Vehicle independent suspension
AssigneeSistemi Sospensioni S.p.A.
InventorMiles Barnaby Gerrard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An independent suspension (10) of a vehicle includes a knuckle (22) intended to carry a wheel (W), a damper (12) connected at a bottom end thereof to the knuckle (22), and a plurality of arms (14, 24) connected to a body (B) of the vehicle and the knuckle (22). A hinge device (30; 34) is interposed between the damper (12) and knuckle (22) to allow the damper (12) and knuckle (22) to rotate relative to each other about an axis of articulation (H) that is oriented to form an acute angle with a horizontal. A torsional stiffness control device (32; 34; 34, 70) is interposed between the damper (12) and knuckle (22) to control torsional stiffness of an articulated connection between the damper (12) and knuckle (22) about the axis of articulation (H).
Claims4
An independent suspension (10) of a vehicle, the suspension comprising:
- a knuckle (22) intended to carry a wheel (W);
- a damper (12) connected at a bottom end thereof to the knuckle (22);
- a plurality of arms (14, 24) connected to a body (B) of the vehicle and the knuckle (22);
- a hinge device (34) interposed between the damper (12) and the knuckle (22) to allow the damper (12) and the knuckle (22) to rotate relative to each other about an axis of articulation (H) that is oriented to form an angle between 0° and 45°, limits included with a horizontal;
- and
- a torsional stiffness control device (70) interposed between the damper (12) and the knuckle (22) to control torsional stiffness of an articulated connection between the damper (12) and the knuckle (22) about the axis of articulation (H);
- wherein the hinge device includes a flexible plate member (34), the axis of articulation (H) being defined by a bending axis of the plate member (34);
- wherein the flexible plate member (34) lies substantially in a transverse vertical plane and is rigidly connected at an upper end of the plate member (34) to the knuckle (22) and at a lower end of the flexible plate member (34) to the damper (12);and
- wherein the torsional stiffness control device includes a rubber bush (70) an axis of which is spaced apart from the flexible plate member (34) and is oriented parallel to the axis of articulation (H), and the bush (70) has an outer body that is rigidly connected to the knuckle (22) and an inner body that is rigidly connected to the damper (12).
An independent suspension (10) of a vehicle, the suspension comprising:
- a knuckle (22) intended to carry a wheel (W);
- a damper (12) connected at a bottom end thereof to the knuckle (22);
- a plurality of arms (14, 24) connected to a body (B) of the vehicle and the knuckle (22);
- a hinge device (34) interposed between the damper (12) and the knuckle (22) to allow the damper (12) and the knuckle (22) to rotate relative to each other about an axis of articulation (H) that is oriented to form an angle between 0° and 45°, limits included with a horizontal;
- and
- a torsional stiffness control device (54, 78, 80) interposed between the damper (12) and the knuckle (22) to control torsional stiffness of an articulated connection between the damper (12) and the knuckle (22) about the axis of articulation (H);
- wherein the hinge device includes a flexible plate member (34), the axis of articulation (H) being defined by a bending axis of the flexible plate member (30);
- wherein the flexible plate member (34) lies substantially in a transverse vertical plane and is rigidly connected at an upper end of the flexible plate member (34) to the knuckle (22) and at a lower end of the flexible plate member (34) to the damper (12);
- and
- wherein the torsional stiffness control device (54, 78, 80) includes a pair of lower abutment members (78) that are rigidly connected to the lower end of the flexible plate member (34) and extend upwards on opposite sides of the flexible plate member (34), a pair of upper abutment members (80) that are rigidly connected to the upper end of the flexible plate member (34) and extend downwards on opposite sides of the flexible plate member (34), and a pair of rubber buffers (54) interposed between pairs of horizontal abutment surfaces (82, 84) of the lower and upper abutment members (78, 80), which are facing and spaced apart two by two.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.