Lightweight suspension upright or knuckle

A lightweight suspension upright or knuckle for a vehicle, comprising:

• a bearing connection interface for receiving a wheel bearing, the bearing connection interface including a first sleeve element wherein
• i) the bearing connection interface also comprises a second sleeve element arranged radially outside the first sleeve element and comprising an annular body having a radially outer lateral surface and a radially inner lateral surface and made of a composite material including reinforcing fibers dispersed in a polymer matrix, the radially inner lateral surface being mechanically coupled to the first sleeve element;
• ii) the lightweight suspension upright or knuckle further comprising a first and a second shell elements, both generally cup-shaped and both made of high-performance fiber reinforced composite material;
• iii) the first shell element being provided integrally with the bearing connection interface and the second shell element being fitted upon the first shell element, radially outside or inside thereof and radially and peripherally mating therewith, with the annular body of the bearing interface sandwiched between the first and second shell element;
• iv) the lightweight suspension upright or knuckle further comprising a core filling an empty space delimited there between by the first and second shell element, the core comprising the annular body;
• v) the radially outer lateral surface of the annular body being mechanically and chemically coupled with the first and second shell elements, either directly or indirectly;
• further comprising at least one first and one second attachment interface configured to connect the suspension upright or knuckle to control or support elements therefor;
• the at least one first attachment interface comprising non-annular, concave superimposed first peripheral portions of the first and second shell elements radially outstanding therefrom and arranged in contact to each other, which first peripheral portions are mechanically and chemically connected to each other in direct manner.

A lightweight suspension upright or knuckle for a vehicle, comprising:

• a bearing connection interface for receiving a wheel bearing, the bearing connection interface including a first sleeve element wherein
• i) the bearing connection interface also comprises a second sleeve element arranged radially outside the first sleeve element and comprising an annular body having a radially outer lateral surface and a radially inner lateral surface and made of a composite material including reinforcing fibers dispersed in a polymer matrix, the radially inner lateral surface being mechanically coupled to the first sleeve element;
• ii) the lightweight suspension upright or knuckle further comprising a first and a second shell elements, both generally cup-shaped and both made of high-performance fiber reinforced composite material;
• iii) the first shell element being provided integrally with the bearing connection interface and the second shell element being fitted upon the first shell element, radially outside or inside thereof and radially and peripherally mating therewith, with the annular body of the bearing interface sandwiched between the first and second shell element;
• iv) the lightweight suspension upright or knuckle further comprising a core filling an empty space delimited there between by the first and second shell element, the core comprising the annular body;
• v) the radially outer lateral surface of the annular body being mechanically and chemically coupled with the first and second shell elements, either directly or indirectly;
• wherein the second shell element is fitted upon the first shell element, radially outside thereof, each first and second shell element comprising a bottom annular wall and a lateral wall surrounding radially on the outside the annular bottom wall and axially projecting therefrom, the lateral walls of the first and second shell elements axially projecting towards each other and being mechanically and chemically joined in contact to each other in a radially superimposed manner.

A method for obtaining a lightweight suspension upright or knuckle for a vehicle providing a bearing connection interface for receiving a wheel bearing, the bearing connection interface including a first sleeve element;

• the method comprising the steps of:
• i) providing the bearing connection interface with a second sleeve element arranged radially outside the first sleeve element and comprising an annular body having a radially outer lateral surface and a radially inner lateral surface, the annular body being formed by injection or compression molding a composite material including reinforcing fibers dispersed in a polymer matrix directly upon a radially outer lateral surface of the first sleeve element so as to mechanically couple the second sleeve element to the first sleeve element;
• ii)—forming, by compression molding, a first and a second shell element, both generally cupshaped and both made of high-performance fiber reinforced composite materials monodirectionally oriented;
• iii) joining the first shell element and second shell element integrally with the bearing connection interface and with each other, the second shell element being arranged onto the first shell element, radially outside or inside thereof and radially and peripherally mating therewith, sandwiching the annular body of the bearing interface there between;
• iv) forming a core filling an empty space delimited between the joined first and second shell element, the core being formed so as to include the annular body and to mechanically and chemically couple the radially outer lateral surface of the annual body with the first and second shell element, either directly or indirectly;
• v)—the annular body of the second sleeve element and the first and second shell elements being formed separately to one another as independent self-supporting elements but being left in a semi-cured state;
• then being mechanically assembled onto one another and during an injection or compression molding step in which the core is formed in its entirety are totally cured so as that adjacent contacting portions thereof are chemically and mechanically bonded together.