Patent ID: 8534433

Claim:
An elastic connection element having variable rigidity for connecting a suspension arm and a stabilizer of a motor vehicle axle that are spaced apart from each other, the connection element either having a strand shape or being tubular, wherein the connection element comprises: coupling points ( 1 , 1 ′) at which the connection element is fixed to the suspension arm and the stabilizer, a maximum rigidity of the connection element in an axial longitudinal direction (a) is dependent on the elasticity of the coupling points ( 1 , 1 ′), each of the coupling points comprises a receiving eyelet ( 3 , 3 ′) and an elastomeric bush bearing ( 4 , 5 , 4 ′, 5 ′) that is press-fitted into a respective receiving eyelet, each of the elastomeric bush bearings comprises a metallic inner part ( 4 , 4 ′) that is fastened to one of the suspension arm and the stabilizer to be connected, and an elastomeric bearing body ( 5 , 5 ′) that surrounds the inner part ( 4 , 4 ′) and is connected to the inner part ( 4 , 4 ′) by vulcanization; a region of the connection element between the coupling points ( 1 , 1 ′) comprises a piston and a cylinder, the piston is slidably located in an interior of the cylinder and separates the interior of the cylinder into first and second chambers ( 9 , 9 ′), for receiving one of a hydraulic medium and a pneumatic medium, the piston and the cylinder are dimensioned such that the combined axial width of the first and the second chambers is less than the axial width of the piston so as to limit axial sliding of the piston; one of a channel and a connection line ( 10 ) connects the first and the second chambers ( 9 , 9 ′); a valve ( 11 ) is disposed in the channel or the connection line and is controllable so as to either only fully open or fully close such that the connection element has a maximum rigidity, when the valve ( 11 ) is closed, and the connection element has a reduced rigidity when the valve ( 11 ) is open; one piston rod extends from a first axial side of the piston and another piston rod extends from a second axial side of the piston; a positioning ring is located in the cylinder on each of the first and the second axial sides of the piston, the positioning rings position the piston within the cylinder relative to the connection line, and each of the positioning rings comprises a seal which respectively seals the first and the second chamber against leakage of the hydraulic media; a slide bearing is supported on the first axial side of the piston by the positioning ring and the slide bearing supports the piston rod on the first axial side of the piston; the cylinder supports another slide bearing which supports the piston rod on the second axial side of the piston; and the seals are axially located between the piston and the slide bearing on the respective axial side of the piston.