JPH0848122A - Supension for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To produce a sufficient damping force in responsiveness without lessening an orifice and a choke clearance in terms of capacity by enabling it to set the damping force characteristics of a rotary damper against the bound or rebound of a wheel in a relatively free manner. CONSTITUTION:This suspension is provided with a rotary damper 60 being made so as to produce its damping force by the relative rotation of a housing 64 and a vane shaft 62 and supported by a car body through a supporting device 74, a first link 80 whose one end is pivoted to the housing and the other end to an upper arm 14 respectively, and a second link 94 whose one end is pivoted to the vane shaft and other end to the upper arm respectively. The housing and the vane shaft are rotated in reverse to each other around a turning axis by both these first and second links with the pivotal rotation of the upper arm.

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 vane shaft that are fitted relative to each other about a rotation axis so that the hydraulic oil is forced to pass through an orifice or choke clearance by relative rotation of the housing and the vane shaft. It is configured to generate a damping force due to the flow resistance at that time, and is described as one of suspensions of vehicles such as automobiles in which such a rotary damper is incorporated, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-306806. As described above, the rotary damper is incorporated in the pivotal attachment portion of the suspension arm on the vehicle body side so that the rotation axis of the rotary damper and the pivot axis of the suspension arm are aligned, and the housing is rotated relative to the vane shaft by the pivotal movement of the suspension arm. Conventional suspensions configured to It is known.

According to such a suspension, when the suspension arm pivots about its axis due to the bouncing and rebound of the wheels, the housing of the rotary damper rotates relative to the vane shaft about the axis of rotation. Since the damping force is generated by the vehicle body and the suspension arm, the cylinder-piston type shock absorber is disposed between the vehicle body and the suspension arm in a state where the shock absorber extends substantially in the vertical direction. The space between and can be reduced and the vehicle interior space can be increased.

[0004]

However, in the suspension in which the rotary damper is incorporated as described above, the relative rotation angle of the housing of the rotary damper and the vane shaft is determined by the suspension arm regardless of the bounding amount and the rebounding amount of the wheels. Since it is the same as the pivot angle and the ratio of the relative rotation angle of the housing and vane shaft to the pivot angle of the suspension arm cannot be set freely, the damping force characteristics of the rotary damper for wheel bound and rebound can be set freely. There is a problem that it cannot be set.

Further, the pivot angle of the suspension arm due to the bouncing and rebounding of the wheels is not so large, and correspondingly, the moving flow rate of the hydraulic oil inside the damper is small, so that a sufficient damping force is generated with good responsiveness. In order to generate sufficient damping force with a small relative rotation angle, the orifice and choke clearance of the rotary damper must be reduced, and therefore the orifice and choke clearance must be very highly accurate. There is a problem that it has to be formed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems in the conventional suspension in which the rotary damper is incorporated, and the main problem of the present invention is to reduce the damping of the rotary damper with respect to the bound and rebound of the wheel. The force characteristics can be set relatively freely, and sufficient damping force can be generated with good responsiveness without reducing the orifice or choke clearance of the rotary damper.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a main object described above is a suspension arm pivotally supported by a vehicle body at one end and supporting a wheel carrier at the other end, and an extension direction of the suspension arm. A rotary damper having a housing and a vane shaft that are fitted relative to each other about a rotation axis extending in a direction across the housing and a vane shaft, the rotary damper being configured to generate a damping force by relative rotation of the housing and the vane shaft, A support device that supports the rotary damper from the vehicle body so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis and not relatively displaceable in a direction transverse to the rotation axis; and a support device at a position separated from the rotation axis at one end. A first link pivotally attached to the housing and pivotally attached at the other end to the suspension arm at a portion other than the one end thereof; A housing having a second link pivotally attached to the vane shaft at a position spaced from the rolling axis and pivotally attached to the suspension arm at a position other than the one end at the other end. And the vane shaft is configured to rotate in opposite directions about the rotation axis by the first and second links as the suspension arm pivots. To be done.

