Chassis for a utility vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a chassis for a utility vehicle, said chassis having a control arm (8) with a mounting for attaching an axle element to the control arm (8). The aim of the invention is to allow the chassis to be adapted to different requirements in a simple manner. This is achieved in that the mounting is designed as a connecting piece (20) which has a flange surface (22) on the connecting piece side facing a wheel carrier (12), said flange surface being used to connect the connecting piece (20) to the wheel carrier (12) via a flange connection.

Description

[0001] Chassis for a commercial vehicle

[0002] The present invention relates to a chassis for a commercial vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a commercial vehicle with a corresponding chassis according to the preamble of claim 10.

[0003] DE 10 2014 218 328 A1 discloses an axle unit in which an axle stub is connected to an axle tube via a cross member. The purpose of this design is to better supply the axle stub with hydraulic fluid.

[0004] From the document DE 10 2011 086 480 A1, an axle unit for a commercial vehicle is known in which a first and a second axle element are attached to a control arm element. The control arm element has a connecting piece via which it is connected to the second axle element. By designing the second axle element as a stub axle and connecting it to the control arm element at a spatially offset location relative to the first axle element, the overall height and weight of the axle system can be reduced. From the document DE 10 2006 015 671 A1, a vehicle axle body with two control arms is known, to which wheel carriers for supporting the vehicle wheels are attached on the outside. The control arms are wider and higher in the connection area of ​​the wheel carriers in order to form a connecting piece there. The wheel carriers accommodate the bearings of the respective vehicle wheel. The wheel carriers are welded from the outside to a corresponding seat in the trailing arm.

[0005] The requirements for commercial vehicle chassis are becoming increasingly complex, as chassis are increasingly being adapted to the specific intended use of the vehicle. For example, both drum and disc brakes are being installed on commercial vehicles; in addition to hydraulic drives, electric drives are now also being used in commercial vehicle chassis. Different body types and payloads require different wheel sizes and correspondingly dimensioned bearings. To meet these diverse requirements, specialized axles must be manufactured for each application.

[0006] It is the object of the present invention to create a chassis for commercial vehicles which offers the possibility of adapting the chassis to different requirements in a simple manner.

[0007] The object is achieved for a generic chassis by the characterizing features of claim 1 and for the generic commercial vehicle by the characterizing features of claim 9. The flange surface forms an interface between a control arm and a

[0008] Wheel carriers. While the control arms can remain the same for different commercial vehicle requirements, it is possible to cover the different chassis requirements of commercial vehicles with differently designed wheel heads. This means that wheel heads can be connected to the control arm without their own drive, or with a hydraulic, mechanical, or electric drive. The drive power may also vary and require different component designs. The wheel heads can also incorporate step-up or step-down gears. The various wheel heads can also be equipped with different braking systems and / or differently dimensioned bearings.The various wheel heads form a kind of modular system through which a commercial vehicle, in particular a truck trailer, can be individually equipped with the components with which a customer wishes to have his trailer equipped.

[0009] Compared to previously known welded joints, the flange connection offers the advantage of being able to connect components quickly and cost-effectively, yet still withstand high loads. Assembly advantages arise from the fact that no welding distortion occurs in the components in the connection zone during assembly. Furthermore, no deburring or repainting work is required in the connection zone after the wheel carrier has been installed. Finally, the flange connection significantly simplifies any repair work that may become necessary.

[0010] The connecting piece can generally be designed in any suitable manner. The connecting piece can be formed in a side wall of the control arm, for example, by a special shape or a flange plate connected to the control arm. The flange plate can be formed in one or more parts. It has a suitable shape that is compatible with the complementary contact surface of the wheel carrier. The connecting piece can also be formed from a sheet metal or welded assembly that is attached to the control arm and firmly connected to it. Through-holes are formed in the material of the connecting piece through which bolts can be passed, connecting the control arm to a wheel carrier.

