axle suspension

Abstract

Axle suspension (1) for a vehicle, comprising a spring assembly (2) with a longitudinal leaf spring (3) made of composite material extending along the X-axis and a connecting arm (4), wherein the longitudinal leaf spring (3) supports a vehicle axle (10) and is pivotably connected at a front end (3.1) to a vehicle body (20) and at a rear end to the connecting arm (4), wherein the connecting arm (4) is pivotably connected to the vehicle body (20), wherein the connecting arm (4) has a first stop element (3.2) and wherein a second stop element (21) is fixed to the vehicle body (20), which stop elements (3.2, 21) are spaced apart under normal vehicle load and can be brought into contact with each other by exceeding a limit load above the normal load, whereby the second stop element (21) is elastically deformable, and wherein the second stop element (21) is arranged behind the first stop element (3.2) at least under normal load with respect to the X-axis, and wherein the second stop element (21) has a conical cross-section that tapers towards the first stop element (3.1).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an axle suspension.

[0002] Different types of springs are used in the wheel suspension of modern motor vehicles. These springs connect the actual vehicle body to the wheels. In addition to coil springs, leaf springs are also used, particularly on rigid axles. A leaf spring of this type extends along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and is generally concave in shape, e.g. like a parabola. In addition to leaf springs made of spring steel, leaf springs made of composite material, e.g. fiber-reinforced plastic, are also sometimes used. Individual springs or spring assemblies consisting of two or more springs can be used. At least one spring is normally connected to the axle to be sprung in a central area via a tensioning device, e.g. with spring clamps.

[0003] It is often desirable to have two different spring constants on a sprung axle. Up to a certain limit load, the axle should be sprung with a lower spring constant or stiffness. This corresponds to smaller spring movements that occur during normal driving. In this case, it is generally advantageous if the suspension does not react too harshly. Above a limit load, a higher spring constant should be provided. This also corresponds to a greater spring travel, which is generally not achieved during normal driving, but only in isolated situations such as driving over a pothole or the like. In this case, it is advantageous if the suspension reacts more harshly, for example to prevent bottoming out, i.e. parts hitting one another. In the event of a bottoming out, for example, the spring force could be increased.The sprung axle could collide with part of the vehicle body, which could, in the worst case, cause damage to parts of the vehicle. Spring systems that react with two different spring constants depending on the load, as described, are also called two-stage springs or two-stage suspensions.

[0004] One known possibility in the prior art for realizing two different spring constants is to arrange two (or more) leaf springs in the form of a spring assembly, with a primary spring serving as the connection to the vehicle body and thus constantly contributing to the suspension. A secondary spring is connected to the primary spring, but due to its shape, it only undergoes deformation in turn when the primary spring is deformed to a greater extent. This means that the secondary spring only generates a restoring force when the deformation is greater, i.e. when the (dynamic) axle load is greater. This system works satisfactorily in principle, but it does have disadvantages. Firstly, the mass of the spring assembly is increased by the secondary spring and by the means necessary for connecting it to the primary spring. The secondary spring is counted as unsprung mass, which should generally be kept as low as possible.In addition, the arrangement of multiple springs on top of each other requires more space than a single leaf spring. This cannot be compensated for, or only partially, by a thinner primary spring, since below the limiting load, it assumes the axle's load-bearing function alone, which requires a certain material thickness.

[0005] GB 915 402 A discloses a spring arrangement comprising a semi-elliptical spring connected at a front end to a first pivot axis on a vehicle body and supported at its rear end at two points on a connecting element, which in turn is connected to a second pivot axis on the vehicle body. The connecting element bears against and interacts with a rubber element attached to the vehicle body. During compression, the connecting element rotates, which is accompanied by a deformation of the rubber element.

[0006] US Pat. No. 6,019,384 A describes a spring arrangement with a leaf spring assembly, the front end of which is connected to a pivot axis fixedly attached to a vehicle body. A rear end is pivotally connected to a first connecting arm, which in turn is connected to a second connecting arm. When the connecting arms pivot relative to each other, a restoring force is generated via the torsion of an intermediate rubber element.

[0007] The second connecting arm is pivotally mounted on the vehicle body. It features an elastomer stopper element at its end, which interacts with the top of the leaf spring assembly during strong compression.

[0008] US Pat. No. 4,988,080 A discloses a leaf spring construction comprising a leaf spring made of fiber-reinforced resin that supports a vehicle axle, a connecting device for connecting the spring ends to a vehicle frame, and a resilient buffer. The buffer has an upper end connected to the vehicle frame and is arranged to engage the upper surface of the leaf spring under load conditions. The buffer is downwardly tapered and its upper end has a larger longitudinal dimension than a lower end.

