Leaf spring bearing and vehicle wheel suspension containing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9849744-B2
Application number	US-201414470930-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2014
Priority date	Aug 28, 2013
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A leaf spring bearing for a vehicle with a transverse leaf spring. The leaf spring bearing includes an upper bearing block and a lower bearing block between which a portion of the transverse leaf spring can be interposed. Each bearing block is formed at least partially of elastic material and comprises an upper support surface and a lower support surface. At least one of the upper and lower bearing blocks has a bearing core and an insert positioned in the elastic material between the upper and lower support surfaces so as to define three layers of the elastic material within the at least one bearing block. At least one of the upper and lower bearing blocks has two support plates arranged either outside the elastic material or at least partially surrounded by the elastic material in the area of the upper and lower support surfaces of the bearing block.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A leaf spring bearing for a vehicle with a transverse leaf spring, comprising:
an upper bearing block and a lower bearing block between which a portion of the transverse leaf spring can be interposed, each bearing block being formed at least partially of elastic material and comprising an upper support surface and a lower support surface,
wherein a thickness of a layer of the elastic material disposed between a bearing core and an insert increases from a middle portion of the layer toward outer end portions of the layer in the upper bearing block or the lower bearing block.

2. The leaf spring bearing as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the upper and lower bearing blocks include two support plates.

3. The leaf spring bearing as claimed in claim 2 , wherein at least one of the support plates includes end portions configured to at least partially surround a periphery of the transverse leaf spring.

4. The leaf spring bearing as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the bearing core and the insert are positioned in the elastic material between the upper and lower support surfaces so as to define three layers of the elastic material within the at least one bearing block.

5. The leaf spring bearing as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the bearing core and the insert are harder than the elastic material.

6. The leaf spring bearing as claimed in claim 5 , wherein at least one of the upper bearing block and the lower bear block includes at least one support plate, wherein the at least one support plate is harder than the elastic material.

7. The leaf spring bearing as claimed in claim 4 , wherein each of the upper and lower bearing blocks include a bearing core and an insert.

8. The leaf spring as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the upper bearing block includes the bearing core and the insert.

9. The leaf spring as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the lower bearing block includes two support plates.

10. The leaf spring bearing as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the insert has a convex outer surface region facing away from the bearing core, and wherein a first of the three elastic layers extends between the convex outer surface region of the insert and one of the support surfaces of the block which faces away from the transverse leaf spring in an installation position.

11. The leaf spring bearing as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the bearing core has a convex inner surface region facing the insert which corresponds to a concave inner surface region of the insert facing the bearing core, wherein a second of the three elastic layers extends between the convex inner surface region of the bearing core and the opposing concave inner surface region of the insert.

12. The leaf spring bearing as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the bearing core has a convex outer surface region facing away from the insert, wherein a third of the three elastic layers extends between the convex outer surface region of the bearing core and one of the support surfaces which faces the transverse leaf spring in the installation position.

13. The leaf spring bearing as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the upper bearing block or the lower bearing block includes:
the bearing insert disposed between the upper support surface and the lower support surface of the bearing block; and
the bearing core disposed between the bearing insert and the transverse leaf spring in an installation position, wherein the upper bearing core has a convex upper surface and a convex lower surface.

14. A vehicle wheel suspension comprising:
a transverse leaf spring; and
a leaf spring bearing comprising two bearing blocks of elastic material between which the transverse leaf spring is positioned, the leaf spring bearing coupling the transverse leaf spring to a vehicle,
wherein at least one of the bearing blocks has a bearing core and an insert positioned in the elastic material between an upper support surface and a lower support surface of the block so as to define three layers of the elastic material within the at least one bearing block, and
wherein at least one form-fit element is provided which is arranged in a contact region between the transverse leaf spring and a support surface of at least one of the two bearing blocks with which the transverse leaf spring is at least partially in contact.

15. The vehicle wheel suspension as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising a retention device at least partially surrounding at least one of the bearing blocks and the transverse leaf spring such that the transverse leaf spring and the bearing blocks are together coupled to the vehicle via the retention device.

16. A leaf spring bearing for a vehicle with a transverse leaf spring, comprising:
an upper bearing block and a lower bearing block between which a portion of the transverse leaf spring can be interposed, each bearing block being formed at least partially of an elastic material and comprising an upper support surface and a lower support surface,
wherein the bearing has a stiffness in a vertical direction, a torsional stiffness, and a transverse stiffness, wherein the stiffness in the vertical direction is greater than the torsional stiffness and greater than the transverse stiffness, and
wherein at least one of the upper and lower bearing blocks comprises three layers of the elastic material, wherein the layers of the elastic material are at least partially separated from one another by a material having a hardness greater than the hardness of the elastic material.

17. The leaf spring bearing as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the upper support surface of the upper bearing block comprises a form-fit element configured to engage the vehicle or a subframe.

18. The leaf spring bearing as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the lower bearing block consists of elastic material.

19. The leaf spring bearing as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the lower bearing block comprises a constriction.

20. The leaf spring bearing as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the constriction is configured to allow oblique positioning of the support surfaces of the lower bearing block about a longitudinal direction of the leaf spring bearing.

21. A leaf spring bearing for a vehicle with a transverse leaf spring, comprising:
an upper bearing block and a lower bearing block between which a portion of the transverse leaf spring can be interposed, each bearing block being formed at least partially of an elastic material and comprising an upper support surface and a lower support surface,
wherein a thickness of a layer of the elastic material increases from a middle portion of the layer toward outer end portions of the layer in the upper bearing block or the lower bearing block,
wherein each of the upper and lower bearing blocks has a support plate arranged either outside the elastic material or at least partially surrounded by the elastic material in an area of the upper or lower support surface of the respective bearing block, and
wherein the support plates have closing contours arranged at their respective end regions which are configured to at least partially engage each other to couple the two bearing blocks.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Girelli Consolaro Alberto
• Simon Marc
• Zandbergen Paul

Classifications

• B60G2202/114

  transversally arranged · CPC title

• B60G2204/121

  Mounting of leaf springs · CPC title

• B60G11/08

  arranged substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle · CPC title

• B60G11/107 Primary

  Sliding or rolling mountings · CPC title

• F16F1/30

  comprising intermediate pieces made of rubber or similar elastic material · CPC title