MOUNTING OF A HUB CARRIER PLATE AND VEHICLE WITH SUCH A MOUNTING

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a hub-carrying plate support for a deformable crossmember axle.

[0002] The present invention relates more particularly to such a hub-carrying plate support which is adapted to be fixed indifferently to one of the two longitudinal suspension arms of a deformable cross member axle.

[0003] The document FR-B1-3012372 describes a rear axle of a motor vehicle with two longitudinal suspension arms, each arm having a support for a hub carrier plate which are identical, therefore able to be mounted interchangeably on either of the two arms.

[0004] But the problem remains that when the vehicle has different track widths, the assembly consisting of the support and a hub carrier plate must be resized, increasing the diversity on these parts, its manufacturing price and poses logistical problems.

[0005] The device according to the invention makes it possible to remedy these drawbacks.

[0006] It comprises, according to the invention, a hub-carrying plate support adapted to be fixed indifferently to one of the two longitudinal suspension arms of a deformable cross member axle, such that said support comprises two first parts which have the same connection profile adapted to be fixed at choice on the same location of each of the two longitudinal suspension arms, each of the first two parts of the support being adapted to position the hub-carrying plate at two different distances from said longitudinal suspension arm.

[0007] According to a first feature of the invention, the support comprises two second parts adapted to receive the hub-carrying plate, a first or a second of said two second parts being used to receive said hub-carrying plate depending respectively on a first or a second of said two first parts which is secured on one of the two longitudinal suspension arms.

[0008] According to a second feature of the invention, the first of said first parts of the support juxtaposes the first of said second parts of the support, the second of said first parts of the support juxtaposes the second of said second parts of the support.

[0009] According to a third feature of the invention, the support is formed by a series of stamping and contouring operations from a single sheet metal plate.

[0010] According to a fourth feature of the invention, the support has a U-shaped form, the first two parts of said support being formed at the free ends of the two arms of the U, the first of said two second parts of the support being formed by a first lateral edge of the U, the second of said two second parts of the support being formed by the second opposite lateral edge of the U.

[0011] The present invention also relates to a deformable cross member axle comprising two longitudinal suspension arms, each longitudinal suspension arm comprising an assembly consisting of such a support and a hub-carrying plate.

[0012] The two hub-carrying plates are joined by welding onto, respectively, each of the two second parts of the support.

[0013] The two assemblies, each consisting of a support and a hub-carrying plate, are joined by welding onto each of the two longitudinal suspension arms, respectively.

[0014] The present invention finally relates to a vehicle which includes a rear axle for a motor vehicle equipped with such a deformable cross member axle.

[0015] The attached drawings illustrate the invention: [ Fig. 1 [ ] represents a perspective view of a rear axle of a vehicle with a deformable crossmember according to the invention. ] Fig. 2 [ ] represents a perspective view of a support for a rear axle hub-bearing plate according to the invention. Fig. 3 ] represents a side view of the support according to the invention.

[0016] With reference to these drawings, a rear axle of a vehicle with a deformable crossmember 1 is shown, which includes two longitudinal suspension arms 2, each longitudinal suspension arm 2 comprising an assembly consisting of a support 3 on which a hub carrier plate 4 is fixed.

[0017] The support 3 of the hub carrier plate 4 is adapted to be fixed indifferently on either of the two longitudinal suspension arms 2, with two first parts 31 which have the same connection profile adapted to be fixed at choice on the same location of each of the two longitudinal suspension arms 2 and two second parts 32 adapted to receive the hub carrier plate 4.

[0018] A first 32a or the second 32b of the two second parts 32 is used to receive the hub carrier plate 4 depending, respectively, on a first 31a or a second 31b of the two first parts 31 which is secured on one of the two longitudinal suspension arms 2.

[0019] Depending on whether we choose to secure the first 31a or the second 31b of the first two parts 31 of the support 3 on one of the two longitudinal suspension arms 2, the hub carrier 4 is positioned at two different distances from the longitudinal suspension arm 2.

