A lower control arm for a double wishbone suspension in a passenger vehicle

Abstract

This utility model discloses a lower control arm for a double wishbone suspension in passenger vehicles, relating to the field of automotive suspension. It includes a control arm body with three arms and a ball joint assembly. The control arm body includes a first sheet metal part and a second sheet metal part, with the second sheet metal part mounted on the first sheet metal part and connected at its edge. A hollow buffer chamber is provided between the first and second sheet metal parts. The ball joint assembly includes a pin seat and a ball pin, with the pin seat partially inserted into the buffer chamber and detachably connected to the first arm of the control arm body. The ball pin is riveted and press-fitted into the pin seat. By mounting the second sheet metal part on the first sheet metal part and connecting it at its edge, and by providing a hollow buffer chamber between the first and second sheet metal parts, the sheet metal design is less expensive than forged or cast parts. The hollow buffer chamber allows the lower control arm to deform and absorb collision loads, preventing axle breakage and loss of driving function, and also reducing the weight of the device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automotive suspension technology, and in particular to a lower control arm for a double wishbone suspension of a passenger vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Double wishbone suspension, as one of the most well-known suspension structures, is widely used in various vehicles due to its excellent handling, stability, and adjustability, especially in high-performance cars, luxury cars, and off-road vehicles. With the rapid development of electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and the popularization of air suspension technology, the double wishbone suspension structure has begun to be widely used in domestically produced new energy vehicles, and the price of these vehicles is gradually decreasing to below 200,000 yuan, indicating a huge market potential.

[0003] Currently, the lower control arm of double wishbone suspensions in passenger vehicles is mostly made of forged aluminum, which has the following problems:

[0004] Due to their high price, aluminum alloys offer no cost advantage over traditional steel control arms.

[0005] Low material strength: The yield strength of forged aluminum 6082-T6 is about 250MPa, which is much lower than that of steel parts;

[0006] Low material elongation: The elongation of forged aluminum 6082-T6 is about 8%, which is less than that of steel parts;

[0007] Solid forged aluminum front lower control arm is prone to breakage and failure during a collision. Utility Model Content

[0008] In view of this, the present invention proposes a lower control arm for a double wishbone suspension of a passenger vehicle to solve the technical problems mentioned in the background art, such as the high price, low material strength, and low material elongation of the lower control arm made of forged aluminum, the easy breakage and failure of the solid forged aluminum front lower control arm during a collision, and the need to replace the entire lower control arm assembly due to problems with the ball joint, resulting in high after-sales costs.

[0009] The technical solution of this utility model is implemented as follows:

[0010] This utility model provides a lower control arm for a double wishbone suspension in a passenger vehicle, comprising a control arm body with three arms and a ball joint assembly, wherein:

[0011] The control arm body includes a first sheet metal part and a second sheet metal part. The second sheet metal part is mounted on the first sheet metal part and its edge is connected to the first sheet metal part. A hollow buffer chamber is provided between the first sheet metal part and the second sheet metal part.

[0012] The ball pin assembly includes a pin seat and a ball pin. The pin seat is partially inserted into the buffer chamber and detachably connected to the first arm of the control arm body. The ball pin is screw-riveted and press-fitted into the pin seat.

[0013] Based on the above technical solutions, preferably, a first bushing is also included, and a connecting shaft is provided at the end of the second arm of the control arm body. The first bushing is interference-fitted with the connecting shaft to achieve connection with the second arm.

[0014] Based on the above technical solutions, preferably, a second bushing is also included, which is connected to both the first sheet metal part and the second sheet metal part, so as to realize the connection with the third arm of the connecting shaft of the control arm body.

[0015] Based on the above technical solutions, preferably, a third bushing is also included, which is connected to the top surface of the second sheet metal part and is used to install the shock absorber.

[0016] Based on the above technical solutions, preferably, the pin seat includes a ball seat and a mounting plate, the ball seat is used to connect the ball pin; the mounting plate is connected to the outer wall of the ball seat, the mounting plate is inserted between the first sheet metal part and the second sheet metal part, and is connected to the first sheet metal part and the second sheet metal part by bolts.

[0017] Based on the above technical solutions, preferably, the first sheet metal part includes a first body and a first flange, the first flange being disposed on both sides of the first body along the three arm width directions and located on the same side of the thickness direction of the first body.

[0018] Based on the above technical solutions, preferably, the second sheet metal part includes a second body and a second flange, the second flange being disposed on both sides of the second body along the three arm width directions and located on the same side of the thickness direction of the second body.

