JPH06227224A - Car suspension - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To generate a sufficient damping force with good responsiveness using a small rotary damper, allow rotary damper to be commonly used in various suspensions, and prevent a housing and a shaft from giving excessive prying action to each other. CONSTITUTION:A suspension for a car has a housing 34 and a shaft 32 fitted each other with possibility of relative rotation round a rotation axis 28 stretching across a suspension arm 16 and als oa rotary damper 30 which generates a damping force with relative rotation of them. The rotary damper is supported on the car body 20 by a supporting device in such a way as rotatable round the rotation axis and undisplaceable relatively. The front link 50 is pivoted on the housing at the top and pivoted on the suspension arm at the bottom, while the rear link 64 is pivoted on the shaft at the top and pivoted on the suspension arm at the bottom.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a suspension for a vehicle such as an automobile, and more particularly to a suspension incorporating a rotary damper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A rotary damper generally has a housing and a shaft that are fitted relative to each other about a rotation axis so as to be rotatable relative to each other, and is configured to generate a damping force by the relative rotation of the housing and the shaft. As one of suspensions for vehicles such as automobiles in which the rotary damper is incorporated, as described in, for example, JP-A-2-283511, the rotary damper is suspended so that the rotation axis of the rotary damper and the pivot axis of the suspension arm coincide with each other. Incorporated into the pivotal part of the arm on the vehicle body side,
2. Description of the Related Art A suspension configured to rotate a housing relative to a shaft by pivoting a suspension arm has been known in the related art.

According to such a suspension, when the suspension arm pivots about its axis by bouncing and rebounding of the wheel, the rotary damper causes the housing to rotate relative to the shaft about the axis of rotation. Since the damping force is generated, compared with the case where the cylinder-piston type shock absorber is disposed between the vehicle body and the suspension arm in a state of substantially vertically extending, It is possible to reduce the space between them and increase the vehicle interior space.

[0004]

However, in the suspension in which the rotary damper is incorporated as described above, the relative rotation angle of the housing and the shaft of the rotary damper is the same as the pivot angle of the suspension arm, and the wheel bounding is limited. The pivot angle of the suspension arm due to rebound is not so large, and correspondingly the moving flow of hydraulic oil inside the damper is small, so it is not possible to generate damping force with good responsiveness, and a slight In order to generate sufficient damping force with good responsiveness at the relative rotation angle, there is a problem that the rotary damper must be upsized.

Further, since the damping force generated by the rotary damper largely depends on the length of the suspension arm that rotationally drives the housing relative to the shaft, a unique rotary damper is set for each suspension having a different suspension arm length. Therefore, there is a problem that a rotary damper having a certain damping force characteristic cannot be shared by various suspensions.

When an input is applied to the wheels in the vehicle front-rear direction or left-right direction from the road surface during acceleration / deceleration or turning of the vehicle, the force is transmitted to the housing of the rotary damper through the suspension arm, The rotary damper must have a strong structure to withstand the external force, because the shaft twists against the shaft, and the housing and the shaft do not rotate smoothly relative to each other. There is a problem that the damping force is easily disturbed.

In view of the above-mentioned problems in the conventional suspension in which the rotary damper is incorporated, the present invention can generate a sufficient damping force with good response in a small-sized rotary damper, and various rotary dampers can be used. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved suspension that can be shared by the above-mentioned suspensions so that the housing and the shaft do not exert excessive prying action on each other.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided a suspension arm, which is supported at one end thereof on a vehicle body so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis and at the other end thereof supports a wheel carrier. The suspension arm has a housing and a shaft that are fitted relative to each other about a rotation axis extending in a direction transverse to the extension direction of the suspension arm. The housing and the shaft are configured to generate a damping force by relative rotation of the housing and the shaft. A rotary damper, a support device that supports the rotary damper from the vehicle body such that the rotary damper is rotatable about the rotation axis and is not relatively displaceable in a direction transverse to the rotation axis, and the rotary damper is substantially disposed on both sides of the rotary damper. A first and a second link spaced apart from each other in the extending direction of the suspension arm, wherein the first link is spaced from the rotation axis at one end. The second link is pivotally attached to the housing at one position and the other end to the suspension arm at a portion other than the one end, and the second link is spaced from the rotation axis at one end. This is achieved by a vehicle suspension characterized in that it is pivotally attached to the shaft at a fixed position and is pivotally attached to the suspension arm at the other end at a portion other than the one end.

