Eccentric control-arm bushings and suspension systems using them

A vehicle platform comprising:

• a first and second vehicle corner modules (VCMs) mounted on opposite sides of the vehicle platform, the first and second VCMs comprising respective suspension assemblies rotated 180° in a horizontal plane relative to each other,
• each of the first and second suspension assemblies comprising a control arm, the control arm comprising two inboard portions, each of the two inboard portions comprising an opening and an eccentric bushing installed therein, each of the bushings comprising:
• an annular outer sleeve seated in the opening of the respective inboard portion,
• an inner sleeve assembly surrounded by the outer sleeve and non-pivotably coupled to a frame of the vehicle platform, the inner sleeve assembly being installed off-center relative to the outer sleeve, the inner sleeve being non-concentric relative to the outer sleeve, and
• an elastomeric material bonded to both the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve assembly, molded to partly fill a gap therebetween, and at least partly deformable to absorb a torque applied thereto by the outer sleeve, a maximum radial thickness of the partly filled gap being at least twice as thick as a minimum radial thickness thereof,
• wherein the two respective bushings are both oriented such that for each bushing, the maximum radial thickness of the partly filled gap is disposed outboardward of the inner sleeve assembly and the minimum radial thickness of the partly filled gap is disposed inboardward of the inner sleeve assembly.

A vehicle corner module (VCM) comprising a suspension system, the suspension system comprising a control arm and a plurality of control arm bushings installed in respective openings in a plurality of inboard portions of the control arm, wherein:

• in a first orientation of the VCM, a first control arm bushing is a leading control arm bushing and a second control arm bushing is a trailing control arm bushing, and
• in a second orientation of the VCM that is rotated 180° in a horizontal plane relative to the first orientation, the first control arm bushing is a trailing control arm bushing and the second control arm bushing is a leading control arm bushing, and
• wherein each of the first and second control arm bushings comprises;
• an annular outer sleeve seated in the opening of the respective inbound portion of the control arm,
• an inner sleeve assembly surrounded by the outer sleeve and configured for fixed coupling to a frame of a vehicle platform, the inner sleeve assembly being installed off-center relative to the outer sleeve, the inner sleeve being non-concentric relative to the outer sleeve, and
• an elastomeric material bonded to both the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve assembly, molded to partly fill a gap therebetween, and at least partly deformable to absorb a torque applied thereto by the outer sleeve, a maximum radial thickness of the partly filled gap being at least twice as thick as a minimum radial thickness thereof, wherein the two bushings are both oriented such that for each bushing, the maximum radial thickness of the partly filled gap is disposed outboardward of the inner sleeve assembly and the minimum radial thickness of the partly filled gap is disposed inboardward of the inner sleeve assembly.

A vehicle platform comprising:

• a first and second vehicle corner modules (VCMs) mounted on opposite sides of the vehicle platform, the first and second VCMs comprising suspension assemblies, each of the suspension assemblies comprising a control arm, the control arm comprising two inboard portions, each of the inboard portions comprising an eccentric bushing installed in an opening of the respective inboard portion, an inner sleeve assembly of the respective bushing being installed off-center relative to an outer sleeve of the respective bushing such that the inner sleeve assembly of the respective bushing is non-concentric relative to the outer sleeve of the respective bushing, each of the bushings of the control arm being oriented such that for each bushing a central longitudinal axis of the respective bushing is disposed inboardward of a parallel central axis of the respective opening,
• wherein, when a respective at least partly vertical force is received by an outboard portion of the respective control arms of the suspension assemblies to pivot the control arms about the respective bushings,
• each of the control arms is constrained to pivot eccentrically about respective virtual pivot axes that are displaced inboardward from central axes of inner sleeve assemblies of the two respective bushings installed in the inboard-portion openings of each of the control arms, and
• the eccentric pivoting of the control arms about the respective virtual pivot axes extends an effective length of each control arm, and is effective to constrain a negatively vertical displacement of a roll center of the vehicle platform.

A vehicle platform comprising:

• first and second vehicle corner modules (VCMs) mounted on opposite sides of the vehicle platform, the first and second VCMs comprising suspension assemblies, each of the respective suspension assemblies comprising a control arm, the control arm including two inboard portions, each inboard portion including an eccentric bushing installed in an opening of the respective inboard portion, an inner sleeve assembly of the respective bushing being installed off-center relative to an outer sleeve of the respective bushing such that the inner sleeve assembly of the respective bushing is non-concentric relative to the outer sleeve of the respective bushing, each of the bushings of the control arm being oriented such that for each bushing a central longitudinal axis of the respective bushing is disposed inboardward of a parallel central axis of the respective opening,
• wherein, when an at least partly vertical force is received by an outboard portion of the respective control arm of a single suspension assembly to pivot the control arm about the respective bushings,
• the control arm of the single suspension assembly is constrained to pivot eccentrically about respective virtual pivot axes that are displaced inboardward from the central axes of inner sleeve assemblies of the two bushings installed in the inboard-portion openings of the control arm, and
• the eccentric pivoting of the control arm about the respective virtual pivot axes extends an effective length of the control arm, and is effective to constrain an outboardward displacement of a roll center of the vehicle platform.