Process for fitting structural units to vehicles

• US 6,539,332 B1
• Filed: 09/08/1998
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Müller, Anton, Roth, Franz
• Primary Examiner(s): ASSOUAD, PATRICK J
• Application Number:
  US09/149,102
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 702/173, 700/95, 700/117, 701/37
• US Class Current: 702/173
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 11/00 Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or kind of springs single wheel suspension by pivoted arm resilient in itself B60G3/00; adjusting spring characteristic B60G17/00; springs per se F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/10 Type of spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/12 Wound spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/20 Type of damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/30 Spring/Damper and/or actuator Units
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/40 Constructional features of dampers and/or springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/70 Materials used in suspensions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/80 Manufacturing procedures
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/90 Maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/91 Assembly procedures
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/99 Suspension element selection procedure depending on loading or performance requirements, e.g. selection of damper, spring or bush
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/61 Load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/12 the sub-units or components being suspensions, brakes or wheel units

Abstract

A process for installing axle springs on vehicles having different spring supported bodies and components mounted on such bodies, generally consisting of creating a database comprising loads of each of such bodies and components, identifying the body and components of each of such vehicles, accessing the database to retrieve data representing the composite load of the identified body and components, identifying axle springs having load capacity ranges sufficient to support the identified load and installing the identified axle springs on the vehicle body.

Claims

1. A process for installing axle springs on vehicles having different spring supported bodies and components mounted on said bodies, comprising:

creating a database comprising loads of each of said bodies and components;

identifying the body and components of each of said vehicles;

accessing said database to retrieve the composite load of the identified body and components;

identifying axle springs having load capacity ranges sufficient to support said identified load; and

installing said identified axle springs on said vehicle body.

2. A process according to claim 1 including:

computing the loads to be supported by the front and rear axles of said vehicle by dividing said composite load;

accessing said database to retrieve the loads to be supported by each of said axles;

identifying an axle spring having a load capacity range sufficient to support a load of each of said axles; and

installing said identified axle springs on said axles.

3. A process according to claim 1 including identifying axle springs having load capacity ranges sufficient to provide a selected height of said body above a support level of the vehicle within selected tolerances.

4. A process according to claim 1 including determining the load of said body and components by computing the individual weights of said bodies and components stored in said database.

5. A process according to claim 4 including measuring the loads imposed on the front and rear axle of a vehicle following the installation of said springs.

6. A process according to claim 5 including adjusting the load values of said database responsive to said measured loads.