VEHICLE WHEEL SUSPENSION

Abstract: The suspension (1) is of the type in which a mounting (3) housing the hub (4) of the wheel (2) is supported by a swinging bar (7) and by a shock absorber (6), of which the rod (22) is connected to an element (14) of the body (8) by an elastic block (15) comprising a bearing (26) keyed on to the rod (22), a housing (27) fixable to the body (8), and an elastic sleeve (28) disposed between the bearing (26) and the housing (27). The body element (14) is curved, and comprises an oval seat (16) for the block (15) in which this latter is mobile between two determined positions, and the housing (27) is provided with a flange (29) having a curved surface (30) arranged to cooperate with the body element (14).

Description: VEHICLE WHEEL SUSPENSION This invention relates to a vehicle wheel suspension, and more specifically to a suspension of the so-called independent wheel type in which the wheel is supported by a mounting connected to the vehicle body by means of a swinging bar, a torsion bar which connects together the pair of front suspensions and the pair of rear suspensions, and a shock absorber fixed to the vehicle body by means of an elastic block. In the aforesaid type of suspension there is the problem of varying the "angle of incidence" of the front suspension shock absorber with the ground in a simple and rapid manner in order to vary the so-called "offset" of the suspension, so as to adjust the steering sensitivity of the vehicle, especially when either a conventional mechanical steering device or a servo-assisted hydraulic device (hydrosteering) can be mounted on the vehicle at the request of the user. Hereinafter in the description the term "angle of incidence" signifies the angle formed between the projection of the shock absorber axis in a plane lateral to the vehicle and parallel to the plane in which the wheel lies, and the vertical to the ground passing through the axis of rotation of the wheel, and the term "offset" signifies the segment which is cut in the ground plane by the projection in a plane lateral to the vehicle and parallel to the plane in which the wheel lies, of the axis joining the elastic block to the ball joint connecting the swinging bar to the suspension mounting, and which lies between the projection itself and the vertical to the ground passing through the axis of rotation of the wheel. The methods used consist generally either of replacing the elastic suspension block with another block of different form so as to obtain angles of incidence and thus offsets of a different extent, or of applying means to enable the point of connection of the elastic block to the vehicle body to be moved, so as to again obtain a variation in the angle of incidence. These methods are not without drawbacks. In particular, the system of replacing the elastic block by another is hardly practical and is costly, as it requires the construction of different elastic block models, each for a determined value of the angle of incidence. The second system enables different angles of incidence to be obtained using the same block, but has the drawback of leading not only to a variation in the angle of incidence but also a variation in the inclination of the shock absorber axis to the axis of the block, this leading to a permanent deformation of this latter and overloading the elastic block bearing. The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle wheel suspension free from the described drawbacks, which is able to allow the suspension offset to be simply and quickly changed, and is of simple and economical construction. This object is attained according to the present invention by a vehicle suspension of the type comprising a mounting which is arranged to rotatably house the hub of said wheel and is supported by a swinging bar connected to the body of said vehicle and by a shock absorber comprising a casing and a rod, this latter being connected to the vehicle body by means of an elastic block comprising a bearing keyed on to said rod, an outer housing arranged for fixing to a body element, and at least one deformable elastic sleeve disposed between said bearing and said housing, charac#terised in that said body element is curved, and comprises a substantially oval seat for said elastic block, in which this latter is mobile between at least two predetermined positions, said outer housing being provided, for its fixing to the body, with a flange having a curved surface and arranged to cooperate with said body element. The present invention will be more apparent from the description of one embodiment thereof given by way of non-limiting example hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a suspension according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a simplified front view of the suspension of Figure l; and Figures 3 and 4 show an element of the suspension of Figures 1 and 2 in two different operating positions. In Figures 1 and 2, the reference numeral 1 indicates overall a suspension for a wheel 2 of a vehicle, not shown. The suspension 1 is of the so-called "independent wheel" type and is specifically a MacPherson front suspension. The suspension 1 comprises a mounting 3 to rotatably house the wheel hub 4 provided with a brake drum 5, and a shock absorber 6 and swinging bar 7 which are arranged to support the mounting 3 by connecting it to the body 8 of said vehicle. Specifically, the swinging bar 7 is connected to the mounting 3 by means of a ball joint 9, and is connected to the body 8 by means of a known hinge, not shown. The swinging bar 7 is also connected to a torsion ban 10, which is connected to the body 8 by means of a support 11 and to the swinging bar 7 by means of a rod 12. As known, the purpose of the torsion bar 10 is, inter alia, to connect together the two front suspensions and the two rear suspensions respectively, in order to ensure their unifdrm behaviour. The shock absorber 6 is connected to the mounting 3 by means of a lower socket connector 13 rigidly connected to said mounting 3, and is connected at its top to the body 8, namely to a curved body element 14 of substantially spherical form, by means of an elastic block 15 housed in a seat 16 in the body element 14. The shock absorber 6 is also provided with a spiral spring 18 mounted about it between a disc 19 connected to the casing 20 of the shock absorber 6 and a disc 21 connected to the shock absorber rod 22 which is slidable in the casing 20. This latter is fixed to the connector 13, whereas the rod 22 is connected to the block 15. The mounting 3 is also provided with an arm 23 connected by an articulated joint 24 to the track rod 25 of any known steering device, not shown for simplicity. The block 15 comprises a rolling bearing 26 keyed on to the rod 22, an outer housing 27, preferably of sheet metal, arranged for releasable fixing to the body element 14, and at least one deformable elastic sleeve 28, preferably of rubber construction, disposed between the bearing 26 and housing 27. The housing 27 is provided with a connection flange 29 which is also curved, having a substantially spherical surface 30 facing the body element 14, and arranged to cooperate with this latter. With reference to Figures 3 and 4, the flange 29 is of substantially pentagonal shape when viewed in plan, and the seat 16 is substantially oval. The block 15 is housed in the seat 16 slackly so as to be mobile therein between at least two predetermined positions shown in Figures 3 and 4 respectively. The elastic block 15 can be fixed to the body element 14 either in the position of Figure 3 or in the position of Figure 4 by any removable fixing means of known type. In the particular case shown, the block 15 is fixed to the element 14 by screws which lock the flange 29 against said element 14. A first screw 31 is disposed laterally to the seat 16 to correspond with the transverse axis of symmetry 32 of this latter, and a pair of screws 33 disposed in slots 34 provided in the flange 29 can selectively engage a first bore 35 or a second bore 36 of two pairs 37 of bores provided in the element 14 laterally to the seat 16, on the opposite side to the screw 31. The block 15 is housed in the seat 16 eccentrically to the axis of symmetry 32, at opposite ends 38 or 39 of the seat 16, so as to assume two symmetrical positions about the axis 32, in which the axis of the block 15 is distant from the axis 32 by an identical distance e. The geometry of the suspension 1 is also such that in a plane X-X lateral to the vehicle and parallel (or coinciding) with the plane in which the wheel 2 lies, the projection of the axis of the shock absorber 6 coincides with the projection of an axis 40 joining the block 15 to the ball joint 9, said projection intersecting the axis of rotation of the wheel 2 and being oblique to the vertical to the ground which passes through the axis of rotation of the wheel 2, in such a manner as to define where it cuts the ground plane a segment b of determined length lying between said projection and said vertical, and constituting the "offset'# of the suspension 1. The angle lying between the projection of the axis 40 and said vertical coincides with the angle of incidence of the axis of the shock absorber. The radius of spherical curvature of the body element 14 and flange 29 has its centre lying substantially on the axis of rotation of the wheel 2. In one embodiment, not shown, the element 14 and flange 29 could be other than spherical, and instead have any curved profile of which the focus is disposed substantially on the axis of the hub 4. In order to change the length of the segment b, for example to adapt the suspension 1 if the known mechanical control, not shown, for the track rod 25 is replaced by a known Bervo-assisted hydraulic control (hydrosteering), not shown, it is necessary only to unscrew the screws 33 from the bores 35 and slacken the screw 31. By this means, the block 15 can be made to rotate eccentrically to the seat 16 about the screw 31, to move it from the position of Figure 3, which corresponds with the end 38, to the position of Figure 4, which corresponds with the end 39 of the seat 16, or vice versa. The screws 33 are then re-inserted into the slots 34, which now correspond with the bores 36, and the block 15 can be fixed in its new position. Because of the geometry of the suspension 1 and the cooperation of the spherical surface 30 with the spherical element 14 formed in the body 8, the angle of incidence ctof the axis of the shock absorber 6 with respect to the ground is also changed during the movement of the block 15 in the seat 16, so as to vary the length of the segment b. In this respect, the shock absorber 6 and the entire mounting 3 rotate about the axis of the wheel 2 parallel to the plane X-X, and consequently the ball joint 9 approaches (or withdraws from) the vertical to the ground which passes through the wheel axis. The described suspension 1 has the advantage of allowing the shock absorber 6 to always remain coaxial with the block 15 and relative bearing 26, whatever the angle of incidence stand the consequent offset b. Consequently, no reaction stresses occur in the block 15 as a consequence of its movement in varying the segment b. Furthermore, the invention provides a suspension which is of simple and economical construction, which uses a single type of elastic block, and which can be adjusted simply and rapidly by merely rotating the block in its seat in the vehicle body, without having to disassemble the suspension itself. From the description it is also apparent that modifications can be made to the suspension according to the invention without leaving the scope of the invention itself.

