JP2001187583A - Automobile knuckle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automobile knuckle sound, considerably reducible in weight, and totally integrated regarding an integrated automobile knuckle having a cylindrical part with an axial hole, and a plurality of arms, at least one of which has a hollow part, projected around from the cylindrical part. SOLUTION: At least two hollow parts formed in arms communicate with each other in a cylindrical part, and/or the hollow parts at least partially pass through the cylindrical part and communicate with an axial hole. Further, the direction of a hollow part opening, shape in the vicinity of the hollow part opening, the wall thickness of the cylindrical part, and the wall thickness of a hollow part arm outer surface, are appropriately selected. A hollow ratio is thereby 15% or more, preferably 20% or more.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a knuckle for an automobile, for example, manufactured by casting, which constitutes a suspension device part of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Suspension systems for automobiles reduce the transmission of vibrations and impacts from the road surface to the vehicle body, secure ride comfort for occupants, and suppress the direction of wheels to improve steering stability. ing. Among the suspension devices for automobiles, for example, independent suspension type suspensions have a structure in which each wheel is individually supported by the vehicle body, and therefore have the advantage that the unsprung load can be reduced, and the riding comfort and steering stability can be improved. One of the independent suspensions is a strut suspension, an example of which is shown in FIG.

The strut type suspension 90 shown in FIG.
A caster includes a coil spring 92 and a damper 93 integrally provided, a strut 95 disposed between a vehicle body (not shown) and a wheel 94, a spindle 96 rotatably supporting the wheel 94, and a casting. Or forged knuckle 100
A knuckle bracket 97 for fixing an upper end of the knuckle 100 to a lower portion of the strut 95;
00 and a lower arm 98 that is connected to the lower end and supported by the vehicle body. The strut-type suspension 90 has a simple structure and a small number of parts, is light in weight, has a small mounting space, and can disperse the impact from the road surface to various parts of the vehicle body by reinforcing the upper end mounting portion of the strut 95. It is used in many automobiles. The knuckle does not differ greatly in shape between the left and right wheels, and therefore, one knuckle will be described below.

The knuckle 100 is connected to a strut 95, which is connected to an inner width surface (not shown) of a knuckle bracket 97 fixed to a lower end of the strut 95.
Then, the strut arm mounting portion 104 of the knuckle 100 is fitted and fastened with two sets of bolts 99 and nuts. The knuckle 100 has a cylindrical portion 103 for mounting a bearing 101 for supporting the spindle 96,
Around the cylindrical portion 103, a lower arm mounting arm 105 for connecting the lower arm 98 and arms for connecting steering links are formed so as to protrude. A tapered hole or the like is machined near the end of the arm, and a stud (not shown) having a spherical surface on the head is fitted with a tapered shaft in the tapered hole and fastened and fixed with a nut. Then, the links connected to the spherical surface of the stud are moved, and the knuckle 100 is steered. FIG. 9 shows an example of a knuckle of a strut type suspension, but other suspension devices such as a knuckle of a W wishbone type suspension have substantially the same structure.

A knuckle is manufactured by forging or casting because of its complicated shape and a large load applied thereto. In the case of casting, knuckles are manufactured from spheroidal graphite cast iron in terms of mechanical strength. However, knuckles manufactured by forging or spheroidal graphite cast iron have high mechanical strength but a large weight, and it is important to reduce the weight in order to reduce the weight of an automobile. In order to reduce the weight of the knuckle without impairing the mechanical strength, it has been studied to make the plurality of arms H-shaped or U-shaped and to pull out the arms to reduce the weight of the knuckle. However, it is difficult to reduce the weight further by 10% when the outside is removed, and it is difficult to further reduce the weight.
The formation of a hollow portion in the body has been studied.