[0011] The control arms can be constructed in one or more parts. In a one-piece design, they extend from the pivot bearing to the axle bridge connection area as a welded assembly or as a single component cast from a single steel. In a multi-piece design, there are divisions between the individual parts of the control arms, where the individual parts are joined together to form a single control arm.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the connecting piece is designed as a tubular connecting section. Due to their shape, pipes have a high level of strength against acting loads. The connecting piece can, in particular, be a section of a cylindrically shaped pipe. They are therefore well suited to transferring the forces acting on the wheels when the commercial vehicle is moving to the control arm and thus to the frame of the commercial vehicle. Pipes are also easy to obtain as semi-finished products and can be cut to the appropriate length with little effort. One end of a pipe used as a connecting section can serve to form the flange surface thereon. For this purpose, the end of the pipe can be suitably formed and / or provided with a separate component that serves as a flange surface.In another section, for example, the outer surface or the end face of the tube can be welded or otherwise connected to adjacent components of the control arm. Using a tube as a connecting piece offers the additional advantage that its tubular shape defines a hollow space that can be used to route shafts, cables, and other lines through it to connect the wheel carrier to a mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic drive source and / or to transmit electrical signals, such as signals from temperature and / or speed and / or wear sensors, or control commands to actuators located in the wheel carrier.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the invention, the flange surface is designed as a flange ring that surrounds the connecting piece on the outside. A flange ring is a cost-effective and proven method for connecting highly stressed components reliably and durably. When a flange ring surrounds the connecting piece from the outside, the through-holes into which the screw bolts for connecting the wheel carrier to the control arm are inserted are easily accessible from the outside during assembly.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, the wheel carrier has an axle stub that is mounted on the connecting piece and the flange surface on the wheel side of the control arm, and a wheel bearing is mounted on the outer circumference of the axle stub. The axle stub supports the wheel bearing and transfers the forces acting on the respective wheel during ferry operation to the control arm. The axle stub has a suitable length and dimensions. It can be solid or hollow inside.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, the axle stub has a projection on its side facing the control arm, which, when the axle stub is in the assembled position, projects into a cavity formed in the connecting piece, wherein the outward-facing surface of the projection rests positively against the adjacent inner surface of the cavity and the axle stub is thereby supported in a position-centering manner on the inner wall of the connecting piece. The projection enlarges the contact surface on which the axle stub and the connecting piece touch each other. This allows greater forces to be transmitted, and the force transmission between the components is not limited solely to the flange surface. The projection can, in particular, be designed in a ring-like manner, so that the improved support is achieved over the entire circumference of the axle stub.According to one embodiment of the invention, the connecting piece has a shape on its outer circumference that ensures precise positioning of the connecting piece on the handlebar arm and a positive connection between the connecting piece and the side plate of the handlebar arm when assembling the handlebar arm with the connecting piece. This simplifies assembly, and the positive connection relieves stress on the remaining connection between the connecting piece and the handlebar arm.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the axle stub has a hollow space inside that extends the entire length of the axle stub. The hollow space can be open at its ends or sealed by a suitable seal.

[0017] The cavity in the axle stub can be used to pass shafts, cables and other lines through it in order to supply the wheel carrier with a mechanical, electrical, hydraulic or pneumatic drive source and / or to transmit electrical signals, such as the signals from temperature and / or speed and / or wear sensors or control commands to actuators located in the wheel carrier.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the invention, a drive shaft is passed through the hollow space of the axle stub, which protrudes beyond the wheel-side end of the axle stub on the wheel-side face of the cavity and is connected there to a wheel via an output. The output can be designed, for example, as a cardan shaft. The wheel body with a hollow axle stub, through which a drive shaft is passed, enables a mechanical drive of the wheel attached to the wheel body. The chassis for a commercial vehicle can thus be provided with its own drive. The drive motor and / or transmissions or differentials belonging to the drive can be arranged in particular below the frame of the commercial vehicle in an area between the control arms.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, the drive shaft is supported by a bearing which is arranged in the cavity formed in the connecting piece.

