CA2022883A1

CA2022883A1 - Rear wheel suspension

Info

Publication number: CA2022883A1
Application number: CA 2022883
Authority: CA
Inventors: Adrian S. Tucker-Peake
Original assignee: GKN Automotive Inc
Current assignee: GKN Driveline North America Inc
Priority date: 1989-10-03
Filing date: 1990-08-08
Publication date: 1991-04-04
Also published as: ES2025996A6; WO1991004875A1

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A wheel suspension for a vehicle that includes a pair of spaced apart transversely oriented links that are pivotally connected to a vehicle chassis at one end and pivotally attached to a wheel support knuckle at the other end, a leaf spring positioned between the travsversely oriented links and interacting with the wheel support knuckle, a tie rod attached to one of the transversely oriented links and positioned in a diagonal attitude with respect to the transversely oriented links and the leaf spring, the tie rod passing through an aperture in one of the transversely oriented links in one embodiment and passing in close proximity to one of the transversely oriented links in another embodiment. The tie rods on both sides of the vehicle can be united to form a continuous structure that functions as an anti-roll bar.

Description

2~2~

RRAR WHEEL SUSPENSION

~ACKGROUND _P THE INVENTION
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The pre~ent lnventlon relQtes to a suspension system rOr a vehlcle such as a pas3en~er automoblle. More partlcularly. ths lnventlon 18 directed to a suspenslon system that ls-~ost sultable ror appllcation to the rear wheels o~ a passen~er automoblle; however, lt wlll be appreclated that the lnventlon ~ould have appllcation to addltlonal veblcles.

2. DESCRIPTION OF TR~ PRIOR ART

; 10 Automotlve vehicle suspenslon syste~s that utlllze one or more tran~versely orlented lea~ springs are well known ln the prlor art. Such lea~ sprlng suspenslon systems provlde ~or lndependQnt MoveMent o~ each : ~:
wheel connect~d thereto. Wlth the lntroductlon Or ~ront ~heel drlve auto-mobiles,~ lt 18 advantageous to provlde ror lnd~pehdent movement Or esch one of the rear wheels. In automoblle suspenslon systems ~ost wldely used, the suspensl~n sy3tems employ coll opring~ or else multlple 1ear sprlngs that are orlented lon~ltudlnally with respect to the vehlcle iront to rear axls.
~; Such an arrangement utllizlng coll sprlngs or longltudlnally ali8ned lea sprlngs has a maJor dl~advantage ln that the structure o~ the vehicle ad~a-cent to the ~heel has to bejdesigned to provlde space to accommodate tbe sprln~s and to withstand the load~ that arlse at the points where the . ~
springs are connected to the vehlcle structure. Then. too, greater emphasi~
i8 placed on modular auto~otive assembly ~here entire subasse~blies are united on the assembly line. ~rom a productlon ~tandpolnt, it 18 desirable 26 to be able to unlte the entlre rear wheel suspension system together as a subassembly then attach lt to the automoblle chassls ~lth a ~lnlmum Or ,. ~

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~astener~ ln the shortest tlme possible. Al~o. olnce space 18 at a premlu~, it 1Y mandatory that such subass&mblles be a~ compact a~ practlcable. Also, the comDactness of the subas~embly structure ~akes it easler to lsolate noi~e that h~ lts ori~ln wlth the suspenslon system. ~lnally, a ~ull con-nectlon to a vehlcle frame lncreases the opportunlty ~or double lsolatlon of noise. The present lnvention employs a unitary lea~ sprlng arrangement cou~led wlth a self-contalned linkage layout that avolds the dlsadvantages assocl~ted wlth the pr~or art suspenslon system~.
The prlor art reveal~ a ~lde varlety o~ vehicul~r nuspenalon systems that have been utlllzed on one type o~ vehlcle or other. 9everal o~
the prior art devines provlde for a falrly rigid attachment bet~een the wheel and lts sprlng blasing system. Adequate attachment of the wheel sup-port system to the vehlcle 18 mandatory: however. when the tie-down struc-ture is too masslve, the rlde characterl~tics ot the vehlcle suffer.
The present lnventlon 19 an l~provement over the vehlcular spring suspenslon ~ystem shown and descrlbed ln Unlted States Patsnt 4,468,~18 entltled "Rear Wheel Susp~nslon wlth a Transverse Leaf Spring" and lssued July 10, 1989, to Man~red Rumpel. The above-referenced patent ~ho~s a suspenYlon system for a rear wheel of a motor vehlcle. Each ~heel has a ~-palr o~ transversely orlented laterally extendlng control arms that are plvotably connected at thelr outboard ends to the wheel support member. The control arms are nonnected at thelr lnbo~rd ends to the vehlcle cha3sls.
The control arms are spaced apart and have a sprlng attach~ent bracket that spans the dlstanoe bet~een the control arms and is attached thereto. The 26 bracket accommodates the end of a transversely orlented leaf 3pring. The sprlng ~eat i8 plvotable wlth respect to the control ar~s to permlt the control arms to undergo vertical aovement while malntainlng the sprin¢ seat bracket ln a near horlzontal attltude. In addltlon, ~heel recession 18 par-tlally controlled by a tralllng arm that 19 attached at one end to the ~heel ~;
support member and at the other end to the vehlcle chassls at a location remote from the wheel support member. The W18prUllg ma89 18 controlled ln it~ movement by the usual telescoplc shock absorblng ~trut.

2~22~3 The present lnvention i8 an Improve~nent over the suspensIon 8y8te~
descrlbed ln the 4,468,~18 patent ln that there 18 no e~tornal tralllng arm.
Tlle tle-ln o~ an external traillng arm to the vehlcle chassls re~ote fro~
the control ar~s requlres addltlonal space whlch 18 st a premlu~ in co~pact passenger vehlcles. Also, the necessity ~or a connectlon between the control ar~s 18 ell~lnated by havln~ the leaf spring end rest dlrectly on the wheel support me~ber.
~n addltional vehicular ~hl~el support 18 presented ln United State~ Number 4,~14,309 entltled "Vehicle Wheel ~lth Helght Ad~ust~ent" and issued September 30, 1~8fl, to Donald 0. Lundin et al. This patent presents the classlcal wheel suspenAlon 8y8te~ ln tbat a palr of npaced apart trans-versely orlented control arm~ help to provlde ~tabllity tD the wheel, yet permit it to move in a vertlcal dlrectlon. A lea~ sprlng extends transver-sely across the vehicle ohassls and is attached thereto. The ends Or the lB lea~ sprlng t~rmInstQ adJ4cQnt to the ~heel knuckle and actually bear on th~
.
~haft oi an adJustable bolt that 18 attached to the wheQl knuckle. The ver-tlcnl ~otlon of the ~heel 18 attenuated by a shock strut thQt 18 lnterposad between the vehicle chassls and the ~heel knuckle. Loads encountered in the longitudlnal dlrectlon are reacted by aQans o~ a trallIng llnk or radlus rod that 18 attached to a chas~ls cross-me~ber at one end and attached at the other end to the ~heol knuckle. The radlus rod i8 Pnlrly well allgned in ~` the long1tudln~1 dlrectlon o~ the vehlcle.
The presen~t Inventlon also utll;lzes a palr ot control ar~s ~lth a leaf ~prlng ~ounted therebetween. The present lnvention does not, howeYer, rely on an external tralllng llnk, but rather utlllzes an internally posl-tloned tie rod to react ~heel loads that occur ln the longitudlnal dlrectlon.
Also, the presclt lnvQntlve concept per~its the undercarrla~e to be asse~bled as a unlt ln a very narrow longltudlnal space.
In Unlted ~tates Patent 4,72~,074, entltled "Vehlcle Su~pen~lon"
and lssued ~ebruary lB, 1988, to Anthony Stevens, a suspension sy~te~ ~or a palr o~ vehicle wheQls i8 set forth. Accordln~ly, the patent 4,725,074, shows two ar~s po~ltioned at each slde o~ the rear o~ the vehlcle. Each one -3- ~

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- 2 ~ 3 o~ the arms 18 plvoted at It3 ~ront end by ~n attachment to the vehlcle chassIs. A knuckle ~or the support o~ a wh0el la attached to the other end Or each arm. A conventlonal telescoplc shock strut 1~ positloned 80 that an upper end 18 attached to the vehicle cha~sls and the lo~er end 18 ~ttached to the ar~ bet~een the ~ront cha~sl~ plvot polnt ~nd the ~heel knuckle.
Also attached to the ar~ ~ldway between lt~ ends 18 the cantllevered end of a lear sprlng that spans the transver~e dlstance betwe0n the wheels.
Whll~ the above ~et torth vehlcle ou~pen~lon syRtem ~lnl~lzes space requlred ior lnstallatlon, the lea~ sprin~ i8 re~ulred to react load I0 condltlons other than the sprung ~as~. The leaE sprlng 18 requlred to - wlthstand inwardly transver~e loads produced ~or exa~ple by the curbing Q~ a wheel. Also, bendin~ ~o~ents are induced ln the lear sprIng ~lnce there aro no transverse ar~s to act a~ a couple, thus, reactlng bending loads. The present lnvention provides not only tran~verse stablllty ln the horlzonal 1~ plane but al80 prevent3 loads ~ro~ enterlng the lea~ sprlng ln the horlzon tal plane. SInce the lea~ sprln~ i8 es~entlally ~ree o~ ~heel lnduced torque loadlng, the sprlng 18 deslgned wlth approprlate rl~ldlty to reHct the sprung ~ass ln a ~anner that enhances the rldlng chsr~cterlstlco o~ the vehicle under partinl as ~ell as under ~ull loads. The internally cont~lned tie rod per~lts the rear wheel to handle recesslon ~lthout undue loadlng occurring on the lea~ sprlng. The present invention per~lts a suba~se~bly to be created that ~its lnto the dl~enslonal con~tralnt~ of a co~pact vehlcle.
The present lnventlon 18 al~o an l~provement over the suspen~Ion ~6 syste~ dlsclosed ln United States Patents 4,245,853 and 4,28~,432 entltled "Indep~ndQnt Wheel Suapenslon ~or Motor V~hlcle~", ls~ued respectlvely January 20, 1~81, and May 2~, I98I, to Hltoahl Inoue et al. The sbove-listed patents sho~ and descrlbe a suspenslon syste~ for a rear wheel Or a ~otor vehlcle. A ~heel hub i~ attached to a vehlcle chassis by front and rear support arms. Addltionally, a tension rod couple~ the ~heel hub to the vehlcle chassls. The tonsion rod 18 depicted as beln~ attached to the wheel hub, however, the subJect p~tents dlsclose the tension rod can be connected 2~2~j3 at one end to the front support arm. In order to prevent exce~slve toe-out, the attach~ent polnts o~ the ~ront nnd rear ~upport ar~s to the cha~ls 8pan a dl~tance that i8 greater than the distance bet~een the attach~ent polnt~
Or the support arms at the wheel carrler. In contrast, the pre~ent lnven-tion ~ izes the dlstance between the rront and rear support ar~ chassls attach~ent polnts.
In Unlted States Patent 4,511,10~, entltled "Vehlcle Rear Wheel Suspenslon" ls~ued Aprll 1~, 198B, tc~ Hltoshl lnoue, a rear vehlcle ~heel 18 supported by a pair o~ pivotable lateral llnk~ that connect a wheel hub to the vehlcle body. A longltudinal llnk i8 provided to stablllze the ~heel in the ~ore and a~t dlrectlon. The longltudinal llnk 1~ reslllently mounted 80 that lt can ~ollow the wheel movement. The 8eometrlcal arrangement o~
the lateral and longitudlnal llnks result~ ln a toe-ln ~otlon o~ the ~heel ~hen lt i8 bumped in an up~ard dlrectlon. In the present lnventlon, a rear-~ard dlsplacement o~ the wheel is not relled upon to control the toe-ln oE
the ~heel.
In Unlted States Patent 4,71~,132, entltled "Suspenslon Or Vehicle"
lssued Dece~ber 22, 1~87, to Tetsuo Hattorl et al, a vehicle rear wheel suspens10n i8 shown and descrlbed. A ~ub~ra~e 18 attached to an auto~ubll~
body by a serles o~ ela~tomerlc couplers. ~ront and rear llnks are utlllzed to connect n ~heel hqb to the sub~ra~e. A strut bar, thut extends in a longltudinal dlrectlon Or the vehlcle, i9 attnched at one end to the auto~o-blle body and at tke other~ end to the wheel hub or to one o~ the llnk~ ad~a-cent to the ~heel hub. The ~ront and rear llnks are attached to the wheel 26 hub 80 that a l~teral force, ~hen applled to the ~heel, wlll re~ult ln ~inl-mal movement in the toe-out directlon. ~y ~ounting the strut bar to the auto~oblle body, rather thnn to the ~ub~rame, extra rreedo~ o~ otlon 18 attained because ot the elasto~eric couPlers. The present lnw ntion does not rely upon reYlliency bet~een a ~ub~ra0e and an auto~oblle body ~or ~heel control.
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SUMMARY OP THE PRESI~NT INVBN~ION

