Axle structure for a commercial vehicle chassis having an axle bridge

Abstract

The present invention relates to an axle structure (6) for a commercial vehicle chassis having a wheel axle (R), the spatial position of which is determined by axes of rotation of at least two wheels (16) arranged on opposite sides of the axle structure (6). In order to create an axle construction (6) that leaves sufficient installation space to provide the commercial vehicle (2) with an electric drive in the area of the axle construction (6) and that nevertheless enables safe driving behaviour and a high level of driving comfort, according to the invention the steering arms (8) on the side of the wheel axle (R) facing away from the pivot bearings (10) are connected to one another via an axle bridge (22) and a fastening bracket (24) for connecting steering rods (26) is formed in the centre area of the axle bridge (22).

Description

[0001] Axle construction for a commercial vehicle chassis with an axle bridge

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

[0003] A generic axle design with an axle bridge is known from DE 101 63 628 A1. The wheels are driven by a drive motor mounted on the wheel. The axle bridge is located below the wheel axle to enable the lowest possible entry in a low-floor bus.

[0004] DE 35 26 272 A1 discloses an axle design in which a hollow axle support supports the wheel carriers at its outer ends. The spring and damper elements are supported against the wheel carriers. The axle support is designed as a welded sheet metal box.

[0005] Wheel suspensions should ensure safe handling and mitigate any loss of ride comfort caused by uneven road surfaces. To achieve this, they must guide the wheels elastically during impacts without noticeably altering the chassis geometry, while offering the longest possible spring travel, dampening vibrations, and being as light as possible to keep unsprung masses to a minimum. A toe angle that is too large should be avoided, as this increases tire wear and causes uneven tire wear, particularly across their width. If the toe angle is too large, the driving forces can no longer be fully transferred to the road. Since these requirements sometimes contradict each other, design and tuning are always a compromise.

[0006] Recently, the additional problem has arisen that an axle design should allow the wheels supported by the axle to be driven by one or more electric motors. However, this poses the problem that the available installation space in a commercial vehicle is limited.

[0007] It is the object of the present invention to create an axle construction which leaves sufficient installation space to provide the commercial vehicle with an electric drive in the area of ​​the axle construction and which nevertheless enables safe driving behavior and a high level of driving comfort.

[0008] The problem is solved for the generic axle construction by the characterizing features of claim 1 and for the generic commercial vehicle by the characterizing features of claim 10. The control arms are each pivotally mounted in a pivot bearing arranged in a frame-side holding device. By connecting the control arms on the side of the wheel axle facing away from the pivot bearings via an axle bridge, improved tracking is achieved for the wheels attached to the wheel carriers. The two control arms, together with the axle bridge, form a U-shaped swing arm, to which the two wheels are held on opposite sides. The axle bridge effectively distributes the lateral forces acting on the axle construction when the commercial vehicle is moving between the two wheels and control arms.

[0009] 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.

[0010] The axle bridge is designed to allow one-sided compression or rebound of a control arm on one side of the vehicle without pulling or pushing the control arm on the other side upwards or downwards in the same way. Although the axle bridge is preferably designed to be rigid, it can - just like the control arms - perform a small amount of torsional movement when subjected to one-sided loads, thereby at least partially compensating for the acting forces. One-sided compression or rebound therefore remains possible. This is especially true if the bearing bushes of the pivot bearings, in which the control arms are held in a frame-side holding device after they have been installed in a commercial vehicle, are designed to be soft.

[0011] By locating the axle bridge on the side of the wheel axle facing away from the pivot bearings, the installation space in the area of ​​the wheel axle between the control arms remains free. This design eliminates the need for a conventional axle tube. This installation space can now be used for drive components of an electric drive system for the wheels supported by the axle structure.

