JP2005265053A - Automobile and suspension device for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a suspension device for an automobile provided with a theft prevention mechanism stopping a shock absorbing function of a strut suspension and making detachment of a wheel and tire from a body impossible. <P>SOLUTION: An air cylinder 103 for height control is slidably installed on an outside of a suspension cylinder part 102a to surround an upper end of a suspension piston rod 102b of a regular stand type strut suspension 102. An upper end part of the suspension piston rod 102b and a top plate 103a of the air cylinder 103 for height control are fixed. Air in the air cylinder 103 for height control is sucked out and is discharged by a suction pump 108 to shorten relative distance between the top plate 103a and a cap nut 102d of the suspension cylinder part 102b to the limit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a strut suspension type automobile suspension device, and more particularly to a strut suspension type automobile suspension device provided with a separate vehicle height adjustment mechanism.

  A strut suspension type automobile suspension device (Patent Document 1) is shown in FIG.

  In the automobile suspension shown in FIG. 2, a shock absorber 202 is mounted in a strut shell case 201 so as to be movable in the length direction, and an outer peripheral screw portion 203 is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the strut shell case 201. A spring lower sheet 204 is screwed to the screw portion 203.

  A spring upper sheet 205 is attached to the upper part of the shock absorber 202, and a coil spring 206 is elastically placed between the spring upper sheet 205 and the spring lower sheet 204, so that the shock absorber 202 and the strut shell case 201 are It is energizing in the direction that spreads.

A lock nut (not shown) is screwed onto the outer peripheral thread portion 203, and the position in the length direction is adjusted while turning the spring lower seat 204. By tightening like a nut, the pressure of the coil spring 206 is adjusted, and the height of the vehicle can be adjusted.
JP 2000-103215 A

  Although the conventional strut suspension described above can adjust the vehicle height, it has a structure that adjusts the vehicle height by moving the spring lower seat 204 up and down within the range of the length of the screw portion 203. This makes it possible to make fine adjustments. Accordingly, the vehicle body 207 and the tire 212 are not provided with a mechanism for holding the vehicle body 207 and the tire 212 in the vertical direction with the vehicle height lowered. When the vehicle body 207 is jacked up, the tire upper end portion 212a and the wheel upper end portion are disposed. Since 211a is completely exposed from the tire house 208, the tire house cover 209 does not become an obstacle to tire replacement, and the tire 212 becomes removable in the horizontal direction.

  Further, even when the vehicle height is lowered, the strut suspension is in a slidable state and has a sliding stroke, so that it can function and function as a shock absorber and can travel.

  The first object of the present invention is made in view of the above viewpoint, and the vertical positions of the automobile body and the tire are determined so that the tire and the wheel cannot be easily removed even when the automobile is jacked up. It is an object of the present invention to provide an automobile suspension device having a mechanism for maintaining the positional relationship.

  The second object of the present invention is to provide a suspension system for an automobile provided with a mechanism for holding the strut suspension with the sliding stroke reduced to the limit and locking the function of the shock absorber.

  The first configuration of the present invention comprises a shock absorber mechanism in which a rod member is attached to a first cylinder member as in claim 1 and is restored to the first cylinder member by an external coil spring. A second cylinder that forms a sealed air chamber that is fixed to the rod member and can be moved up and down integrally, and is slidably mounted on the first cylinder member in an automobile suspension system that applies force A suction means for sucking and exhausting air in the air chamber formed by a member, the second cylinder member and the first cylinder member, and communication between the suction means and the outside air side with respect to the air chamber is selected And switching means for switching automatically.

  According to a second configuration of the present invention, as described in claim 2, in the first configuration described above, the suction means is operated to suck and exhaust the air in the first cylinder member. In a state where the cylinder member is lowered to a predetermined position with respect to the first cylinder member, the top of the opening edge of the tire house cover in the automobile body to which the rod member is attached is positioned below the upper end of the tire. It is characterized by descending to.