The present lnvention provldes a su~pension syste~ for a palr of vehlcle wheel~ havlng, ~or each wheel, a palr of lateral control arn~
thst extend irom proxl~ate the longltudlnal centerllne o~ the vehicle to the wheel ~upport knuokle, e~ch ot the control arns b01n~ plvoted at thelr ends ~or rotatlon. A leaf sprln~ ln tran~versely orlented betueen the control ar~s and attached at lts central re~ion to the vehlcl~ chas~ls, ~lth the cantilevered ~ree ends oi' the lea~ sprlng ter~lnatlng ln i'lexlble contact wlth the support knuckle, and a tle rod 19 all~ned dla~onally ~ith respect to the control ar~s wlth each end thereo~ resillently ~ounted near the ter-mlnal ends ot the control ar~s. The lnventlon nl80 conteaplates an ar~
attached to the wheel support knuckle and orlented dla~onally ~or~ard o~ the control ar~s.
Pre~erably, the leai sprlng oi' the present lnventlon 18 fabrlcated 16 ~ro~ a co~poslte, ~lber raln~orced ple~tlc ~at~rlal. A leaf oprln~ ~o ~anu-~actured has the advantage o~ llght welght Por ~hich co~poslte vaterlal lea~
sprlngs are well known. The lesf sprlng can be deslgned to meet suspenslon ; requlrements through materlal selectlon as ~ell a3 the posltloning of the :
~; rein~orcln~ ~edlu~. Whlle the varlous para~eters, such as thlckness and w~dth, can be varled, lt is deslrable to ~abrlcate a narrow width sllpper sprln~.
A prlmary ob~ect oP the present lnvention 1~ to provlde a vehlcle !, ; ~ ~ , i . I , i ~uspenslon syste~ that produces a soft rlde for the vehlcle passen~ers.
Another ob~ect o~ the present lnvention 18 to mlnl~lze the overall longltudlnal extent of the suspenslon subasseRbly 80 thnt it can occupy a s~aller 3pace beneath the vehlcle.
A further obJect o~ the inventlon 18 to provide excellent uheel steer control alon~ wlth co~pllance control.
Another obJect o~ the present lnventlon 18 to provlde a progres-slvely rlslng rate of resl~tance to a force that lnduces a rear~ard ~ove~ent to the wheel a~se~bly.

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~tlll another obJect of the present lnventlon 1~ to provlde a suspension system for a vehlcle that permits tunln~ of the roll steer a8 well a~ the anti~ t angle.
A further ob~ect o~ the pre~ent lnventlon 19 to provlde adequate toe-in of tbe rear wheel3 when lateral wheel loads are enaountered.
A ~urther obJect Or the present lnventlon 18 to provide vehlcular trl~ adJust~ents ~ithout dlsasse~b1y Or the su~pension syste~.
Another ob~ect o~ the present lnvention 18 to ~nu~acture a ll~hter wel~ht sprln~ suspenslon superstructure that cnn be adapted to use either coll springs or a transverse lear ~prln~.
An addltlonal ob~ect o~ the pre~ent lnventlon 18 to provlde n -~
wheel suspen~lon system that is compact and easy to as~e-ble to a vehicle.
Purther obJects and advanta~es o~ the present lnventlon ~111 become apparent from the following descrlptlon and the appended clalms.
re~erence beln~ ~ade to the acco~panylnK dra~lngs ~or~ln~ a part of thls speci~lcatlon, wherein llke re~erence numeral~ are used throu8hout the varlous vlews to de~l~nate llke pnrts.

RIBP DESCRIPTlON OF T~ DRAWINGS

Figure 1 18 a partly sectloned per~pectlve vle~ oi' a ~heel suspen-16 ~ 81~n system as vlewed r-o- the rear:
Figure 2 18 a partly sectloned perspectlve vle~, simllar to Plgure 1, that shows àn e~bodl~ent ot the lnventlon~
Flgure 3 i8 a sectioned vle~ taken alon~ the llne 3-3 of Figure 2:
Pi8Ure 4 i9 ~ plan vie~ o~ an antl-roll bar that 1~ connected to : .
~ 20both sldes o~ the vehlcle;
, :
Pl~ure 6 i8 a partly sectloned perspectlve vle~ that sho~s another e~bodi~ent ot the invention; and Flgure 8 18 a perspectlve view o~ another embodi~ent that sho~s a ;~
sel~-contained co~pact wheel suspenslon structure. ~- `

DETAILBD DESCRIPTION OP ?H~ PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

