Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G21/00—Interconnection systems for two or more resiliently-suspended wheels, e.g. for stabilising a vehicle body with respect to acceleration, deceleration or centrifugal forces
  • B60G21/02—Interconnection systems for two or more resiliently-suspended wheels, e.g. for stabilising a vehicle body with respect to acceleration, deceleration or centrifugal forces permanently interconnected
  • B60G21/04—Interconnection systems for two or more resiliently-suspended wheels, e.g. for stabilising a vehicle body with respect to acceleration, deceleration or centrifugal forces permanently interconnected mechanically
  • B60G21/05—Interconnection systems for two or more resiliently-suspended wheels, e.g. for stabilising a vehicle body with respect to acceleration, deceleration or centrifugal forces permanently interconnected mechanically between wheels on the same axle but on different sides of the vehicle, i.e. the left and right wheel suspensions being interconnected
  • B60G21/051—Trailing arm twist beam axles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G21/00—Interconnection systems for two or more resiliently-suspended wheels, e.g. for stabilising a vehicle body with respect to acceleration, deceleration or centrifugal forces
  • B60G21/02—Interconnection systems for two or more resiliently-suspended wheels, e.g. for stabilising a vehicle body with respect to acceleration, deceleration or centrifugal forces permanently interconnected
  • B60G21/04—Interconnection systems for two or more resiliently-suspended wheels, e.g. for stabilising a vehicle body with respect to acceleration, deceleration or centrifugal forces permanently interconnected mechanically
  • B60G21/05—Interconnection systems for two or more resiliently-suspended wheels, e.g. for stabilising a vehicle body with respect to acceleration, deceleration or centrifugal forces permanently interconnected mechanically between wheels on the same axle but on different sides of the vehicle, i.e. the left and right wheel suspensions being interconnected
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G21/00—Interconnection systems for two or more resiliently-suspended wheels, e.g. for stabilising a vehicle body with respect to acceleration, deceleration or centrifugal forces
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G2204/00—Indexing codes related to suspensions per se or to auxiliary parts
  • B60G2204/10—Mounting of suspension elements
  • B60G2204/12—Mounting of springs or dampers
  • B60G2204/122—Mounting of torsion springs
  • B60G2204/1226—Mounting of torsion springs on the trailing arms of a twist beam type arrangement
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G2204/00—Indexing codes related to suspensions per se or to auxiliary parts
  • B60G2204/10—Mounting of suspension elements
  • B60G2204/14—Mounting of suspension arms
  • B60G2204/143—Mounting of suspension arms on the vehicle body or chassis
  • B60G2204/1434—Mounting of suspension arms on the vehicle body or chassis in twist-beam axles arrangement
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G2206/00—Indexing codes related to the manufacturing of suspensions: constructional features, the materials used, procedures or tools
  • B60G2206/01—Constructional features of suspension elements, e.g. arms, dampers, springs
  • B60G2206/20—Constructional features of semi-rigid axles, e.g. twist beam type axles

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a so-called “flexible” axle for a motor vehicle.
• Such an axle comprises two longitudinal arms, connected transversely by at least one cross member and an anti-roll bar, a first end of the anti-roll bar being made integral with one face of a first longitudinal arm, the second end of the anti-roll bar being made integral with one face of the second longitudinal arm, so that the anti-roll bar gives the flexible axle torsional rigidity around an axis substantially parallel to the axis of this bar.
• This type of flexible axle corresponding to an "H" profile, offers handling performance of a very satisfactory level for the volume it occupies, which is lower than that of a multi-link type train. .
• This small footprint which makes it easily compatible with any rear axle architecture, and the low cost of its implementation, essentially by assemblies of the mechanically welded type, have caused a significant deployment of the flexible axle technique by the manufacturers. automobiles.
• One of the objectives of the invention is therefore to propose a flexible axle making it possible to reduce the part of the anti-roll bar's cantilever bending relative to a transverse axis of the vehicle, without however reducing its main torsional benefits around the same transverse axis.
• the flexible axle must also be compact, inexpensive and easy to integrate into the environment of the vehicle.