[0008]

According to the above-mentioned structure, the rotary damper is supported by the vehicle body by the supporting device so as to be rotatable about its rotation axis and not relatively displaceable in the direction transverse to the rotation axis. Is pivotally attached to the housing at a position spaced from the axis of rotation at the other end, and is pivotally attached to the suspension arm at the other end at a portion other than one end thereof.
The second link is pivotally attached at one end to the vane shaft at a position spaced from the rotation axis and at the other end to the suspension arm at a portion other than the one end thereof. Are configured to rotate in opposite directions around the rotation axis by the first and second links as the suspension arm pivots, thereby generating a damping force.

Therefore, the length of the first and second links, the relative position of one end of the first and second links with respect to the axis of rotation,
By appropriately setting and changing the distance between the pivot axis of the suspension arm and the other ends of the first and second links, the pivot angle and pivot angular velocity of the suspension arm associated with wheel bouncing and rebound can be adjusted. It is possible to set and change the relative rotation angle and relative rotation angular velocity ratio of the housing and the vane shaft relatively freely, and thereby to set and change the damping force characteristics of the rotary damper for wheel bound and rebound arbitrarily. It is possible.

The distance between the rotation axis and 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 from one end of the suspension arm to the pivot axis of the suspension arm and the other end of the second link may also be smaller, so that the rotation angle of the housing about the rotation axis is less than the pivot angle of the suspension arm. Since the rotation angle of the vane shaft around the rotation axis is also larger than the pivot angle of the suspension arm, the rotary damper is pivotally attached to the vehicle body side so that the rotation axis and the suspension arm pivot axis match. It is built into the housing and is configured to rotate one of the housing and vane shaft relative to the other by pivoting the suspension arm. It was compared with the case of the suspension,
The ratio of the relative rotation angle of the housing and vane shaft to the pivot angle of the suspension arm is much larger,
As a result, a sufficient damping force can be generated with good responsiveness without reducing the orifice or choke clearance.

[0011]

Supplementary Description of Means and Actions for Solving the Problems According to one detailed characteristic of the present invention, the first and second links are arranged opposite to each other with respect to the rotation axis of the rotary damper. According to this structure, even if the displacement direction of the other end of the first or second link is not reversed, the other ends of the first and second links are displaced in the opposite directions in accordance with the pivotal movement of the suspension arm. The suspension structure can be simplified as compared with the case where the first and second links are arranged on the same side with respect to the rotation axis of the rotary damper.

According to another detailed feature of the invention,
The first and second links are arranged on the same side with respect to the rotation axis of the rotary damper, and the other ends of the first and second links are respectively connected to the housing or the vane shaft of the rotary damper through a displacement direction reversing mechanism. To be done. With such a configuration, it is possible to adjust the ratio of the relative rotation angle and the relative rotation angular velocity of the housing and the vane shaft to the pivot angle and the pivot angular velocity of the suspension arm by the displacement direction reversing mechanism. As compared with the structure in which the second link is arranged on the opposite side to the rotation axis of the rotary damper, the degree of freedom in setting the damping force characteristics of the rotary damper with respect to the bound and rebound of the wheel can be increased. It will be possible.

According to yet another detailed feature of the present invention, the first and second links are disposed on the same side of the rotary damper opposite to one end of the suspension arm with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotary damper. Alternatively, the other end of the second link is connected to the housing or the vane shaft of the rotary damper via a displacement direction reversing mechanism, respectively. According to this configuration,
The displacement direction reversing mechanism can also adjust the ratio of the relative rotation angle and the relative rotation angular velocity of the housing and the vane shaft to the pivot angle and the pivot angular velocity of the suspension arm, whereby the first and second links can be adjusted. It is possible to increase the degree of freedom in setting the damping force characteristics of the rotary damper with respect to the bouncing and rebounding of the wheels, compared to the case where the structure is arranged on the opposite sides of the rotary axis of the rotary damper. The ratio of the relative rotation angle of the housing and the vane shaft to the pivotal angle of the arm is large, which makes it possible to generate a more sufficient damping force with good response.

