WO2003080369A1

WO2003080369A1 - Spindle with plate, plate for same and production method thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2003080369A1
Application number: PCT/FR2003/000967
Authority: WO
Inventors: Maxime Leroux; Bruno Lechelle; Jean-Luc Auge
Original assignee: Valmex
Priority date: 2002-03-27
Filing date: 2003-03-27
Publication date: 2003-10-02
Also published as: AU2003236874A1; WO2003080369A8; FR2837775A1; AU2003236874A8; FR2837775B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a spindle with a plate which is characterised in that it consists of a plate (10), a spacer ring (20) which is welded to the plate (10) and a spindle (30) which comprises an enlarged head (34) and which is fixed in a channel that passes through the plate (10) and the spacer ring (20) in a co-axial manner, such that the head (34) of the spindle (30) is positioned on one side of the plate (10) and the body of the spindle (36) emerges on the opposite side of the spacer ring (20).

Description

TRAY ROCKET, TRAY FOR SAME AND MANUFACTURING METHOD

The present invention relates to the field of plate rockets.

Generally, plate rockets are intended for mounting a motor vehicle wheel, for rotation, about a longitudinal axis relative to a support.

Known plateau rockets essentially consist of two parts:

a part forming a plate designed to ensure mounting on a support, possibly carrying various accessories such as sensors or a flange of a braking assembly, and carrying the rocket,

- a part forming a longitudinal mounting spindle journalling the wheel projecting from the plate.

Many plateau rockets have already been proposed. One could refer for example to documents FR-2755195,

EP-0615893, US-3801124, US-4828328, US-5226691 and US-5868409.

Traditionally, rockets with a plate are produced in the form of a single piece, by hot forging and machining (see in particular

EP-0615893). However, this traditional technique leads to a significant operating cost, requires high investments and imposes to limit the dimensioning both of the plate and of the rocket.

In an attempt to eliminate these drawbacks, various proposals have been made consisting in making the rockets with a plate by assembling components formed initially separately, typically the plate on one side, the rocket on the other.

The Applicant has itself proposed in a patent application FR-00 15006 filed on November 21, 2000, a plate rocket in which the rocket part and the plate part are produced in the form of initially separate components and the rocket part is fitted into the plate portion and welded thereto, preferably by laser welding.

The present invention now aims to provide a new flat rocket which has good performance in term of mechanical strength and which has an advantageous cost price.

This object is achieved in the context of the present invention, thanks to a rocket with a plate comprising: - a plate,

- a spacer ring welded to the plate, and

a rocket with an enlarged head fitted into a channel coaxially passing through the plate and the spacer ring so that the head of the rocket is placed on one side of the plate and the body of the rocket emerges on the opposite side of the spacer ring.

The present invention also relates to the plate equipped with the welded spacer for the production of the aforementioned plate rocket as well as a method of manufacturing these.

Other characteristics, aims and advantages of the present invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows, and with reference to the appended drawings, given by way of nonlimiting examples and in which:

FIG. 1 represents a schematic view in axial section of a rocket with a plate in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 2 represents a schematic exploded perspective view of this flat rocket,

FIGS. 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d and 3e represent 5 schematic perspective views illustrating the successive stages in the manufacture of a plate rocket in accordance with the present invention, and

- Figure 4 shows an axial sectional view of a flat rocket according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

As indicated above, the plate rocket in accordance with the present invention is formed essentially by assembling three components: a plate 10, a spacer 20 and a rocket 30.

The plate 10 is formed of a generally flat metal plate produced by simple machining, preferably by cutting. The plate 10 is adapted to be fixed on a support, for example the chassis or the body of a vehicle. It is also advantageously designed to serve as a support for various accessories known per se, for example sensors, flanges supporting a braking assembly, etc.

The plate 10 may have any external contour adapted to its environment. The illustration given in the appended figures should therefore not be considered as limiting.

It will also be noted that the plate 10 preferably has a certain number of orifices 12, in the vicinity of its periphery, intended to ensure its fixing on the aforementioned support and to receive the aforementioned accessories.

