Suspension stop instrumented under deformation in order to measure forces

• US 20040100057A1
• Filed: 11/14/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SNR Roulements
• Original Assignee: SNR Roulements
• Inventors: Blanchin, Olivier, Nicot, Christophe
• Granted Patent: US 7,192,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/93.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/019 characterised by the type of sensor or the arrangement thereof B60G17/01941 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/46 camber angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/312 The spring being a wound spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/112 on dampers, e.g. fluid dampers
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/124 Mounting of coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/128 Damper mount on vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/418 Bearings, e.g. ball or roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/43 Fittings, brackets or knuckles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/44 Centering or positioning means
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/4502 using resilient buffer
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/61 Adjustable during maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/60 Load
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/915 Suspension load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/54 Arrangements for attachment grommet-type rubber mounting springs per se F16F1/3732; construction of cylinder ends F16F9/3242; attachments to vehicles B60G13/001, B60G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/58 Stroke limiting stops, e.g. arranged on the piston rod outside the cylinder F16F9/49 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/0019 by using strain gages, piezoelectric, piezo-resistive or other ohmic-resistance based sensors

Abstract

The invention concerns a suspension stop for a motor vehicle wheel, comprising a device for measuring the forces applied to the vehicle wheel, the said device comprising at least one deformation sensor (12) which is associated with a fixed member (1, 6) of the said stop so as to measure the deformations of the said member which are caused by the said forces applied, and a calculation means able, from these deformations, to calculate the corresponding forces applied.

Claims

1. A suspension stop for a motor vehicle wheel, characterised in that it comprises a device for measuring the forces applied to the vehicle wheel, the said device comprising at least one deformation sensor (12) which is associated with the fixed member (1, 6) of the said stop so as to measure the deformations of the said member which are caused by the said forces applied, and a calculation means able, from these deformations, to calculate the corresponding forces applied.

2. A stop according to claim 1, characterised in that the device is arranged so as to measure the vertical forces applied to the vehicle wheel.

3. A stop according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that it comprises a roller bearing provided with a fixed top race (1) intended to be secured to the vehicle chassis (2), a rotating bottom race (3) intended to be fixed to the suspension spring (4), and rolling bodies (5) disposed between the said races.

4. A stop according to claim 3, characterised in that it comprises a top cup (6) associated with the top race (1) and intended to be associated with the chassis (2), and a bottom cup (7) associated with the bottom race (3).

5. A stop according to claim 4, characterised in that the deformation sensor or sensors (12) are associated with the top cup (6).

6. A stop according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the deformation sensor or sensors (12) are associated with the top race (1).

7. A stop according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterised in that the bottom (7) and top (6) cups comprise extensions (7d, 6f) which cooperate so as to form a static sealing means.

8. A stop according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the deformation sensor or sensors (12) are chosen from amongst the sensors comprising strain gauges based on piezoresistive elements, surface acoustic wave sensors and magnetic field sensors.