KR102372392B1 - Knuckle apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An invention for a knuckle device is disclosed. The knuckle device of the present invention includes: a knuckle part on which a wheel bearing is installed; an upper torque arm extending from the knuckle part and integrally formed with the knuckle part; a lower torque arm extending apart from the upper torque arm from the knuckle part and integrally formed with the knuckle part; and a bridge part integrally connected to the upper torque arm, the knuckle part, and the lower torque arm, and coupled to the caliper.

Description

Knuckle Device{KNUCKLE APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to a knuckle device, and more particularly, to a knuckle device capable of reducing the weight of a vehicle and reducing the assembly time and assembly man-hours of the vehicle.

In general, a vehicle is a means for moving occupants. A knuckle is installed on a wheel of a vehicle, and a shock absorber, a tie rod, and a lower arm are respectively connected to the knuckle.

A torque member is bolted to the knuckle, and a caliper is installed to the torque member to brake the disk of the wheel. After the torque member and caliper are bolted together, the torque member is mounted on the knuckle.

However, in the related art, since the knuckle and the torque member are separately manufactured and then assembled, the weight of the vehicle is increased by the fastening structure and bolts of the knuckle and the torque member. In addition, the time for assembling the knuckle and the torque member is increased, and the assembly tolerance can be increased. Therefore, there is a need to improve it.

Background art of the present invention is disclosed in Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-0118337 (published on October 26, 2012, title of invention: a structure of coupling between a lower arm and a knuckle of a vehicle).

The present invention has been created to improve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a knuckle device capable of reducing the weight of a vehicle and reducing the assembly time and assembly man-hours of the vehicle.

A knuckle device according to the present invention includes: a knuckle part on which a wheel bearing is installed; an upper torque arm extending from the knuckle part and integrally formed with the knuckle part; a lower torque arm extending apart from the upper torque arm from the knuckle part and integrally formed with the knuckle part; and a bridge part integrally connected to the upper torque arm, the knuckle part, and the lower torque arm, and coupled to the caliper.

The bridge part may be formed in a convexly rounded shape toward the knuckle part.

The radius of curvature of the bridge part may increase from the center to both sides.

An upper opening may be formed between the bridge portion and the knuckle portion side portion of the upper torque arm, and a lower opening portion may be formed between the knuckle portion side portion of the lower torque arm and the bridge portion.

A portion connected to the knuckle portion of the upper torque arm, a portion connected to the knuckle portion of the bridge portion, and an end of the upper torque arm are disposed at vertices of a triangular structure, and connected to the knuckle portion of the lower torque arm A portion, a portion connected to the knuckle portion of the bridge portion, and an end of the lower torque arm may be disposed at vertices of the triangular structure.

A reinforcing rib may be formed to connect the inner surface of the lower torque arm and the circumferential surface of the knuckle part, and to protrude from the inner side of the lower torque arm.

An upper torsion reinforcing part is formed to connect an end side of the upper torque arm and an upper side of the bridge part, and an outer surface of the upper torsion reinforcing part may be flush with an outer surface of the upper torque arm and an outer surface of the bridge part. .

A lower torsion reinforcing part is formed to connect the end side of the lower torque arm and the lower side of the bridge part, and the outer surface of the lower torsion reinforcing part may be flush with the outer surface of the lower torque arm and the outer surface of the bridge part. .

According to the present invention, since the upper torque arm, the bridge part, and the lower torque arm are integrally connected to the knuckle part, a fastening member such as a separate fastening bolt is used to connect the upper torque arm, the bridge part and the lower torque arm to the knuckle part. You don't have to use it. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the weight of the vehicle, reduce the assembly time and the assembly man-hours of the vehicle, and prevent the occurrence of assembly tolerances.

In addition, according to the present invention, since the bridge part is formed to be convexly rounded toward the knuckle part, the load transmission path can be smoothly formed in a curved shape. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress concentration of stress on a specific portion of the bridge portion.

In addition, according to the present invention, since the radius of curvature of the bridge portion increases from the center to both sides, the bridge portion can be installed closer to the caliper. Accordingly, it is possible to increase the support rigidity of the caliper without the knuckle device being caught on the surrounding parts.

1 is a perspective view showing a knuckle device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view illustrating a direction in which torsion is applied in the knuckle device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a plan view showing the outside of the knuckle device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view illustrating a knuckle device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a knuckle device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the process of describing the knuckle device, thicknesses of lines or sizes of components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of explanation. In addition, the terms to be described later are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present invention, which may vary according to the intention or custom of the user or operator. Therefore, definitions of these terms should be made based on the content throughout this specification.

