JP4680617B2 - Spring unit for vehicle suspension - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle suspension spring unit capable of adjusting a spring rate of a coil spring.

  A compression coil spring constituting a vehicle suspension is disposed between a vehicle body side member and a wheel side member, supports a load applied to the vehicle body, and bends according to the magnitude of the load. It is important as one of the factors that determine driving performance and ride comfort. In particular, in a car race that requires road surface followability suitable for road surface unevenness and curves, the difference in the spring rate of the suspension spring has a great influence on the running.

  For this reason, conventionally, several types of springs having different spring rates have been prepared, and springs suitable for the conditions of the course to be run while selecting springs having different spring rates have been selected.

  However, in order to select a spring having the optimum spring rate, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of suspension springs having different spring rates as described above, and the replacement work takes time and effort.

  Thus, a suspension spring that can change the spring rate without replacing the spring has been proposed (Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 3 shows such a spring rate changing type suspension spring unit.

  In FIG. 3, the variable spring rate spring unit 60 includes a compression coil spring 61, an adjustment collar 62 fitted and screwed into the inner diameter side of the coil spring 61, and a flange for fixing the adjustment collar 62 to the coil spring 61. It is composed of a sleeve 63.

  The coil spring 61 has one end 61a formed as an open end in which the coil end is in non-contact with the inner coil, and the other end 61b is in a closed end in which the coil end is in contact with the inner coil. Is formed. The adjustment collar 62 is formed with a single spiral groove 62a that matches the pitch of the coil spring 61 on the outer periphery of the cylindrical body, and the spiral groove 62a is aligned with one end 61a formed on the open end of the coil spring 61. Then, the adjustment collar 62 is screwed in.

  A groove 61c for engaging the lock member is formed in the winding portion of the coil spring 61, and the flanged sleeve 63 is screwed to the adjustment collar 62 so as to engage with the groove 61b. In a state where the adjustment collar 62 is fixed to the coil spring 61, the winding portion of the coil spring 61 is screwed into the spiral groove 62a of the adjustment collar 62, and this screwing winding portion of the coil spring 61 is used as a spring. It is not working. Therefore, the effective length (H) of the coil spring is the distance from the groove end of the spiral groove 62 a of the adjustment collar 62 to the other end 62 b formed at the closed end of the coil spring 61.

The spring rate (spring stiffness) of the coil spring 61 increases as the effective length (H) decreases, and decreases as it increases. Therefore, the spring rate of the coil spring 61 can be changed by changing the screwing amount of the adjustment collar 62 with respect to the coil spring 61.
JP 2000-170810 A

  In the conventional spring unit described above, by adjusting the screwing amount of the adjustment collar 62 with respect to the coil spring 61, the spring rate can be changed without changing to another spring rate spring.

  However, in the above-described conventional spring unit, the adjustment collar 62 is fixed to the coil spring 61 by engaging the sleeve 63 with a groove 61c for locking member engagement provided in advance at a predetermined position of the coil spring 61. For this reason, the spring rate can be changed only in several stages where the groove 61 for engaging the lock member is formed.

  Further, since the adjustment collar 62 is screwed from the one end 61a formed at the open end of the coil spring 61, there is a problem that it cannot be applied to the coil spring formed at both ends at the closed end.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above viewpoint, and the spring end on the side where the member for adjusting the spring rate is arranged can be applied to a so-called closed end coil spring, and the spring rate is adjusted steplessly. An object of the present invention is to provide a suspension unit for a vehicle suspension that can be assembled easily.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a structure that is disposed between a vehicle body side member and a wheel side member, supports a load applied to the vehicle body, and depends on a magnitude of the load. A coil spring of a vehicle suspension that bends, a cylinder that is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a threaded portion formed on an outer peripheral portion thereof, and is inserted into an inner diameter portion of the coil spring, and a winding portion of the coil spring. A helical body that is formed at substantially the same pitch as the pitch and is assembled and fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical body so that the axial fixing position can be changed in a state of being fitted to the winding portion of the coil spring; is screwed in parts, have a one end surface abutting the nut member of the coil spring, one end of the cylindrical body abuts said body side member, the other end of the coil spring of the vehicle body Vehicle in contact with member A spring unit of the suspension, the helix is composed of a plurality of helical members, wherein the plurality of helical members the by bolts inserted from the outside of the vehicle suspension, characterized in that fixed to the cylindrical body spring A unit.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, in a state where the cylindrical body is inserted into the inner diameter portion of the coil spring, the spiral body is assembled and fixed between the winding portions of the coil spring, so that both ends of the cylindrical body with the spiral body are closed end. The tip of the helical body assembled to the cylindrical body at an arbitrary position is brought into contact with the coil spring by causing the nut member screwed to the coil spring to abut on the end surface of the coil spring. Accordingly, the effective length of the coil spring can be set arbitrarily, and the spring rate of the coil spring can be adjusted to an arbitrary value.

