Steel-plastic integrated cross tie rod

Abstract

A steel-plastic embedded integrated cross pull rod, including two ends with metal bushing composite material rod body and press-fit in the metal bushing metal ball hinge, wherein the composite material rod body includes a metal skeleton as a support structure, metal bushing at both ends of the metal skeleton, glass fiber reinforced plastic injected in the metal skeleton and covered with the metal skeleton. The utility model not only simplifies the production process, but also effectively reduces the raw material consumption, and the plastic covering of the metal material realizes the close combination of the metal skeleton and the plastic material, which not only greatly reduces the overall weight of the cross pull rod, but also significantly improves the corrosion resistance and fatigue life of the product. The design strategy of the steel-plastic embedded design strategy successfully realizes the lightweight target without sacrificing the mechanical performance, while ensuring that the product has superior mechanical performance, the improved structure design and manufacturing process greatly reduces the production cost, and improves the market competitiveness of the product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the structure of a horizontal tie rod, specifically to a steel-plastic integrated horizontal tie rod. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the traditional connecting rods used in automotive suspension systems are mostly made of stamped parts and press-fitted sleeves welded together, which suffers from problems such as unstable processes and large welding deformation, making it difficult to guarantee product quality. At the same time, traditional metal connecting rods are heavy, energy-intensive, and have high manufacturing costs, making them particularly difficult to meet the lightweight design requirements of modern automobiles. Therefore, many methods now use fiber-reinforced composite materials to manufacture the rods. While products made using this method show excellent weight reduction, their complex manufacturing processes and high costs limit their large-scale application. Utility Model Content

[0003] This invention addresses the problem that current metal tie rods are too heavy and cannot meet lightweight requirements, while fiber-reinforced composite rods are too expensive. It proposes an integrated steel-plastic tie rod that meets performance requirements while reducing product weight and controlling costs.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to address the above-mentioned problems is as follows: a steel-plastic integrated tie rod, comprising a composite material rod body with metal bushings at both ends and a metal ball joint press-fitted within the metal bushings, wherein the composite material rod body includes a metal skeleton as a supporting structure, metal bushings located at both ends of the metal skeleton, and glass fiber reinforced plastic injected into and covering the metal skeleton. Using metal material as the skeleton reduces the cost of the tie rod.

[0005] Furthermore, the metal skeleton is U-shaped, and two metal bushings are welded to both ends of the metal skeleton. During welding, the two side walls of the U-shape of the metal skeleton are connected to the outer wall of the metal bushing along the axial direction of the metal bushing, and the bottom edge of the U-shape of the metal skeleton is connected to the outer wall of the metal bushing along the radial direction of the metal bushing.

[0006] Furthermore, the metal skeleton is a long, ring-shaped structure, with two metal bushings placed at both ends of the metal skeleton, located inside the metal skeleton.

[0007] Furthermore, the metal frame is a U-shaped metal frame.

[0008] Furthermore, the glass fiber reinforced plastic located inside the metal skeleton forms reinforcing ribs.

[0009] Furthermore, the reinforcing rib has a structure consisting of multiple "X" shapes connected end to end within a long, narrow frame.

[0010] Furthermore, the metal frame consists of two U-shaped metal frames.

[0011] Furthermore, the U-shaped openings of the two metal frames face outwards, and their bottoms are wrapped in fiberglass-reinforced plastic.

[0012] Furthermore, fiberglass reinforced plastic fills the area between the two metal skeletons and the U-shaped interior of the two metal skeletons.

[0013] Furthermore, the metal frame has outwardly protruding protrusions on the wall between the two metal bushings to form a reinforcing structure.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0015] This invention achieves a balance between lightweight design and mechanical performance by combining a high-strength metal skeleton with high-performance glass fiber reinforced plastic. This design significantly reduces overall weight while improving tensile and compressive strength, torsional resistance, and corrosion resistance, thus extending product lifespan. Furthermore, injection molding overmolding technology tightly integrates the metal skeleton with the composite material, enhancing the mechanical connection strength and sealing of the components and effectively avoiding deformation problems inherent in traditional welding processes. Optimized structural design further improves product stability and durability. This not only simplifies the production process and reduces manufacturing costs but also achieves a unity of lightweight and high performance, forming a low-cost, high-performance lightweight technology path for large-scale mass production, thus contributing to the green manufacturing and industrial upgrading of automotive suspension systems. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of Example 1;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the composite material rod structure in Example 1;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the metal bushing structure in Example 1;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the metal ball joint structure in Example 1;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the metal skeleton structure in Example 1;