It 19 to be under~tood thQt the present inventlon 18 not llmlted _q_ - ~ :
1 i ~;' , ' 2~2$~' .
ln lt~ appllcation to the detall~ Or constructlon and arrange~ent Or part~
lllustrated ln the accompanylnK drawin~, slnce the lnventlon 18 capable of other embodl~ents and of belng practlced or carrled out ln varlo~s ways wlthln the ~cope Oe the clalms. Also, lt 18 to be understood that the phra-seology and ter~inology utllized hereln 18 for the purpose oi descriptlon and not o~ ltatlon.
Re~errlng no~ to the drawlngs and ~ore partlcularly to Plgure 1, there 1~ lllustrated a perspective vlew o~ a lett real~ vehlcle ~heel asse~bly as vle~ed fro~ the rear of the vehlcle. The overall wheel asse~bly 0 18 ldentl~ied by the nu~eral 10. A lon~itudlnal axls 12 runs rrO~ front to rear of the vehlcle on whlch the overall wheol a~se~bly 10 lfi ~ounted. As 18 com~on to most vehlcles, a transverse axls 14 runs perpendlcular to the longitudlnal axls 12. While the axis 12 has been shonn a~ co~aon to the front and rear transverse llnks, the lnboard ends oi tho trrnsver~e llnks can rotate about axes that are o~fset and psrallel to one another. As ~hown, the transverse axls 14 colncldes ~lth the axls oi rotatlon ot the vehicle wheels. A wheel support knuckle ln h~ cantllevered outwardly there~rom a wheel splndle 18 that 1~ adapted to recelve a wheel such as 18 ldentlfled by the numeral 20. One end o~ a location devlce such a8 a tclescoplc ~hock strut 22 i9 attached to the support knuckle 18 and the other end of the .
, shock strut 22 i8 attached to the vehicle chassis (not sho~n). The posl-ionlng oP the ~hock strut 22 18 depicted in a vertlcal posltlon between the ~;
wheel support knuckle 16 and the unsprung ~ass of the vehicle: however, lt 18 conte~plated that the shock strut 22 could be mounted ln other than a vertlcal direction as well. The shock strut 22 18 not utlllzed as a vehlcle Nelght carrying devlce but rather to attenuate the Jounce ~otlon caused by the wheel 20 as lt moves over a roadway surface. The shock strut 18 but one of the coaponents o~ a suspenslon that add~ to the over~ll ;-~
co~pllance of a wheel suspension s~ste~. A re~lllently biaaed control aro could be substltuted for the shock strut 22 li deslred. The ~aln ~ass o~ ;
the vehicle, so~etl~es re~erred to as the sprung ~ass, i8 supported by a sprin~ biasing arrange~ent consistlng of one or ~ore sprlngs positloned 2 ~ 2 2 ~J

generally at each wheel of the vehlcle. Plgure 1 shows a leaf sprlng 24 that i8 orlented parallel to the transverse axi8 14 of the overall wheel assembly 10. ~or the purposes o~ the p~esent lnventlon, the leaP sprlng 24 csn be made or steel or the lea~ ~prlng 24 can be fabrlcated ~rom a coe-posite, riber rein~orced pla~tic material such as unldlrectlonal glass flbers encased ln epoxy or polyester resln. The lear sprin~ 24 i8 prerernbly ~abricated in such a length 80 as to span nearly the tran~verse wldth o~ the vehlcle. A ~ ht camber i8 usually rabrlcated ln the lea~
sprlng 24 durlng lnitial layup and molding thereof. The ca-ber help~ to iO 0~8et thQ e~reCt8 0~ the ~prung mQss o~ the vehlcle. Por purpose~ of ~lmplicity, the lea~ sprlng 24 shown ln Pigure 1 has a const~nt cross-sectlonal area over its len~th. However, it i8 wlthln the scope oS the pre-sent invention to utilize a lea~ sprln~ 24 that has n varylng ~idth and ; thickness. The lea~ sprin~ 24 18 anchored (not sho~n~ to the chassls o~ the i5 vehicle near the longitudlnal centeriine thereor. Normally a trQnsVerse lea~ sprln~ such a~ shown ln Pl~ure 1 spang the ~heel to wheel dlstance, ho~ever, ln so~e in~tances lt may be deslrable to utillze an lndlvidual lear sprlnn co~Ponent rOr each rear wheel. I~ a t~o-part lea~ sprln~ 18 used, :~ the ends o~ the lea~ spring ~ould also be anchored at or near the longltu-dinal centerline o~ the vehlcle. The leat 3prln~ 24 has it8 snd 2~ can-tilevered in a directlon toward the vehicle ~heel 20. The actual spring end 2~ rQsts on the surface of a brldge 28. The brld~e 28 i9 ~or~ed as a reentrant portion of the support knuckle 1~.
In the past, lt hQs been common to connect the support knuckle to the vehicle chas~ls by means of a lo~er control ar~ that has the con- ~;
figuratlon of a ~lshbone. The so-cQlled wishbone conrl~uratlon constitutes a steel ~tamplng whlch is qulte rigid and has hereto~ore been relled upon for locating the wheel and permltting compliance. The present inventlon hns moved away irom the rigid lo~er control ar~ in that t~o transverse links are utlllzed. A rear transverse llnk ~0 18 plvotally attached to a lo~er edge o~ the support knuckle 1~ by a ~astener, such as ~sstener 32. The rnstener 32 i8 generally ~lligned 80 that lt~ axis 18 parallel to th~ lonKitudlnal _~_ !

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axls 12. The rear transverse link 30 18 aligned ln an approx~matelg hori-zontal nttltude and ~xtends lnwardly fro~ the support knuckle I8 towards the central sectlon o~ the vehicle. An end 34 of the rear transverse link 30 adJacent the vehlcle centerline contalns a bushlng 3~ that i8 anchored withln an approprlate aperture ln the llnk end 34. The bushing 38 18 ~ade o~ an elasto~erlc ~aterlal, ~uch ns rubber or polyurethan~. A front transverse llnk 38 is attached to the lo~er front ed8e o~ the support knuckle I~. The front trnnsver~e llnk 38 18 also plvotally connected to the support knuckle 18 by a Yastener 40. The fastener 40 hss an a~is that 18 ; 10 generally ln llne wlth the a~ls o~ the fa~tener 32 that lo utlllz~d to anchor the rear transverse link 30 to the ~upport knuckle 18. The Pront transverse llnk 38 1~ al80 dlsposed ln an approxl~ately horlzontal dlrectlon toward the longltudinal centerllne of the vehlcle. An end 42 of the front transverse llnk 38 has an elastomerlc bushln~ 44 that ~ay be axlally all~ned with the bushlng 38 of the rear transversa llnk 30.
A~ has been polnted out ln the dlscu~slon of the prlor art, wheel recession 18 ~enerally controlled by coupllng the overall ~heel asserbly I0 wlth ~n externally posltloned tralling llnk. The tralling llnk or tie rod, as lt wlll be herelnafter reierred to, 18 ~enerally anchored to the vehlcle ; 20 chassl3 at a locatlon for~ard o~ the overall ~heel asse~bly 10. In the pre-sent Inventlve concept, a stablllzer ~ember such a8 a tle rod 4~ 18 attached to the rear transverse link 30 ln close proxi~lty to the support knuckle 18. ~-~y way of~examplé, an elasto~erl& bushlng 48 18 posltloned on elther slde o~
the rear transverse link 30. The end of the tie rod 4~ i8 threaded and .
passes through an aperture ln the rear transverse llnk 30 ~llghtlg larger than the dlameter of the tle rod 46. It is posslble that for so~e applica-tlon~ the tie rod csn be anchored ln a rigid ~a~hlon. A nut 60 18 threadablg en~n~ed wlth the end o~ the tie rod 48. The tle ~ J~ 18 po~l-tioned so that lts shaft portion passes through an aperture 62 ln the front transverse llnk 38. The forward and lnboard end of the tle rod 4~ 18 attached to a bracket 54 whlch, ln turn, 18 anchored to the vehlcle. The forward and lnboard end of the tle rod 46 1~ cushioned on both slde~ of the ~-, , . ~ , , .
:

