Axle unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10293652-B2
Application number	US-201515510090-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2015
Priority date	Sep 12, 2014
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

An axle unit includes an axle tube and a suspension arm element, wherein the axle tube extends substantially along a tube axis, wherein the suspension arm element has a first joining region comprising a recess, wherein the first joining region of the suspension arm element is adjacent to the axle tube, wherein the suspension arm element is substantially transverse to the tube axis, and wherein a weld portion between the suspension arm element and the axle tube is located in the first joining region.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An axle unit, comprising:
an axle tube; and
a suspension arm element;
wherein the axle tube extends substantially along a tube axis;
wherein the suspension arm element includes a first joining region comprising a recess;
wherein the first joining region of the suspension arm element is adjacent to the axle tube, and wherein the suspension arm element is substantially transverse to the tube axis;
wherein a weld portion between the suspension arm element and the axle tube is located in the first joining region;
wherein the suspension arm element surrounds the axle tube with a suspension arm arc angle relative to the tube axis;
wherein the suspension arm arc angle is less than 180°;
wherein the axle tube and the suspension arm element are secured to each other exclusively in the first joining region;
wherein the axle tube includes a pressure half and a tension half; and
wherein the weld portion is located exclusively in the pressure half of the axle tube.

2. The axle unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein no weld connection between the axle tube and the suspension arm element exists in the tension half of the axle tube.

3. The axle unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the weld portion extends maximally over a weld arc angle relative to the tube axis, wherein the weld arc angle is less than 120°.

4. The axle unit as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the weld arc angle is less than 100°.

5. The axle unit as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the weld arc angle is less than 90°.

6. The axle unit as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the suspension arm arc angle is within the range 1.05 to 2.5 times the arc weld angle.

7. The axle unit as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the suspension arm angle is within the range of 1.2 to 2 times the weld arc angle.

8. The axle unit as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the suspension arm angle is within the range of 1.6 to 1.8 times the weld arc angle.

9. The axle unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first joining region comprises a recess on the suspension arm element, and wherein the weld portion includes a peripheral face on the first joining region.

10. The axle unit as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the peripheral face has a medium length and wherein a ratio of the medium length to a circumference of the axle tube in a region of the first joining region is from 0.4 to 1.3.

11. The axle unit as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the ratio of the medium length to the circumference of the axle tube is from 0.6 to 0.1.

12. The axle unit as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the ratio of the medium length to the circumference of the axle tube is from 0.85 to 0.95.

13. The axle unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the suspension arm element adjacent to the joining region includes two suspension arm webs substantially opposite each other, wherein the suspension arm webs each have a minimum web width, wherein the first joining region has a maximum cutout extension parallel to the tube axis, and wherein a ratio of the sum of the minimum web widths to the maximum cutout extension is from 0.1 to 1.

14. The axle unit as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the ratio of the sum of the minimum web widths of the maximum cutout extension is from 0.2 to 0.8.

15. The axle unit as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the ratio of the sum of the minimum web widths of the maximum cutout extension is from 0.3 to 0.5.

16. The axle unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the suspension arm element is a single-piece, integral casting.

17. The axle unit as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a carrier element configured to secure a spring element to the axle unit, wherein the carrier element is configured to be secured to the axle tube via a second joining region, and wherein the second joining region comprises a recess on the carrier element.

18. The axle unit as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the carrier unit is secured to the axle tube exclusively in the second joining region.

Assignees

• Saf Holland Gmbh

Inventors

• Galazin Gregory

Classifications

• B60G2206/8201

  by welding · CPC title

• B60G2206/31

  Straight axle · CPC title

• B60G2206/10

  Constructional features of arms · CPC title

• B60G2204/148

  on the unsprung part of the vehicle, e.g. wheel knuckle or rigid axle · CPC title

• B60G2200/31

  with two trailing arms rigidly connected to the axle · CPC title