Lightweight suspension upright or knuckle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11192582-B2
Application number	US-201916527312-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2019
Priority date	Aug 8, 2018
Publication date	Dec 7, 2021
Grant date	Dec 7, 2021

Abstract

A lightweight suspension upright or knuckle including: a bearing connection interface having a first sleeve element and a second, radially outer, sleeve element and further including a BMC/LFT/DLFT annular body; at least one attachment interface configured to connect the suspension upright or knuckle to a respective control or support element; and a supporting structural body mechanically connecting the bearing connection interface with the at least one attachment interface. The supporting structural body is shaped as a reticular frame including first blade elements chemically and mechanically interconnected to each other and to the outer lateral surface; each blade element consisting in one or more mats or plies of continuous fibers embedded in a polymer matrix, stacked onto one another and that have been compression molded together and with the annular body. Also, a method for obtaining a lightweight suspension upright or knuckle for a vehicle providing a bearing connection interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lightweight suspension upright or knuckle for a vehicle, comprising:
i) a bearing connection interface for receiving a wheel bearing, the bearing connection interface including a first sleeve element having a first axis (A), the first axis coinciding in with a rotation and symmetry axis of the wheel bearing;
ii) at least one first and one second attachment interface configured to connect the suspension upright or knuckle to a respective control or support element therefor; and
iii) a supporting structural body mechanically connecting the bearing connection interface with the at least one first and second attachment interface, the supporting structural body being made of a fiber reinforced composite material, wherein
iv) the bearing connection interface also comprises a second sleeve element arranged radially outside the first sleeve element and an annular body, having a radially outer lateral surface and a radially inner lateral surface, at least the annular body being made of a composite material including reinforcing fibers dispersed in a polymer matrix, the radially inner lateral surface ( 8 ) being mechanically coupled to the first sleeve element;
v) the supporting structural body being shaped as a reticular frame comprising a plurality of first blade elements chemically and mechanically interconnected to each other, at least one first blade element being also chemically and mechanically directly bound to the outer lateral surface of the bearing connection interface, so as to integrally join the at least one first blade element and the outer lateral surface into a single piece;
vi) each first blade element consisting of one or more plies of continuous fibers embedded in a polymer matrix that are stacked onto one another when the blade elements are formed by more than one mat or plie;
wherein the annular body is made of a composite material selected from the group consisting of BMC (Bulk Molding Compound), LFT (Long Fiber Thermoplastic) and DLFT (Direct In-Line Long Fiber Thermoplastic), and in that the continuous fibers of the plies forming the first blade elements are at least in part contained in planes which are essentially perpendicular to the first axis (A).

2. A lightweight suspension upright or knuckle for a vehicle, comprising:
i) a bearing connection interface for receiving a wheel bearing, the bearing connection interface including a first sleeve element having a first axis (A), the first axis coinciding in with a rotation and symmetry axis of the wheel bearing;
ii) at least one first and one second attachment interface configured to connect the suspension upright or knuckle to a respective control or support element therefor; and
iii) a supporting structural body mechanically connecting the bearing connection interface with the at least one first and second attachment interface, the supporting structural body being made of a fiber reinforced composite material, wherein
iv) the bearing connection interface also comprises a second sleeve element arranged radially outside the first sleeve element and an annular body, having a radially outer lateral surface and a radially inner lateral surface, at least the annular body being made of a composite material including reinforcing fibers dispersed in a polymer matrix, the radially inner lateral surface ( 8 ) being mechanically coupled to the first sleeve element;
v) the supporting structural body being shaped as a reticular frame comprising a plurality of first blade elements chemically and mechanically interconnected to each other, at least one first blade element being also chemically and mechanically directly bound to the outer lateral surface of the bearing connection interface, so as to integrally join the at least one first blade element and the outer lateral surface into a single piece;
vi) each first blade element consisting of one or more plies of continuous fibers embedded in a polymer matrix that are stacked onto one another when the blade elements are formed by more than one mat or plie;
wherein the fibers of each plie forming the first blade elements are mono-directionally oriented; the plies having been compression molded to one another to obtain the blade elements and at least one of the blade elements having been compression molded to the outer surface of the connection interface.

3. A lightweight suspension upright or knuckle for a vehicle, comprising:
i) a bearing connection interface for receiving a wheel bearing, the bearing connection interface including a first sleeve element having a first axis (A), the first axis coinciding in with a rotation and symmetry axis of the wheel bearing;
ii) at least one first and one second attachment interface configured to connect the suspension upright or knuckle to a respective control or support element therefor; and
iii) a supporting structural body mechanically connecting the bearing connection interface with the at least one first and second attachment interface, the supporting structural body being made of a fiber reinforced composite material, wherein
iv) the bearing connection interface also comprises a second sleeve element arranged radially outside the first sleeve element and an annular body, having a radially outer lateral surface and a radially inner lateral surface, at least the annular body being made of a composite material including reinforcing fibers dispersed in a polymer matrix, the radially inner lateral surface ( 8 ) being mechanically coupled to the first sleeve element;
v) the supporting structural body being shaped as a reticular frame comprising a plurality of first blade elements chemically and mechanically interconnected to each other, at least one first blade element being also chemically and mechanically directly bound to the outer lateral surface of the bearing connection interface, so as to integrally join the at least one first blade element and the outer lateral surface into a single piece;
vi) each first blade element consisting of one or more plies of continuous fibers embedded in a polymer matrix that are stacked onto one another when the blade elements are formed by more than one mat or plie;
wherein the plies forming the first blade elements are all wound in a ring shape around the bearing connection interface and, progressively radially outwards, around one another, such as to form progressively radially wider annular layers of continuous fibers embedded in a polymer matrix, each mat or plie being circumferentially clamped against the mat or plie arranged immediately radially inwards.

4. A lightweight suspension upright or knuckle for a vehicle, comprising:
i) a bearing connection interface for receiving a wheel bearing, the bearing connection interface including a first sleeve element having a first axis (A), the first axis coinciding in with a rotation and symmetry axis of the wheel bearing;
ii) at least one first and one second attachment interface configured to connect the suspension upright or knuckle to a respective control or support element therefor; and
iii) a supporting structural body mechanically connecting the bearing connection interface with the at least one first and second attachment interface, the supporting structural body being made of a fiber reinforced composite material, wherein
iv) the bearing connection interface also comprises a second sleeve element arranged radially outside the first sleeve element and an annular body, having a radially outer lateral surface and a radially inner lateral surface, at least the annular body being made of a composite material including reinforcing fibers dispersed in a polymer matrix, the radially inner lateral surface ( 8 ) being mechanically coupled to the first sleeve element;
v) the supporting structural body being shaped as a reticular frame comprising a plurality of first blade element

Assignees

• Skf Ab
• Skf Aerospace France Sas
• Aktiebolget SKF

Inventors

• Falossi Marco
• Sarlin Remi
• Warmerdam Michiel

Classifications

• B60G2204/416

  Ball or spherical joints · CPC title

• B60G3/01

  the wheel being mounted for sliding movement, e.g. in or on a vertical guide (camber maintaining means B60G3/26) · CPC title

• B60G2206/50

  Constructional features of wheel supports or knuckles, e.g. steering knuckles, spindle attachments · CPC title

• B60B27/065

  characterised by the fixation of the hub to the axle · CPC title

• F16C2326/02

  Wheel hubs or castors · CPC title