2~32~
bracket 54 by means o~ ela~tomerlc busllings 48. The tle rod 4~ is attached to the bracket 54 by a threaded rod end and nut 68, or i~ deslred by a rlgld attachment flxture (not shown).
The spaclng of the front and rear transverse links 38 and 30 coupled with the strategically located tie rod 4e wlth lts ad~ustment capa-blllty at each end maintain the requ'lred rlgldlty to produce a sllght rear toe-ln under heavy cornerlnu and rear~ard loads. The adJust~ent af~orded by the tle rod 4~ and ~ront transverse llnk 38 oi the present inventloll permlts tunln~ o~ the roll steer and the antl-llft angle whlch are not as rea~lly :: 10 achievable ~hen a more rlgld stamped one-piece iower control arm is u~ed.
The present lnventlon, ~hlch utlllzes an lnternally posltlon~d traillng 11nk hereln deflned as a stablllzer ~ember or a tie rod.: not only permlt~ the vehlcular rear 8uspenslon to be asse~bled ln oodular form, but also helps the vehicle ~anufacturer satls~y noise, vlbratlon and handllng characterlstlcs of the vehicle.
As sho~n in Plgure 1, the tle rod 4~ has lts lnboard end attached to the bracket B4. The tle rod 48 need not termlnate at the bracket 64, but can be extended across the vehicle centerllne and be ~olned a~ a unltary structure ~lth a ~lmllar tle rod ~or the rlght-hand vehlcular rear wheel.
In thls manner, an antl-roll bar 18 created that acts in unlson wlth both rear ~heel~suspenslon assemblles. '~
lgure 2 18 a partly sectloned perspectlve'vle~ o~ an embodi~ent ~' ~:~ of the overall ~heel asse~bly shown in Plgure 1. The support knuckle 18 ~
~; ~ carrles the wheel ~plndle 18 and the telescopic shock strut 22 or other ':
location devlce, however, they have been psrtlally o~ltted ln Pigure 2 for :: the ~ake o~ clarlty. The rear transverse llnk 30 18 attached to the support : knuckle 18 by the ~astener 32. The lnboard end 34 o~ the rear transverse link 30 i8 equlpped with the bushing 3~ in order to ~acllitate a re~illent ~;~
~` coupllng to the vehlcular chassi~. The transversely all8ned leaf sprlng 24 has its sprlng end 28 ln contact ~lth the brldge portlon 28 o~ the support knuckle 18. The leaf sprlng 24 18 attached at lts central reglon to the vehlcle chassis. The front tran~verse llnk 38 is attffched to the 3upport -1 1 - ';

~..''.',,,,.. .~,,.' - 2~2~3 knuckle 1~ by the ~astener 40. The lnboard end 42 o~ the ~ront transverse llnk 38 18 provlded wlth the bushlng 44 contalned wlthin an aperture for~ed ln the end 42. A central section ~8 o~ the front transverse llnk 38 i8 bowed in a do~nward dlrectlon.
The tle rod 4~ i~ attached near the outboard end o~ the rear transverse link 30 and the elastomeric bushlng 48 18 positlonsd on elther slde o~ the rear transverse llnk 30. The rearward end oi' the tle rod 48 1 threaded and passes through an aperture in the rear transverse link 30 sllghtly larger than the dla~eter o~ the tie rod 48. The nut 50 18 threadably engaged ~lth the end o~ the tle rod 4~. A~ an altern~tlve coupllng, the elastomerlc bushlng 48 can be elimlnated and a more rlgld con-nectlon can be made between the rear transverse link 30 and the tle rod 4~.
The tle rod 4a i~ posltioned 80 that lts sha~t pas~es over the top o~ the ~ront transverse llnk 38 ln the vlclnlty Or the bo~ed do~n central sectlon 68 ot the tront transver~e link 38. The tle rod 4fl ha~ an upwardly dlsposed curved sectlon ~0 that permlts the tie rod 4~ to re~aln ln an sssentlaily horlzontal attitude as lt passes over the ~ront transverse link 3~. The forward and lnboard end o~ the tie rod 43 18 attached to the bracket 54 whlch, ln turn, 18 anchored to the vehlcle. The ~or~ard end o~ the tle rod 4~ i~ cushloned on both sides o~ the bracket 64 by oeans o~ the elasto~erlc ~;
bushlngs 48. The tle rod 4~ 18 attached to the bracket 64 by the threaded rod end and the nut 5B. The tle rod 4~ deplcted ln Plgure 2 beco~es advan-tageous from a ~ubassembly standpoint, partlcularly when the tle rods rroM
both rear wheel suspenslon asse0blles 10 are unlted to ~or~ a slngle antl-; 25 roll bar. The antl-roll bar can be lald over the tops o~ the ~ront trans-verse llnks 38 ~ithout the necesslty o~ threadlng thq antl-roll bar through the apertures ~2 in the ~ront transverse llnks 38.
Flgure 3 19 a broken aNay partlg ~ectloned vle~ taken alon~ the llne~ 3-3 of Flgure 2, ~hereln the rear transverse link 30 i8 sho~n in a horlsontal attltude. An aperture ~2 i~ positloned through the re~r tr~ns-verse link 30 to sccommodate the tle rod 40. The aperture ~2 i9 rectangular or square ln conflguratlon ~o as to permlt a slmilarly con~lgured sectlon o~
-~2-. , 1 ., 2~2~

