Vehicle having a chassis with cup reinforcement

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle (1) comprising a chassis (2) having a rear axle (3) secured thereto, said rear axle comprising a crossmember (4) and a suspension arm (5) on each side of the crossmember (4), the suspension arm (5) comprising, in the rear part, a wheel hub and, in the front part (6), a hinge (7) allowing the front part (6) of the suspension arm (5) to be secured to the chassis (2), the hinge (7) being secured to a securing cup (8) mounted on a rear axle support (9) connected to the chassis (2). The vehicle comprises a cup reinforcement (10) positioned between the securing cup (8) and the rear axle support (9).

Description

DESCRIPTION TITLE OF THE INVENTION: Vehicle comprising a chassis with cup reinforcement

[0001] The present invention claims priority from French application 2212194 filed on November 23, 2022, the content of which (text, drawings and claims) is incorporated herein by reference. The present invention relates to a vehicle which comprises a chassis on which is fixed a rear axle provided with a cross member.

[0002] The invention relates more particularly to a rear axle which comprises on each side of the cross member a longitudinal suspension arm comprising, in the rear part, a wheel hub and, in the front part, an articulation.

[0003] The joint allows the front part of the suspension arm to be secured to the chassis.

[0004] The chassis has a mounting cup mounted on a rear axle support connected to the chassis. The joint is partly housed in the mounting cup and includes mounting lugs for its attachment to an upper part of the mounting cup.

[0005] Electric vehicles include batteries which result in extra weight compared to a thermal vehicle.

[0006] This results in a greater force being exerted on the fixing cup which can deform and cause the joint to separate from the fixing cup.

[0007] The aim of the invention is therefore to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by proposing a vehicle which comprises a chassis fitted with a more resistant fixing cup.

[0008] To this end, the invention thus relates, in its broadest sense, to a vehicle comprising a chassis on which is fixed a rear axle comprising a cross member and a suspension arm on each side of the cross member. The suspension arm comprises, in the rear part, a wheel hub and, in the front part, an articulation making it possible to secure the front part of the suspension arm to the chassis. The articulation is fixed on a fixing cup mounted on a rear axle support connected to the chassis.

[0009] According to the invention, the vehicle comprises a cup reinforcement positioned between the fixing cup and the rear axle support.

[0010] The invention thus provides a vehicle which comprises a chassis fitted with a more resistant fixing cup.

[0011] The cup reinforcement prevents deformation of the fixing cup and prevents the joint from becoming detached from the fixing cup.

[0012] According to one variant, the fixing cup comprises a hollow base comprising an opening in which the joint is partially housed. The cup reinforcement comprises an orifice in which the hollow base is partially housed.

[0013] This configuration allows the fixing cup and especially the hollow base to be further reinforced.

[0014] According to another variant, the orifice of the cup reinforcement is delimited by a first peripheral edge surrounding the hollow bottom of the fixing cup.

[0015] According to another variant, the cup reinforcement is welded to the fixing cup.

[0016] According to another variant, the opening of the hollow bottom of the fixing cup is delimited by a second peripheral edge. The first peripheral edge of the cup reinforcement is welded to the second peripheral edge of the fixing cup at a first end of the cup reinforcement and at a second end of the cup reinforcement, opposite the first end.

[0017] Two welding zones are sufficient to ensure optimized fixation between the cup reinforcement and the fixing cup. Limiting the welding zones reduces manufacturing time.

[0018] According to another variant, the first peripheral edge comprises a rear edge running along an internal face of the hollow bottom. The rear edge is positioned at the first end of the cup reinforcement. The first peripheral edge comprises a first lateral edge running along a first lateral wall of the hollow bottom and a second lateral edge running along a second lateral wall of the hollow bottom. The first side border and the second side border are connected by a front border running along a front wall of the hollow bottom.

[0019] The cup reinforcement completely surrounds the hollow bottom, ensuring great strength for the fixing cup.

[0020] According to another variant, the rear edge of the cup reinforcement is attached to a rear edge of the second peripheral edge of the fixing cup. The second side edge and the front edge of the first peripheral edge of the cup reinforcement are connected to a first fold connected to a second fold. The folds are positioned at the second end of the cup reinforcement. The first fold is welded to a first front edge of the second peripheral edge of the fixing cup.

[0021] According to another variant, the first fold is perpendicular to the first lateral edge and extends towards the first front edge of the second peripheral edge of the fixing cup. The second fold is perpendicular to the first fold and extends in a direction opposite the hollow bottom.