According to yet another detailed feature of the present invention, the rotary damper provides a damping force due to the flow resistance when the hydraulic oil is forced to pass through at least the choke clearance due to the relative rotation of the housing and the vane shaft. The choke clearance is configured to vary depending on the relative rotation angle of the housing and the vane shaft. With this configuration, it is possible to further increase the degree of freedom in setting the damping force characteristic of the rotary damper with respect to the bound and rebound of the wheel.

[0015]

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

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a first embodiment of a vehicle suspension according to the present invention configured as a double wishbone type suspension, and FIG. 2 is a main part of the first embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing a transverse section of the rotary damper, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged front views and enlarged side views showing the support structure of the rotary damper shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively. is there.

In these figures, 10 is a wheel carrier for rotatably supporting the wheel 12, and 14 and 1 are shown.
Reference numeral 6 denotes an upper arm and a lower arm, respectively. The upper arm 14 is an A-shaped arm and is disposed between the front arm 14A and the rear arm 14B and the outer ends of these arms, and a connecting member 1 for integrally connecting the two arms.
It consists of 4C. The connecting member 14C is pivotally attached to the upper end of the carrier 10 by a ball joint 18.

Sleeves 20 and 22 having serrations on the inner surfaces are fixed to the inner ends of the front arm 14A and the rear arm 14B, and the sleeves 20 and 22 are substantially opposite to both ends of a shaft 24 extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction. It is fitted with serrations. Washers 28 are fixed to both ends of the shaft 24 with bolts 26, and the front arm 14A and the rear arm 14B are held by these washers so as not to fall off from the shaft 24. Thus, the front arm 14A and the rear arm 14B are connected at their inner ends to both ends of the shaft 24 so as not to rotate relative to them.

In the illustrated first embodiment, the lower arm 16 is also an A-shaped arm and has a joint 3 at its two inner ends.
It is pivotally supported by the suspension member 32 at 0, and is pivotally attached to the lower end of the carrier 10 at the outer end by a ball joint 34. A bound stopper 36 cooperating with the lower surface of the outer end of the suspension member 32 is fixed at a position close to the outer end of the upper surface of the lower arm 16, and the upper end of the outer end of the suspension member 32 is fixed to the upper end of the outer arm of the upper arm 14. A rebound stopper 38 cooperating with the lower surface is fixed.

Brackets 42 and 44 fixed to the side member 40 carry joints 46 and 48 which are rubber bushing devices having sleeves 20 and 22 as inner cylinders. The shaft 24 is elastically supported by joints 46 and 48 so as to be rotatable about an axis 50, so that the upper arm 14 is supported together with the shaft 24 so as to be rotatable about the axis 50. Further, one end of a torsion bar spring 54 is connected to the inner end of the rear arm 14B of the upper arm 14 by a bracket 52. The torsion bar spring 54 has an axis 50.
Extending in the vehicle front-rear direction along an axis 56 aligned with, and is connected to the vehicle body by an anchor arm at the other end in a well-known manner although not shown in the drawing.

Above the rear arm 14B, a rotary damper 60 extending along a rotation axis 58 parallel to the axis 50.
Is arranged. As shown in detail in FIG. 3, the rotary damper 60 includes a shaft 62 having a pair of integral vanes 61 that extend along the rotation axis 58 and are spaced apart from each other in the radial direction, and a shaft 62 that rotates with respect to the shaft 62. A housing 64 defining two pairs of oil chambers 65 that are fitted to each other about the axis 58 so as to be rotatable relative to each other, and cooperate with the vanes 61 and communicate with each other via the choke clearances 63. On the other hand, the relative rotation causes the oil to be forcedly flowed from one oil chamber to the other oil chamber through the choke clearance 63, and a damping force is generated by the flow resistance at that time.

Particularly in the first embodiment shown, the diameter of the inner wall surface of the housing 64 is near the end of rotation of the shaft 62 in the bounding direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3). The choke clearance 63 is set to gradually increase toward the position, and thus the choke clearance 63 is set to gradually increase as the shaft 62 rotates toward the end position on the bound side. Therefore, the choke clearance 63 set as described above functions as a damping force reducing means for reducing the damping force generated by the rotary damper in the region near the full bound of the wheel.

Further, as shown in detail in FIGS. 4 and 5, a bracket 66 is fixed to the vehicle body 41 by welding, and a bracket 68 facing the bracket 66 is fixed by a plurality of bolts 68A. . The shaft 62 of the rotary damper 60 is rotatably supported by brackets 66 and 68 via a bush 70 around a rotation axis 58. A spacer 72 is interposed between the disk portion of the bush 70 and the end surface of the housing 64.
Thus, the brackets 66 and 68, the bush 70, and the spacer 72 form a support device 74 that supports the rotary damper 60 from the vehicle body 41 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis 58 and not relatively displaceable in the direction transverse to the rotation axis.

The housing 64 of the rotary damper 60 is integrally provided with an arm 76 that projects substantially horizontally in the inboard direction perpendicular to the rotation axis 58. An upper end of a link 80 as a first link is pivotally attached to the tip of the arm 76 by a ball joint 78, and the link 80 extends substantially in the vertical direction. Link 80
The lower end of the above is pivotally attached to the upper surface of the upper arm 14 by a joint 82 having a rubber bush inside and having an axis extending substantially in the vehicle front-rear direction.

On the other hand, the ends of the arm portions of the yoke 86 are connected and fixed to both ends of the shaft 62 by bolts 88 so that they do not rotate relative to each other, and the root portion of the yoke 86 is fixed to the inner end of the pivot arm 90 by welding. There is. Pivoting arm 9
0 extends substantially horizontally in the lateral direction of the vehicle, perpendicular to the rotation axis 58, and has a ball joint 92 at its outer end.
Thus, the upper end of the link 94 is pivotally attached. Link 94
Also extends substantially in the vertical direction, and the lower end of the link 94 is pivotally attached to the upper surface of the upper arm 14 by a joint 96 having a rubber bush inside and having an axis extending substantially in the vehicle front-rear direction. .

In the illustrated embodiment, the distance (Rh) between the axis of rotation 58 and the center of the ball joint 78 is greater than the distance (Lh) between the axis 50 of the upper arm 14 and the axis of the joint 82. Is also set small. Although the distance (Rs) between the rotation axis 58 and the center of the ball joint 92 is slightly larger than the distance (Rh) between the rotation axis 58 and the center of the ball joint 78, the distance (Rs) between the axis 50 of the upper arm 14 and It is set smaller than the distance (Ls) from the axis of the joint 96.

As shown in FIG. 6, the wheel bounces in the illustrated embodiment so that the upper arm 14 is broken about its axis 50 from the neutral position shown in solid lines in FIG. Pivoting the angle θab upwards to the position shown by ∘ causes the link 80 to be displaced upwards, which causes the housing 64 of the rotary damper 60 to rotate clockwise around the axis of rotation 58 as seen in FIG. Angle θhb
Is rotated. Further, the link 94 is also displaced upward, whereby the shaft 62 is rotated counterclockwise about the rotation axis 58 by an angle θsb. Therefore, the shaft and the housing of the rotary damper are rotated about the rotation axis in the opposite direction with respect to each other by a total angle θtb (= θhb + θsb), which causes the rotary damper to generate a damping force on the contracting side (wheel bounce direction). .

Conversely, the wheel rebound causes the upper arm 14 to pivot about its pivot 50 downwardly from its neutral position, shown in solid lines in FIG. 6, to the position shown in phantom, the angle θar. Then, the link 80 is displaced downward, whereby the housing 64 of the rotary damper 60 is rotated about the rotation axis 58 by the arm 76 in the counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. Further, the link 94 is also displaced downward, so that the shaft 62 is rotated around the rotation axis 58 in the clockwise direction by the angle θsr. Therefore, the shaft and the housing of the rotary damper are opposite to each other about the rotation axis in the opposite direction as a whole by an angle θtr (= θhr + θ
sr), so that the rotary damper generates a damping force on the extension side (wheel rebound direction).