[0019] Based on the above technical solutions, preferably, the first sheet metal part and the second sheet metal part are made of high-strength steel.

[0020] The lower control arm of the double wishbone suspension for passenger vehicles of this utility model has the following advantages over the prior art:

[0021] (1) The second sheet metal part is mounted on the first sheet metal part and its edge is connected to the first sheet metal part. A hollow buffer chamber is provided between the first sheet metal part and the second sheet metal part. The sheet metal design is cheaper than forging and casting. The hollow buffer chamber allows the lower control arm to deform to absorb the collision load, avoid the vehicle from breaking the axle and losing its driving function, and reduce the weight of the device. The pin seat is inserted into the buffer chamber and is detachably connected to the first arm of the control arm body. When the ball pin assembly has a problem, only the ball pin assembly can be replaced, without replacing the entire lower control arm, which greatly reduces the after-sales cost.

[0022] (2) The ball pin is connected to the ball seat, the mounting plate is connected to the outer wall of the ball seat, the mounting plate is inserted between the first sheet metal part and the second sheet metal part, and is connected to the first sheet metal part and the second sheet metal part by bolts. The ball pin and the control arm body are detachably connected through the above structure, and the ball pin and the lower control arm are designed separately, which facilitates the design of the hollow buffer chamber, thereby facilitating the absorption of the collision load by the buffer chamber.

[0023] (3) The first sheet metal part includes a first body and a first folded edge. The first folded edge is disposed on both sides of the first body along the three arm width directions and on the same side of the thickness direction of the first body. The first folded edge strengthens the first body on both sides of the three arm width directions and facilitates welding with the second sheet metal part, so that a gap is formed between the first body and the second sheet metal part, thereby forming a buffer chamber.

[0024] (4) The second sheet metal part includes a second body and a second flange. The second flange is disposed on both sides of the second body along the three arm width directions and on the same side of the thickness direction of the second body. The second flange strengthens the second body on both sides of the three arm width directions and facilitates welding with the first flange, so that a gap is formed between the second body and the first body, thereby forming a buffer chamber.

[0025] (5) The first sheet metal part and the second sheet metal part are made of high-strength steel with a yield strength of up to 650 MPa. Combined with the design of the hollow buffer chamber, the load-bearing capacity can be increased by 10% while reducing the weight by 10%. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the lower control arm of the double wishbone suspension for a passenger vehicle in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0028] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the lower control arm of the double wishbone suspension for a passenger vehicle in this embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the control arm body in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the first sheet metal part in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second sheet metal part in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0032] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the ball head pin assembly in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0033] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lower control arm of the double wishbone suspension of a passenger car mounted on the vehicle in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0034] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 100 - control arm body, 200 - ball joint pin assembly, 300 - first bushing, 400 - second bushing, 500 - third bushing;

[0035] 00-Shock absorber frame; 10-Chassis components; 20-Shock absorber cylinder;

[0036] 101-First arm, 102-Second arm, 1021-Connecting shaft, 103-Third arm, 110-First sheet metal part, 111-First body, 112-First folded edge, 120-Second sheet metal part, 121-Second body, 122-Second folded edge, 130-Buffer chamber;

[0037] 210-Pin seat, 211-Ball seat, 212-Mounting plate, 220-Ball pin;

[0038] 301 - Connector bracket, 3011 - Connector hole;

[0039] 401 - Mounting shaft, 4011 - Mounting hole;

[0040] 501 - First reinforcing rib. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solutions of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments of this utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this utility model, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0042] Reference Figures 1-7 As shown in the embodiment of this utility model, a lower control arm for a double wishbone suspension of a passenger vehicle is proposed, including a control arm body 100 with three arms and a ball joint assembly 200, wherein:

[0043] The control arm body 100 is provided with a first arm 101, a second arm 102 and a third arm 103. The control arm body 100 includes a first sheet metal part 110 and a second sheet metal part 120. The second sheet metal part 120 is mounted on the first sheet metal part 110 and its edge is connected to the first sheet metal part 110. A hollow buffer chamber 130 is provided between the first sheet metal part 110 and the second sheet metal part 120. The second sheet metal part 120 and the side of the first sheet metal part 110 have overlapping parts and are connected by welding at the overlapping position.

