Method for manufacturing an axle stub and motor vehicle rear axle with such an axle stub

Abstract

Method for manufacturing an axle stub receptacle (5) for a motor vehicle rear axle (1), comprising the following steps: a) Providing an output board, b) Production of a semi-finished product (8) by punching out the axle pin receptacle (5) from said starting circuit board, wherein c) in a single operation including said punching step b) at least a first projection (10) directed orthogonally to the plane of the blank and extending over the surface (9a) of a formed semi-finished product (8) in one direction and at least a second projection (11) directed orthogonally to the plane of the blank and extending over the surface (9b) of the formed semi-finished product (8) in the opposite direction are produced by forming the semi-finished product (8) as a result of material displacement by means of a linearly displaceable tool without separating said material from the formed semi-finished product (8), so that a recess (12) is formed on the semi-finished product (8) on the opposite side of the at least one first projection (10) and a recess (13) is formed on the opposite side of the at least one second projection (11), d) joining the formed semi-finished product (8) to the motor vehicle rear axle (1) in a material-bonded manner, and subsequently e) Working an axially oriented threaded hole (17) into the at least one first projection (10), and f) Removal of at least one second projection (11) such that a reduced wall thickness is observed in the area of ​​the recess (13) opposite the at least one second projection on the axle journal receptacle (5).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a stub axle receptacle for a motor vehicle rear axle, in particular a torsion beam rear axle, according to the combination of features of claim 1 of the invention. According to claim 6 of the invention, it further relates to a motor vehicle rear axle, in particular a torsion beam rear axle, with such a stub axle receptacle.

[0002] Motor vehicle rear axles, especially compound link rear axles, have been known for some time and generally provide the connection between the vehicle body and the vehicle wheels. To attach the vehicle wheels to the rear axle, it has a stub axle at each end (viewed from the side of the vehicle) for mounting a wheel.

[0003] DE 100 64 438 A1 describes a compound link rear axle, which consists of a bending and torsionally flexible cross member and bending and torsionally rigid longitudinal members, each with an axle guide bearing, an axle pin receptacle and a shock absorber receptacle with spring plate, and is cast in one piece from a light metal, such as aluminium.

[0004] DE 10 2007 022 283 A1 describes a rear axle designed as a welded component with wheel carriers designed as sheet metal forming parts, which in turn are connected to the rear axle by welding. Axle stubs can be attached to the wheel carriers.

[0005] DE 10 2012 021 290 A1 describes a motor vehicle rear axle with two trailing arms and a crossmember connecting them. At each end of the crossmember, a wheel carrier with an axle stub is rigidly connected to it.

[0006] From DE 10 2011 054 865 A1, a sheet metal blank made of hardenable steel sheet is known, wherein the sheet metal blank is at least partially punched and / or cut out, so that a hole is formed. This hole is pre-formed in a pre-forming step as an inwardly inverted collar. Subsequently, the collar is formed into a through-hole.

[0007] DE 10 2012 017 941 A1 discloses a compound link rear axle for a vehicle, comprising two longitudinal control arms for each supporting a wheel, and a cross member with two ends, each bonded to one of these longitudinal control arms. Each longitudinal control arm has a pin extending longitudinally along the cross member and a cylindrical surface bonded to a cylindrical surface of the cross member. At least one of these cylindrical surfaces has a radial projection extending axially along the pin.

[0008] German patent application DE 10 2009 010 098 A1 discloses a compound link axle with wheel carrier flanges held by tubular side arms, as well as a method for its manufacture, wherein a projection facing the side arms is formed on the wheel carrier flanges by embossing. This creates a recess on the opposite side of the projection. DE 10 2009 010 098 A1 thus discloses a method for manufacturing an axle stub for a motor vehicle rear axle with the following steps a) to c).a) Providing a starting circuit board, b) Producing a semi-finished product by punching out the axle journal receptacle from said starting circuit board according to the outer contour, wherein in step c) in a work step with said punching step b) at least a first projection directed orthogonally to the circuit board plane and extending over the surface of a formed semi-finished product in one direction and at least a second projection directed orthogonally to the circuit board plane and extending over the surface of the formed semi-finished product in the opposite direction are produced by forming the semi-finished product as a result of material displacement by means of a linearly displaceable tool without separating said material from the formed semi-finished product, so that a recess is formed on the semi-finished product on the opposite side of the at least one first projection and a recess is formed on the opposite side of the at least one second projection.

[0009] From DE 10 2011 054 866 A1, a method for producing a hot-formed and press-hardened motor vehicle body component and a motor vehicle body component are known, wherein during the forming process an area in a sheet metal blank is formed as a feature and a plateau area of ​​the feature is subsequently cut out by means of a jet cutting tool, so that a hole or opening is formed in the feature.

[0010] The object of the invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a stub axle receptacle for a motor vehicle rear axle, in particular a torsion beam rear axle, which results in a rear axle that is lighter and less complex to manufacture. Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a motor vehicle rear axle, in particular a torsion beam rear axle, with such a stub axle receptacle.

