JP2021138160A - Equalizer beam and vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an equalizer beam which enables improvement of efficiency of damping action by a shock absorber and improvement of flexibility of the layout, and to provide a vehicle.SOLUTION: An equalizer beam 2 includes: a body part 21 formed with a frame connection part 21a with which a frame of a vehicle is connected; a first support part 22 extending from the body part 21 and formed with a first connection part 22a with which a front leaf spring is connected through a shackle 3; a second support part 23 extending from the body part 21 and formed with a second connection part 23a with which a rear leaf spring is connected; and a third support part 24 extending from the first support part 22 and formed with a third connection part 24a with which a shock absorber 6 is connected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an equalizer beam and a vehicle.

In a vehicle provided with two axles on the front side, an equalize type suspension device that equalizes the load applied to the two axles is known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Such suspension devices include an equalizer beam rotatably connected to the frame of the vehicle. The equalizer beam is connected to the front axle via the front leaf spring and is connected to the rear axle via the rear leaf spring. As a result, the load applied to one axle is transmitted to the other axle via the equalizer beam.

In such a suspension device, a shock absorber that suppresses excessive equalization operation is attached in order to improve the ride quality. The shock absorber is connected to a shackle that connects the front leaf spring to the equalizer beam.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-157430 Jikkenhei 4-26105 Gazette

In the suspension device as described above, it is required to improve the efficiency of the damping action by the shock absorber. In addition, it is required to improve the degree of freedom in layout.

An object of the present invention is to provide an equalizer beam and a vehicle capable of increasing the efficiency of the damping action by the shock absorber and improving the degree of freedom of layout.

The equalizer beam of the present invention has a main body portion in which a frame connection portion to which a vehicle frame is connected is formed, and a first connection portion extending from the main body portion and to which a front leaf spring is connected via a shackle. The first support part, the second support part extending from the main body part and forming the second connection part to which the rear leaf spring is connected, and the second support part extending from the first support part, and the shock absorber is connected. A third support portion on which a third connection portion is formed is provided.

In this equalizer beam, the shock absorber is connected not to the shackle connected to the first connection portion of the first support portion, but to the third connection portion of the third support portion extending from the first support portion. As a result, the distance from the connection position of the frame to the connection position of the shock absorber can be increased, and the efficiency of the damping action by the shock absorber can be increased. Further, since the shock absorber can be arranged (offset) at a position away from the shackle, the degree of freedom in layout can be improved. Therefore, according to this equalizer beam, the efficiency of the damping action by the shock absorber can be increased, and the degree of freedom of layout can be improved.

In the equalizer beam of the present invention, the direction in which the third support portion extends from the first support portion may be along the direction in which the first support portion extends from the main body portion. In this case, the efficiency of the damping action by the shock absorber can be further increased.

In the equalizer beam of the present invention, the third connection portion is the frame connection portion and the first connection portion when viewed from a direction perpendicular to both the extending direction of the first support portion and the extending direction of the second support portion. It may be located on a straight line passing through. In this case, the efficiency of the damping action by the shock absorber can be further increased.

The vehicle of the present invention includes the equalizer beam, a frame connected to the frame connection portion, a front leaf spring connected to the first connection portion via a shackle, and a rear leaf spring connected to the second connection portion. And a shock absorber connected to the third connection portion. According to this vehicle, for the reasons described above, the efficiency of the damping action by the shock absorber can be increased, and the degree of freedom of layout can be improved.

In the vehicle of the present invention, when the shock absorber is not operating, the axis of the shock absorber is a frame when viewed from a direction perpendicular to both the extending direction of the first support portion and the extending direction of the second support portion. It may be located on the tangent line of a circle centered on the connecting portion and passing through the third support portion. In this case, the efficiency of the damping action by the shock absorber can be further increased.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an equalizer beam and a vehicle capable of increasing the efficiency of the damping action by the shock absorber and improving the degree of freedom of layout.