[0009] GB 1 212 411 A discloses a leaf spring suspension with a leaf spring connected at one end to a pivot axis on a vehicle body via an eyelet. At the other end, the leaf spring is firmly connected to a support arranged above. Two rubber elements are glued to this support, which are glued to two further supports firmly connected to the vehicle body.

[0010] US 6,176,478 B1 shows a rear axle suspension for a motor vehicle in which one axle is suspended by a leaf spring assembly. The leaf spring assembly is mounted at a front end via a pivot pin fixed to the vehicle body. At a rear end, the leaf spring assembly is clamped into a spring support, which is secured to the vehicle side via two adjacent rubber blocks of a shear spring. In the event of one of the rubber blocks breaking off, a rubber cushion is attached to the vehicle side above the spring support, which dampens the impact of the leaf spring assembly on the vehicle body.

[0011] JP 2015-6825 A discloses a suspension in which an axle is suspended in a central region of a leaf spring. A connecting arm is connected to a rear end portion of the leaf spring. A stopper extends downward toward an eyelet of the leaf spring. When the leaf spring is loaded, the gap between the eyelet and the stopper is reduced to zero, meaning they come into contact. This determines the end position of the connecting arm.

[0012] DE 41 12 213 C1 discloses a stop device for limiting the S-shaped deflection of leaf springs on rigid vehicle axles. The axle beams are secured on both sides of the vehicle in the center region of a leaf spring whose front spring eye is hinged to a bearing pin fixed to the body and whose rear end is supported on a shackle hinged to the body. A stop interacting with the shackle is assigned to the rear spring branch of the leaf spring. In the design position of the leaf spring, the stop is arranged on the vehicle body in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle at a distance from the shackle, limiting its pivoting path. Both the stop and the shackle can bear an elastomer layer on their mutually facing stop surfaces.

[0013] DE 10 2005 032 611 A1 discloses a leaf spring suspension for commercial vehicles, comprising at least one spring leaf attached to an axle clamp of the vehicle. A rearward-facing spring arm has a spring eye at its end, which is rotatably held at the lower end of a spring rocker whose upper end is pivotally connected to the vehicle frame. Furthermore, the leaf spring suspension has an emergency guide to ensure auxiliary guidance of the spring leaf on the vehicle frame in the event of a spring leaf breakage. The emergency guide comprises a stop attached to the vehicle frame to limit a rearward pivoting movement of the spring rocker beyond a predetermined maximum rebound pivoting range. Both the stop surfaces of the spring eye and the stop can have a rubber buffer as an elastic damping element.

[0014] DE 10 2017 204 788 A1 discloses an axle suspension for a vehicle, comprising a spring assembly with a composite longitudinal leaf spring extending along the X-axis and a connecting arm. The longitudinal leaf spring supports a vehicle axle and is pivotally connected to a vehicle body at a front end and pivotally connected to the connecting arm at a rear end. The connecting arm is pivotally connected to the vehicle body. DE 10 2017 204 788 A1 also discloses two bearing units, a second bearing unit having an L-shaped holding body with a section extending transversely to the longitudinal member, to the side of which facing the connecting arm an elastic spring element in the form of an elastomer block is attached.

[0015] KR 10 2005 0 023 899 A describes a leaf spring suspension consisting of an elastic force unit deformed by a rotary motion in which a lower end of a shackle is moved upward, and mounted between the shackle and a vehicle body to supply an elastic bearing force, and a stopper for limiting the degree of deformation of the elastic force unit caused by the lifting of the lower end of the shackle. The elastic force unit comprises a support block in contact with the lower end of the shackle; a leaf spring tensioned by the rotary motion for the lower end of the shackle to hold the support block and generate an elastic bearing force; and a support bracket for connecting and fastening the leaf spring to the vehicle body.

[0016] US Pat. No. 1,934,892 A deals with a spring mount. A leaf spring appears to extend longitudinally along the vehicle. Two stop elements are visible, each of which is attached to retaining elements to which the respective spring end is also attached.

[0017] Given the state of the art shown, the provision of a two-stage suspension with optimized installation space and optimized dynamics still offers room for improvement.

[0018] The invention is based on the object of providing an optimized axle suspension with two-stage suspension.

[0019] According to the invention, the object is achieved by an axle suspension having the features of claim 1.

