Wheel suspension link

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10974559-B2
Application number	US-201916276096-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2019
Priority date	Feb 15, 2018
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A wheel suspension link including a structure connection location for connecting the link to a vehicle structure and a wheel carrier connection location connecting the link to a wheel carrier. The structure connection location and wheel carrier connection location arranged on a link member extending along a link plane. The link member including a base member formed in a materially integral manner from a discontinuously reinforced plastic material. The link member including a reinforcement, containing continuous fibers, connected to the reinforced plastic material. In one embodiment, the reinforcement limited with respect to the link plane to a first region of the link member while the base member extends into a second region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wheel suspension link having a structure connection location and a wheel carrier connection location arranged on a link member along a link plane comprising:
a base member formed from a discontinuously reinforced plastic material;
a reinforcement containing continuous fibers, the reinforcement connected to the base member in a materially integral manner with the reinforcement limited to a first region of the link member and the base member including a second region separate from the first region; and
wherein the second region includes an insert component connected to the base member in a materially integral manner, the insert component coupling a suspension component to the link.

2. A wheel suspension link having a structure connection location and a wheel carrier connection location arranged on a link member along a link plane comprising:
a base member formed from a discontinuously reinforced plastic material;
a reinforcement containing continuous fibers, the reinforcement connected to the base member in a materially integral manner with the reinforcement limited to a first region of the link member and the base member including a second region separate from the first region; and
wherein the reinforcement extends from the wheel carrier connection location continuously to the structure connection location.

3. The wheel suspension link of claim 2 including a bearing element connected to the base member, at the structure connection location, in a positive locking manner.

4. The wheel suspension link of claim 3 wherein the positive locking manner includes a materially integral connection.

5. The wheel suspension link of claim 3 wherein the positive locking manner includes a form-fit connection.

6. The wheel suspension link of claim 3 wherein the bearing element has a bearing portion and a continuation portion extending from the bearing portion, the continuation portion connected to the base member in a materially integral manner.

7. A wheel suspension link having a structure connection location and a wheel carrier connection location arranged on a link member along a link plane comprising:
a base member formed from a discontinuously reinforced plastic material;
a reinforcement containing continuous fibers, the reinforcement connected to the base member in a materially integral manner with the reinforcement limited to a first region of the link member and the base member including a second region separate from the first region, wherein the first region includes an edge region of the link member, and the second region includes an inner region of the link member bounded by the edge region; and
wherein the base member includes a surface portion extending along the link plane and a plurality of reinforcement ribs formed on the surface portion, the reinforcement ribs connected to the edge region in a materially integral manner.

8. The wheel suspension link of claim 7 wherein the edge region includes a surface portion having a flange extending perpendicularly to the link plane with the reinforcement in the flange.

9. The wheel suspension link of claim 8 including a reinforcement rib, a first end of the reinforcement rib connected to the flange and a second end of the reinforcement rib connected to the flange.

10. The wheel suspension link of claim 7 wherein the base member includes a reinforcement rib extending from an insert component to the edge region.

11. A wheel suspension link comprising:
a base member formed from a discontinuously reinforced plastic material, the base member having first and second structure connection locations and a wheel carrier connection location;
a first structure bearing element formed of metal connected to the base member in a positive locking manner at the first structure connection location, and a second structure bearing element formed of metal connected to the base member in a positive locking manner at the second structure connection location;
a wheel carrier bearing element formed of metal connected to the base member in a positive locking manner at the wheel carrier connection location; and
the base member having an edge region extending about a perimeter of the base member, the edge region including a reinforcement containing continuous fibers, the reinforcement connected to the base member in a materially integral manner.

12. The wheel suspension link of claim 11 wherein the base member includes an inner region separate from the edge region, the inner region including a plurality of reinforcement ribs.

13. The wheel suspension link of claim 12 wherein the base member includes a surface portion, the surface portion materially integral with the reinforcement ribs and the edge region.

14. The wheel suspension link of claim 11 wherein the base member includes an insert component connected to the base member in a materially integral manner, the insert component coupling a suspension component to the link.

15. The wheel suspension link of claim 11 including a bearing element having a bearing portion, a continuation portion, and a recess in the continuation portion, the reinforcement engaging the continuation portion.

16. The wheel suspension link of claim 11 wherein at least one of the positive locking manner at the first structure connection location, the positive locking manner at the second structure connection location, and the positive locking manner at the wheel carrier connection location includes a materially integral connection.

17. The wheel suspension link of claim 11 wherein at least one of the positive locking manner at the first structure connection location, the positive locking manner at the second structure connection location, and the positive locking manner at the wheel carrier connection location includes a form-fit connection.

18. A wheel suspension link comprising:
a base member formed from a discontinuously reinforced plastic material, the base member including first and second structure connection locations and a wheel carrier connection location, the first and second structure connection locations and wheel carrier connection location forming a link plane;
the base member having an edge region including a flange circumscribing a periphery of the base member;
an inner region bounded by the flange;
a reinforcement containing continuous fibers connected to the flange of the base member in a materially integral manner, the reinforcement extending between the first and second structure connection locations and including the wheel carrier connection location;
the base member including a surface portion and a plurality of reinforcement ribs, at least one rib including a sleeve portion; and
an insert component disposed in the sleeve portion and connected to the base member in a materially integral manner, the insert component coupling a suspension component to the link.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Mainz Daniel
• Souschek Rainer
• Brandt Pascal

Classifications

• B60G7/001 Primary

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

• B60G2206/124

  the arm having triangular or Y-shape, e.g. wishbone · CPC title

• B60G2206/013

  with embedded inserts for material reinforcement · CPC title

• B60G2206/82

  Joining · CPC title

• B60G2206/7101

  Fiber-reinforced plastics [FRP] · CPC title