Further, since the configuration of threaded旋体a plurality of helical members, it is possible to easily mounting of these spiral members to the cylindrical body through between the winding portion of the coil spring.

  An embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.

  1A is an exploded perspective view of a suspension unit for a vehicle suspension, FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 1A, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of the spring unit shown in FIG. 1A is a state where the spring rate of the spring unit of FIG. 1 is long and the spring rate is low, and FIG. 1B is a state where the spring rate is short and the spring rate is high.

  In the present embodiment, the spring unit 1 has an arc shape symmetrically about the axis from between the winding portions of the coil spring 2 in a state in which an adjustment tube 3 that is a metal cylinder is built in the inner diameter portion of the compression coil spring 2. In addition, a pair of adjustment sheets 4 forming a spiral member formed in a spiral shape are fixed to the adjustment tube 3, and the adjustment body 3 is rotated about its axis, whereby a spiral body constituted by the pair of adjustment sheets 4 is obtained. The configuration is such that the amount of screwing of the pair of adjustment sheets 4 can be adjusted by screwing between the winding portions of the compression coil spring 2.

  The coil spring 2 constituting the spring unit 1 is a general compression coil spring in which a spring wire having a predetermined wire diameter is set to a predetermined effective number of turns, and has one end 2a on the side where the adjustment tube 3 is inserted. The other end 2b opposite to the closed end is also formed at the above-mentioned closed end. The other end 2b of the coil spring 2 is in contact with, for example, a spring seat 7 provided on the cylinder side (wheel side) (not shown) constituting the vehicle suspension, and the end surface of the other end 2b is flattened. ing.

  A spring seat (not shown) attached to the tip end side (vehicle body side) of a piston rod that moves relative to the cylinder of the vehicle suspension is attached to the upper end of the adjustment tube 3 that is coaxially installed in the coil spring 2. The piston rod passes through the coil spring 2 and the adjustment tube 3.

On the outer peripheral portion of the adjustment tube 3, a screw portion 3a into which a lock nut 8 described later is screwed is formed in one portion in the axial direction, and a pair of cylindrical fixing portions 3b which are the other portion on the opposite side are paired with each other. The adjustment sheet 4 is closely fitted so as to draw a spiral around the axis, and the bolt holes 3c and 3d for fixing the pair of adjustment sheets 4 to the adjustment tube 3 with bolts and nuts are on the locus drawing the spiral. A plurality are formed continuously.

  It should be noted that the locus inclination of a set of continuous bolt holes formed by a plurality of bolt holes 3c and 3d formed corresponding to one adjustment sheet 4 is caused when the coil spring 2 is not loaded. It is formed so as to coincide with the inclination. In the present embodiment, the set of bolt holes constituted by the plurality of bolt holes 3c is formed on both sides in the axial direction with respect to the set of bolt holes constituted by the plurality of bolt holes 3d. With respect to one adjustment sheet 4 fixed via the bolt hole 3d, the other adjustment sheet 4 can be fixed to either the upper side or the lower side thereof.

  That is, when it is not desired to greatly change the entire length of the coil spring 2 including the adjustment tube 3, the effective length of the coil spring, which is the length between the tip of the adjustment seat 4 and the spring seat, is reduced to increase the spring rate. In order to reduce the spring rate by fixing the other adjustment sheet 4 below the one adjustment sheet 4 and conversely increasing the effective length of the coil spring, the other adjustment sheet 4 is used. May be fixed above the one adjustment sheet 4.

  On the other hand, the pair of adjustment sheets 4 is formed of a metal flat plate having the same curvature and spiral inclination as the winding curvature of the coil spring 2, and is a spiral body forming a single spiral protrusion in a state of being fixed to the outer periphery of the adjustment tube 3. Is configured. The spiral body is composed of two adjustment sheets 4 forming a spiral member, but is not limited to this, and may be three or more adjustment sheets, or a single spiral member. good.