[0020] An axle suspension for a vehicle is shown, comprising a spring assembly with a longitudinal leaf spring made of composite material, extending along the X-axis, and a connecting arm, wherein the longitudinal leaf spring carries a vehicle axle and is pivotally connected to a vehicle body at a front end and pivotally connected to the connecting arm at a rear end, wherein the connecting arm is pivotally connected to the vehicle body, wherein the connecting arm has a first stop element and wherein a second stop element is fixed to the vehicle body, which stop elements are spaced apart when the vehicle is subjected to a normal load and can be brought into contact with one another by exceeding a limit load lying above the normal load, whereby the second stop element is elastically deformable, and wherein the second stop element is arranged behind the first stop element with respect to the X-axis, at least under normal load.and wherein the second stop element has a conical cross-section tapering towards the first stop element.,

[0021] The subclaims relate to advantageous embodiments of the invention.

[0022] It should be noted that the features and measures listed individually in the following description can be combined with one another in any technically reasonable manner and demonstrate further embodiments of the invention. The description further characterizes and specifies the invention, particularly in conjunction with the figures.

[0023] The invention provides an axle suspension for a vehicle. The vehicle can be, in particular, a motor vehicle such as a truck or car. However, an application for trailers is also possible, for example. The axle suspension is generally a rear axle suspension, in particular a rigid axle suspension.

[0024] The axle suspension has a spring assembly with a longitudinal leaf spring and a connecting arm, wherein the longitudinal leaf spring carries a vehicle axle and is pivotally connected at one end to a vehicle body and at the other end to the connecting arm, which is pivotally connected to the vehicle body.

[0025] In this context, the longitudinal leaf spring is a leaf spring extending along the vehicle's longitudinal axis (X-axis). Generally, at least when unloaded, it does not run parallel to the X-axis, but rather exhibits a concave curvature, e.g., similar to a parabolic spring. All references to the X-axis (longitudinal axis), Y-axis (lateral axis), and Z-axis (vertical axis) of the vehicle here and below refer to the spring assembly's intended installed state. The longitudinal leaf spring supports a vehicle axle and is pivotally connected to the vehicle body at one end (normally at a front end) and pivotally connected to the connecting arm at the other end (normally at a rear end). This connecting arm, which can also be referred to as a shackle, is in turn pivotally connected to the vehicle body. The respective pivot axes run parallel to the Y-axis.The described design essentially corresponds to a Hotchkiss suspension. Although a single connecting arm is mentioned here, two connecting arms arranged on either side of the leaf spring can of course be provided, or the connecting arm can be constructed in two parts. In a known manner, bearing eyes can be formed at the front and rear ends of the longitudinal leaf spring, into which, for example, rubber-metal bushings can be pressed. The respective bearing eye or the bushing arranged therein corresponds to the position of an axle bolt, via which a pivoting or rotating connection is established.

[0026] Overall, the longitudinal leaf spring serves to elastically suspend the vehicle axle from the vehicle body. "Vehicle body" is a collective term for a body, a chassis and, if applicable, a subframe of the respective vehicle, i.e. those parts that normally form the sprung mass. The connection between the vehicle axle, which can in particular be designed as a rigid axle, is normally provided by a tensioning device, which can, for example, have an upper and a lower tensioning element, which can be relatively rigid in themselves, e.g. made of steel. The longitudinal leaf spring is clamped between the tensioning elements, if necessary via intermediate elastic insulating elements. The tensioning elements can be braced against one another using spring clamps. Spring assemblies should normally be avoided within the scope of the invention, which is why the spring assembly preferably comprises a single longitudinal leaf spring.

[0027] As mentioned above, the spring assembly has a first stop element in the region of the connecting arm, and the vehicle body has a second stop element. These stop elements are spaced apart when the vehicle is subjected to normal load and can be brought into contact with one another when a limit load is exceeded, whereby at least one stop element is elastically deformable. The spring assembly therefore has (at least) one first stop element directly on or in the vicinity of the connecting arm, although a plurality of first stop elements can also be provided. This forms a counterpart to (at least) one second stop element provided by the vehicle body. The axle suspension is designed such that, when the vehicle is subjected to normal load, there is a distance between the at least one first stop element and the at least one second stop element.The normal load of the vehicle corresponds to the unloaded state without the influence of dynamic loads, which arise, for example, when driving over uneven ground. In this state, there is no interaction between the stop elements, and the spring behavior of the axle suspension is determined by the longitudinal leaf spring. This applies until a limit load is reached, at which the first and second stop elements come into contact with each other. The limit load lies above the normal load, although the difference between these two loads can, in principle, be freely selected within the scope of the invention. For example, the limit load could be 110%, 130%, or 150% of the normal load, but it could also be a higher value.