Claims: PATENT CLAIMS 1. A suspension (1) for a vehicle wheel (2), of the type comprising a mounting (3) which is arranged to rotatably house the hub (4) of said wheel (2) and is supported by a swinging bar (7) connected to the body (8) of said vehicle and by a shock absorber (6) comprising a casing (20) and a rod (22), this latter being connected to the vehicle body (8) by means of an elastic block (15) comprising a bearing (26) keyed on to said rod (22), an outer housing (27) arranged for fixing to a body element (14), and at least one deformable elastic sleeve (28) disposed between said bearing (26) and said housing (27), characterised in that said body element (14) is curved, and comprises a substantially oval seat (16) for said elastic block (15), in which this latter is mobile between at least two predetermines positions, said outer housing (27) being provided, for its fixing to the body (8), with a flange (29) having a curved surface (30) and arranged to cooperate with said body element (14). 2. A suspension (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said flange (29) can be fixed to said body element (14) by removable fixing means (31, 32, 33), about at least one (31) of which said elastic block (15) can be made to rotate eccentrically with respect to said seat (16). 3. A suspension (1) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said body element (14) and said surface (30) of said flange (29) have a curved profile with radii of curvature such that the focus of said profile is disposed substantially on the axis of said hub (4). 4. A suspension (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said body element (14) and said flange (29) are spherical, and have a radius such that their centre of curvature lies substantially on the axis of rotation of said wheel (2). 5. A suspension (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein said swinging bar (7) is connected to said mounting by a ball joint (9), characterised in that in a plane (X¯X) lateral to said vehicle and parallel to the plane in which said wheel (2) lies, the projection of the axis of said shock absorber coincides with the projection of the axis (40) joining said block (15) to said ball joint (9), said projection intersecting the axis of rotation of said wheel (2) and being oblique to the vertical to the ground which passes through the axis of rotation of said wheel (2), in such a manner as to define where it cuts the ground plane a segment (b) of determined length lying between said projection and said vertical. 6. A suspension (1) as claimed in one of claims 2 to 5, characterised in that said fixing means comprise a first screw (31) disposed laterally to said seat (16) on an axis of transverse symmetry (32) thereof, two pairs (37) of bores provided in said body element (14) laterally to said seat (16) on the opposite side to said first screw (31), a pair of slots (34) provided in said flange (29), and a pair of screws (33) disposed in said slots (34) and arranged to selectively fix said flange (29) in a position corresponding with a first (35) and a second (36) of said bores of each of said pairs (37) of bores; said block (15) being housed in said seat (16) slackly and in an eccentric position with respect to said transverse axis (32) so as to be able to rotate about said first screw (31) in order to move from a first position corresponding with one end (38) of said seat (16), in which it is retained by said screws (33) disposed in said first bore (35) of each pair (37) of bores, to a second position symmetrical with the first and corresponding with a second end (39) of said seat (16), in which it is retained by said screws (33) disposed in said second bore (36) of each pair (37) of bores. 7. Asuspension (1) as claimed in claim 6 and dependent on claim 5, characterised in that in passing from said first position to said second position and vice versa, said block (15) produces a variation in the angle of incidence (° of said shock absorber (6) with respect to the ground, so as to vary the length of said segment (b) defined in the ground plane by said projection of said axis (40) joining said block (15) to said ball joint (9).

Inventors: BONELLI, MAURO
Applicants: FIAT AUTO S.P.A.
Application year: 1983
Main classification: B62D17
IPC codes: B60G15, B62D17