A stabiliser bar apparatus for use in a vehicle suspension

Abstract: A stabiliser bar apparatus for use in a suspension of a motor vehicle includes a hollow tubular member (22) having first and second arms (24,26) disposed at opposite ends of a center section (28). The center section is adapted to be rotatably attached to a chassis and the first and second arms are adapted to attach to first and second wheel suspensions, respectively. A first radial protrusion (38) is circumferentially formed on an outer surface of the hollow tubular member and extends radially outward from the outer surface to a first predetermined height sufficient to retain the stabilizer bar under lateral loading. Additionally, a stress dispersing formation is (46) formed on an inner surface of the hollow tubular member opposite the first radial protrusion so as to disperse stress that would otherwise concentrate in the hollow tubular member adjacent to the first radial protrusion.

Description: The present invention relates generally to stabilizer bars as used in suspensions for motor vehicles. More particularly the present invention relates to an improved stabilizer bar construction which is lighter and less expensive than previous stabilizer bars providing equivalent functionality. It is well known to incorporate integrally forged, radially protruding retention rings on solid stabilizer bars as used in motor vehicle suspensions. The integral retention rings eliminate the need to install separate and costly retention collars, as well as the equipment and labor to install them. Finally, the integral retention rings do not have to be aligned by an operator or in service. It has also been well known to utilize hollow tubular bars for stabilizer bars to provide a lightweight alternative to solid stabilizer bars. The industry norm for providing lateral retention on hollow stabilizer bars has been to use the more complex and costly retention collars. The additional cost of the retention collars has been considered by the industry to be a necessary compromise to obtain the weight benefits of a lightweight hollow stabilizer bar. The incorporation of integrally forged, radially protruding retention rings on hollow stabilizer bars has been rejected due to the likelihood that the forging process would form a stress riser, as illustrated by area A in FIG. 1, reducing the fatigue performance of the hollow stabilizer bars. This would in turn require thicker hollow stabilizer bars, diminishing the weight benefits originally sought when selecting the hollow bar over a solid bar. For these reasons, it would be desirable to provide a stabilizer apparatus constructed from a hollow tubular member and incorporating an integral retention ring to provide a lightweight, cost effective alternative to the stabilizer bars currently available. In French Patent No 2718391 there is described a stabiliser bar according to the preamble of claim 1 having a hollow central tubular member (10) and solid cylindrical arms (17,18). The central tubular member has a larger diameter than that of the cylindrical arms so that it provides protrusions (10a and 10b) which abut against bushes (3,4) and serve to prevent sideways movement of the stabiliser bar relative to the bushes. European Patent Publication No 157894 is concerned with a method and apparatus for increasing the thickness (both internally and externally) of the wall of a tubular member. It provides no guidance as to what purpose the tubular member is to be used. In response to this long felt need, the present invention provides an improvement over both existing solid and hollow stabilizer bars by providing a hollow tubular stabilizer bar having an integrally forged retention ring thereby allowing a lighter and lower cost unit than any of those known heretofore. In accordance with the present invention, a stabilizer apparatus for use in a suspension of a motor vehicle has been discovered. The stabilizer bar apparatus includes a hollow tubular member having first and second arms disposed at opposite ends of a center section. The center section is adapted to be rotatably attached to a chassis and the first and second arms are adapted to attach to first and second wheel suspensions, respectively. The stabilizer bar apparatus further includes a first radial protrusion circumferentially formed on an outer surface of the hollow tubular member. The first radial protrusion extends radially outward from the outer surface to a first predetermined height sufficient to allow the first radial protrusion to retain the stabilizer bar within its mounts to the chassis under lateral loading. The stabilizer bar apparatus also includes a stress dispersing formation formed on an inner surface of the hollow tubular member opposite the first radial protrusion. This formation disperses stress that would otherwise concentrate in the hollow tubular member adjacent to the first radial protrusion. It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a simpler, less expensive and lighter stabilizer bar than was previously available for use in motor vehicle suspensions. The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken from a hollow stabilizer bar illustrating stress risers eliminated by the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a frame and suspension for a motor vehicle incorporating a stabilizer bar in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 illustrating a hollow tubular member constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 4 is a partial sectional illustrating a hollow tubular member constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view illustrating a second embodiment of a hollow tubular member constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view illustrating a third embodiment of a hollow tubular member constructed in accordance with the present invention; Referring now to FIG. 2, a typical vehicle suspension system 10 is shown including a wheel support member 12 for rotatably supporting a road