  According to a third configuration of the present invention, the coil spring is mounted on the second cylinder member, and the coil spring is a flange provided on the first cylinder member. It is elastically fixed between the part and the flange part provided in the upper end part of said 2nd cylinder member.

  A fourth configuration of the present invention is characterized in that, as described in claim 4, the present invention is an automobile provided with the automobile suspension device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the automobile suspension system including the shock absorber mechanism in which the rod member is attached to the first cylinder member, the rod member is surrounded with respect to the first cylinder member. The air chamber is formed so as to have a second cylinder member fixed to the rod member and a suction means for sucking and exhausting air in the second cylinder member while being slidably mounted. If the air inside is sucked, the vehicle height can be lowered instantaneously and easily. For example, the rod member can be lowered to the limit position, and the shock absorber function is locked in this state.

  Further, the suction means can be a vacuum pump that is driven by an operation from the inside of the vehicle, and an operation for locking the shock absorber function can be easily performed in the vehicle.

  Therefore, when attempting to drive a vehicle with the shock absorber function locked, the minimum ground clearance of the vehicle is so small that it cannot travel, so it cannot withstand the ride of the vehicle, thus preventing theft of the vehicle. can do.

  According to the invention according to claim 2, in this state, the suction means sucks air in the air chamber of the second cylinder member, and lowers the vehicle height until the tire upper end enters the tire house. If the car is jacked up, the positional relationship between the tire and the tire house will be maintained, and even if the wheel nut is removed, the tire cannot be pulled out and the vehicle will be prevented from being stolen. Can do.

  According to the invention of claim 3, the second cylinder member is provided with a coil spring, and the coil spring includes a flange portion provided on the first cylinder member and an upper end portion of the second cylinder member. The first cylinder member, the second cylinder member, and the coil spring can be arranged concentrically by being elastically fixed between the flange part provided on the conventional strut suspension, and the second cylinder member is mounted on the conventional strut suspension. Because it is a simple configuration, the size increase in the radial direction is not so great, and it can be installed without modifying the vehicle.

  FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention.

  1A and 1B are partial cross-sectional views of a suspension system for an automobile, in which FIG. 1A shows a non-operating state of a vehicle height adjusting air cylinder, and FIG. 1B shows an operating state of the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder.

  In the figure, a suspension main body 101 constituting a suspension device includes an upright cylinder type strut suspension 102 in which a suspension piston rod 102b as a rod member is mounted upward inside a suspension cylinder portion 102a as a first cylinder member. The second cylinder member mounted on the outside of the suspension cylinder 102a is a cylinder-shaped air cylinder 103 for adjusting the vehicle height with the upper end closed and the lower open.

  For example, a strut suspension filled with damper oil is used as the suspension cylinder portion 102a, and a mounting guide member 104 is attached to a joint flange 102c formed at the lower end portion of the suspension cylinder portion 102a. The joint flange 104a is joined and the mounting guide member 104 is fixed integrally.

  The suspension piston rod 102b passes through the cap nut 102d of the suspension cylinder portion 102a, and is slidably fitted in the vertical direction with respect to the suspension cylinder portion 102b so as to function as a shock absorber.

  Further, the upper end portion of the suspension piston rod 102b vertically penetrates the top plate 103a that also serves as the upper spring seat flange of the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103.

  The top plate 103a of the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder is inserted into the above-described upper end through end of the suspension piston rod 102b up to a predetermined position, and a packing member and a spacer 105 (not shown) are interposed on the top plate 103a. A mounting flange 106 is mounted, and a vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103 is fixed by screwing a tightening nut thereon.

  The suspension body 101 in this embodiment uses an upright cylinder type strut suspension. However, the rod member is a rod cylinder, and the cylinder in which the piston member is built in the suspension cylinder portion 102a. An inverted cylinder strut suspension in which the mechanism and the piston mechanism are formed upside down with respect to the upright cylinder strut suspension 102 may be used.

  On the other hand, the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103 fixed coaxially with the suspension piston rod 102b is slidably mounted on the suspension cylinder portion 102a so as to surround the upper end of the piston rod 102b, and this suspension cylinder portion 102a. Functions as a kind of piston for the air height adjusting air cylinder 103.

