VEHICLE WHEEL TRIANGLE, WITH ARTICULATION FITTED ONTO A FIXING ROD VIA A RING

Abstract

A wheel triangle (TR) comprises a main part (PP) having a first end (E1) coupled to the hub of a vehicle wheel, a second end (E2) with a first joint (A1) coupled to the vehicle chassis, and a third end (E3) comprising a flattened mounting rod (TF) coupled to a second joint (A2) rotatably housed in a recess (EA) of a coupling part (PC) fixedly attached to the chassis. This second joint (A2) includes a first passage (P1) having a non-circular cross-section and into which a ring (BA) is fitted without rotation. The ring (BA) has a second passage (P2) allowing it to be fitted without rotation onto the mounting rod (TF). Figure to be published with the abbreviation: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: VEHICLE WHEEL TRIANGLE, WITH ARTICULATION FITTED ON A FIXING ROD VIA A RING Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to vehicles, generally of the automobile type, and more precisely to the wheel (or suspension) triangles which equip certain of these vehicles. State of the art

[0002] As is known to those skilled in the art, certain vehicles, generally of the automobile type, comprise, on the one hand, a chassis to which is coupled a front axle comprising two front right and left wheels each provided with a hub, and, on the other hand, two wheel triangles coupled respectively to the chassis and to the two hubs.

[0003] These wheel triangles (also called suspension triangles or suspension arms) comprise a main part generally having three ends. The first end is intended to be coupled to the hub of a front wheel of a vehicle. The second end is provided with a first articulation which is intended to be coupled to the chassis of the vehicle. The third end comprises a fixing rod to which is coupled a second articulation which is rotatably housed in a recess of a coupling part intended to be fixedly secured to the chassis.

[0004] In certain wheel triangles the fixing rod comprises a stop which prevents the second articulation from translating, and is attached, by welding or screwing, to the third end, as described in particular in patent document WO-A-2010105340. This requires not only carrying out an assembly operation, but also managing the stocks, transport and storage of the fixing rods.

[0005] In certain other wheel triangles the fixing rod is an integral part of the main part, and a stop, preventing the second articulation from translating, is added by welding to the non-free end of the fixing rod. The fixing rod having a circular section, the immobilization of the second articulation relative to it must be done by a force fitting using a press. In addition, it is necessary to carry out an additional operation to weld the stop.

[0006] The invention therefore aims in particular to improve the situation. Presentation of the invention

[0007] For this purpose, it proposes in particular a wheel (or suspension) triangle comprising a main part comprising:

[0008] - a first end intended to be coupled to a hub of a wheel of a vehicle,

[0009] - a second end provided with a first articulation intended to be coupled to a vehicle chassis, and

[0010] - a third end comprising a fixing rod to which is coupled a second articulation housed in rotation in a recess of a coupling part intended to be fixedly secured to the chassis.

[0011] This wheel triangle is characterized by the fact:

[0012] - that its fixing rod is flattened,

[0013] - that its second articulation comprises a first passage having a section transverse having a first non-circular shape, and

[0014] - that it comprises a ring having a transverse section having a second shape allowing it to be fitted without possible rotation in this first passage, and provided with a second passage allowing it to be fitted without possible rotation on the fixing rod.

[0015] Thus, the ring cannot be rotated relative to the flattened fixing rod, and the second joint cannot be rotated relative to the ring, and therefore the second joint cannot be rotated relative to the fixing rod.

[0016] The wheel triangle according to the invention may include other characteristics which may be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:

[0017] - its main part can be stamped in order to present peripheral edges raised and extending to one end of the fixing rod in order to define an anti-translation stop for the ring and the second articulation;

[0018] - the fixing rod may comprise an elongated rib defined by em stamping, and may have at the level of this elongated rib a transverse section having a third shape. In this case, the second passage has a transverse section having a fourth shape homologous to this third shape;

[0019] - the elongated rib can extend into the third end;

[0020] - the fixing rod may comprise a groove defined in the negative of the rib elongated and in which is partially housed a reinforcement intended to increase the rigidity of the fixing rod;

[0021] - the added reinforcement can, for example, be made of steel;

[0022] - the ring can, for example, be made of steel, aluminum or plastic;

[0023] - the first and second shapes can be rectangular.

