Spring assembly for a vehicle suspension
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsRalf Hintzen, Daniel Mainz, Rainer Souschek, Thomas Gerhards, Paul Zandbergen, Alberto Girelli Consolaro, Friedrich Peter Wolf-Monheim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosure concerns a spring assembly with a leaf spring. The leaf spring extends in a vehicle longitudinal axis, supports a vehicle axle and is connected at least indirectly to a vehicle superstructure at a front end and at a rear end. In order to provide a wheel suspension with advantageous springing and damping behavior that is optimized with regard to weight and complexity, according to the disclosure it is provided that at least one damping region, which is at least partially fluid-filled, is integrated in the leaf spring.
Claims15
A spring assembly comprising:
- a leaf spring that extends in a vehicle longitudinal axis, supports a vehicle axle and is connected at least indirectly to a vehicle superstructure at a front end and at a rear end, the leaf spring having at least one damping region comprising a plurality of at least partially fluid-filled recesses integrated in the leaf spring and following each other in an extension direction of the leaf spring, wherein at least one of the recesses comprises two reservoir regions connected by a connecting channel constricted at least in portions.
A vehicle comprising:
- a wheel suspension having a spring assembly with a leaf spring that extends in a vehicle longitudinal axis, supports a vehicle axle and is connected at least indirectly to a vehicle superstructure at a front end and at a rear end, wherein at least one damping region is integrated in the leaf spring, the damping region comprising a plurality of at least partially fluid-filled recesses that follow each other in an extension direction of the leaf spring, wherein at least one of the plurality of recesses comprises two reservoir regions connected by a channel constricted at least in portions;
- and
- a connecting arm connected pivotably with the vehicle superstructure and running at an angle with respect to and adjoining a spring portion of the leaf spring that is concave at least in portions.
A vehicle wheel suspension comprising:
- a spring assembly with a leaf spring that extends in a vehicle longitudinal axis, supports a vehicle axle, and is connected at least indirectly to a vehicle superstructure at a front end and at a rear end;
- at least one damping region integrated in the leaf spring and comprising a plurality of recesses at least partially filled with a magneto-rheological fluid, wherein the recesses follow each other in an extension direction of the leaf spring, and wherein at least one of the recesses comprises two reservoir regions connected by a channel constricted at least in portions;
- and
- a connecting arm being connected pivotably to the vehicle superstructure and running at an angle with respect to and adjoining a spring portion of the leaf spring that is concave at least in portions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.