Wheel suspension for a front wheel of a two-track vehicle

Abstract

Wheel suspension of a two-track vehicle, comprising a wheel carrier (2) supporting a wheel (1) and having a bearing point for at least one control arm (3, 4), wherein the at least one control arm (3, 4) can be articulated to a body-side bearing point (5, 6) of the vehicle, and wherein the at least one control arm (3, 4) can be fixed in a screwable bracket (7) that can be fixed to the wheel carrier (2), characterized in that the bracket (7) and / or screw bolts (8, 9) or screw nuts (10, 11) by means of which the bracket (7) is fastened to the wheel carrier (2) are provided with predetermined breaking points and / or are

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a wheel suspension, in particular a suspension for a front wheel of a two-track vehicle with a wheel-carrying wheel carrier with a bearing point for at least one link, which can be articulated to a body-side bearing point of the vehicle.

[0002] Vehicle manufacturers strive to design vehicles, especially passenger cars, in such a way that even in a potentially unavoidable accident, the occupants are afforded the greatest possible safety, meaning that the risk of injury is largely eliminated or minimized. Among other precautions, it must be ensured that, in a frontal crash, parts of the vehicle's front end located in or beneath the deformable crash components, such as the wheels or their suspension components, do not intrude into the vehicle interior. A so-called small overlap crash is particularly critical in this regard. In this type of crash, the impact obstacle is relatively narrow compared to the width of the vehicle, meaning there is only a narrow overlap between the vehicle and the obstacle in the impact zone.In such cases, the actual crash structure of a vehicle, usually consisting of a longitudinal frame member, an engine support, and an axle carrier, often only inadequately fulfills its role in absorbing impact energy. As a result, the impact-induced penetration of the obstacle at the front side, for example, can affect the suspension of the wheel on the crash side in such a way that it is shifted towards the center of the vehicle and, more importantly, rearward in the longitudinal direction, thus creating a risk of intrusion into the vehicle interior.

[0003] Numerous and diverse measures for reducing this risk in particular are known from the prior art. For example, DE 10 2012 204 032 A1 discloses the installation of an add-on part in the area of ​​the front wheel suspension which, in a crash, is displaced in such a way that the joint connection between the wheel carrier or axle carrier is destroyed, thereby causing the then largely free-moving wheel to be braked against the front wall towards the vehicle interior or deflected laterally.

[0004] DE 10 2013 207 144 A1 shows and describes a similar solution for destroying the wheel suspension by means of a punched rib - or also a cutting edge or a punched ring - whose crash-induced displacement releases the wheel suspension.

[0005] In DE 10 2015 009 309 A1 it is disclosed that, for the purpose of decoupling a front wheel from the vehicle body and / or the wheel carrier in the event of a crash, actuating elements are assigned to the wheel-guiding control arms which, by applying a torsional force to the control arms, cause the bearing points of the control arm to tear away from the wheel carrier or the body.

[0006] WO 85 / 00 324 A1 discloses a wheel suspension according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0007] Further state of the art is known from “Volkswagen AG (Hrsg.): Reparaturleitfaden Sharan 1996 > Fahrwerk, Achsen, Lenkung Front- und Allradantrieb, Ausgabe 03.2008” and US 2012 / 0 013 095 A1.

[0008] The object of the invention is to provide a wheel suspension, in particular for a front wheel of a two-track vehicle, which is characterized by a particularly simple design while simultaneously providing the highest possible level of safety, primarily for the special crash cases described above.

[0009] This problem is solved by a wheel suspension according to claim 1.

[0010] In a preferred further embodiment of the invention, the console can be fixed to a wheel carrier with a defined holding force using the screw bolts for securing the handlebar(s) to a wheel carrier, wherein, in order to decouple the handlebar(s) from the wheel carrier in the event of a crash, the screw bolts and thus the console are released by shearing, tearing or other force-induced release.

[0011] Preferably, the bracket is articulated to the wheel carrier via the bolts that secure it there, with a defined shear or detachment force. It is particularly advantageous if the bracket is mounted to the wheel carrier essentially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0012] To accommodate or secure a handlebar to the console, the console can have at least one fixing eyelet. However, it is also conceivable that a console may have multiple fixing eyes for securing more than one handlebar.

[0013] In tests, it has proven particularly useful to provide more than one, i.e., at least two, screw bolts for fixing a console to a wheel carrier.

[0014] Further advantages, features and details of the inventive solution for a wheel suspension, in particular for the suspension of a front wheel of a two-track vehicle, will become apparent from the dependent claims and from the following description of a schematically illustrated embodiment in the figures of a drawing.

[0015] It shows: Fig. 1 the front wheel suspension of a motor vehicle wheel, wheel carrier, handlebars, etc., and Fig. 2 a wheel suspension with the associated mounting bracket for at least one handlebar according to the invention.

