JP4444291B2 - Car steering axle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automobile steering axle. In particular, the present invention has two arms that extend in a generally longitudinal direction and are connected by a cross beam extending in a generally horizontal plane, each arm having a front end connected to the vehicle body and at least an upper slide means. At least one connecting means having a rear end connected to the spindle holder via the lower sliding means and connecting the arm to a member of the vehicle body or a wheel is in a generally longitudinal basic direction of the wheel relative to the vehicle body. The present invention relates to an automobile steering axle that is elastically deformable along a generally longitudinal basic direction to provide in-line motion.

As is well known, this type of steering axle has a dual role in connecting the arm to the vehicle body. That is, such a connection needs to enable good direction guidance, that is, good transmission of the driver's intention and good absorption of axle / wheel vibration at the same time. These vibrations can be, for example, due to small impacts on the wheels, i.e. road irregularities.

This connection needs to ensure two mechanically different functions: great rigidity for direction guidance function and great flexibility for comfortable function of vibration absorption , which are difficult to adjust. Symbolizes the parts. Enabling very large elastic deformations so that this connection absorbs more vibrations will certainly reduce the steering function on the road.

Document WO 00/76961 shows a steering axle of this type, in which the spindle holder is not rigidly connected to the arm. Movable spindle holder, by changing the orientation of the wheel resulting from the scan Pindoruhoruda, makes it possible to obtain a good road holding the wheel after it has been mounted. This mobility is realized by the connection of the spindle holder to the arm via an elastic bearing after the wheel shaft.

This document makes it possible to provide an automatically steered steering axle that can facilitate the direction changes that are brought to the following wheels, but does not improve the handling of the articulated connection of the arm to the car body. Absent.
WO00 / 76961

  One object of the present invention has the ability to filter vibrations at various stages so that the connection between the front end of the arm and the vehicle body can be optimized for direction guidance or vibration absorption, An object of the present invention is to provide a steering axle described in the “technical field” of the present specification.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a steering axle as described in the “Technical Field” of the present specification that, when loaded, facilitates the turning that is provided to the subsequent wheels.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has two arms that extend in a generally vertical direction and are connected by a cross beam that extends in a generally horizontal plane. The front end connected to the vehicle body via elastically deformable slide means, and at least the upper and lower slide means, in order to bring about movement of the wheel relative to the vehicle body of the vehicle. In a steering axle of a motor vehicle having a rear end connected to a spindle holder, at least the upper smoothing means being capable of elastic deformation in a generally longitudinal direction,
The first end is such that the pivoting of the spindle holder about a generally longitudinal axis through the lower slide means causes a complementary pivoting of the spindle holder about a generally vertical axis. A tie rod attached to the spindle holder and having a second end pivotally mounted on the cross beam adjacent to the central surface of the cross beam;
The upper sliding means between the spindle holder and the arm can be elastically deformed along a generally vertical direction directed to the outside of the vehicle at a predetermined angle with respect to a longitudinal axis in a horizontal plane. The first end of the tie rod is a longitudinal movement of the spindle holder toward the outside of the vehicle due to the elastic deformation at the point of the upper sliding means, and the front part of the wheel is inside the wheel. Attached to the spindle holder before the wheel axis of rotation so as to cause rotation about the vertical axis of the spindle holder by the action of the tie rod directed to
The upper sliding means between the spindle holder and the arm is elastically deformable along a generally vertical direction directed inward of the vehicle at a predetermined angle with respect to a longitudinal axis in a horizontal plane. The first end of the tie rod is a longitudinal movement of the spindle holder toward the inside of the vehicle due to the elastic deformation at the point of the upper sliding means, and the front part of the wheel is inside the wheel. It is attached to the spindle holder after the rotating shaft of the wheel so as to cause rotation around the vertical axis of the spindle holder by the action of the tie rod directed toward the head.

  Further, it is characterized by having elastically deformable sliding means between the vehicle body and the arm.

  Further, the front end portion of the arm is connected to the vehicle body of the vehicle via a fluid elastic type sliding means.

  The upper sliding means between the spindle holder and the arm is a fluid elastic type shock absorber.

  In addition, the tie rod is rotatably attached to the cross beam via a swing joint connected to the cross beam.

  The lower sliding means between the spindle holder and the arm has a vertical axis in a horizontal plane and a generally vertical direction along which the upper sliding means can be elastically deformed. It is characterized in that it can be elastically deformed along a substantially vertical direction directed with respect to the vertical axis at a predetermined angle opposite to the predetermined angle therebetween.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings for the understanding. In these diagrams:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a steering axle according to the invention as seen from the rear of a motor vehicle;
FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the steering axle shown in FIG. 1 in an initial position prior to receiving a braking force;
FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of the steering axle shown in FIG. 1, similar to FIG. 2, in a position subjected to braking force.

