AU2002253142B2

AU2002253142B2 - Axle assembly

Info

Publication number: AU2002253142B2
Application number: AU2002253142A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Johann Dantele
Original assignee: SAF Holland GmbH
Current assignee: SAF Holland GmbH
Priority date: 2001-03-21
Filing date: 2002-03-19
Publication date: 2006-09-28
Anticipated expiration: 2022-03-19
Also published as: EP1370432B1; CA2442007A1; DE10118523A1; EP1370432A1; CN100379589C; DE10118523C5; DE50212896D1; WO2002074563A1; CN1527770A; ES2314051T3; DE10118523B4

Description

Translation Axle assembly The invention concerns an axle assembly with a rigid vehicle axle e.g. an axle housing in the form of an axle tube with a radius arm on each side of the longitudinal centre plane of the vehicle, whereby a first (front) end of these arms is in a pivoting connection to a fixed point of support on the chassis and at a distance from this point is rigidly connected to the axle housing, whereby the rear end of these arms forms the bottom bearing surface of a spring element whose upper surface supports the vehicle chassis.

An axle assembly of this type is e.g. known from EP-A-0 806 311 or EP A-0 830 960. As an axle housing a particular axle tube may be used whose cross-section or wall thickness in the area of connection with the separate radius arms has been increased e.g. by an upsetting process. The radius arms are individual essentially box-type components with perpendicular side walls and bottom or top walls that are welded together. The rigid connection of the radius arms with the axle housing is provided by all round welds in at least some areas, a process requiring high precision during manufacture, because the welds are exposed to considerable stress when in use.

The purpose of this invention is to further develop an axle assembly of the type described above in such a way that the manufacturing and installation effort as well as the weight are further reduced while at the same time minimising manufacturing costs without loss of reliability and stability of the axle assembly.

The invention meets this purpose for an axle assembly as described by proposing that the assembled axle housing and the two radius arms consist of essentially single-part blank halves that are connected to each other and in particular welded together along e.g. an essentially horizontal parting line so that the axle housing rigidly connects the radius arms to each other. The top axle housing half and the bottom axle housing half are therefore basically connected to the two top radius arm halves and the two bottom radius arm halves to form an integral unit.

Such shell-type blank halves can be manufactured cost-effectively in large numbers from sheet metal with suitable pressing or forging tools without much manufacturing effort. Mechanical connection or welding together of the separate radius arms e.g. with the axle housing and also the labour-intensive assembly of the radius arms from several wall elements as required by the state of the art is no longer necessary. Welding is only necessary to connect the two blanks along the e.g. essentially horizontal parting line in which there is less stress. Moreover, the form pressing of the blank halves results in a weight- and stress-optimised wall thickness distribution in the axle assembly. It is e.g. possible to increase the material thickness in the high-stress area of the connection of the radius arms with the axle housing and to reduce it in areas of low stress.

The axle assembly as per invention thereby acquires high rigidity combined with low weight.

The rigidity of the axle assembly while retaining low weight can be further increased if the blank halves once connected enclose a hollow space. Bending and torsional moments acting on the axle assembly are particularly well absorbed with box-type construction.

If a bearing sleeve is provided or fitted at the front end of the radius arms in order to connect the radius arms to the vehicle chassis, it is possible to use bearing sleeves individually tailored to the vehicle chassis without changing the geometry of the axle assembly.

Additionally, this also makes it possible to use different materials for the bearing sleeves and the blank halves, e.g. bearing sleeves made of copper alloys. The bearing sleeves can be attached in a particularly simple and durable manner to the radius arms by welding, which simultaneously increases the stability of the axle assembly.

The axle assembly as per invention can be used for various vehicle chassis types if at the rear ends of the radius arms there are several through bores basically perpendicular to the plane of the parting line, whereby these holes serve for the attachment of spring elements to the radius Translation -2arms. Depending on the size of the spring elements which preferably are in the form of air bellows, and on the geometry of the vehicle chassis, the spring elements are attached in different through bores e.g. by means of a threaded pin. Because of the broad applicability of the axle assembly for different vehicle chassis types, the manufacturing costs and in particular the costs for the forming tools of the blank sheet halves can be kept low. The attachment of shock absorbers can be carried out in an already known manner.

To be able to mount a brake e.g. a fixed-calliper disc brake in a manner that both saves space and provides protection, a preferred embodiment of the invention provides for a passage through each radius arm between the area connected to the axle housing and the front end. This passage can be used to accommodate functional elements of a braking system without unnecessarily increasing the mounting space required near the wheel suspension. This also makes it possible to further increase the stability of the axle assembly by fitting a circular wall in the passage and welding it to the blank halves.

For the connection of the wheels to the axle assembly a stub axle is preferably rigidly attached in both side openings of the axle housing. This stub axle may e.g. be pressed into the axle tube constituting the axle housing and may be welded on to it or attached to the axle assembly in a different manner. This makes it possible to use stub axles of different dimensions with the same axle assembly geometry.

In another embodiment proposed by the invention the two side openings of the axle housing are equipped with roller bearings. In this embodiment the wheels can be accommodated in the bearing unit in the axle housing by means of an extension of the wheel hub. Once again, with this configuration of the axle assembly the design of the wheels or the brake is largely independent of the geometry of the axle assembly making it suitable for use with different vehicle types.

In the following an embodiment of the invention is explained by way of example and with reference to the drawing. The single figure shows an axle assembly as per invention in a diagrammatical perspective.

As can be seen in the illustration the axle assembly 1 consists of a bottom blank half 2 and a top blank half 3. Along an essentially horizontal parting line 4 the two blank halves 2 and 3 are connected to each other by a weld 5 and define a hollow space between them. The two blank halves 2 and 3 are profiles pressed or forged from sheet metal and may have a wall thickness of a few centimetres (sic) e.g. approximately 5 mm.

