Additive manufactured suspension components with an integrated fluid passage
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsDavid D. FRISKE, Keith WESTON, Michael Joseph NIKSA
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for creating a suspension component of a suspension assembly of a vehicle may include forming a base portion of the suspension component via deposition of a material to partially form a structure having a first end and a second end, depositing additional material to form sides of a fluid channel inside the base portion between the first end and the second end, and enclosing the fluid channel and finishing the structure via deposition of the material to complete the suspension component.
Claims27
A method for creating a suspension component of a suspension assembly of a vehicle, the method comprising:
- forming a base portion of the suspension component via deposition of a material to partially form a structure having a first end and a second end;
- depositing additional material to form sides of a fluid channel inside the base portion between the first end and the second end;
- and
- enclosing the fluid channel and finishing the structure via deposition of the material to complete the suspension component.
A suspension assembly of a vehicle, the suspension assembly comprising:
- a main hydraulic fluid reservoir operably coupled to the vehicle to hold hydraulic brake fluid;
- a brake assembly operably coupled to a wheel assembly to use the hydraulic brake fluid to slow the vehicle;
- a knuckle operably coupling the wheel assembly to the vehicle, the knuckle further comprising:
- a base portion comprising a first end and a second end;
- and
- a fluid channel configured to transfer the hydraulic brake fluid from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet,
- wherein the fluid channel is disposed between the first end and the second end,
- wherein the fluid channel is enclosed between the first end and the second end, and
- wherein the fluid channel is a hydraulic fluid line that transfers the hydraulic brake fluid to a component of the brake assembly.
The suspension component of claim 21, wherein positioning of the fluid channel within the suspension component is based on a shortest run length through the suspension component optimizing structural properties of the suspension component.
A suspension assembly of a vehicle, the suspension assembly comprising:
- a main hydraulic fluid reservoir operably coupled to the vehicle to hold hydraulic brake fluid;
- a brake assembly operably coupled to a wheel assembly to use the hydraulic brake fluid to slow the vehicle;
- a control arm operably coupling the wheel assembly to the vehicle, the control arm further comprising:
- a base portion comprising a first end and a second end;
- and
- a fluid channel configured to transfer the hydraulic brake fluid from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet,
- wherein the fluid channel is disposed and enclosed between the first end and the second end, and
- wherein the fluid channel is a secondary hydraulic fluid reservoir that holds the hydraulic brake fluid for use by the brake assembly.
A suspension assembly of a vehicle, the suspension assembly comprising:
- a main hydraulic fluid reservoir operably coupled to the vehicle to hold fluid;
- a brake assembly operably coupled to a wheel assembly to use the fluid;
- a suspension component operably coupling the wheel assembly to the vehicle, the suspension component further comprising:
- a base portion comprising a first end and a second end;
- and
- a fluid channel configured to transfer the fluid from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet,
- wherein the fluid channel is disposed and enclosed between the first end and the second end,
- wherein the fluid channel is a secondary hydraulic fluid reservoir that holds the hydraulic brake fluid for use by the brake assembly,
- wherein the suspension component includes a constant width and a constant height between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, and
- wherein the fluid channel has a variable diameter between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet to allow for accumulation of the hydraulic brake fluid within the base portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.