[0044] The ball joint assembly 200 includes a pin seat 210 and a ball pin 220. The pin seat 210 is partially inserted into the buffer chamber 130 and detachably connected to the first arm 101 of the control arm body 100. The ball pin 220 is riveted and press-fitted into the pin seat 210. After the ball pin 220 is riveted and press-fitted into the pin seat 210, the pin seat 210 is fastened to the first arm 101 with bolts to achieve a detachable connection. The ball pin 220 is used to connect the shock absorber frame 00.

[0045] The lower control arm of the double wishbone suspension for passenger vehicles proposed in this embodiment is mounted on the first sheet metal part 110 via the second sheet metal part 120 and connected to the first sheet metal part 110 at its edge. A hollow buffer chamber 130 is provided between the first sheet metal part 110 and the second sheet metal part 120. The sheet metal design is cheaper than forged and cast parts. The hollow buffer chamber 130 allows the lower control arm to deform to absorb the collision load, preventing the vehicle from breaking its axle and losing its driving function. It also reduces the weight of the device.

[0046] In some embodiments, the lower control arm further includes a first bushing 300, which is welded to the first sheet metal part 110 and the second sheet metal part 120 to achieve connection with the second arm 102. The first bushing 300 is mounted on the second arm 102, and a connecting shaft 1021 is provided at the end of the second arm 102. The connecting shaft 1021 is connected to the first bushing 300 by an interference fit through a shaft hole. The outer wall of the first bushing 300 is also provided with a connecting bracket 301, which has a connecting hole 3011 for connecting the chassis part 10 of the vehicle by bolts.

[0047] In some embodiments, the lower control arm further includes a second bushing 400, which is welded to the first sheet metal part 110 and the second sheet metal part 120 to achieve a connection with the third arm 103. The second bushing 400 is mounted on the third arm 103, and its outer wall is welded to the first sheet metal part 110 and the second sheet metal part 120 to achieve a fixed connection with the third arm 103. A mounting shaft 401 is installed in the inner hole of the second bushing 400, and mounting holes 4011 are provided at both ends of the mounting shaft 401 for connecting the chassis part 10 of the vehicle by bolts.

[0048] In some embodiments, the lower control arm further includes a third bushing 500, which is connected to the top surface of the second sheet metal part 120 and located on the first arm 101 near the pin seat 210, for mounting the shock absorber 20. The shock absorber 20 is mounted on the third bushing 500, which is welded to the top surface of the second body 121 and has first reinforcing ribs 501 on both sides. The first reinforcing ribs 501 reinforce the connection between the third bushing 500 and the second sheet metal part 120, improving the load-bearing capacity of the device.

[0049] In some embodiments, the pin seat 210 includes a ball seat 211 and a mounting plate 212. The ball seat 211 is used to connect the ball pin 220. The mounting plate 212 is connected to the outer wall of the ball seat 211 and is inserted between the first sheet metal part 110 and the second sheet metal part 120, and is bolted to the first sheet metal part 110 and the second sheet metal part 120. This structure enables a detachable connection between the ball pin 220 and the control arm body 100, achieving a separate design between the ball pin 220 and the lower control arm. This facilitates the design of the hollow buffer chamber 130, thereby allowing the buffer chamber 130 to absorb collision loads.

[0050] In some embodiments, the first sheet metal part 110 includes a first body 111 and a first flange 112. The first flange 112 is disposed on both sides of the first body 111 along the three arm width directions and on the same side of the thickness direction of the first body 111. The first flange 112 strengthens the first body 111 on both sides along the three arm width directions and facilitates welding with the second sheet metal part 120, thereby forming a gap between the first body 111 and the second sheet metal part 120, thus forming a buffer chamber 130.

[0051] In some embodiments, the second sheet metal part 120 includes a second body 121 and a second flange 122. The second flange 122 is disposed on both sides of the second body 121 along the three arm width directions and on the same side of the thickness direction of the second body 121. The second flange 122 strengthens the second body 121 on both sides along the three arm width directions and facilitates welding with the first flange 112, thereby forming a gap between the second body 121 and the first body 111, thus forming a buffer chamber 130.

[0052] Based on the above technical solutions, preferably, the first sheet metal part 110 and the second sheet metal part 120 are made of high-strength steel. In this embodiment, the high-strength steel refers to advanced high-strength steel, also known as high-grade high-strength steel (AHSS). AHSS has a strength between 500MPa and 1500MPa, excellent energy absorption properties, and plays a crucial role in automotive lightweighting and safety improvement. It is widely used in the automotive industry, primarily in automotive structural components, safety components, and reinforcing components such as A / B / C pillars, door sills, front and rear bumpers, door anti-collision beams, crossbeams, longitudinal beams, and seat rails. The high-strength steel used in this embodiment has a yield strength of up to 650MPa. Combined with the design of the hollow buffer chamber 130, it can increase load-bearing capacity by 10% while reducing weight by 10%.