[0016] Fig.Figure 1 shows, for example, a front wheel 1, which is connected to the vehicle suspension via a wheel carrier 2 with a wheel bearing (not shown) by which the wheel 1 is fixed to the wheel carrier 2, e.g., bolted in place. Depending on the vehicle's kinematics, one or more control arms 3 or 4 are articulated to the wheel carrier 2 to guide the wheel 1. These control arms guide the wheel relative to the vehicle body in various directions in a manner known from vehicle construction. These control arms are attached to the vehicle body via control arm bearings 5 ​​or 6. The control arms 3 or 4 are fixed to the wheel carrier 2 by means of a bracket 7. The bracket 7 is attached to the wheel carrier 2 by means of bolts 8 or 9 and nuts 10 or 11.

[0017] In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the console 7 has one fixing eyelet 12 for the control arm 3 and a second fixing eyelet 13 for the control arm 4. The fixing eyes 12 and 13 have bearing bores 14 and 15, respectively, in which bearing bolts 16 and 17 of the control arms 3 and 4 are pivotably mounted. When the wheel 1 is steered via the tie rod 18, the wheel carrier also pivots, and thus the bearing bolts 16 and 17 also pivot in the bearing bores 14 and 15 of the fixing eyes 12 and 13 in the console 7.

[0018] Preferably, a console 7 according to the invention is attached to the wheel carrier 2 substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle – see direction of travel F. This ensures that, in the event of a crash, forces acting on the handlebars can act on the console 7 or on the screw bolts 8 or 9 supporting the console 7 in such a way that they are sheared off in the extreme, defined load case. For the shearing off or detachment of the console 7 or the handlebars from the console 7, a holding or failure force, or also a release or shear force, which can be predetermined with respect to the crash behavior of the vehicle, must be defined.

[0019] This defined solution, or rather the destruction, of the pivot point of console 7 is brought about, or at least supported, by the fact that the screw bolts 8 and 9, the console 7, and / or the fixing eyes 12 and 13 are provided with predetermined breaking points to support the fracture behavior and the release of the handlebars in the event of a crash. Normally, however, determining the shear force via the design of the screw bolts 8 and 9, or the fastening via the nuts 10 and 11 together with the screw bolts 8 and 9, should be sufficient.

[0020] For the expert, it goes without saying that the design of the console 7 and its attachment / screwing to the wheel carrier 2 or the handlebars 3 or 4 to the console 7 can be chosen depending on the design conditions. Reference symbol list F Direction of travel 1 front wheel 2 bike carriers 3 handlebars 4 handlebars 5 handlebar bearings 6 handlebar bearings 7 console 8 screw bolts 9 screw bolts 10 screw nuts 11 Screw nut 12 fixing eyelets 13 Fixing eyelet 14 bearing bore 15 bearing bore 16 bearing bolts 17 bearing bolts 18 tie rod

Claims

[1] Wheel suspension of a two-track vehicle, comprising a wheel carrier (2) supporting a wheel (1) and having a bearing point for at least one control arm (3, 4), wherein the at least one control arm (3, 4) is articulated to a body-side bearing point (5, 6) of the vehicle, and wherein the at least one control arm (3, 4) is fixable in a screwable bracket (7) that can be fixed to the wheel carrier (2), characterized by , that the console (7) and / or bolts (8, 9) or nuts (10, 11) by which the console (7) is attached to the wheel carrier (2) is provided with predetermined breaking points and / or are. [2] Wheel suspension according to claim 1, characterized by , that the console (7) for fixing the at least one control arm (3, 4) on the wheel carrier (2) for crash-induced decoupling of the at least one control arm (3, 4) from the wheel carrier (2) can be fixed with a definable holding force by means of the screw bolts (8, 9). [3] Wheel suspension according to claim 1, characterized by, that the screw bolts (8, 9) which fix the console (7) to the wheel carrier (2) are designed with a defined shear force for the crash-induced decoupling of the at least one control arm (3, 4) from the wheel carrier (2). [4] Wheel suspension according to claim 1, characterized by , that the console (7) is essentially oriented in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and can be articulated to the wheel carrier (2). [5] Wheel suspension according to claim 1, characterized by , that the console (7) for linking the at least one handlebar (3, 4) has at least one fixing eyelet (12, 13). [6] Wheel suspension according to claim 5, characterized by , that a console (7) has several fixing lugs (12, 13) for fixing more than one handlebar (3, 4). [7] Wheel suspension according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the console (7) can be fixed to the wheel carrier (2) with at least two screw bolts (8, 9). [8] Wheel suspension according to any of the preceding claims, characterized bytheir application to a front wheel of a two-track motor vehicle. [9] Wheel suspension according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the wheel suspension is a suspension for a front wheel (1) of the two-track vehicle.

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