Suspension structure for in-wheel motor drive device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10906372-B2
Application number	US-201716333669-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2017
Priority date	Sep 23, 2016
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A suspension structure for an in-wheel motor drive device of the present invention includes an in-wheel motor drive device (10), a shock absorber (76), a torsion bar (81), and a stabilizer link (86), wherein: the shock absorber includes an upper spring seat (79a) provided in an upper end region of the shock absorber and a lower spring seat (79b) provided in a lower end region of the shock absorber and forming a pair with the upper spring seat; an upper end (87a) of the stabilizer link is arranged between a vehicle back edge (79d) of the lower spring seat and a vehicle front edge (79c) of the lower spring seat; and a lower end (87b) of the stabilizer link is arranged so as to overlap with a hub wheel (12) as viewed in an axial direction of the hub wheel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A suspension structure for an in-wheel motor drive device, comprising:
an in-wheel motor drive device having a hub wheel coupled with a wheel and a motor portion for driving the hub wheel;
a vertically extendable shock absorber of which an upper end is joined with a vehicle body side member and a lower end is joined with the in-wheel motor drive device;
a torsion bar including a twisted portion extending to a vehicle width direction outside from a vehicle width direction center portion and an arm portion further extending in a different direction from a vehicle width direction outside end of the twisted portion to a vehicle front/back direction; and
a vertically extending stabilizer link of which an upper end is joined with a lower end region of the shock absorber or the in-wheel motor drive device and a lower end is joined with the arm portion, wherein
the shock absorber includes an upper spring seat provided in an upper end region of the shock absorber and a lower spring seat provided in the lower end region of the shock absorber and forming a pair with the upper spring seat,
the upper end of the stabilizer link is arranged between a vehicle back edge and a vehicle front edge of the lower spring seat, and
the lower end of the stabilizer link is arranged so as to overlap with the hub wheel as viewed in an axial direction of the hub wheel, wherein the twisted portion is arranged in a vehicle ahead of an axis of the hub wheel, and wherein the in-wheel motor drive device includes a motor rotation shaft arranged offset from an axis of the hub wheel towards a vehicle front.

2. The suspension structure for an in-wheel motor drive device according to claim 1 , wherein the shock absorber is a strut, further comprising a lower arm that is arranged further downward than the strut, extends in a vehicle width direction, and of which a vehicle width direction outside end is rotatably joined with the in-wheel motor drive device and a vehicle width direction inside end is rotatably joined to a vehicle body side member.

3. The suspension structure for an in-wheel motor drive device according to claim 1 , wherein
the in-wheel motor drive device, the shock absorber, and the stabilizer link are arranged on both vehicle width direction sides and form pairs, respectively, and
the torsion bar is joined with the stabilizer link on a vehicle width direction left side at one end and joined with the stabilizer link on a vehicle width direction right side at an other end.

Assignees

• Ntn Toyo Bearing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shibuya Yusuke
• Tamura Shiro

Classifications

• B60K2007/0038

  the motor moving together with the wheel axle · CPC title

• B60G2204/129

  Damper mount on wheel suspension or knuckle · CPC title

• B60K7/00

  Disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel · CPC title

• B60G2300/50

  Electric vehicles; Hybrid vehicles · CPC title

• B60G21/055

  Stabiliser bars · CPC title