Supporting structure for vehicular suspension

A supporting structure for an upper link of a vehicular suspension whose camber is adjusted by a cam plate attached to the upper link, has a pair of U-shaped upper link brackets which are fixed side by side to a side member of a vehicle. A generally U-shaped shock absorber is fixed to both the upper link brackets to support a shock absorber and the upper link. A rebound bumper unit is installed to the upper link berackets to absorb a shock from the upper link.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to improvements in a supporting structure of 
a vehicular suspension, and more particularly to an upper link supporting 
structure of a vehicular suspension. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Hitherto, various types of vehicular suspensions have been proposed and put 
into practical use. One of these types, in which a wheel supporting 
portion is supported to an upper link and a lower link, is shown in FIG. 
3. In the typical one, an upper link shaft 2 is installed to an upper 
portion of a side member 1 of a structural member with bolts 3. The 
opposite end portions of the upper link shaft 2 supports an upper link 4 
to be rotatable relative to a generally horizontal axis. A lower link 5 is 
supported to a lower portion of the side member 1 so as to be rotatable 
relative to a generally horizontal axis. A shock absorber 6 is installed 
between the lower link 5 and the side member 1. In order to adjust a wheel 
camber angle and the like, a shim 7 is inserted between the upper link 
shaft 2 and the side member 1. Such a suspension structure is dislosed, 
for example, in "Steering, Suspension" Jidosha Kougaku Zensho (Automotive 
Engineering Encyclopedia), Vol. 11, p. 117, August, 1985. 
However, with the above-mentioned arrangement, since a camber and the like 
is properly adjusted by the installation of a proper shim between the 
upper link shaft and the side member, it takes a relatively long time in 
order to properly adjust the camber or the like. 
In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems, another suspension as 
shown in FIG. 4 has been proposed and practically used. Each end portion 
of an upper link 4 is pivotably supported to each upper link bracket 8 
which is installed to a side member 1. A shock absorber 6 in installed 
between a lower link (not shown) and a shock absorber bracket 9. The 
suspension is of a type in which an adjustment of a camber is carried out 
by adjusting a cam plate installed to a supporting portion of the upper 
link 4. 
However, difficulties have been encountered in the above-discussed upper 
link supporting structure. For example, although the adjusting operation 
of the camber at the upper link 4 is easily carried out after the assembly 
operation of the suspension, it is difficult to keep the assembly accuracy 
at a high level since the upper link bracket 8 and the like for installing 
the upper link 4 are respectively connected to the side member 1. 
Furthermore, it is necessary to increase the thickness of the upper link 
bracket 8 in order to increase the rigidity of the upper link bracket 8. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved 
upper link supporting structure with which the adjusting operation is 
remarkably improved. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an upper link 
structure having a high rigidity while maintaining its assembly accuracy. 
A suspension supporting structure for a vehicle, according to the present 
invention, comprises a pair of upper link brackets fixed to a side member 
of the vehicle. The upper link brackets are arranged side by side and have 
a space therebetween. A rebound bumper unit is attached to a lower portion 
of at least one of the upper link brackets. A shock absorber bracket is 
fixed to the upper link brackets. 
With this supporting structure, the upper link brackets are integrally 
fixed with the shock absorber bracket. Therefore, the supporting rigidity 
for an upper link and a shock absorber are remarkably improved while 
assembly accuracy is improved as compared with the case in which the upper 
link brackets are separately fixed to the side member. Furthermore, since 
the opposite side walls of the rebound bumper unit are fixed respectively 
to the side inner surfaces of the opposite wall portions and receive the 
upper link, the installation rigidity of the upper link is improved while 
the bracket and the upper link brackets received the rebounding force of 
the upper link to avoid the concentration of the force to a part. 
Therefore, the rebound bumper unit, the upper link bracket and the shock 
absorber bracket can be made by a thinner material as compared with the 
conventional brackets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of a supporting structure for 
a vehicular suspension according to the present invention is illustrated 
by the reference character S. The suspension supporting structure S is of 
a type in which an adjustment of a camber is carried out by adjusting a 
can plate (not shown). The suspension supporting structure S for a vehicle 
V comprises first and second upper link brackets 11, each of which is 
formed with a generally U-shaped wall portion 11a and flange portions 11b 
and 11c. The first and second upper link brackets 11 are fixed at flange 
portion 11b to a side wall portion 10a of a side member 10 which is a 
structural member of the vehicle V. The first and second upper link 
brackets 11 are located side by side on the side wall portion 10a. The 
opposite ends of the wall portion 11a are directed downward as shown in 
FIG. 1. The flange portions 11b of the upper link bracket 11 are fixed to 
a side wall portion of the side member 10. The other flange portion 11c of 
the upper link bracket 11 is fixed to an upper wall portion 10b of the 
side member 10. 
A shock absorber bracket 15 of a generally U-shape is fixed to opposite 
wall portions 11a of the first and second upper link brackets 11 as shown 
in FIG. 1. The first and second upper brackets 11 and the shock absorber 
bracket 15 have through-holes 17 which are coaxial with each other. An 
upper link 12 is supported to the first and second upper link brackets 11 
and the shock absorber bracket 15 through connecting bolts (not shown) 
which pass through the through-holes 17. The upper link 12 is rotatable 
relative to the axis of the through-bolt which extends horizontally. 
A bracket 13 which acts as a supporting member for a rebound bumper rubber 
14 is formed generally U-shaped in cross-section as shown in FIG. 2. The 
bracket 13 is fixed at its opposite side walls 13a to one of the upper 
link brackets by spot welding so as to be located between the opposite 
ends of the wall portions 11a. The rebound bumper rubber 14 is fixed on an 
upper surface 13b of the bracket 13 which is downwardly inclined from the 
side member 10. 
A shock absorber 16 is installed to the shock absorber bracket 15 in such a 
manner that an end 16a of the shock absorber 16 is inserted in a hole 15a 
of the shock absorber bracket 15. The other end 16b of the shock absorber 
16 is connected to a lower link (not shown). 
With the thus arranged supporting structure S, the upper link brackets 11 
are integrally fixed with the shock absorber bracket 15. Therefore, the 
supporting rigidity for the upper link 12 and the shock absorber are 
remarkably improved while an assembly accuracy is improved as compared 
with the case in which upper link brackets are separately fixed to the 
side member 10. 
Furthermore, since the opposite side walls 13a of the brackets 13 is fixed 
respectively to the side inner surfaces of the opposite wall portions 11a 
and receives the upper link 12 through the rebound bumper rubber 14, the 
installation rigidity of the upper link 12 is improved while the force 
applied by the rebound of the upper link 12 is received by the bracket 13 
and the upper link brackets 11 to avoid the concentration of the force to 
a part. Therefore, the bracket 13, the upper bracket 11 and the shock 
absorber bracket 15 can be made by a thinner material as compared with the 
conventional brackets. 
While the present invention is applied to the upper link suspension 
structure in this embodiment, it will be understood that the present 
invention can be applied to rear suspensions and the like.