Axle for wheels of a double-tracked motor vehicle, and double-tracked motor vehicle having an axle of this type

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10144260-B2
Application number	US-201715599153-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2017
Priority date	Nov 19, 2014
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

The invention provides an axle for wheels of a two-track motor vehicle. The axle has, on each vehicle side, a wheel carrier, a damper strut, a transverse link and a transverse leaf spring which controls the wheel at least partially laterally and/or in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The damper strut has a damper tube and a damper piston which can be moved in the damper tube along a damper longitudinal axis. The damper strut is attached by the damper tube to the wheel carrier. The transverse link is attached by a wheel-carrier-side end region to the wheel carrier. The transverse leaf spring extends substantially in the vehicle transverse direction and has at least one wheel-carrier-side end region. The transverse leaf spring is attached by the wheel-carrier-side end region thereof to the damper strut and is supported on the damper strut.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An axle for wheels of a two-track motor vehicle, the axle, on each side of the vehicle, comprising:
a wheel carrier;
a damper strut;
a transverse link; and
a transverse leaf spring configured to impart an at least partial wheel-controlling action laterally and/or in a vehicle longitudinal direction,
wherein the damper strut has a damper tube and a damper piston which is movable in the damper tube along a damper longitudinal axis,
wherein the damper strut is attached by the damper tube to the wheel carrier and is supported at a first effective kinematic point on the wheel carrier,
wherein the transverse link has a wheel-carrier-side end region and is attached by the wheel-carrier-side end region to the wheel carrier and is supported at a second effective kinematic point on the wheel carrier,
wherein, with regard to a functionally installed state of the axle in the two-track motor vehicle, the transverse leaf spring extends substantially in a vehicle transverse direction and has at least one wheel-carrier-side end region,
wherein the transverse leaf spring is attached by its wheel-carrier-side end region to the damper strut and is supported at a third effective kinematic point on the damper strut,
wherein the damper strut is attached by the damper tube under preload to the wheel carrier, and
wherein, with regard to a functionally installed state of the axle in the vehicle, the damper strut is attached to the wheel carrier under preload with a counter moment which acts about a vehicle longitudinal axis and which at least partially counteracts a transverse force generated by wheel loads and directed toward a vehicle center and running through the first effective kinematic point and acting on the damper strut.

2. The axle according to claim 1 , wherein the transverse leaf spring is attached by its wheel-carrier-side end region to the damper strut in the region of the damper tube.

3. The axle according to claim 2 , wherein the transverse leaf spring is attached to the damper strut in the region of a lower end of the damper tube or in the region of an upper end of the damper tube.

4. The axle according to claim 1 , wherein in a vehicle vertical direction, the transverse leaf spring is attached to the damper strut at the level of the first effective kinematic point.

5. The axle according to claim 3 , wherein in a vehicle vertical direction the transverse leaf spring is attached to the damper strut at the level of the first effective kinematic point.

6. The axle according to claim 4 , wherein the third kinematic point is situated at a height of the first kinematic point.

7. The axle according to claim 1 , wherein the transverse leaf spring is attached under preload to the damper strut.

8. The axle according to claim 7 , wherein, the transverse leaf spring is attached to the damper strut under preload with a counter moment which acts about the vehicle longitudinal axis and which at least partially counteracts the transverse force generated owing to occurring wheel loads and directed toward the vehicle center and running through the first effective kinematic point and acting on the damper strut.

9. The axle according to claim 6 , wherein the transverse leaf spring is attached under preload to the damper strut.

10. The axle according to claim 9 , wherein the transverse leaf spring is attached to the damper strut under preload with a counter moment which acts about the vehicle longitudinal axis and which at least partially counteracts the transverse force generated by wheel loads and directed toward the vehicle center and running through the first effective kinematic point and acting on the damper strut.

11. The axle according to claim 1 , wherein the transverse leaf spring is articulately attached to the damper strut.

12. The axle according to claim 11 , wherein the transverse leaf spring is articulately attached to the damper strut by a joint.

13. The axle according to claim 12 , wherein the joint is a ball joint or a rotary joint which permits an attachment under preload.

14. The axle according to claim 12 , wherein the joint is a ball joint or a rotary joint which permits an attachment under preload with a counter moment which acts about the vehicle longitudinal axis and which at least partially counteracts the transverse force generated by wheel loads and directed toward the vehicle center and running through the first effective kinematic point and acting on the damper strut.

15. The axle according to claim 11 , wherein
the transverse leaf spring is attached to the damper strut by a joint,
the transverse leaf spring itself forms the joint, and
the wheel-carrier-side end region of the transverse leaf spring is in the form of the joint.

16. The axle according to claim 1 , wherein
the axle on each side of the vehicle has one wheel carrier and one damper strut on each side of the vehicle and one Watt linkage which is coupled to the transverse leaf spring and which is coupleable to the vehicle body,
the two damper struts are coupled to one another by the transverse leaf spring,
the transverse leaf spring is attachable by at least one bearing to the vehicle body,
the at least one bearing is configured for supporting the transverse leaf spring in a vehicle vertical direction and simultaneously permits a compensation of a movement of the transverse leaf spring in the vehicle transverse direction during compression and/or rebound movements, and
the Watt linkage is configured to be coupled to the transverse leaf spring, and be coupleable to the vehicle body, such that, in a functionally installed state of the axle in the vehicle, the Watt linkage at least one of prevents a movement of the transverse leaf springs in the vehicle transverse direction caused by forces acting on the transverse leaf springs, and limits the movement to a predefined maximum admissible transverse movement.

17. A two-track motor vehicle having an axle according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Durkovic Martin
• Brenner Markus
• Gerber Sven

Classifications

• B60G2204/129

  Damper mount on wheel suspension or knuckle · CPC title

• B60G15/06

  and fluid damper · CPC title

• B60G2204/121

  Mounting of leaf springs · CPC title

• B60G11/08 Primary

  arranged substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle · CPC title

• B60G3/06

  the arm being rigid · CPC title