CZ307296B6 - A locating bush for springing of a trapezoidal half-axle of a vehicle with a tube frame - Google Patents

Abstract

The locating bush (1) solves the problem of placing the upper arm (8) and the springing of the front trapezoidal half-axle (2) of a vehicle with a tube frame (3), in particular a racing, sports or off-road vehicle. The locating bush (1) is an integral weldment comprising a load-bearing part (4) with a lower vertical arm (9), an upper transverse arm (10) and a cylindrical sleeve (12) for placing the upper end of the spring and damping unit (14), and, further, a reinforcement part (5) and two brackets (6, 6') with hinges for the upper arm (7) of the front trapezoid half-axle (2).

Description

Technical field

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the automotive industry, and more particularly to a locating sleeve for cushioning the front trapezoidal half-axle of a tubular frame car, in particular a racing, sports or off-road vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For vehicle axles, the most commonly used design element is referred to as an A-arm, hereinafter also referred to as an arm. It is a practically flat, approximately triangular part. The arm is arranged horizontally, the base of the letter 'A' being fixed to the vehicle frame on two pins so that the apex of the letter 'A' can swing. The apex of the letter 'A' is usually connected to the wheel suspension by means of a ball joint.

One arm is used, for example, in the MacPherson half-axle, sometimes also referred to as the MacPherson strut. On the underside, the wheel suspension is mounted in an arm formed by an arm and a stabilizer. The hinge pin is connected to the control rod. A cylindrical strut comprising a telescopic shock absorber carries a coil spring from the upper side of the wheel suspension. The upper end of the coil spring is housed in an alignment sleeve, which is generally formed as a recess of the self-supporting body. The MacPherson half-axle does not require a second arm as the telescopic shock absorber axis is used as the upper pivot point of the wheel suspension. This mount has low manufacturing costs and provides more transverse engine space, which is convenient for small cars, but is not ideal in terms of handling and driveability.

Two arms are used in the so-called parallelogram half-axle, where one arm is upper and one arm is lower. Each arm is mounted on two pins in a self-supporting body and one on the wheel suspension. A suspension and damping unit comprising a shock absorber and a coil spring for compensating the vertical movement of the wheels is disposed between the arms. If the upper link is shorter, the parallelogram axle is referred to as a trapezoidal axle. This type of axle is also used in sports and racing cars, including off-road vehicles. The shorter upper arm compensates for the positive camber when cornering. Between the outer ends of the arms is a wheel suspension with a steering pin and a vertical strut. There is a wheel bearing in the wheel suspension. The suspension and damping unit is housed in an alignment sleeve, which is most often designed as a self-supporting body in the area above the wheel arches.

The mounting of the upper end of the suspension and cushioning unit is problematic in off-road, racing or sports cars which have a skeleton formed by a tubular frame whose dimensions are minimized. As a rule, these cars do not have a body or wheel arches in which an indentation could be provided to serve as an alignment sleeve for the upper end of the coil spring with a shock absorber. Simple horizontal brackets are welded to the tubular frame to which the upper end of the coil spring with a shock absorber is attached. These holders break off under extreme load and also pose a risk to operational safety. A similar problem arises with a tubular frame with hinge fastening for pivotal fastening of the upper arm pins. Another problem is the requirement for the versatility of the locating sleeve, which should allow a quick and easy replacement of the suspension and damping unit according to the required suspension and damping characteristics.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an alignment sleeve for tubular frame cars which overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks of known solutions, meets strength and safety requirements, while allowing easy and quick replacement or adjustment of the suspension and damping units.

- 1 GB 307296 B6

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The locating sleeve according to the invention is formed as an integral weldment comprising a support member, at least one stiffening member and two hinged brackets for the upper half-axle arm. The support member has an open "L" shape and has a lower vertical arm adapted to be welded to at least two tubes of the tubular frame and an upper transverse arm directed towards the front wheel and forming an angle between 110 and 120 ° with the lower vertical arm. On the underside of the upper transverse arm there is a cylindrical sleeve, the bottom of which is formed by an annular ring with an alignment hole for recessing the upper end of the spring and damping unit and with two locking holes for the locking screws. The reinforcing member is formed by a plate welded laterally from at least one side of the support member to the lower vertical arm and the upper transverse arm. The brackets extend parallel to the upper transverse arm, are welded to the support member, their ends adapted to be welded to the tubular frame, and at least one bracket is also welded to the reinforcement member.

In a preferred embodiment of the locating sleeve according to the invention, a removable spacer is also provided inside the cylindrical sleeve, which allows the suspension and damping unit to be accommodated with a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the cylindrical sleeve.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, arched covers are welded on the outer ends of the brackets above the hinges, which protect the hinges from dirt and damage and serve as a safety element.

In a further preferred embodiment of the locating sleeve according to the invention, arcuate half-sleeves are welded on the inner ends of the brackets to abut the tubular frame.

In a further preferred embodiment of the locating sleeve according to the invention, the support part and the reinforcement part are made of 10 mm thick steel strip.

In a further preferred embodiment of the locating sleeve according to the invention, the support part is formed in one piece and the upper transverse arm forms an angle α = 112 ° with the lower vertical arm.

Finally, it is advantageous that the brackets are made of steel Jockle profile.

The advantages of the locating sleeve according to the invention are that the integral monolithic construction complies with the international requirements for road and off-road strength, improves the passive safety of the car and allows easy replacement of the suspension and damping unit by changing the suspension setting of the car.

