Axle support for two-track motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to an axle support for a two-track motor vehicle, comprising a number of tubular support components (2), to which a number of vehicle components can be connected, from among at least a part of the number of tubular support components (2), in order to connect a respective vehicle component of at least a part of the number of vehicle components, a connection structure (40) is provided, which connection structure comprises one or more connection tongue plates (4) on the respective tubular support component (2), the respective connection tongue plate (4) comprising a connection section (401) arranged on the exterior of the respective tubular support component (2), the fastener is used for fixing vehicle components. The shaft support according to the invention is characterized in that the respective connecting tongue plate (4) comprises an insertion section (402) which is inserted into the interior of the respective tubular support component (2), an opening region (8) is provided on the respective tubular support component (2) such that a surface region (406) of the insertion section (402) overlaps the opening region (8), the edge (9) of the opening region (8) is integrally bonded to the surface region (406) of the insertion section (402) at least in some regions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an axle support for a double-track motor vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1. Background Art

[0002] A vehicle component, such as a guide arm for guiding a wheel, is coupled to a motor vehicle via an axle support, such as a front axle support or a rear axle support. For this purpose, the axle support comprises connecting tongues, which are arranged on corresponding support components of the axle support, such as longitudinal beams or cross beams. Usually, these connecting tongues are subsequently connected to the support components, such as by welding.

[0003] In order to achieve the rigidity targets with regard to driving dynamics and acoustic requirements and to achieve strength targets, especially with regard to lifespan, the connection of the connecting tongue to the support component is required to be as rigid as possible. Usually, sufficient rigidity cannot be achieved simply by welding the connecting tongue to the support component. Therefore, there are solutions in the prior art to improve the connection of the connecting tongue to the support component by using a supporting plate.

[0004] For example, document DE 10 20 20 12 5 9 74 A1 discloses an axle bearing in which, in addition to direct welding, the connecting tongue is additionally connected to the longitudinal beam via a supporting plate which is welded to the connecting tongue. Even when using a supporting plate, cracks may occur in the bearing component or in the weld due to the high forces of the connected vehicle components. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an axle support for a double-track motor vehicle which improves the connection of the axle support to a vehicle component.

[0006] This object is achieved by an axle support according to claim 1. Further developments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

[0007] The axle support for a motor vehicle with two wheel tracks according to the present invention comprises a certain number of tubular support components (i.e. at least one tubular support component), to which a certain number of vehicle components (i.e. at least one component of the motor vehicle) can be connected. In order to connect the corresponding vehicle components among at least a part of the number of vehicle components, a connecting structure is provided, which comprises one or more connecting tongues on the corresponding tubular support component. The corresponding connecting tongue comprises a connecting section, which is arranged on the outside of the corresponding tubular support component and is used to fix the vehicle component. Preferably, the connecting structure comprises a pair of connecting tongues, and one end of the vehicle component to be connected is arranged between the connecting sections of the two connecting tongues and is connected there to each connecting section, for example, by a threaded connection.

[0008] The shaft bearing according to the invention is characterized in that the corresponding connecting tongue plate includes an insertion section which is inserted into the interior of the corresponding tubular bearing member, i.e., the corresponding tubular bearing member has a corresponding opening, and the insertion section extends into the interior of the bearing member through this opening. The insertion section is preferably arranged adjacent to the connecting section. In addition, an opening area is provided on the corresponding tubular bearing member such that the surface area of the insertion section overlaps with the opening area. Since this surface area belongs to the insertion section, this surface area is inside the bearing member. Here, the edge of the opening area is at least partially connected to the surface area of the insertion section in a material-locking manner. In one embodiment, the surface area only overlaps with a part of the opening area. In another embodiment, the surface area overlaps with the entire opening area. Preferably, the opening area is formed in a long shape, and the longitudinal direction of the opening area preferably extends in the direction of inserting the insertion member into the bearing member.

[0009] The shaft bearing according to the invention has the following advantages: The stability of the connection between the connecting tongue plate and the bearing member is improved by the insertion section in the interior of the bearing member and by the corresponding material-locking connection on the insertion section. In particular, the material-locking connection is arranged further away from the connecting section through which the force of the vehicle component is introduced into the connecting tongue plate. In addition, the insertion section reinforces the interior of the bearing member. Moreover, no additional structural space is required for the insertion section because the insertion section is arranged in the interior of the corresponding tubular bearing member.