FIG. 8 shows a conventional example of a knuckle in which a hollow portion is formed in an arm, and (a) is a front view viewed from a wheel side.
(B) is CC sectional drawing of (a). In FIG. 8, a knuckle 80 includes a cylindrical portion 83 having a shaft hole 82 and a plurality of arms 8.
4, 85, 86, 87-1, and 87-2. Shaft hole 8
The wheel shaft 2 (not shown) is inserted and held in the ball bearing 2 or a ball bearing unit (not shown) through a ball bearing or a bearing unit (not shown). The locking member is fitted or engaged. Although not shown, when an ABS (anti-lock brake system) sensor is attached, the cylinder 8
3, a sensor mounting portion and a sensor insertion hole facing the shaft hole 82 are formed.

The arm 84 is a strut mounting arm provided to bend inside the vehicle for connecting a strut of the suspension to a mounting portion. Cylindrical part 83
On the side opposite to the arm 84, a lower arm mounting arm 85 is formed. A knuckle arm 86 protrudes from the cylindrical portion 83 between the arm 84 and the arm 85, and a tapered hole 86 formed at the tip of the knuckle arm 86.
A ball stud (not shown) is attached to d. The end of a steering rod for steering is connected to the ball stud.

In the knuckle described above, the strut mounting arm 84 has the hollow portion 84a and the lower arm mounting arm 8
5 is a hollow portion 85a, and a knuckle arm 86 is a hollow portion 86a.
Is formed to reduce the weight. Further, strength is ensured by forming reinforcing ribs 84f and 84g on the strut mounting arm 84. Although not shown, the knuckle 80 has hollow portions 84a and 85 in upper and lower main molds.
The cores for forming the cores a and 86a are provided independently, and are cast by supporting the cores with skirting boards attached above and below the main mold to form the cavities.

In the knuckle 80 shown in FIG. 8, a hollow portion 84a of a strut mounting arm 84 and skirting portions 84c, 84
e, the hollow portion 85a and the baseboard portions 85c and 85e of the lower arm mounting arm 85, and the hollow portion 86 of the knuckle arm 86
The ratio of “a” and the baseboard portions 86 c and 86 e to the total volume of the knuckle 80 is about 10%. In addition, the hollow portion of the knuckle is defined to include a portion confined in each arm of the knuckle and a portion up to an opening on the outer surface of each arm. The ratio of the total volume of the knuckle to the space volume of the hollow portion or the baseboard to be described later is defined as the hollowing ratio (the space volume of the hollow portion or the baseboard / the total volume of the knuckle including the space volume x
100%).

[0010]

In recent years, knuckles have been required to be further reduced in weight in order to improve ride comfort by reducing unsprung weight and improve fuel efficiency. However, the knuckle shown in FIG. 8 has a hollowing ratio of about 10%, and further weight reduction is required. Further, in this structure, it is necessary to prepare a large number of cores for forming a hollow portion in the arm. If the core is made smaller in consideration of the meat, there is a problem in that the core becomes thicker and the weight cannot be reduced sufficiently.

On the other hand, in order to reduce the weight by forming a hollow portion in a casting, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-23827 discloses that the specific gravity is smaller than the material of the casting and smaller than the outer dimensions of the casting. The core is placed in the concave portion of the mold formed corresponding to the outer shape of the casting using kerosene, and the molten metal is poured into the space formed by the outer shape of the casting of the mold and the core to perform casting. By doing so, it has been proposed that a complicated process such as a core discharging process and a production of a mold having a complicated shape can be eliminated, and a lightweight casting can be manufactured only by a simple process. However, in this method, only a core having a relatively simple shape can be used, and a hollow portion is provided in a cylindrical portion having a shaft hole and at least one of a plurality of arms protruding from the cylindrical portion to the periphery. It is difficult to reduce the weight by applying to a knuckle having a complicated shape, such as a knuckle that is integrally formed. Further, with this mold structure, when the molten metal is injected into the mold, it is difficult to escape gas generated from the core, and this gas may enter a casting to cause casting defects.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a knuckle for a vehicle which can be significantly reduced in weight, is sound and integrated as a whole. Another object of the present invention is to provide an integrated knuckle for a vehicle which can be efficiently manufactured.