[0009]

According to the above-mentioned structure, the rotary damper is supported by the vehicle body by the support device so as to be rotatable about its rotation axis and not relatively displaceable in the direction transverse to the rotation axis. The links are spaced on both sides of the rotary damper substantially in the extending direction of the suspension arm, and the first link is pivotally attached to the housing at a position spaced from the rotation axis at one end and the other end. The second link is pivotally attached to the suspension arm at a position other than one end thereof, and the second link is pivotally attached to the shaft at a position spaced from the rotation axis at one end and to the suspension arm at the other end. It is pivotally attached at a site other than one end.

Therefore, when the suspension arm pivots and vertically moves relative to the vehicle body by the wheels bouncing and rebounding, the first and second links pivotally attached to the suspension arm move vertically with the suspension arm. Since the rotary damper supported by the vehicle body by the support device does not move up and down, the housing and the shaft of the rotary damper are rotated in opposite directions about the rotation axis by the first and second links, respectively, whereby the rotary damper is Generates damping force.

In this case, the distance between the rotation axis and the one end of the first link may be smaller than the distance between the pivot axis of the suspension arm and the other end of the first link. The distance between one end of the link may also be smaller than the distance between the pivot axis of the suspension arm and the other end of the second link, so that the rotation angle of the housing about the rotation axis is the pivot angle of the suspension arm. Since the rotation angle of the shaft around the rotation axis is also larger than the pivot angle of the suspension arm, the rotary damper is pivotally mounted on the vehicle body side so that the rotation axis and the suspension arm pivot axis match. A suspension configured to be rotated relative to the other by pivoting the suspension arm. The ratio of the relative rotation angle of the housing and shaft to the pivot angle of the suspension arm is much larger than that of the suspension arm, which allows a small rotary damper to generate sufficient damping force with good response. Is.

Further, the lengths of the first and second links, the relative positions of one ends of the first and second links with respect to the rotation axis, and between the pivot axis of the suspension arm and the other ends of the first and second links. By appropriately setting and changing the distance, etc., it is possible to set and change the ratio of the relative rotational angular velocity of the housing and the shaft relative to the pivotal angular velocity of the suspension arm due to the bouncing and rebounding of the wheels relatively freely. As a result, it is possible to arbitrarily set and change the damping force characteristic of the rotary damper, so that it is possible to share the rotary damper having a certain damping force characteristic in various suspensions.

Further, the rotary damper is rotatably supported around the rotation axis of the rotary body by a support device so as not to be displaced relative to the rotation axis, but the housing and the shaft are respectively connected to the first and second links. Since it is pivotally attached to the suspension arm via the, input is applied to the wheels from the road surface in the vehicle front-rear direction or left-right direction,
Even if the force is transmitted to the suspension arm, the relative displacement of the suspension arm in the vehicle front-rear direction or the left-right direction with respect to the vehicle body is absorbed by the first and second links and their pivotal joints, so that the housing and the shaft are mutually different. However, an excessive prying action does not occur.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a vehicle suspension according to the present invention configured as a 4-link type rear suspension, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view and an enlarged side view showing the support structure of the rotary damper shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively.

In these figures, 10 indicates an axle housing as a wheel carrier for rotatably supporting a wheel 12, and 14 and 16 respectively indicate an upper control link extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and an upper control link. The lower control link is shown. The upper control link 14 is pivotally supported on the vehicle body 20 by a joint 18 at the front end, and is pivotally attached to the axle housing 10 at the rear end. On the other hand, the lower control link 16 has a pivot 22A extending in the vehicle lateral direction by a joint 22 at the front end.
Is pivotally supported on the vehicle body 20 so as to be pivotable around and is pivotally attached to the axle housing 10 at the rear end. 1 and 2
, 24, 25 and 26 are stabilizers,
A suspension spring and a lateral rod are shown.

A rotary damper 30 is arranged above the lower control link 16 and extends along a rotation axis 28 extending in the lateral direction of the vehicle. Rotary damper 30
The structure itself does not form the gist of the present invention, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted, but the rotary damper extends along the rotation axis 28 as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 56-28008. The existing shaft 32 and the housing 34 that is fitted to the shaft 32 so as to be rotatable relative to the shaft 32 about the rotation axis 28, so that the housing and the shaft rotate relative to each other to generate a damping force. Has become.

As shown in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4,
A bracket 36 is fixed to the vehicle body 20 by welding, and a bracket 38 is fixed to the vehicle body 20 so as to face the bracket 36 by a plurality of bolts 38A. Rotary damper 3
The shaft 32 of 0 is attached to the bracket 3 via the bush 40.
It is rotatably supported about the axis of rotation 28 by 6 and 38. A spacer 42 is interposed between the disk portion of the bush 40 and the end surface of the housing 34. Thus, brackets 36 and 38, bush 40, spacer 4
Reference numeral 2 denotes a rotary damper 30 which is rotatable about a rotation axis 28 and is not relatively displaceable in a direction crossing the rotation axis.
A supporting device 44 for further supporting is constituted.

The housing 34 of the rotary damper 30 is integrally provided with an arm 46 which projects substantially horizontally toward the front of the vehicle in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis 28. An upper end of a front side link 50 as a first link is pivotally attached to the tip of the arm 46 by a ball joint 48,
The link 50 extends substantially vertically. The lower end of the link 50 carries a joint 52 having an axis extending in the lateral direction of the vehicle including a rubber bush inside, and the joint 52 is pivotally attached to a bracket 54 fixed to the upper surface of the lower control link 16.

On the other hand, the ends of the arm portions of the yoke 56 are connected and fixed to both ends of the shaft 32 by bolts 58 so as not to rotate relative to each other, and the root portion of the yoke 56 is fixed to the front end of the pivot arm 60 by welding. . Pivot arm 6
0 extends substantially horizontally toward the rear of the vehicle perpendicular to the rotation axis 28, and the rear end of a rear link 64 as a second link is pivotally attached to the rear end thereof by a ball joint 62. There is. The link 64 also extends substantially in the vertical direction, and the lower end of the link 64 has a joint 66 that includes a rubber bush inside and has an axis extending in the lateral direction of the vehicle.
The joint 66 carries the lower control link 1
It is pivotally attached to a bracket 68 fixed to the upper surface of 6.

In the illustrated embodiment, the distance (Rh) between the axis of rotation 28 and the center of the ball joint 48 is determined by the axis 22A of the lower control link 16 and the joint 5.
It is set smaller than the distance (Lh) between the two axes. Also, the distance (Rs) between the rotation axis 28 and the center of the ball joint 62 is slightly larger than the distance (Rh) between the rotation axis 28 and the center of the ball joint 48, but the axis of the lower control link 16 is It is set smaller than the distance (Ls) between 22A and the axis of the joint 66.

As shown in FIG. 5, the bounding of the wheels in the illustrated embodiment causes the lower control link 16 to rotate about its pivot 22A in the neutral position shown in solid lines in FIG. Pivoting the angle .theta.ab upward to the position indicated by the broken lines further displaces the front link 50 upward, which causes the housing 34 of the rotary damper 30 to move around the axis of rotation 28 as seen in FIG. It is rotated by the angle θhb in the rotating direction. In addition, the rear link 64 is also displaced upward, which causes the shaft 32 to rotate about
The angle θsb is rotated counterclockwise around. Therefore, the shaft and housing of the rotary damper are opposite to each other about the rotation axis in the opposite direction as a whole by an angle θtb (= θhb
+ Θsb) The rotary damper generates a damping force on the contracting side (wheel bouncing direction).

On the contrary, when the wheel rebounds, the lower control link 16 is rotated around its pivot line 22A from the neutral position shown by the solid line in FIG. 5 to the position shown by the phantom line by an angle θar. When pivoted, front link 5
0 is displaced downward, whereby the housing 34 of the rotary damper 30 is rotated about the rotation axis 28 by the arm 46 in the counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. Further, the rear link 64 is also displaced downward, which causes the shaft 3
2 is rotated about the rotation axis 28 in the clockwise direction by an angle θsr. Therefore, the shaft and housing of the rotary damper are rotated about the rotation axis in the opposite direction with respect to each other as a whole by an angle θtr (= θhr + θsr), whereby the rotary damper generates a damping force on the extension side (wheel rebound direction). .