[0022] According to another variant, the rear edge of the first peripheral edge of the cup reinforcement is inclined relative to the first lateral edge and the second lateral edge of the first peripheral edge.

[0023] The folds and this inclination allow the cup reinforcement to match the shape of the hollow base, ensuring optimized reinforcement.

[0024] According to another variant, the cup reinforcement is fixed to the rear axle support.

[0025] This ensures that the joint is held securely on the chassis.

[0026] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below, by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the appended figures in which:

[0027] [Fig.1] schematically illustrates a transparent view of a part of a vehicle comprising a chassis provided with a fixing cup reinforced by a cup reinforcement, according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0028] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates a detailed top view of the fixing cup reinforced by the cup reinforcement of Figure 1;

[0029] [Fig.3] schematically illustrates a detailed view of the underside of the fixing cup reinforced by the cup reinforcement of Figure 1.

[0030] Figure 1 illustrates a part of a vehicle 1 comprising a chassis 2 on which is fixed a rear axle 3 comprising a cross member 4 and a suspension arm 5 on each side of the cross member 4.

[0031] The terms "front" and "rear" are used in relation to the forward direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0032] The cross member 4 may be a deformable cross member. The suspension arm 5 comprises, in the rear part, a wheel hub and, in the front part 6, a joint 7 making it possible to secure the front part 6 of the suspension arm 5 to the chassis 2.

[0033] The fixing cup 8 comprises a hollow bottom 20 comprising an opening 21.

[0034] The opening 21 of the hollow bottom 20 of the fixing cup 8 is delimited by a second peripheral edge 29.

[0035] The articulation 7 comprises a head 30 partially housed in the opening 21 of the hollow bottom 20 and two fixing lugs 31 extending on each side of the articulation 7 and which are fixed on the second peripheral edge 29 of the fixing cup 8. The head 30 of the articulation 7 is opposite an external face 37 of the hollow bottom 20 and distant from this external face 37.

[0036] The fixing cup 8 is mounted on a rear axle support 9 fixed to the chassis 2.

[0037] The second peripheral edge 29 extends from the opening 21 of the hollow bottom 20 towards the outside of the hollow bottom 20.

[0038] The opening 21 of the hollow bottom 20 is formed by a first opening 33 delimited by a first peripheral edge portion 35 which is substantially parallel to a wall 38 of the rear axle support 9 on which the fixing cup 8 is mounted. The opening 21 of the hollow bottom 20 is also formed by a second opening 34 delimited by a second peripheral edge portion 36 which is inclined relative to the first peripheral edge portion 35.

[0039] The two fixing lugs 31 of the joint 7 are fixed to the first peripheral edge portion 35 by means of two fixing orifices 40 provided on each side of the first opening 33. The first peripheral edge portion 35 has a triangular shape and comprises a first front edge 27 and a second front edge 41 connected by a vertex 42, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0040] The head 30 of the joint 7 is housed partly in the first opening 33. The suspension arm 5 emerges through the second opening 34.

[0041] According to the invention, the vehicle 1 comprises a cup reinforcement 10 positioned between the fixing cup 8 and the rear axle support 9. The cup reinforcement 10 is positioned under the fixing cup 8, on the side of an internal face 32 of the fixing cup 8.

[0042] As illustrated in Figure 3, the cup reinforcement 10 comprises an orifice 22 partially receiving the hollow bottom 20. The orifice 22 of the cup reinforcement 10 is delimited by a first peripheral edge 23 surrounding the hollow bottom 20.

[0043] The cup reinforcement 10 is fixed to the fixing cup 8 by welding.

[0044] The fixing cup 8 is welded to the cup reinforcement 10 at two locations. The fixing cup 8 is welded to a first end 13 of the cup reinforcement 10 and to a second end 24 of the cup reinforcement 10, opposite the first end 13.

[0045] The first peripheral edge 23 comprises a rear edge 11 running along an inner face 12 of the hollow bottom 20. The rear edge 11 is positioned at the first end 13 of the cup reinforcement 10. The first peripheral edge 23 comprises a first lateral edge 14 running along a first lateral wall 15 of the hollow bottom 20 and a second lateral edge 16 running along a second lateral wall 17 of the hollow bottom 20. The first lateral edge 14 and the second lateral edge 15 are connected by a front edge 18 running along a front wall 19 of the hollow bottom 20.