[0020] By supporting the drive shaft solely or additionally via a bearing located in the cavity formed in the connecting support, the drive shaft can operate with exceptional smoothness. Since the bearing, together with the connecting piece, moves up and down during the suspension's compression and rebound movements, the drive shaft is always held in a spatially correct position relative to the driven wheel. This also makes the drive highly reliable. The bearing at the end of the drive shaft is also capable of absorbing forces and vibrations generated by shafts connected to the drive side, thus protecting the drive shaft from excessive stress.

[0021] It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments of the invention can be combined individually or with each other with the subject matter of claim 1 and the remaining subclaims, provided there are no technical obstacles to this and no mandatory dependencies exist. Further modifications and embodiments of the invention can be found in the claims, the description, and the drawings.

[0022] The invention will be explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment. The figures show:

[0023] Figure 1 : an overall view of an electric drive train installed in a commercial vehicle from below,

[0024] Figure 2: an enlarged view of a landing gear from a perspective

[0025] View from above,

[0026] Figure 3: a view of the landing gear from below, and

[0027] Figure 4: a sectional view along line AA in Figure 3.

[0028] Fig. 1 shows an overall view of a commercial vehicle 2 in the form of a truck trailer, obliquely viewed from below, into which an electric drive train 200 is installed. The commercial vehicle 2 has a vehicle frame 4, which in the exemplary embodiment is supported on the ground by three chassis 6. The middle chassis 6 has the electric drive train 200; for the other two chassis 6, the axle bridge or axle is omitted for reasons of simplification of the drawing. At the front, the commercial vehicle 2 is placed with the kingpin K onto the fifth wheel coupling of a semi-trailer truck (not shown in detail in the drawing) and pulled over it.

[0029] The chassis 6 each have a control arm 8 on opposite sides of the vehicle frame 4, each of which is connected to the vehicle frame 4 via a pivot bearing 10 arranged in a holding device 16. A wheel carrier 12 is also attached to the control arm 8, to which the wheels of the commercial vehicle 2 can then be screwed. At their ends facing away from the pivot bearing 10, the control arms 8 are each supported on the vehicle frame 4 via a spring element 14. The control arms 8 thus rotate around the pivot bearings 10 during spring movements and thereby cushion against the restoring forces in the flexible spring elements 14.

[0030] Fig. 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of a chassis 6 from an oblique top view. The control arms 8 pivot with their bearing eyes 18 about the pivot bearings 10 in the holding devices 16, as indicated by the double arrows. Connecting pieces 20 are arranged on the control arms 8 at a first distance from the bearing eye 18 as a holder for connecting an axle element to the control arms 8. At a second distance from the bearing eye 18, a support section 24 is formed for connecting the control arm 8 to a spring element 14.

[0031] The connecting pieces 20 have a flange surface 22 on their respective sides facing a wheel carrier 12, via which the connecting piece 20 is connected to the wheel carrier 12 via a flange connection. The wheel carrier 12 thus forms an axle element within the meaning of the invention. The connecting piece 20 is designed as a tubular connecting section. The flange surface 22 is designed as a flange ring that surrounds the connecting piece 20 on the outside.

[0032] Fig. 3 shows the chassis 6 from below. This view shows that the connecting pieces 20 protrude outward from the control arms 8. The flange surfaces 22 are designed in a ring-shaped manner around the connecting pieces 20; in the exemplary embodiment, the control arms 8 are connected to one another by an axle bridge 26. The axle bridge 26 connects the control arms 8 in the area of ​​the support sections 24.

[0033] In Fig. 4, which shows a sectional view along the line AA in Fig. 3, it can be seen that the wheel carrier 12 has an axle stub 28 which is placed on the wheel side of the control arm 8 onto the connecting piece 20 and the flange surface 22, and a wheel bearing 30 is mounted on the outer circumference of the axle stub 28.

[0034] The axle stub 28 has, on its side facing the control arm 8, a projection 32 which, in the assembly position of the axle stub 28, projects into a cavity 34 formed in the connecting piece 20, wherein the outwardly facing surface of the projection 32 bears positively against the adjacent inner surface of the cavity 34 and the axle stub 28 is thereby supported on the inner wall of the connecting piece 20 in a position-centering manner.