[0012] In the center of the axle bridge, a mounting bracket is provided for attaching the control arms. These control arms can be used to adjust the toe, camber, splay, and caster. Toe describes the difference in length by which the two wheels of an axle are closer together at the front than at the rear. If the front wheels are closer together, this is referred to as "positive toe" or "toe-in"; conversely, this is referred to as "negative toe-in" or "toe-out." Camber, in turn, describes the angle of the wheel plane to a perpendicular line perpendicular to the vehicle's longitudinal axis, established at the contact point of the respective wheel. Splay, on the other hand, is the angle between the tilted axle and a perpendicular to the road surface perpendicular to the vehicle's longitudinal axis.

[0013] The payload can also be affected by an unsuitable design of the axle geometry.

[0014] This can lead to a change in the camber angle. The control arm struts thus make it possible to adjust the camber according to the payload normally transported. Cornering forces can only arise when a slip angle and / or camber are present when camber is present. Camber results in a favorable stress distribution of the tread particles in the tire contact patch. In multi-track vehicles such as commercial vehicles, basic camber and camber change are used to partially compensate for the camber angle to the road, which results at the outside wheel in a curve due to the vehicle's roll tendency. With independent wheel suspensions, the camber changes over the spring travel, depending on the axle principle and the kinematics of the axle. In contrast, with rigid axles, the camber to the road remains approximately constant when cornering.In an axle design in which a conventional axle tube has been replaced by an axle bridge that is offset by a certain amount from the wheel axis, the offset of the axle bridge from the wheel axis when cornering and one-sided compression and rebound movements of the wheels result in camber changes at the wheels caused by torsional movements in the control arms and / or the axle bridge. In an axle design for a driven axle in which a conventional axle tube is missing and the connection of the pivoting control arms to the attached driven wheels is established via an axle bridge that is offset from the wheel axis, additional guidance of the wheels and a solution for transmitting the wheel forces are therefore required. When designing axle designs for commercial vehicles, especially with air-sprung axle designs, it is also important to effectively dissipate the lateral forces that occur.This is especially true for driven axles in a vehicle, as the lateral forces would otherwise result in the semi-trailer no longer following the trajectory of the tractor unit.

[0015] The initial adjustment of the desired wheel geometry to a specific value when assembling the axle structure on a commercial vehicle and the maintenance of the desired wheel camber, wheel track, wheel spread, and wheel lead and caster of the driven wheels while the commercial vehicle is moving, as well as the transmission and compensation of the wheel forces occurring while the commercial vehicle is moving, is now possible using the control arm struts, which can be connected to the axle bridge via the mounting bracket. To hold the wheels in the desired geometry and absorb the forces occurring when the commercial vehicle is moving, the mounting bracket is designed in the central area of ​​the axle bridge. Control arm struts can be attached to the mounting bracket at their first end, and their second end is connected to one of the control arms.The forces acting on the control arms during cornering or due to the payload are transferred via the control arms to the mounting bracket on the axle bridge. The axle bridge thus has a stabilizing effect. The control arms transfer the forces acting on them from the control arms to the wheels and the vehicle frame.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the mounting bracket is designed as a projection located below the upper edge of the axle bridge, extending in a direction transverse to the direction of extension of the axle bridge. Due to the projection located below the upper edge of the axle bridge, the control arms can engage the axle bridge at a height that is lower than the upper edge of the axle bridge. The resulting longer lever allows the control arms to absorb greater forces.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the invention, the control arms have a length adjustment device. The control arms make it possible to adjust the camber, toe, spread, and caster of the wheels of the axle assembly to a desired value after the axle assembly has been mounted on a commercial vehicle. The control arms can have a suitable fixed length. However, it is also possible to make the geometry of the wheels adjustable by adjusting the length of the control arms with the length adjustment device to a length that matches the desired wheel geometry. The length adjustment can be achieved, for example, by telescopic tubes that can be locked in a specific extended position, by a length-adjustable clamping screw, or by other suitable length adjustment devices.The length of the control arms, which are equipped with a length adjustment device, can be adjusted to a desired value not only during assembly of the axle assembly on a vehicle, but also subsequently during vehicle use. This makes it possible to adapt the axle geometry to the vehicle's usual load.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the invention, fastening elements for fastening handlebar struts are formed on the projection, the pulling direction of which consists of a

