Control arm and method for producing same
AssigneeZF Friedrichshafen AG
InventorsWolfgang Meyer, Ignacio Lobo Casanova, Martin Wachtel
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Abstract
A method of producing a control arm for a motor vehicle, in particular a multi-point control arm, preferably a transverse control arm, which is substantially formed by a fiber-plastic composite structure. The method includes the steps: creating of a preform structure with load-adapted fiber orientation, introducing the preform structure into a forming tool, consolidating the preform structure in the tool by application of pressure and/or temperature, and removing and further processing of the control arm.
Claims11
A control arm for a motor vehicle which is substantially formed by a fiber-plastic composite structure,
- the fiber-plastic composite structure having at least one of a ball joint and elastomer bearing,
- the fiber-plastic composite structure being formed integrally and in a materially-locking manner without any reinforcement structure,
- either the elastomer bearing or the ball joint is integrated into the control arm in at least one of a form-locking manner and a materially-locking manner at at least one bearing location, and
- the elastomer bearing or the ball joint is integrated into the control arm by a perforated support structure, and the support structure is formed from either light metal or a fiber composite material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.