1 is a perspective view showing a knuckle device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a direction in which torsion is applied in the knuckle device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the present invention It is a plan view showing the outside of the knuckle device according to an embodiment, Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the knuckle device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 4 , the knuckle device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a knuckle part 110 , an upper torque arm 120 , a lower torque arm 130 , and a bridge part 140 . do.

A wheel bearing (not shown) is installed on the knuckle part 110 . The knuckle part 110 is disposed inside the wheel (not shown). A brake disc (not shown) is disposed on the outside of the knuckle part 110 .

The knuckle part 110 includes a knuckle body 111 , a first knuckle arm 113 , a second knuckle arm 115 , and a third knuckle arm 117 .

A circular hole (not shown) is formed in the knuckle body 111 to install a wheel bearing. The knuckle body 111 is formed in a substantially annular shape. The upper torque arm 120 , the bridge part 140 , and the lower torque arm 130 are integrally connected to the knuckle body 111 . Therefore, since it is not necessary to use a fastening member such as a separate fastening bolt to connect the upper torque arm 120, the bridge part 140, and the lower torque arm 130 to the knuckle body 111, the weight of the vehicle is reduced. can do it In addition, it is possible to shorten the assembly time of the vehicle and prevent an assembly tolerance from occurring.

The first knuckle arm 113 extends upward of the knuckle body 111 and is connected to a shock absorber (not shown). Two first fastening holes 113a are formed in the first knuckle arm 113 to allow bolts to be inserted therein.

The second knuckle arm 115 extends downward of the knuckle body 111 and is connected to a lower arm (not shown). The second knuckle arm 115 is formed to be inclined downward of the knuckle body 111 .

The third knuckle arm 117 extends from the knuckle body part 111 between the first knuckle arm 113 and the second knuckle arm 115 and is connected to a tie rod end part (not shown). The third knuckle arm 117 is disposed at an intermediate level between the first knuckle arm 113 and the second knuckle arm 115 . One third fastening hole 117a is formed in the third knuckle arm 117 so that a bolt can be inserted therein.

The upper torque arm 120 extends from the knuckle part 110 and is integrally formed with the knuckle part 110 . The upper torque arm 120 obliquely extends upwardly from one side of the knuckle body 111 . A relatively large load is applied to the upper torque arm 120 during reversing or braking of the vehicle.

The lower torque arm 130 extends from the knuckle part 110 to face the upper torque arm 120 , and is integrally formed with the knuckle part 110 . The lower torque arm 130 obliquely extends downward from one side of the knuckle body 111 . A relatively large load is applied to the lower torque arm 130 when the vehicle is moving forward or when braking forward.

Since a relatively large load is applied to the lower torque arm 130 by the upper torque arm 120 , the thickness of the lower torque arm 130 is greater than the thickness of the upper torque arm 120 . Accordingly, since the thickness of the upper torque arm 120 can be prevented from being unnecessarily increased, the weight of the vehicle can be reduced while maintaining the design rigidity of the lower torque arm 130 and the upper torque arm 120 .

The bridge part 140 is integrally connected to the upper torque arm 120 , the knuckle part 110 , and the lower torque arm 130 , and is coupled to a caliper (not shown). The bridge unit 140 forms a load transmission path. The bridge part 140 increases the rigidity of the transmission path of the load transmitted along the upper torque arm 120 , the knuckle part 110 , and the lower torque arm 130 . Therefore, since the rigidity of the upper torque arm 120 , the knuckle part 110 , and the lower torque arm 130 is reinforced by the bridge part 140 and the transmitted load is distributed, the upper torque arm while maintaining the rigidity required for the vehicle. The thickness of 120 , the knuckle part 110 , and the lower torque arm 130 may be relatively reduced. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve weight reduction of the vehicle.

The bridge part 140 is formed in a convexly rounded shape toward the knuckle part 110 side. Since the bridge part 140 is formed to be convexly rounded toward the knuckle part 110 side, the load transmission path may be smoothly formed in a curved shape. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the concentration of the load on a specific portion of the bridge unit 140 .

The radius of curvature of the bridge part 140 increases from the center to both sides. Since the radius of curvature of the central portion of the bridge unit 140 is relatively small, the bridge unit 140 may be installed closer to the caliper. As the bridge unit 140 is installed closer to the caliper, the knuckle device 100 may increase the rigidity supporting the caliper without being caught on the surrounding parts.