  The slide stroke h of the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103 can be lowered to a position where the inner wall surface at the upper end of the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103 has a slight gap and is close to the upper end surface of the lock nut 102d. As shown in FIG. 1B, in the state where the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103 is lowered to the lower limit position by the operation of the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103, the vehicle to which the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103 is attached. The top portion 114a of the opening edge of the tire house cover 114 of the body 112 is set to a length located below the tire upper end portion 117a.

  The cap nut 102d of the suspension cylinder 102a forms a kind of piston as described above with respect to the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103, and a seal member 107 is joined to the upper surface of the cap nut 102d. The air chamber 103b of the air cylinder 103 is in an airtight state.

  The vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103 is slidable with respect to the suspension cylinder 102 in a state where the air chamber 103b communicates with the outside air, and has a structure that does not hinder the shock absorber function of the strut suspension 102.

  On the other hand, when the air in the air chamber 103b is sucked and exhausted to a negative pressure state, the relative distance between the top plate 103a of the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103 and the cap nut 102d of the suspension cylinder 102a is shortened, and the strut suspension 102 is The structure can be shortened to the limit distance. In the present embodiment, one strut suspension among the four wheels has been described. However, all four strut suspensions equipped in the vehicle are configured in the same manner, and, for example, the four wheels are driven by one suction pump 108. The air in the air chamber of the air height adjusting air cylinder 103 is simultaneously sucked.

  In the present embodiment, the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103 communicates with the suction pump 108 via an electromagnetic switching valve (not shown), and when the electromagnetic switching valve is switched to the atmosphere side, The chamber 103b is switched from being connected to the suction pump 108 to being opened to the atmosphere side.

  An electromagnetic switching valve (not shown) is normally switched to the atmosphere side, and has a structure in which the air chamber 103b communicates with the outside air and is switched to the suction pump 108 side when the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103 is operated. Therefore, the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103 can be slid down by instantaneously sucking and exhausting the air in the air chamber 103b simply by operating the switching valve.

  The vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103 is provided with a coil spring 109. The coil spring 109 is elastically attached between an upper spring seat flange 103a and a lower spring seat nut flange 111 screwed to a screw portion 110 formed on the outer peripheral portion of the suspension cylinder 102a. The adjusting air cylinder 103 and the suspension cylinder 102a are biased in the expanding direction.

  By rotating the nut flange 111 up and down, it is possible to finely adjust the vehicle height by adjusting the pressure applied by the spring. The lower spring seat flange is not limited to the nut flange 111, but may be a fixed flange, or a key may be used as an engaging member instead of the nut flange.

  On the other hand, when the electromagnetic switching valve (not shown) is switched to the suction pump 108 side when the vehicle is stopped, the air is sucked and exhausted, so that the inside of the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103 is in a negative pressure state, and the top plate 103a. The relative distance between the cap nut 102d and the cap nut 102d becomes the shortest as shown in FIG.

  In the state shown in FIG. 1B, the top 114a of the opening edge of the tire house cover 114 of the automobile body 112 is located below the tire upper end portion 117a, so that the tire house cover 114 is lowered to a position covering the tire 117. Then, a part of the tire 117 is stored in the tire house 113 when viewed in the axle direction.

  Unless the electromagnetic switching valve is actuated again, the air chamber 103 b is maintained in a negative pressure state, so that the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103 does not slide up due to the spring force of the coil spring 109.

  Therefore, the tire 117 attached to the attachment guide portion 104 via the wheel 116 is in a state shown in FIG. 1B in which the relative distance between the top plate 103a and the cap nut 102d is the shortest with respect to the automobile body 112. Held up and down.

  Therefore, when the automobile body 112 is jacked up, the wheel 116 and the tire 117 fixed to the axle 115 rise as the automobile body 112 rises, and the upper end portion 117a of the tire 117 is exposed from the tire house 113. The tire 117 cannot be pulled out even if the wheel nut is removed. Therefore, theft of the tire can be prevented while parked outdoors.

