JP3147411B2 - Wheel suspension with quadrangular link struts - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wheel suspension in a vehicle such as an automobile, and more particularly to a wheel suspension of a type constituted by a combination of a plurality of links.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION One very common construction of a linked wheel suspension is to support a wheel 12 rotatably about its center axis of rotation A, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. The wheel support device 10 can be pivoted relative to at least one substantially horizontal and longitudinally extending pivot axis at the outboard end by an upper portion of the support device and a pivot connection 18. About the pivot axis extending substantially horizontally and longitudinally to the vehicle body by pivotal couplings 20, 21 provided at the free ends of the two legs at the inboard ends. An upper arm, such as an A-arm 16, which is pivotally connected to the wheel support device 1 at the outboard end.
0 and a pivotal coupling device 28 which are pivotally connected relative to at least one substantially horizontal and longitudinally extending pivot axis relative to the body 24 at the inboard end. The kinematic coupling 30 is pivotable about one substantially horizontal and longitudinally extending pivot axis and has at least some small pivotal motion about a substantially vertical pivot axis. The lower arm is pivotally connected with a degree of freedom and is supported by the lower arm. The forward / backward movement of the outboard end of the lower arm 26 and the outboard portion of the lower arm 26 at the rear end A strut member 48 that is rigidly connected and relatively pivotally connected at its forward end by a body connection 24 and a pivotal connection 54 about a substantially horizontal and longitudinally extending pivot axis. Is known to be limited by When the wheels supported by such a wheel suspension are steered wheels, the wheel support 10 is pivoted substantially vertically by pivotal linkages 18 and 28 relative to the upper arm 16 and lower arm 26. Pivotable about the axis,
In this case, the pivotal coupling devices 18 and 28 may be ball joints, and the wheel support device 10 may be moved in the steering direction by the knuckle arm 32 provided thereon being operated by a steering tie rod (not shown). It is to be moved.

In such a wheel suspension device, the wheel bounce and rebound do not cause a sudden change in the direction of the rotation axis of the wheel such that the wheel bounce or rebound causes dynamic instability due to the Coriolis effect or the like. Wheel support device 1 to stably maintain the instantaneous center of motion in
0, the upper arm 16, the lower arm 26, the strut member 48 and the vehicle body 24, the imaginary straight line K passing through the pivotal coupling devices 30 and 54 forms a pivotal connection between the upper arm 16 and the vehicle body 24. A pivot axis, substantially horizontal and longitudinally extending axis H, is configured to substantially intersect at a point, such as point O, which is the point of bounding rebound movement of the wheel. It gives a momentary center. Here, it is assumed that the line K substantially intersects the line H because two straight lines having different slopes always intersect in plane geometry, but are applied to an actual product of a wheel suspension. In three-dimensional geometry, any two straight lines must intersect strictly with each other with a precision that exceeds the accuracy actually obtained and in light of certain objectives, actions and effects to be achieved. This is a condition in view of the fact that extremely high accuracy exceeding sufficient accuracy is required. Therefore, in the present application, the term "substantially effective" means that an error from a strict geometrical intersection of two straight lines is allowed within a range that does not substantially affect the object, operation and effect of the invention. Intersect with "is used.

[0004]

When the wheel supported by such a wheel suspension is a front wheel, from the viewpoint of improving the anti-nose dive characteristic at the time of braking of the vehicle, the instantaneous center of the bounding and rebounding motion of the wheel, that is, the instantaneous center, It is desirable that the point O is relatively close to the rotation center axis A of the wheel. When the front wheels of the vehicle are braked, the mass at the front of the vehicle tends to ride on the front wheels. At this time, the mass of the front of the vehicle is concentrated at point O, and this concentrated mass is A motion is performed so that the virtual arm R stretched between the point O and the contact point T of the wheel with respect to the ground G is turned around the point T as an arm. The greater the force, the greater the force to push the front of the vehicle up against the nose dive. Point O is defined as the rotation axis A of the wheel.
In order to be positioned relatively close to the pivot connection, as best seen in FIG. 3 which also shows the wheel suspension shown in FIG. It is desired that the device 30 be as high as possible, while the pivotal coupling device 54 be as low as possible. However, arranging the pivotal coupling 30 as high as desired often results in interference with this and other parts of the vehicle, especially with the steering gearbox when the wheels are steering wheels. Have difficulty. On the other hand, lowering the pivotal coupling device 54 will reduce the vehicle height.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems in the conventional link-type wheel suspension device as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the present invention provides a pivot coupling device at the inboard end of the lower arm. in terms of maintaining the highest possible Matakuruma height without terms of another configuration conditions of the vehicle Ru disposed undesirably high position, the instantaneous center of bound rebound movement of the wheel is relatively close to the rotational center axis of the wheel It is a primary object to provide a new linked wheel suspension that can be deployed.