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the external chamfer at the end of the metal bushing in Embodiment 1;

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the metal skeleton structure in Example 2;

[0023] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the metal skeleton structure in Example 3;

[0024] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the metal skeleton structure in Example 4;

[0025] In the figure: 1. Composite material rod, 11. Metal skeleton, 111. Process hole, 112. Upper vertical edge, 113. Lower vertical edge, 114. Protrusion, 12. Metal bushing, 13. Glass fiber reinforced plastic, 14. Reinforcing rib, 2. Metal ball joint. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are for illustrative purposes only, representing schematic diagrams only, not actual physical objects, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent. To better illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, some components in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual dimensions of the product. It is understandable to those skilled in the art that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings. Example 1

[0027] A steel-plastic integrated tie rod, such as Figures 1-4 As shown, the structure includes a composite material rod 1 with a metal bushing 12 at each end and two metal ball joints 2 press-fitted into the two metal bushings 12 respectively. Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the composite material rod 1 includes a U-shaped metal skeleton 11, two metal bushings 12 welded to both ends of the metal skeleton 11, and glass fiber reinforced plastic 13 that covers the metal skeleton 11 by injection molding or other methods.

[0028] like Figure 2 As shown, when welding the metal bushing 12 to both ends of the metal frame 11, the two sidewalls of the U-shaped structure of the metal frame 11 are positioned along the axial direction of the metal bushing 12, and the bottom edge of the U-shaped structure of the metal frame 11 is positioned radially along the outside of the metal bushing 12, and then welded together. Therefore, in this structure, both ends of the bottom edge of the U-shaped structure of the metal frame 11 are preferably arc-shaped to match the outer sidewall of the metal bushing 12, in order to improve the fit between the metal frame 11 and the metal bushing 12. When injecting the glass fiber reinforced plastic 13, it is best that the entire metal frame 11 and the outer part of the metal bushing 12 can be wrapped in the glass fiber reinforced plastic 13, which can prevent metal exposure and corrosion and rust. Inside the metal frame 11, the glass fiber reinforced plastic 13 forms reinforcing ribs 14, and the structure of the reinforcing ribs 14 is a long strip frame with multiple "X" shapes connected end to end. This not only helps to achieve the weight reduction goal, but also achieves uniform stress distribution in key load-bearing areas, thereby improving the overall strength and durability of the structure.

[0029] like Figure 5As shown, the metal frame 11 in this embodiment adopts a single U-shaped stamped part, which not only simplifies the production process but also effectively reduces raw material consumption. While ensuring high strength and rigidity, it optimizes material usage, effectively reduces weight, and significantly improves the tensile, compressive, and torsional resistance of the tie rod, enabling it to maintain stable operation under complex working conditions. Furthermore, the upper vertical edge 112 of the metal frame 11 has a relatively flat surface, simplifying processing. The lower vertical edge 113 forms an inwardly concave arc, ensuring strength while reducing the space required for assembly and improving the overall structural compactness. Simultaneously, process holes are provided on the bottom edge of the U-shape of the metal frame 11, which both reduces weight and facilitates the flow of glass fiber reinforced plastic 13 during injection molding.

[0030] In addition, such as Figure 6 As shown, external chamfers are provided at both ends of the metal bushing 12. After the glass fiber reinforced plastic 13 wraps around the outside of the metal bushing 12, it forms an anti-detachment limiting structure at the external chamfers, so that both ends of the metal bushing 12 are firmly covered in the high-performance glass fiber reinforced plastic 13, forming an inseparable whole. This design not only prevents the metal bushing 12 from being pulled out, but also enhances the mechanical connection strength of the entire assembly. Example 2

[0031] This embodiment is an improvement based on Embodiment 1, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the metal frame 11 has a reinforcing structure formed by outwardly protruding protrusions 114 on its U-shaped bottom edge, which can improve the strength of the metal frame 11. Of course, protrusions 114 can also be provided on the upper upright edge 112 or the lower upright edge 113 to improve strength. Example 3