[0013]

Means for Solving the Problems In view of the above problems, as a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have found that at least two of the hollow portions formed in the arm communicate with each other in the cylindrical portion and / or at least a part of the hollow portion. Penetrates through the cylindrical portion and communicates with the shaft hole, so that the desired strength can be maintained even if the hollowing ratio is increased to, for example, 15% or more. Further, the direction of the opening of the hollow portion, By setting elements related to the weight reduction of the knuckle such as the shape of the periphery of the opening, the thickness of the cylindrical portion, and the thickness of the outer surface of the arm surrounding the hollow portion to a specific range, the hollowing rate is increased to, for example, 20% or more. It has been found that the desired strength can be maintained, the occurrence of casting defects can be reduced even in a complicated shape, the number of cores can be reduced, and the accuracy of the core storage position can be improved. The present invention has been reached.

That is, the knuckle of the present invention has a cylindrical portion having a shaft hole, and a plurality of arms protruding from the cylindrical portion to the periphery.
At least one of the arms is an integrated automobile knuckle having a hollow portion, wherein at least two hollow portions communicate with each other in the cylindrical portion.

In the present invention, the shaft hole refers to a portion where a locking member such as a ball bearing or a bearing unit, a sealing member for dust prevention or lubricating oil retention, and a snap ring is fitted or engaged. For this reason, the shaft hole has a stepped cylindrical shape in cross section, and the cross section is not discontinuous in a portion where strength is required. Further, the cylindrical portion is not limited to a ratio of the length to the inner diameter (or the outer diameter), and is not limited to a cylinder having the same outer diameter along the length direction, but may have a partial outer diameter along the length direction. And a polygonal cylinder. The arm includes the strut mounting arm, the lower arm mounting arm, the knuckle arm, the brake caliper mounting arm, and all the members protruding from the cylinder to the periphery. In the present invention, the integral type means that each part constituting the knuckle is formed of a single material,
It means that there is no seam between each part. In addition, the communication within the cylindrical portion includes that the communication portion is partially exposed from the cylindrical portion. The hollow portion communicated with the inside of the cylindrical portion preferably has a closed cross section on the shaft hole side in order to secure the area of the inner wall of the shaft hole.

Further, the knuckle of the present invention has a cylindrical portion having a shaft hole, and a plurality of arms protruding from the cylindrical portion to the periphery.
At least one of the arms is an integrated knuckle for a vehicle having a hollow portion, wherein at least a part of the hollow portion penetrates the cylindrical portion and communicates with a shaft hole.

Also, the knuckle of the present invention has a cylindrical portion having a shaft hole, and a plurality of arms protruding from the cylindrical portion to the periphery.
At least one of the arms is an integrated vehicle knuckle having a hollow portion, at least two hollow portions communicating with each other in the cylindrical portion, and at least a part of the hollow portion penetrates the cylindrical portion. It is characterized by being connected to the shaft hole.

The knuckle according to the present invention is characterized in that the hollow portion has an opening that opens in a direction substantially orthogonal to the shaft hole. Further, the knuckle of the present invention is characterized in that a projection is formed at least partially near the outside and / or inside the opening where the hollow portion opens. Further, the knuckle of the present invention is characterized in that a bead is formed in at least a part of the opening where the hollow part opens.

The knuckle of the present invention is characterized in that the thickness of the cylindrical portion is substantially 2 to 10 mm. Also,
The thickness of the hollow portion and the outer surface of the arm is substantially 2 to 10 mm.

The knuckle of the present invention is characterized in that the hollowing ratio is increased by 15% or more, preferably 20% by selecting or combining the above structures.

