WO2004043716A1

WO2004043716A1 - Tandem axle

Info

Publication number: WO2004043716A1
Application number: PCT/EP2003/012442
Authority: WO
Inventors: Max Weiland
Original assignee: Weiland, Iris
Priority date: 2002-11-11
Filing date: 2003-11-07
Publication date: 2004-05-27
Also published as: DE10253060A1; AU2003279370A1; DE10253060B4

Abstract

A tandem axle assembly (1) for a towed vehicle comprises two axles (3, 4), each of which supporting at least one wheel (5, 6) and being able to jointly pivot around a swing axle (23) located therebetween. The tandem axle assembly also comprises a link frame (8), which is mounted on a main frame (2) of the vehicle in a manner that enables it to pivot around a horizontally running pivot axle (11) lying, in a pulling direction (10), in front of the axles (3, 4) in order to adjust the relative height of the axles (3, 4) with regard to the main frame (2) by means of a height adjusting device (20) that operates between the main frame (2) and the swing axle (23). Another link frame (9) is provided that, likewise, is mounted on the main frame (2) of the vehicle in a manner that enables it to pivot around a horizontally running pivot axle (12) lying, in a pulling direction (10), behind the axles (3, 4). One axle (3) is mounted on one link frame (8), and the other axle (4) is mounted on the other link frame (9), and both link frames (8, 9) are connected to one another via a longitudinally variable lateral guiding element (13), which supports the lateral forces directed toward the swing axle (23) between the link frames (8, 9) and which is mounted on both link frames (8, 9) in a manner that enables it to pivot around a respective horizontal pivot axle (14, 15).

Description

DOUBLE AXLE

The invention relates to a double-axle arrangement for a towed vehicle with two axles, each carrying at least one wheel and which can be given away together about a pendulum axis lying between them, and with a handlebar frame which can be given away about a horizontally running pivot axis lying in front of the axles in the direction of pull a main frame of the vehicle is mounted to ₍ adjust the relative height of the axles with respect to the main frame with a height adjustment device acting between the main frame and the swing axle.

The double-axle arrangement can be such an axle arrangement with which a towed vehicle is considered a single-axle trailer because the distance between the two axles in the direction of pull is not greater than one meter. However, this is not mandatory. The double-axle arrangement can be provided once for each lane in a two-lane vehicle, which is the normal case. In this case, the axles of the double-axle arrangement each carry only one wheel or multiple wheel. However, it is equally possible to provide only a single double-axle arrangement, the axles having wheels or multiple wheels at their two ends which are assigned to the two tracks.

Although the axes of the double-axle arrangement can also be supported individually in the vertical direction, a coupled pendulum movement of the two axes about the pendulum axis is primarily provided to adapt the double-axis arrangement to uneven ground under the towed vehicle. This means that each axis can move upwards if the other axis makes a complementary movement downwards, so that the total movement of the two axes corresponds to a pivoting about the pendulum axis. The axes do not have to move on circular paths with a fixed radius around the pendulum axis, nor does the position of the pendulum axis have to be completely fixed in relation to the main frame of the vehicle. Rather, it is crucial that a connecting line of the two axes during their coupled movement performs a rotational movement, the center of rotation of which is essentially stationary with respect to the main frame of the vehicle.

In particular, the invention relates to a double-axle arrangement for a towed vehicle, with which the main frame of the vehicle can be placed on the floor by raising the axles to such an extent that the wheels lift off the floor or in any case no longer carry the main frame alone. However, there are also various other possible uses for the double-axle arrangement, in which the main frame can be adjusted in height relative to the floor by different height settings of the axles supporting the wheels relative to the main frame.