[0019] View from above, at an angle of < 45° and > 0° to the direction of extension of the axle bridge. The alignment of the pulling direction of the fastening elements within the specified angular range can be achieved by aligning the fastening elements at an appropriate angle to a retaining plate to which the fastening elements are attached, and / or by arranging the retaining plate to which the fastening elements are attached at an angle to the direction of extension of the axle bridge from which the specified pulling direction angle results.Due to the pulling direction of the control arm struts, which are aligned at an angle of < 45° to the direction of extension of the axle bridge when viewed from above, each control arm strut, the section of the axle bridge braced by the respective control arm strut and the section of the control arm between its connection to the axle bridge and the point at which the respective control arm strut engages the control arm form a force triangle across which the forces acting on these components are well distributed. The control arm struts can therefore effectively support the axle bridge in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and keep the wheels in a desired geometric alignment when the commercial vehicle is moving. Because the angle is > 0°, the control arm struts can transfer not only transverse forces from the axle bridge to the frame, but also longitudinal forces.The fastening elements can, for example, be designed as screw bolts onto which a handlebar strut can be screwed. However, hook-like fastening elements or other suitable fastening elements can also be provided. Other fastening elements, such as screw connections through suitably designed connection points, can also be used.According to one embodiment of the invention, fastening elements for fastening control arm struts are formed on the projection on opposite sides, to which at least one control arm strut on each side of the projection is rotatably and / or articulately connected to the associated fastening element(s). In the assembled and rest position of the axle structure in a commercial vehicle, this control arm strut extends from the associated fastening element to the connection point of the control arm on the control arm associated with this control arm at an angle of attack that deviates by an angular dimension from the direct line between the associated fastening point and the wheel center point in the associated wheel. By arranging the fastening elements on opposite sides of the projection, it is possible to transfer the transverse forces acting on the axle structure when the vehicle is cornering to both sides of the vehicle frame.Depending on the direction of the lateral force acting, the fastening elements located on the first side of the projection are subjected to tensile loads, while those located on the second side are subjected to compressive loads. The introduction of the lateral forces into the vehicle frame from both sides provides excellent support for the axle structure when cornering.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the invention, at least two control arm struts are arranged on each side of the projection, connecting the projection from a respective fastening element to an associated control arm, and the control arm struts are aligned such that the first of the two control arm struts deviates upwards towards the control arm from the direct line between the associated fastening point and the wheel center in the associated wheel, and the second of the two control arm struts deviates downwards towards the control arm from the direct line between the associated fastening point and the wheel center in the associated wheel. With this specific arrangement, the at least two control arm struts move in opposite directions upon deformation of the control arms and the axle bridge, thereby generating a tilting moment on the respective control arm and thus also on the wheel attached to it.This tilting moment can be used to hold the wheel in a desired geometric setting.