By connecting at least two of the hollow portions in the cylindrical portion, the hollowing rate is increased and the knuckle can be reduced in weight, and the casting cores of the two or more hollow portions are integrated to reduce the number of cores. Can be reduced. If the hollow portions of the plurality of arms protruding from the cylindrical portion to the periphery communicate with each other, the strength of the core can be further secured.

Further, by making at least a part of the hollow part penetrate through the cylindrical part and communicate with the shaft hole, the hollowing rate is increased and the knuckle can be reduced in weight. The number of cores can be reduced by integrating the cores.

In addition, since the hollow portion has an opening that opens in a direction substantially perpendicular to the shaft hole, a baseboard portion of the core, which becomes the hollow portion, can be formed in the main mold. The matching accuracy is improved. And uneven thickness is prevented, and the cross section formed by the outer surface of the knuckle and the hollow portion can be made thin to reduce the weight. Further, the gas generated from the core is less likely to escape from the skirting portion of the core and enter the casting, and the occurrence of casting defects is reduced, so that a knuckle can be produced soundly.

[0024] Near the outside of the opening where the hollow portion opens and / or
Alternatively, by forming a protrusion or a bead on at least a part near the inner side, weight reduction can be achieved while securing strength.

The thickness of the cylindrical portion is substantially 2 to 10 mm, or the thickness of the hollow portion and the outer surface of the arm is substantially 2 to 10 mm.
By preferably forming a rectangle in mm, weight reduction can be achieved while securing strength. Here, the “substantial thickness” refers to the thickness at the cross section where the maximum main stress is applied. If the wall thickness is less than 2 mm, the strength of the knuckle cannot be secured, and if the wall thickness is reduced due to rust, the strength may be reduced. on the other hand,
If the thickness exceeds 10 mm, the knuckle becomes thick and it is difficult to reduce the weight.

[0026]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 shows a knuckle according to Embodiment 1, (a) is a front view as seen from the inside of the vehicle body to the outside of the vehicle body, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in (a). It is. In the first embodiment, the description of the same functional portions as those in FIG. 8 will be omitted. As shown in FIG.
Is a cylindrical portion 1 having a shaft hole 12 for mounting a bearing or the like at the center.
3 and a plurality of arms 1 protruding around the cylindrical portion 13.
4, 15, 16, 17-1, and 17-2. Of the above arms, the strut mounting arm 14 has a hollow portion 14.
a, a hollow portion 15a is provided in the lower arm mounting arm 15,
The knuckle arm 16 is formed with a hollow portion 16a. The hollow portion 15a and the hollow portion 16a are
Are communicated with each other in the cylindrical portion 13 by a communication portion 18a. The hollow portion communicated within the cylindrical portion has a closed cross section on the side of the shaft hole in order to secure the area of the inner wall of the shaft hole. Further, in a region on the side where the lower arm mounting arm 15 and the knuckle arm 16 exist between the hollow portion 15a and the hollow portion 16a, an opening is provided in a direction substantially orthogonal to the axis L of the shaft hole 12, and a shape indicated by an arrow A is shown. Is formed. An opening 14j having a shape indicated by an arrow B in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis L of the shaft hole 12 is formed in the hollow portion 14a on the side where the strut mounting arm 14 protrudes. Outside the opening portions 14j and 15j, bead-shaped projection portions 14h and 15h are respectively shown as enlarged projection portions.
h is formed to secure the strength.

In the knuckle 10 shown in FIG. 1, the thickness of the cylindrical portion 13 is 2 to 10 mm, and the thickness formed by the hollow portions 14a, 15a, 16a and the outer surface of each arm is 2 to 10 mm. The rate becomes 15% or more.

