Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G7/00—Pivoted suspension arms; Accessories thereof
  • B60G7/001—Suspension arms, e.g. constructional features
• • 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
  • B60G2206/10—Constructional features of arms
  • B60G2206/122—Constructional features of arms the arm having L-shape
• • 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
  • B60G2206/80—Manufacturing procedures
  • B60G2206/81—Shaping
  • B60G2206/8104—Shaping by drawing
• • 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
  • B60G2206/80—Manufacturing procedures
  • B60G2206/82—Joining
  • B60G2206/8201—Joining by welding

Definitions

• Sheet metal connecting member intended to be welded with an element having a docking surface, manufacturing process, stamping matrix and corresponding vehicle.
• the field of the invention is that of motor vehicles. More specifically, the invention relates to sheet metal connecting members having a docking area with a view to being welded to an element whose periphery has a shape complementary to that of the docking area.
• this type of connection is found in particular in: - the suspension arms, such arms being able to connect the support of a wheel (front or rear) of a vehicle to the vehicle body or to a fixed cradle at the register ; - the connecting element (or cross member) of an axle.
• the suspension arms concerned are in particular, but not exclusively, boomerang type arms (so called for their similarity in shape with a boomerang).
• a suspension arm of this type is illustrated in FIG. 1.
• an arm 1 is generally defined by three characteristic points designated by the letters A, B, E.
• the rotation of the arm around of the X axis is allowed in particular thanks to a pivoting connection between the arm and the cradle (or between the arm and the body), this connection being provided at point A, by a socket 2.
• these arms are made of sheet metal and have a single-sheet or double-shell structure. Generally, such sheet metal arms are shaped by a stamping technique.
• FIG. 2 illustrates such a docking area 11 of a socket on a single-piece arm 1. As it appears, this docking area is formed by two curved edges 111, together defining a cradle of shape adapted to the periphery of the socket.
• a known technique for obtaining these curved edges 111 consists in making a cut corresponding to these edges in the sheet metal blank flat (before stamping), then in stamping the arm. At the end of the drawing of the arm, the edges 111 occupy the position as illustrated in FIG. 2, and each offer essentially linear support.
• This technique although widely used, has some drawbacks. First, such a technique clearly involves a cutting step, which involves operating and tooling costs tending to increase the cost price of the suspension arm. In addition, this technique does not make it possible to obtain always satisfactory precision. Indeed, traditional cutting techniques generally generate inaccuracies (except to resort to high precision techniques whose operating costs are then prohibitive).
• the stamping technique a dispersion of the order of 15/100 6 is conventionally observed over the thickness of the sheet. In other words, variations in the stamped shapes are observed, these variations proving difficult to control.
• the curved edges of the docking area have a shape which does not correspond perfectly to that of the sleeve to be welded on the arm. It follows that the junction between these curved edges and the sleeve may have defects which are detrimental to the behavior of the weld beads deposited at this junction.
• Another technique consists in making the cuts corresponding to the curved edges of the docking area after the stamping operation. For this, a special stamping press is used incorporating a mechanism known in itself as a cam cutter actuating trimming tools.
• this cutting technique also leads to inaccuracies, this time of the order of 1/10 th of a millimeter. For the reasons mentioned above, such imprecision can again adversely affect the holding of the weld beads added between the docking area and the socket.
• this cam cutting technique only allows tools to be cut using a transverse approach with respect to the drawing direction. Therefore, the edge which overhangs the docking area cannot be cut by this technique. Also, to overcome this problem, provision is made to "yawn" this upper edge, so that it does not interfere with the docking area. In other words, provision is made to separate this edge from the docking area so that a day appears between this edge and the bush when the latter is placed in the docking area.
• the invention aims to propose a technique for producing a docking area on a connecting member which makes it possible to improve the resistance of the weld beads connecting this member to an element placed in the docking area in question.
• the invention also aims to provide such a connecting member which can be obtained more simply and less costly than similar members of the prior art.
• the invention also aims to provide such a connecting member which is simple in design and easy to implement.
• said docking zone comprises at least one docking surface extending essentially transversely to said section open and having a shape intended to match said portion of said element.
• said surface extends from the open section so as to close said end of said member.
• the docking surface is formed integrally with the walls of the open section of the connecting member, which ensures good rigidity to the assembly.
• said surface extends so as to conform to approximately a quarter of the periphery of said portion.
• the connecting member is welded to said portion of said element by means of at least three weld beads, at least two beads of which are along the periphery of said portion and at least one upper bead substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said portion.
• the connecting member is produced by stamping, including said docking surface.
• a connecting member according to the invention can therefore be obtained in a particularly simple and inexpensive manner.