the end of the tie rod 9~ to pass therethrough. In this ~anner the tle rod 46 18 prevented ~rom rotatlon durln~ use. Rotatlon o~ the tle rod 48 ~rom lts orlginally lnstalled posltlon wlth it~ curved sectlon ~0 posltloned ln an upward attltude would permlt the tle rod 4~ to contact the ~ront trans-verse link 33 ln the cross over area. Whlle the contacting o~ tha tie rod 4~ and the ~ront transverse llnk 38 hould not be necessnrlly structurally hazardous such contact could pos~lbly cau3e undesired nolse thnt would be audlble ~ro~ withln the vehlcle.
Flgure 4 18 a plan vlew o~ an embodlment of the present lnventlon that deplcts contlnulty bet~een the tle rods 4~ as prevlously co~mented ; upon. Plgure 4 ~hows a stabllizer member such a8 an antl-roll bar ~4 wlth curved sectlon~ ~0 located on each leg thereoS for clearance o~ the front ~; transverse links 38 Or the left and right overall ~heel assemblles 10. The ~- ~ cnntllevered ends o~ the antl-roll bar ~4 are reslllently anchored to the 16 rear transverse links 30 as prevlously set ~orth. The central sectlon of the antl-roll bar 84 i8 secured to the vehlcle chaasls by a hat sectloned `~ ~ bracket ô~ that ~111 lm~oblllze the central section oi the antl-roll bar 34 yet permlt torque loadlng to pass therethrou~h. The hat sectlon bracket B6 i9 secured to the vehlcle chassls by iasteners such as bolts 88.
Figure 5 18 a broken away partly 3ectloned perspectlve vlew of another e~bodl~ent o~ the present lnventlon. The support knuckle 1~ ha~
;~ attached thereto the wheel ~plndle lB. as sho~n in F18ure 1 and the shock strut 22 or other po~ltionlng device. The rear transverse 11nk 30 1 attached to the wheel support knuckle 1~ by an appropriate fastener such as the faatener 32. The lnboard end 34 of the rear transverse link 30 ha~ the bushlng 36 therethrough to accohmodate a reslllent coupling to the vehiculsr .
~ chassls. The bushlng 30 lles about an axls 70 that 18 generally ln the rore ; and a~t dlrectlon o~ the veblcle. The transversely allgned leaf sprlng 24 has its outboard end 2~ in contact wlth the bridge portlon 28 o~ the wheel support knuckle 16. The lea~ sprlng 24 i9 attached re3111ently or rigldly at its central ~ection to the vehicle chassls. The ~ront transver~e llnk 38 18 attached to the wheel support knuckle-l~ by the fastener 40. The lnboard ::`

~ ~ I

~2~,~3 ., ; end 42 of the front tran~ver~e link 38 1~ ~rovided wlth the bushlng 44 con-talned withln an aperture that passes through the end 42. The bu~hln~ 44 lie~ about an axis 72 that 1~ not coincident wlth the axls 70 oi tha bushlng 3~. The axes 70 and 72 are parallel to one another and are also parallel to the ~ore and a~t directlons of the vehicle.
A tle rod 74 18 attached to the wheel support knuckle 1~ by the ~astener 40. The actual coupllng o~ the outboard end~ o~ the ~ront trans- `
verse llnk 38 and the tie rod 74 can be rlgld or an elastomerlc bushlng (not shown) can be posltioned therebetween. The inboard or ~orward end 7B Or the tle rod 74 i8 apertured and contalns a ~astener 78 therothrough that 18 orlented ln a generally vertlcal attltude. The ~astener q8 1~ utlllzed to anchor the ~orward end 7~ o~ the tle rod 74 to ~ bracket 80, or ln the alternatlve. to the vehlcle chassls prop~r.
The above set ~orth con~l8uratlon ell~lnates materlal ln the wheel support knuckla 1~ and in the extra bushln~s that ~ould bo requlred i~ the outboard end o- the tle rod ?4 ~as connected at n locatlon other than wlth the outboard end Or the ~ront transver~e llnk 38. The present conriguration o~ the tle rod 74 i8 augmented by a transverse len~ sprlny 24 that 18 posl-tloned between the rront and rear transversc llnks 38 and 30 thus provlding a 10N pro~lle asse~bly. Also, as shown, the lnboard end 78 of the tle rod ;~ 74 is orlented along a vertlcally allgned axis 82 ~or ease Or lnstallatlon ~ .
to the vehicle or to a simple bracket, such as the bracket 80 attached ; thereto. The rotatlon o~ the tie rod 74 18 le~ than rOr a pureltrailing llnk, thus, a tlght bushlng may be e~ployed along ~lth the rastener 78. The as above described embodlment permits enhanced rlding comrort by a low suspen-qion rate in the longitudi~al or recesslon dlrection, thus ~hock loads cau~ed by road ~ault~ are cu~hloned. Ideally. the rear wheel should remaln ~tralght or toe lnward very sllghtly wlth rear wheel ~ove~snt. The above set ~orth embodiment utillzss the longltudinal load, causad, for example, by a bump l~pact, to pull on the tle rod 74 which then rotates a~out the axls 82 and causes in turn a compres~lon o~ the bushlng 44 radlally. Hence, the ~orward section Df the wheal support knuckle 1~ i8 dra~n ln~ard relative to ~ ~ r~

