Linkage mounting bracket and subframe assembly

Abstract

A connecting link mounting bracket for attaching a five-link mechanism to a subframe, comprising a first bracket attached to a front end of a longitudinal member of the subframe; wherein the first bracket comprises a bracket body and a reinforcing plate, the reinforcing plate having two angled sides and the bracket body being connected to one of the angled sides of the reinforcing plate, while the other of the angled sides of the reinforcing plate being connected to the longitudinal member of the subframe.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED REGISTRATIONS This application claims priority over Chinese patent application No. 2023226785544, filed on October 8, 2023, the subject matter of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference. TECHNICAL AREA The present disclosure belongs to the technical field of vehicle suspensions and relates in particular to a connecting link mounting bracket and a subframe assembly. BACKGROUND As a key component of a suspension system, the subframe serves to connect wheel-side components via steering arms, transmit forces and movements to the vehicle body, and dampen vibrations and noise, thereby improving ride comfort and increasing the local rigidity of the vehicle body. Conventional subframes generally feature a frame structure consisting of a front crossmember, a rear crossmember, and left and right longitudinal members, all welded together with overlapping joints. A five-clamp mechanism is mounted to the subframe via mounting brackets. During vehicle operation, the subframe is subjected to relatively high loads, resulting in high operating stresses on the crossmembers and longitudinal members. The strength of the mounting brackets and the crash performance of the subframe must be optimized. OVERVIEW OF THE INVENTION To solve the existing technical problem of optimizing the strength of the mounting brackets and the crash behavior of the subframe, the present disclosure provides a connecting link mounting bracket and a subframe assembly. A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a connecting link mounting bracket for attaching a five-link mechanism to a subframe. The connecting link mounting bracket comprises a first bracket attached to a front end of a longitudinal member of the subframe, the first bracket comprising a bracket body and a reinforcing plate, the reinforcing plate having two angled sides, and the bracket body being connected to one of the angled sides of the reinforcing plate, while the other of the angled sides of the reinforcing plate being connected to the longitudinal member of the subframe. A second aspect of the present disclosure relates to a subframe assembly comprising a subframe and the aforementioned connecting link mounting bracket attached to the subframe. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Fig. 1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a subframe assembly and a connecting link mounting bracket according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 shows a schematic structural representation of the subframe assembly from Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a schematic structural representation of the subframe assembly from Fig. 1 from a specific viewpoint. Fig. 4 shows a schematic structural representation of the subframe assembly from Fig. 1 from a different viewpoint. Reference symbol: 100, connecting link mounting bracket; 101, first bracket; 1011, bracket body; 1012, reinforcement plate; 102, second bracket; 103, third bracket; 104, fourth bracket; 105, fifth bracket; 110, subframe assembly; 111, left longitudinal member; 112, right longitudinal member; 113, front cross member; 114, rear cross member; 1141, first connection plate; 1142, second connection plate; 115, clearance recess; 116, process bore; 117, clearance groove. DESCRIPTION OF THE EXECUTION FORMS To enable those skilled in the field of this disclosure to better understand it, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure are clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Naturally, the described embodiments represent only some embodiments of this disclosure and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments that can be achieved by those skilled in the field without creative effort fall within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Fig. 1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a subframe assembly and a connecting link mounting bracket according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 shows a schematic structural diagram of the subframe assembly from Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a schematic structural diagram of the subframe assembly from Fig. 1 from a specific viewpoint. Fig. 4 shows a schematic structural representation of the subframe assembly from Fig. 1 from a different viewpoint. As shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3 to Fig. 4, a connecting link mounting bracket is provided according to a first aspect of the present disclosure. A connecting link mounting bracket 100 serves to attach a five-link mechanism to a subframe. The connecting link mounting bracket 100 comprises a first link 101, which is attached to a front end of a longitudinal member of the subframe.The first bracket 101 comprises a bracket body 1011 and a reinforcement plate 1012, the reinforcement plate 1012 having two angled sides. The bracket body 1011 is connected to one of the angled sides of the reinforcement plate 1012, and the other angled side of the reinforcement plate 1012 is connected to the longitudinal member of the subframe. The structural stiffness of the first connecting link mounting bracket 100 is improved. The design of the curved, elongated surface of the reinforcement plate 1012 can improve the ability of the longitudinal member of the subframe to withstand deformation upon impact and enhance the overall safety performance of the vehicle. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in some embodiments the first bracket 101 is located on one side of the longitudinal member of the subframe and serves to connect to one of the connecting links of the five-link mechanism. The subframe has two longitudinal members, and each of the two longitudinal members is provided with a connecting link mounting bracket; that is, two sets of connecting link mounting brackets are used to attach two corresponding sets of five-link mechanisms to each of the two longitudinal members of the subframe. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in some embodiments the reinforcing plate 1012 can be fan-shaped and have a curved side to reduce the weight of the components while ensuring the longitudinal beam's ability to withstand deformation upon impact. The curved side of the reinforcing plate 1012 is connected to the ends of the two angled sides. The curved side of the reinforcing plate 1012 extends in one direction from the front end of the longitudinal beam of the subframe toward the first bracket 101. One of the two angled sides is connected to the longitudinal beam. During an impact, the force can be transmitted along the direction of extension of the curved side of the reinforcing plate 1012, thus ensuring the longitudinal beam's ability to withstand deformation upon impact while simultaneously saving material. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in some embodiments the fan-shaped reinforcement plate 1012 has a structure that is wide at the front and narrow at the rear, with the wide front section being the curved side of the fan-shaped reinforcement plate 1012. On the curved side of the fan-shaped reinforcement plate 1012, one end of the curved side is connected to the longitudinal beam, and the other end of the curved side extends to be connected to the bracket body 1011. This improves material utilization and reduces the weight of the parts while still meeting the requirements for the longitudinal beam and the bracket body 1011, thereby reducing costs to some extent. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in some embodiments the reinforcement plate 1012 can run parallel to a plane in which the subframe is located, in order to further improve the safety performance of the entire vehicle. In this case, an angled side of the fan-shaped reinforcement plate 1012 forms an angle of 180° with the plane in which the subframe is located. In other embodiments, an angled side of the fan-shaped reinforcement plate 1012 can also form an angle of 170° to 190° with the plane in which the subframe is located, in particular 170°, 172°, 175°, 177° or 180°. Within this range, the reinforcement plate 1012 runs parallel to the plane in which the subframe is located. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bracket body 1011 of the first bracket 101 can be U-shaped in some embodiments. A side wall of the bracket body 1011 of the first bracket 101 is connected to an angled side of the reinforcing plate 1012. The U-shaped structure of the bracket body 1011 of the first bracket 101 comprises two vertical plates and a horizontal plate connected to both vertical plates, with one of the vertical plates being connected to an angled side of the fan-shaped reinforcing plate 1012 and the horizontal plate being located on a side facing away from the reinforcing plate 1012. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the U-shaped reinforcement plate 1012 can be a one-piece stamped structure in some embodiments. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in some embodiments the extended length of the curved side of the reinforcement plate 1012 can be 1 to 2 times the width of the bracket body 1011 of the first bracket 101 in order to further improve the ability of the longitudinal member of the subframe to resist deformation upon impact and to further increase the safety performance of the entire vehicle. When the extended length of the curved side of the reinforcement plate 1012 is 1 to 2 times the width of the bracket body 1011 of the first bracket 101, the curved side of the fan-shaped reinforcement plate 1012 can absorb some of the force during deformation caused by an impact.Since both the left longitudinal member 111 and the right longitudinal member 112 are provided with the fan-shaped reinforcement plate 1012 and an angled side of the fan-shaped reinforcement plate 1012 is connected to the longitudinal member, the ability of the longitudinal member to resist collision deformation can be improved, thereby increasing the safety performance of the entire vehicle. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, in some embodiments the extension length of the curved side of the reinforcement plate 1012 can be 1.5 times the width of the bracket body 1011 of the first bracket 101. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in some embodiments, to further improve the strength of the first bracket 101, the reinforcing plate 1012 is attached to the bracket body 1011 of the first bracket 101 by welding. That is, an angled side of the fan-shaped reinforcing plate 1012 is attached to the bracket body 1011 of the first bracket 101 by welding. If the bracket body 1011 of the first bracket 101 has a U-shaped structure, i.e., if the bracket body 1011 of the first bracket 101 comprises two vertical plates and a horizontal plate connected to both vertical plates, an angled side of the fan-shaped reinforcing plate 1012 is connected to the vertical plate near the reinforcing plate 1012 by welding.When one angled side of the fan-shaped reinforcement plate 1012 is welded to a vertical plate of the stirrup body 1011 of the first stirrup 101, the other angled side of the fan-shaped reinforcement plate 1012 is integrally welded to the longitudinal beam. This improves the structural stiffness and strength of the first stirrup 101 by welding the reinforcement plate 1012 to the stirrup body 1011 of the first stirrup 101 and the longitudinal beam to form an integrated component. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in some embodiments the connecting link mounting bracket 100 may further comprise a second bracket 102, a third bracket 103, a fourth bracket 104, and a fifth bracket 105, with a five-bracket mechanism connected to each of the corresponding first bracket 101, second bracket 102, third bracket 103, fourth bracket 104, and fifth bracket 105. The first bracket 101 is attached to a front section of the longitudinal member of the subframe; the second bracket 102 is attached to a middle section of the longitudinal member of the subframe; the third bracket 103 is attached to a rear end of the longitudinal member of the subframe; the fourth bracket 104 is attached to a rear cross member 114 of the subframe; and the fifth bracket 105 is attached to the rear cross member 114 of the subframe. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, in some embodiments the first bracket 101, the second bracket 102 and the third bracket 103 can be connected to the longitudinal beam by welding, and the fourth bracket 104 and the fifth bracket 105 can be connected to the rear cross member 114 by welding. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, in some embodiments the fourth bracket 104 can be arranged at an axial end of the rear cross member 114 of the subframe, and the fifth bracket 105 can be arranged on a side surface of the cross member of the subframe. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in some embodiments the rear cross member 114 can be formed by joining a first connecting plate 1141 and a second connecting plate 1142. Both the first connecting plate 1141 and the second connecting plate 1142 are curved plates. The curved sections of the first connecting plate 1141 and the second connecting plate 1142 are arranged opposite each other. After the first connecting plate 1141 and the second connecting plate 1142 have been joined together, they enclose a cavity. In some embodiments, welding can be performed on the curved sections to join the first connecting plate 1141 and the second connecting plate 1142. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in some embodiments the end sections of the first connecting plate 1141 and the second connecting plate 1142 facing away from the longitudinal beam are spaced apart. The end sections of the first connecting plate 1141 and the second connecting plate 1142 are spaced apart from the fourth bracket 104. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in some embodiments, part of the fifth bracket 105 is connected to the second mounting plate 1142 of the rear cross member 114, while the other part is connected to the longitudinal member. The fifth bracket 105 can comprise three mounting plates connected to each other in pairs. The three mounting plates enclose a cavity, with two of the mounting plates connected to the second mounting plate 1142 of the rear cross member 114 and the other mounting plate connected to the longitudinal member. In some embodiments, the connection can be made by welding. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a subframe assembly 110 is provided according to a second aspect of the present disclosure, comprising a subframe and the aforementioned connecting link mounting bracket 100, which is attached to the subframe. In some embodiments, the connecting link mounting bracket 100 may comprise a first bracket 101, a second bracket 102, a third bracket 103, a fourth bracket 104, and a fifth bracket 105, with a five-bracket mechanism being connected to each of the corresponding first bracket 101, second bracket 102, third bracket 103, fourth bracket 104, and fifth bracket 105.The first bracket 101 is attached to a front section of a longitudinal member of the subframe; the second bracket 102 is attached to a middle section of the longitudinal member of the subframe; the third bracket 103 is attached to a rear end of the longitudinal member of the subframe; the fourth bracket 104 is attached to a rear cross member 114 of the subframe; and the fifth bracket 105 is attached to the rear cross member 114 of the subframe. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in some embodiments the subframe can comprise a left longitudinal member 111, a right longitudinal member 112, a front cross member 113 and a rear cross member 114. The left longitudinal member 111, the right longitudinal member 112, the front cross member 113 and the rear cross member 114 consist of a one-piece formed frame structure. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in some embodiments the subframe can comprise a left longitudinal member 111, a right longitudinal member 112, a front cross member 113, and a rear cross member 114. The left longitudinal member 111, the right longitudinal member 112, the front cross member 113, and the rear cross member 114 form a frame structure. The left longitudinal member 111 and the right longitudinal member 112 are arranged symmetrically with a gap between them. The left longitudinal member 111 and the right longitudinal member 112 have the same structure. The frame structure is formed in one piece. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in some embodiments the left longitudinal member 111, the right longitudinal member 112, and the front cross member 113 can be tubular elements. The rear cross member 114 can be formed by joining a first connecting plate 1141 and a second connecting plate 1142, and in some embodiments the rear cross member 114 can be formed by welding the first connecting plate 1141 and the second connecting plate 1142 together. The rear cross member 114 can be formed by joining a first connecting plate 1141 and a second connecting plate 1142.The first terminal plate 1141 and the second terminal plate 1142 are curved plates, and the curved sections of the first terminal plate 1141 and the second terminal plate 1142 are arranged opposite each other, and after the first terminal plate 1141 and the second terminal plate 1142 have been joined together, they enclose a cavity. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in some embodiments the subframe must absorb forces and torques from the road surface and the drive assembly in all directions during operation. These forces and torques are transmitted to the subframe via steering levers. The steering levers can be connected by screws to the first bracket 101, the second bracket 102, the third bracket 103, the fourth bracket 104, and the fifth bracket 105 of the subframe. The first bracket 101, the second bracket 102, the third bracket 103, the fourth bracket 104 and the fifth bracket 105 can be connected to the subframe bracket body by welding, i.e., the first bracket 101, the second bracket 102 and the third bracket 103 are connected by welding to the left longitudinal member 111 and the right longitudinal member 112, and the fourth bracket 104 and the fifth bracket 105 are connected by welding to the rear cross member 114. Accordingly, the first bracket 101, the second bracket 102, the third bracket 103, the fourth bracket 104 and the fifth bracket 105 all bear corresponding loads to ensure a balanced distribution of force on the subframe. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in some embodiments the first bracket 101, the second bracket 102, and the third bracket 103 are located at the front section, the middle section, and the rear end of the longitudinal member, respectively. In some embodiments, both the left longitudinal member 111 and the right longitudinal member 112 are provided with the first bracket 101, the second bracket 102, and the third bracket 103. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in some embodiments each of the central sections of both the left longitudinal member 111 and the right longitudinal member 112 is provided with a clearance recess 115. The second bracket 102 is attached to the central section of both the left longitudinal member 111 and the right longitudinal member 112. Both the left longitudinal member 111 and the right longitudinal member 112 are provided with a clearance recess 115 below a position where the left longitudinal member 111 or the right longitudinal member 112 is connected to the corresponding second bracket 102. Accordingly, the five-bracket mechanism can be better connected to the corresponding connecting link mounting bracket 100, thereby ensuring sufficient installation space between the five-bracket mechanism and the connecting link mounting bracket 100 and enabling a better arrangement of the associated parts. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the rear cross member 114 can, in some embodiments, be provided with a process bore 116 and a clearance groove 117. The clearance groove 117 can serve to accommodate an exhaust pipe. According to a link-link mounting bracket and a subframe assembly provided by one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the link-link mounting bracket serves to attach a link of a five-link mechanism to a subframe. The link-link mounting bracket is configured to be attached to a front end of a longitudinal member of the subframe. The link-link mounting bracket comprises a bracket body and a reinforcing plate. The reinforcing plate has two angled sides. The bracket body is connected to one of the angled sides of the reinforcing plate, and the other angled side of the reinforcing plate is connected to the longitudinal member of the subframe, thereby improving the structural rigidity of the link-link mounting bracket.The design of the fan-shaped, extended surface of the reinforcement plate can improve the ability of the subframe's longitudinal beam to resist deformation from collisions and enhance the overall safety performance of the vehicle. In this disclosure, unless expressly stated otherwise or limited, a first feature located "on" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are connected via another feature between them. Furthermore, a first feature located "above," "above," or "on" a second feature includes the first feature being located directly or obliquely above the second feature, or it simply means that the horizontal height of the first feature is greater than that of the second feature.A first feature that is “below”, “under”, or “below” a second feature implies that the first feature is located directly or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the horizontal height of the first feature is less than that of the second feature. In describing this disclosure, it should be noted that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms "middle", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "top", "bottom", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "above", "below", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", and "counterclockwise" are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used solely for the convenience of describing this disclosure and simplifying the presentation. They do not mean or imply that the device or element in question