• the connecting member consists of a suspension arm for a wheel of a motor vehicle and in that said element is a socket.
• the connecting member preferably consists of a suspension arm of the single-plate or double-shell boomerang type.
• the connecting member consists of a cross member of an axle connecting two longitudinal arms and in that said element is one of said longitudinal arms.
• the invention also relates to an assembly formed by a sheet metal connecting member for a motor vehicle, having a section open at least in the vicinity of one of its ends, welded with at least one element having at least one portion whose periphery is complementary to a docking zone provided at said end of said connecting member, said docking zone comprising at least one docking surface extending essentially transverse to said open section and having a shape intended to match said portion said element.
• said element is welded to said docking surface by at least three weld beads, including at least two beads along the periphery of said portion and at least one upper bead substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said portion.
• said weld between said element and said docking surface comprises at least a fourth weld bead substantially parallel to said upper bead. Such a fourth weld bead naturally contributes to improving the strength of the connection between the connection member and the welded element.
• the invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a sheet metal connecting member having at least in the vicinity of at least one of its ends an open section, intended to be welded with at least one element having at least a portion of which the periphery is complementary to a docking area of said connecting member, characterized in that it comprises a step of forming at least one docking surface extending essentially transversely relative to said open section and having a shape intended to marry said portion of said element.
• said training step is carried out by stamping.
• the invention also relates to a stamping die intended to stamp a sheet metal connecting member having at least in the vicinity of at least one of its ends an open section, intended to be welded with at least one element having at least one portion whose periphery is complementary to a docking area of said connecting member, characterized in that it comprises means for forming at least one docking surface extending essentially transversely relative to said open section and having a shape intended to match said portion of said element.
• the invention also relates to a vehicle equipped with at least one sheet metal connecting member as described above.
• FIG. 1 is a view of a single-plate suspension arm according to the prior art
• - Figure 2 is a detail view of a docking area of the suspension arm illustrated in Figure 1
• - Figure 3 is a detail view of a docking area according to the invention
• - Figures 4 and 5 are each a view of a socket welded to a docking area according to the invention, from different angles of view.
• the principle of the invention consists in providing a surface connection zone on a sheet metal connecting member intended to be joined by welding to an element such as a bush or a longitudinal axle arm. the shape partially matches the element to be welded.
• FIG. 3 which shows one end (corresponding to point A of a boomerang arm as indicated above) of a single-beam suspension arm 3, of boomerang type, such an arm having a plane 31 extending laterally by fallen edges.
• a single-beam suspension arm 3 of boomerang type, such an arm having a plane 31 extending laterally by fallen edges.
• Such an arm forms a hollow body with an open section and is produced by stamping.
• this arm 3 has a surface docking area 33 intended to receive a socket 2, the surface of the docking area 33 being formed so as to match the cylindrical shape of the socket.
• the surface 33 of the docking zone extends substantially transversely to the fallen edges 32, forming an end closure of the monotole arm. As it appears, the surface 33 of the docking zone extends angularly over approximately 90 ° and therefore offers a contact surface for approximately a quarter of the periphery of the socket 2.
• Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a suspension arm such as that which has just been described, on the docking zone from which a socket 2 has been welded.
• connection is ensured by four weld beads: - two peripheral beads 21; - An upper cord 22, extending along a generatrix of the socket 2; - A lower cord 23, extending along another generatrix of the sleeve 2, in the vicinity of the lower edge of the docking area 33.
• a suspension arm is obtained by stamping, using of a matrix including means for forming the docking surface 33.
• the invention can similarly apply to a cross member of a flexible axle having an open section (for example in "U” or in “V”), and having to connect two longitudinal arms. More generally, the invention applies to any sheet metal connecting member having a section open at one of its ends and intended to be welded with an element whose periphery is complementary to a docking area provided for said end of this connecting member.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Vehicle Body Suspensions (AREA)
• Butt Welding And Welding Of Specific Article (AREA)
• Connection Of Plates (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=34639670

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

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Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2003
  • 2003-12-29 FR FR0315514A patent/FR2864514B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2004
  • 2004-12-17 WO PCT/FR2004/003304 patent/WO2005072998A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2004-12-17 EP EP04816437A patent/EP1713650A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
  • 2004-12-17 BR BRPI0418165-4A patent/BRPI0418165A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (4)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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