  In the following description, the vertical, vertical, and horizontal directions traditionally used in automobiles and indicated by the trihedrons L, V, and T in the figure are employed without limitation.

As shown in FIG. 1, a flexible steering axle 1 according to the present invention is formed by two arms 3 that are generally longitudinal. The two arms 3 are connected to each other by a cross beam 2 that extends perpendicularly to the two arms 3 and extends substantially in the lateral direction. Since this flexible steering axle 1 assembly has symmetry with respect to the center plane of the vehicle, the following description will be made with respect to the left half of the steering axle 1 . Due to symmetry, the disclosure described below is also applicable to the right half of the steering axle 1 .

  The arm 3 has a front end portion 31 connected to a vehicle body (not shown) via the sliding means 32. Further, the arm 3 has a rear end portion 33 to which a first support 34 for supporting a spring and a second support 35 for supporting a spindle holder are attached. The first support 34 enables the connection between the arm 3 and the vehicle body (not shown), while the second support 35 is between the spindle holder 4 and the arm 3 that enables the arrangement of wheels (not shown). The connection is made possible via an upper slide means 41 and a lower slide means 42 located between the spindle holder 4 and the second support 35, respectively.

  Thus, the illustrated left half steering axle 1 is gripped in the lower part by a very rigid lower slide means 42, and in the upper part, the upper sliding part has a generally greater lateral stiffness than a generally longitudinal stiffness. The spindle holder 4 held by the joint means 41 is held movably.

  In this way, small impacts that are considered to be applied to the center of the wheel are subjected to a longitudinal double filter effect that makes it possible to better absorb vibrations due to small irregularities of the road surface. This double filter is obtained by the upper slide means 41 and the slide means 32 whose rigidity is generally reduced in the longitudinal direction.

The entire slide means of the present invention can be a conventional elastic slide. Similarly, at least one of Namerabushi means, for example Namerabushi means 32 or top Namerabushi means 41, in order to attenuate a particular vibration mode, can be replaced by fluid bullet resistant lubricity clause.

  According to an embodiment of the invention, at least one slide means of the arm 3 is formed from a hydroelastic slide. In this fluid elastic joint, the rigidity in the transverse direction T can ensure the steering operation characteristics of the apparatus, and the flexibility in the longitudinal direction L can absorb the vibration. Such a node has the advantage of making it possible to suppress the low frequency vibrations of the device. However, impacts containing high frequency components have a delicate mode that should be considered for this type of joint. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a fluid elastic type sliding means 32 is disposed between the vehicle body and the arm 3, and a conventional elastic upper sliding means 41 is disposed between the spindle holder 4 and the arm 3. It is possible to do. It is also possible to dispose a conventional elastic sliding means 32 between the vehicle body and the arm 3 and a hydroelastic type upper sliding means 41 between the spindle holder 4 and the arm 3. The combination of the smooth means suitable for the vibration filter and the smooth means suitable for the damping of the amplitude, obtain an embodiment similar to the above teaching, ie one is continuous. It will be appreciated that it is possible to obtain a double filter that is used for damping vibrations, the other typically addressing by isolated shocks.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the steering axle 1 according to the present invention has a tie rod 50 in a substantially lateral direction. The first end 51 on the side of the tie rod 50 is attached to the spindle holder 4, and the second end 52 of the tie rod 50 is the center of the cross beam or the steering axle 1 when subjected to a lateral force. It is pivotally mounted about a vertical axis in a swing joint 53 intended to improve operation. Such a tie rod 50, in combination with the movable spindle holder 4 described above, makes it possible to provide a toe-in phenomenon during braking, i.e. a tilt of the front of the wheel towards the inside of the vehicle. This combination is optimized by incorporating, as the upper slide means 41, a slide whose elastic deformation axis is slightly displaced with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

  In this case, when braking is modeled by the force of the lower part of the wheel toward the rear of the vehicle, the upper slide means 41 moves forward along a direction shifted with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Withstand braking while receiving. The spindle holder 4 is turned on the one hand by the movement of the upper slide means 41 and on the other hand is supported by a tie rod 50 attached to the steering axle 1. Accordingly, the entire spindle holder 4 is directed toward the inside of the vehicle, and thus a toe-in angle is obtained.