In these cases, links 80 and 94
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 64 and the shaft 62 are approximately (Lh / Rh) · θab, respectively.
(Ls / Rs) .theta.ab. Also links 80 and 94
The amount of downward displacement is approximately Lh · θar, Ls · θ
Therefore, the rotation angles θhr and θsr of the housing 64 and the shaft 62 are approximately (Lh / Rh) · θar, respectively.
(Ls / Rs) .theta.ar. As mentioned above (Lh / Rh
)> 1, and (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 upper arm 14, and the rotation angle θhr of the housing and the rotation angle of the shaft. Each of θsr is larger than the pivot angle θar of the upper arm.

Thus, according to the illustrated embodiment, the rotary damper 6 when the wheels bounce and rebound.
0 relative rotation angle θ of the housing 64 and the shaft 62
tb and θtr are the values when the rotary damper is incorporated into the pivotal joint on the vehicle body side of the upper arm so that the rotation axis of the rotary damper and the pivot axis of the upper arm coincide with each other, and the shaft is rotated relative to the housing by the pivotal movement of the upper arm. It is much larger than the relative rotation angle (θab, θar), and therefore the amount of oil movement in the rotary damper can be increased, so that sufficient damping force can be obtained without reducing the choke clearance of the rotary damper. Can be generated with high responsiveness.

According to the first embodiment, the lengths of the links 80 and 94, the relative positions of their upper ends with respect to the rotation axis 58, the distance between the pivot line 50 of the upper arm 14 and the lower ends of the links 80 and 94, etc. Can be set and changed relatively freely, whereby the ratio of the relative rotation angle of the housing 64 and the shaft 62 to the pivot angle of the upper arm 14 associated with the bouncing and rebound of the wheels can be set and changed relatively freely. It is possible to arbitrarily set and change the damping force characteristic of the rotary damper with respect to the bound and rebound of the wheel.

For example, FIG. 7 shows the operation of the embodiment when the length of the links 80 and 94 is set larger than that in FIG. 6, and the link 94 is set slightly longer than the link 80. It is a skeleton diagram similar to.

In this embodiment, the rotation angle θhb of the housing 64 and the rotation angle θsb of the shaft 62 accompanying the upward pivoting of the upper arm 14 are larger than those in FIG. The rotation angle θhr of the housing and the rotation angle θsr of the shaft due to the pivotal movement 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. 6, 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. 8, the damping force on the contraction side when viewed at the same pivot angular velocity of the upper arm is the damping force in the case of FIG. 6 (the solid line in FIG. However, the damping force on the extension side is lower than the damping force in the case of FIG. 6 (also indicated by the solid line in FIG. 8).

As can be seen from the comparison between FIG. 7 and FIG. 6, if the lengths of the links 80 and 94 are set larger than those in FIG. 6 and the link 80 is set slightly longer than the link 94, the compression is reduced. The damping force on the side is lower than that in FIG. 6, and the damping force on the extension side is higher than that in FIG.

FIG. 9 shows the operation of the embodiment when the lengths of the links 80 and 94 are set smaller than those in FIG. 6 and the length of the link 94 is set slightly longer than the link 80. FIG. 7 is a skeleton diagram similar to that shown in FIG. 6.