• the invention provides a flexible axle of the type described above, characterized in that one end of the anti-roll bar cant is made integral with the associated longitudinal arm by means of an elastically deformable blade so as to allow torsion of said end of the anti-roll bar around an axis substantially parallel to the associated longitudinal arm.
• This elastically deformable blade can then be a portion of said face of the longitudinal arm, delimited by zones of weakness, so as to obtain these physical characteristics without adding intermediate parts, and therefore of weight.
• the fact that the deformable blade is a portion of the face of the arm allows this blade to be installed on any type of longitudinal arm, whatever the general architecture of the associated suspension train of the vehicle.
• the hollow arm has at least two walls substantially parallel to the median plane of the vehicle, and the weakening zones are produced by thinning of the thickness of the wall corresponding to said face of the arm. These thinning operations can be carried out on the internal surface of said wall.
• the weakening zones consist of through holes.
• the weakening zones produced in the face of the longitudinal arm on which the anti-roll bar is secured are extended on other faces of the same longitudinal arm.
• the end of the anti-roll bar is made integral with the inner lateral face of the longitudinal arm, oriented towards the other longitudinal arm, and the weakening zones are produced in this inner lateral face.
• the cross-member can be a section with a "U" section inside which the anti-roll bar is housed and the weakening zones are then produced in the face of the longitudinal arm, also inside the zone delimited by the profile of this crosspiece.
• the end of the anti-roll bar is made integral with the external lateral face of the longitudinal arm, oriented opposite the other longitudinal arm, and the weakening zones are produced in this outer lateral face, and in the inner lateral face of the same longitudinal arm.
• the flexible axle has a general symmetry of design with respect to a longitudinal and vertical median plane, with a deformable blade elastically secured to each longitudinal arm.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a flexible axle according to invention
• - Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the principle of the invention
• - Figure 3 is a perspective view of a flexible axle according to the invention according to a first embodiment
• - Figure 3a is a section of the flexible axle shown in Figure 3, along a vertical plane and in the axis of the anti-roll bar.
• - Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 according to a second embodiment
• - Figure 4a is a section of the flexible axle shown in Figure 4, along a vertical plane and in the axis of the anti-roll bar.
• FIGS. 8a, 8b 5 8c and 8d are schematic representations of different design variants of the weakening zones according to the invention.
• a flexible rear axle 1 consists of two longitudinal arms 2 and 3, connected by a front cross member 4.
• the longitudinal arms have the form of hollow tubes with at least two so-called lateral walls 21 and 22, substantially parallel to the median vertical plane of the vehicle.
• Parallel to the cross-member 4, a rear anti-roll bar 5 extends from one longitudinal arm 2 to the other 3.
• Such a flexible axle 1 having symmetry along the vertical median plane of the vehicle, that is to say the plane comprising the median longitudinal axis xx 'and a vertical axis, only the right half of this flexible axle will be described below and shown in Figures 2 to 8. It will be understood that by symmetry, this description and this representation s' also apply to the left half of the flexible axle according to the invention.
• a front end of the longitudinal arm 2 is articulated under the body of the vehicle by means of a bearing 6 and the rear end of this longitudinal arm 2 is connected to a wheel support 7. Substantially equidistant from the wheel support 7 and the bearing 6, a lateral end 51 of the anti-roll bar 5 is welded to one of the side walls 21 of the longitudinal arm 2. It will be understood that depending on the architecture of the suspension train of the vehicle and the desired performance for the anti-roll bar 5, it can be envisaged, as shown in FIG. 5, to have a bar length such that this one must be welded to the external lateral wall 22 of the arm 2, that is to say the wall which is oriented opposite the other longitudinal arm 3.
• weakenings 11 of the wall 21 of the arm 2, on which the anti-roll bar 5 has been welded are produced by reducing the thickness of the wall 21 in a substantially longitudinal direction, so as to give this zone a certain flexibility in torsion around a substantially longitudinal axis.
• FIG. 2 A schematic diagram of the behavior of this blade 10, when the vehicle is loaded on a slope, is thus represented in FIG. 2.
