Transverse link made of fibre-reinforced plastics material for a wheel suspension of a vehicle

• US 9,168,801 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2014
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gestamp Umformtechnik GmbH (Gestamp Automoción SA)
• Original Assignee: Gestamp Umformtechnik GmbH (Gestamp Automoción SA)
• Inventors: Dicke, Thomas, Buchholz, Mathias, Leimkuhler, Leslie, Kroeger, Matthias, Sudowe, Ulf, Gross, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): VERLEY, NICOLE T
• Application Number:
  US14/164,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20140210177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 280/124.134
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/18 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. compression moulding around inserts or for coating articles B29C43/206 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/014 with reinforcing nerves or branches
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/124 the arm having triangular or Y-shape, e.g. wishbone
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/7101 Fiber-reinforced plastics [FRP]
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/7104 Thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/8101 by casting
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/8102 by stamping
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/001 Suspension arms, e.g. constructional features B60G7/006 takes precedence

Abstract

A transverse link made of fiber-reinforced plastics material for a wheel suspension, which transverse link is pivotable on its bearing elements about a common pivot axis or axes running substantially coaxially with respect to one another, these bearing elements being connected by a single-shell connecting element having connecting arms to a bearing element having a ball and socket joint bearing. The bearing elements and the connecting element are elements of an integral plastics material. In order to produce a transverse link of this type, disclosed is an integral plastics material moulded part produced by extrusion of plastics, the bearing elements having bearing bushes shells surrounded by extrusion of the plastics material. The ball and socket joint bearing have a bearing bush or a shell-shaped sliding capsule, produced from plastics material and connected to the connecting element, the connecting element comprising a centre or transverse web connecting the bearing elements.

Claims

1. A transverse link made of fibre-reinforced plastics material for a wheel suspension of a vehicle, which transverse link is pivotable on at least two of its bearing elements about a common pivot axis or about pivot axes running substantially coaxially with respect to one another, these at least two bearing elements being connected by a single-shell connecting element having at least two connecting arms to at least one further bearing element having a ball and socket joint bearing, the bearing elements and the connecting element being elements of an integral plastics material moulded part, wherein the integral plastics material moulded part is produced by extrusion of plastics material containing fibres, the bearing elements having bearing bushes or bearing shells surrounded in a material-uniting manner by extrusion of the plastics material, the ball and socket joint bearing having a bearing bush or a shell-shaped sliding capsule, which is produced from plastics material and is connected in a material-uniting manner to the connecting element, the connecting element comprising a centre or transverse web connecting the bearing elements, and at least one edge web, which is connected to the centre or transverse web and, with the latter, defines an angle, wherein the material of the bearing bushes or bearing shells is directly united with the plastics material surrounding the bearing bushes or bearing shells.

2. The transverse link according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element has at least two edge webs projecting from the centre or transverse web.

3. The transverse link according to claim 2, wherein the edge webs are configured with a different wall thickness, the wall thickness of the thicker edge web being at least 1.1 times the wall thickness of the thinner edge web.

4. The transverse link according to claim 3, wherein the connecting element has at least one rib running between the at least two edge webs, the spacing of the at least one rib from the thicker edge web is smaller by at least 10% than the spacing of the at least one rib from the thinner edge web.

5. The transverse link according to claim 3, wherein the connecting element has at least one rib running between the at least two edge webs, the at least one rib has a height, which is smaller than the height or equal to the height of the edge webs projecting from the centre or transverse web of the connecting element.

6. The transverse link according to claim 2, wherein the connecting element has at least one rib running between the at least two edge webs, the at least one rib being integrally formed on the centre or transverse web and extending at least over a partial length of the edge webs along the latter.

7. The transverse link according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element has a throat web connecting the connecting arms to one another, which throat web is arranged on the bearing element having the ball and socket joint bearing.

8. The transverse link according to claim 7, wherein the throat web passes integrally into the at least one further bearing element.

9. Transverse link according to claim 7, wherein the throat web is provided with an edge web that is integrally formed on and, with the throat web, defines substantially a right angle.

10. The transverse link according to claim 9, wherein the edge web of the throat web has a height, which is smaller than the height or equal to the height of the edge web projecting from the centre or transverse web of the connecting element.

11. The transverse link according to claim 1, wherein the bearing elements, which define a common pivot axis or pivot axes running substantially coaxially with respect to one another, are in each case provided with at least one of a bearing bush having a metal-rubber composite material and a plastics material-rubber composite material.

12. The transverse link according to claim 1, wherein a collar is configured on the at least one further bearing element, said collar having at least one of an at least one annular groove and at least one radially projecting projection for the positive attachment of a sealing sleeve.

13. The transverse link according to claim 1, wherein the latter has body regions with a different fibre-filler weight proportion ratio, a synthetic resin-filler weight proportion ratio, a different fibre configuration, or any combination thereof.

14. The transverse link according to claim 13, wherein the different fibre configuration is a different fibre length.

15. A method of manufacturing a transverse link according to claim 1, the method comprising:

producing the integral plastics material moulded part by extrusion of plastics material containing fibres to surround the bearing elements having bearing bushes or bearing shells in a material-uniting manner.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the integral plastics material moulded part is produced by impact extrusion.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one sheet moulding compound (SMC) semi-finish product and the bearing bushes or bearing shells are provided to a press, and wherein a resin of the SMC semi-finish product is distributed by flowing to surround the bearing elements.