STATE OF THE ART

In principle, axially adjustable axle assemblies, including double axle assemblies, are known for the main frame of a towed vehicle. These also include double-axle arrangements in which the axles are mounted on a handlebar frame which is mounted on the main frame of the vehicle so as to be pivotable about a horizontally extending pivot axis lying in front of the axles in the direction of pull. A height adjustment device for adjusting the relative height of the axles relative to the main frame has a linear actuator which acts between the handlebar frame and the main frame in order to change the angular position of the handlebar frame with respect to the main frame. This automatically changes the height of the axes relative to the main frame. Due to the friction between the wheels of the axles mounted on the handlebar frame and the ground, when a trailer equipped with such an axle arrangement initiates cornering, forces occur between the towed main frame, via which a change in direction is initiated, and the axles. Since the axles are supported on the handlebar frame, the forces between the handlebar frame and the main frame act in such a way that a torque about a vertical axis running in the region of the pivot axis of the handlebar frame acts in the direction that the free end of the handlebar frame supporting the axles of the center of the curve. Due to the torsion of the handlebar frame, which cannot be avoided with a relatively light design of the handlebar frame, this easily results in a deformation of the handlebar frame and thus a lateral offset of the axles relative to it Main frame of the vehicle. In order to prevent this lateral offset or to support the torque between the handlebar frame and the main frame, vertical guides for the free end of the handlebar frame or the axles could be formed on the main frame. However, these guides would be very complex because they should not restrict the height travel of the axes relative to the main frame.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The invention has for its object to show a double-axle arrangement of the type described in the introduction, in which the torque between the main frame and the handlebar frame is intercepted in a fundamentally different way when the towed vehicle is cornering, in order to deform the handlebar frame and offset the axles laterally to prevent the main frame of the vehicle.

SOLUTION

The object of the invention is achieved according to the invention by a double-axle arrangement with the features of patent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of this double-axis arrangement are described in subclaims 2 to 10.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the double-axle arrangement according to the invention, in addition to the handlebar frame, which is pivotally mounted on the main frame about the pivot axis lying in front of the axles, a further handlebar frame is provided which is pivotably mounted on the main frame of the vehicle about a horizontally extending pivot axis lying behind the axles in the pulling direction is. One of the two axles is mounted on one handlebar frame and the other of the two axles is mounted on the other handlebar frame. When the towed vehicle initiates cornering, this results in the axle mounted on the further handlebar frame being acted on in the direction of the curve radius due to the friction of its wheel or wheels on the ground relative to the main frame of the vehicle, ie away from the center of the curve and thus in the opposite direction to act on the other axle in this driving situation. On the one hand, the problem of undesirable torques on the Handlebar frame doubled; on the other hand, due to the different directions of the torques, there is the possibility of compensating these torques by one another. For this purpose, in the double-axle arrangement according to the invention, the two handlebar frames are connected to one another via a variable-length side guide element which supports lateral forces in the direction of the pendulum axis between the handlebar frames. At the same time, the side guide element is mounted on both handlebar frames so as to be pivotable about a horizontal pivot axis in order not to oppose the pendulum movement of the two axes about the pendulum axis. During this pendulum movement, both pendulum frames of the double-axis arrangement according to the invention pivot in a coupled movement about their respective pivot axes, the coupling being effected at least also via the lateral guide element. Various possibilities will be discussed below for realizing this coupling of the movement of the two handlebar frames in order to enable the pendulum movement of the two axes about the pendulum axis.

In the double-axle arrangement according to the invention, the two handlebar frames on which the two axles are mounted are preferably of identical design in order to compensate forces which are as identical as possible between the two axles and the main frame of the towed vehicle.

Although it is fundamentally possible to support the axles resiliently on the handlebar frame, it is favorable for the double-axle arrangement according to the invention if the axles are rigidly supported on the handlebar frame at least in the lateral direction. In the preferred embodiment of the new double-axle arrangement, the two axles are even rigidly mounted on the handlebar frame in order to achieve an overall simple structure.

The two handlebar frames of the double-axle arrangement according to the invention can be relatively torsionally soft between their pivot axes and the rigid axles. The loads on each handlebar frame are reduced in a vehicle equipped with the double-axle arrangement according to the invention, because the loads are distributed over two handlebar frames and the mutual lateral support of the handlebar frames by the side guide element already supports the essential lateral forces on the axles when initiating cornering. A relative torsional softness of the To a certain extent, the handlebar frame allows rigid axles, which have wheels in their two ends, to be adjusted to uneven floors that correspond to a slope in the transverse direction to the direction of pull of the vehicle.