[0010] Depending on the different circumstances of the embodiment, the material-locking connection between the edge of the opening area and the surface area of the insertion section can be configured differently. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the edge of the opening area is at least partially welded to the surface area of the insertion section. As an alternative or supplement, the material-locking connection can also be formed by bonding, brazing or similar measures.

[0011] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the shaft bearing according to the invention, the connecting section has a wall which is arranged in a specified plane, and the force introduction from the vehicle component into the connecting section when the vehicle component is fixed to the connecting section is realized along this plane. The material-locking connection (the edge of the opening area is at least partially connected to the surface area of the insertion section through the material-locking connection) has at least one connection seam and in particular has at least one weld seam, and the connection seam extends in the specified plane or extends parallel to the specified plane. In this way, an optimized force introduction along the connection seam is achieved.

[0012] In a further preferred embodiment, the opening region is provided on a defined wall of the respective tubular support member, wherein the defined wall is arranged adjacent to the following wall of the respective tubular support member through which the insertion section is inserted into the support member. Thereby, a favorable force introduction into the support member is achieved. Preferably, the defined wall is a horizontal wall, i.e., the wall extends in the horizontal direction (i.e., perpendicular to gravity) in the motor vehicle when the respective tubular support member is installed.

[0013] In a further preferred embodiment, the insertion section is from one of a pair of legs, and the other leg of the pair of legs is connected to the outer side of the respective tubular support member, preferably in a form-fitting connection, and in particular by welding. Thus, the connection between the connecting tongue and the support member is improved again.

[0014] In a further aspect of the axle support according to the invention, the opening region is an opening with a continuous edge in the respective tubular support member. A particularly good introduction of the forces applied via the vehicle component is achieved in this case when the entire continuous edge of the opening is in a form-fitting connection and in particular welded to the surface area of the insertion section.

[0015] Instead of providing an opening with a continuous edge as the opening region, in an alternative embodiment, the opening region can also be formed by a bulge on the edge of the wall of the respective tubular support member, and the bulge is preferably arranged adjacent to the connecting section.

[0016] In a further aspect of the axle support according to the invention, a support plate is provided on the respective tubular support member, the connecting section is supported on the support plate, and the connecting section is in a form-fitting connection and preferably welded to the support plate. Such a support plate is shown, for example, in the document DE102020125974A1 mentioned at the beginning. Preferably, the support plate is integrally formed with the support member, but perhaps the support plate can also be welded to the support member.

[0017] In a further preferred embodiment, the bulge described above is arranged adjacent to the support plate, and preferably a continuous connection seam is provided. Through the connection seam, not only the edge of the opening region is at least partially in a form-fitting connection and in particular welded to the surface area of the insertion section, but also the connecting section is in a form-fitting connection and in particular welded to the support plate. Thus, a form-fitting connection between the connecting tongue and the support member can be established in a simple manner by means of the continuous connection seam.

[0018] Depending on the different circumstances of the embodiment, the corresponding tubular support members of the shaft support can be configured differently. For example, the support member can be a longitudinal beam that extends in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle when installed in the motor vehicle. The support member can also be a cross beam that extends in the vehicle transverse direction when installed in the motor vehicle. In addition, the corresponding tubular support members can be integrally formed at least in the region provided with the connection structure. It is also possible that the support members are formed in a multi-piece manner at least in the region provided with the connection structure, for example, including a lower shell and an upper shell.

[0019] The shaft support according to the invention can be provided for connecting different vehicle components. In particular, at least one of the connecting tongues provided on the support member can be configured for connecting a vehicle component in the form of a guide rod for guiding a wheel, for connecting a wheel of a motor vehicle to the shaft support. At least one connecting tongue can also be configured for connecting a vehicle component in the form of a tie rod and / or a strut rod, for connecting a wheel of a motor vehicle to the shaft support. In addition, at least one connecting tongue can be configured for connecting a vehicle component in the form of a component, in particular a motor swing support, for connecting a drive assembly of a motor vehicle to the shaft support.