Each of the blank halves 2 and 3 is H-shaped with two essentially parallel radius arm halves 6a and 7a and 6b and 7b. The radius arm halves 6a, 6b, 7a and 7b are in each case integrally connected to each other through the axle housing halves 8a and 8b in such a way that the axle housing halves 8a, 8b are at approximately right angles to the radius arms 6a, 6b, 7a and 7b. The radius arm halves 6a, 6b, 7a and 7b once connected form the radius arms 6 and 7 in whose central area the axle housing 8 consisting of the axle housing halves 8a, 8b branches off in the form of an axle tube. In the embodiment shown the axle tube 8 has a diameter of ca. 200 mm.

The ends 9 and 10 respectively, the front ends of the radius arms 6 and 7 with reference to the direction of travel as indicated by the arrow F, can be attached to form a pivoting connection at a point of support on the vehicle chassis (not shown in the illustration). For this purpose bearing sleeves 11 and 12 respectively are provided or fitted in the front ends 9, 10 of the radius arms 6, 7. In the embodiment shown in the illustration the front ends 9 and 10 respectively of the radius arms 6 and 7 feature a semicircular recess for this purpose and the circular bearing sleeves 11 and 12 respectively are welded all round into this recess. The bearing sleeves 11 and 12 themselves may be lined on the inside with a copper alloy or can be wholly made of an alloy with good bearing properties.

Translation -3- Between the bearing sleeves 11 and 12 and the branching of the axle housing 8 each radius arm 6 and 7 has a passage 13, 14 into which circular walls 15, 16 are welded to increase the stability of the axle assembly 1. These passages 13, 14 can accommodate functional elements of a braking system (not illustrated) near the axle in the completed axle assembly 1.

The contour of the passages 13 and 14 and of the walls inserted into them is not limited to a circular shape, but depending on the dimensioning and design of the braking system may be of an elliptical or any other geometrical configuration.

In the flattened ends 17 and 18 respectively, the rear ends of the radius arms with reference to the direction of travel as indicated by the arrow F, there are three through bores 19 and mutually offset perpendicular to the vertical longitudinal centre plane of the vehicle. Spring elements (not illustrated) can be attached to the radius arms 6 and 7 in one or more of the through holes 19, 20 by means of threaded pins so that the rear ends 17, 18 of the radius arms 6, 7 form supports for these spring elements e.g. air bellows. The top of the spring elements in turn supports the vehicle chassis. By the provision of several through holes 19, 20 in the radius arms 6 and 7 it is possible to attach the spring elements at different distances from the perpendicular longitudinal centre plane of the vehicle depending on the dimensions of the vehicle chassis.

In the embodiment shown in the illustration the mutually opposite side openings of the axle housing 8 accommodate stub axles 21 and 22 which are pressed into and/or welded onto the axle tube opening. One or more wheels (not illustrated) can be mounted on the stub axles 21 and 22 in an already known manner. For this purpose the external ends of the stub axles 21, 22 have a threaded section.

According to an alternative embodiment it is also possible that instead of stub axles 21 and 22 as shown in the illustration, roller bearings are mounted in the axle housing 8 thus providing pivoting support for the wheel hubs whereby the outer bearing ring is rigidly attached to the axle housing 8.

Translation -4- Reference list 1 Axle assembly 2 Bottom blank half 3 Top blank half 4 Parting line Weld 6 Radius arm 7 Radius arm 8 Axle housing (axle tube) 9 Front end of radius arm 6 Front end of radius arm 7 11 Bearing sleeve 12 Bearing sleeve 13 Passage 14 Passage Circular wall 16 Circular wall 17 Rear end of radius arm 6 18 Rear end of radius arm 7 19 Through bores Through bores 21 Stub axle 22 Stub axle F Direction of travel

Claims

1. Axle assembly with a rigid vehicle axle e.g. an axle housing in the form of an axle tube (8) with a radius arm 7) on each side of the longitudinal centre plane of the vehicle, the front end of which arms 10) is in a pivoting connection with a fixed point of support on the chassis and at a distance from this point is rigidly connected to the axle housing whereby the rear end of these arms (17, 18) opposite the front end 10) forms the bottom bearing surface of a spring element whose top surface supports the vehicle chassis, characterised by the fact that the axle housing and the two radius arms 7) consist of two essentially single-part blank halves 3) that are mutually connected and in particular welded together along e.g. an essentially horizontal parting line so that the axle housing rigidly connects the radius arms 7) to each other.

2. Axle assembly as per Claim 1, characterised by the fact that the two blank halves 3) once connected enclose a hollow space.

3. Axle assembly as per Claim 1 or 2, characterised by the fact that at the front ends of the radius arms 7) a bearing sleeve (11, 12) is provided or is fitted, preferably welded on, for the connection of the radius arms 7) to the vehicle chassis. 4 Axle assembly as per one of the Claims 1 to 3, characterised by the fact that at the rear ends (17, 18) of the radius arms 7) there are several through bores (19, 20) essentially perpendicular to the parting plane of the blank halves 3) for the purpose of attaching spring elements and in particular air bellows to the radius arms 7). Axle assembly as per one of the Claims 1 to 4, characterised by the fact that in the radius arms 7) between the area connected to the axle housing and the front end there is a passage (13, 14).

6. Axle assembly as per one of the Claims 1 to 5, characterised by the fact that in each case a stub axle (21, 22) is rigidly attached to the two side openings of the axle housing

7. Axle assembly as per one of the Claims 1 to 5, characterised by the fact that roller bearings for accommodating a wheel hub element are installed in the two side openings of the axle housing