In addition, since the radius of curvature of both sides of the bridge unit 140 is formed by the central portion, both sides of the bridge unit 140 are close to a straight line. Accordingly, both sides of the bridge unit 140 may support the upper torque arm 120 and the lower torque arm 130 by a relatively large supporting force.

In addition, since the radius of curvature of the center of the bridge part 140 is formed smaller than that of both sides of the bridge part 140 , the load transmitted from the upper torque arm 120 is transferred to the knuckle body 111 and the lower torque arm 130 . The distributed, load transmitted from the lower torque arm 130 may be distributed to the knuckle body 111 and the upper torque arm 120 .

An upper opening 121 is formed between the part on the knuckle part 110 side of the upper torque arm 120 and the bridge part 140 , and the part on the knuckle part 110 side of the lower torque arm 130 and the bridge part 140 . ), a lower opening 131 is formed between them. The portion on the knuckle part 110 side of the upper torque arm 120 means a portion disposed on the side of the knuckle body 111 with respect to the center of the upper torque arm 120 . The portion on the side of the knuckle part 110 of the lower torque arm 130 means a portion disposed on the side of the knuckle body 111 with respect to the center of the lower torque arm 130 . Since the part where the upper opening 121 is formed and the part where the lower opening 131 is formed are parts that deviate from the main load transmission path, the rigidity of the upper torque arm 120 and the lower torque arm 130 is secured and the weight is reduced. can be reduced

A part U1 connected to the knuckle part 110 of the upper torque arm 120 , a part U2 connected to the knuckle part 110 of the bridge part 140 , and an end U3 of the upper torque arm 120 ) is placed at the vertex of the triangular structure. Since the connection structure of the upper torque arm 120 , the knuckle part 110 , and the bridge part 140 is disposed at the vertex of the triangular structure, the upper torque arm 120 , the knuckle part 110 , and the bridge part 140 are supported. stiffness can be increased.

A portion U4 connected to the knuckle portion 110 of the lower torque arm 130 , a portion D2 connected to the knuckle portion 110 of the bridge portion 140 , and an end portion U5 of the lower torque arm 130 ) is placed at the vertex of the triangular structure. Since the connection structure of the lower torque arm 130 , the knuckle part 110 , and the bridge part 140 is disposed at the vertex of the triangular structure, the lower torque arm 130 , the knuckle part 110 and the bridge part 140 are supported. stiffness can be increased.

A reinforcing rib 135 is formed to connect the inner surface 140a of the lower torque arm 130 and the circumferential surface of the knuckle part 110 and protrude from the inner side of the lower torque arm 130 . The reinforcing rib 135 is formed to decrease in height from the circumferential surface of the knuckle body 111 toward the end of the lower torque arm 130 . Since the reinforcing rib 135 connects the lower torque arm 130 and the circumferential surface of the knuckle part 110 , the supporting rigidity of the lower torque arm 130 is reinforced, and the rigidity withstanding torsion (torsion moment) is increased. can do it

The upper torsion reinforcement part 124 is formed to connect the end side of the upper torque arm 120 and the upper side of the bridge part 140 , and the outer surface 124b of the upper torsion reinforcement part 124 is the upper torque arm 120 . ) of the outer surface (120b) and the outer surface (140b) of the bridge portion 140 and is formed to form the same plane. Since the upper torsion reinforcing part 124 does not form a step difference with the upper torque arm 120 and the bridge part 140 in the outer direction of the wheel, the upper torque arm 120 and the bridge part 140 are connected to the upper torque arm 120 and the bridge part 140 in the outer direction ( When torsion is applied in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3 , the rigidity of the outer surface 120b of the upper torque arm 120 where the stress is most concentrated can be reinforced.

In addition, the inner surface 124a of the upper torsion reinforcing part 124 is formed to have a step difference from the inner surface 120a of the upper torque arm 120 and the inner surface 140a of the bridge part 140 . Accordingly, the weight of the knuckle device 100 may be reduced as much as the upper torsion reinforcing part 124 is formed to be stepped.

The lower torsion reinforcement part 134 is formed to connect the end side of the lower torque arm 130 and the lower side of the bridge part 140 , and the outer surface 134b of the lower torsion reinforcement part 134 is the lower torque arm 130 . ) is formed to be flush with the outer surface 130b and the outer surface 140b of the bridge unit 140 . Since the lower torsion reinforcing part 134 does not form a step with the lower torque arm 130 and the bridge part 140 in the outer direction of the wheel, the lower torque arm 130 and the bridge part 140 are attached to the lower torque arm 130 and the bridge part 140 in the outer direction of the vehicle. When torsion (counterclockwise in FIG. 3) is applied, the rigidity of the outer surface 130b of the lower torque arm 130, where the stress is most concentrated, may be reinforced.

