assembly of the vehicle because the suspension can be fitted to the vehicle body operating only from beneath the body. It is not necessary for any operations to take place inside the body.
In one embodiment, the top end of the strut is not anchored to the vehicle bodywork, i.e. no fasteners are used to hold the top end of the strut to the bodywork. When the radial projection contacts the chassis part, a twisting torque will be developed on the strut and this will tend to move the top of the strut sideways. This torque can be resisted by locating the top of the strut within a socket in the underside of the bodywork. Alternatively or additionally, the twisting torque can be resisted by a flange screwed to the underside of the bodywork. It is also possible for the top end of the strut to be held to the bodywork by a frictional engagement produced when the top end of the strut is introduced into a socket from below the vehicle.
For the purposes of this specification, the vehicle chassis includes the vehicle body panels, in particular the body panels to which the suspension components are secured.
The radial projection is preferably angled downwards away from the strut, and the chassis part preferably has a corresponding upward inclination so that when the projection and the cassis part meet, they interlock to a certain extent.
The part of the chassis may be a part of a body cross member which is extended into the path of the radial projection.
Either the radial projection or the part of the chassis may carry a shock-absorbing pad such as a rubber pad.
Preferably the part of the chassis is part of a chassis cross member to which the suspension arms are attached, so that an entire axle assembly consisting of the wheel knuckles, the suspension struts, suspension arms and vehicle cross member can ben pre-assembled and entirely connected to the vehicle simply by securing the cross member to side rails of the chassis.
The invention thus provides a simple way of retaining the top end of the strut without attaching anything to the strut from inside the vehicle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which;
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a suspension ar
REFERENCES:
patent: 2705647 (1955-04-01), Beck
patent: 2836254 (1958-05-01), Boehner
patent: 4462608 (1984-07-01), Lederman
patent: 4482135 (1984-11-01), Ishida et al.
patent: 4497523 (1985-02-01), Lederman
patent: 4934730 (1990-06-01), Okuzumi
patent: 4944524 (1990-07-01), Achenbach
patent: 5074579 (1991-12-01), Evangelisti
Avila Stephen P.
Coppiellie Raymond L.
Ford Motor Company
May Roger L.
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