[0020] In addition to the shaft support described above, the invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising one or more shaft supports according to the invention or according to one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. Description of the Drawings

[0021] The embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with the aid of the drawings.

[0022] The drawings are as follows:

[0023] Figure 1 Showing a top view as seen from above, which shows a solution of the shaft support according to the invention;

[0024] Figures 2 to 4 Showing a detailed perspective view of the connecting tongue according to the first embodiment of the invention;

[0025] Figure 5 and Figure 6 Showing a detailed perspective view of the connecting tongue according to the second embodiment of the invention;

[0026] Figure 7 Showing from Figure 5 and Figure 6 a plan view as seen from below of the connecting tongue;

[0027] Figure 8 and Figure 9 Showing a detailed perspective view of a pair of connecting tongues according to the third embodiment of the invention; and

[0028] Figure 10 A plan view from below showing a pair of connecting tongue plates from Figure 8 and Figure 9 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the axle support 1 described in Figure 1 . In Figure 1 and also in other Figures 2 to 10 , a Cartesian coordinate system with an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis is described herein. This coordinate system represents the spatial directions in the corresponding drawings. Here, the x-axis corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle, the y-axis corresponds to the transverse direction of the motor vehicle, and the z-axis corresponds to the height direction or the vertical direction of the motor vehicle.

[0030] The axle support 1 includes two longitudinal beams 2 and two cross beams 3. Each longitudinal beam includes a connecting structure 40, and the connecting structure correspondingly includes a pair of connecting tongue plates 4. Through these connecting structures, a lower transverse guide rod of a corresponding wheel suspension is connected to one of the longitudinal beams 2. Here, in a manner known per se, the head of the transverse guide rod is positioned between a corresponding pair of connecting tongue plates 4 and is screwed to these connecting tongue plates. In the embodiment described herein, the longitudinal beams form the support members in the sense of claim 1. The present invention is not limited to the connection of the transverse guide rod to the corresponding longitudinal beam. In particular, the connecting structure 40 described below can also be used to connect longitudinal guide rods or tie rods and / or compression rods or guide rods for connecting a drive assembly (such as a motor swing support) to the axle support, and such a connection can also be achieved in a section different from the longitudinal beam, for example, on the cross beam 3. The connecting tongue plates described in Figure 1 correspond to the connecting tongue plates according to the third embodiment described further below. However, these connecting tongue plates can also be configured according to the first and second embodiments explained below.

[0031] Figures 2 to 4 A perspective view showing a first embodiment of the connecting tongue plate, wherein the longitudinal beam 2 is partially described. In the described embodiment, the longitudinal beam 2 is an integral tubular member, which includes a lower horizontal wall 201, an upper horizontal wall 202, and two vertical walls 203 and 204. The connecting tongue plate 4 is provided on the wall 203. Different from the prior art, the connecting tongue plate is inserted into the longitudinal beam 2. For this purpose, an opening 7 is provided on the wall 203, and a part of the connecting tongue plate 4 is inserted into the interior of the longitudinal beam 2 through this opening, as will be further explained in more detail below.

[0032] The connecting tongue plate 4 includes a connecting section 401, which includes a vertical wall 407 that extends in the transverse direction of the motor vehicle and has holes 5 and 6 provided in the wall. The hole 6 is provided solely due to manufacturing technical reasons. In contrast, the corresponding cross guide rod is fixed via the hole 5 by means of bolts. For this purpose, a second connecting tongue plate is provided according to Figure 1 which is not shown in Figure 2 and also in other Figures 3 to 7 situations. The head of the cross guide rod is arranged between these connecting tongue plates and is threadedly connected there. The head includes a through hole for this purpose, and the corresponding bolt extends through the through hole.

[0033] In addition, a lower horizontally extending wall 405 and an upper wall 403 that extends horizontally in part and slightly inclined in part are provided on the connecting tongue plate 4. These two walls are integrally connected to the rest of the connecting tongue plate 4 and are formed by means of sheet metal bending technology or deep drawing technology. The rear area of the upper wall 403 belongs to the upper leg 408, and the lower side of the leg abuts against the outer side of the longitudinal beam 2. As can be seen from Figure 2 the leg 408 is welded to the outer side of the longitudinal beam 2 via the weld 11.