the rear transverse link 30 which undergoe~ little or no load ln thls case.
Therefore, a controlled angle of toe-ln may be achleved. In the rlde motion, the required ~teer is provlded by the rear transver~e llnk 30 whlch has the axls 70 of it~ inward end 34 offset trom the axl~ 72 o~ tlle inward end 42 of the front transverse llnk 38.
Plgure 8 18 a broken away per~pectlve vle~ Or yet another embodl-ment of a wheel 3uspension system. As has been sho~n el~ewhere, the wheel support knuckle 1~ has attached thereto a wheel splndle 18. The top oP the wheel support knuckle l~ is attached to an upper control ar~ 84 by a bolt 88. The upper control arm 84 19 transversely oriented and la attached to a ~ub-frame 88 by fasteners such as bolts 90. The sub-~ra~e 88 18 U-~haped in configuratlon snd extends transversely across the vehlcle body. The rear transverse link 30 18 attached to the wheel support knuckle 18 by the -~
fastener or bolt 32. The lnboard end o~ the rear transverse llnk 30 18 attached to the sub-rrame 88 by the bolt 92. The ~ront transverse llnk 38 is also attached to the wheel support knuckle 1~ by n fastener (not shown).
The inboard end of the iront transverse llnk 38 1~ at-tached to the ~ub-fra~e 88 by means of a bolt 94. Th2 axes of the bolts 92 and 94 are parallel to the overall lon~itudinal axis o~ the vehlcle. The axes o~ the bolts ~2 and .
~4 can be colncldent or, if deslred, the axes can be offset and parallel to one another. The tle rod 4~ has lts outboard end attached to the rear transverse llnk 30 by a nut 60 whlch also acts to co~press the bushlng 48 whlch surround~ the end of the tle rod 46. The tie rod 46 1~ orlented ,; ~ " , ~ "
dlagonaIly wlth respect to the front and rear transverse llnks 38 and 30.
The lnboard end o~ the tle rod 46 is attached to the sub-fra~e 88 by a nut and bushing co~binatlon simllar to the outboard attach~ent of the tle rod 46. The tle rod 4~ passes through the aperture 52 in the front traosverse llnk 38.
In order to react the ma~s of the vehicle, the leaf spring 24 is orlented ln a transverse dlrection and has its ~prlng end 2~ blased aualnst the wheel ~upport knuckle l6. The leai ~pring 24 can be attached to the sub-~rame 88 or dlrectly to the chassls of the vehicle. ~y attachln~ the iea~
spring 24 to the sub-i'rame, the entire wheel ~upport system can be lnstalled -` 2~$~3 on a vehicle in a mlnlmum of time. The leaf sprlng 24 hss a vertically orlented contour ~6 as it passes over the tie rod 46. The curvature of the leaf sprlng 24 ln the vicinlty of the wheel suport knuckle 1~ avolds any scufflng of the surface of the leaf sprlng 24 because o~ vertlcal moVeMent of the vehicle wheel. The attachment of the lea~ ~prlng 24 to elther the sub-fra~e 88 or the vehlcle chassis can be adJusted ln the vertlcal dlrectlon 90 th~t the spring end 2~ always remalns parallel to lts be~rlng surface at the wheel support knuckle 1~. The vertlcal ad~ustment of the leaf sprlng ~4 can be e~ected by ralsing or lowering the posltion o~ the sprlng mowlting member 102 or by lnboard or outboard adJu~tment thereof. Also, the ver- -tically oriented contour ~ of the leai spring 24 permits some ~lexture in the transverse dlrectlon thus matchlng the movement of the wheel support knuckle 1~ as lt moves arcuately about the axis deflned by the bolts ~2 and 94. The vertlcally orlented contour 9~ also helps to dlstribute Any torque loading that may be encountered by the leaf sprlng 24.
.
In order to attenuate vertlcal ~ovement ot the wheel support knuckle 1~ and lts attached wheel, the tQlescoplc ~hock strut 22 18 pro-vlded. The telescoplc shock strut 22 is shown attached to the front tran~-ver~e llnk 38 by a bolt ~8. The telescopic shock strut 22 could equally well be attached to the wheel support knuckle 16.
The ~ust descrlbed rear suspension sy~tem for a vehlcle provldes lndependent rear suspenslon for each wheel that 18 attached to the wheel splndle 18. ~he sub-frame 88 is attached;to the vehlcle chas~is by bolts (not shown) whlch pass through the mountlng holes 100. In those lnstances .
when the leai sprlng 24 is attached to the sub-frame, the entlre rear wheel suspension system can be readlly coupled to the vehicle chassls by the installation o$ bolts through mounting holes 100.
The rear wheel suspenslon a~sembly deplcted ln Plgure ~ not only lends itsel~ to rapid assembly wlth the vehlcle, but also, the compactnes~
of the assembly requlres a minlumum of space beneath the vehlcle.
;

2~2~J3 .
0~ ATI~N M u ~g~ y Durlng the installatlon o~ the overall ~heel asse~blle~ 10, the internally posltioned tie rod 4B helps to 3upport the ~ront and rear trans-ver~e links 38 and 30 and the Iea~ sl~rln~ 29 as a modular unlt. The entlrc rlght and le~t wheel assemblie~ 10 ce~n be moved into fastening position wlthout undue time consumption. Also, ln those ln~tances ~here an antl-roll bar ~4 i8 incorporated lnto the structure lt, too, provldes assistance alon6 wlth the lea~ sprlng 24 ln coupllng the rlght and le~t rear wheel a~semblies lo together ~or ease and speed o~ assembly to the vahlcle chas~ls.
The operatlonal characterlstlcs oi the present Inventlon helps the vehlcle ~anufacturer to meet the ob~ectlves o~ reducing nolse and vlbratlon whlle enhancing the handllng o~ the vehicle. The concept of a compact pair o~ tran~verse links coupled wlth an lnternally positloned tralllng llnk or ~ .
tie rod 4~, permlts the wheel 20 to undergo rece~slon wherein the ilrst 16 lncrement of the rear~ard movament 18 very so~t. AddltlonAI rcarward ~ove-ment 18 encountered wlth a progresslvely rlslng rate o~ reslstance to cushlon severe shocks and prevent excesslve dlsplacement~ upon braklng the vehicle. In order to set ~orth the preierred embodlments o~ the lnvention, a unltary lea~ spring ha~ been lllustrated. The lnventlon ~ould work , ; 20 equally well wlth independent coll spring suspenslon at each wheel location.
Whlle the present lnventlon has been described in ter~s of a motor poNered vehlcle, the suspen~lon concept would apply equally well to trallers or ~eml-trailers. It should be understood that the pre~ent lnventlon 1~ not llmlted to the ioregolng embodiments, and that changes and ~odliications can be readily made by one skllled ln the art ~lthout departln~ from the ~cope o~ the clalms appended hereto.
What 18 clalmed 18:
:

,

Claims

1. A vehicle wheel suspension structure that controls the amount of movement of a wheel mounted on said vehicle comprising:
an plurality of transversely extending link means pivotally connected at one end to a wheel support knuckle and at an opposite end to the sprung mass of said vehicle;
spring biasing means attached to said sprung mass of said vehicle and cooperating with said plurality of transversely extending link means to attenuate the vertical movement of a portion of the unsprung mass of said vehicle;
shock absorber means pivotally connected between said unsprung mass and said wheel support knuckle of said vehicle to react loads incurred by said wheel moving over an uneven surface; and a stabilizer member attached at its outboard end to one of said plurality of transversely extending link means and attached at its inboard end to said sprung mass, said stabilizer member assuming an attitude that is diagonal with respect to at least one of said plurality of transver-sely extending link means.

2. A vehicle wheel suspension structure that controls the amount of movement of a wheel mounted on said vehicle comprising:
a plurality of transversely extending link means pivotally connected in spaced apart relationship at one end to a wheel support knuckle and at an opposite end to the sprung mass of said vehicle;
spring biasing means positioned between said plurality of transversely extending link means and attached to the sprung mass of said vehicle to attenuate the vertical movement of a portion of the unsprung mass of said vehicle;
shock absorber means pivotally connected between said unsprung mass, and said wheel support knuckle of said vehicle to react loads incurred by said wheel and control said wheel moving over an uneven surface;
and a tie rod attached at its outboard end to one of said link means and attached at its inboard end to said sprung mass, said tie rod tra-versing said plurality of transversely extending link means and said spring biasing means in a diagonal attitude.

3. A vehicle wheel suspension structure that controls the amount or movement of a wheel mounted on said vehicle comprising:
a first transversely extending link pivotally connected to a wheel support knuckle and to the sprung mass of said vehicle;
a second transversely extending link positioned in spaced apart relationship with respect to said first transversely extending link, said second transversely extending link being pivotally attached to said wheel support knuckle and to the sprung mass of said vehicle spring biasing means arranged transversely of said vehicle and positioned between said first and second transversely extending links, said spring biasing means being attached to the sprung mass of said vehicle to attenuate the vertical movement of a portion of the unsprung mass of said vehicle;
shock absorber means pivotally connected between said unsprung mass and said wheel support knuckle of said vehicle to react loads incurred by said wheel moving over an irregular surface; and a stabilizer member attached at its outboard end to said first transversely extending link and attached at its inboard end to said sprung mass, said stabilizer member traversing said first and second trans-versely extending links and said spring biasing means in a diagonal atti-tude.

4. A vehicle wheel suspension structure as set forth in Claim 3, wherein said spring biasing means is supported on one end by bridge means that is formed as a part of said wheel support knuckle.

5. A vehicle wheel suspension structure as set forth in Claim 3, wherein an aperture is positioned in one of said first and second transver-sely extending links, said aperture positioned in a horizontal attitude and located along the expanse of said one transversely extending link between the ends thereof to accommodate the passage of said stabilizer member therethrough.

6. A vehicle wheel suspension structure as set forth in Claim 6, wherein said aperture is positioned in said first transversely extending link and said stabilizer member is in the form of a tie rod of linear con-figuration with its outboard end attached to said second transversely extending link and its inboard end attached to said sprung mass, said tie rod being directed diagonally through said aperture in said first transver-sely extending link.

7. A vehicle wheel suspension structure as set forth in Claim 3, wherein said stabilizer member traverses diagonally over the top of said spring biasing means and is positioned in juxtaposed relationship to said first transversely extending link without passing therethrough.

8. A vehicle wheel suspension structure as set forth in Claim 7, wherein said stabilizer member is of curvilinear configuration and has means formed on at least one end thereof to coact with complementary means formed in one of said first and second transversely extending links to prevent said stabilizer member from rotating.

9. A vehicle wheel suspension structure an set forth in Claim 3, wherein said first transversely extending link has a curvilinear portion between its attached ends, said curvilinear portion extending in a downward direction.

10. A vehicle wheel suspension structure an set forth in Claim 3, wherein said stabilizer member is in the form of an anti-roll bar with two ends and a central section attached to said sprung mass each end of said anti-roll bar being attached to an outboard end of one of said first and second transversely extending links on each side of said vehicle said anti-roll bar being positioned diagonally with respect to said spring biasing means and said second transversely extending link on each side of said vehicle.

11. A vehicle wheel suspension structure as set forth in Claim 10, wherein said anti-roll bar passes through apertures positioned in said first transversely extending links on each side of said vehicle.

12. A vehicle wheel suspension structure as set forth in Claim 11, wherein said first transversely extending link has a curvilinear portion between its attached ends, said curvilinear portion extending in a downward direction, said anti-roll bar being positioned in juxtaposed position with respect to said curvilinear portion of said first transversely extending link on both sides of said vehicle.

13. A vehicle wheel suspension structure as set forth in Claim 3, wherein elastomeric cushions are connected to at least one end of said sta-bilizer member.

14. A vehicle wheel suspension structure as set forth in Claim 3, wherein said stabilizer member is attached adjacent to the outboard end of one of said first and second transversely extending links and assumes a diagonal attitude with respect to said first and second transversely extending links.

16. A vehicle wheel suspension structure as set forth in Claim 14, wherein said the rod is attached to the outboard end of one of said first and second transversely extending links and assumes a diagonal attitude with respect to said first and second transversely extending links.
17. A vehicle wheel suspension structure that controls the amount of movement of a wheel mounted on said vehicle comprising:
a plurality of transversely extending link means pivotally connected at one end to a wheel support knuckle and at an opposite end to the sprung mass of said vehicle;
spring biasing means attached to the sprung mass of said vehicle and aligned with said plurality of transversely extending link means to attenuate the vertical movement of a portion of the unsprung mass of said vehicle;
shock absorber means pivotally connected between said chassis and said wheel support knuckle of said vehicle to react loads incurred by said wheel moving over an uneven surface; and