It is a side view of the suspension device. It is a front view of an equalizer beam. It is an enlarged view of FIG. It is a figure which shows the arrangement example of an exhaust pipe and a bracket.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals will be used for the same or equivalent elements, and duplicate description will be omitted.
[Suspension device configuration]

As shown in FIG. 1, the suspension device 1 is provided in the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 is a commercial vehicle such as a truck or a bus. The vehicle 100 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a large vehicle, a medium-sized vehicle, an ordinary passenger car, a small vehicle, a light vehicle, or the like. The vehicle 100 includes a pair of side frames F extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and facing each other in the vehicle width direction. The vehicle 100 includes a pair of suspension devices 1, and each side frame F is provided with the suspension device 1.

The suspension device 1 includes an equalizer beam 2, a shackle 3, a front leaf spring 4, a rear leaf spring 5, and a shock absorber 6. The equalizer beam 2 is connected to the side frame F via the bracket 11 so as to be rotatable around the first axis X1 parallel to the vehicle width direction. As a means for connecting the equalizer beam 2 to the bracket 11 so as to be rotatable around the first axis X1, for example, a connection using a pin or a connection using a bolt and a nut can be mentioned, but is not particularly limited. , Other means may be used. This is also true for other rotatable connections described below.

The shackle 3 is connected to the equalizer beam 2 so as to be rotatable around the second axis X2 parallel to the vehicle width direction. The front leaf spring 4 extends along the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The front end 4a of the front leaf spring 4 is connected to the side frame F via a bracket 12 so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the vehicle width direction. The rear end 4b of the front leaf spring 4 is connected to the shackle 3 so as to be rotatable around a third axis X3 parallel to the vehicle width direction.

The rear leaf spring 5 extends along the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The rear leaf spring 5 is arranged on the rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction with respect to the front leaf spring 4. The front end 5a of the rear leaf spring 5 is connected to the equalizer beam 2 so as to be rotatable around the fourth axis X4 parallel to the vehicle width direction. The rear end 5b of the rear leaf spring 5 is connected to the side frame F via a bracket 13 and a connecting member 14 so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the vehicle width direction.

The shock absorber 6 is, for example, a rod-shaped shock absorber. One end 6a of the shock absorber 6 is connected to the equalizer beam 2 so as to be rotatable around the fifth axis X5 parallel to the vehicle width direction. The other end 6b of the shock absorber 6 is connected to the bracket 11 so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the vehicle width direction.

The front axle is connected to the central portion of the front leaf spring 4, and the rear axle is connected to the central portion of the rear leaf spring 5. Wheels are connected to each axle. These two axles are arranged, for example, on the front side of the vehicle 100 in the vehicle front-rear direction. That is, the vehicle 100 is configured as a so-called front two-axle vehicle. The suspension device 1 may be applied to other vehicles, and may be applied to, for example, a rear two-axle vehicle in which two axles are arranged on the rear side of the vehicle 100 in the vehicle front-rear direction.

In the suspension device 1, the load applied to one axle is transmitted to the other axle via the equalizer beam 2. Therefore, the ratio of the load applied to the two axles can be adjusted, and it is possible to prevent an excessive load from being applied to one axle. That is, the suspension device 1 is configured as an equalize type suspension device that equalizes the loads applied to the two axles. Further, the shock absorber 6 exerts a damping force on the equalizer beam 2, so that the vibration of the equalizer beam 2 is suppressed. As a result, excessive equalization operation can be suppressed (equalization frequency is reduced), and ride quality can be improved.
[Equalizer beam configuration]

As shown in FIG. 2, the equalizer beam 2 includes a main body portion 21, a first support portion 22, a second support portion 23, and a third support portion 24. The main body portion 21, the first support portion 22, the second support portion 23, and the third support portion 24 are integrally formed with each other, and have a substantially triangular plate shape as a whole. The main body 21 is formed with a frame connecting portion 21a to which the side frame F is connected via the bracket 11. The frame connecting portion 21a is, for example, a through hole through which a pin or a bolt used for a rotatable connection with the bracket 11 is inserted.

The first support portion 22 extends from the main body portion 21. At the end of the first support portion 22, a first connection portion 22a is formed to which the rear end 4b of the front leaf spring 4 is connected via a shackle 3. That is, the shackle 3 is connected to the first connection portion 22a. The first connecting portion 22a is, for example, a through hole through which a pin or a bolt used for a rotatable connection with the shackle 3 is inserted.