The plate 10 is also crossed by a channel 14, preferably substantially central, intended to receive the rocket 30. The spacer 20 is essentially formed by a cylindrical ring delimited by two outer faces 22, 24 planes, parallel to each other and orthogonal to the axis of a through cylindrical channel 28. The spacer ring 20 is also delimited by a cylindrical inner surface of revolution 26 delimiting the above-mentioned channel 28 and a cylindrical outer surface of revolution referenced 27 in the figures.

The spacer ring 20 is dimensioned to withstand a substantial part of the mechanical forces applied to the rocket 30, in particular the bending and shearing forces. The plate 10 and the spacer ring 20 can be formed from any suitable material. It can be the same material for the plate 10 and the ring 20 or two different materials.

The plate 10 is advantageously formed by cutting a sheet steel HLE of type S355MC. The spacer 20 is advantageously produced by turning a bar or a tube, in S355JO.

The rocket 30 comprises a body generally of revolution around its central axis 32. The rocket 30 has a flared head 34 extended by a body

36 of lower section. This comprises at least one portion 38 adjacent to the head 34, delimited by a cylindrical outer surface of revolution complementary to the channels 14 and 28 formed in the plate 10 and the spacer ring 20.

The rocket 30 may include at its end 39 opposite the head 34 any suitable structure or shape suitable for securing accessories, nuts or the like.

The rocket 30 can be made of any material and according to any technique known to those skilled in the art. It will therefore not be described in more detail below.

To assemble the plate rocket according to the present invention, the procedure is essentially as follows.

As illustrated in FIG. 3a, the plate 10 is cut, advantageously by laser cutting, from a sheet. As a variant, any other suitable process other than laser cutting can be used, in particular conventional cutting, fine cutting, cutting by water jets.

In parallel, as illustrated in FIG. 3b, the spacer 20 is obtained by bar turning.

As illustrated in FIG. 3c, plate 10 and spacer ring

20 are then assembled by welding at the surface 24 of the ring 20, placed against this main face of the plate 10. In the context of the present invention, it is advantageously a friction welding.

However, here again any other suitable welding technique can be chosen, in particular laser welding or by adding material.

As illustrated in FIG. 3d, the various zones for installing accessories on the plate 10 are then produced, in particular the zones for installing the brake and sensor caliper. Furthermore, the plate 10 / spacer ring 20 assembly is completed, in particular by removing the weld bead referenced 11 on the FIG. 3c, simultaneous production of the bore 14 in the plate 10 and of the bore 26 in the spacer 20, and dressing of the bearing support on the external surface 22 of this same spacer 20.

It will be noted in this regard that, in fact, the bore 14 formed in the plate is advantageously produced after welding of the spacer ring 20 on the plate 10. This guarantees perfect coaxiality between the bore 28 of the spacer ring 20 and the bore 14 of the plate 10 and a perfect orthogonality between the axis of these channels 28, 14 and the accessible external face 22 of the spacer ring 20. Finally, as illustrated in FIG. 3e, the spindle 30 is fitted in force in the plate 10 equipped with the spacer ring 20. In other words, the spindle 30 is engaged, by its end 39, from the side of the plate 10 opposite to the spacer ring 20. The fitting is carried out until that the head 34 comes to bear against the face of the plate 10.

As shown in the figures, a rocket 30 passing through the plate 10 and the spacer ring 20 is obtained, the head 34 on one side of the plate and the body emerging largely on the opposite side of the spacer ring 20. The man of the art will understand that the surface 22 of the spacer ring 20 is perfectly orthogonal to the axis 32 of the rocket 30. This surface 22 can serve as a bearing surface for all accessories, in particular a bearing cage.

If necessary, an additional spacer having a simple spacing function can be interposed between this accessory, for example a bearing cage, and the spacer ring 20 welded to the plate 10 and therefore having a mechanical recovery function in association with the rocket 30.

Of course the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiment which has just been described, but extends to any variant in accordance with its spirit.

