Suspension arm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024123782-A1
Application number	US-202218276621-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 28, 2022
Priority date	Mar 31, 2021
Publication date	Apr 18, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A suspension arm includes a main body. The main body includes a curved portion curved along a longitudinal direction and has a closed section. The main body includes an inner side wall, an outer side wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall. The inner side wall corresponds to an inner side of a curve of the curved portion. The outer side wall corresponds to an outer side of the curve of the curved portion. A thickness of the inner side wall is larger than a thickness of the outer side wall. In sectional view of the main body perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, each of a length of the first side wall and a length of the second side wall is longer than each of a length of the inner side wall and a length of the outer side wall.

First claim

1 . A suspension arm that comprises a main body including a curved portion and having a closed section, the curved portion being curved along a longitudinal direction, a first attachment portion provided at one end of the main body in the longitudinal direction and including a first hole, and a second attachment portion provided at another end of the main body in the longitudinal direction and including a second hole, wherein
the main body includes: an inner side wall that corresponds to an inner side of a curve of the curved portion; an outer side wall that corresponds to an outer side of the curve of the curved portion; a first side wall that connects one side edge of the inner side wall and one side edge of the outer side wall; and a second side wall that connects another side edge of the inner side wall and another side edge of the outer side wall and faces the first side wall, a thickness of the inner side wall is larger than a thickness of the outer side wall, and in sectional view of the main body perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, each of a length of the first side wall and a length of the second side wall is longer than each of a length of the inner side wall and a length of the outer side wall.

2 . The suspension arm according to claim 1 , wherein
the thickness ta of the inner side wall, the thickness tb of the outer side wall, a surface area Sa of the inner side wall, and a surface area Sb of the outer side wall satisfy Formula (1) shown below, and in a section of the inner side wall in the curved portion, the section being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a second moment of area Iz in a case where ta denotes the thickness of the inner side wall, and tb denotes the thickness of the outer side wall satisfies Formula (2) shown below in comparison with a second moment of area Iy in a case where the thickness of the inner side wall and the thickness of the outer side wall are assumed to be “(Sa×ta+S×tb)/(Sa+Sb)”:
ta >( Sa×ta+Sb×tb )/( Sa+Sb )> tb   (1)

Iz>Iy× 0.85  (2).

3 . The suspension arm according to claim 1 , wherein
the first side wall is divided into an inner first side wall and an outer first side wall, the inner first side wall being connected to the inner side wall, the outer first side wall being connected to the outer side wall, the second side wall is divided into an inner second side wall and an outer second side wall, the inner second side wall being connected to the inner side wall, the outer second side wall being connected to the outer side wall, the main body includes:
a first member that includes the inner side wall, the inner first side wall, and the inner second side wall; and
a second member that includes the outer side wall, the outer first side wall, and the outer second side wall,
a sheet thickness of the first member is larger than a sheet thickness of the second member, and the first member and the second member are joined together by welding.

4 . The suspension arm according to claim 3 , wherein
the inner first side wall of the first member and the outer first side wall of the second member are joined together by butt joint welding, and the inner second side wall of the first member and the outer second side wall of the second member are joined together by butt joint welding.

5 . The suspension arm according to claim 3 , wherein
the inner first side wall of the first member and the outer first side wall of the second member are joined together by lap joint welding, and the inner second side wall of the first member and the outer second side wall of the second member are joined together by lap joint welding.

6 . The suspension arm according to claim 3 , wherein
the first member includes a first extension wall and a first cylindrical portion, the first extension wall corresponding to the first attachment portion, the first cylindrical portion being formed in the first extension wall and corresponding to the first hole, and the second member includes a second extension wall and a second cylindrical portion, the second extension wall facing the first extension wall and corresponding to the first attachment portion, the second cylindrical portion being formed in the second extension wall and corresponding to the first hole.

7 . The suspension arm according to claim 3 , wherein
the second member includes a third extension wall, a first hole portion, a fourth extension wall, and a second hole portion, the third extension wall corresponding to the second attachment portion, the first hole portion being formed in the third extension wall and corresponding to the second hole, the fourth extension wall facing the third extension wall and corresponding to the second attachment portion, the second hole portion being formed in the fourth extension wall and corresponding to the second hole.

8 . The suspension arm according to claim 1 , wherein
a curvature radius of the inner side wall in the curved portion is 200 mm or less.

9 . The suspension arm according to claim 1 , wherein
the suspension arm is an upper arm that is one of components constituting an independent suspension.

Assignees

• Nippon Steel Corp

Inventors

• Otsuka Kenichiro
• Azuma Masafumi
• Hamada Koichi
• Tabata Ryo
• Urushibata Ryo
• Kitahara Yuki

Classifications

• B60G7/001 Primary

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

• B60G2206/10

  Constructional features of arms · CPC title

• B60G2206/16

  the arm having a U profile and/or made of a plate · CPC title

• B60G2206/162

  with a plate closing the profile in the total or partial length of the arm · CPC title

• B60G2206/8201

  by welding · CPC title