wheel (not shown). For clarity and brevity, only the front left side of the suspension will be described, it being understood that the suspension is generally symmetric, with similar parts being found on a right side of the vehicle. Additionally, the present invention applies equally to front or rear suspensions. Upper and lower control arms 14, 16 are pivotally attached to a longitudinal frame member 18 of the vehicle chassis. A cross member 20 is shown interconnecting two longitudinal frame members. It should also be noted that the present invention will be described in relation to a vehicle having body on frame construction, however, the present invention applies equally to a motor vehicle having a unibody structure wherein side rails,.alone or in combination with a sub-frame, provide the structural support provided by the longitudinal frame members illustrated and they are constructed as integral components of the floor pan. A stabilizer bar 22 includes first and second arms 24, 26 extending from opposite ends of a center section 28. The first and second arms 24, 26 attach to right and left suspensions, preferably to the wheel support member 12 as shown, or as far outboard on the lower control arms as possible. First and second bushings 30, 32 are rotatably affixed to the center section 28 of stabilizer bar 22 and supported from the longitudinal frame members by first and second clamps 34, 36. First and second radial protrusions 38 (see FIG. 3), 40 disposed inboard of the first and second bushings 30, 32 serve as assembly aids as well as to center the center section 28 laterally during operation. Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the stabilizer bar 22 is preferably constructed using a hollow tubular member having an inner surface 42 and an outer surface 44 and predetermined outer diameter and thickness determined depending on specific vehicle characteristics, as is well known to those skilled in the art. The first radial protrusion 38 takes the form of a ring around the entire circumference of the outer surface 44 of the hollow tubular member. The first radial protrusion 38 extends radially outward from the outer surface a predetermined height, h 1 , sufficient to maintain the tubular member relative to the bushing 34. The stabiliser bar 22 also includes a formation on the inner surface of the hollow tubular member adjacent to, or opposite from, the first radial projection 38 having a geometric shape that reduces or disperses stress that might otherwise concentrate in this region under repeated torsional loading of the tubular member. In the first embodiment illustrated, this formation takes the shape of a second radial protrusion 46 extending radially inward around the entire circumference of the inner surface 42 of the hollow tubular member. The second radial protrusion 46 may be of similar width and height as the first radial protrusion 38, however it is not necessary. The second radial protrusion 46 further includes a first radius, R 1 , in establishing the transition between the inner surface of the hollow tubular member and second radial protrusion 46. The first radius, R 1 , should be greater than a first predetermined minimum dimension to prevent stress from concentrating in the hollow tubular member adjacent to the first and second radial protrusions. The first predetermined minimum dimension should be determined for a given vehicle and tubular member thickness and diameter. Referring now to FIG. 5, an alternative embodiment is illustrated, wherein the formation takes the shape of a first circumferential channel 50 extending radially outward around the entire circumference of the inner surface 42 of the hollow tubular member. The first circumferential channel 50 includes an arcuate bottom surface 52 characterized by a second radius, R 2 , having a second predetermined minimum dimension. A third radius R 3 , located between the inner surface 42 of the hollow tubular member and the arcuate bottom surface 52 also has a third predetermined minimum dimension. The second and third predetermined minimum dimensions should be determined for a given vehicle and tubular member thickness and diameter so as to prevent stress from concentrating in the hollow tubular member adjacent to the first and second radial protrusions. Referring now to FIG. 6, yet another alternative embodiment is illustrated, wherein the first radial protrusion 38 includes a ramp portion 56 gradually departing outwardly from the outer surface 44 of the hollow tubular member. In the presently preferred embodiment, the ramp departure angle is approximately forty-five degrees. The ramp portion 56 terminates at the intersection with an wall portion 58 extending outwardly and substantially normal to the outer surface 44 of the hollow tubular member. The formation for the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 takes the shape of a second circumferential channel 60 extending radially outward around the entire circumference of the inner surface 42 of the hollow tubular member. The second circumferential channel 60 includes a first side 62 substantially parallel to the ramp portion 56 and a second side 64 substantially parallel to the wall portion 58 and is characterized by fourth, fifth and sixth radii, R 4 ,R 5 ,R 6 . The fourth radius, R 4 , is located between the inner surface 42 of the hollow tubular member and the first side 62 and has a fourth predetermined minimum dimension. The fifth radius, R 5 , is located between the inner surface 42 of the hollow tubular member and the second side 64 and has a fifth predetermined minimum dimension. The sixth radius, R 6 , is located between the first side 62 and the second side 64 and has a sixth predetermined minimum dimension. The fourth, fifth and sixth predetermined minimum dimensions should be determined for a given vehicle and tubular member thickness and diameter so as to prevent stress from concentrating in the hollow tubular member adjacent to the first and second radial protrusions.