The present invention further provides that the instantaneous center of bounding and rebounding motion of a wheel located behind the axis of rotation of the wheel moves forward as the wheel bounces, thereby causing the wheel to bounce during braking of the vehicle. A second object of the present invention is to provide a novel link-type wheel suspension device that increases the anti-nose dive characteristics of the wheel suspension device.

According to the present invention, there is provided a wheel supporting member for rotatably supporting a wheel around a rotation center axis thereof, and an upper portion of the wheel supporting member at an outboard end. at least one substantially vehicle body and one substantially horizontal at around one pivot axis extending in the horizontal in且縦direction relative pivotally connected also inboard end and An upper arm pivotally connected about a first pivot axis extending longitudinally and relatively at least one substantially horizontal with a lower portion of the wheel support member at an outboard end; And pivotally connected relatively about a longitudinally extending pivot axis and at one inboard end with the vehicle body about one substantially horizontal and longitudinally extending pivot axis. And a small degree of freedom of pivoting about one substantially vertical pivot axis. A lower arm pivotally connected to have at least a substantially pivotal amount at a rear end about an outboard portion of the lower arm and a first pivot point. Pivotally connected in a pivotable direction and at a front end relative to the vehicle body and the second pivot point by at least some small amount of pivoting in substantially all pivot directions; A first strut member connected thereto and at least a small amount of pivoting relative to the outboard portion of the lower arm and a third pivot point at a rear end relative to substantially all pivoting directions. A second strut pivotally connected and pivotally connected at a front end relative to the vehicle body and at least a small pivot amount about substantially the fourth pivot point in substantially all pivot directions. And the third pivot point is
Substantially upwardly spaced from the first pivot point and
The fourth pivot point is substantially upwardly spaced from the second pivot point.
A part of the lower arm and the first and second arms.
The second strut member and part of the body are viewed from the side of the body.
A substantially parallelogram link, a first virtual straight line passing through the first pivot point and the second pivot point, the third pivot point, and the fourth pivot point. The second imaginary straight line passing through the lower arm passes through the inboard end of the lower arm and the center of the pivotal connection of the vehicle body and is directed downward at the front side of the pivotal connection center.
An inclined third virtual straight line substantially intersects the front side of the lower arm, and the third virtual straight line substantially crosses the first pivot axis and the rear side of the lower arm. This is achieved by a front wheel suspension for a vehicle characterized by intersecting with the vehicle.

[0008]

According to the above construction, the lower arm, the first strut member, the second strut member, and the vehicle body, which are connected to each other by the pivotal connection device, move during the bounding and rebounding motion of the wheels. To form one quadrilateral link mechanism that rotates as a whole around the third virtual straight line
And wherein the first and second imaginary straight lines extend forward and downward beyond the front ends of the first and second strut members, respectively.
The structure is such that each of the extending portions intersects the third imaginary straight line, and is a pivot point on the vehicle body side of the strut member that limits the forward and backward movement of the outboard end of the lower arm. Here, the two pivot points at the front ends of the first and second strut members are located above the pivot axis of the lower arm in the bounding and rebounding motion of the wheel. The height difference between the front end of thus lower arm inboard end and the first strut member and the second strut members, the rotation of the wheels in the instantaneous center to bound rebound movement of the wheel When located at the same proximity to the central axis, the height is substantially reduced as compared to the height difference between the inboard end of the lower arm and the front end of the strut member in a conventional wheel suspension as described above. Make it small.

Further, in the above quadrilateral link mechanism, when the wheels bounce with respect to the vehicle body, the rear ends of the first and second strut members are deformed so as to rise with respect to their front ends. Is more inclined to be lower on the front side and higher on the rear side than the inboard end of the lower arm through which it passes.
Thus, the third imaginary straight line crosses the first pivot axis at a position closer to the center axis of rotation of the wheel. Therefore
When the wheel is a front wheel, the anti-nose dive characteristic improves as the wheel bounces with respect to the vehicle body.