In addition, the inner surface 134a of the lower torsion reinforcing part 134 is formed to have a step difference from the inner surface 130a of the lower torque arm 130 and the inner surface 140a of the bridge part 140 . Accordingly, the weight of the knuckle device 100 may be reduced as much as the lower torsion reinforcing part 134 is formed to be stepped.

An upper pad sliding part 126 is formed at an end of the upper torque arm 120 to support the brake pad (not shown) of the caliper, and an end of the lower torque arm 130 is provided with a lower pad wet to support the brake pad of the caliper. East 136 is formed. The upper pad sliding part 126 and the lower pad sliding part 136 are formed to be parallel to the axial direction of the wheel. As the brake pads of the caliper wear, the brake pads on both sides of the brake disc (not shown) move toward the longitudinal center of the upper pad sliding part 126 and the lower pad sliding part 136 .

As described above, since the upper torque arm 120 , the bridge part 140 , and the lower torque arm 130 are integrally connected to the knuckle part 110 , the upper torque arm 120 , the bridge part are connected to the knuckle part 110 . In order to connect the 140 and the lower torque arm 130, there is no need to use a fastening member such as a separate fastening bolt. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the weight of the vehicle, reduce the assembly time and the assembly man-hours of the vehicle, and prevent the occurrence of assembly tolerances.

In addition, since the bridge part 140 is formed to be convexly rounded toward the knuckle part 110 side, the load transmission path may be formed in a smooth curved shape. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the concentration of stress on a specific portion of the bridge unit 140 .

In addition, since the radius of curvature of the bridge unit 140 increases from the center to both sides, the bridge unit 140 can be installed closer to the caliper. Accordingly, it is possible to increase the rigidity for supporting the caliper without the knuckle device 100 being caught on the peripheral parts.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawings, this is merely exemplary, and it is understood that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible by those of ordinary skill in the art. will understand

Accordingly, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be defined by the claims.

100: knuckle device 110: knuckle part
111: knuckle body 113: first knuckle arm
113a: first fastening hole 115: second knuckle arm
115a: second fastening hole 117: third knuckle arm
117a: third fastening hole 120: upper torque arm
121: upper opening 124: upper torsion reinforcement
126: upper pad sliding part 130: lower torque arm
131: lower opening 134: lower torsion reinforcement
135: reinforcing rib 136: lower pad sliding part
140: bridge unit

Claims (8)

a knuckle part on which wheel bearings are installed;
an upper torque arm extending from the knuckle part and integrally formed with the knuckle part;
a lower torque arm extending apart from the upper torque arm from the knuckle part and integrally formed with the knuckle part; and
and a bridge part integrally connected to the upper torque arm, the knuckle part, and the lower torque arm and coupled to the caliper;
The bridge part is formed in a convexly rounded shape toward the knuckle part,
The radius of curvature of the bridge part increases from the center to both sides,
The lower torque arm is a knuckle device, characterized in that formed thicker than the upper torque arm.
delete delete According to claim 1,
An upper opening is formed between the part on the side of the knuckle part of the upper torque arm and the bridge part,
A lower opening portion is formed between the bridge portion and the knuckle portion side portion of the lower torque arm.
According to claim 1,
A portion connected to the knuckle portion of the upper torque arm, a portion connected to the knuckle portion of the bridge portion, and an end of the upper torque arm are disposed at vertices of the triangular structure,
A part connected to the knuckle part of the lower torque arm, a part connected to the knuckle part of the bridge part, and an end of the lower torque arm are disposed at vertices of the triangular structure.
According to claim 1,
The knuckle device, characterized in that the reinforcing rib is formed to connect the inner surface of the lower torque arm and the circumferential surface of the knuckle part, and to protrude from the inner side of the lower torque arm.
According to claim 1,
An upper torsion reinforcement part is formed to connect an end side of the upper torque arm and an upper side of the bridge part,
An outer surface of the upper torsion reinforcing part is in the same plane as an outer surface of the upper torque arm and an outer surface of the bridge part.
According to claim 1,
A lower torsion reinforcement part is formed so as to connect an end side of the lower torque arm and a lower side of the bridge part,
An outer surface of the lower torsion reinforcing part is in the same plane as an outer surface of the lower torque arm and an outer surface of the bridge part.

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