[0028] Because the stop elements come into contact with each other, at least one stop element is elastically deformable. More precisely, the elastic stop element is elastically deformable due to the contact and a force acting on it from the other stop element. The elastic deformation occurs by generating a restoring force that counteracts further compression. Due to its shape and / or material, the elastic stop element is designed such that it undergoes significantly greater deformation than other, essentially rigid components such as the vehicle body or the connecting arm. An elastic stop element can also be referred to as a buffer element, damper element, or spring element.Above the limit load, the compression of the vehicle axle creates a restoring force based on the elastic deformation of the longitudinal leaf spring and a further restoring force based on the elastic deformation of at least one elastically deformable stop element. This results in an effectively higher spring constant when the limit load is exceeded. This creates a two-stage suspension. The increased effective stiffness allows the vehicle dynamics to be adapted to a higher load, which has a positive effect on handling, steering and ride comfort. In addition, with greater compression, the vehicle axle, leaf spring or connecting arm can be prevented from hitting the vehicle body. The increased stiffness can also contribute to stabilizing the vehicle.

[0029] It is advantageous that the corresponding interaction takes place in the area of ​​the connecting arm or the adjacent end of the longitudinal leaf spring. The respective elastic stop element can be designed to save space compared to an additional leaf spring and is generally also lighter than an additional longitudinal leaf spring. Various designs are conceivable, which will be discussed below. In some cases, no additional element is necessary on the spring assembly, thus keeping the unsprung mass low. However, even in embodiments in which an additional element is necessary as part of the unsprung mass, there are clear advantages over a design with an additional leaf spring. Firstly, the movements in the area of ​​the connecting arm are smaller for a certain spring travel than in the area of ​​the vehicle axle, where an additional leaf spring is arranged according to the prior art. D.This means that the necessary acceleration during compression is lower, resulting in a better overall response of the spring assembly. Furthermore, no additional vertical space is required for the additional leaf spring, meaning the axle suspension according to the invention is more compact.

[0030] As mentioned, the second stop element is elastically deformable. This can mean, in particular, that the first stop element (compared to the second stop element) is inelastic or rigid. As will become clearer below, an inelastic stop element can be formed by an element that would already be present in a conventional Hotchkiss suspension, while the elastic stop element must be provided as an additional component. If this is located on the vehicle body, i.e., on the sprung mass, this has a beneficial effect on the unsprung mass, as it can remain lower.

[0031] In particular, but not exclusively, if the second stop element is designed to be elastic, it is preferred that the second stop element be rigidly attached to the vehicle body. This means that the second stop element is fixed relative to the vehicle body, i.e., it is neither rotatable nor movable. If it is designed to be elastic, parts of the second stop element are, of course, movable relative to the vehicle body, while the parts that are attached remain fixed in position. By rigidly attaching the second stop element to the vehicle body, the interaction with the first stop element can be better controlled.

[0032] The connecting arm has a first stop element. This expressly includes the possibility that the first stop element is formed by the connecting arm. In this case, the first stop element is of course inelastic. Alternatively, a separately manufactured component can be attached to the connecting arm, which forms the first stop element. In any case, the pivoting movement of the connecting arm ensures that it or a stop element attached to it comes into contact with or strikes the second stop element when the limit load is exceeded. Optionally, the surface of the second stop element that faces the connecting arm can run perpendicular to the (tangential) direction of movement of the connecting arm. It goes without saying that forces acting on the connecting arm from the second stop element are also transmitted to the longitudinal leaf spring.

[0033] According to one possible embodiment, the longitudinal leaf spring can have a first stop element at a rear end. In particular, the first stop element can be formed by the rear end of the longitudinal leaf spring. A bearing eye is normally formed at the rear end, via which the longitudinal leaf spring is pivotally connected to the connecting arm. This area, which can serve to accommodate an axle bolt, comes into contact with the second stop element during the pivoting movement of the connecting arm above the limit load. In this case, forces acting on the rear end by the second stop element are also transmitted to the connecting arm. This embodiment can be combined with the embodiment described above, i.e.The connecting arm may have a first stop element, and the rear end of the longitudinal leaf spring may have a first stop element, both of which come into contact with the second stop element above the limit load. One could also say that this is a two-part first stop element, arranged partly on the connecting arm and partly on the longitudinal leaf spring.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the elastic stop element is at least partially formed from an elastomer. The "elastic stop element" here is, of course, the (first and / or second) stop element that is elastic. The elastomer can be, for example, rubber or silicone. In this case, the elastic stop element can also be referred to as rubber-elastic. It is conceivable that, for example, a region facing the other stop element is inelastic, e.g., in the form of a cap.