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, the control arm struts are connected to the axle bridge and the control arm at a first end by a molecular joint and at a second end by an axial joint. Molecular joints, which are used in axle struts, control arms, or the like, particularly in motor vehicles, and include a rubber-like, elastic joint body, are well known. In general, molecular joints enable a high level of driving comfort, are insensitive to external influences such as dirt, and are maintenance-free. A molecular joint consists of an internally essentially cylindrical housing, a pivot pin located approximately in the center of the housing, and a sleeve-shaped joint body made of an elastomeric material. The joint body is arranged between the housing and the pivot pin, firmly adhering to both components and provided with a preload.The adjacent surfaces of the housing and the pivot pin are shaped such that the joint body does not fully contact the housing when the joint is at rest. For this purpose, a material recess is formed, preferably in the central region of the housing, which creates a free space between the housing and the joint body. This free space reduces the preload of the joint body, thus achieving a variable characteristic behavior of the molecular joint, in particular a progressive spring characteristic of the elastic joint body, so that a low spring rate results in a large deflection under a low load, and a high spring rate results under a high load with a relatively small deflection.This allows for soft damping and suspension of vehicle movements at low deflections, as well as hard response at high loads, such as those caused by rapid driving or braking maneuvers or poor road surface quality. An axial joint enables linear transmission of forces in the vehicle and is used wherever mobility along the axle is required. The axial joint, in particular, allows the control arm struts to be mounted even when larger manufacturing tolerances occur, which cannot be avoided with this large, welded construction.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the invention, the control arms and the axle bridge are each connected to one another by at least three screw connections. If the wheel axle is offset from an axle bridge in an axle structure, high shear and tensile forces arise in the transition area between the control arms and the axle bridge when the commercial vehicle equipped with the axle structure corners and / or the control arms compress or extend. A screw connection offers advantages over conventional welded connections. However, to ensure the screw connection is sufficiently resilient, at least three screw connections are required to connect a control arm to an axle bridge sufficiently firmly and durably.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the invention, the outer ends of the axle bridge have two plates arranged at a distance from one another, which are in an at least approximately horizontal orientation when the axle structure is mounted on a vehicle, wherein at least one sleeve is arranged between the two plates, the central longitudinal axis of which extends in an at least approximately vertical direction when the axle structure is installed in a vehicle, at least one of the two plates has a through-opening in the extension of the central longitudinal axis of the sleeve, through which a screw bolt fitting into the sleeve is passed, an intermediate space is formed between the two plates and one end of the sleeve, into which a connecting element of a control arm is inserted, the connecting element of the control arm also has a through-opening in the extension of the central longitudinal axis of the sleeve,through which the screw bolt fitting into the sleeve is passed, and at least the side of one of the two plates facing away from the sleeve has a clamping surface against which a screw nut or a screw head of the screw bolt is screwed. With the construction described above, the axle bridge and the control arms can be firmly connected to one another in a simple manner, in particular by means of an advantageous screw connection that allows separate assembly and disassembly of the components. The sleeve can be designed as a simple clamping sleeve or as a screw sleeve with an internal thread. The sleeve can be firmly connected to one plate, for example by a welded connection, and the screw connection is then made against the other plate, or the sleeve can be placed onto a screw bolt as a simple spacer sleeve.which clamps the two plates together. The connecting element of the control arm can be a plate-shaped leg of the control arm, which is inserted into the space between the sleeve and the second plate and then bolted to the axle bridge with the screw bolt inserted through the through-hole. Of course, more than one sleeve can be provided at the ends of the axle bridge, with a number of through-holes corresponding to the number of sleeves used, so that the control arm belonging to one end of the axle bridge can be connected to it via several screw bolts. By connecting the control arm to the axle bridge using several screw bolts, a sufficiently strong, durable, and maintenance-free connection between the two components can be created.

