US 6,857,625 B2 · Spring carrier

Abstract

The invention relates to a spring carrier for the chassis of a motor vehicle. Said carrier is used to support a coil spring (1) which is braced between two spring plates (2, 3). At least one of said spring plates (2) can be axially adjusted by means of a drive unit comprising a gearbox and an electric motor. Preferably, at least one part of the piston rod (6) and/or the shock-absorber tube (5) of a shock-absorber or a suspension strut is arranged inside the coil spring (1). The aim of the invention is to develop one such spring carrier in such a way that the distance between the upper spring end and the vehicle body can be kept small in a cost-effective manner. To this end, the electric motor is embodied in the form of a ring motor having an external stator (15) and an internal rotor (16) which comprises a displacement nut on its inner side, said displacement nut axially displacing a spring plate carrier (21) connected to the spring plate (2) and externally embodied as a threaded spindle.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A motor vehicle drive arrangement comprising:

a spring carrier;
two spring caps;
a helical spring tensioned between two spring caps supported by said spring carrier;
a damping tube;
a piston rod connected to a chassis of the vehicle;
a shock absorber having a region of said piston rod within said helical spring;
electrical motor means with drive means for displacing axially at least one of said spring caps;
said electrical motor comprising an annular motor with an external stator surrounding an internally threaded rotor;
a motion-limiting nut carried inside said rotor and driven by said external stator;
a spring cap holder connected to one of said spring caps and being in form of an outside threaded spindle, said motion limiting nut displacing axially said spring cap holder;
said spring cap holder having a base with a central opening for supporting said one of said spring caps.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Spring carrier

Life of this patent

Spring carrier

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8