If, on the other hand, both axles carry only one wheel or double wheel and a separate double-axle arrangement is provided for each lane for a multi-lane vehicle, the handlebar frames must be torsionally rigid due to the one-sided load due to the support of the wheels on only one end of the axles. In this case, however, the wheels can adapt to uneven floors anyway.

Specifically, the side guide element can have a push frame mounted on one handlebar frame and a drawer mounted on the other handlebar frame and guided linearly in the push frame. The lateral forces are transferred between the drawer and the drawer frame.

It is also possible for the side guide element to be formed from links which can only be pivoted about two pivot axes arranged at their ends. The side guide element has at least two links articulated to one another about horizontal pivot axes. The variable angle between the handlebars allows the required length change of the side guide element.

The height adjustment device of the new double-axle arrangement can have at least one linear actuator acting between the main frame and a support element which is connected in an articulated manner to both handlebar frames. In the new double-axle arrangement, the height adjustment device does not act directly on one or both handlebar frames, but rather on a support element which is articulated to both handlebar frames. The support element can also be part of the side guide element. Each linear actuator of the height adjustment device can support the support element rigidly or elastically with respect to the main frame. For example, the linear actuator can be an adjustable damped gas strut or a hydraulic cylinder.

If the axes of the double-axle arrangement are designed as rigid axles, each of which carries wheels at their two ends, it is preferred if two linear actuators are provided which are spaced apart from one another in the direction of the pendulum axis, ie support the rigid axles in relation to the main frame in the region of both tracks. If a coupling member is provided between the support elements of each linear actuator and each of the two handlebar frames, which extends upwards from a joint on the support element to a joint on the handlebar frame, the linear actuator can be compared to the distance between the free ends of the handlebar frame and the main frame , ie the upper suspension point of the linear actuator, can be made relatively long, since the overall height available for it is extended by the coupling links.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention is further explained and described below with reference to preferred exemplary embodiments shown in the figures.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of a first embodiment of the

Doppelachsanordnung.

FIG. 2 shows parts of the double-axle arrangement according to FIG. 1 in a view from above.

3 shows a schematic side view of a second embodiment of the double-axle arrangement.

FIG. 4 shows parts of the double-axle arrangement according to FIG. 3 in a view from above.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic side view of a third embodiment of the

Double axle arrangement, and

6 shows a schematic side view of a fourth embodiment of the double-axle arrangement.