[0034] As can be seen particularly well from Figure 3 the perspective view, in addition to the upper leg 408, a lower leg in the form of an insertion section 402 is provided on the connecting tongue plate 4. The insertion section 402 includes a vertically extending wall 404 and a section including a horizontal wall 405 that partially covers the open area 8 in the form of an elongated opening provided in the lower wall 201 of the longitudinal beam 2. The opening 8 and the surrounding edge 9 of the opening are very well visible in Figure 4 the figure.

[0035] It can also be seen from Figure 4 that the horizontal wall 405 includes a lower surface area 406 that is arranged inside the longitudinal beam 2 and thus belongs to the insertion section 402. In addition, the horizontal wall 405 has another lower surface area 406', and the other surface area is arranged outside the longitudinal beam 2 and thus belongs to the connecting section 401. The surface area 406 partially covers the elongated opening 8 that extends in the transverse direction of the vehicle. The insertion section 402 and thus the connecting tongue plate 4 are connected to the longitudinal beam 2 via the weld 10 through the opening 8. The weld extends in the transverse direction or in a plane, and the horizontal wall 405 of the connecting section 401 is arranged in this plane. The connecting tongue plate 4 is connected to the longitudinal beam 2 at a distance from the connection point of the cross guide rod via this welding, thereby improving the stability of the connection between the connecting tongue plate and the longitudinal beam.

[0036] In addition, a weld seam extending in the vehicle transverse direction allows for very good force introduction of the force exerted by the cross guide bar into the underlying horizontal wall 201 and not into the vertical walls 203, 204, which may poorly receive the force in the vehicle transverse direction. This is again represented by the force flow described in Figure 4 . In this figure, the force exerted by the connected cross guide bar is represented by the arrow F. Additionally, the force flow within the connecting tongue 4 or the longitudinal beam 2 caused thereby is described by the virtual force line L. As can be seen, the weld seam 10 extends in a plane into which the force F is introduced into the connecting section 401, such that the force of the cross guide bar is very well conducted into the underlying wall 201.

[0037] Figures 5 to 7 Shows a second embodiment of the connecting tongue 4. In these figures, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals as in the Figures 2 to 4 first embodiment. The difference of the second embodiment with respect to the Figures 2 to 4 first embodiment is that the underlying horizontal wall 405 is widened in the region belonging to the insertion section 402. In other words, a resulting underlying surface area 406 is formed which is wider in the vehicle longitudinal direction compared to the surface area of the Figures 2 to 4 embodiment.

[0038] Furthermore, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the elongated opening 8 is configured wider. This widening in combination with the wider surface area 406 allows the weld seam 10 to be formed continuously around the opening 8, which was not possible in the first embodiment. Thus, the stability of the connection between the connecting tongue 4 and the longitudinal beam 2 is again improved.

[0039] Figures 8 to 10 A view showing a third embodiment of the present invention, more precisely showing the entire connection structure 40 formed by a pair of two connecting tongues 4. This connection structure corresponds here to the connection structure also shown in the Figure 1 view. The same or corresponding components already described in the previous embodiments are again denoted by the same reference numerals. Figures 8 to 10 The described embodiment of

[0040] differs from the previous embodiments in that the longitudinal beam 2 is more precisely configured in two parts, including a lower shell 2a and an upper shell 2b. Additionally, the upper shell 2b is again divided at the position between the two connecting tongues 4. Figure 8 The two connecting tongues 4 have the same structure except for the configuration of the upper horizontal wall 403. In particular, the upper horizontal wall in the connecting tongue arranged on the Figure 8is significantly thicker compared to the horizontal wall on the upper side of the connecting tongue plate on the right side. The two connecting tongue plates 4 are again installed in the longitudinal beam 2 via corresponding openings 7. However, more precisely, different from the previous embodiment, no continuous opening is provided for welding the insertion section 402 to the longitudinal beam 2. Instead, a boss 8 is used, which is formed on the front edge of the lower shell 2a.