[0053] In some embodiments, weak points in the product structure are identified by CAE means and reinforced by welding a second reinforcing rib. The second reinforcing rib is located inside the buffer chamber 130 and is welded to the first body 111 and / or the second body 121, and its height is less than the distance between the first body 111 and the second body 121.

[0054] The working principle of the lower control arm of the double wishbone suspension for passenger vehicles in this embodiment of the utility model is as follows: the second sheet metal part 120 is mounted on the first sheet metal part 110, the first folded edge 112 and the second folded edge 122 have overlapping parts, and the overlapping parts are welded to form a hollow buffer chamber 130 between the first body 111 and the second body 121. The sheet metal design is cheaper than forging and casting parts. The ball pin 220 and the lower control arm adopt a separate design. The hollow buffer chamber 130 allows the lower control arm to deform to absorb the collision load, avoid the vehicle from breaking the axle and losing its driving function, and also reduce the weight of the device.

[0055] The lower control arm of the double wishbone suspension for passenger vehicles in this embodiment of the invention has the following advantages:

[0056] (1) Weight can be reduced by 8%-12%;

[0057] (2) While reducing weight, the load-bearing capacity is increased by 10% through material improvement and structural design;

[0058] (3) The manufacturing cost of the lower control arm can be reduced by 20%.

[0059] (4) In the aftermarket, when the ball pin assembly malfunctions, only the ball pin assembly can be replaced, which reduces the cost by 80% compared to replacing the entire lower control arm.

[0060] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A lower control arm for a double wishbone suspension of a passenger vehicle, characterized in that, Includes a control arm body (100) with three arms and a ball joint assembly (200), wherein: The control arm body (100) includes a first sheet metal part (110) and a second sheet metal part (120). The second sheet metal part (120) is mounted on the first sheet metal part (110) and its edge is connected to the first sheet metal part (110). A hollow buffer chamber (130) is provided between the first sheet metal part (110) and the second sheet metal part (120). The ball pin assembly (200) includes a pin seat (210) and a ball pin (220). The pin seat (210) is partially inserted into the buffer chamber (130) and detachably connected to the first arm (101) of the control arm body (100). The ball pin (220) is riveted and press-fitted into the pin seat (210).

2. The lower control arm of the double wishbone suspension for passenger vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a first bushing (300), and the end of the second arm (102) of the control arm body (100) is provided with a connecting shaft (1201). The first bushing (300) is press-fitted with the connecting shaft (1201) to achieve connection with the second arm (102).

3. The lower control arm of the double wishbone suspension for passenger vehicles as described in claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a second bushing (400), which is connected to both the first sheet metal part (110) and the second sheet metal part (120) to achieve connection with the third arm (103) of the control arm body (100).

4. The lower control arm of a double wishbone suspension for passenger vehicles as described in claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes a third bushing (500) which is connected to the top surface of the second sheet metal part (120) for mounting the shock absorber (20).

5. The lower control arm of a double wishbone suspension for passenger vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The pin seat (210) includes a ball seat (211) and a mounting plate (212). The ball seat (211) is used to connect the ball pin (220). The mounting plate (212) is connected to the outer wall of the ball seat (211). The mounting plate (212) is inserted between the first sheet metal part (110) and the second sheet metal part (120) and is connected to the first sheet metal part (110) and the second sheet metal part (120) by bolts.

6. The lower control arm of a double wishbone suspension for passenger vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first sheet metal part (110) includes a first body (111) and a first folded edge (112). The first folded edge (112) is disposed on both sides of the first body (111) along the three arm width directions and on the same side of the thickness direction of the first body (111).

7. The lower control arm of a double wishbone suspension for passenger vehicles as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The second sheet metal part (120) includes a second body (121) and a second flange (122). The second flange (122) is disposed on both sides of the second body (121) along the three arm width directions and on the same side of the thickness direction of the second body (121).

8. The lower control arm of a double wishbone suspension for passenger vehicles as described in any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The first sheet metal part (110) and the second sheet metal part (120) are made of high-strength steel.

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