Multipoint control arm
AssigneeZF Friedrichshafen AG
InventorsRainer UNGRUH, Markus WENZEL, Arnold BLANKE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
a multipoint control arm having a metallic base body (6), with three or more joint holding openings (11, 12, 13), and a plurality of joints (3, 4, 5) which, in each case, are seated in a respective one of the joint holding openings (11, 12, 13). A first joint, or at least one first joint (3) has a joint housing (19) inserted into a corresponding joint holding opening (11) and an inner joint portion (20) which is fitted and able to move in the joint housing (19) and extends out of the latter. The metallic base body (6) and the joint housing (19) of the first joint (3) are both embedded in a casing body (7), made from a fiber-reinforced plastic.
Claims17
1-16. (canceled)
A multipoint control arm comprising:
- a metallic base body (6) having at least three joint holding openings (11, 12, 13),
- a plurality of joints (3, 4, 5), and each one of the plurality of joints being seated in a respective one of the joint holding openings (11, 12, 13),
- at least a first one of the plurality of joints (3) having an inner joint portion (20) which is movably mounted,
- a casing body (7) made of fiber-reinforced plastic, and
- one of:
- the metallic base body (6) and a joint housing (19) of the first joint (3) being embedded within the casing body, or
- the metallic base body (6) being embedded, by virtue of the casing body (7), at the same time an integrated joint housing is formed.
A method of producing a multipoint control arm having a metallic base body (6) with at least three joint holding openings (11, 12, 13) and a plurality of joints (3, 4, 5), each one of the plurality of joints being seated in a respective one of the joint holding openings (11, 12, 13), at least a first one of the plurality of joints (3) having an inner joint portion (20) which is movably mounted, a casing body (7) made of fiber-reinforced plastic, and either:
- the metallic base body (6) and a joint housing (19) of the first joint (3) being embedded within the casing body, or the metallic base body (6) being embedded, by virtue of the casing body (7), at the same time an integrated joint housing is formed, the method comprising:
- making the first joint (3) during a primary joint production step;
- making at least second and third joints (4, 5) of the plurality of joints during a secondary joint production step;
- making the metallic base body (6) and providing the metallic base body with the at least three joint holding openings (11, 12, 13) during a base body production step;
- inserting the first joint (3) with its joint body (19) into one of the at least three joint holding openings (11) during a primary joint insertion step that comes after the primary joint production step and the base body production step;
- during an embedding step that comes after the primary joint insertion step, injection molding the fiber-reinforced plastic molded around the base body (6) and the joint housing (19) of the first joint (3), such that the casing body (7) in which the base body (6) and the joint housing (19) are embedded is formed from the fiber-reinforced plastic;
- and
- inserting each of the second joint and the third joint (4, 5) into other openings of the at least three joint holding openings (12, 13), during a secondary joint insertion step that comes after the secondary joint production step and the base body production step.
A method of producing a multipoint control arm having a metallic base body (6) with at least three joint holding openings (11, 12, 13) and a plurality of joints (3, 4, 5), each one of the plurality of joints being seated in a respective one of the joint holding openings (11, 12, 13), at least a first one of the plurality of joints (3) having an inner joint portion (20) which is movably mounted, a casing body (7) made of fiber-reinforced plastic, and either:
- the metallic base body (6) and a joint housing (19) of the first joint (3) being embedded within the casing body, or the metallic base body (6) being embedded, and by virtue of the casing body (7), at the same time an integrated joint housing is formed, the method comprising:
- making the inner joint portion (20) of the first joint (3) during a primary joint production step;
- making second and third joints (4, 5) of the plurality of joints during a secondary joint production step;
- making the metallic base body (6) and providing the metallic base body with the at least three joint holding openings (11, 12, 13) during a base body production step;
- arranging the inner joint portion (20) of the first joint (3) in one of the joint holding openings (11) during a primary joint insertion step that comes after the primary joint production step and the base body production step;
- and
- during an embedding step that comes after the primary joint insertion step, injection molding the fiber-reinforced plastic around the base body (6) and the inner joint portion (20) of the first joint (3), such that the casing body (7), in which the metallic base body (6) is embedded, and the joint housing (19), for the joint inner portion (20) of the first joint (3), are formed from the fiber-reinforced plastic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.