Device for camber and/or toe adjustment of a vehicle wheel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9630650-B2
Application number	US-201414892951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2014
Priority date	May 21, 2013
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A device for adjusting camber and/or toe of a vehicle wheel includes a rotatable actuating element arranged between a wheel-side carrier part of a wheel carrier and an axle-side guide part thereof and adjustable by a rotary drive unit. A double-acting freewheel is disposed in a driving path between the rotary drive unit and the actuating element and configured to assume a release position in which the driving path is enabled for transmission of a driving torque from the rotary drive unit onto the actuating element, and to assume a locking position in which a locking torque is generated in opposition to a reaction torque directed from the actuating element to the rotary drive unit. The freewheel is constructed to open in the presence of the driving torque generated by the rotary drive unit and closes in the presence of the reaction torque generated by the actuating element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for adjusting camber and/or toe of a vehicle wheel, said device comprising:
a wheel carrier having a wheel-side carrier part which receives the vehicle wheel, and an axle-side guide part which is connected to a wheel suspension;
at least one actuating element arranged between the wheel-side carrier part and the axle-side guide part and mounted for rotation about a rotation axis;
a rotary drive unit operably connected to the at least one actuating element to adjust the at least one actuating element for adjustment of the camber and/or toe of the vehicle wheel; and
a locking element disposed in a driving path between the rotary drive unit and the actuating element and configured to assume a release position in which the driving path is enabled to allow transmission of a driving torque from the rotary drive unit onto the at least one actuating element, and to assume a locking position in which a locking torque is generated in opposition to a reaction torque directed from the actuating element to the rotary drive unit, said locking element being constructed in the form of a double-acting freewheel which opens in the presence of the driving torque generated by the rotary drive unit and closes in the presence of the reaction torque generated by the at least one actuating element.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the freewheel has a closing part on an output side and an opening part on an input side of the freewheel, with the closing part and the opening part engaging within one another in both rotation directions while defining a circumferential clearance.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the freewheel has at least one clamp body to keep the closing part with the locking torque in the locking position, when the freewheel is manufactured in the absence of a torque acting upon the freewheel.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the clamp body is arranged in the closing part of the freewheel.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the freewheel assumes the release position when the driving torque builds up and exceeds the locking torque acting in opposition to the driving torque.

6. The device of claim 2 , wherein the closing part of the freewheel assumes the release position when the driving torque builds up and exceeds the locking torque acting in opposition to the driving torque.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein a self-amplifying effect is established in the freewheel, as the reaction torque builds up, to increase the locking torque by the reaction torque.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the freewheel has a plurality of said clamp body, said clamp bodies being arranged in pairs.

9. The device of claim 2 , wherein the freewheel has a housing forming a raceway, and a plurality of said clamp body, said clamp bodies being maintained under tension on the closing part in a circumferential direction in opposite direction to one another with the locking torque in a clamping position in which each of the clamp bodies is firmly clamped between the raceway and a radially upwardly ascending ramp of the closing part.

10. The device of claim 2 , wherein the opening part has at least one catch which is movable across the circumferential clearance between movement stops formed by the closing part.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the catch of the opening part has at least one axial web, said freewheel having a clamp body proximal to the axial web, said catch pushing with the axial web the clamp body in a direction sufficient for the freewheel to assume the release position, when the catch impacts against one of the movement stops of the closing part.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the freewheel has a clamp body distal to the axial web, wherein the opening part and the closing part are dynamically coupled to continue to rotate, when the catch of the opening part impacts against the one of the movement stops of the closing part to thereby cause the axial-web-distal clamp body to move from a clamping position to the release position as the opening part and the closing part rotate.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the freewheel is in driving connection on the input side with a shaft portion sized to extend to the rotary drive unit, and wherein the freewheel is in driving connection on the output side with a shaft portion sized to extend to the actuating element.

14. The device of claim 11 , wherein in the locking position of the freewheel, the axial web of the catch is spaced from the clamp body by a circumferential clearance, with the circumferential clearance between the movement stops being greater than the circumferential clearance between the axial web of the catch and the clamp body.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Pfeiffer Ulrich

Classifications

• B60G2204/62

  Adjustable continuously, e.g. during driving · CPC title

• B60G2204/40

  Auxiliary suspension parts; Adjustment of suspensions · CPC title

• B60G7/006

  Attaching arms to sprung or unsprung part of vehicle, characterised by comprising attachment means controlled by an external actuator, e.g. a fluid or electrical motor (B62D7/146 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60G2200/46

  camber angle · CPC title

• B60G2204/414

  Cardan joints · CPC title