When the steering axle 1 has a tie rod 50 attached to the spindle holder 4 before the rotational axis of the wheel, and an upper slide means 41 whose elastic deformation axis is shifted from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle by a positive angle, It will be understood that such effects can be obtained. Also, the reverse configuration, that is, the steering axle is a tie rod 50 attached to the spindle holder 4 after the wheel rotation axis, and the upper slide where the elastic deformation axis is shifted from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle by a negative angle. Even with the means 41, such an effect can be obtained. This latter configuration is actually possible for the steering axle 1 in which the cross beam 2 is greatly retracted.

  A supplementary effect can be added by the lower slide means 42 that is elastically deformable along an axis that is slightly displaced by a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. It will be understood that this predetermined angle is opposite to the angle shifted between the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and the axis along which the upper slide means 41 can be elastically deformed. . Moreover, such a form can be combined with the upper slide means 41 that can be deformed substantially in the vertical direction.

During braking, as described above, modeled by the force on the lower part of the wheel towards the rear of the vehicle, the lower smoothing means 42 follows a direction that is shifted backward relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The upper slide means 41 withstands braking while undergoing movement along the direction shifted forward relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The retraction of the spindle holder 4 at the level of the lower slide means 42 then results in a toe-in angle with respect to the spindle holder 4 where the slide goes out and thus the front part is held by a tie rod 50 which is generally lateral. .

When the tie rod 50 is disposed before or after the rotational axis of the wheel, the axis along which the lower slide means 42 can be elastically deformed is the axis along which the upper slide means 41 can be elastically deformed. It will be appreciated that the vehicle is displaced from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle by a positive or negative angle in the opposite direction to the angle displaced from the axis.

Claims (6)

It has two arms (3) connected by cross beams (2) extending in a generally vertical direction and extending in a generally horizontal plane, each said arm (3) when the wheel is subjected to a longitudinal impact And a front end (31) connected to the vehicle body via elastically deformable slide means (32) to provide movement of the wheel relative to the vehicle body, and at least an upper slide means (41). A motor vehicle having a rear end (33) connected to the spindle holder (4) via a lower smoothing means (42), and at least the upper smoothing means (41) having the ability to elastically deform in a generally vertical direction. in the steering axle,
Rotation of the spindle holder around a generally vertical axis passing through the upper Symbol lower Namerabushi means (42) (4), a complementary rotation of the spindle holder (4) about the generally vertical axis The first end (51) is attached to the spindle holder (4) and the second end (52) is close to the central surface of the cross beam (2) to the cross beam (2) to cause pivotally mounted, have a tie rod (50),
The upper slide means (41) between the spindle holder (4) and the arm (3) is generally vertically oriented with a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal axis in the horizontal plane. The first end portion (51) of the tie rod (50) is elastically deformable along the direction of the upper holder means (41) and the vehicle of the spindle holder (4) is caused by the elastic deformation. So that the vertical movement of the spindle holder (4) causes a rotation about the vertical axis of the spindle holder (4) by the action of the tie rod (50) whose front part of the wheel is directed to the inside of the wheel. Attached to the spindle holder (4) before the rotational axis of the wheel, or
The upper slide means (41) between the spindle holder (4) and the arm (3) is generally vertically oriented with a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal axis in the horizontal plane. The first end portion (51) of the tie rod (50) is elastically deformable along the direction of the upper holder means (41) and the vehicle of the spindle holder (4) is caused by the elastic deformation. So that the vertical movement of the spindle holder (4) causes rotation about the vertical axis of the spindle holder (4) by the action of the tie rod (50) whose front part of the wheel is directed to the inside of the wheel. In addition , the steering axle of an automobile is attached to the spindle holder (4) after the rotating shaft of the wheel.   The steering axle of an automobile according to claim 1, characterized in that it has elastically deformable sliding means (32, 41, 42) between the vehicle body and the arm (3).   The front end (31) of the arm (3) is connected to the vehicle body of the vehicle via hydroelastic sliding means (32). Steering axle.   4. The upper sliding means (41) between the spindle holder (4) and the arm (3) is a hydroelastic shock absorber. A steering axle for an automobile as described in 1.   The said tie rod (50) is rotatably attached to the said cross beam (2) via the swing joint (53) connected with the said cross beam (2). Car steering axle. The lower slide means (42) between the spindle holder (4) and the arm (3) has a longitudinal axis in the horizontal plane, and the upper slide means (41) is elastically deformed along the axis. Characterized by being elastically deformable along a generally longitudinal direction oriented relative to a longitudinal axis at a predetermined angle opposite to the predetermined angle between the generally longitudinal direction and the predetermined angle. The steering axle for an automobile according to claim 1 .

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