In all side views, the wheels on the axles of the double-axle arrangement are only indicated by their dashed outlines. DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The double-axle arrangement 1 shown schematically in FIGS. 1 and 2 is intended for a towed vehicle, which as a whole is not shown. 1 shows part of a main frame 2 of the vehicle, on which the double-axle arrangement 1 is mounted. The double-axle arrangement 1 has two axles 3 and 4 lying one behind the other, each of which carries a wheel 5, 6 here. Wheels 5 and 6 also lie one behind the other and are assigned to the same track 7 of the vehicle. The axles 3 and 4 are each rigidly mounted on a handlebar frame 8 and 9, respectively. The handlebar frame 8 is viewed in a pulling direction 10 of the vehicle in front of the axes 3 and 4 pivotable about a horizontal pivot axis 11 on the main frame 11, while the handlebar frame 9 viewed in the pulling direction 10 behind the axes 3 and 4 is pivotable about a horizontal axis 12 is mounted on the main frame 2. The handlebar frames 8 and 9 are connected to each other except by the main frame 2 by a side guide member 13. The side guide element 13 is articulated on the handlebar frames 8 and 9 so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis 14 and 15, respectively. In addition, the length of the side guide element 13 between the pivot axes 14 and 15 is variable. Neither the side guide element 13 nor its connection to the handlebar frames 8 and 9 have any further degrees of freedom. The lateral guide element 13 thus supports lateral forces between the axes 3 and 4. Such lateral forces occur, for example, when the main frame 2 is acted upon by a towing vehicle about a vertical axis of rotation when a cornering of the towed vehicle, resulting in opposing lateral forces on the axles 3 and 4 due to the adhesion of the wheels 5 and 6 to the ground on the one hand and the connection of the axles 3 and 4 to the main frame 2, mutually opposite handlebar frames 8 and 9 result on the other. Specifically, the side guide element 13 in the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2 is by a push frame 16 which is articulated to the handlebar frame 8 and a drawer 17 which is connected to the handlebar frame 9 and linear in the direction of the distance between the axes 3 and 4 is guided in the push frame 16, formed. The lateral guide element 13 also serves as a support element 18, on which a linear actuator 19 of a height adjustment device 20 acts to adjust the relative height of the axes 3 and 4 relative to the main frame 2. The linear actuator 19 is mounted on the main frame 2 and the support element 18 so as to be pivotable about horizontal pivot axes 20 and 21. This enables the axes 3 and 4 to be pivoted together about a pendulum axis 23, the position of which relative to the main frame 2 the pivoting movement of the pivot axes 3 and 4, however, is only approximately constant. The oscillating movement of the axes 3 and 4 about the oscillating axis 23 allows the wheels 5 and 6 to compensate to a certain extent for uneven floors, so that they do not act fully on the main frame 2, even if the linear actuator is rigid, ie the distance between the pivot axes 21 and 22 is fixed. The linear actuator 19 can also be adjustable in length against an elastic force. When the axes 3 and 4 oscillate about the pendulum axis 23, their distance changes because they are guided over the handlebar frames 8 and 9 and therefore have a fixed distance from the pivot axes 11 and 12. The change in distance of the axes 3 and 4 is absorbed by the change in length of the side guide element 13. A change in distance between the axes 3 and 4 also results when the height adjustment device 20 is adjusted, in which the distance between the pivot axes 21 and 22 changes in order to change the distance between the axes 3 and 4 and the main frame 2. The handlebar frames 8 and 9 can be made relatively light. However, they must be so torsionally rigid that they absorb the torsional moments exerted by wheels 5 and 6. 1 and 2, the specific design of the handlebar frames 8 and 9 is only indicated as in all the following figures. In addition, the length of the handlebar frames 8 and 9 tends to be too short here compared to the other dimensions of the double-axle arrangement. In other words, the proportions of the illustrated embodiments of the double-axis arrangement 1 are not necessarily realistic.

In the embodiments of the double-axle arrangement 1 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the axles 3 and 4 each carry wheels 5 and 6 at their two ends, so that only one double-axle arrangement 1 is provided for both lanes 7 of a two-lane vehicle. Axes 3 and 4 are so-called rigid axles. The basic structure of the double-axle arrangement 1 does not differ in this way from FIGS. 1 and 2. That is, the differences discussed below between the embodiment of the double-axis arrangement 1 according to FIGS. 1 and 2 and that according to FIGS. 3 and 4 are based on structural modifications. unless otherwise stated, are made for other reasons. Even the arrangement of two linear actuators 19 in the height adjustment device 20 is a measure that could also be taken in the case of a double-axis arrangement for only one track 7. Here, of course, it serves to act on the support element near each of the two tracks 7. The support element 18 is here also part of the side guide element 13, but here the side guide element 13 does not include a push frame and no drawer but rather is constructed from three links 24 to 26 which can be pivoted relative to each other only about horizontal pivot axes 27 and 28, but otherwise have no degrees of freedom of movement. The middle link 25 serves as the support element 18 for the linear actuators 19 of the height adjustment device 20. The two outer links 24 and 26 also serve as coupling members 29 and 30, which are articulated to the support element 18 and from there up to the handlebar frame 8 and 9 extend to which they are also hinged. In this way, additional overall height for the linear actuators 19 is provided. The pivot axes 14 and 15, about which the side guide element 13 is pivotably mounted on the handlebar frames 8 and 9, coincide here with the axes 3 and 4, which results in a concentrated structure of the double-axle arrangement 1 overall. However, it may make sense for structural reasons to spatially separate the pivot axes 14 and 15 from the axes 3 and 4.

