"Rear suspension especially for a commercial vehicle equipped with a cargo compartment"

Description

DESCRIPTION of the industrial invention entitled: “Rear suspension in particular for a commercial vehicle equipped with a cargo compartment”, by: Stellantis Europe SpA, Italian nationality, Corso Giovani Agnelli 200, 10135 Turin TO. Designated Inventors: FRIGERIO Fausto; SANDRI Silvano; LA MONTAGNA Philip. Filed on: August 27, 2024 **** DESCRIPTION TEXT Field of invention The present invention relates to a rear suspension for motor vehicle, in particular for a commercial vehicle equipped with a storage compartment load, where the rear suspension comprises a pair of wishbones longitudinal. Known technique In the field of commercial vehicles equipped with a cargo compartment for the transport of goods to be delivered, the builders must build the structure of the vehicle taking into account the expected dimensions and installation spaces necessary for the preparation of the rear suspension system. To this end purpose, the side members are commonly made to form a rectilinear central main portion of substantially constant height with respect to the ground, and a terminal rear portion which is substantially more raised. Consequently, the loading floor includes a central main portion and a rear portion which must be slightly raised compared to the main central portion, in accordance with to the characteristics of the side members. These solutions are not, however, fully satisfactory, as it is desirable that the loading surface is substantially at a constant height along the entire length of the floor load in the compartment (so you want a non-raised loading platform along the the aforementioned rear portion), thus ensuring loading and unloading operations from the compartment more convenient for the operators, and increasing consequently also the overall loading volume, thanks to the size increased vertical height of the cargo area. Purpose and summary of the invention The purpose of the present invention is to propose a suspension rear of motor vehicle, in particular for a commercial vehicle equipped with a cargo space, which can meet the aforementioned needs. A further object of the invention is to provide a suspension rear that is overall simple and low cost. According to the forms of implementation described below, these purposes are achieved thanks to a rear suspension for a motor vehicle having the features referred to in the following claims. Claims form an integral part of the teachings here administered in relation to the forms of implementation of the solutions described here. Brief description of the attached figures One or more forms of implementation will now be described, purely by way of example. non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings, where: - Figure 1A schematically illustrates a top view of a frame for motor vehicles, according to possible forms of implementation, - Figure 1B is an enlarged scale view of some components of the previous figure, - figure 2 schematically illustrates a side view of a frame for motor vehicles, according to possible forms of implementation, - Figure 3 is an enlarged scale view of a rear wheel of motor vehicle and its chassis including a loading floor, according to possible forms of implementation, - Figures 4A, 4B, 4C, illustrate some features of a system of rear suspension and a related longitudinal suspension arm, according to possible forms of implementation, and - Figure 5 is a sectional view of a longitudinal arm of suspension connected to a connecting crossbar, according to possible forms of implementation. Detailed description In the following description, various details specific to this purpose are illustrated to provide an in-depth understanding of various examples of embodiments as per the description. Implementation forms may be obtained without one or more of the specific details, or with other processes, components, materials, etc. In other cases, known structures, materials or operations are not illustrated or described in detail so that the various aspects of the forms of implementation are not made unclear. A reference to “an implementation form” or “a solution” in the framework of this description is intended to indicate that a particular configuration, structure or feature described in relation to the embodiment is included in at least one form of implementation or solution. Phrases like “in one form of embodiment” or “in one solution” that can being present in various points of this description do not therefore make necessarily referring to exactly the same form of implementation or solutions. Furthermore, particular conformations, structures or characteristics can be combined in any suitable way in one or more embodiments or solutions. The references used here are provided simply for convenience and therefore they do not define the scope of protection or the extent of the forms of implementation. Again, in the various figures, similar references are used to indicate similar parts or elements, without repeating the relevant description for brevity's sake each figure. With reference to the attached drawings, the present invention relates to a rear suspension for a motor vehicle, especially for a vehicle commercial vehicle equipped with a cargo compartment for the transport of goods from deliver, including a loading floor 1 and two side members 2. As illustrated in Figure 3, the vehicle may comprise a structure of support 1' located under a part of the loading floor 1, arranged for the installation of a traction battery pack. As illustrated in figures 1A,2, the rear suspension comprises a pair of longitudinal suspension arms 4 each having a body main longitudinal that extends externally with respect to a respective side member 2. With particular reference to figures 2,3, each longitudinal arm 4 comprises opposite ends respectively connected to a group shock absorber 5 and to a rear wheel 6 of the vehicle. According to a further feature illustrated, in particular in figures 1A,3 The suspension includes an extended 7-link crossbar transversely under the loading floor 1, connected to the longitudinal arms of suspension 4. As is evident from the following description, the bar cross-connection 7 is a hollow bar. With reference to figure 1B, the connecting crossbar 7 is It consists of two symmetrical parts 7s and 7d connected to each other by a central connecting component 77 (detailed in Figure 1B). Each part 7s and 7d ends with a respective 7' end connected to a fulcrum 8 of the respective longitudinal arm 4 through the interposition of a component (low friction bearing) 8' (illustrated in figure 5). It will therefore be appreciated that the fulcrum 8 of the longitudinal arm 4 is located on the longitudinal main body of the arm, between the opposite ends connected to the shock absorber group 5 and the rear wheel 6. According to a further feature illustrated in figures 1A,5, the bar transverse connecting rod 7 includes an elastic device 9 inside it configured as a torsion bar. Referring to Figure 1B, note that also the crossbar 7 consists of two symmetrical parts 7s, 7d connected mutually via the central connecting component 77. As illustrated in figures 1A,4A,4B,4C each lateral portion of the connecting cross bar 7, in the final installed configuration, passes through a respective lateral side member 2, so as to protrude externally with respect to the lateral side member itself 2 and allow the connection with the fulcrum 8 of the respective longitudinal arm 4 extended externally with respect to the side member 2. Each lateral portion of the connecting crossbar 7 is further connected to the respective lateral side member 2 by respective portions of connection 10, 11, 12 which connect the lateral portion of the bar 7 to a part of an inner side of spar 2 (opposite to a part of the outer side from which the lateral portion bearing the 7' end protrudes. In this perspective, the figures 4A, 4B, 4C illustrate possible forms of implementation of the aforementioned portions of connection 10, 11, 12. With reference to figure 4A, a pair of flanges of connection 10 ending with a fixing point 10' respectively connected to a respective part of the inner side of the side member 2. With Referring to Figure 4B, a bracket 11 comprises a main wall connected to a part of an inner side of the side member. Preferably, the bracket 11 may further comprise an auxiliary wall constrained along one side lower part of the respective lateral side member. Referring to Figure 4C, a bracket 12 comprises a main wall connected to a part of an inner side of the side member; preferably, bracket 12 may also comprise two auxiliary walls constrained respectively along a lower side and along a part of an external side of the respective lateral spar. Note that the connection between the connecting bar 7 and other parts of the vehicle is made solely of its lateral portions, which are connected to a part of the respective lateral spar 2 and to the fulcrum portion 8 of the arm longitudinal 4. Figure 5 is a sectional view showing further details of the arm longitudinal 4 connected to the transverse bar 7 containing inside it the elastic device 9 configured as a torsion bar. An element of connection 13 is configured to allow the interface between the arm longitudinal 4 with an end part of the elastic bar device twist 9 included inside the connecting cross bar 7. The other end of the torsion bar elastic device 9 is connected and locked to the central component 77 through coupling with seat (e.g. ribbed). With the reference 8' indicates a low friction connecting element (bearing) which joins the fulcrum 8 with the end 7' of the crossbar 7. In light of the above characteristics, it will therefore be appreciated that the system rear suspension does not feature traditional coil springs which require a relative installation space, obtained with the preparation of lateral stringers having a rectilinear central main portion substantially at a constant height above the ground, and a rear portion terminal which is substantially more raised. The frame as above described allows the creation of lateral stringers at a height substantially constant with respect to the ground along their entire extension, and consequently a loading floor substantially at constant height along the entire extension of the cargo floor in the cabin. Naturally, without prejudice to the principle of the invention, the details of construction and forms of implementation may vary widely from as described and illustrated purely by way of example, without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Rear suspension for a motor vehicle, in particular for a commercial vehicle equipped with a cargo compartment for the transport of goods to be delivered, wherein: - said rear suspension comprises a pair of longitudinal suspension arms (4), each having a longitudinal main body arranged to be extended externally with respect to a rear part of a respective lateral side member (2) of the vehicle, - each longitudinal main body comprises opposite ends respectively arranged to be connected to a shock absorber unit (5) and to a rear wheel (6), - said rear suspension comprises a transverse connecting bar (7), arranged to be extended transversely under the cargo floor (1) of the vehicle, including a central portion and two lateral portions ending with a respective end (7') connected to a fulcrum (8) of the respective longitudinal arm (4),- said connecting cross-bar (7) includes within it an elastic device (9) configured as a torsion bar, - each lateral portion of the connecting cross-bar (7) is arranged to pass through the lateral side member (2), so as to protrude externally with respect to the lateral side member (2) and allow connection to the fulcrum (8) of the respective longitudinal arm (4) which extends externally with respect to the lateral side member (2) by means of the interposition of a low friction rolling component (8'), - each lateral portion of the connecting cross-bar (7) is also arranged to be connected to the lateral side member (2) by means of respective connecting portions (10, 11, 12) which connect the lateral portion of the bar (7) to a part of an internal side of the lateral side member (2), opposite to a part of an external side from which the lateral portion bearing the end (7') protrudes,- so that the rear suspension does not require coil springs which require a relative installation space, obtained by arranging lateral side members having a main central rectilinear portion substantially at a constant height with respect to the ground, and a rear terminal portion which is substantially raised.