[0011] The problem is therefore solved first by a method for manufacturing an axle stub for a motor vehicle rear axle, in particular a compound link rear axle, with the following steps: a) Providing an output board, b) Production of a semi-finished product by punching out the axle pin receptacle from said starting circuit board according to the outer contour, wherein c) in a single operation with said punching step b) at least a first projection directed orthogonally to the plane of the blank and extending over the surface of a formed semi-finished product in one direction and at least a second projection directed orthogonally to the plane of the blank and extending over the surface of the formed semi-finished product in the opposite direction are produced by forming the semi-finished product as a result of material displacement by means of a linearly displaceable tool without separating said material from the formed semi-finished product, so that a recess is formed on the semi-finished product on the opposite side of the at least one first projection and a recess is formed on the opposite side of the at least one second projection, d) joining the formed semi-finished product to the rear axle of the motor vehicle, and subsequently e) Working an axially oriented threaded hole into at least one first projection, and f) Removal of at least one second projection such that a reduced wall thickness is observed in the area of ​​the recess opposite the at least one second projection on the axle journal receptacle.

[0012] This measure, namely the combination of the opposingly oriented first and second projections, makes it possible to produce an axle stub mount for a motor vehicle rear axle with optimal material and weight utilization using simple and cost-effective means, which consequently leads to a motor vehicle rear axle with reduced effort and weight.

[0013] The dependent claims describe preferred further developments or embodiments of the invention.

[0014] It is then provided that, with regard to step c), at least one centering means is formed on the semi-finished product in a further work step with the stamping step b), thereby simplifying the joining of the axle pin receptacle with the vehicle rear axle.

[0015] For this purpose, at least one centering means is preferably formed in the direction of the at least one first projection, which is also produced by forming the semi-finished product due to material displacement by means of a linearly displaceable tool without separating said material from the formed semi-finished product. This has the advantage of minimized machining effort.

[0016] With regard to step d), it is further preferred that the semi-finished product is connected to the rear axle of the motor vehicle by welding, thereby creating a particularly strong joining connection.

[0017] According to a mechanically simple and particularly reliable embodiment of the inventive method, with regard to step e), at least one second projection is removed by machining.

[0018] The problem is further solved by a motor vehicle rear axle, in particular a compound link rear axle, with the features characterized in claim 6.

[0019] Advantageous embodiments result from further subclaim 7, according to which the axle pin receptacle has two or more first projections, each equipped with a threaded bore, and at least one area with reduced wall thickness, which is formed by a second, subsequently removed projection.

[0020] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown schematically in the drawings. However, it is not limited to this embodiment, but encompasses all embodiments defined by the claims. The drawings show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a motor vehicle rear axle equipped with axle stubs according to the invention, Fig. 2 the view “A” after Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a perspective single view of a semi-finished product of an axle journal mount, Fig. 4 the cut “II” after Fig. 3, Fig. 5 the detail “Z” after Fig. 1 at the time of attaching the semi-finished product to the rear axle of the motor vehicle, Fig. 6 a perspective single view of the semi-finished product processed for the finished axle journal mounting (front view), Fig. 7 a perspective rear view of the axle journal mount, and Fig. 8 the cut “II-II” after Fig. 6.

[0021] The Fig. 1 and Fig. Figure 2 shows the motor vehicle rear axle 1 designed according to the invention, in particular a compound link axle, which is designed as a welded component and has a cross member 2 and at each end of the same a longitudinal member 3, each with an axle guide bearing 4, an axle stub receptacle 5 and a shock absorber receptacle 6 with spring plate 7. That is, at least the components or parts of the motor vehicle rear axle 1 listed above are essentially manufactured separately from preferably sheet steel and finally joined to one another by welding.

[0022] Regarding the aforementioned axle journal receptacles 5, a plate-shaped semi-finished product 8 is first produced by machining it from a provided, not shown in the drawing, blank using a known fine blanking process. In a single operation involving the aforementioned blanking step, four first projections 10, perpendicular to the plane of the blank and extending over the surface 9a of the formed semi-finished product 8 in one direction, and a second projection 11, perpendicular to the plane of the blank and extending over the opposite surface 9b of the formed semi-finished product 8 in the opposite direction, are produced by plastically deforming the semi-finished product 8.

[0023] The aforementioned projections 10, 11 are occasionally also referred to as through-holes in the technical literature and are essentially characterized by the fact that material from one side of the workpiece, in this case the aforementioned semi-finished product 8, is pushed or displaced from the workpiece to the other side to such an extent that, without separating the aforementioned material from the workpiece, the aforementioned projections 10, 11 are formed on one side and recesses 12, 13 on the other side (see in particular...). Fig. 3 and Fig. 7) arise.

[0024] Preferably, a forming process known in the field as shear forming or clinching forming is used, in which the aforementioned material displacement is carried out by means of a linearly movable tool or punch without separating the material from the formed semi-finished product 8 (not shown in the drawing). To form the projections 10, 11 correctly, this is preferably done with the aid of a die (not shown in the drawing) which has recesses complementary to the projections 10, 11, into which the displaced material penetrates during the forming step.