In this embodiment, the rotation angle θhb of the housing 64 due to the upward pivoting of the upper arm 14 is slightly larger than that in FIG. 6, but the rotation angle θb of the shaft 62 is shown in FIG. 6 is slightly smaller than that in the above case, and both the rotation angle θhr of the housing and the rotation angle θsr of the shaft due to the downward pivoting of the upper arm are larger than those in the case of FIG. As a result, the relative rotation angle θtb between the housing and the shaft of the rotary damper when the wheel bounces becomes slightly smaller than that in the case of FIG. 6, but the relative rotation angle θtr between the housing and the shaft when the wheel rebounds is as shown in FIG. Is larger than the case of
As indicated by the phantom line at 0, the damping force on the contraction side when viewed at the same pivot angular velocity of the upper arm is the damping force in the case of FIG. 6 (indicated by the solid line in FIG. 10). ), But the damping force on the extension side is higher than the damping force in the case of FIG. 6 (also indicated by the solid line in FIG. 10).

As can be seen by comparing FIG. 9 with FIGS. 6 and 7, the length of the link 80 is set to an intermediate value between the case of FIG. 6 and the case of FIG. 9, and the length of the link 94 is shown in FIG. If it is set to be slightly longer than in the case of, the contraction-side damping force becomes higher than that in the case of FIG. 6, and the extension-side damping force becomes slightly lower than that in the case of FIG.

Although not shown in the drawing, the rotation axis 5
Increasing or decreasing the distance between 8 and the centers of ball joints 78 and 92 will decrease and increase the damping forces generated, respectively. Similarly, the pivot of the upper arm 14 and the joint 82
By increasing or decreasing the distance between the positions 96 and 96, the generated damping force also increases or decreases.

Further, according to the first embodiment, as described above, the choke clearance 63 of the rotary damper 60 is set to gradually increase as the shaft 62 rotates toward the end position on the bound side, so that the housing 64 is provided. And the case where the relative rotational angular velocities of the shaft 62 are the same, the damping force in the vicinity of the full bound of the wheel is reduced as compared with the configuration in which the choke clearance is constant, and thus the damping force in this region is reduced. Can be reliably prevented from becoming excessive.

Further, according to the first embodiment, the shaft 62 of the rotary damper 60 is rotatably supported by the support device 74 about the rotation axis 58, so that the rotary damper 60 can be rotated about the rotation axis by the vehicle body 41. Further, the housing 64 and the shaft 62 are connected to the upper arm 14 by links 80 and 94 having pivot portions at both ends, respectively, while being supported so as not to be relatively displaceable in the direction transverse to the rotation axis. Therefore, even when an input is given to the wheels in the vehicle front-rear direction or the lateral direction from the road surface such as when the vehicle accelerates or decelerates or turns, and the upper arm is displaced relative to the vehicle body in the vehicle front-rear direction or the lateral direction, Since the relative displacement of the upper arm with respect to the vehicle body is absorbed by the pivotal joints at both ends of the links 80 and 94 and the elastic deformation of these links, the shaft 62 and the housing 64 do not exert an excessive prying action on each other. .

FIG. 11 is a front view showing a second embodiment of a vehicle suspension according to the present invention configured as a double wishbone type suspension. Fig. 11
In the figure, the same parts as those shown in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals as those shown in these figures.

In the second embodiment, the rotary damper 60 is arranged above the upper arm 14 between the front arm 14A and the rear arm 14B, and the rear end of the shaft 62 of the rotary damper 60 is arranged. The inner end of a link 100, which has the same functions as the yoke 86 and the pivot arm 90 in the first embodiment, is connected to the shaft so that they cannot rotate relative to each other.
The link 100 extends substantially horizontally in the vehicle lateral direction, and the upper end of the link 94 is pivotally attached to the outer end of the link 100 by a ball joint 92. The link 94 extends substantially in the vertical direction, and the lower end of the link 94 is pivotally attached to the upper surface of the upper arm 14 by a joint 96 having a rubber bush inside and having an axis extending substantially in the vehicle front-rear direction. ing.