As an example, the shackle 3 has a structure in which a pair of extending portions 31 extending so as to face each other are connected to each other by at least one connecting portion (see FIG. 3). In a state where the shackle 3 is connected to the equalizer beam 2, the extending portion 31 extends perpendicularly to the vehicle width direction, and the connecting portion extends parallel to the vehicle width direction. The pin 15 penetrates the pair of extending portions 31 and the first supporting portion 22 in a state where the first supporting portion 22 of the equalizer beam 2 is arranged between the pair of extending portions 31. The pin 15 is fixed to the shackle 3 by, for example, a bolt 16. As a result, the shackle 3 is rotatably connected to the first support portion 22. That is, in this example, the first connection portion 22a is a through hole through which the pin 15 is inserted. Further, in this example, the pin 17 penetrates the pair of extending portions 31 and the rear end 4b of the front leaf spring 4 in a state where the rear end 4b of the front leaf spring 4 is arranged between the pair of extending portions 31. doing. The pin 17 is fixed to the shackle 3 by, for example, a bolt 18. As a result, the rear end 4b of the front leaf spring 4 is rotatably connected to the shackle 3.

The second support portion 23 extends from the main body portion 21. The direction in which the second support portion 23 extends from the main body portion 21 is substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the first support portion 22 extends from the main body portion 21. A second connecting portion 23a to which the rear leaf spring 5 is connected is formed at the end of the second supporting portion 23. The second connecting portion 23a is, for example, a through hole through which a pin or a bolt used for a rotatable connection with the rear leaf spring 5 is inserted.

The third support portion 24 extends from the first support portion 22. The direction in which the third support portion 24 extends from the first support portion 22 is along the direction in which the first support portion 22 extends from the main body portion 21 (in this example, they match). At the end of the third support portion 24, a third connection portion 24a to which the shock absorber 6 is connected is formed. The third connection portion 24a is, for example, a through hole through which a pin or a bolt used for a rotatable connection with the shock absorber 6 is inserted.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the third connecting portion 24a (fifth axis X5) is in the vehicle width direction (both the extending direction of the first support portion 22 and the extending direction of the second support portion 23). When viewed from the vertical direction), it is located on a straight line L1 passing through the frame connecting portion 21a (first axis X1) and the first connecting portion 22a (second axis X2). In FIG. 3, the rear leaf spring 5 is not shown.

When the shock absorber 6 is not operating, the axis 6c of the shock absorber 6 is centered on the frame connecting portion 21a (first axis X1) and the third connecting portion 24a (fifth axis X5) when viewed from the vehicle width direction. ) Is located on the tangent line L2 of the circle C passing through. As a result, the efficiency of the shock absorber 6 becomes 100%. The tangent line L2 is orthogonal to the straight line L1. The fact that the shock absorber 6 is inactive means that the shock absorber 6 does not exert a damping force on the equalizer beam 2. For example, when the loads applied to the two axles are equal, the shock absorber 6 is inactive.
[Action and effect]

In the equalizer beam 2, the shock absorber 6 is not the shackle 3 connected to the first connection portion 22a of the first support portion 22, but the third connection portion 24a of the third support portion 24 extending from the first support portion 22. Connected to. As a result, the distance from the connection position of the side frame F to the connection position of the shock absorber 6 can be increased, and the efficiency of the damping action by the shock absorber 6 can be enhanced. Further, since the shock absorber 6 can be arranged (offset) at a position away from the shackle 3, the degree of freedom in layout can be improved. Therefore, according to the equalizer beam 2, the efficiency of the damping action by the shock absorber 6 can be increased, and the degree of freedom in layout can be improved. Further, since the efficiency of the shock absorber 6 is high, it is possible to suppress an input of the same size with a small damping force. Therefore, the stress acting on the pins or bolts used for the rotatable connection of the shock absorber 6 can be reduced, and the pins or bolts can be miniaturized. Further, since the shock absorber 6 is connected to the equalizer beam 2 at a position offset from the shackle 3, the stroke length of the shock absorber 6 can be secured for a long time. Thereby, the degree of freedom of choice of the shock absorber 6 can be improved.