Next, a method of manufacturing the knuckle 10 of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main part of the knuckle manufacturing mold, and FIG. 3 is a plan view showing only the inner core of the mold of FIG. In addition, in FIG. 3, the code | symbol in parentheses described below the code | symbol shows the site | part (refer FIG. 1) of the knuckle 10 after casting. The mold 20 in FIG.
The cavity of the knuckle 10 is formed by 1a, the lower mold 21b, and the three cores 22, 24, and 25, and the molten metal is provided in the sprue 21c and the runner 21d provided in the upper mold 21a and the lower mold 21b. It is supplied to the cavity from the runner 21e.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 22 denotes a shaft hole core for forming the shaft hole 12, and reference numeral 24 denotes a strut mounting arm core for forming the hollow portion 14a of the strut mounting arm.
It has a baseboard portion 24j protruding in the side direction. Reference numeral 25 denotes an arm core for integrally forming the hollow portion 15a of the lower arm and the hollow portion 16a of the knuckle arm 16, and has a baseboard portion 25j protruding in the lateral direction. Although omitted in FIG. 3, the baseboard portions 24j and 25j and the upper mold 21
The fitting portion of the lower mold 21a and / or the lower mold 21b has a cavity such that the knuckle 10 has bead-shaped projections 14h and 15h.

Using the cores 22, 24 and 25 of FIG.
Of spheroidal graphite cast iron (JIS FCD
450, FCD600) and aluminum alloy for casting (J
By injecting a molten metal such as ISAC4CH) into a mold, a knuckle having a hollowing ratio of 15% or more can be obtained. By incorporating this knuckle into the suspension, it is possible to contribute to improving the fuel efficiency of the automobile and improving the global environment.

Further, according to the above-described mold structure, the gas generated from the cores 22, 24, 25 and the like during casting is transferred to the core 2
2. Since it can be released from the baseboard portions 24j, 25j, etc., there is little occurrence of casting defects, and a sound knuckle can be obtained even with a complicated shape.

Further, a strut mounting arm core 24,
When the arm core 25 is stored in the main mold,
j, 25j, etc., positioning can be performed accurately in the up, down, left, and right directions, so that the knuckle is less likely to have extra thickness in anticipation of core displacement.

In FIG. 3, a two-dot chain line indicated by reference numeral 27 indicates a skirting board part which is formed by connecting the strut arm mounting arm core 24 and the knuckle arm core 26a outside the cylindrical part 13.

According to the structure of the above-described skirting portion 27, in addition to the skirting portions 24j and 25j, it is possible to promote the escape of gas generated from the cores 24 and 25 at the time of casting. Knuckles can be obtained even with complex shapes.

Further, since the cores 24 and 25 are integrally formed and the number of cores can be reduced, the productivity is improved. Further, when the integrated cores 24 and 25 are stored in the main mold, in addition to the baseboard portions 24j and 25j, etc., the baseboard portion 27 can further accurately position the cores 24, 25, and so on.
It is possible to reduce the necessity of giving extra thickness to the knuckle in anticipation of the core shift.

Even if the mold shown in FIG. 2 is formed by using the cores 24 and 25 integrally connected to the outside of the cylindrical portion 13 by the baseboard portion 27 shown in FIG. 3, a hollowing ratio of 15% or more is obtained. The resulting knuckle is obtained.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 4 shows a knuckle according to Embodiment 2, in which (a) is a front view seen from the wheel side,
(B) is CC sectional drawing of (a). In this embodiment, the description of the same functional portions as in FIG. 8 is omitted. The knuckle 40 in FIG. 4 has a cylindrical portion 43 having a shaft hole 42 for mounting a bearing or the like, and a plurality of arms 44, 45, 46 protruding around the cylindrical portion 43. Of these arms, the strut mounting arm 44 has a hollow portion 44.
a, the lower arm mounting arm 45 has a hollow portion 45a,
The knuckle arm 46 is formed with a hollow portion 46a. Portions of the hollow portions 44a, 45a, 46a communicate with the shaft hole 42 via holes 44b, 45b, 46b penetrating the cylindrical portion 43. However, the portion where the ball bearing, the seal, and the snap ring are fitted or engaged with the shaft hole 42 has a closed cross section on the shaft hole 42 side in order to secure the area of the inner wall of the shaft hole 42. Further, the hollow portions 44a, 45a,
46a are holes 44g, 45 formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 43.
g, 46g and communicate with the adjacent hollow part.