[0024] It is pointed out that the above-mentioned embodiments of the invention can be combined individually, but also with each other, with the subject matter of claim 1 and the other subclaims, provided that there are no technical obstacles to this and no mandatory dependencies exist.

[0025] Further modifications and embodiments of the invention can be

[0026] The invention will be explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment. They show:

[0027] Figure 1 : an overall view of an electric drive train installed in a commercial vehicle from below,

[0028] Figure 2: a view of the axle construction from above,

[0029] Figure 3: a view of the axle construction from behind,

[0030] Figure 4: an enlarged view of an outer end of the axle bridge, and

[0031] Figure 5: the representation of an outer end of the axle bridge with a screw connection shown in Figure 4.

[0032] Figure 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 via three axle structures 6. The middle axle structure 6 has the electric drive train 200; in the other two axle structures, the axle bridge or axle is omitted for reasons of simplification of the drawing. At the front, the commercial vehicle is placed with the kingpin K on the fifth wheel coupling of a semi-trailer truck (not shown in detail in the drawing) and pulled over it.

[0033] The axle structures 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 support bracket. 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.

[0034] Fig. 2 shows a view of the axle structure 6 from above. In this view, the wheel axle R is clearly visible, the spatial position of which is determined by the axes of rotation of at least two wheels 16 arranged on opposite sides of the axle structure 6. The wheels 16 are each held by a wheel carrier 12 on a control arm 8 connected to it. The control arms 8 are arranged at a distance from one another along the wheel axis R and are each aligned in a direction transverse to the wheel axis R. The control arms 8 each have a pivot bearing 10 at a first end, an interface 18 for connecting a wheel carrier 12 to the respective control arm 8 at a first distance from the pivot bearing 10, and a support section 20 for connecting the respective control arm 8 to a spring element 14 at a second distance from the pivot bearing 10. The control arms 8 are connected to one another by an axle bridge 22 on the side of the wheel axle R facing away from the pivot bearings 10.The control arms 8 are also connected to the axle bridge 22 in the area of ​​the support sections 20 for connecting the respective control arm 8 by a spring element 14. In the central area of ​​the axle bridge 22, a fastening bracket 24 is formed for connecting control struts 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the fastening bracket 24 is formed as a projection V arranged below the upper edge of the axle bridge 22, which extends in a direction transverse to the direction of extension of the axle bridge 22. Fastening elements 28a for fastening control struts 26 are formed on the projection V, the pulling direction of which, when viewed from above, is aligned at an angle a < 45° and > 0° to the direction of extension of the axle bridge 22.

[0035] 2 and 3, at least two control arm struts 26 are arranged on each side of the projection V, which connect the projection V from a respective fastening element 28a to an associated control arm 8, and the control arm struts 26 are aligned such that the first of the two control arm struts 26 deviates upwards towards the control arm 8 from the direct line between the associated fastening point on the fastening element 28a and the wheel center point in the associated wheel 16, and the second of the two control arm struts 26 deviates downwards towards the control arm 8 from the direct line between the associated fastening point on the fastening element 28a and the wheel center point in the associated wheel 16.On the projection V, fastening elements 28a for fastening control arms 26 are formed on opposite sides, to which at least one control arm 26 on each side of the projection V is rotatably and / or articulately connected to the associated fastening element(s) 28a. In the assembled and rest position of the axle structure 6 in a commercial vehicle, this control arm 26 extends from the associated fastening element 28a to the connection point of the control arm 8 associated with this control arm 26 at an angle of attack that deviates by an angular dimension from the direct line between the associated fastening point and the wheel center point in the associated wheel 16. The control arms can have a length adjustment device so that they enable individual adjustment of the chassis.The control arm struts 26 are connected to the axle bridge 22 and the control arm 8 at a first end with a molecular joint 62 and at a second end with an axial joint 64.

[0036] Fig. 3 shows a rear view of the axle structure. This view shows that the axle bridge 22 is designed as a box-like welded construction with a base plate 30, a cover plate 38, and two side plates 40. The base plate 30 on the underside of the axle bridge 22 extends across the width of the axle bridge 22 in an at least approximately constant plane. The side plate 40, and thus the axle bridge 22, have a greater overall height H in their central section than in the outer edge areas.

[0037] A fastening element 28b for connecting a track guidance device 32 is formed on the axle bridge 22. In the exemplary embodiment, the track guidance device 32 is designed as a Watt linkage. The fastening element 28b is a shaft onto which the joint plate 34 is rotatably mounted. The inner ends of the two wishbones 36 are connected to the joint plate 34 via pivot joints. The outer ends of the wishbones 36 are each connected to a control arm. A tilting movement of one control arm 8 in a direction transverse to the direction of travel is transmitted to the other control arm 8 via the Watt linkage.

