Axle strut and method for producing an axle strut

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11279190-B2
Application number	US-201816608674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2018
Priority date	Apr 28, 2017
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

An axle strut for a vehicle having a shaft and two bearing regions. The axle strut has a supporting profile and two load-introducing elements. The supporting profile is formed from fiber reinforced plastics composite material. A first load-introducing element and a second load-introducing element are arranged at respective bearing region, and the supporting profile is arranged spatially between the two bearing regions. The supporting profile has a first connection area facing the first bearing region and a second connection area facing the second bearing region. Every load-introducing element has a receptacle. The supporting profile is connected by its first connection area and by the receptacle of the first load-introducing element to the first load-introducing element by an adhesive connection, and the supporting profile is connected by its second connection area and by the receptacle of the second load-introducing element to the second load-introducing element by a further adhesive connection.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An axle strut for a vehicle, comprising:
a shaft;
two bearing regions;
a supporting profile arranged at the shaft spatially between the two bearing regions; and
a first load-introducing element is arranged at a first bearing region of the two bearing regions, a second load-introducing element is arranged at a second bearing region of the two bearing regions,
wherein the supporting profile is formed from fiber reinforced plastics composite material and comprises:
at least three longitudinal profiles,
a first longitudinal profile completely covers a first lateral surface of a core profile that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the axle strut,
a second longitudinal profile completely covers a second lateral surface of the core profile that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the axle strut and parallel to the first lateral surface, and
a third longitudinal profile that is part of the core profile and is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the axle strut and arranged between the first longitudinal profile and the second longitudinal profile,
wherein the longitudinal profiles have connection areas,

wherein the supporting profile has a first connection area facing the first bearing region and a second connection area facing the second bearing region,
wherein each load-introducing element has a receptacle, comprising at least three longitudinally extending grooves that are parallel to each other, each longitudinally extending groove configured to mate with a respective longitudinal profile,
wherein the supporting profile is connected by its first connection area and by the receptacle of the first load-introducing element to the first load-introducing element by an adhesive connection, and
wherein the supporting profile is connected by its second connection area and by the receptacle of the second load-introducing element to the second load-introducing element by a further adhesive connection.

2. The axle strut according to claim 1 ,
wherein the longitudinal profiles are connected to the core profile.

3. The axle strut according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the longitudinal profiles are glued to the core profile.

4. The axle strut according to claim 2 , wherein the supporting profile that has the longitudinal profiles and the core profile is formed in one piece.

5. The axle strut according to claim 2 , wherein the core profile is formed from one of a glass fiber reinforced plastics composite material and a carbon fiber reinforced plastics composite material.

6. The axle strut according to claim 2 , wherein the longitudinal profiles are formed from one of a glass fiber reinforced plastics composite material and a carbon fiber reinforced plastics composite material.

7. The axle strut according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting profile has at least one guide offset at each of its connection areas.

8. The axle strut according to claim 1 , wherein each respective adhesive connection is configured such that it has at least two different adhesive layer thicknesses along its length.

9. The axle strut according to claim 1 , wherein the load-introducing elements are formed from one of aluminum and a fiber reinforced plastics composite material.

10. The axle strut according to claim 1 , wherein every adhesive connection is formed by an elastic adhesive.

11. The axle strut according to claim 1 , wherein the first connection area of the supporting profile has a front gap relative to the first load-introducing element, and the second connection area of the supporting profile has a further front gap relative to the second load-introducing element.

12. The axle strut according to claim 1 , wherein the wherein the supporting profile further comprises a transverse groove that is perpendicular to the longitudinal grooves.

13. The axle strut according to claim 12 , wherein the transverse groove and the longitudinal grooves have a same longitudinal extent.

14. A method for producing an axle strut, comprising:
cleaning a core profile having a plus-shaped cross section;
gluing a first longitudinal profile to a first lateral surface of the core profile;
gluing a second longitudinal profile to a second lateral surface of the core profile to form a supporting profile;
cleaning two load-introducing elements, each having at least three longitudinal grooves and one transverse groove;
filling a receptacle of a first load-introducing element with adhesive for preparing an adhesive connection,
filing a receptacle of a second load-introducing element with adhesive to prepare a further adhesive connection;
wetting respective connection areas of the supporting profile with adhesive;
receiving by the receptacle of the first load-introducing element a first connection area of the supporting profile;
receiving by the receptacle of the second load-introducing element a second connection area of the supporting profile;
aligning the supporting profile; and
curing the adhesive connections.

15. The method for producing an axle strut according to claim 14 , wherein the longitudinal profiles are produced through a pultrusion process.

16. The method for producing an axle strut according to claim 14 wherein the load-introducing elements are produced through an extrusion process.

Assignees

• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Rupflin Thomas
• Schwarz Thomas
• Stieglitz Andre
• Bauer Philipp
• Müller Ingolf
• Bürgmann Manfred

Classifications

• B29C66/1248

  Interpenetrating groove joints (interpenetrating fingered joints B29C66/139) · CPC title

• B60G7/00

  Pivoted suspension arms; Accessories thereof (means for maintaining substantially constant wheel camber during suspension movement B60G3/26; {articulations for wheels B60G5/00; leaf spring attaching means B60G11/10, B60G11/12; trailing arm twist beam axle attaching means B60G21/052; articulations in general F16C}) · CPC title

• B60G2206/821

  by gluing · CPC title

• B29L2031/06

  Rods, e.g. connecting rods {, rails, stakes (shafts B29L2031/75; poles, masts, posts B29L2031/766)} · CPC title

• B60G2206/11

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