[0046] A portion of the hollow bottom 39 passes through the orifice 22 and projects relative to the first peripheral edge 23. The internal face 12 of the hollow bottom 20 projects relative to the first peripheral edge 23.

[0047] The rear edge 11 of the cup reinforcement 10 is fixed to a rear edge 28 of the second peripheral edge 29 of the fixing cup 8. The second lateral edge 16 and the front edge 18 of the first peripheral edge 23 of the cup reinforcement 10 are connected to a first fold 25 connected to a second fold 26. The folds 25, 26 are positioned at the second end 24 of the cup reinforcement 10. The second fold 26 is welded to a first front edge 27 of the second peripheral edge 29 of the fixing cup 8.

[0048] The first fold 25 is perpendicular to the first lateral edge 14 and extends towards the first front edge 27 of the second peripheral edge 29 of the fixing cup 8.

[0049] The second fold 26 is perpendicular to the first fold 25 and extends in a direction opposite to the hollow bottom 20.

[0050] The rear edge 11 of the first peripheral edge 23 of the cup reinforcement 10 is inclined relative to the first lateral edge 14 and to the second lateral edge 16 of the first peripheral edge 23 to match the shape of the hollow bottom 20.

[0051] The second lateral edge 16 is extended by a rim 45 extending perpendicularly to the second lateral edge 16.

[0052] The cup reinforcement 10 is made of steel and may be between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm thick, for example, and preferably 2 mm thick.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Vehicle (1) comprising a chassis (2) on which is fixed a rear axle (3) comprising a cross member (4) and a suspension arm (5) on each side of the cross member (4), the suspension arm (5) comprising, in the rear part, a wheel hub and, in the front part (6), an articulation (7) making it possible to secure the front part (6) of the suspension arm (5) to the chassis (2), the articulation (7) being fixed on a fixing cup (8) mounted on a rear axle support (9) connected to the chassis (2), characterized in that it comprises a cup reinforcement (10) positioned between the fixing cup (8) and the rear axle support (9).

2. Vehicle (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the fixing cup (8) comprises a hollow bottom (20) comprising an opening (21) in which the articulation (7) is partially housed, the cup reinforcement (10) comprising an orifice (22) in which the hollow bottom (20) is partially housed.

3. Vehicle (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the orifice (22) of the cup reinforcement (10) is delimited by a first peripheral edge (23) surrounding the hollow bottom (20) of the fixing cup (8).

4. Vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cup reinforcement (10) is welded to the fixing cup (8).

5. Vehicle (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the opening (21) of the hollow bottom (20) of the fixing cup (8) is delimited by a second peripheral edge (29), the first peripheral edge (23) of the cup reinforcement (10) being welded to the second peripheral edge (29) of the fixing cup (8) at a first end (13) of the cup reinforcement (10) and at a second end (24) of the cup reinforcement (10), opposite the first end (13).

6. Vehicle (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the first peripheral edge (23) comprises a rear edge (11) running along an internal face (12) of the hollow bottom (20), the rear edge (11) being positioned at the first end (13) of the cup reinforcement (10), the first peripheral edge (23) comprising a first lateral edge (14) running along a first side wall (15) of the hollow bottom (20) and a second side edge (16) running along a second side wall (17) of the hollow bottom (20), the first side edge (14) and the second side edge (15) being connected by a front edge (18) running along a front wall (19) of the hollow bottom (20).

7. Vehicle (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the rear edge (11) of the cup reinforcement (10) is fixed to a rear edge (28) of the second peripheral edge (29) of the fixing cup (8), the second lateral edge (16) and the front edge (18) of the first peripheral edge (23) of the cup reinforcement (10) being connected to a first fold (25) connected to a second fold (26), the folds (25, 26) being positioned at the second end (24) of the cup reinforcement (10), the first fold (25) being welded to a first front edge (27) of the second peripheral edge (29) of the fixing cup (8).

8. Vehicle (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the first fold (25) is perpendicular to the first lateral edge (14) and extends towards the first front edge (27) of the second peripheral edge (29) of the fixing cup (8), the second fold (26) being perpendicular to the first fold (25) and extending in a direction opposite to the hollow bottom (20).

9. Vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the rear edge (11) of the first peripheral edge (23) of the cup reinforcement (10) is inclined relative to the first lateral edge (14) and to the second lateral edge (16) of the first peripheral edge (23).

10. Vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the cup reinforcement (10) is fixed to the rear axle support (9).

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