The arm 76 integrally provided with the housing 64 is shown in a tilted state in FIG. 11 for the sake of illustration, but is substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis 58 in the outboard direction. Is projected horizontally to the arm 76
The lower end of a link 80 is pivotally attached to the tip of the link 80 by a ball joint 78. The upper end of the link 80 is attached to a bracket 102 fixed to the vehicle body 41 and an inner end of a pivot link 106 pivotally supported by a pivot 104, and a ball joint 108.
Is pivoted by. An upper end of a link 112 is pivotally attached to an outer end of the pivot link 106 by a ball joint 110, and a lower end of the link 112 includes a joint 114 having an axial line extending substantially in the vehicle front-rear direction and including a rubber bush. By the connecting member 14 of the upper arm 14.
It is pivotally attached to C.

Particularly in the illustrated embodiment, the pivot link 1
An elongated hole 116 is provided in 06, and the pivot 104 is inserted into the elongated hole 116. Therefore, by changing the longitudinal position of the pivot 104 in the elongated hole 116, the arm ratios of the pivot link 106 on both sides of the pivot 104 can be changed.

Thus, in the second embodiment, the link 1
Reference numerals 06 and 112 constitute a displacement direction reversing mechanism 118 that transmits the vertical displacement of the upper arm 14 to the upper end of the link 80 as a reverse displacement, and the upper end of the link 80 is connected to the rotary damper via the displacement direction reversing mechanism 118. The upper arm 1 on the outboard side of the rotation axis 58 of 60.
Connected to four.

Therefore, also in the second embodiment, the rotary damper 6 when the wheels bounce and rebound.
The relative rotation angle of the housing 64 and the shaft 62 of 0 is incorporated into the pivotal attachment portion of the upper arm on the vehicle body side so that the rotation axis of the rotary damper and the axis line of the upper arm coincide with each other, and the shaft moves relative to the housing by the pivotal movement of the upper arm. Is much larger than the relative rotation angle in the case where the rotary damper is mechanically rotated, and is larger than the relative rotation angle in the case of the first embodiment. Therefore, it is not necessary to reduce the choke clearance and the orifice of the rotary damper. It is possible to generate various damping forces with good responsiveness, and this effect can be made higher than in the case of the first embodiment.

According to the second embodiment, the arm ratio of the pivot link 106 can be changed by changing the position of the pivot 104 in the longitudinal direction with respect to the elongated hole 116. Therefore, by adjusting the arm ratio. Also, the ratio of the relative rotation angle of the housing and the shaft of the rotary damper to the pivot angle of the upper arm can be easily adjusted, which makes it easier than the first embodiment to rotate the rotary wheel against the bouncing and rebounding. The damping force characteristic of the damper can be set and changed.

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

For example, in each of the illustrated embodiments, the choke clearance 63 is set to gradually increase as the shaft 62 rotates toward the end position on the bound side, but the choke clearance may be set arbitrarily. , The choke clearance is large when the wheel is in the vicinity of neutral so that the damping force of the rotary damper gradually increases as the bounce amount and the rebound amount increase with respect to the constant bounce and rebound speeds of the wheel. It may be set to gradually decrease as the amount of rebound increases.

In the illustrated embodiments, the rotary damper 60 is rotatable about the rotation axis of the vehicle body 41 by supporting the shaft 64 of the rotary damper 60 about the rotation axis 58 by the support device 74. Further, although the housing 64 is supported so as not to be relatively displaceable in the direction crossing the rotation axis, the housing 64 may be supported by the support device 74 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis 58 and not relatively displaceable in the direction crossing the rotation axis. .

Further, in the first embodiment, the housing 64 of the rotary damper 60 is connected to the upper arm 14 on the inboard side of the rotation axis 58 by the arm 76 and the link 80, and the shaft 62 is linked to the links 90 and 94. And the like, the housing 64 is connected to the upper arm on the outboard side of the rotation axis 58.
Connected to the upper arm on the outboard side of 8,
The shaft 62 may be connected to the upper arm on the inboard side of the rotation axis. Similarly, in the second embodiment, the housing 64 includes the link 80 and the displacement direction reversing mechanism 1.
The shaft 62 is connected to the upper arm on the outboard side with respect to the connecting position of the shaft 62 to the upper arm (position of the joint 96) by 18 or the like, but the shaft 62 is connected to the upper arm by the links 100 and 94 or the like (the connecting position of the joint 114 of the housing 114). It may be connected to the upper arm on the outboard side of the position).