[0025] The Fig. 3 and Fig. Figure 4 shows such a semi-finished product 8, which, according to this embodiment, has a central opening 14 around which the first projections 10 are arranged. In a region 15 of the semi-finished product 8 located below said opening 14 in the installed state of the axle journal receptacle 5, the second projection 11 is formed, which, as already described above, points in the opposite direction to the projections 10.

[0026] Simultaneously with the aforementioned stamping step, three centering means are formed in the form of centering projections 16 pointing towards the first projections 10. These are also produced according to the preferred shear forming process or punching process described above.

[0027] Following the production of the semi-finished products 8 as described above, these are joined to the motor vehicle rear axle 1 preferably by welding in a material-bonded manner ( Fig. 5) The centering projections 16 facilitate this joining step by supporting or conforming to a tubular cross-section of the respective longitudinal beam 3 when positioning the semi-finished products 8 for joining at each free end of a longitudinal beam 3 of the motor vehicle rear axle 1.

[0028] This is followed by machining of the semi-finished products 8, in which axially aligned threaded bores 17 are machined into the first projections 10 (see figure). Fig. 2, Fig. 6 and Fig. 7) It is certainly easy for the expert to understand that by forming the first projections 10, a sufficiently long threaded bore 17 is provided for the axle pin fastening.

[0029] Secondly, the second projection 11 is preferably removed by milling, resulting in a reduced wall thickness in the area 15 of the formed axle journal receptacle 5 (cf. Fig. 7 and Fig. 8) The machining, preferably by milling, need not be limited to the second projection 11, but can also include all or part of the adjacent surface 9b of the axle journal receptacle 5. The rationale for this measure is that machining the projection 11 and, if applicable, the adjacent surface 9b, which in the assembled state faces away from the rear axle 1 of the vehicle and serves as a contact surface for an axle journal (not shown) to be mounted, enables and / or supports toe and camber adjustment. The axle journals are mounted using fastening screws (not shown) that engage in the threaded bores 17.

[0030] For the sake of simplicity and clarity, the resulting, fully machined axle journal mount 5 is shown according to the Fig. 6, Fig. 7 to Fig.8 shown in a single illustration, although the machining of the semi-finished product 8 of the axle pin receptacle 5 takes place in the state joined with the motor vehicle rear axle 1. Reference symbol list 1 Motor vehicle rear axle 2 crossbeams 3 longitudinal beams 4 axle guide bearings 5 axle stub mounting 6 Shock absorber mount 7 spring plates 8 semi-finished products 9a Surface 9b Surface 10 lead 11 lead 12 Exclusion 13 Exclusion 14 Opening 15 Area (Protrusion 11) 16 centering projections 17 threaded holes

Claims

[1] Method for manufacturing a stub axle receptacle (5) for a motor vehicle rear axle (1) comprising the following steps: a) Providing an output board, b) Production of a semi-finished product (8) by punching out the axle pin receptacle (5) from said starting circuit board, wherein c) in a single operation including said punching step b) at least a first projection (10) directed orthogonally to the plane of the blank and extending over the surface (9a) of a formed semi-finished product (8) in one direction and at least a second projection (11) directed orthogonally to the plane of the blank and extending over the surface (9b) of the formed semi-finished product (8) in the opposite direction are produced by forming the semi-finished product (8) as a result of material displacement by means of a linearly displaceable tool without separating said material from the formed semi-finished product (8), so that a recess (12) is formed on the semi-finished product (8) on the opposite side of the at least one first projection (10) and a recess (13) is formed on the opposite side of the at least one second projection (11), d) joining the formed semi-finished product (8) to the motor vehicle rear axle (1) in a material-bonded manner, and subsequently e) Working an axially oriented threaded hole (17) into the at least one first projection (10), and f) Removal of at least one second projection (11) such that a reduced wall thickness is observed in the area of ​​the recess (13) opposite the at least one second projection on the axle journal receptacle (5). [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by , that with regard to step c) furthermore, in a work step with the punching step b) at least one centering means is formed on the semi-finished product (8). [3] Method according to claim 2, characterized by , that at least one centering means is formed in the direction of at least one first projection (10), which is also produced by material displacement by means of a straight-line movable tool without separating said material from the formed semi-finished product (8). [4] Method according to claim 1, characterized by , that with regard to step d) the semi-finished product (8) is connected to the motor vehicle rear axle (1) by welding. [5] Method according to claim 1, characterized by , that with regard to step e) at least one second projection (11) is removed by machining. [6] Motor vehicle rear axle (1), with an axle pin receptacle (5), manufactured and attached to said motor vehicle rear axle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5. [7] Motor vehicle rear axle (1) according to claim 6, characterized by , that the axle pin receptacle (5) has two or more first projections (10) each equipped with a threaded bore (17) and at least one area (15) with reduced wall thickness, of which at least one area (15) of reduced wall thickness is formed by a second, subsequently removed projection (11).

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