[0035] The axle stub 28 also has a cavity 36 inside, which extends the length of the axle stub 28. The cavity 36 can be open at its end faces. A drive shaft 38 is passed through the cavity 36 of the axle stub 28. At the wheel-side end face of the cavity 36, this drive shaft protrudes beyond the wheel-side end of the axle stub 28 and is connected there via an output to a wheel. The drive shaft 38 is supported by a bearing 40, which is arranged in the cavity 34 formed in the connecting piece 20.

[0036] The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to modify the embodiment in a manner deemed appropriate to adapt it to a specific application.

[0037] List of reference symbols

[0038] commercial vehicle

[0039] vehicle frame

[0040] chassis

[0041] Control arm 0 Pivot bearing 2 Wheel carrier 4 Spring element 6 Holding device 8 Bearing eye 0 Connecting piece 2 Flange surface 4 Supporting section 6 Axle bridge 8 Axle stub 0 Wheel bearing 2 Projection 4 Cavity 6 Cavity

[0042] 38 Drive shaft 0 bearings

[0043] 200 electric drivetrain

[0044] K Kingpin

Claims

Patent claims 1. Chassis (6) for a commercial vehicle (2) with a control arm (8) which has a bearing eye (18) at a first end for pivotably mounting the control arm (8) in a frame-side holding device (16), a holder for connecting an axle element to the control arm (8) at a first distance from the bearing eye (18) and a support section (24) for connecting the control arm (8) to a spring element (14) at a second distance from the bearing eye (18), characterized in that the holder is designed as a connecting piece (20) which, on its side facing a wheel carrier (12), has a flange surface (22) via which the connecting piece (20) is connected to the wheel carrier (12) via a flange connection.

2. Chassis (6) according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting piece (20) is designed as a tubular connecting section.

3. Chassis (6) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the Flange surface (22) is designed as a flange ring which surrounds the connecting piece (20) on the outside.

4. Chassis (6) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wheel carrier (12) has an axle stub (28) which is placed on the wheel side of the control arm (8) on the connecting piece (20) and the flange surface (22), and a wheel bearing (30) is mounted on the outer circumference of the axle stub (28).

5. Chassis (6) according to claim 4, characterized in that the axle stub (28) has a projection (32) on its side facing the control arm (8) which, in the assembly position of the axle stub (28), projects into a cavity (34) formed in the connecting piece (20), wherein the outwardly facing surface of the projection (32) bears positively against the adjacent inner surface of the cavity (34) and the axle stub (28) is thereby supported in a position-centering manner on the inner wall of the connecting piece (20).

6. Chassis (6) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the connecting piece (20) has a shape on its outer circumference which, when assembling the control arm (8) with the connecting piece (20), ensures precise positioning of the connecting piece (20) on the control arm (8) and a positive connection between the connecting piece (20) and the side plate of the control arm (8).

7. Chassis (6) according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the axle stub (28) has a cavity (36) inside which extends over the length of the axle stub (28), the cavity (36) being open at its end faces.

8. Chassis (6) according to claim 7, characterized in that a drive shaft (38) is guided through the cavity (36) of the axle stub (28), which drive shaft projects beyond the wheel-side end of the axle stub (28) on the wheel-side end face of the cavity (36) and is connected there to a wheel via an output.

9. Chassis (6) according to claim 8, characterized in that the drive shaft (38) is supported by a bearing (40) which is arranged in the cavity (34) formed in the connecting piece (20).

10. Commercial vehicle (2) with a chassis (6) with a control arm (8) which has at a first end a bearing eye (18) for pivotably mounting the control arm (8) in a frame-side holding device (16), at a first distance from the bearing eye (18) a connecting piece (20) for connecting an axle body to the control arm (8) and at a second distance from the bearing eye (18) a support section for connecting the control arm (8) to an air spring element, characterized in that the chassis (6) is designed according to the characterizing features of claims 1 - 9.

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