According to the embodiment previously described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, the weld zone between the plate 10 and the ring spacer 20 is defined at the interface referenced 12 in FIG. 1, planar and orthogonal to axis 32. FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment according to which the weld surface defined between the plate 10 and the spacer ring 20 is not orthogonal to the axis 32, but inclined relative to the latter, for example in the form of a frustoconical bearing.

To this end, a divergent channel, for example frustoconical, is initially produced in the plate 10, and a complementary shape is produced, by bar turning, on the spacer ring 20. This arrangement allows intimate contacting of the ends of the "fibers" both of the plate 10 and of the spacer ring 20 and therefore better resistance of the weld by comparison with the alternative embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, according to which the "fibers" of the spacer ring 20 which extend parallel to axis 32 contact orthogonally, along their length, the "fibers" of the plate 10.

Compared to known plate rockets, the plate rocket according to the present invention offers many advantages, and in particular the following: - the present invention allows a simple embodiment since it requires only conventional machining operations, in particular for the production of the set,

it guarantees good mechanical strength, in this regard it will be noted that even in the event of accidental rupture of the weld between the plate 10 and the spacer ring 20, the spindle 30 remains maintained on the assembly thanks to its flared head 34,

- the present invention allows great freedom of dimensioning,

- The present invention allows standardization in that it allows to associate a standard plate with different spacer rings 20 (which may differ in their diameter and / or their length) and / or different rockets 30, depending on the application and the vehicle concerned; or likewise associate a spacer ring 20 and / or a standard spindle 30 with different plates 10; - The present invention also allows easy control of the quality of the weld produced between the plate 10 and the spacer ring 20, for example by ultrasonic controls.

Claims

1. Plate rocket characterized in that it comprises: - a plate (10),

- a spacer ring (20) welded to the plate (10), and

- a rocket (30) with an enlarged head (34), fitted in a channel coaxially passing through the plate (10) and the spacer ring (20) so that the head (34) of the rocket (30) is placed in a side of the plate (10) and the body of the spindle (36) emerges on the opposite side of the spacer ring (20).

2. Plate rocket according to claim 1, characterized in that the plate (10) is formed of a flat metal plate formed by cutting.

3. Plate rocket according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the plate (10) is made of steel.

4. Plate rocket according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the spacer ring (20) is dimensioned to participate in the mechanical strength of the rocket (30).

5. Plate spindle according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the spacer ring (20) is fixed by friction welding to the plate (10).

6. Plate rocket according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the spacer ring (20) is formed of a cylindrical ring delimited orthogonal to its axis and capable of serving as a support for a member such as 'a ball bearing, a cylindrical inner surface (26) and a cylindrical outer surface (27).

7. Plate spindle according to one of claims l to 6, characterized in that the welding interface (12) defined between the spacer ring (20) and the plate (10) is planar and orthogonal to the axis of the rocket (30).

8. Plate spindle according to one of claims l to 6, characterized in that the welding interface (12) defined between the spacer ring (20) and the plate (10) is a surface inclined relative to the 'axis of the rocket (30), for example conical.

9. Plate for producing a plate rocket according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises a spacer ring (20) welded to one face of the plate (10).

10. Method for producing a plate rocket according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises the steps consisting in:

- separately produce a plate (10), a spacer ring (20) and a spindle (30) with an enlarged head (34),

- weld the spacer ring (20) on the plate (10), and

- fitting the rocket (30) with enlarged head (34) in a channel coaxially passing through the plate (10) and the spacer ring (20) so that the head (34) of the rocket (30) is placed on one side of the plate (10) and the body (36) of the rocket (30) emerges on the opposite side of the spacer ring (20).

11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the plate (10) is produced by cutting a metal plate.

12. Method according to one of claims 10 or 11, characterized in that the plate (10) is produced by laser cutting of a metal plate.

13. Method according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the spacer ring (20) is welded by friction welding on the plate (10).

14. Method according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the bore (14) intended to receive the rocket (30), produced in the plate (10), is formed after welding of the spacer ring ( 20) on the plate (10).

15. Method according to one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that it further comprises, after welding of the spacer ring (20) on the plate (10), the step of drawing up by 10

machining a bearing support on the outer surface (22) of the spacer (20) perpendicular to the axis of the bore (26).