JP2005127434A - Suspension device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a suspension device of simple structure, having no risk of unexpectedly lowering the ground clearance due to leakage of air, and surely and easily adjusting the ground clearance. <P>SOLUTION: A coiled spring 3 and a screw-type mechanical jack 4 are disposed in series and further a shock absorber 2 is independently disposed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a suspension device for a vehicle.

As proposed by the present inventors, conventionally, as a vehicle suspension device 40, a coil spring 41 and an air spring 42 are arranged in series as shown in FIG. What is mounted between the axle 44 is known. The vehicle height is adjusted by supplying and discharging air to an air spring 42 of the suspension device 40 via an air pipe (not shown) connected to an air inlet / outlet portion 45 (Patent Document 1). And Patent Document 2). Reference numeral 46 denotes a shock absorber.
JP 2001-001730 A JP 2001-121936 A

In the suspension device 40 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 described above, pneumatic devices such as solenoid valves (or mechanical valves), air pipes, fittings, compressors, air tanks and the like necessary for supplying and discharging air are required. There is a problem that the structure becomes complicated. Further, it is necessary to seal the air in the pneumatic device, the air spring 42, and the like with a seal packing such as an O-ring.
Moreover, a seal packing such as an O-ring is likely to cause air leakage just by biting a small foreign matter, and it is difficult to remove the foreign matter even if a dust seal packing is additionally provided. That is, the usage environment such as the undercarriage of the vehicle is not so good, and foreign matter may be caught and air leakage may occur from the seal packing. If such an air leak occurs, problems such as a drop in the vehicle height will occur.
Therefore, the present invention solves such a conventional problem, eliminates the risk of air leakage, eliminates the possibility of the vehicle height being lowered, and eliminates the need for a compressor, an air tank, an air pipe, etc. The purpose is to simplify the structure and reduce the weight.

The suspension device according to the present invention has a configuration in which a coil spring and a screw-type mechanical jack are arranged in series.
Moreover, the coil spring and the screw-type mechanical jack were disposed in series, and the shock absorber was disposed independently. The screw type mechanical jack includes a motor that rotates the screw shaft portion in order to change the vehicle height.

The present invention has the following remarkable effects.
The structure can be simplified and the vehicle height can be easily adjusted (compared to the conventional suspension device 40 having the air spring 42 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4). That is, a compressor, an air tank, a solenoid valve, an air pipe, and the like can be omitted at all, and the vehicle height can be easily adjusted with a simple configuration. In particular, it is possible to prevent the problem that the vehicle height is reduced by air leakage or the like as in the prior art.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on the illustrated embodiment.
1 and 2 show different embodiments of a suspension device used in a vehicle (automobile). The suspension device 1 includes a shock absorber (damper) 2, a coil spring 3, and a screw-type mechanical jack 4. And has. The coil spring 3 and the screw type mechanical jack 4 are arranged in series (in the vertical direction).

In the present suspension device 1, an upper coil spring 3 and a lower mechanical jack 4 are disposed in series, and the shock absorber 2 is independently disposed, so that a vehicle body 6 of an automobile (vehicle) is provided. And between the axle 8.
Here, “in series” means an arrangement in which the transmission of force between the vehicle body 6 side and the axle 8 side is not transmitted via only one side, but is always transmitted via both. .

  The mechanical jack 4 includes a motor 10, and the screw shaft portion 11 is rotated forward and backward by the motor 10 to increase or decrease the vertical height of the mechanical jack 4 so as to change (adjust) the vehicle height. It is configured.

  More specifically, in FIG. 1, the mechanical jack 4 has a pantograph type link mechanism P, and the link mechanism P includes four links 21, 22, 23, 24 and shaft parts 25, 26, 27, 28.

A shaft portion 25 is attached to the receiving plate member 12 that receives the lower end of the coil spring 3 (via an attachment piece (not shown)), and the lower attachment member 13 is attached to the axle 8, and the shaft is attached to the lower attachment member 13. The portion 28 is attached (via an attachment piece or the like not shown).
Reference numeral 14 denotes a nut member, and a shaft portion 27 projects from the nut member 14. Further, a shaft portion 26 is projected from the block body 15 to which the casing of the motor 10 is fixed. The block body 15 has a through hole through which the output shaft (or screw shaft portion 11) of the motor 10 is inserted.

