MOTOR VEHICLE REAR WHEEL SUSPENSION SYSTEM

• US 20190315171A1
• Filed: 04/10/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Wolf-Monheim, Friedrich Peter
• Granted Patent: US 11,084,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 21/05 between wheels on the same axle but on different sides of the vehicle, i.e. the left and right wheel suspensions being interconnected
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/13 with longitudinal arms only
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/143 with lateral arms crossing each other, i.e. X formation as seen along the longitudinal axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/144 with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/4622 Alignment adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/148 on the unsprung part of the vehicle, e.g. wheel knuckle or rigid axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/422 Links for mounting suspension elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/1112 Manually, for alignment purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/124 the arm having triangular or Y-shape, e.g. wishbone
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/14 the arm being rigid
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/202 having one longitudinal arm and two parallel transversal arms, e.g. dual-link type strut suspension
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/24 a rigid arm being formed by the live axle B60G3/22, B60G3/26 take precedence; driving arrangements B60K17/22, B60K17/30, B60K17/32
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/008 Attaching arms to unsprung part of vehicle B60G7/005, B60G7/006 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/02 Attaching arms to sprung part of vehicle B60G7/006 takes precedence

Abstract

A motor vehicle independent rear-wheel suspension system including a left-hand and a right-hand transverse link, each articulated at an inner end on a chassis of the motor vehicle and fixedly connected at an outer end to a wheel carrier. The suspension system having a left-hand and a right-hand trailing arm unit. Each trailing arm unit articulated a front end on the chassis of the motor vehicle and at a rear end on a wheel carrier. Open installation space is formed between the trailing arm units and the transverse links for at least a partial accommodation of an electrical drive train.

Claims

1. An independent rear-wheel suspension system of a motor vehicle comprising:

a left-hand trailing arm unit and a right-hand trailing arm unit, the left-hand trailing arm unit having first and second left-hand trailing arms, the right-hand trailing arm unit having first and second right-hand trailing arms;

a left-hand transverse link and a right-hand transverse link, the left-hand transverse link articulated at an inner end on a chassis of the motor vehicle and connected at an outer end to a left-hand wheel carrier and the right-hand transverse link articulated at an inner end on the chassis of the motor vehicle and connected at an outer end to a right-hand wheel carrier;

the first and second left-hand trailing arms of the left-hand trailing arm unit each articulated at a front end on the chassis of the motor vehicle and at a rear end on the left-hand wheel carrier and the first and second right-hand trailing arms of the right-hand trailing arm unit each articulated at a front end on the chassis of the motor vehicle and at a rear end on the right-hand wheel carrier;

the articulated front ends of the first and second left-hand trailing arms occupy the same space in a plan view and are separated in a vertical direction;

the articulated front ends of the first and second right-hand trailing arms occupy the same space in a plan view and are separated in the vertical direction; and

an open installation space formed between the left-hand trailing arm unit and right-hand trailing arm unit and in front of the left-hand transverse link and right-hand transverse link.

2. The independent rear-wheel suspension system of claim 1 including elastomer bearing bushes at the front ends and the rear ends of the first and second left-hand trailing arms and the first and second right-hand trailing arms each elastomer bearing bush having a swivel axis, each swivel axis oriented parallel to one another and perpendicular to the first and second left-hand trailing arms and the first and second right-hand trailing arms.

3. The independent rear-wheel suspension system of claim 1 wherein first and second left-hand trailing arms and first and second right-hand trailing arms extend horizontally in a static load state.

4. The independent rear-wheel suspension system of claim 1 including the left-hand transverse link having an inner end and an elastomer bearing bush at the inner end of the left-hand transverse link;

and

the right-hand transverse link having an inner end and an elastomer bearing bush at the inner end of the right-hand transverse link.

5. The independent rear-wheel suspension system of claim 4 wherein the elastomer bearing bush of the left-hand transverse link and the elastomer bearing bush of the right-hand transverse link each have a swivel axis, each swivel axis extending parallel to a direction of travel;

and

the elastomer bearing bush of the left-hand transverse link positioned adjacent a connection between the outer end of the right-hand transverse link and the right-hand wheel carrier and the elastomer bearing bush of the right-hand transverse link positioned adjacent a connection between the outer end of the left-hand transverse link and the left-hand wheel carrier.

6. The independent rear-wheel suspension system of claim 1 including the left-hand transverse link having a curvature between the inner end and the outer end wherein the left-hand transverse link has a concave side and the right-hand transverse link having a curvature between the inner end and the outer end, wherein the right-hand transverse link has a concave side;

and

the concave side of the left-hand transverse link facing the concave side of the right-hand transverse link.

7. The independent rear-wheel suspension system of claim 1 including a left-hand wheel carrier and a right-hand wheel carrier, the left-hand wheel carrier and left-hand transverse link being an integral unit and the right-hand wheel carrier and right-hand transverse link being an integral unit.