[0038] In Fig. 4, an enlarged view of an outer end of the axle bridge 22 shows that this end has two plates 42a, 42b arranged at a distance from one another, which are in an at least approximately horizontal orientation when the axle structure 6 is mounted on a vehicle 2. At least one sleeve 44 is firmly connected to the first plate 42a, the central longitudinal axis L of which, shown in dashed lines in Fig. 4, extends in an at least approximately vertical direction when the axle structure 6 is installed in a vehicle 2. Both plates 42a, 42b have a through-opening 46 in the extension of the central longitudinal axis L of the sleeve 44, through which a screw bolt 48 fitting into the sleeve 44 can be passed. Between the two plates 42a, 42b and one end of the sleeve 44, an intermediate space 50 is formed, into which a connecting element 52 of a control arm 8 is inserted.The connecting element 52 of the control arm 8 also has a through-opening 46 in the extension of the central longitudinal axis L of the sleeve 44, through which the screw bolt 48 fitting into the sleeve 44 is passed, as shown in Fig. 5. In the exemplary embodiment, both sides of the two plates 42a, 42b facing away from the sleeve 44 have a clamping surface 54 against which a screw nut or a screw head of the screw bolt 48 is screwed. If a screw bolt 48 is screwed to a screw sleeve 44 welded to the inside of one of the two plates 42a, 42b, it is of course sufficient if only the plate 42a, 42b not welded to the screw sleeve 44 has a clamping surface 54. The control arms 8 and the axle bridge 22 are each connected to one another by at least three screw connections.

[0039] Fig. 5 further shows that the axle bridge 22 has, at the outer end shown there, a fastening means for connecting to an air spring bellows as an example of a spring element 14. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the fastening means are the two screw holes 56, via which an air spring bellows can be screwed to the axle structure 6. The end of the axle bridge 22 shown in Figs. 4 and 5, together with the two plates 42a, 42b and the connecting element 52, forms a connecting node 58, via which the axle bridge 22 is connected to both the control arm 8 and the air spring bellows. In the exemplary embodiment, a bellows carrier 60 is placed on the upper of the two plates 42a, 42b located at one end of the axle bridge 22 and is firmly connected to the axle bridge 22.

[0040] 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.

[0041] commercial vehicle

[0042] vehicle frame

[0043] Axle construction

[0044] handlebar arm

[0045] swivel bearing

[0046] wheel carrier

[0047] spring element

[0048] wheel

[0049] Interface for connecting a wheel carrier

[0050] supporting section

[0051] axle bridge

[0052] Mounting bracket

[0053] Handlebar stays

[0054] Fastening element

[0055] base plate

[0056] Lane guidance devices

[0057] Joint plate

[0058] wishbone

[0059] cover plate

[0060] side panel

[0061] Plate 4 Sleeve 6 Feedthrough opening 8 Screw bolt

[0062] 50 space

[0063] 52 connecting element

[0064] 54 clamping surface

[0065] 56 screw hole

[0066] 58 connection nodes

[0067] 60 bellows supports

[0068] 62 Molecular joint

[0069] 64 Axial joint

[0070] 200 electric drivetrain

[0071] R wheel axle

[0072] V Lead

[0073] L Central longitudinal axis

Claims

Patent claims 1. Axle construction (6) for a commercial vehicle chassis with a wheel axle (R), the spatial position of which is determined by the axes of rotation of at least two wheels (16) arranged on opposite sides of the axle construction (6). The wheels (16) are each held by a wheel carrier (12) on a control arm (8) connected thereto. The control arms (8) are arranged spaced apart from one another along the wheel axis (R) and are each aligned in a direction transverse to the wheel axis (R). The control arms (8) each have a pivot bearing (10) at a first end. At a first distance from the pivot bearing (10), an interface (18) for connecting a wheel carrier (12) to the respective control arm (8), and at a second distance from the pivot bearing (10), a support section (20) for connecting the respective control arm (8) to a spring element (14), characterized in thatthat the control arms (8) on the side of the wheel axle (R) facing away from the pivot bearings (10) are connected to one another via an axle bridge (22) and in the central region of the axle bridge (22) a fastening bracket (24) is formed for connecting control struts (26).

