Vehicle suspension system

• US 4,729,578 A
• Filed: 04/24/1987
• Issued: 03/08/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Kondo, Toshiro, Yamamoto, Tadanobu, Edahiro, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Love, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US07/042,447
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 280/688, 280/690, 280/702, 280/724, 280/725, 280/691
• US Class Current: 280/124.144
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/1442 including longitudinal rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/182 with one longitudinal arm or rod and lateral rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/462 Toe-in/out
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/312 The spring being a wound spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/61 Adjustable during maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/1114 Self-adjustable during driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/26 Means for maintaining substantially-constant wheel camber during suspension movement ; Means for controlling the variation of the wheel position during suspension movement B60G3/202, B60G3/22, B60G7/003, B60G7/006 take precedence; means for adjusting camber, castor, or toe-in B62D17/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/003 of adjustable length
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 1/387 comprising means for modifying the rigidity in particular directions spherical or conical sleeves F16F1/393
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 2236/045 the spring material being generally enclosed

Abstract

A vehicle suspension system including a wheel hub on which a wheel is rotatably mounted, a pair of lateral link substantially transversely extending and disposed in a spaced relationship with each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the lateral link being pivotally connected to the vehicle body at the inner end and to the wheel hub at the outer end thereof so that the wheel hub can be swingably moved in the vertical direction relative to the vehicle body, in which at least one of the lateral link is divided into an inner and outer link members, the inner link member being connected to the outer link member by a connector including a precompressed resilient member constituted to be deflected in the axial direction of the lateral links when the compressive force is applied to the resilient member beyond the precompressed force so as to reduce the length of the lateral link member. There are produced different deflection properties between the two lateral links when the side force acts on the wheel to cause toe direction changes of the wheel.

Claims

1. A vehicle suspension system including a wheel supporting means on which a wheel is rotatably mounted, a pair of lateral link means substantially transversely extending and disposed in a spaced relationship with each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the lateral link means being pivotally connected to the vehicle body at the inner end and to the wheel supporting means at the outer end thereof so that the wheel supporting means can be swingably moved in the vertical direction relative to the vehicle body, in which at least one of the lateral link means is divided into an inner and outer link members, the inner link member being connected to the outer link member by a connecting means including a precompressed resilient member constituted to be deflected in the axial direction of the lateral link means when the compressive force is applied to the resilient member beyond the precompressed force so as to reduce the length of the lateral link member.

2. A vehicle supension system in accordance with claim 1 in which the connecting means includes a piston member extending in the axial direction of the lateral link means at one end portion and a cylindrical member engaged with the piston member at the other end portion, the piston member being connected with one of link members and the cylindrical member being connected with the other of the link members.

3. A vehicle suspension system in accordance with claim 1 in which the lateral link means are connected to the vehicle body and the wheel supporting means through rubber bushes respectively.

4. A vehicle suspension system in accordance with the claim 1 in which the supension sytem is constituted for rear wheels, one of the lateral link means being disposed at the front side of the center of the wheel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and the other of the lateral link means being disposed at the rear side of the center of the wheel.

5. A vehicle supension system in accordance with claim 2 in which the connecting means is provided with stopper means at the back side of the piston member for preventing the piston member from disengaging from the connecting means.

6. A vehicle suspension system in accordance with claim 5 in which the stopper means is cap means which is brought into meshing engagement with an end portion of the cylindrical member.

7. A vehicle suspension system in accordance with claim 5 in which the cylindrical member receives the piston member to allow a slidable movement therein.

8. A vehicle supension system in accordance with claim 2 in which a precompressed resilient member is disposed between a bottom wall of the cylindrical member and a front wall of the piston member.

9. A vehicle suspension system in accordance with claim 8 in which the resilient member is a coil spring.

10. A vehicle suspension system in accordance with claim 8 in which the resilient member is a resilient rubber.

11. A vehicle susupension system in accordance with claim 8 including restricting means for restricting a movement of the piston member to the cylindrical member within a certain extent.

12. A vehicle suspension system in accordance with claim 11 in which the cylindrical member is provided with a reduced portion smaller than the piston member in diameter the to thereby constitute the restricting means.

13. A vehicle suspension system in accordance with claim 12 in which the restricting means is constituted by a stepped shoulder portion formed on the inner wall portion of the cylindrical member.

14. A vehicle suspension system in accordance with claim 11 in which a rear lateral link means of the two lateral link means is divided into two link members.

15. A vehicle suspension system in accordance with claim 14 in which a toe direction of the rear wheel changes in a manner of a toe-in movement produced under the side force smaller than a first value and larger than a second value wherein the second value is larger than the first value with a toe-out movement under the side force between the first and second values.

16. A vehicle suspension system in accordance with claim 4 in which a rear lateral link means of the two lateral link means is divided into two link members.

17. a vehicle suspension system in accordance with claim 16 in which the toe direction changes in a manner that a toein movement is produced under the side force smaller than a certain value and that a toe-out movement is produced under the side force larger than the certain value.

18. A vehicle suspension system in accordance with claim 4 in which a front lateral link means of the two lateral link means is divided into two link members.

19. a vehicle suspension system in accordance with claim 18 in which the toe direction changes in a manner that a toeout movement is produced under the side force smaller than a certain value and that a toe-in movement is produced under the side force larger than the certain value.