[0010]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG.

FIG. 2 schematically shows one embodiment of the wheel suspension according to the present invention in the same manner as in FIG. In this embodiment, parts having the same structure as the conventional apparatus shown in FIG. 1 are configured to have the same components, and the components included in the structure of the conventional apparatus shown in FIG. Identical components are designated by the same reference numerals as in FIG. That is,
As a common part with the structure of the conventional device, in the wheel suspension device of FIG.
The wheel support member 10, which is rotatably supported around it, is also configured as an A-arm and at least one substantially horizontal and vertical through the pivot connection 18 with the upper part of the wheel support member at the outboard end. A substantially horizontal and longitudinal extension at an inboard end provided by a pair of legs of an A-arm, pivotally connected relatively about a pivot axis extending in a longitudinal direction. Vehicle body 24 around the existing pivot axis H
An upper arm 16 pivotally connected to the lower arm of the wheel support 10 via a pivot connection 28 at an outboard end and at least a substantially horizontal and longitudinally extending pivot. Relatively connected about a pivot axis that is pivotally connected about the axis of rotation and extends substantially horizontally and longitudinally with the vehicle body 24 via the pivot connection 30 at the inboard end. Lower arm 26 pivotably connected to and having a small degree of freedom of freedom about a substantially vertical pivot axis.
And are supported by

In this embodiment, the wheel suspension device is also configured to operate as a steering suspension device by each of the pivot coupling devices 18 and 28 being configured as a ball joint. It is pivotable about a steering pivot axis substantially perpendicular to the upper arm 16 and the lower arm 26. The wheel support member 10 includes a knuckle arm 32 that is configured to be operated by a steering tie rod also not shown.

In place of the strut member 48 in the conventional wheel suspension shown in FIG. 1, in the wheel suspension shown in FIG. The movement of the side arm 26 is substantially equivalent to the lower arm 26 and at least a small amount of pivoting about the first pivot point provided by the pivoting connection 50 by the pivoting connection 50 at the rear end. Connected pivotally relative to the outboard portion of the lower arm 26 in all directions and at a forward end by a pivot coupling 54 about a second pivot point provided by the pivot coupling 54. A first strut member 48 connected to the body 24 in a pivotable manner in substantially all pivot directions by a small amount of pivoting, and a pivot coupling 56 at the rear end. Around a third pivot point provided by the coupling device 56 The lower arm 26 is pivotably connected to the outboard portion of the lower arm 26 by at least some small amount of pivoting relative to substantially all pivoting directions and at its forward end by a pivotal coupling 64. A second strut member 49 connected to the body 24 in a manner pivotable relative to substantially all pivot directions by at least some small amount of pivot about a fourth pivot point provided by the device 64; , Pivot coupling device 54
And 64 are regulated by a quadrilateral link mechanism constituted by a vehicle body 24 supporting one of the members at a predetermined position with respect to the vehicle body. In the illustrated embodiment, each one-side member on the lower arm 26 side of the pivotal coupling devices 50 and 56 extends from an inboard end connected to the vehicle body 24 to an outboard end connected to the wheel support member 10. The main body of the lower arm 26 extending substantially in the horizontal direction is supported by an arm portion 46 extending substantially vertically from the outboard portion.

The first strut member 48 and the second strut member 49 are pivotally coupled 50 and 56, respectively.
And forwardly and downwardly extending from their rear ends connected to the lower arm 26 via pivot connections 54 and 64 to respective front ends connected to the vehicle body, and are provided by a pivot connection 50. By a virtual straight line E passing through the first pivot point and the second pivot point provided by the pivot coupling device 54, and by the third pivot point and the pivot coupling device 64 provided by the pivot coupling device 56 The given virtual straight line F passing through the fourth pivot point is a virtual straight line M extending forward and downward with respect to the vehicle, and extending through the pivot connection device 30 with a predetermined direction. Each of them extends with a certain direction intersecting at points P and Q, respectively. This imaginary straight line M is located on the front side of the pivotal connection
0 lower than at the rear side, the upper arm 16 and the body 2
4 extending substantially transversely to the pivot axis H passing through the pivotal coupling devices 20 and 21 between them.