In these cases, links 50 and 64
The amount of upward displacement is approximately Lh · θab and Ls · θ, respectively.
Since it is ab, the rotation angles θhb and θsb of the housing 34 and the shaft 32 are approximately (Lh / Rh) · θab, respectively.
(Ls / Rs) .theta.ab. Also links 50 and 64
The amount of downward displacement is approximately Lh · θar, Ls · θ
Therefore, the rotation angles θhr and θsr of the housing 34 and the shaft 32 are approximately (Lh / Rh) · θar, respectively.
(Ls / Rs) .theta.ar. As mentioned above (Lh / Rh
)> 1, (Ls / Rs)> 1, both the rotation angle θhb of the housing and the rotation angle θsb of the shaft are larger than the pivot angle θab of the lower control link 16, and the rotation angle θhr of the housing and the shaft Each of the rotation angles θsr is larger than the pivot angle θar of the lower control link.

Thus, according to the illustrated embodiment, the rotary damper 3 when the wheels bounce and rebound.
0 relative rotation angle θ of the housing 34 and the shaft 32
tb and θtr are incorporated in the pivotal joint of the lower control link on the vehicle body side so that the rotary axis of the rotary damper and the pivotal axis of the lower control link are aligned. It is much larger than the relative rotation angle (θab, θar) when it is rotated in the direction of 1. Therefore, sufficient damping force can be generated with good responsiveness without increasing the size of the rotary damper.

Further, according to the illustrated embodiment, the shaft 32 of the rotary damper 30 is rotatably supported by the support device 44 about the rotation axis 28, so that the rotary damper 30 can be rotated about the rotation axis by the vehicle body 20. The housing 34 and the shaft 32 are connected to the lower control link 16 by a front link 50 and a rear link 64 having pivot portions at both ends, respectively, while being supported so as not to be displaceable relative to each other in the direction crossing the rotation axis. Therefore, an input is applied to the wheels in the vehicle front-rear direction or the left-right direction from the road surface such as when the vehicle accelerates or decelerates or turns, and the lower control link 16 is displaced relative to the vehicle body in the vehicle front-rear direction or the left-right direction. However, the relative displacement of the lower control link with respect to the vehicle body is absorbed by the pivotal joints at both ends of the links 50 and 64, the elastic deformation of these links, and the like, so that the shaft 32 and the housing 34 exert excessive prying action on each other. Does not affect

Also according to the illustrated embodiment, the length of the links 50 and 64 and the relative position of their upper ends relative to the axis of rotation 28, the distance between the pivot axis 22A of the lower control link 16 and the lower ends of the links 50 and 64. It is possible to relatively freely set and change the ratio of the relative rotation angle of the housing 34 and the shaft 32 to the pivotal angle of the lower control link 16 associated with the bouncing and rebounding of the wheels by appropriately setting and changing the above. Thus, the damping force characteristic of the rotary damper can be arbitrarily set and changed.

For example, FIG. 6 shows the operation of the embodiment when the length of the links 50 and 64 is set larger than that in FIG. 5, and the link 64 is set slightly longer than the link 50. It is a skeleton diagram similar to.

In this embodiment, the rotation angle θhb of the housing 34 and the rotation angle θsb of the shaft 32 accompanying the upward pivoting of the lower control link 16 are larger than those in FIG. The rotational angle θhr of the housing and the rotational angle θsr of the shaft due to the downward pivoting of the shaft are smaller than those in the case of FIG. As a result, the relative rotation angle θtb of the housing and shaft of the rotary damper when the wheel bounces is larger than that in the case of FIG. 5, but the relative rotation angle θtr of the housing and shaft when the wheel rebounds is larger than that in the case of FIG. Therefore, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 7, the damping force on the contraction side for the same pivot angular velocity of the lower control link is the damping force in the case of FIG. 5 (in FIG. 7). However, the damping force on the extension side is lower than the damping force in the case of FIG. 5 (also indicated by the solid line in FIG. 7).

As can be seen from the comparison between FIG. 6 and FIG. 5, if the lengths of the links 50 and 64 are set larger than those in FIG. 5 and the link 50 is set slightly longer than the link 64, the compression is reduced. The damping force on the side is lower than that in the case of FIG. 5, and the damping force on the extension side is higher than that in the case of FIG.

FIG. 8 shows the operation of the embodiment when the lengths of the links 50 and 64 are set smaller than those in FIG. 5, and the length of the link 64 is set slightly longer than the link 50. FIG. 6 is a skeleton diagram similar to that shown in FIG. 5.

