Motor vehicles – Power – Having specific motor-to-body-frame relationship
Patent
1990-05-30
1992-07-28
Kashnikow, Andres
Motor vehicles
Power
Having specific motor-to-body-frame relationship
180300, 248603, 267292, B60K 512
Patent
active
051334275
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a vehicle engine suspension for a transverse engine which comprises at least three engine cushions which support the engine and which are intended to take up vertically acting loads from the engine, and which further comprises a torque brace which extends transversally to the main axis of the engine and is pivotally connected between the engine and the vehicle chassis or vehicle body.
The purpose of the torque brace of such engine suspensions, which are used in front wheel drive vehicles fitted with transverse engines, is to take up part of the reaction torque from the engine drive shafts, thereby to restrict twisting or like rotation of the engine about its axis when the engine is sharply accelerated or braked. In the case of one known construction, the torque brace is attached at one end to the upper part of the engine and extends rearwardly to an attachment located in the vehicle body. In this particular instance, the reaction torque is taken up partly by the torque brace and partly by a pair of lower engine cushions located forwardly and rearwardly of the engine. Dampened engine cushions, however, are primarily constructed to take up solely compression forces, i.e. vertically acting loads from the engine. When the engine is accelerated or retarded sharply, the engine cushions are subjected to heavy shear forces and it is necessary to fit the cushions with deflection restrictors, in order to prevent the cushions from being damaged. When these deflection restrictors come into operation, however, the vibration damping ability of the cushions is impaired and engine vibrations are transmitted to the vehicle chassis.
The object of the present invention is to provide a solution which will enable the torque absorbing and vibration damping functions of an engine suspension of the aforesaid kind to be divorced from one another without detracting from the function in other respects, so that suspension components can be configured without compromising the intended function.
This object is achieved in accordance with the invention with the aid of a second torque brace which extends transversely to the main axis of the engine and is pivotally connected between the engine and the vehicle chassis or the vehicle body, said second torque brace lying on a level beneath the first brace and at least substantially in the same vertical plane as said brace.
This solution enables the lower engine cushions to be constructed in a manner to be gently responsive linearly and therewith capable of taking up vertically acting vibrations. Positioning of the torque braces in mutually the same plane eliminates the occurrence of a force couple which strives to rotate or twist the engine about a vertical axis. It is important to avoid such twisting of the engine, particularly when the engine is carried by an intermediate frame which is isolated in the vehicle chassis and which also carries the steering transmission, since twisting of the engine will result in significant steering effects which change direction in response to changes between vehicle acceleration and retardation.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the torque braces are located in a plane which extends at least substantially at right angles to a plane which is the nearest common plane to the engine cushions. In practice, this latter plane is essentially horizontal and the embodiment thereby enables the functions of the torque braces to be disengaged vertically.
The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an inventive engine suspension, and
FIGS. 2 and 3 are respectively a schematic side view and front view of said engine suspension.
The illustrated engine suspension includes an intermediate frame 1 which is intended to be attached to the vehicle chassis with the aid of vibration damping bushes 2, one in each corner of the frame. The frame 1 supports the engine 3 together with gear box 4 and vehicle steering trans
REFERENCES:
patent: 3825090 (1974-07-01), Runkle et al.
patent: 4240517 (1980-12-01), Harlow, Jr. et al.
patent: 4901814 (1990-02-01), Brook et al.
Arvidsson Hans-Olof
Sjostrand Goran
AB Volvo
Kashnikow Andres
Mar Michael
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