When such a geometric link mechanism is constructed, the upper part of the wheel supporting member 10 connected to the upper arm 16 by the pivotal connection device 18 is adapted to pivot when the wheels bounce or rebound with respect to the vehicle body. Pivot around H. On the other hand, the lower arm 26
The lower part of the wheel supporting device 10 connected to the vehicle pivots around the virtual straight line M when the wheel bounces or rebounds with respect to the vehicle body. As can be seen from a comparison of FIGS. 3 and 4, when obtaining the same proximity of the instantaneous center O of the bounding and rebounding motion of the wheel to the center axis A of rotation of the wheel, the pivotal connection in the wheel suspension of FIG. The height difference between the device 30 and the pivot connection 54 or 64 is significantly smaller than the height difference between the pivot connection 30 and the pivot connection 54 in the wheel suspension of FIG. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the pivot connection 30 may be located at a relatively low position, while the pivot connections 54 and 64 may be located at a relatively high position.

[0016] Figures 2 and At a wheel suspension shown in FIG. 4, the wheel is bound to the vehicle body, the lower arm 26 and the strut members 48 and 49, their respective pivot pivotal coupling member 30, 54 , 64 as shown by the dashed lines in FIG. In FIG. 5, the position of the relevant member after such rotation is indicated by the corresponding reference numeral with a dash ('). Due to such displacement of these related members, the virtual straight line M moves as shown by M ', so that the instantaneous center of the bounding and rebounding motion of the wheel moves from the point O to the point O', and the rotation of the wheel It approaches the central axis A. Accordingly, the tilt angle j shown in FIG. 2 is increased, and thus, when braking the vehicle, the anti-nose dive characteristics improve as the wheels bounce more.

FIG. 6 shows a more specific design of one embodiment of the wheel suspension according to the present invention. The structure of the wheel suspension shown in FIG. 6 is substantially the same as the structure of the wheel suspension shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5.
However, as a possible modification in the present invention, the strut member 49 restrains the roll of the body by counteracting the rebound or rebound on one of the pair of wheels against the rebound or rebound on the other. As a means, a stabilizer 5 known per se in the field of this technology is used.
8 given by part. However, the stabilizer in this case is substantially modified from the conventional structure so as to operate as the original stabilizer and also as the strut member in the present invention. The conventional stabilizer, when incorporated in the conventional wheel suspension shown in FIG. 1, takes into account its function, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. And a rear end of the end 60 is connected to the lower arm 26 via a link member 61, and a connecting portion between the rear end of the end 60 and the link 61; Pivot coupling devices 63 and 65 are provided at the connection between the link 61 and the lower arm 26, respectively. However, such a stabilizer is not compatible with the strut member 4 according to the invention.
9 does not work. In a modification of the invention shown in FIG. 6, the end 60 of the stabilizer is connected directly to the lower arm 26 by a pivotal connection 56 and together with the associated members as described above constitutes the quadrilateral linkage. It is possible to do. In this embodiment, the lower strut member is used.
48 is directly below without substantially interposing the arm portion 46
It is connected to the arm 26.

In FIG. 6, parts corresponding to those shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 are designated by the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. In this embodiment, the end 60 of the stabilizer 58 and the strut member 48
Are bent so that they are slightly displaced toward the inboard side when viewed from above the vehicle at the respective center portions. This is to avoid interference with the wheels 12 when the wheels 12 are steered for a left turn. Further, the wheel suspension shown in a more specific manner in FIG. 6 is connected at the lower end to the lower arm 26 via the pivotal connection device 36 and at the upper end to the vehicle body via the upper seat 40. Shock absorber 3
8 and a coil spring 44 mounted between the upper seat 40 and the lower half member of the shock absorber via the lower seat 42. These additional structures are, of course, conventional.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, the strut for limiting the longitudinal movement of the outboard end of the lower arm pivotally connected to the vehicle body at the inboard end is provided between the lower arm and the rear arm. Two strut members pivotally connected at the ends and pivotally connected to the vehicle body at the front end and the vehicle body
By configuring the link mechanism as a substantially parallelogram when viewed from above, the vehicle body-side pivot axis of the lower arm passes below the vehicle-body-side pivot connection point of the two strut members. Therefore, even if the height difference between the vehicle body-side pivot connection point of the lower arm and the vehicle body-side pivot connection point of the strut member is relatively small, the lower arm's body-side pivot axis can be adjusted. inclination can be relatively large that a Mataso
The slope of the wheels increases as the wheels bounce
So that such a wheel suspension can be
The anti-nose dive feature during vehicle braking
Properties can be further enhanced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a conventional link-type wheel suspension device with respect to a right-hand steered wheel as viewed from the front of an inboard side of a vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing one embodiment of the wheel suspension device according to the present invention as viewed from the same angle in the same manner as in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the conventional wheel suspension device shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from an inboard side.