In this embodiment, the rotation angle θhb of the housing 34 due to the upward pivoting of the lower control link 16 is slightly larger than that in FIG. 5, but the rotation angle θb of the shaft 32 is It is slightly smaller than the case in Fig. 5, and the rotation angle θhr of the housing and the rotation angle θsr of the shaft due to the downward pivoting of the lower control link.
Are larger than those in FIG. As a result, the relative rotation angle θtb of the housing and the shaft of the rotary damper when the wheel bounces is slightly smaller than that in the case of FIG. 5, but the relative rotation angle θtr of the housing and the shaft when the wheel rebounds is as shown in FIG. Therefore, as shown by the phantom line in FIG. 9, the damping force on the contraction side for the same pivot angular velocity of the lower control link is the damping force in the case of FIG. 9 is shown as a solid line), but the damping force on the extension side is smaller than that in the case of FIG. 5 (also shown by a solid line in FIG. 9). Will also be higher.

As can be seen by comparing FIG. 8 with FIGS. 5 and 6, the length of the link 50 is set to an intermediate value between the case of FIG. 5 and the case of FIG. 8, and the length of the link 64 is shown in FIG. If it is set slightly longer than in the case of, the contraction-side damping force becomes higher than that in the case of FIG. 5, and the extension-side damping force becomes slightly lower than that of the case of FIG.

Although not shown in the figure, the rotation axis 2
By increasing or decreasing the distance between 8 and the centers of the ball joints 48 and 62, the damping forces generated decrease and increase, respectively. Similarly, if the distance between the pivot axis of the lower control link 16 and the joints 52 and 66 is increased or decreased, the damping force generated is also increased or decreased.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial side view showing the support structure of the rotary damper in the second embodiment constructed so that the lengths of the links 50 and 64 can be adjusted as described above. In FIG. 10, the same parts as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are designated by the same reference numerals as those shown in these figures.

In this embodiment, links 50 and 64 are
In the middle of them, there is a turnbuckle 70 known per se. The turnback 70 has a connecting pipe 72 and a pair of detent devices 74 arranged at both ends thereof, and loosens the detent device 74 to rotate the connecting pipe 72 to adjust the lengths of the links 50 and 64. I'm supposed to get it.

Thus, according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 10, adjusting the turnbuckle 70 allows the links 50 and 64 to be relatively free to set their length without having to be removed or replaced. Therefore, the damping force characteristics of the rotary damper can be set and changed more easily than in the case of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

Although the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and various other embodiments are also possible within the scope of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is possible.

For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the shaft 32 of the rotary damper 30 is rotatably supported by the support device 44 about the rotation axis 28, so that the rotary damper 30 can be rotated about the rotation axis by the vehicle body 20. Although the housing 34 is supported so as not to be relatively displaceable in the direction transverse to the rotation axis, the housing 34 may be supported by the support device 44 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis 28 and so as not to be relatively displaceable in the direction transverse to the rotation axis.

In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 34
The upper end of the front link 50 is pivotally attached to the arm 46 integrally provided on the shaft 46, and the pivot arm 60 is connected to the shaft 32.
The upper end of the rear link 64 is pivotally attached to the arm 4
A rotary damper is arranged so that the extending directions of 6 and 60 are reversed in the vehicle front-rear direction, the upper end of the front link 50 is pivotally attached to the pivot arm 60, and the upper end of the rear link 64 is pivotally attached to the arm 46. Good.

In the illustrated embodiment, the distance Rh between the rotary axis 28 of the rotary damper 30 and the center of the ball joint 48 at the upper end of the front link 50 and the ball joint 62 at the upper end of the rotary axis 28 and the rear link 64. The distance Rs from the center of the ball joint is constant, but the ball joint 48
46 and link 60 for receiving the bolt portions of 62 and 62
A plurality of holes may be formed along the longitudinal direction of the arm, or may be formed as an elongated hole extending along the longitudinal direction so that the distances Rh and Rs can be adjusted.

In the illustrated second embodiment, the link 5 is used.
The mechanism for adjusting the length of 0 and 64 is a turnbuckle, but the length adjusting mechanism is not limited to the turnbuckle and may be any length adjusting mechanism.

Further, although the illustrated embodiment is a four-link rear suspension, the suspension of the present invention is not limited to this type and the present invention allows one end to pivot about an axis. It may be applied to any type of suspension as long as it has a suspension arm supported by the vehicle body and supporting the wheel carrier at the other end.