In the illustrated embodiment, the distance (Rh) between the rotary axis 58 of the rotary damper 60 and the center of the ball joint 78 at the upper end of the link 80, and the distance between the rotary axis 58 and the ball joint 92 at the upper end of the link 94. The distance (Rs) from the center is constant, but the ball joint 78
Arm and link 90 for receiving the bolt portions of
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.

Further, although each of the illustrated embodiments is a double wishbone type rear suspension, the suspension of the present invention is not limited to this type.
The present invention may be applied to any type of suspension as long as it has a suspension arm pivotally supported at one end on the vehicle body and supporting the wheel carrier at the other end.

[0054]

As is apparent from the above description, 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, and the suspension arm. By appropriately setting and changing the distance between the pivot axis and the other ends of the first and second links, the housing and vane with respect to the pivoting angle and the pivoting angular velocity of the suspension arm associated with the wheel bouncing and rebounding. It is possible to set and change the relative rotation angle and relative rotation angular velocity ratio of the shaft relatively freely, which allows the damping force characteristics of the rotary damper for wheel bound and rebound to be set and changed arbitrarily. A rotary damper having a certain damping force characteristic can be shared by various suspensions.

Further, according to the present invention, 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 the 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 about the rotation axis is the suspension. The rotation angle of the vane shaft around the axis of rotation is greater than the pivot angle of the arm, and the rotation angle of the vane shaft is also greater than the pivot angle of the suspension arm, so that the rotary damper aligns its rotation axis with the suspension arm pivot axis. It is built into the vehicle body side pivot part, and one of the housing and vane shaft rotates relative to the other due to the pivoting of the suspension arm. The ratio of the relative rotation angle of the housing and vane shaft to the pivot angle of the suspension arm is much larger than that of a suspension configured to provide sufficient damping without reducing the orifice or choke clearance. A force can be generated with high responsiveness.

Further, according to the present invention, the rotary damper is supported by the vehicle body by a support device so as to be rotatable about its rotation axis and not relatively displaceable in a direction transverse to the rotation axis, but the housing and the shaft are respectively 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 front view showing a first embodiment of a vehicle suspension according to the present invention configured as a double wishbone type suspension.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a main part of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a rotary damper.

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

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

FIG. 6 is a skeleton diagram showing the operation of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4;

FIG. 7 is a skeleton diagram showing the operation of the first modification in which the lengths of the first and second links are changed.

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

FIG. 9 is a skeleton diagram showing the operation of the second modification in which the lengths of the first and second links are changed.

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

FIG. 11 is a front view showing a second embodiment of a vehicle suspension according to the present invention configured as a double wishbone type suspension.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Carrier 14 ... Upper Arm 16 ... Lower Arm 40 ... Side Member 60 ... Rotary Damper 62 ... Shaft 64 ... Housing 80 ... First Link 94 ... Second Link

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A suspension arm pivotally supported by a vehicle body at one end and supporting a wheel carrier at the other end, and mutually rotatable relative to a rotation axis extending in a direction transverse to the extension direction of the suspension arm. A rotary damper having a mating housing and a vane shaft and configured to generate a damping force by relative rotation of the housing and the vane shaft; rotatably around the rotation axis and in a direction transverse to the rotation axis. A support device that supports the rotary damper from the vehicle body so that it cannot be relatively displaced, and one end is pivotally attached to the housing at a position spaced from the rotation axis and the other end to the suspension arm at the other end. The first link pivotally attached to the vane shaft and the vane shaft at a position separated from the rotation axis at one end. A second link that is attached to the suspension arm at the other end and is pivotally attached to the suspension arm at a portion other than the one end thereof. And a second link configured to rotate in directions opposite to each other around the rotation axis, the vehicle suspension.