  If both ends of the coil spring 2 are formed in the above-described closed end, the adjustment tube 3 having a convex shape cannot be screwed from the end of the coil spring 2 as in the conventional example. In a state where the pair of adjustment sheets 4 formed in a semicircular shape is fitted between the windings of the coil spring 2, the pair of adjustment sheets 4 are attached to the adjustment tube 3 inserted in advance in the inner diameter portion of the coil spring 2. Fix it.

  A plurality of hole portions 41 through which fixing bolts are inserted are formed in the pair of adjustment sheets 4, and the bolts 5 are inserted through the respective hole portions 41, and pass through the bolt holes 3 c and 3 d formed in the adjustment sheet 3. The pair of adjusting sheets 4 are fixed to the adjusting tube 3 by tightening the penetrating end portions of the bolts 5 with the nuts 6.

  The means for fixing the adjustment sheet 4 to the adjustment pipe 3 is not limited to the above-described bolt and nut fastening, but may be pin fastening or riveting.

  The effective length of the coil spring 2 that is the axial distance between the tip of the adjustment sheet 4 and the spring seat 7 is changed by rotating the adjustment pipe 3 to which the pair of adjustment sheets 4 are fixed clockwise or counterclockwise. Thus, the spring rate of the coil spring 2 can be changed to an arbitrary value.

  FIG. 2A shows a state in which a pair of adjustment sheets 4 fixed to the adjustment pipe 3 are engaged with the tip 2a of the coil spring 2. In this case, the tip of the adjustment sheet 4 and the coil spring 2 The effective length of the coil spring, which is the axial length of the spring seat 7 with which the other end 2b is in contact, is set to the longest state, and the spring rate of the coil spring 2 becomes the lowest. FIG. 2B shows a state in which the adjustment pipe 3 to which the pair of adjustment sheets 4 are fixed is screwed in the axial direction by a distance A from the state shown in FIG.

  In the state shown in FIG. 2B, since the effective length of the coil spring 2 is reduced by the length A as compared with the case shown in FIG. 2A, the spring rate of the coil spring 2 is increased. .

  Therefore, when the load F is applied with the spring unit mounted on the suspension of the vehicle, the amount of contraction of the coil spring 2 is smaller at the low spring rate shown in FIG. 2A than at the high spring rate shown in FIG. Many.

  If the pair of adjusting sheets 4 are fixed to the adjusting pipe 3 with the pair of adjusting sheets 4 fitted between the windings of the coil spring 2, the adjusting pipe 3 with the adjusting sheet and the coil spring 2 are relative to each other. Screw on. In this case, the coil spring 2 is attached by receiving a compressive force between the spring seat and the spring seat on the piston rod side. It is necessary to restrict the coil spring 2 from screwing.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the lock nut 8 is screwed into the threaded portion 3a of the adjustment tube 3, and the lock nut 8 is tightened until it abuts against the end face of the coil spring 2, thereby moving the coil spring 2 as described above (rightward). The effective length of the coil spring 2, which is the axial distance between the tip of the adjustment seat 4 fixed to the adjustment pipe 3 and the spring seat 7, can be held at a set length. I am doing so.

1 shows a suspension unit for a vehicle suspension according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is an exploded perspective view of the spring unit, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of (a). 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the spring unit shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2A shows a state in which the spring rate of the coil spring shown in FIG. 1 is adjusted low, and FIG. 2B shows a state in which the spring rate is adjusted high. The side view of the conventional spring rate variable spring unit.

Explanation of symbols

1: Spring unit 2: Compression coil spring 3: Adjustment tube 4: Adjustment seat 5: Bolt 6: Nut

Claims (1)

A coil spring of a vehicle suspension that is disposed between a vehicle body side member and a wheel side member, supports a load applied to the vehicle body, and bends according to the magnitude of the load;
A cylindrical body that is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a threaded portion formed on the outer peripheral portion thereof, and is inserted through the inner diameter portion of the coil spring;
The coil spring is formed at substantially the same pitch as the winding portion of the coil spring, and is assembled and fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical body so that the axial fixing position can be changed while being fitted to the winding portion of the coil spring. A spiral,
Is screwed to the threaded portion of the cylindrical body, and one end surface of the coil spring abutting the nut member,
Have a, one end of the cylindrical body abuts said body side member, the other end of the coil spring is a spring unit of the vehicle body-side member that abuts a suspension for a vehicle,
The suspension unit for a vehicle suspension, wherein the spiral body includes a plurality of spiral members, and the plurality of spiral members are fixed to the cylindrical body by bolts inserted from the outside .

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