• the weakenings 11 are through holes 12 located in the side wall 21 on which the anti-roll bar 5 is welded.
• FIG. 4a shows such reductions 13 in thickness made in the internal side wall 21, on the external face 21e of this wall 21.
• Such an embodiment by reductions 13 in thickness makes it possible not to create openings 12 in the arms 2 and not to have to take care of the sealing of the through holes 12 for sealing or corrosion issues.
• the embodiment in which the weakenings 11 are obtained by through holes 12 should preferably be accompanied, after the welding of the end 51 of the anti-roll bar 5 on the arm 2, d 'A closure of the openings 12 for example by a deformable material, and / or plastic plugs, not shown.
• the thickness reductions 13 can be made in the internal face 21i of this wall 21.
• This variant embodiment, shown in FIG. 4b, also has the advantage of '' allow welding seams around the thicker anti-roll bar 5.
• An alternative embodiment, not shown, to obtain these thicker weld beads is to make the thickness reductions 13 in the external face 21e of the wall 21, and to weld the bar 5 on the internal face 21i.
• the longitudinal arm 2 will be made in two welded parts to allow this welding of the bar 5 inside the arm 2.
• the side wall inner 21 must be able to accompany the torsional movement of the anti-roll bar 5 around a substantially longitudinal axis, movement authorized by the elastically deformable blade 10 formed in the outer side wall 22.
• the wall inner lateral 21 must therefore have an opening whose diameter is sufficient to allow the deflection of the anti-roll bar 5, that is to say at least greater than the diameter of the bar 5.
• Each of the ends 51 of the anti-roll bar 5 is connected to a longitudinal arm 2, as is the cross member 4.
• the anti-roll bar cant 5 can then be housed inside the cross-member 4 (FIG. 6 represents such a train architecture, with a cross-member in “U” profile).
• the resiliently deformable blade 10 must be produced only in the side walls, interior 21 if the anti-roll bar 5 is welded to the internal side wall 21, or external 22 if the anti-roll bar 5 is welded to the external side wall 22.
• the elastically deformable blade 10 can be obtained by weakenings 11 made in several consecutive faces.
• the main direction of weakening 11 must remain in a substantially longitudinal direction, to allow the torsion of the anti-roll bar 5 around an axis in this direction.
• the working zone between the weakenings 11 combines good torsional flexibility around the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and great torsional stiffness around the transverse direction. It therefore responds directly to the various objectives of the invention set out above, since it considerably limits the harmful effects of bending without affecting the torsion of the anti-roll bar 5 which is practically entirely transmitted.
• the various embodiments of the invention allow, by the optimized removal of material, a saving in mass and cost without imposing general architectural constraints on the design of the flexible axle.
• FIGS. 8a to 8c show optimized forms of weakening 11 taking into account the main parameters such as the radius of curvature of the ends of the weakening 11, the length of these weakenings 11, their open shape or closed at their end.
• the distance between the weakenings 11 and the area on which the anti-roll bar 5 is fixed is large enough for a weld bead, capable of absorbing the forces passing from the anti-roll bar 5 towards the arm.
• longitudinal 2 can be stretched on the arm 2 around the end of the bar 5.
• the lateral end 51 of the anti-roll bar 5 can penetrate the thickness of the wall 21 of the longitudinal arm 2.
• an asymmetry between the form of the weakening 11 in front of the anti-roll bar 5 and the form of the weakening 11 behind this bar 5, due to an architectural constraint for example, could then be compensated, for example by an appropriate choice of dissimilar lengths of the front and rear parts (relative to the anti-roll bar 5) of the weakenings 11, and of different openings.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Vehicle Body Suspensions (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=34073097

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2003
  • 2003-08-08 FR FR0309767A patent/FR2858585B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2004
  • 2004-06-29 JP JP2006522363A patent/JP2007501728A/ja active Pending
  • 2004-06-29 WO PCT/FR2004/001658 patent/WO2005023570A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2004-06-29 EP EP04767502A patent/EP1654130A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2004-06-29 KR KR1020067002702A patent/KR20060037429A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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