FIG. 4 is a similar schematic side view of the wheel suspension shown in FIG. 2 viewed from the same angle as in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view similar to FIG. 4 showing a state in which the instantaneous center of the bounding and rebounding movement of the wheel moves toward the rotation center axis of the wheel when the wheel bounces against the vehicle body.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the wheel suspension device according to the present invention in a more practical design.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Wheel support device 12 ... Wheel 16 ... Upper arm 18, 20, 21 ... Pivot connection device 24 ... Body 26 ... Lower arm 28, 30 ... Pivot connection device 32 ... Knuckle arm 36 ... Pivot connection device 38 ... Shock absorber 40 Upper seat 42 Lower seat 44 Coil springs 46 Arms 48, 49 Strut members 50, 54, 56 Pivot coupling device 58 Stabilizer 60 End of stabilizer 61 Link 62 Center of stabilizer Parts 63, 64: Pivot coupling device

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B60G 3/18-3/28 B60G 21/055

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A wheel support member for rotatably supporting a wheel about its center axis of rotation, and at least one substantially horizontal and longitudinally extending at an outboard end with an upper portion of the wheel support member. A substantially horizontal and longitudinally extending one that is pivotally connected relative to one existing pivot axis and that is at the inboard end with the vehicle body .
An upper arm pivotally connected relatively about one pivot axis, and extending at least one substantially horizontal and longitudinal direction with the lower portion of the wheel support member at an outboard end; Pivotally connected relative to one another about a pivot axis and pivotable about a substantially horizontal and longitudinally extending pivot axis with the vehicle body at the inboard end; A lower arm pivotally connected with one small degree of freedom of freedom about one substantially vertical pivot axis; and an outboard of said lower arm at a rear end. And at least about a first pivot point relative to the vehicle body at the front end and at least about a second pivot point at a front end. A first strike pivotally connected relative to substantially all pivot directions by a small pivot amount; A pivot member connected at a rear end thereof relative to the outboard portion of the lower arm and a third pivot point in at least some small pivot amount in substantially all pivot directions. And a second strut member connected at the front end to the vehicle body and at least some small amount of pivotal movement about the fourth pivot point relative to substantially all pivotal directions. And the third pivot point is substantially above the first pivot point.
The fourth pivot point is spaced apart from and substantially aligned with the second pivot point.
Part of the lower arm by being spaced upward
And the first and second strut members and a part of the vehicle body
Essentially form a parallelogram link when viewed from the side of the vehicle
A first virtual line passing through the first pivot point and the second pivot point, and a second virtual line passing through the third pivot point and the fourth pivot point are Passing through the center of the pivotal connection between the inboard end of the side arm and the vehicle body, and facing downward at the front of the pivotal connection center
The third virtual straight line thus inclined substantially intersects on the front side of the lower arm, and the third virtual straight line intersects the first pivot axis and the rear side of the lower arm. A front wheel suspension device for a vehicle, which substantially intersects. 2. A front wheel suspension according to claim 1, wherein said lower arm extends substantially horizontally from its inboard end to its outboard end, and substantially lower than the outboard portion of said main part. to have an arm portion extending perpendicularly less <br/> both second strut members of said first and second strut members through the arm portion and the lower arm connected A front wheel suspension device, which is provided. 3. The front wheel suspension according to claim 1, wherein the second strut member reacts a bounce or rebound on one of the pair of front wheels with the other rebound or bounce. A front wheel suspension device provided by an outboard portion of a stabilizer having a central portion and an outboard portion integrally connected to both ends thereof to suppress roll of the vehicle body.