[0032] This embodiment is also an improvement based on Embodiment 1, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the metal frame 11 has two U-shaped structures, with the openings of the two U-shaped structures facing outwards and their bottoms placed side by side. Two metal bushings 12 are welded to the ends of the two side-by-side metal frames 11. In this structure, the ends of the bottom edges of the two metal frame U-shapes are preferably arc-shaped to match the outer walls of the metal bushings 12, thus improving the fit between the metal frame 11 and the metal bushings 12. Since the metal frames 11 are two independent structures, the distance between the two metal frames 11 and the internal space of each metal frame U-shape are relatively small. Therefore, it is inconvenient to form reinforcing ribs when injecting the glass fiber reinforced plastic 13, so these spaces can be filled. This embodiment of the tie rod retains the advantages of the tie rod in Embodiment 1 while significantly enhancing the overall torsional resistance, making it particularly suitable for applications requiring higher load-bearing capacity and torsional strength.

[0033] Of course, as shown in Embodiment 2, the strength of the metal frame 11 in this embodiment can also be increased by making protrusions 114. Example 4

[0034] The difference between this embodiment and the previous embodiment lies in the structure of the composite material rod 1. In this embodiment, the composite material rod 1 also includes a metal skeleton 11, a metal bushing 12, and glass fiber reinforced plastic 13. The difference is that, as shown in the previous embodiment... Figure 9 As shown, the metal frame 11 in this embodiment is a long, ring-shaped structure. Therefore, the metal bushings 12 are not welded to both ends of the metal frame 11, but are placed inside the metal frame 11 at both ends. The metal frame 11 and the metal bushings 12 are connected as a whole by the glass fiber reinforced plastic 13. Moreover, the glass fiber reinforced plastic 13 between the two metal bushings 12 inside the metal frame 11 also forms a reinforcing rib 14. However, some of the reinforcing ribs 14 are arranged in an alternating hollowed-out, opposite manner, so that the cross-section of the composite material rod 1 in the middle along the width direction is S-shaped. This design greatly improves the torsional rigidity of the tie rod, giving it higher bending stiffness and structural stability, and is especially suitable for applications with strict requirements for fatigue resistance and durability.

[0035] The above embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical solutions should also fall within the protection scope of the present invention, which should be defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A steel-plastic integrated tie rod, characterized in that: The composite rod includes a composite rod with metal bushings at both ends and a metal ball joint press-fitted into the metal bushings. The composite rod includes a metal skeleton as a support structure, metal bushings at both ends of the metal skeleton, and glass fiber reinforced plastic injected into and covering the metal skeleton.

2. The steel-plastic integrated tie rod as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The metal skeleton is U-shaped, and two metal bushings are welded to both ends of the metal skeleton. During welding, the two side walls of the U-shape of the metal skeleton are connected to the outer wall of the metal bushing along the axial direction of the metal bushing, and the bottom edge of the U-shape of the metal skeleton is connected to the outer wall of the metal bushing along the radial direction of the metal bushing.

3. The steel-plastic integrated tie rod as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The metal frame is a long, ring-shaped structure, with two metal bushings placed at both ends of the metal frame, located inside the metal frame.

4. The steel-plastic integrated tie rod as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The metal frame is a U-shaped metal frame.

5. The steel-plastic integrated tie rod as described in claims 3 and 4, characterized in that: Fiberglass-reinforced plastic located inside the metal skeleton forms reinforcing ribs.

6. The steel-plastic integrated tie rod as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The reinforcing rib has a structure consisting of multiple "X" shapes connected end to end within a long, narrow frame.

7. The steel-plastic integrated tie rod as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The metal frame consists of two U-shaped metal frames.

8. The steel-plastic integrated tie rod as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The two metal frames have U-shaped openings facing outwards, and their bottoms are wrapped in fiberglass reinforced plastic.

9. The steel-plastic integrated tie rod as described in claim 8, characterized in that: Fiberglass reinforced plastic fills the area between the two metal skeletons and the U-shaped interior of the two metal skeletons.

10. The steel-plastic integrated tie rod as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The metal frame has outward protrusions on the wall between the two metal bushings to form a reinforcing structure.

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