[0041] The two bosses 8 for the respective connecting tongue plates are very well formed by Figure 10 visible, Figure 10 locally shows a plan view of the connecting tongue plate 4 or the lower shell 2a as viewed from below. In particular, from Figure 10 visible, a support plate 12 is provided adjacent to the respective boss 8. The support plate is an integral part of the lower shell 2a and is used to support the connecting section 401 in the vertical direction. As can be seen, a weld seam 10 is provided for each connecting tongue plate 4. The corresponding weld seam continuously connects not only the connecting section 401 or the surface area 406' of this connecting section to the support plate 12, but also the insertion section 402 or the surface area 406 of this insertion section to a partial section of the edge 9 of the boss 8. By combining the support plate 12 with the continuous weld seam 10 (which connects not only the connecting section 401 but also the insertion section 402 to the longitudinal beam 2), a very good force introduction into the longitudinal beam in the horizontal direction and a very stable connection between the connecting tongue plate and the longitudinal beam are achieved.

[0042] The embodiment described above of the present invention has a series of advantages. In particular, the connection between the connecting tongue plate and the support member in the form of a longitudinal beam is realized such that the force introduction is ideally achieved on the most rigid part of the support member in the load direction. The connecting tongue plate is welded here not only to the lower wall of the support member but also into the upper wall of the support member. The insertion section of the respective connecting tongue plate realizes the reinforcement of the support member. Each connecting tongue plate thus acts like a mudguard. Compared to the connecting tongue plates that surround the support member along the outer periphery of the support member, by using the connecting tongue plate with an insertion section, the structural space requirement can be reduced in the vertical direction. In the case of limited structural space relationships, in order to integrate larger connecting tongue plates, the extension dimension of the support member in its vertical direction needs to be unrestricted.

[0043] Regarding the second embodiment described above, further advantages are achieved: A continuous annular weld seam with overlapping ends can be provided on the corresponding opening in the support member, so that stress and acting forces can be introduced and distributed over a larger area into the horizontal pipe surface of the support member, and the stress peaks otherwise generated by the ends of the weld seam can be eliminated.

[0044] In addition, a connecting tongue plate with an insertion section according to the third embodiment described above can also be combined with a support plate that extends from the support member. As a result, the weld for connecting the connecting tongue plate to the support member is lengthened compared to the embodiment of the support plate together with the connecting tongue plate without an insertion section. This lengthening causes the end of the weld remote from the cross guide rod to be further away from the cross guide rod than the vertical outer wall of the support member. Therefore, the stress peak on the weld on the lower side of the support member is reduced, and thus the service life of the support member is extended. In addition, additional reinforcement by means of a specified support plate positively affects the stiffness of the cross guide rod connection and improves the driving dynamics.

[0045] List of reference numerals

[0046] 1 Axle support

[0047] 2 Support member (longitudinal beam)

