Land vehicles – Wheeled – Running gear
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-09
2001-08-21
Mai, Lanna (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Running gear
C403S122000, C403S220000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276702
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a vehicle wheel suspension assembly and more particularly, to a vehicle wheel suspension assembly having a tie rod, a knuckle, and an assembly which holds the tie rod in a desired position and which dampens and/or substantially eliminates vibrations which are normally transferred from the knuckle steering arm to the tie rod.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Vehicle wheel suspension assemblies typically include a pair of knuckles or spindles which rotatably and respectively support the front and/or rear wheels of the vehicle, and a pair of tie rods, each of which operatively connect the steering assembly of the vehicle to a respective and unique one of the knuckles or spindles. Particularly, the selective rotation of the steering assembly is transferred through the tie rods to the knuckles or the spindles, thereby selectively and desirably causing the wheels to turn or rotate, and allowing the vehicle to be selectively steered.
Each of the tie rods are usually connected to a unique and respective knuckle (or spindle) by the use of a conventional ball joint. Typically, each ball joint includes a ball socket, which is typically and integrally formed within the outer or projecting end of a unique one of the tie rods, and a ball stud which resides within and which is rotatably coupled to the ball socket and which is typically attached to a unique one of the knuckles or spindles.
These wheel suspension assemblies are typically designed to operatively provide a relatively and desirable tight or sharp vehicle turning radius. As a result, each tie rod must often be bent and this bend or curvature is made or created within the portion of the tie rod which is in relative close proximity to the ball joint, thereby substantially preventing the tie rod from contacting or otherwise interfering with the rim and/or wheel of the vehicle while the vehicle performs these relatively sharp or tight turns. These prior wheel suspension assemblies suffer from several drawbacks.
First, the tie-rod bend or curvature, necessary to provide a desirable and a relatively sharp or tight vehicle turning radius, represents a mass or a portion which is disposed off of or which is removed from the longitudinal axis or the axis of rotation of the tie rod. This offset mass causes the creation of a gravitational force or torque upon the tie rod, thereby causing the tie rod to turn and/or rotate substantially about its longitudinal axis.
In these prior wheel suspension assemblies, this rotation and/or rotational force was selectively controlled and/or was selectively absorbed by the contact of the ball stud with the opening of the ball socket, and thereby allowed the tie rod to maintain a certain desired position. This arrangement (i.e., requiring the ball joint to substantially control and/or maintain the angular position of the tie rod) caused excessive frictional wear and fatigue to and of the ball joints and results in diminished performance of the ball joint.
Furthermore, typically a rather generous or large tolerance exists within each ball joint, and particularly, exists between each engaged ball stud and ball socket opening. This generous tolerance allows and/or causes each of the tie rods to undesirably move or shift during vehicle operation, and undesirably causes vibration of the vehicle steering column, and further wear to the ball joints.
There is therefore a need to provide a vehicle wheel suspension assembly which overcomes at least some of the various and previously delineated drawbacks of prior vehicle suspension assemblies, which includes a tie rod which is substantially and precisely centered or held in a desired position; which substantially reduces the amount of ball stud to socket contact; which substantially eliminates ball joint socket to stud vibrations; and which substantially reduces undesirable stress and/or wear to the ball joints.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of the invention to provide a vehicle wheel suspension assembly which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior vehicle wheel suspension assemblies.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a vehicle wheel suspension assembly which selectively holds a tie rod in a desired position and which allows the tie rod to maintain this desired and respective position as the vehicle is driven and steered.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide a tie rod and knuckle assembly which substantially eliminates and/or reduces the amount of vibrations which emanate from the contact of the ball joint socket and stud.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, an assembly for use with a vehicle suspension assembly of the type having a having a knuckle which includes a projecting ball stud, and a tie rod having a socket which rotatably receives the ball stud, is provided. The assembly includes at least one outwardly extending member coupled to the tie rod in relative proximity to the socket. At least one resilient member is abuttingly disposed between the knuckle and the at least one outwardly extending member, and is effective to maintain the tie rod in a certain desired position.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a wheel suspension assembly for use with a vehicle of the type having a selectively movable wheel is provided. The assembly includes a tie rod having a ball socket and a knuckle which is rotatably coupled to the wheel and which includes a ball stud which is selectively, rotatably, and receivably mated within the ball socket; a pair of opposed members which are coupled to the tie rod, and which are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the ball socket; and at least one resilient pad member which is coupled to a surface of the knuckle and which abuttingly engages the pair of opposed members, effective to limit the amount of rotation of the tie rod.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method for limiting the amount of rotational movement of a tie rod which is rotatably coupled to a member by use of a ball joint, is provided. The method comprises the steps of disposing at least one outwardly projecting member upon the tie rod; forming a mating surface upon the member; providing at least one resilient element; and disposing the at least one resilient element between the outwardly projecting member and the mating surface, effective to substantially limit the rotational movement of the tie rod.
These and other objects, aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the attached drawings.
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patent: 4943082 (1990-07-01), Kijima et al.
patent: 5022673 (1991-06-01), Sekino et al.
patent: 5931597 (1999-08-01), Urbach
Klug Ingo
Rumpel Manfred Carl
Turck William Benjamin
Brown Gregory
Coughlin William J.
Ford Global Technologies Inc.
Ilan Ruth
Mai Lanna
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