LEAF SPRING DEVICE FOR A VEHICLE, CHASSIS WITH SUCH A LEAF SPRING DEVICE AND A METHOD FOR PRODUCING SUCH A LEAF SPRING DEVICE AND/OR SUCH A CHASSIS

• US 20190309815A1
• Filed: 04/04/2019
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2018
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: PLEYER, Marcel, RUPFLIN, Thomas, SIDDIQUI, Sami Uddin, HACKER, Clemens
• Application Number:
  US16/374,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20190309815A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 11/10 characterised by means specially adapted for attaching the spring to axle or sprung part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/121 Mounting of leaf springs
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 1/185 characterised by shape or design of individual leaves F16F1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 1/20 with layers, e.g. anti-friction layers, or with rollers between the leaves
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 1/368 Leaf springs
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 2228/14 progressive

Abstract

A leaf spring device (1, 101) for a vehicle with a spring leaf (2, 102) made from a fiber-enforced plastic. In order to realize the stiffness and/or a progressive suspension of the leaf spring device (1, 101) during increasing spring stress, the spring leaf is has an inner space (5, 6, 105, 106), which is at least partially or completely filled with an elastic material.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A leaf spring device for a vehicle, the leaf spring device comprising:

a spring leaf (2, 102) made from a fiber-reinforced plastic,

further comprising at least one inner space (5, 6, 105, 106), and

the inner space (5, 6, 105, 106) being at least partially or completely filled or not filled with an elastic material (12, 112).

18. The leaf spring device according to claim 17, wherein the elastic material (12, 112) is positioned between an inner side of the inner space (5, 6, 105, 106) and a spring leaf section (13, 14, 113, 114) of the spring leaf (2, 102), and the elastic material (12, 112) is located on the inner side of the inner space (5, 6, 105, 106) and on an inner side or an outer perimeter of the spring leaf section (13, 14, 113, 114).

19. The leaf spring device according to claim 17, wherein due to at least one of the inner space and an interaction of the elastic material (12, 112) and a spring leaf section (13, 14, 113, 114) of the spring leaf (2, 102), which is assigned to the inner space (5, 6, 105, 106), a stiffness of the leaf spring device (1, 101) results in at least one of an increasing suspension and a progressive suspension through an increasing spring load and an increased bending of the spring leaf (2, 102).

20. The leaf spring device according to claim 18, wherein the spring leaf (2, 102), the spring leaf section (13, 14, 113, 114), and the elastic material (12, 112) are designed to realize a stiffness of the leaf spring device (1, 101) for at least one of increasing suspension and a progressive suspension such that, starting at a no-load condition of the leaf spring device (1, 101), the elastic material (12, 112) is increasingly deformed with an increasing spring load, as the spring leaf section (13, 14, 113, 114) bends due to increasingly load.

21. The leaf spring device according to claim 17, wherein either the inner space (5, 6, 105, 106) in the spring leaf (2, 102) is designed as a cavity, or the inner space (5, 6, 105, 105) is a through hole that extends from a first side of the spring leaf (2, 102) to a second side of the spring leaf (2, 102) which is opposite to the first side, and the inner space (5, 6, 105, 106) extends, when the leaf spring device (1, 101) is installed in the vehicle, either transverse or perpendicular to a vehicle vertical axis.

22. The leaf spring device according to claim 17, wherein the leaf spring (2, 102) is mirror-symmetrical to a median plane (7, 107) which extends perpendicular to at least one of a longitudinal direction and a longitudinal axis of the leaf spring device (1, 101), and the leaf spring device (1, 101) is connectable by two fastening devices (10, 1, 110, 111), arranged at opposite ends of the leaf spring device (1, 101) to at least one of a vehicle support, a vehicle frame, and a vehicle chassis.

23. The leaf spring device according to claim 17, wherein the spring leaf (2, 102) has the inner space (5, 6, 105, 106), at least one of the leaf spring device (1, 101) and the spring leaf (2, 102) has a first inner space (5, 105) with the elastic material (12, 112) and a second inner space (6, 106) with the elastic material (12, 112), and the first inner space (5, 105) and the second inner space (6, 106) are designed mirror-symmetrical to at least one of each other and a median plane (7, 107) of the spring leaf (2, 102).

24. The leaf spring device according to claim 17, wherein a leaf spring section (13, 14) of the spring leaf (2) is stretched substantially longitudinally until a predetermined spring load, and the spring leaf section (13, 14), starting at the predetermined spring load, is resilient to bending in addition to an already achieved stress level.

25. The leaf spring device according to claim 17, wherein a leaf spring section (13, 14) of the spring leaf (2) has a convex shape under a no-load condition of the leaf spring device (1), the leaf spring section, in the no-load and installed condition of the leaf spring device (1) in the vehicle, convexly curves outwards in a direction of the vehicle vertical axis, and the leaf spring section (13, 14) is designed as section of a tension side (3) of the spring leaf (2).

26. The leaf spring device according to claim 17, wherein a tension side (3) of the spring leaf (2), during a no-load condition of the leaf spring device (1), has a wavelike form, a leaf spring section (13, 14) of the spring leaf (2) is formed as a wave crest, and at least one of the spring leaf section (13, 14) and the wave crest are positioned in an area of the inner space (5, 6).

27. The leaf spring device according to claim 17, wherein a spring leaf section (113, 114) of the spring leaf (102) extends as a sword shape into the inner space (105, 106), the elastic material (12) contact one side an inner parameter of the inner space (105, 106) and contacts another side an outer perimeter of the spring leaf section (113, 114).

28. The leaf spring device according to claim 27, wherein the sword shaped spring leaf section (113, 114) extends, starting at a median section (115) of the spring leaf (102), in at least one of a longitudinal direction of the spring leaf (102) and a direction of one end (108, 109) of the spring leaf (102), a sword shaped first spring leaf section (113), starting from a median range (115), extends in a direction of a first end (108) of the spring leaf (102), and a second spring leaf section (114), starting at the median range (115) extends in a direction of a second end (109) of the spring leaf (102) which is opposite to the first end (108).

29. The leaf spring device according to claim 17, wherein the leaf spring device (1, 101) is formed as either one-leaf or multi-leaf, the leaf spring device is formed as two-leaf, wherein a first spring leaf and a second spring leaf are firmly bonded with each other to form the at least one inner space (5, 6, 105, 106) between the first spring leaf and the second spring leaf.

30. The leaf spring device according to claim 17, wherein the leaf spring device (1, 101) is formed as two-leaf, and a first spring leaf and a second spring leaf are firmly bonded with each other to form the at least one inner space (5, 6, 105, 106) between the first spring leaf and the second spring leaf.

31. The leaf spring device according to claim 17, wherein the spring leaf (2, 102) is manufactured from at least one of a fiber-plastic compound and a glass fiber-plastic compound, and the spring leaf (2, 102) is designed as a longitudinal leaf spring.

32. A chassis with a leaf spring device (1, 101) according to claim 17, wherein the leaf spring device (1, 101) is assembled in one of a vehicle or a motor vehicle.

33. A method for the manufacturing of the leaf spring device (1, 101) for a vehicle, the method comprising:

manufacturing a spring leaf (2, 102) from a fiber-reinforced plastic,

forming the leaf spring with at least one inner space (5, 6, 105, 106), and

one of at least partially or completely filling or not filling at all the inner space (5, 6, 105, 106) with an elastic material (12, 112).