[0048] 201 Lower horizontal wall of the support member

[0049] 202 Upper horizontal wall of the support member

[0050] 203 Front vertical wall of the support member

[0051] 204 Rear vertical wall of the support member

[0052] 2a Lower housing

[0053] 2b Upper housing

[0054] 3 Cross beam

[0055] 40 Connecting structure

[0056] 4 Connecting tongue plate

[0057] 401 Connecting section

[0058] 402 Insertion section

[0059] 403 Upper wall of the connecting tongue plate

[0060] 404 Vertical wall of the insertion section

[0061] 405 Lower wall of the connecting tongue plate

[0062] 406, 406’ Surface area of the lower wall of the connecting tongue plate

[0063] 407 Upper leg of the connecting tongue plate

[0064] 408 Upper leg of the connecting tongue plate

[0065] 5, 6 Openings in the connecting section

[0066] 7 Opening in the support member

[0067] 8 Opening area in the support member

[0068] 9 Edge of the opening area

[0069] 10, 11 Weld seams

[0070] 12 Support plate

[0071] Force F

[0072] Force line L

[0073] x, y, z Spatial directions

Claims

1. An axle support for a motor vehicle with double wheel ruts, the axle support comprising a certain number of tubular support members (2), a certain number of vehicle components can be connected to the corresponding tubular support members (2) among at least a part of the number of tubular support members (2), and in order to connect the corresponding vehicle components among at least a part of the number of vehicle components, a connection structure (40) is provided, the connection structure comprising one or more connection tongues (4) on the corresponding tubular support members (2), the corresponding connection tongues (4) comprising a connection section (401), the connection section being arranged on the outside of the corresponding tubular support member (2) for fixing the vehicle component, characterized in that, The corresponding connecting tongue plate (4) includes an insertion section (402) that is inserted into the interior of the corresponding tubular support member (2). An opening area (8) is provided on the corresponding tubular support member (2) such that the surface area (406) of the insertion section (402) overlaps with the opening area (8). The edge (9) of the opening area (8) is at least partially connected to the surface area (406) of the insertion section (402) in a material-locking manner.

2. The shaft bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The edge (9) of the opening area (8) is at least partially welded to the surface area (406) of the insertion section (402).

3. The shaft bearing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The connecting section (401) has a wall (407) that is arranged in a specified plane. When a vehicle component is fixed to the connecting section (401), the force introduction from the vehicle component into the connecting section (401) is achieved along this plane. The material-locking connection - through which the edge (9) of the opening area (8) is at least partially connected to the surface area (406) of the insertion section (402) - has at least one connecting seam (10) that extends in the specified plane or extends parallel to the specified plane.

4. The shaft bearing according to any one of the above claims, characterized in that, The opening area (8) is provided on a specified wall (201) of the corresponding tubular support member (2), where the specified wall (201) is arranged adjacent to the following wall (203) of the corresponding tubular support member (2), and the insertion section (402) is inserted into the corresponding support member (2) through this wall.

5. The shaft support according to any one of the above claims, characterized in that, The insertion section (402) is one of a pair of legs, and the other leg (408) of the pair of legs is connected to the outer side of the corresponding tubular support member (2), preferably in a material-locking manner.

6. The shaft support according to any one of the above claims, characterized in that, The opening area (8) is an opening with a continuous edge in the corresponding tubular support member (2).

7. The shaft support according to claim 6, characterized in that, The entire continuous edge (9) of the opening is connected to the surface area (406) of the insertion section (402) in a material-locking manner.

8. The shaft support according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The opening area (8) is formed by a bulge on the edge of the wall (201) of the corresponding tubular support member (2), and preferably the bulge is arranged adjacent to the connecting section (401).

9. The shaft bearing according to any one of the above claims, characterized in that A support plate (12) is provided on the corresponding tubular support member (2), and the connecting section (401) is supported on this support plate and is connected to this support plate in a material-locking manner.

10. The shaft support according to claim 9, characterized in that, The support plate (12) is integrally formed with the support member (2).

11. The shaft bearing according to claim 9 or 10 in combination with claim 8, characterized in that, The bulge is arranged adjacent to the support plate (12), and preferably a continuous connecting seam is provided. Through this connecting seam, not only is the edge (9) of the opening area (8) at least partially connected to the surface area (406) of the insertion section (402) in a material-locking manner, but also the connecting section (401) is connected to the support plate (12) in a material-locking manner.

12. The shaft support according to any one of the above claims, characterized in that, The corresponding tubular support member (2) is a longitudinal beam that extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction when installed in a motor vehicle; or the tubular support member (2) is a cross beam that extends in the vehicle transverse direction when installed in a motor vehicle.

13. The shaft support according to any one of the above claims, characterized in that, The corresponding tubular bearing member (2) is formed monolithically or in multiple parts at least in the region where the connecting structure (40) is provided.

14. The shaft support according to any one of the above claims, characterized in that, At least one connecting tongue (4) is configured to connect a vehicle component in the form of a guide rod for guiding a wheel, for connecting a wheel of a motor vehicle to the axle support (1); and / or at least one connecting tongue (4) is configured to connect a vehicle component in the form of a tie rod and / or a strut, for connecting a wheel of a motor vehicle to the axle support (1); and / or at least one connecting tongue (4) is configured to connect a vehicle component in the form of an element, in particular a motor swing support, for connecting a drive assembly of a motor vehicle to the axle support (1).

15. A motor vehicle, comprising one or more axle supports (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

Images