Auxiliary equipment such as an exhaust pipe and a steering wire may be arranged in the vicinity of the shackle 3 (particularly on the right side of the vehicle). In FIG. 4, the exhaust pipe 51 and the bracket 52 for connecting the exhaust pipe 51 to the side frame F are shown by an alternate long and short dash line. When the exhaust pipe 51 and the bracket 52 are arranged in this way, if the shock absorber 6 is connected to the shackle 3, the shock absorber 6 may interfere with the exhaust pipe 51 or the bracket 52, and the layout The degree of freedom is reduced. Further, the axis 6c of the shock absorber 6 cannot be arranged on the tangent line L2 of the circle C, and the efficiency of the shock absorber 6 may decrease. On the other hand, in the configuration of the above embodiment, since the shock absorber 6 can be arranged at a position away from the shackle 3, the degree of freedom in layout can be improved. Further, the axis 6c of the shock absorber 6 can be arranged on the tangent line L2 of the circle C, and the efficiency of the shock absorber 6 can be improved. Further, since the shock absorber 6 can be arranged at a position away from the exhaust pipe 51, it is possible to prevent the heat from the exhaust pipe 51 from affecting the shock absorber 6.

The direction in which the third support portion 24 extends from the first support portion 22 is along the direction in which the first support portion 22 extends from the main body portion 21. Thereby, the efficiency of the damping action by the shock absorber 6 can be further enhanced.

The third connecting portion 24a is located on a straight line L1 passing through the frame connecting portion 21a and the first connecting portion 22a when viewed from the vehicle width direction. As a result, the efficiency of the damping action of the shock absorber 6 can be further increased.

When the shock absorber 6 is not operating, the axis 6c of the shock absorber 6 is located on the tangent line L2 of the circle C centered on the frame connecting portion 21a and passing through the third support portion 24 when viewed from the vehicle width direction. ing. As a result, the efficiency of the damping action of the shock absorber 6 can be further increased.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, as the material and shape of each configuration, not only the above-mentioned material and shape but also various materials and shapes can be adopted. The direction in which the third support portion 24 extends from the first support portion 22 does not have to be along the direction in which the first support portion 22 extends from the main body portion 21. That is, the direction in which the third support portion 24 extends from the first support portion 22 may be inclined with respect to the direction in which the first support portion 22 extends from the main body portion 21. The third connecting portion 24a does not necessarily have to be located on the straight line L1 passing through the frame connecting portion 21a and the first connecting portion 22a when viewed from the vehicle width direction. When the shock absorber 6 is not operating, the axis 6c of the shock absorber 6 does not have to be located on the tangent line L2 of the circle C when viewed from the vehicle width direction. That is, the axis 6c may be inclined with respect to the tangent line L2.

2 ... Equalizer beam, 3 ... Shackle, 4 ... Front leaf spring, 5 ... Rear leaf spring, 6 ... Shock absorber, 6c ... Axis, 21 ... Main body, 21a ... Frame connection, 22 ... First support, 22a ... 1st connection part, 23 ... 2nd support part, 23a ... 2nd connection part, 24 ... 3rd support part, 24a ... 3rd connection part, 100 ... vehicle, F ... frame.

Claims (5)

The main body part where the frame connection part to which the frame of the vehicle is connected is formed,
A first support portion extending from the main body portion and forming a first connection portion to which a front leaf spring is connected via a shackle, and a first support portion.
A second support portion extending from the main body portion and forming a second connection portion to which the rear leaf spring is connected, and a second support portion.
An equalizer beam including a third support portion extending from the first support portion and forming a third connection portion to which a shock absorber is connected. The equalizer beam according to claim 1, wherein the direction in which the third support portion extends from the first support portion is along the direction in which the first support portion extends from the main body portion. The third connection portion passes through the frame connection portion and the first connection portion when viewed from a direction perpendicular to both the extending direction of the first support portion and the extending direction of the second support portion. The equalizer beam according to claim 1 or 2, which is located on a straight line. The equalizer beam according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and the equalizer beam.
The frame connected to the frame connection portion and
With the front leaf spring connected to the first connection portion via the shackle,
With the rear leaf spring connected to the second connection portion,
A vehicle including the shock absorber connected to the third connection portion. When the shock absorber is not operating, the axis of the shock absorber is connected to the frame when viewed from a direction perpendicular to both the extending direction of the first support portion and the extending direction of the second support portion. The vehicle according to claim 4, which is located on a tangent line of a circle centered on the portion and passing through the third support portion.

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