2. Axle construction according to claim 1, characterized in that the fastening bracket (24) is designed as a projection (V) arranged below the upper edge of the axle bridge (22) and extending in a direction transverse to the direction of extension of the axle bridge (22).

3. Axle construction according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control arm struts (26) have a length adjustment device.

4. Axle construction according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that fastening elements (28a) for fastening control arm struts (26) are formed on the projection (V), the pulling direction of which, when viewed from above, is aligned at an angle (a) < 45° and > 0° to the direction of extension of the axle bridge (22).

5. Axle construction according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that fastening elements (28a) for fastening control rods (26) are formed on the projection (V) on opposite sides, to which at least one control rod (26) on each side of the projection (V) is rotatably and / or articulately connected to the associated fastening element(s) (28a), and this control rod (26) extends from the associated fastening element (28a) in the assembly and rest position of the axle construction (6) in a commercial vehicle up to the connection point of the control rod (26) on the control arm (8) associated with this control rod (26) at an angle of attack which is one angle away from the direct line between the corresponding attachment point and the wheel center in the corresponding wheel (16).

6. Axle construction according to claim 5, characterized in that on each side of the projection (V) at least two control arm struts (26) are arranged, which connect the projection (V) from a respective fastening element (28a) to an associated control arm (8), and the control arm struts (26) are aligned such that the first of the two control arm struts (26) deviates upwards from the direct line between the associated fastening point and the wheel center in the associated wheel (16) towards the control arm (8) and the second of the two control arm struts (26) deviates downwards from the direct line between the associated fastening point and the wheel center in the associated wheel (16) towards the control arm (8).

7. Axle construction according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control arm struts (26) are connected to the axle bridge (22) and the control arm (8) at a first end by a molecular joint (62) and at a second end by an axial joint (64).

8. Axle construction according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control arms (8) and the axle bridge (22) are each connected to one another by at least three screw connections.

9. Axle construction according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outer ends of the axle bridge (22) have two plates (42a, 42b) arranged at a distance from one another, which are in an at least approximately horizontal orientation when the axle construction (6) is mounted on a vehicle (2), wherein at least one sleeve (44) is arranged between the two plates (42a, 42b), the central longitudinal axis (L) of which extends in an at least approximately vertical direction when the axle construction (6) is installed in a vehicle (2), at least one of the two plates (42a, 42b) has a through-opening (46) in the extension of the central longitudinal axis of the sleeve (44), through which a screw bolt (48) fitting into the sleeve (44) is passed, an intermediate space (50) is formed between the two plates (42a, 42b) and one end of the sleeve (44), into which intermediate space a connecting element (52) of a handlebar arm (8) is inserted,the connecting element (52) of the control arm (8) also has a through-opening (46) in the extension of the central longitudinal axis of the sleeve (44), through which the screw bolt (48) fitting into the sleeve (44) is passed, and at least the side of one of the two plates (42a, 42b) facing away from the sleeve (44) has a clamping surface (54) against which a screw nut or a screw head of the screw bolt (48) is screwed.

10. Commercial vehicle (2) with an axle construction (6) for a commercial vehicle chassis with a wheel axle (R), the spatial position of which is determined by axes of rotation of at least two wheels (16) arranged on opposite sides of the axle construction (6), the wheels (16) are each held by a wheel carrier (12) on a control arm (8) connected thereto, the control arms (8) are arranged along the Wheel axle (R) arranged at a distance from one another and each aligned in a direction transverse to the wheel axle (R), the control arms (8) each have a pivot bearing (10) at a first end, an interface (18) for connecting a wheel carrier (12) to the respective control arm (8) at a first distance from the pivot bearing (10) and a support section (20) for connecting the respective control arm (8) to a spring element (14) at a second distance from the pivot bearing (10), characterized in that the axle construction (6) is designed according to the characterizing features of claims 1 - 9.

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