[0024] The invention also proposes a vehicle, possibly of the automobile type, and comprising, on the one hand, a chassis to which is coupled a front axle comprising two front right and left wheels each provided with a hub, and, on the other hand, two wheel triangles of the type presented above and coupled respectively to the chassis and both hubs.

[0025] Brief description of the figure

[0026] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the attached drawing, in which:

[0027] [fig. 1] schematically illustrates an example of the embodiment of a wheel triangle according to the invention, during assembly. Detailed description of the invention

[0028] The invention aims in particular to propose a wheel (or suspension) triangle TR intended to equip a vehicle, and with articulation A2 fitted onto its fixing rod TF via a ring BA.

[0029] In the following, it is considered, by way of non-limiting example, that the wheel (or suspension) triangle TR is intended to equip a vehicle of the automobile type, such as for example a car. But the invention is not limited to this type of land vehicle. Indeed, the invention relates to any type of land vehicle comprising a chassis to which is coupled a front axle comprising two front right and left wheels each provided with a hub to be coupled to a wheel triangle, itself coupled to the chassis.

[0030] Figure 1 schematically illustrates an example of an embodiment of a wheel triangle TR according to the invention, during assembly.

[0031] As illustrated, a wheel triangle TR, according to the invention, comprises, once assembled, at least one main part PP, a ball joint LR, first Al and second A2 articulations, a coupling part PC, a fixing rod TF and a ring BA.

[0032] The main part PP has a generally triangular shape, hence the name wheel triangle, and therefore comprises first E1, second E2 and third E3 ends. It is for example made of metal, such as for example steel. Furthermore, it is preferably made by stamping for a reason which will be understood later.

[0033] The first end E1 is intended to be coupled to a hub of a wheel of a vehicle. For this purpose, it comprises a ball joint LR which is attached, for example by screwing, as illustrated non-limitingly in FIG. 1.

[0034] The second end E2 is provided with the first articulation Al, which is intended to be coupled to the chassis of the vehicle. For example, this first articulation Al may comprise a silentbloc® type cylinder made of rubber (possibly synthetic) or plastic. It will be noted that the first articulation Al may be secured to the second end E2 directly, or indirectly via a fixing part which is attached under the latter (E2).

[0035] The third end E3 comprises a flattened fixing rod TF to which the second articulation A2 is coupled. It will be understood that the fixing rod TF is an integral part of the main part PP of which it extends the third end E3.

[0036] The second articulation A2 is rotatably housed in a recess EA (adapted for this purpose) of the coupling part PC, which is intended to be fixedly secured to the chassis of the vehicle, for example by screwing. In addition, this second articulation A2 comprises a first passage PI which has a transverse section having a first non-circular shape (to prevent rotation).

[0037] This second articulation A2 has a cylindrical shape in order to be able to rotate in a cylindrical recess EA of the coupling part PC. It can, for example, be of the silentbloc® type made of rubber (possibly synthetic) or plastic material.

[0038] The PC coupling part may, for example, be made of metal. Thus, it may, for example, be made of aluminum or steel. This PC coupling part may, for example, be in the form of a hollow cylinder with a lateral tab allowing it to be fixed to a part of the chassis, as illustrated non-limitingly in FIG. 1.

[0039] The ring BA has a transverse section which has a second shape allowing it to be fitted without possible rotation in the first passage PI of the second articulation A2. In addition, this ring BA is provided with a second passage P2 which allows it to be fitted without possible rotation on the fixing rod TF.

[0040] Since the ring BA cannot be driven in rotation relative to the fixing rod TF because the latter (TF) is flattened, and since the second articulation A2 cannot be driven in rotation relative to the ring BA, the second articulation A2 cannot therefore be driven in rotation relative to the fixing rod TF. Furthermore, there is no longer any need to provide a welding operation to securely fasten the fixing rod to the main part, or means for immobilizing the second articulation relative to the fixing rod.