[0035] According to a further embodiment, the elastic stop element is at least partially made of plastic. This also includes the possibility of it being fiber-reinforced plastic. Furthermore, plastic and an elastomer can be combined with one another, for example as layers of a composite material or as materially bonded sections of the stop element. In this case, too, an area facing the other stop element can be inelastic. A wide variety of shapes are conceivable for both a stop element made of elastomer and a stop element made of plastic, for example such that the stop element is not solid, but has one or more recesses. This can serve to adjust the spring properties of the stop element and / or to save material and weight.

[0036] As mentioned, the longitudinal leaf spring is made of a composite material. In particular, it can consist at least partially of a fiber composite. Fiber composites are all materials in which fibers, such as glass fibers, carbon fibers, and / or aramid fibers, are embedded in a polymer matrix (e.g., a plastic or synthetic resin matrix) for reinforcement. Optionally, additional particles, layers, or components that cannot be classified as polymers or fibers can be incorporated or deposited. With the design according to the invention, which provides the two stop elements, an effective spring rate with at least two stages can be achieved even with a spring made of a composite material, something that is difficult to achieve with a combination of leaf springs made of a composite material.

[0037] There are a wide variety of options when it comes to shaping the elastic stop element. For example, as mentioned above, one or more recesses can be formed. In addition, the effective spring constant of the elastic stop element can be influenced by the shape. As already mentioned above, the elastic stop element has a cross-section that tapers towards the other stop element. In this case, the part with the smaller cross-section deforms first, while the overall stiffer part with the larger cross-section experiences a lesser deformation. In the event of greater compression, the elastic stop element must deform further, which is only possible through greater deformation of the part with the larger cross-section. This, in turn, causes an increased, particularly non-linear, increase in the restoring force.In this way, it can be ensured that if the limit load is slightly exceeded, only a comparatively small, slowly increasing additional restoring force is generated by the stop element, whereas if the limit load is exceeded to a greater extent, the additional restoring force increases rapidly.

[0038] As already mentioned above, the second stop element is arranged behind the first stop element with respect to the X-axis, at least under normal load. This means that contact occurs between the two stop elements when the first stop element moves backwards in line with the movement of the connecting arm. Such an arrangement makes it possible, for example, to achieve effective cooperation between the stop elements when the connecting arm is arranged at only a slight angle to the vertical. In this state, it moves predominantly horizontally along its tangential direction of movement, which is why effective force transmission can be better achieved when the second stop element is arranged behind the first stop element. Of course, with this configuration, the second stop element can also be arranged simultaneously along the Z-axis above the first stop element.

[0039] Further advantageous details and effects of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figures. They show: Fig. 1 a side view of an axle suspension according to the invention according to a first embodiment under normal load; Fig. 2 a side view of the axle suspension Fig. 1 at limit load; Fig. 3 a side view of an axle suspension according to the invention according to a second embodiment under normal load; and Fig. 4 a side view of the axle suspension from Fig. 3 at maximum load.

[0040] In the different figures, identical parts are always provided with the same reference symbols, which is why they are usually only described once.

[0041] Fig. 1 shows, in a highly schematic manner, a first embodiment of an axle suspension 1, which can be used, for example, in a truck. In this case, a vehicle axle 10 designed as a rigid axle is connected to a vehicle body 20 by a longitudinal leaf spring 3 made of fiber-reinforced plastic. While the vehicle axle 10 extends parallel to the Y-axis, the longitudinal leaf spring 3 extends along the X-axis, although predominantly not parallel to it, but rather has a concave curvature within the XZ plane. The longitudinal leaf spring 3 has a first bearing eye at a front end 3.1, via which it is connected to the vehicle body 20 so that it can pivot about a first pivot axis A. At a rear end, the longitudinal leaf spring 3 has a further bearing eye, via which it is connected to a connecting arm 4 so that it can pivot about a second pivot axis B. The connecting arm 4, in turn, is connected to the vehicle body 20 so that it can pivot about a third pivot axis C.The function of the connecting arm 4 is to accommodate the changing distance between the ends when the longitudinal leaf spring 3 deforms. The longitudinal leaf spring 3, together with the connecting arm 4, is part of a spring assembly 2.