In the knuckle 40 shown in FIG. 4, the thickness of the cylindrical portion 43 is 2 to 10 mm, the thickness formed by the hollow portions 44a, 45a, 46a and the outer surface of each arm is 2 to 10 mm, and the hollow portions 44a, 45a , 46a through holes 44b, 45b, 46b
Through the shaft hole 42 and further through the hollow portions 44a, 45
By communicating a and 46a on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion, the hollowing ratio becomes 20% or more.

Next, a method of manufacturing the knuckle 40 shown in FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a main part of a mold for manufacturing the knuckle 40,
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing only the inner core 50 of the mold of FIG. In addition, in both figures, the code | symbol in parenthesis described below the code | symbol shows the site | part (refer FIG. 4) of the knuckle 40 after casting. 5 includes an upper mold 51a, a lower mold 51b, and a core 50.
Thus, the cavity of the knuckle 40 is formed, and the molten metal is supplied to the gate 51c and the runner 51d formed in the upper mold 51a.
And the runner 51e formed in the lower mold 51b is supplied to the cavity.

In the core 50 of FIG. 6, a shaft hole core 52 forming a shaft hole communicates with a hollow portion 54a of a strut mounting arm, a hollow portion 55a of a lower arm mounting arm, and a hollow portion 56a of a knuckle arm. The parts 54b and 55b communicate with each other. Further, the hollow portions 54a, 55a, 56a
The adjacent hollow portions are communicated with each other by communicating portions 54g, 55g, and 56g while ensuring the thickness for forming No.3. Also,
The skirting boards 54c, 55c, 56c are formed to protrude from the hollow sections 54a, 55a, 56a at positions away from the cylindrical section 43. When the strength of the core is high, the number of communication in the cylindrical portion may be reduced.

The mold shown in FIG. 5 is constructed using the core 50 shown in FIG. 6, and is made of, for example, spheroidal graphite cast iron (JIS FCD450, FCD
600) and aluminum alloy for casting (JIS AC4C)
H) or the like is injected into the mold, so that the hollowing ratio is 20%.
% Knuckle is obtained. By incorporating this knuckle into the suspension, it is possible to contribute to improving the fuel efficiency of the automobile and improving the global environment.

Further, according to the above-described mold structure, gas generated from the core 50 and the like during casting can be released from the shaft hole core 52 and the skirting portions 54c, 55c and 56c. Low generation, sound knuckles can be obtained even with complex shapes

Further, since the core 50 can be manufactured integrally and the number of cores can be reduced, the productivity is improved. Furthermore, since the core 50 is integrated, when the core 50 is stored in the main mold, the shaft hole core 52 and the skirting parts 54c, 55c, and 56c can be accurately positioned vertically, horizontally, and anticipate the core displacement. There is no need to add extra thickness to the knuckle.

It should be noted that the configurations of the first and second embodiments are combined so that at least two of the hollow portions communicate with each other in the cylindrical portion, and at least a portion of the hollow portion communicates with the shaft hole through the cylindrical portion. By doing so, the hollowing ratio can be reduced to 20% or more, and the knuckle can be integrated into a sound casting even in a complicated shape.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a main part of a knuckle mainly mounted on a W wishbone type suspension. In this embodiment, the description of the same functional portions as in FIG. 8 is omitted. The knuckle 70 of FIG. 7 has a cylindrical portion 73 having a shaft hole 72 for mounting a bearing or the like at the center,
It has a plurality of arms 74 and 75 protruding around the cylindrical portion 73. Of these arms, the upper arm mounting arm 74 has a hollow portion 74a, and the lower arm mounting arm 75 has a hollow portion 75a. The hollow part 74a has baseboard parts 74c and 74e.
However, baseboard portions 75c and 75e are formed in the hollow portion 75a. The hollow portions 74a and 75a communicate with the adjacent hollow portions at 74g and 75g on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 73. If the strength of the shaft hole 72 can be secured, the hollow portions 74a and 75a
May be penetrated from the cylindrical portion 73 to communicate with the shaft hole 72.

