Member for arm

• US 6,298,962 B1
• Filed: 03/12/1999
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Showa Denko KK
• Original Assignee: Showa Denko KK
• Inventors: Tochigi, Masaharu, Iwameji, Noriyuki, Enomoto, Masatoshi, Kawata, Naoyuki, Ogawa, Yuichi, Nishikawa, Naoki, Kato, Rentaro, Uchino, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Douglas C.
• Application Number:
  US09/267,262
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 188/371-377, 188/321.11, 403/2, 280/777, 280/784, 280/805, 280/124.134, 280/124.151, 744/92, 296/188, 296/189, 267/141, 267/152, 267/153, 267/220, 297/472, 297/421, 293/133
• US Class Current: 188/371
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/06 Tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/016 allowing controlled deformation during collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/11 the arm being a radius or track or torque or steering rod or stabiliser end link
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/001 Suspension arms, e.g. constructional features B60G7/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/00 Wheel guards; Radiator guards, e.g. grilles; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions reinforcement elements for side doors B60J5/0412; mudguards B62D
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/15 having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or temporarily change shape or dimension upon impact with another body bumpers B60R19/02; shock absorbers in general F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/20 Links, e.g. track rods means for adjusting camber, castor, or toe-in B62D17/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/404 Suspension arrangements specially adapted for supporting vertical loads
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 7/02 Constructions of connecting-rods with constant length
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/123 Deformation involving a bending action, e.g. strap moving through multiple rollers, folding of members F16F7/125, F16F7/128 take precedence

Abstract

There is disclosed a member for use with an arm that is used as an automobile suspension arm, for example. The member comprises a rodlike body and bushing-mounting portions formed at both ends of the rodlike body. The rodlike body consists of a hollow tube fabricated by extruding an aluminum material into a circular cross section. The bushing-mounting portions are formed by welding bushing-mounting members to both ends of the rodlike body. Each bushing-mounting member has a hole in which a bushing is mounted with a press fit. The curved wall of the rodlike body is recessed at the longitudinal center of the rodlike body. When an automobile having the aforementioned member collides, an axial compressive load is applied to the rodlike body. The rodlike body buckles at the recessed portion. This mitigates the impact in the collision.

Claims

1. A member for use with an arm, said member comprising:

a rodlike body made of a metal;

a joint formed in a part of said rodlike body;

a deformable portion that permits the member to deform easily when an axial compressive load is applied;

said joint being a bushing mount having a bushing-mounting hole in which a bushing is mounted with a press fit, and wherein said deformable portion is a space formed near said bushing-holding hole and located on the opposite side of a partition wall from said bushing-holding hole to permit the bushing held in said bushing-holding hole to move while plastically deforming said partition wall,

said partition wall being thinner than portions of a wall, other than the partition wall, around said bushing-holding hole.

2. The member of claim 1, wherein said deformable portion is formed only around the longitudinal center of said rodlike body and fabricated by crushing a part of wall of said rodlike body.

3. The member of claim 2, wherein said deformable portion has been fabricated by plastic working.

4. The member of claim 1, wherein said rodlike body consists of a hollow tube formed by curved wall, and wherein said deformable portion is located in a longitudinally central portion of said rodlike body and formed by recessing a part of the curved wall.

5. The member of claim 4, wherein said deformable portion has been fabricated by plastic working.

6. The member of claim 4, wherein said hollow tube is of circular cross section.

7. The member of claim 4, wherein said hollow tube has been fabricated by extrusion.

8. The member of claim 1, wherein said deformable portion is an axially offset portion located in a longitudinally intermediate portion of said rodlike body.

9. The member of claim 8, wherein said deformable portion has been fabricated by plastic working.

10. The member of claim 8, wherein said rodlike body consists of a hollow tube.

11. The member of claim 10, wherein said hollow tube is of circular cross section.

12. The member of claim 10, wherein said hollow tube has been fabricated by extrusion.

13. The member of claim 1, wherein said deformable portion is a thin-walled portion locally formed in a longitudinally intermediate portion of said rodlike body.

14. The member of claim 13, wherein said thin-walled portion has been formed by a cutting operation.

15. The member of claim 13, wherein said thin-walled portion is formed over the whole circumference of the member.

16. The member of claim 13, wherein said thin-walled portion extends circumferentially partially.

17. The member of claim 13, wherein said rodlike body consists of a hollow tube.

18. The member of claim 17, wherein said hollow tube is of circular cross section.

19. The member of claim 17, wherein said hollow tube has been fabricated by extrusion.

20. The member of claim 1, wherein said partition wall has a local thin-walled portion.

21. The member of claim 1, wherein said rodlike body consists of a hollow tube.

22. The member of claim 21, wherein said hollow tube is of circular cross section.

23. The member of claim 21, wherein said hollow tube has been fabricated by extrusion.

24. The member of claim 1, wherein said rodlike body is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

25. The member of claim 1, wherein said joint is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy.