Wheel link for receiving a bearing in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10625549-B2
Application number	US-201715858755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2017
Priority date	Jan 5, 2017
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a wheel link for receiving a bearing in a vehicle that comprises a single-piece wheel link body having a first wheel link end, a second wheel link end, and a connecting section that connects the first wheel link end and the second wheel link end. The single-piece wheel link body extends along a wheel link longitudinal axis. A sleeve-shaped eyelet is formed in the first wheel link end. And the first wheel link end is bulged to form a bearing sleeve for the bearing, increasing a diameter of the sleeve-shaped eyelet and a length of the eyelet transversely with respect to the wheel link longitudinal axis beyond the dimensions of the connecting section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing a wheel link for receiving a bearing in a vehicle, comprising:
provisioning a single-piece wheel link body with a first heel link end and a second wheel link end;
producing a first aperture in the first wheel link end; and
mechanically widening the first aperture, wherein regions of an outer face of the first wheel link end that delimit the first aperture are reshaped towards the outside of the first wheel link end during the mechanical widening to obtain a first sleeve-shaped eyelet for receiving a first bearing;
producing a second aperture in the second wheel link end; and
mechanically widening the second aperture, wherein regions of the outer face of the second wheel link end that delimit the second aperture are reshaped towards the outside of the second wheel link end during the mechanical widening to obtain a second sleeve-shaped eyelet for receiving the first bearing or a second bearing, wherein the first sleeve-shaped eyelet and the second sleeve-shaped eyelet form a bearing sleeve,
wherein the first sleeve-shaped eyelet and the second sleeve-shaped eyelet are formed as collars which project on both sides of their respective wheel link ends.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first aperture is mechanically widened by a stationary rani, a rotating ram, or a roller burnishing tool, or any combination thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
plastically deforming the first wheel link end before the production of the first aperture in the first wheel link end.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein plastically deforming the first wheel link end comprises flattening the first wheel link end or the single-piece wheel link body, or both.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first bearing is a sleeve-shaped beating, the method further comprising:
introducing the sleeve-shaped bearing into the bearing sleeve formed by the first sleeve-shaped eyelet and the second sleeve-shaped eyelet.

6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
plastically deforming the first wheel link end and the second wheel link end before the production of the first aperture in the first wheel link end and the second aperture in the second wheel link end.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein plastically deforming the second wheel link end comprises flattening the second wheel link end or the single-piece wheel link body, or both.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: forming the single-piece wheel link body from a solid material.

Assignees

• Benteler Automobiltechnik Gmbh

Inventors

• Meyer Stephan
• Mehner Hauke

Classifications

• B60G2206/11

  the arm being a radius or track or torque or steering rod or stabiliser end link · CPC title

• B60G2204/41

  Elastic mounts, e.g. bushings · CPC title

• B60G2204/422

  Links for mounting suspension elements · CPC title

• B60G7/001 Primary

  Suspension arms, e.g. constructional features (B60G7/006 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60G2206/017

  forming an eye for the bushing · CPC title