Spring module with negative and positive stiffness springs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10189327-B2
Application number	US-201715433277-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2017
Priority date	Feb 15, 2017
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

A strut assembly for a suspension corner employed in a vehicle having a vehicle body and a road wheel includes a damper. The strut assembly also includes an elastic unit having at least one spring module acting in concert with the damper to suspend the vehicle body relative to the road wheel. Each spring module has a positive stiffness spring arranged in parallel with a negative stiffness spring. A vehicle that has a suspension corner employing the elastic unit and is configured to maintain contact between the road wheel and the road surface and provide isolation of vibration between the road wheel and the vehicle body is also contemplated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A strut assembly for a suspension corner employed in a vehicle having a vehicle body and a road wheel, the strut assembly comprising:
a damper; and
an elastic unit having at least one spring module acting in concert with the damper to suspend the vehicle body relative to the road wheel, wherein the at least one spring module has a positive stiffness spring arranged in parallel with a negative stiffness spring;
wherein the positive stiffness spring is a Belleville spring segment and the negative stiffness spring is a buckling beam segment.

2. The strut assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic unit includes a plurality of spring modules arranged in a stack and interspaced along the strut assembly.

3. The strut assembly according to claim 2 , wherein, in the stack of the plurality of spring modules, adjacent Belleville spring segments are arranged in contact with one another and transfer forces between adjacent spring modules.

4. The strut assembly according to claim 1 , wherein, in the at least one spring module, the Belleville spring segment is secured to the buckling beam segment.

5. The strut assembly according to claim 4 , wherein each of the Belleville spring segment and the buckling beam segment is defined by a respective external diameter, wherein the Belleville spring segment and the buckling beam segment are spaced apart and secured to one another at the respective external diameters.

6. The strut assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a housing, wherein the at least one spring module includes an annular bracket configured to secure the Belleville spring segment and the buckling beam segment at their respective external diameters, and wherein the housing is configured to guide the annular bracket.

7. The strut assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the buckling beam segment includes an outer ring portion defined by the respective external diameter and an inner ring portion connected by a plurality of buckling beam elements, and wherein the Belleville spring segment includes Belleville spring fingers in contact with and configured to slide with respect to the inner ring portion.

8. The strut assembly according to claim 7 , further comprising a rod configured to actuate the damper, wherein;
the inner ring portion of the buckling beam segment defines an aperture; and
the rod extends through the aperture.

9. The strut assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the buckling beam segment includes two adjacent beams having respective bends configured to oppose one another and counter a positive stiffness of the Belleville spring segment.

10. A vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body;
a road wheel configured to maintain contact with a road surface; and
a suspension corner connecting the road wheel to the vehicle body and configured to maintain contact between the road wheel and the road surface and provide isolation of vibration between the road wheel and the vehicle body, wherein the suspension corner includes an elastic unit having at least one spring module having a positive stiffness spring arranged in parallel with a negative stiffness spring and configured to suspend the vehicle body relative to the road wheel;
wherein the positive stiffness spring is a Belleville spring segment and the negative stiffness spring is a buckling beam segment.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the suspension corner additionally includes a strut assembly configured to attach the road wheel to the vehicle body, and wherein the elastic unit is configured as an integral component of the strut assembly.

12. The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the elastic unit includes a plurality of spring modules arranged in a stack and interspaced along the strut assembly.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein, in the stack of the plurality of spring modules, adjacent Belleville spring segments are arranged in contact with one another and transfer forces between adjacent spring modules.

14. The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein, in the at least one spring module, the Belleville spring segment is secured to the buckling beam segment.

15. The vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein each of the Belleville spring segment and the buckling beam segment is defined by a respective external diameter, wherein the Belleville spring segment and the buckling beam segment are spaced apart and secured to one another at the respective external diameters.

16. The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein:
the strut assembly includes a housing;
the at least one spring module includes an annular bracket configured to secure the Belleville spring segment and the buckling beam segment at their respective external diameters; and
the housing is configured to guide the annular bracket.

17. The vehicle according to claim 16 , wherein the buckling beam segment includes an outer ring portion defined by the respective external diameter and an inner ring portion connected by a plurality of buckling beam elements, and wherein the Belleville spring segment includes Belleville spring fingers in contact with and configured to slide with respect to the inner ring portion.

18. The vehicle according to claim 17 , wherein:
the strut assembly includes a damper actuated by a rod;
the inner ring portion of the buckling beam segment defines an aperture; and
the rod extends through the aperture.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Suissa Avshalom
• Suplin Vladimir

Classifications

• B60G15/065 Primary

  characterised by the use of a combination of springs · CPC title

• B60G2202/31

  with the spring arranged around the damper, e.g. MacPherson strut · CPC title

• B60G2202/10

  Type of spring · CPC title

• B60G2200/144

  with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram · CPC title

• B60G11/00

  Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or kind of springs (single wheel suspension by pivoted arm resilient in itself B60G3/00; adjusting spring characteristic B60G17/00; springs per se F16F) · CPC title