Independent vehicle suspension having a spring-link suspension structure made from a fiber composite material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9566840-B2
Application number	US-201514926788-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2015
Priority date	Apr 30, 2013
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

An independent suspension for a vehicle includes a spring-link suspension structure which is made from a fibrous composite material, is substantially U-shaped when viewed in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Ends of upper and lower members are secured to the vehicle body or a carrier connected thereto. At least one of these securements has no rotational degree of freedom about an axis extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction, while a wheel hub is connected to the base of the U-shaped spring-link suspension structure in order to secure a vehicle wheel. At least one of the members is secured to the vehicle body or to the carrier in a substantially rigid manner i.e. aside from low levels of elasticity, and no further wheel guiding suspension link is provided that substantially extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction. As a result, in order to achieve a desired toe-in increase when braking, a recess is provided in at least one of the members. The recess extends from the point at which the wheel hub is secured to the base and across only a subregion of the member in the longitudinal direction thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An independent suspension of a vehicle, comprising:
a spring-link structure formed of a composite fiber material and configured to have a substantially U-shape viewed in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle,
wherein the spring-link structure comprises an upper member and a lower member as well as a base member connecting the upper and lower members, the upper and lower members being secured at end sides thereof to a vehicle body or a carrier connected to the vehicle body, at least one securement not having any degree of rotational freedom about an axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle;
a wheel hub connected to the base of the U-shaped spring-link structure in order to secure a vehicle wheel;
wherein at least one of the upper and lower members is substantially rigidly secured to the vehicle body or to the carrier, and no additional wheel guiding link is provided that extends substantially in the longitudinal direction, and
a recess arranged in at least one of the upper and lower members, the recess extending from the connection of the wheel hub to the base only over a part-region of the member in a longitudinal direction of the member in order to achieve a desired increase in toe-in during braking.

2. The independent suspension according to claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower members are substantially rigidly secured to the vehicle body or the carrier, and further wherein the recess is continuous in both the upper and lower members across the base.

3. The independent suspension according to claim 2 , wherein
at least one of the upper and lower members, when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, at a link portion of the at least one member facing a vehicle front has a smaller thickness in a vehicle vertical axis direction than a link portion thereof facing a vehicle rear.

4. The independent suspension according to claim 3 , wherein the securement of the upper and lower members to the vehicle body comprises a tongue and groove connection, wherein
a groove of the and groove connection extends substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle,
a tongue of the tongue and groove connection engages in a positive-locking manner with the groove, wherein a resilient layer is interposed and retained.

5. The independent suspension according to claim 1 , wherein
at least one of the upper and lower members, when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, at a link portion of the at least one member facing a vehicle front has a smaller thickness in a vehicle vertical axis direction than a link portion thereof facing a vehicle rear.

6. The independent suspension according to claim 1 , wherein the securement of the upper and lower members to the vehicle body comprises a tongue and groove connection, wherein
a groove of the tongue and groove connection extends substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle,
a tongue of the tongue and groove connection engages in a positive-locking manner with the groove, wherein a resilient layer is interposed and retained.

7. An independent suspension of a vehicle, comprising:
a spring-link suspension structure formed of a composite fiber material and having a U-shape viewed in a vehicle longitudinal direction, upper and lower members of the U-shape being interconnected by a base-member,
wherein ends of the upper and lower members are secured to a vehicle body or a carrier connected to the vehicle body, at least one such securement having no rotational degree of freedom about an axis extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction;
a wheel hub connected to the base member of the U-shaped spring-link suspension structure, the wheel hub being configured to secure a vehicle wheel;
wherein at least one of the upper and lower members is secured to the vehicle body or to the carrier in a substantially rigid manner and no further wheel-guiding suspension link is provided that extends substantially in the vehicle longitudinal direction;
wherein, in order to obtain a desired toe-in increase of the vehicle wheel when braking, a recess is arranged in at least one of the upper and lower members, the recess extends from a point at which the wheel hub is secured to the base member across only a sub-region of the at least one limb in a longitudinal direction of the at least one limb.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Seethaler Ludwig
• Scholz Hubert

Classifications

• B60G3/28 Primary

  at least one of the arms itself being resilient, e.g. leaf spring {(B60G7/003 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60G2200/144

  with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram · CPC title

• B60G2206/7101

  Fiber-reinforced plastics [FRP] · CPC title

• B60G2200/462

  Toe-in/out · CPC title

• B60G2204/149

  Mounting of rigid axle on wheel knuckle · CPC title