Clarification of drawings

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 front view of the tubular frame of the car Fig. 2 cross section through two trapezoidal half-axles Fig. 3 side view of the tubular frame Fig. 4 detailed side view of the locating sleeve on the tubular frame Fig. 5 top view of the tubular frame Fig. 6 locating sleeve on tubular frame Fig. 7 front view of locating sleeve Fig. 8 side view of locating sleeve Fig. 9 perspective view of locating sleeve

-2GB 307296 B6

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The car shown in Figures 1 to 10 is a buggy cross country off-road vehicle with a tubular frame 3, with a rear engine and rear-wheel drive. The front wheels 11 are suspended on two front trapezoidal half-axles 2. The front trapezoidal half-axle 2 consists of the upper arm 8 of the half-axle 2 and the lower arm of the half-axle 2, which is longer than the upper arm 8 of the half-axle. The spring and damping unit 14 extends through the upper arm 8 of the half-axle 2 and its upper end is fixed in an alignment sleeve 1 which forms an integral welded part, including brackets 6, 6 'with hinges 7 for pivoting mounting of the upper arm 8-half-axle 2 .

The main part of the locating sleeve 1 is the support part 4, which is made of sheet steel of dimensions 450 x 100 x 10 mm, bent in the shape of an open and inverted letter "L". The lower vertical arm 9 of the support member 4 is welded to two tubes at the front of the tubular frame 3. The upper transverse arm 10 of the support member 4 is connected to the upper end of the lower vertical arm 9, forming an angle of α = 112 ° with it The angle α is determined by the desired inclination of the spring and damping unit 14 relative to the vertical plane and ranges from 110 ° to 120 °. At the end of the upper transverse arm 10 of the support member 4, a cylindrical sleeve 12 is welded from the tube t1. 2 mm with an inner diameter of 19 mm and a height of 42 mm. The bottom of the cylindrical sleeve 12 is in the form of an annular support 17 for the upper end of the spring and damping unit 14. The alignment hole 13 serves to partially embed the spring and damping unit so that the damper nut is accessible. Further, two locking screws 16, 16 ' are drilled in the annulus 17 to secure the upper end of the spring and damping unit 14.

Between the lower vertical leg 9 and the upper transverse leg 10 is a laterally arranged and welded reinforcing member 6 formed by a sheet of steel sheet of 180 x 110 x 10 mm. The stiffening member 6 prevents the support member 4 from bending and breaks and reinforces the construction of the locating sleeve 1 in the vertical direction, while one of the brackets 6, 6 'with hinges 7 for receiving the upper arm 8 of the half-axle 2 is welded to its outer side.

The brackets 6, 6 'are arranged on both sides of the lower vertical arm 9 and run parallel to the upper transverse arm 10 of the support member 4. They are made of steel Jockle profiles 42 x 42 x 3 mm. At the rear end, they have welded arcuate half-sleeves 20 for ideal abutment to the tubes of the tubular frame 3 to which they are welded. Slots are formed at the front end of the brackets 6, 6 'at the top and bottom of the Jock's profile, and openings are formed at the sides so that the front ends of the brackets 6, 6' form hinges 7 for swinging the upper arm 8 of the half axle. 7 are covered by arcuate covers 19 to increase the security and protection of the hinges 7.

As shown in FIG. 10, spring and damping units 14 with different diameters can be mounted in the cylindrical sleeve 12 using a single cylindrical spacer 18 that is removable.

Industrial applicability

The alignment sleeve according to the invention can be used to accommodate the upper end of the suspension and damping unit, especially in sports, racing or off-road vehicles with a tubular frame.

Claims (7)

PATENT CLAIMS An alignment sleeve (1) for cushioning a front trapezoidal half-axle (2) of a car with a frame frame (3), characterized in that it is formed as an integral weldment comprising a support part (4), at least one reinforcement part (5) and two brackets ( 6, 6 ') with hinges (7) for the upper arm (8) of the half-axle (2), wherein the support member (4) has an open "L" shape and has a lower vertical arm (9) adapted to be welded to at least two tubes a frame (3) and an upper transverse arm (10) oriented towards the front wheel (11) and forming an angle α between 110 and 120 ° with the lower vertical arm (9), with the lower transverse arm (10) at the bottom a cylindrical sleeve (12), the bottom of which is formed by an annular ring (17) with an alignment hole (13) for recessing the upper end of the spring and damping unit (14) and two locking holes (15, 15 ') for the locking screws (16, 16' ), v the stiffening member (5) is formed by a plate welded laterally from at least one side of the support member (4) to the lower vertical arm (9) and the upper transverse arm (10), and the brackets (6, 6 ') run parallel to the upper transverse arm (9) 1, are welded to the support member (4), their ends adapted to be welded to the tubular frame (3), and at least one bracket (6, 6 ') is also welded to the reinforcement member (5). An alignment sleeve according to claim 1, further comprising a spacer (18) displaceably disposed within the cylindrical sleeve (12). Adjusting sleeve according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that arched covers (19) are welded above the hinges (7) at the outer ends of the brackets (6, 6 '). Adjusting sleeve according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at the inner ends of the brackets (6, 6 ') there are arcuate half-sleeves (20) for engaging the tubular frame (3). Adjusting sleeve according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the support part (4) and the reinforcement part (5) are made of 10 mm thick steel strip. Adjusting sleeve according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the support part (4) is formed in one piece and the upper transverse arm (10) forms an angle α = 112 ° with the lower vertical arm (9). Adjusting sleeve according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the brackets (6, 6) are made of a steel Jockle profile.