The ON / OFF and forward / reverse switching switch of the motor 10 is preferably provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat. There is an advantage that the desired vehicle height can be easily adjusted from the driver's seat. (The arrangement is not shown in the figure.) The power source of the motor 10 uses an in-vehicle battery.
As the motor shaft 10 rotates forward and backward, the screw shaft portion 11 rotates, and the nut member 14 screwed with the male screw portion reciprocates in the direction of arrow A, so that the height of the link mechanism P—the shaft The vertical dimension ─── between the portion 25 and the shaft portion 28 can be increased or decreased (see arrow C).
Reference numeral 16 denotes an upper attachment member that is attached to the lower surface of the vehicle body 6 and receives the upper end of the coil spring 3. Reference numeral 17 denotes a wheel (tire).

Next, in another embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the mechanical jack 4 is configured by omitting the link mechanism, and receives the lower end of the coil spring 3. The upper and lower screw shaft portions 11 are screwed into the 18 upper and lower screw holes 29, and the motor 10 is attached to the lower mounting member 20 fixed to the axle 8.
That is, the output shaft of the motor 10 is integrally connected to the screw shaft portion 11 (or the output shaft is the screw shaft portion 11 itself), extends vertically upward, and can be screwed back and forth into the screw hole 29 of the lower receiving plate 18. And the axial center of the screw shaft portion 11 is disposed so as to coincide with the axial center of the coil spring 3.

  The ON / OFF and forward / reverse selector switch of the motor 10 is preferably provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat as in the case of FIG. Is rotated as indicated by arrow B, and the lower receiving plate 18 moves up and down (reciprocating) in the direction of arrow C, so that the vehicle height can be increased or decreased.

  In the present invention, the “screw type” means relative rotation of the screw shaft portion 11 and the nut member, such as a base plate having the symbol 14 in FIG. 1 and the screw hole 29 in FIG. The screw shaft portion 11 is a ball screw, and the nut member can have a large number of balls (steel balls) in a spiral shape. A structure in which the nut member rotates forward and backward while rotating the nut member relative to the non-rotating screw shaft portion 11 is also free.

  Further, in the present invention, the term “mechanical jack” means to exclude a fluid operation system such as hydraulic pressure or pneumatic pressure, and includes a case where a motor 10 is used as shown in FIGS. The expression is also free. Although it is free to incorporate a speed reducer as the motor 10 or add it separately, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a case where there is no speed reducer.

  The present invention can be freely changed in design other than the above-described embodiment not shown in the drawings, and can be reversed upside down in FIGS. That is, it is also possible to adopt a structure in which the coil spring 3 is disposed at a lower position and the screw type mechanical jack 4 is disposed above the coil spring 3. In FIG. 1, the screw shaft portion 11 is disposed in the vehicle left-right direction, but it is also preferable to dispose the screw shaft portion 11 in the vehicle front-rear direction or the inclination direction.

  As described above, the suspension device according to the present invention has a configuration in which the coil spring 3 and the screw-type mechanical jack 4 are arranged in series. With a simple structure, the vehicle height can be adjusted easily and is convenient. Further, when air is used, there is no fear of air leakage from the seal packing, and there is no risk that the vehicle height will drop unexpectedly. Further, by disposing the shock absorber 2 independently, the mechanical jack 4 can be easily disposed and the mechanical jack 4 having a relatively simple structure can be applied.

  In addition, since the screw type mechanical jack 4 includes the motor 10 that rotates the screw shaft portion 11 in order to change the vehicle height, the motor 10 is driven using an in-vehicle battery, so that the vehicle can be easily driven. High adjustment is possible. In this way, it is possible to reliably and easily obtain an appropriate vehicle height in accordance with situations such as highway traveling, general road traveling, and off-road traveling.

It is a partial cross section front view which shows one Embodiment of this invention. It is a partial cross section front view which shows other embodiment. It is a front view which shows a prior art example. It is a front view which shows another prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

2 Shock absorber 3 Coil spring 4 Mechanical jack
10 Motor
11 Screw shaft

Claims (3)

  A suspension device comprising a coil spring (3) and a screw-type mechanical jack (4) arranged in series.   A suspension device characterized in that a coil spring (3) and a screw-type mechanical jack (4) are arranged in series, and further, a shock absorber (2) is arranged independently.   The suspension device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the screw type mechanical jack (4) includes a motor (10) for rotating the screw shaft portion (11) in order to change the vehicle height.

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