# US 9,038,707 B2 · Method for producing a trailing arm of a twist beam axle in which a drive unit of an electrical drive close to the wheel, comprising an electrical engine and a transmission, is integrated > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,038,707 B2 - Document ID: US9038707B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/240,408 - Filed: 2012-08-02 - Published: 2014-07-31 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2011-09-09 - Assignees: ZF Friedrichshafen AG - Applicants: Ulrich Mair; Stephan Pollmeyer - Inventors: Ulrich Mair; Stephan Pollmeyer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9038707B2 ## CPC - B60G 9/003: {the axle being rigidly connected to a trailing guiding device} - B22D 25/02: by its peculiarity of shape; of works of art {(cylinders, pistons B22D15/02)} - B60G 21/051: {Trailing arm twist beam axles} - B60K 7/0007: {the motor being electric} - B60G 2200/422: Driving wheels or live axles - B60G 2204/1226: on the trailing arms of a twist beam type arrangement - B60G 2206/20: Constructional features of semi-rigid axles, e.g. twist beam type axles - B60G 2206/8101: by casting - B60G 2300/50: Electric vehicles; Hybrid vehicles - B60G: VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS (air-cushion vehicles B60V; {cycle suspensions B62K25/00}) - B22D: CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES (shaping of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29C; metallurgical processing, selection of substances to be added to metal C21, C22) - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES ## Abstract A method of producing a trailing arm of a torsion beam axle in which an integrated drive unit of a wheel-adjacent electric drive has an electric machine and a transmission. By using the method, the trailing arm is produced in the form of a casting with a box profile. The contours for producing the area that accommodates the transmission, the connection point to the vehicle body, the bore that receives the cross-member which connects the two trailing arms to one another, the U-profile of the trailing arm, the box profile and the area that accommodates the electric machine, are modeled by cores such that the contours for producing the connection point of the trailing arm to the vehicle body, the bore that receives the cross-member and the U-profile of the trailing arm are modeled by one core. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of producing a trailing arm (2, 3) of a torsion beam axle (1) having an integrated drive unit of a wheel-adjacent electric drive which comprises an electric machine and a transmission, the method comprising the steps of: modeling, with a plurality of cores, contours for producing an area (16) that accommodates the transmission, a connection point (11) to a vehicle body, a bore (17) that receives a cross-member (4) which connects two trailing arms (2, 3) to one another, a U-profile (22) of the trailing arm (2), a box profile (18) and an area (19) that accommodates the electric machine, modeling the contours for producing the connection point (11) of the trailing arm (2) to the vehicle body, the bore (17) that receives the cross-member (4) and the U-profile (22) of the trailing arm (2) are modeled from one core (27); and producing the trailing arm (2, 3), with the box profile (18), in a form of a casting (28) from the plurality of cores. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of producing the trailing arm (2, 3) of the torsion beam axle (1) according to claim 1, further comprising the step of, when a damper connection (14) of the wheel-associated damper and a spring cup (13) of the wheel-associated spring are integrated in the trailing arm (2), modeling contours for producing the spring cup (13), that receives a spring, and the damper connection (14) from another core (26). ### Claim 3 A method of producing a trailing arm of a torsion beam axle of a vehicle such that the trailing arm accommodates an integrated drive unit comprising an electric machine and a transmission, adjacent to a wheel of the vehicle, and the trailing arm comprising an area that accommodates the transmission, an area that accommodates the electric machine, a connection point for connecting the trailing arm to a body of the vehicle, a bore for receiving an end of a cross-member of the torsion beam axle, and a U-profile, the method comprising the steps of: modeling, from a first core, a contour for producing the area that accommodates the transmission; modeling, from a second core, a contour for producing the box profile of the trailing from a third core, a contour for producing the area that accommodates the electric machine; modeling, from a fourth core, contours for producing: the connection point for connecting the trailing arm to the body of the vehicle, and the bore that receives the end of the cross-member of the torsion beam axle, and the U-profile of the trailing arm; and producing the trailing arm with a box profile by using the first through the fourth cores. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of producing the trailing arm of the torsion beam axle according to claim 3, further comprising the step of: modeling, from a fifth core, contours for producing: a spring cup that receives a wheel-associated spring, and a damper connection for connecting a wheel-associated damper to the tailing arm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of producing the trailing arm of the torsion beam axle according to claim 4, further comprising the step of combining the first, the second, the third, the fourth and the fifth cores in a molding box to model the trailing arm comprising: the box profile, the area that accommodates the transmission, the area that accommodates the electric machine, the connection point for connecting the trailing arm to the body of he vehicle, the bore that receives an end of the cross-member of the torsion beam axle, the U-profile, the spring cup that receives the wheel-associated spring, and the damper connection for connecting the wheel-associated damper to the tailing arm.