must have a particular orientation or be designed and operated in a particular orientation, and should therefore not be interpreted as limiting this disclosure. In this disclosure, the terms “connected”, “attached”, and the like are to be understood in a broad sense unless expressly stated otherwise and limited. For example, “attached” may refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated connection; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be a direct connection or an indirect connection via an intermediate medium; or it may refer to internal communication or interaction between two elements. A person skilled in the art may understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this disclosure according to the respective situations. Furthermore, descriptions containing terms like "first," "second," and the like in this disclosure are for descriptive purposes only and are not to be interpreted as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features specified. Thus, features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more such features. In the description of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means two or more unless expressly and specifically stated otherwise. Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, a person skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and purposes of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims and their equivalents. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature CN 2023226785544

[0001]

Claims

A connecting link mounting bracket for attaching a five-link mechanism to a subframe, comprising a first bracket attached to a front end of a longitudinal member of the subframe; wherein the first bracket comprises a bracket body and a reinforcing plate, the reinforcing plate having two angled sides and the bracket body being connected to one of the angled sides of the reinforcing plate, while the other of the angled sides of the reinforcing plate being connected to the longitudinal member of the subframe. The connecting link mounting bracket according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement plate is fan-shaped and has a curved side, and the curved side of the reinforcement plate is connected to the ends of the two angled sides and extends in one direction from the front end of the longitudinal member of the subframe towards the first bracket. The connecting link mounting bracket according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement plate runs parallel to a plane in which the subframe is located. The connecting link mounting bracket according to claim 3, wherein an angled side of the reinforcement plate forms an angle of 170° to 190° with the plane in which the subframe is located. The connecting link mounting bracket according to claim 4, wherein the angled side of the reinforcement plate forms an angle of 180° with the plane in which the subframe is located. The connecting link mounting bracket according to claim 1, wherein the first bracket is U-shaped and a side wall of the bracket body of the first bracket is connected to one of the angled sides of the reinforcement plate. The connecting link mounting bracket according to claim 6, wherein the bracket body of the first bracket comprises two vertical plates and a horizontal plate which is connected to the two vertical plates. The connecting link mounting bracket according to claim 6, wherein the reinforcement plate has a one-piece stamped structure. The connecting link mounting bracket according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the extension length of the curved side of the reinforcement plate is 1 to 2 times the width of the bracket body of the first bracket. The connecting link mounting bracket according to claim 9, wherein the extension length of the curved side of the reinforcement plate is 1.5 times the width of the bracket body of the first bracket. The connecting link mounting bracket according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the reinforcement plate is attached to the bracket body of the first bracket by welding. The connecting link mounting bracket according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: a second bracket attached to a central section of the longitudinal member of the subframe; a third bracket attached to a rear end of the longitudinal member of the subframe; a fourth bracket attached to a rear cross member of the subframe; and a fifth bracket attached to the rear cross member of the subframe. The connecting link mounting bracket according to claim 12, wherein the fourth bracket is located at an axial end of the rear cross member of the subframe and the fifth bracket is arranged on a side surface of the cross member of the subframe. The connecting link mounting bracket according to claim 12, wherein the first bracket, the second bracket, the third bracket, the fourth bracket and the fifth bracket are connected to the subframe body by welding. A subframe assembly comprising a subframe and the connecting link mounting bracket attached to the subframe according to any one of claims 1 to 14. The subframe assembly according to claim 15, wherein the subframe comprises a left longitudinal member, a right longitudinal member, a front cross member and a rear cross member, wherein the left longitudinal member, the right longitudinal member, the front cross member and the rear cross member form a one-piece frame structure; each of the central sections of the left longitudinal member and the right longitudinal member is provided with a clearance recess. The subframe assembly according to claim 16, wherein the rear cross member is provided with a through-hole and a clearance recess.

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