[0020] This difference in distance is found on the two longitudinal suspension arms 2 depending on the choice of the first 31a or the second 31b of the first two parts 31 of the support 3 for the two supports 3, giving two track widths for the vehicle.

[0021] This asymmetry of support 3 is illustrated in the figure 3with a first distance d1 which measures the distance between an end of the first 31a of the first two parts 31 of the support 3 to a central part 33 of the support 3 and a distance d2 which measures the distance between an end of the second 31b of the first two parts 31 of the support 3 to the central part 33 of the support 3.

[0022] The difference between the distances d1 and d2 represents half of the variation in track width between the two possible mountings of the two supports 3 on the two longitudinal suspension arms 2.

[0023] As shown in these figures, the first 31a of the first parts 31 of the support 3 juxtaposes the first 32a of the second parts 32 of the support and the second 31b of the first parts 31 of the support 3 juxtaposes the second 32b of the second parts 32 of the support 3.

[0024] The support has a U-shape and is formed by a series of stamping and contouring operations from a single sheet metal plate.

[0025] The first two parts 31 of the support 3 are formed at the free ends of the two branches of the U and the first 32a of the two second parts 32 of the support 3 is formed by a first lateral edge of the U, the second 32b of the two second parts 32 of the support 3 being formed by the second opposite lateral edge of the U.

[0026] The two hub-carrying plates 4 are joined by welding to each of the two second parts 32 of the support 3.

[0027] The two assemblies, each consisting of a support 3 and a hub-carrying plate 4, are joined by welding to each of the two longitudinal suspension arms 2 respectively.

Claims

1. Support (3) for a hub-gate plate (4) adapted to be secured equally well to one of the two longitudinal suspension arms (2) of an axle with a deformable cross-member (1), said support (3) comprising two first parts (31) which comprise the same connection profile adapted to be secured as desired on the same location of each of the two longitudinal suspension arms (2), wherein the first parts (31) of the support (3) are asymmetrical and have a first distance (d 1) between an end of the first of said first parts (31 a) and a central part (33) of the support (3), and a second distance (d 2) between an end of the second of said first parts (31 b) and the central part (33), said two distances (d 1, d 2) being different.

2. Support (3) according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises two second parts (32) adapted to receive the hub-gate plate (4), a first (32a) or a second (32b) of said two second parts (32) of the support (3) being used to receive said hub-gate plate (4) as a function respectively of a first (31a) or a second (31b) of said two first parts (31) of the support (3) which is secured to one of the two longitudinal suspension arms (2).

3. Support (3) according to claim 2, characterised in that the first (31a) of said first parts (31) of the support (3) juxtaposes the first (32a) of said second parts (32) of the support (3), the second (31b) of said first parts (31) of the support (3) juxtaposing the second (32b) of said second parts (32) of the support (3).

4. Support (3) according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that it is made up of a series of tasks of stampings and trims from a single sheet metal plate.

5. Support (3) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the support has a U-shape, the first two parts (31) of said support (3) being formed at the level of the free ends of the two branches of the U.

6. Support (3) according to previous claim 1, wherein the first (32a) of said two second parts (32) of the support (3) is formed by a first lateral edge of the U, the second (32b) of said two second parts (32) of the support (3) being formed by the second opposite lateral edge of the U.

7. Axle with a deformable cross-member (1) comprising two longitudinal suspension arms (2), each longitudinal suspension arm (2) comprising an assembly consisting of a support (3) according to any one of the previous claims and a gate-hub plate (4).

8. Axle (1) according to previous claim 1, wherein the two gate-hub plates (4) are secured by welding to, respectively, each of the two second parts (32) of the support (3).

9. Axle (1) according to one of Claims 7 or 8, characterised in that the two assemblies each consisting of a support (3) and a hub-gate plate (4) are secured by welding to, respectively, each of the two longitudinal suspension arms (2).

10. Vehicle comprising a rear axle for a motor vehicle equipped with an axle with a deformable cross-member (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 9.