In the embodiment of the double-axis arrangement 1 according to FIG. 5, not only are the axes 3 and 4 separated from the pivot axes 14 and 15, but there is also a complete separation between the support element 18 for the height adjustment device 20 and the side guide element 13. The side guide element 13 is here again in the form of a drawer 17 which engages in a push frame 16. The support element 18, which is provided separately for each linear actuator 19, is articulated to the handlebar frames 8 and 9 via additional coupling members 29 and 30.

5 has additional parts in the region of the lateral guide element 13 and the support element 18, in the embodiment of the double-axis arrangement 1 according to FIG. 6 a further reduction in the number of parts has been carried out here. The side guide element 13 here has only two links 24 and 26, which are connected to one another in an articulated manner about the pivot axis 22 of the linear actuator 19. That is, this pivot axis 22 or its constructive implementation serves as a support element 18. At the same time, the links 24 and 26 serve as coupling members 29 and 30. The axes 3 and 4 do not fall with the pivot axes 14 between the side guide element 13 and the handlebar frame 8 and 9 together, but also in this regard a concentration of the structure would be possible. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

Double axis arrangement 11 swivel axis

Main frame 12 swivel axis

Axis 13 side guide element

Axis 14 swivel axis

Wheel 15 swivel axis

Wheel 16 push frame

Lane 17 drawer

Handlebar frame 18 support element

Handlebar frame 19 linear actuator

Pull direction 20 height adjustment device

swivel axis

swing axle

handlebars

swivel axis

coupling member

Claims

1.Double-axle arrangement for a towed vehicle, with two axles, each carrying at least one wheel and which can be pivoted together about a pendulum axis located between them, and with a handlebar frame which can be pivoted on a horizontally extending pivot axis in front of the axles on one Main frame of the vehicle is mounted to adjust the relative height of the axles relative to the main frame with a height adjustment device acting between the main frame and the swing axle, characterized in that a further handlebar frame (9) is provided which is one behind the in the pulling direction (10) Axles (3, 4) lying horizontally extending pivot axis (12) is pivotally mounted on the main frame (2) of the vehicle such that one axis (3) on one handlebar frame (8) and the other axis (4) on the other handlebar frame (9) is mounted and that the two handlebar frames (8, 9) via a length-adjustable side guide element ( 13) are connected to one another, which supports lateral forces in the direction of the pendulum axis (23) between the handlebar frames (8, 9) and which is pivotally mounted on both handlebar frames (8, 9) about a horizontal pivot axis (14, 15).

2. Double axle arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the two handlebar frames (8, 9) are identical.

3. Double axle arrangement according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the two axles (3, 4) are rigidly mounted on the handlebar frame (8, 9).

4. Double-axle arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the two handlebar frames between their pivot axes (11, 12) and the axes (3, 4) are torsionally soft.

5. Double axle arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the two axles (3, 4) each carry a wheel (5, 6) or a double wheel and that in a multi-lane vehicle for each lane (7) separate double-axis arrangement (1) is provided.

6. Double-axle arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the side guide element (13) has a push frame (16) mounted on one handlebar frame (8) and one on the other handlebar frame (9) and in the push frame ( 16) has a linear drawer (17).

7. Double-axle arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the lateral guide element (13) has at least two links (24, 25, 26) articulated to one another about horizontal pivot axes (27, 28).

8. A double-axle arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the height adjustment device (20) has at least one linear actuator (18) acting between the main frame (2) and a support element (18) articulated with both handlebar frames (8, 9) ) having.

9. Double-axis arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that the axes (3, 4) each carry wheels (5, 6) at their two ends and that two linear actuators (19) are provided which are spaced apart in the direction of the pendulum axis (23) are.

10. A double-axle arrangement according to one of claims 8 and 9, characterized in that a coupling member (29, 30) is provided between the support element (18) of each linear actuator (19) and each of the two handlebar frames (8, 9) extends upwards from a pivot axis (27, 28) on the support element (18) to a pivot axis (14, 15) on the handlebar frame (8, 9).