[0041] As mentioned previously, it is advantageous for the main part PP to be stamped in order to have raised peripheral edges RP extending to an end ET (not free) of the fixing rod TF in order to define an anti-translation stop for the ring BA and the second articulation A2. Thus, it is advantageous to avoid having to add an anti-translation stop by welding at the end ET. The anti-translation stop, thus defined by the free ends of the two peripheral edges RP, is in fact produced during the stamping operation of the main part PP.

[0042] For example, and as illustrated non-limitingly in FIG. 1, the fixing rod TF may comprise an elongated rib NL defined by stamping. This elongated rib NL is intended to increase the rigidity of the fixing rod TF and the retention (anti-rotation) of the ring BA. In this case, the fixing rod TF has at this elongated rib NL a transverse section having a third shape, and the second passage P2 of the ring BA has a transverse section which has a fourth shape homologous to this third shape. The third and fourth shapes being homologous (i.e. substantially identical), the retention (anti-rotation) of the ring BA relative to the fixing rod TF is further increased.

[0043] It will be noted that in order to further reinforce the rigidity of the fixing rod TF, it is advantageous for the elongated rib NL to extend into the third end E3, as illustrated non-limitingly in FIG. 1.

[0044] It will also be noted, although this does not appear in FIG. 1, that the fixing rod TF may comprise a groove defined as a negative of the elongate rib NL and in which is partially housed an added reinforcement which is intended to increase the rigidity of the fixing rod TF.

[0045] For example, this added reinforcement can be made of steel. Furthermore, this added reinforcement can, for example, be secured to the TF fixing rod by welding or gluing.

[0046] It will also be noted that the BA ring can, for example, be made of steel, aluminum or plastic.

[0047] It will also be noted, as illustrated non-limitingly in FIG. 1, that the first and second shapes, of the transverse sections respectively of the first passage PI and of the ring BA, may, for example, be rectangular. But other shapes preventing rotation may be envisaged.

Claims

Claims

1. Wheel triangle (TR) comprising a main part (PP) having a first end (El) intended to be coupled to a hub of a wheel of a vehicle, a second end (E2) provided with a first articulation (Al) intended to be coupled to a chassis of said vehicle, and a third end (E3) comprising a fixing rod (TF) to which is coupled a second articulation (A2) housed rotatably in a recess (EA) of a coupling part (PC) intended to be fixedly secured to said chassis, characterized in that said fixing rod (TF) is flattened, in that said second articulation (A2) comprises a first passage (PI) having a transverse section having a first non-circular shape, and in that it comprises a ring (BA) having a transverse section having a second shape allowing its fitting without possible rotation in said first passage (PI),and provided with a second passage (P2) allowing it to be fitted without possible rotation on said fixing rod (TF).,

2. Wheel triangle according to claim 1, characterized in that said main part (PP) is stamped in order to have raised peripheral edges (RP) extending to one end (ET) of said fixing rod (TF) in order to define an anti-translation stop for said ring (BA) and said second articulation (A2).

3. Wheel triangle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said fixing rod (TF) comprises an elongate rib (NL) defined by stamping, and has at the level of this elongate rib (NL) a transverse section having a third shape, and in that said second passage (P2) has a transverse section having a fourth shape homologous to said third shape.

4. Wheel triangle according to claim 3, characterized in that said elongate rib (NL) extends into said third end (E3).

5. Wheel triangle according to claim 4, characterized in that said fixing rod (TF) comprises a groove defined in the negative of said elongate rib (NL) and in which is partially housed an added reinforcement intended to increase the rigidity of said fixing rod (TF).

6. Wheel triangle according to claim 5, characterized in that said added reinforcement is made of steel.

7. Wheel triangle according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said ring (BA) is made of steel, aluminum or plastic.

8. Wheel triangle according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said first and second shapes are rectangular.

9. Vehicle comprising a chassis to which is coupled a front axle comprising two front right and left wheels each provided with a hub, characterized in that it further comprises two wheel triangles (TR) according to one of the preceding claims, coupled respectively to said chassis and to said hubs.

10. Vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that it is of the automobile type.

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