Torsion spring system for a wheel suspension of a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9393848-B2
Application number	US-201414768025-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2014
Priority date	Feb 16, 2013
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

A torsion spring system for a wheel suspension of a motor vehicle includes an actuator that is provided on the vehicle body and variably maintains the torsion spring system under tension, and which acts, via a torsion bar and an output lever, with a biasing force on a wheel suspension element of the wheel suspension. The torsion bar is configured in two parts between the actuator and the output lever and has a first bar part and a second bar part coupled thereto with a spring element connected in between the first and second bar parts.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A torsion spring system for a wheel suspension of a motor vehicle, comprising:
a torsion bar configured in two parts defined by a first bar part and a second bar part which is coupled to the first bar part;
a spring element arranged between the first and second bar parts;
an output lever; and
an actuator variably maintaining the torsion spring system under tension and arranged on a vehicle body, said actuator being configured to act on a wheel suspension element of the wheel suspension with a biasing force via the torsion bar and the output lever, said torsion bar being arranged between the actuator and the output lever.

2. The torsion spring system of claim 1 , wherein the first bar part and the second bar part are rotatable from an initial position relative to each other by a free movement range about a torsion angle, while the spring element builds up a restoring force.

3. The torsion spring system of claim 1 , wherein the first bar part and the second bar part are arranged in coaxial relationship and/or between the actuator and the output lever behind one another in series.

4. The torsion spring system of claim 1 , wherein the first bar part and the second bar part include support elements which overlap in an axial direction, said spring element being arranged between the support elements of the first and second bar parts.

5. The torsion spring system of claim 1 , further comprising a ball-ramp system to couple the first bar part and the second bar part with one another, said ball-ramp system including ramp-like or undulating guideways which are provided on the first bar part and on the second bar part and extend in a circumferential direction and on which balls run along, said first and second bar parts being movable apart in relation to one another by an axial stroke, when rotated in opposite directions, while the restoring force is being built up by the spring element.

6. The torsion spring system of claim 1 , wherein the first bar part and/or the second bar part are made from solid material.

7. The torsion spring system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator has a housing supported rigidly and/or in fixed rotative engagement at a bearing point on the vehicle body.

8. The torsion spring system of claim 1 , wherein the housing of the actuator is supported on a subframe of the vehicle body.

9. The torsion spring system of claim 1 in combination with a further said torsion spring system, said torsion spring systems being provided on an axle of the motor vehicle and oriented transversely to a vehicle longitudinal direction, said actuators of the torsion spring systems being supported rigidly or in fixed rotative engagement in an area of a vertical vehicle center plane.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Mohrlock Dominik
• Schindler Andreas
• Beringer Heinrich
• Schmitt Joachim

Classifications

• F16D3/10

  Couplings with means for varying the angular relationship of two coaxial shafts during motion · CPC title

• B60G2202/32

  The spring being in series with the damper and/or actuator · CPC title

• B60G2202/135

  Stabiliser bar and/or tube · CPC title

• F16D3/12

  specially adapted for accumulation of energy to absorb shocks or vibration (by making use of fluid elements F16D3/80) · CPC title

• B60G2204/421

  Pivoted lever mechanisms for mounting suspension elements, e.g. Watt linkage · CPC title