  Further, since the suspension piston rod 102b is fixed to the upper end portion of the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103 and the suspension cylinder portion 102a is joined to the mounting guide portion 104, the strut suspension 102 is shortened to the limit distance. In the state shown in FIG. 1B, since the shock absorber function is killed, even if this automobile is driven, the cushion does not work and it cannot withstand running. Therefore, when a vehicle equipped with this suspension device is parked, the vehicle height adjustment cylinder 103 is operated to lock the function of the strut suspension 102 as a shock absorber, thereby preventing the vehicle from being stolen. it can.

  In the present embodiment, the tire house cover 114 is provided with a slide stroke h such that the tire house cover 114 is lowered to a position covering the upper end 117 a of the tire 117. Since the top 114a of the opening edge of 114 only needs to be positioned below the tire upper end 117a, the slide stroke may be formed longer.

  In particular, if the tire house 113 is formed deep and the slide stroke is long so that the lower end of the automobile body 112 can be lowered to the ground, a jack-up device is inserted between the automobile body 112 and the ground. Therefore, it is possible to provide an automobile suspension system and an automobile that are not capable of being stolen and are excellent in theft prevention.

  In the above-described embodiment, the suspension piston rod 102b is attached to the vehicle body with the suspension cylinder portion 102 facing upward, and the vehicle height adjustment air cylinder 103 is attached downward to the upper end of the suspension piston rod 102b. The present invention is not limited to the configuration, and the suspension piston rod 102b is attached to the suspension cylinder 102 so as to be turned upside down with respect to the above configuration, and the vehicle height adjusting air cylinder 103 is mounted upward on the suspension piston rod 102b. You may make it the structure which attached.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a partial side view which shows embodiment of the suspension apparatus for motor vehicles of this invention, (A) shows the non-operation state of the cylinder for vehicle height adjustment, (B) shows the operation state of the cylinder for vehicle height adjustment. The perspective view of the conventional suspension system for motor vehicles.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Suspension body 102 Strut suspension 102a Suspension cylinder part 102b Suspension piston rod 102c Joint flange 102d Cap nut 103 Air height adjustment cylinder 103a Vehicle height adjustment air cylinder top plate (upper spring seat flange)
103b Air chamber 104 Mounting guide portion 104a Joint flange 105 Spacer 106 Car body suspension flange 107 Seal member 108 Suction pump 109 Coil spring 110 Screw portion 111 Nut flange for lower spring seat 112 Automobile body 113 Tire house 114 Tire house cover 115 Axle 116 Wheel 117 Tire 201 Strut shell case 202 Shock absorber 203 Screw part 204 Spring lower seat 205 Spring upper seat 206 Coil spring 207 Auto body 208 Tire house 209 Tire house cover 210 Axle 211 Wheel 212 Tire

Claims (4)

In the automobile suspension system comprising a shock absorber mechanism in which a rod member is attached to the first cylinder member, and applying a restoring force to the first cylinder member by an external coil spring,
A second cylinder member which is fixed to the rod member and can be moved up and down integrally, and is slidably mounted on the first cylinder member to form a sealed air chamber;
Suction means for sucking and exhausting air in the air chamber formed by the second cylinder member and the first cylinder member;
Switching means for selectively switching the communication between the suction means and the outside air side with respect to the air chamber;
A suspension system for an automobile characterized by comprising: In the state where the suction means is operated to suck and exhaust the air in the first cylinder member, and the second cylinder member is lowered to a predetermined position with respect to the first cylinder member,
The suspension system for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the top of the opening edge of the tire house cover in the automobile body to which the rod member is attached is lowered until it is located below the upper end of the tire.   The coil spring is externally mounted on the second cylinder member, and the coil spring includes a flange portion provided on the first cylinder member and a flange portion provided on an upper end portion of the second cylinder member. A suspension system for automobiles, characterized in that it is placed between the two.   An automobile comprising the automobile suspension device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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