A knuckle 70 shown in FIG. 7 can be manufactured using the same mold as that of the above-described first or second embodiment.
a, 75a and the outer thickness of each arm are 2 to 10
mm, the hollow portions 74a and 75a communicate with the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 73, and further communicate with the shaft hole 72, so that the hollowing ratio is 20 mm.
%.

[0047]

(Embodiment 1) A knuckle 10 in which each coordinate dimension (X, Y, Z) from the origin (indicated by a double circle) of a shaft hole 12 in FIG. Using the molds and cores shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a spheroidal graphite cast iron (JIS) FCD450 equivalent material was used. The inner diameter of the bearing fitting in the shaft hole 12 was 70 mm, the basic thickness of the cylindrical portion 13 was 8 mm, and the basic thickness of the hollow portion and the outer shape of the arm was 8 mm. The knuckle 10 after casting had no harmful defects and no problem in strength. Thereafter, the casting material was machined to prepare a knuckle.

(Table 1) Coordinate dimensions (mm) from the origin Site name Site symbol X-axis Y-axis Z-axis strut mounting arm 14-1,44-1 0 150 120 14-2,44-2 0 80 110 Lower arm mounting Arm 15, 4 50 110 80 Knuckle arm 16, 46 130 20 60 Brake caliper mounting arm 17-1,47-1 50 50 60 17-2,47-2 80 60 60

(Embodiment 2) A knuckle 40 in which each coordinate dimension (X, Y, Z) from the origin (indicated by a double circle) of the shaft hole 42 in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, using the core, spheroidal graphite cast iron (JIS) FCD450
Cast in the material. The inner diameter of the bearing fitting in the shaft hole 42 was 70 mm, the basic thickness of the cylindrical portion 43 was 8 mm, and the basic thickness of the hollow portion and the outer shape of the arm was 8 mm. The knuckle 40 after casting had no harmful defects.
The knuckle 40 had no problem in strength. Then, a knuckle was prepared by machining.

Next, the mass and the volume ratio of each part of the knuckle 10 of Example 1 and the knuckle 40 of Example 2 were measured. Table 2 shows the measurement results of the volume ratio of each part. Table 2 also shows a conventional knuckle without a hollow portion as a comparative example. The mass of the conventional knuckle was 4500 g.

(Table 2) Example 1 Example 2 Comparative Example Mass (g) 3510 3330 4500 Volume ratio (%) Boss 6 6 6 6 Boss of lower arm mounting arm 4 4 4 Boss of knuckle arm 3 3 3 Boss of brake caliper mounting arm 2 2 2 Boss of ABS mounting 3 3 3 (Boss subtotal) (18) (18) (18) Tubular part 34 28 34 Other 28 28 48 Hollow part (hollowing ratio) 20 260 Total 100 100 100 As shown in Table 2, the knuckle of Example 1 had a hollowing ratio of 2
At 0%, the knuckle of Example 2 has a hollowing ratio of 26%, which indicates that the knuckle can be reduced in weight as much as possible.

[0052]

According to the present invention, a lightweight knuckle for a vehicle can be obtained even with a complicated shape. Since the knuckle of the present invention has a specific shape, the knuckle can be manufactured with a small number of cores, and also has an advantage in manufacturing that the accuracy of attaching the core to the main mold can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a knuckle according to a first embodiment, in which (a) is a front view seen from the inside of the vehicle body toward the outside of the vehicle body, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in (a).