[0044]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the distance between the rotary axis of the rotary damper and the one end of the first link is different from that of the pivot axis of the suspension arm and the first link. Can be smaller than the distance between the edges,
The distance between the rotation axis and one end of the second link may also be smaller than the distance between the pivot axis of the suspension arm and the other end of the second link, so that the rotation angle of the housing around the rotation axis is The rotation angle of the shaft around the axis of rotation is greater than the pivot angle of the suspension arm, and the rotation angle of the shaft is also greater than the pivot angle of the suspension arm. In comparison with the case where the suspension is incorporated in the vehicle body side pivot portion, and one of the housing and the shaft is rotated relative to the other by pivoting of the suspension arm,
The ratio of the relative rotation angle of the housing and the shaft to the pivotal angle of the suspension arm is much larger, and therefore a sufficient damping force can be generated with good response by the small-sized rotary damper.

According to the present invention, the lengths of the first and second links, the relative positions of the ends of the first and second links with respect to the rotation axis, the pivot axis of the suspension arm, and the first and second links. By appropriately setting and changing the distance from the other end of the housing, the ratio of the relative rotational angular velocity of the housing and shaft to the pivotal angular velocity of the suspension arm due to wheel bound and rebound can be set and changed relatively freely. Since the damping force characteristic of the rotary damper can be arbitrarily set and changed by this, the rotary damper having a certain damping force characteristic can be commonly used in various suspensions.

Further, according to the present invention, the rotary damper is rotatably supported around the rotation axis of the rotary damper by the support device so as not to be relatively displaceable in the direction transverse to the rotation axis, but the housing and the shaft are respectively arranged in the first and second directions. Since the suspension arm is pivotally connected to the suspension arm via the first and second links, even if an input is applied to the wheels in the vehicle front-rear direction or the left-right direction from the road surface and the force is transmitted to the suspension arm, the suspension arm relative to the vehicle body The relative displacement in the vehicle front-rear direction or the left-right direction is absorbed by the first and second links and their pivotal joints, thus preventing the housing and the shaft from being excessively twisted against each other. It is possible to avoid making the rotary damper an unnecessarily strong structure, and To generate properly damping force by relatively smoothly rotated another to each other Yafuto thereby improving the durability of the rotary damper.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a vehicle suspension according to the present invention configured as a 4-link type rear suspension.

2 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view showing the support structure of the rotary damper in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view showing the support structure of the rotary damper in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

5 is a skeleton diagram showing the operation of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a skeleton diagram showing the operation of the first modification in which the lengths of the first and second links are changed.

7 is a graph showing the damping force characteristic of the rotary damper in the first modified example shown in FIG. 6 in comparison with the characteristic in the case of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a skeleton diagram showing the operation of the second modification in which the lengths of the first and second links are changed.

9 is a graph showing the damping force characteristic of the rotary damper in the second modified example shown in FIG. 8 in comparison with the characteristic in the case of FIG.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view showing the support structure of the rotary damper in the second embodiment in which the lengths of the first and second links are changeable.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Carrier 14 ... Upper control link 16 ... Lower control link 20 ... Vehicle body 30 ... Rotary damper 32 ... Shaft 34 ... Housing 50 ... Front side link (first link) 64 ... Rear side link (second link) 70 ... Turn buckle

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Mitsuhiro Tabata 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Toyota Motor Corporation (72) Inventor Tetsuya Aoki 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Toyota Motor Corporation

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A suspension arm supported by a vehicle body at one end so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis and supporting a wheel carrier at the other end, and a rotation axis extending in a direction transverse to an extension direction of the suspension arm. A rotary damper having a housing and a shaft fitted to each other so as to be rotatable relative to each other and configured to generate a damping force by relative rotation of the housing and the shaft; A support device that supports the rotary damper from the vehicle body such that the rotary damper cannot be relatively displaced in a direction crossing the rotation axis, and first and second sides that are substantially separated in the extending direction of the suspension arm on both sides of the rotary damper. And the first link is pivotally attached to the housing at a position spaced from the rotation axis at one end and is forward at the other end. The suspension arm is pivotally attached at a position other than the one end thereof, and the second link is pivotally attached to the shaft at a position spaced from the rotation axis at one end and the other end at the other end. A vehicle suspension characterized in that the suspension arm is pivotally attached to a portion other than the one end thereof.