[0042] The spring assembly 2 is connected to the vehicle axle 10 via a tensioning device. A lower tensioning element 5 is clamped against an upper tensioning element 6 (e.g., by spring clamps and associated nuts) and simultaneously welded to the vehicle axle 10. Both tensioning elements 5, 6 are made of steel in this case. The longitudinal leaf spring 3 can be clamped between the tensioning elements 5, 6 by interposing damper cushions (not shown).

[0043] A damper block is arranged along the X-axis behind the rear end of the longitudinal leaf spring 3 on the vehicle body 20 and is rigidly connected to the vehicle body 20. The damper block can be made of elastomer, e.g., rubber, or possibly plastic. In the latter case, it can have recesses to improve elasticity, although these are not shown here. Fig. 1, which corresponds to a normal vehicle load, the rear end and the damper block are spaced apart. If limited compression occurs relative to this condition, the restoring force between the vehicle body 20 and the vehicle axle 10 is determined solely by the elastic properties of the longitudinal leaf spring 3.

[0044] This changes when a specified limit load is exceeded, which could be between 120% and 150% of the normal load. This condition is Fig. 2. The rear end of the pivoting movement of the connecting arm 4 comes into contact with the damper block. In this respect, the rear end forms a first stop element 3.2 and the damper block a second stop element 21. A further movement, i.e. a stronger compression, can only occur under an elastic deformation of the damper block, which is associated with an additional restoring force. This means that the effective spring constant is based on the deformation of the longitudinal leaf spring 3 on the one hand and the damper block on the other. In the state in Fig. 2, no or only minimal deformation of the damper block has yet occurred. Upon further compression, the damper block deforms unevenly, due to its tapered shape toward the rear end of the longitudinal leaf spring 3. The tapered end is more easily deformed due to its smaller cross-section. From a certain point, even greater compression is only possible through significant deformation of the thicker parts of the damper block, which causes the effective spring constant to increase significantly.

[0045] Fig. 3 is a side view of an embodiment of an axle suspension 1 according to the invention, which is largely identical to the one shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 and is therefore not described again. In this embodiment, however, the damper block is smaller and extends downward from the underside of the vehicle body 20. Here, too, a construction made of elastomers or plastic is possible. A further difference is that in this embodiment, the connecting arm 4 forms the first stop element 3.2. Fig. Figure 3 shows the normal load condition in which the connecting arm 4 and the damper block are spaced apart. When the limit load is exceeded, the connecting arm 4 hits the damper block, as shown in Fig. 4, and further compression results in elastic deformation of the damper block, which also leads to an increase in the effective spring constant.

[0046] In both embodiments shown, the installation space occupied by the individual longitudinal leaf spring 3 is small compared to a spring assembly. Furthermore, the unsprung mass, of which the spring assembly 2 is a part, is comparatively low, since the increased spring constant is achieved by a compact component (the damper block) that is attached to the vehicle body 20 and thus forms part of the sprung mass. List of reference symbols: 1 axle suspension 2 spring assembly 3 longitudinal leaf spring 3.1 front end 3.2 first stop element 4 connecting arm 5, 6 clamping element 10 vehicle axle 20 Vehicle body 21 second stop element A, B, C swivel axis X X-axis Y Y-axis Z Z-axis

Claims

[1] Axle suspension (1) for a vehicle, comprising a spring assembly (2) with a longitudinal leaf spring (3) made of composite material, extending along the X-axis and a connecting arm (4), wherein the longitudinal leaf spring (3) carries a vehicle axle (10) and is pivotally connected at a front end (3.1) to a vehicle body (20) and pivotally connected at a rear end to the connecting arm (4), wherein the connecting arm (4) is pivotally connected to the vehicle body (20), wherein the connecting arm (4) has a first stop element (3.2) and wherein a second stop element (21) is fixed to the vehicle body (20), which stop elements (3.2, 21) are spaced apart at a normal load of the vehicle and can be brought into contact with one another by exceeding a limit load lying above the normal load, whereby the second stop element (21) is elastically deformable, and wherein the second stop element (21) is arranged behind the first stop element (3.2) with respect to the X-axis at least at normal load, and wherein the second stop element (21) has a conical cross-section tapering towards the first stop element (3.1). [2] Axle suspension (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the second stop element (21) is rigidly attached to the vehicle body (20). [3] Axle suspension (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the second stop element (21) is at least partially formed from an elastomer. [4] Axle suspension (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the second stop element (21) is at least partially made of plastic.

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