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main part of a mold for manufacturing the knuckle according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of only the core of the knuckle mold of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a knuckle according to the second embodiment, in which (a) is a front view as viewed from the wheel side, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in (a).

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a main part of a mold for producing a knuckle according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of only the core of the knuckle mold of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a main part of a knuckle according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 8 shows a conventional example of a knuckle having a hollow portion,
(A) is a front view seen from the wheel side, (b) is C in (a).
-C section.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a strut type suspension.

[Explanation of symbols]

10, 40, 70, 80, 100: Knuckle 12, 42, 72, 82: Shaft hole 13, 43, 73, 83, 103: Cylindrical part 14, 44, 84, 104: Strut mounting arm 14a, 15a, 16a, 44a, 45a, 46a, 7
4a, 75a, 84a, 85a, 86a: hollow portions 14c, 14e, 15c, 16c, 24c, 25c, 2
6c, 27, 44c, 45c, 46c, 74c, 74
e, 75c, 75e, 84c, 84e, 85c, 85
e, 86c, 86e: baseboard section 15, 45, 75, 85, 105: lower arm mounting arm 16, 46, 86: knuckle arm 15d, 16d, 45d, 46d, 75d, 85d, 8
6d: tapered hole 17, 47, 87: brake caliper mounting arm 74: upper arm mounting arm 18a, 44b, 44g, 45b, 45g, 46b, 4
6g: communication part 14j, 15j: opening part 15h, 45h: bead 22, 52: shaft hole core 21a, 51a: upper mold 21b, 51b: lower mold 90: strut type suspension 95: strut 96: spindle 97: Knuckle bracket 98: Lower arm L: Axis X: X coordinate Y: Y coordinate Z: Z coordinate

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yoshimasa Fujii 13 Kinugaoka, Moka-shi, Tochigi Hitachi Metals Co., Ltd.Moka Plant (72) Inventor Shuichi Ikeuchi 13 Kinugaoka, Moka-shi, Tochigi Hitachi Metals 3D034 BA00 BC26 F-term in Moka factory (reference)

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. An integrated knuckle for a vehicle having a cylindrical portion having a shaft hole and a plurality of arms projecting from the cylindrical portion to the periphery, at least one of the arms being a knuckle having a hollow portion. A knuckle for an automobile, wherein two hollow portions communicate with each other in a cylindrical portion. 2. An integrated knuckle for a vehicle, comprising: a tubular portion having a shaft hole; and a plurality of arms projecting from the tubular portion to the periphery, at least one of the arms being a knuckle for an automobile having a hollow portion. A knuckle for an automobile, wherein at least a part of the portion penetrates the cylindrical portion and communicates with the shaft hole. 3. The knuckle for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of said hollow portion penetrates through said cylindrical portion and communicates with said shaft hole. 4. The knuckle for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the hollow portion has an opening that opens in a direction substantially orthogonal to the shaft hole. . 5. The knuckle for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein a projection is formed at least in a part near an outside and / or a part near the inside of the opening where the hollow part opens. A knuckle for an automobile, characterized in that: 6. The knuckle for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein a bead is formed in at least a part of an opening part where said hollow part is opened. . 7. The knuckle for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the tubular portion is substantially 2 to 10 mm. 8. The knuckle for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the hollow portion and the outer surface of the arm is substantially 2 to 10 mm. . 9. The knuckle for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein a hollowing ratio is 15% or more. 10. The knuckle for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein a hollowing ratio is 20% or more. 11. A cylinder having a shaft hole, and a plurality of arms protruding from the cylinder to the periphery.
One is a knuckle for an automobile made of an integral casting having a hollow portion, and has a hollowing ratio of 15% or more. 12. An integrated cast automobile knuckle having a cylindrical portion having a shaft hole, a plurality of arms projecting from the cylindrical portion to the periphery, and a hollow portion in at least one of the plurality of arms. An automotive knuckle having a hollowing ratio of 20% or more.