8. The independent rear-wheel suspension system of claim 7 including a left-side spring-and-shock absorber unit connected to the left-hand wheel carrier and left-hand transverse link integral unit and a right-side spring-and-shock absorber unit connected to the right-hand wheel carrier and right-hand transverse link integral unit.

9. A motor vehicle comprising:

an electrical drive train including an electric drive motor, an electrical power source for supplying the electric drive motor, and a power electronics unit;

a left-hand trailing arm unit and a right-hand trailing arm unit, the left-hand trailing arm unit having first and second left-hand trailing arms, the right-hand trailing arm unit having first and second right-hand trailing arms;

a left-hand transverse link and a right-hand transverse link, the left-hand transverse link articulated at an inner end on a chassis of the motor vehicle and connected at an outer end to a left-hand wheel carrier and the right-hand transverse link articulated at an inner end on the chassis of the motor vehicle and connected at an outer end to a right-hand wheel carrier;

the first and second left-hand trailing arms of the left-hand trailing arm unit each articulated at a front end on the chassis of the motor vehicle and at a rear end on the left-hand wheel carrier and the first and second right-hand trailing arms of the right-hand trailing arm unit each articulated at a front end on the chassis of the motor vehicle and at a rear end on the right-hand wheel carrier;

the articulated front ends of the first and second left-hand trailing arms occupy the same space in a plan view and are separated in a vertical direction;

the articulated front ends of the first and second right-hand trailing arms occupy the same space in a plan view and are separated in the vertical direction; and

an open installation space formed between the left-hand trailing arm unit and right-hand trailing arm unit and in front of the left-hand transverse link and right-hand transverse link; and

a portion of the electrical drive train in the open installation space.

10. An independent rear-wheel suspension system of a motor vehicle comprising:

a left-hand trailing arm unit and a right-hand trailing arm unit, the left-hand trailing arm unit having first and second left-hand trailing arms, the right-hand trailing arm unit having first and second right-hand trailing arms;

a left-hand transverse link and a right-hand transverse link, the left-hand transverse link articulated at an inner end on a chassis of the motor vehicle and connected at an outer end to a left-hand wheel carrier and the right-hand transverse link articulated at an inner end on the chassis of the motor vehicle and connected at an outer end to a right-hand wheel carrier;

the left-hand transverse link having an inner end and an elastomer bearing bush at the inner end of the left-hand transverse link; and

the right-hand transverse link having an inner end and an elastomer bearing bush at the inner end of the right-hand transverse link wherein the elastomer bearing bush of the left-hand transverse link and the elastomer bearing bush of the right-hand transverse link each have a swivel axis, each swivel axis extending parallel to a direction of travel; and

the elastomer bearing bush of the left-hand transverse link positioned adjacent a connection between the outer end of the right-hand transverse link and the right-hand wheel carrier and the elastomer bearing bush of the right-hand transverse link positioned adjacent a connection between the outer end of the left-hand transverse link and the left-hand wheel carrier;

the first and second left-hand trailing arms of the left-hand trailing arm unit each articulated at a front end on the chassis of the motor vehicle and at a rear end on the left-hand wheel carrier and the first and second right-hand trailing arms of the right-hand trailing arm unit each articulated at a front end on the chassis of the motor vehicle and at a rear end on the right-hand wheel carrier; and

an open installation space formed between the left-hand trailing arm unit and right-hand trailing arm unit and in front of the left-hand transverse link and right-hand transverse link.

11. The independent rear-wheel suspension system of claim 10 wherein the articulated front ends of the first and second left-hand trailing arms occupy the same space in a plan view and are separated in a vertical direction;

and

the articulated front ends of the first and second right-hand trailing arms occupy the same space in a plan view and are separated in the vertical direction.

12. The independent rear-wheel suspension system of claim 10 including the left-hand transverse link having a curvature between the inner end and the outer end wherein the left-hand transverse link has a concave side and the right-hand transverse link having a curvature between the inner end and the outer end, wherein the right-hand transverse link has a concave side;

and

the concave side of the left-hand transverse link facing the concave side of the right-hand transverse link.

13. The independent rear-wheel suspension system of claim 10 including a left-hand wheel carrier and a right-hand wheel carrier, the left-hand wheel carrier and left-hand transverse link being an integral unit and the right-hand wheel carrier and right-hand transverse link being an integral unit.

14. The independent rear-wheel suspension system of claim 10 including elastomer bearing bushes at the front ends and the rear ends of the first and second left-hand trailing arms and the first and second right-hand trailing arms each elastomer bearing bush having a swivel axis, each swivel axis oriented parallel to one another and perpendicular to the first and second left-hand trailing arms and the first and second right-hand trailing arms.

15. The independent rear-wheel suspension system of claim 10 wherein first and second left-hand trailing arms and first and second right-hand trailing arms extend horizontally in a static load state.