Claims: A stabiliser bar apparatus for use in a motor vehicle having a chassis (18) and a suspension, said stabiliser apparatus comprising: a hollow tubular member (22) having first and second hollow tubular arms (24,26) disposed at opposite ends of a center section (28), said first and second arms (24,26) being attached to first and second suspensions; first and second bushings (30,32) rotatably disposed on said centre section (28) of said hollow tubular member (22) and being securely clamped to said chassis (18); characterized in that a pair of first radial protrusions (38) circumferentially formed on an outer surface (44) of said centre section (28) of said hollow tubular member (22) adjacent to each of said first and second bushings (30,32), each of said first radial protrusions (38) extending radially outward from said outer surface (44) to a first predetermined height; and a pair of stress dispersing means formed on an inner surface (42) of said hollow tubular member (22) opposite each of said first radial protrusions (38), said means dispersing stress otherwise concentrated in said hollow tubular member adjacent to each of said radial protrusions (30). A stabiliser bar apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein each of said stress dispersing means further comprise a second radial protrusion (46) circumferentially formed on an inner surface (42) of said hollow tubular member (22), said second radial protrusion (46) extending radially inward from said inner surface (22). A stabiliser bar apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein said second radial protrution (46) further comprises a first radius (R 1 ) between said inner surface (42) of said hollow tubular member (22) and said second radial protrusion (46), said first radius (R 1 ) having a first predetermined minimum dimension so as to prevent stress from concentrating in said hollow tubular member (22) adjacent to said pair of radial protrusions (38). A stabiliser bar apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each of said stress dispersing means further comprise a first circumferential channel (50) formed on an inner surface (42) of said hollow tubular member (22), said first circumferential channel (50) having an arcuate bottom surface (52) characterized by a second radius (R 2 ) having a second predetermined minimum dimension so as to prevent stress from concentrating in said hollow tubular member (22) adjacent to said pair of radial protrusions (38). A stabiliser bar apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein said first circumferential channel (50) further comprises a third radius (R 3 ) between said inner surface (42) of said hollow tubular member (22) and said arcuate bottom (52) of said first circumferential channel (50), said third radius (R 3 ), having a third predetermined minimum dimension so as to prevent stress from concentrating in said hollow tubular member (22) adjacent to said pair of radial protrusions (38). A stabiliser bar apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said pair radial protrusion (38) each further comprises a ramp portion (56) gradually departing from said outer surface (44) and intersecting a wall portion (58) extending outward and substantially normal to said outer surface (44) to said first predetermined height. A stabiliser bar apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein each of said stress dispersing means further comprise a second circumferential channel (60) formed on an inner surface (42) of said hollow tubular member (22), said second circumferential channel (60) having a first side (62) parallel to said ramp portion (56) and a second side (64) parallel to said wall portion (58). A stabiliser bar apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein said second circumferential channel (60) further comprises: a fourth radius (R 4 ) between said inner surface (42) of said hollow tubular member (22) and said first side (62) of said second circumferential channel (60), said fourth radius (R 4 ) having a fourth predetermined minimum dimension; a fifth radius (R 5 ) between said inner surface (42) of said hollow tubular member (22) and said second side (64) of said second circumferential channel (60), said fifth radius (R 5 ) having a fifth predetermined minimum dimension; and a sixth radius (R 6 ) between said first side (62) of said second circumferential channel (60) and said second side (64) of said second circumferential channel (60), said sixth radius (R 6 ) having a sixth predetermined minimum dimension so as to prevent stress from concentrating in said hollow tubular member (22) adjacent to said plurality of radial protrusions (38).

Inventors: PICKETT KENNETH MARK, SIECINSKI DOUGLAS, STEINMAN SEAN MICHAEL, PICKETT, KENNETH MARK, SIECINSKI, DOUGLAS, STEINMAN, SEAN MICHAEL
Applicants: FORD MOTOR CO, FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B60G21
IPC codes: B60G21, B21J9, B21D53, B21D17, F16F1, B21C37