2. Rear suspension according to claim 1, wherein the connection between the connecting rod (7) and other parts of the vehicle is made solely by its lateral portions, which are connected to a part of the respective lateral side member (2) and to the fulcrum portion (8) of the longitudinal arm (4).

3. Rear suspension according to claim 1, wherein the connecting cross-bar (7) consists of two parts (7s, 7d) connected to each other by a central connecting component (77).

4. Rear suspension according to claim 1, wherein said connecting portions (10, 11) comprise a pair of connecting flanges (10) respectively terminating with a fixing point (10') connected to a respective part of the internal side of the side member (2).

5. Rear suspension according to claim 1, wherein said connecting portions (10, 11) comprise a bracket (11) including a main wall connected to a portion of an inner side of the side member (2), and an auxiliary wall constrained along a lower side of the side member (2).

6. Rear suspension according to claim 1, wherein said connecting portions (10, 11, 12) comprise a bracket (12) including a main wall connected to a portion of an inner side of the side member (2), and two auxiliary walls constrained along a lower side and an outer side of the side member (2).

7. Rear suspension according to claim 1, wherein each longitudinal arm (4) comprises a connecting element (13) joining the longitudinal arm (4) with an end portion of the elastic device (9) included within the connecting cross bar (7).

8. Motor vehicle comprising a loading compartment for the transport of goods to be delivered, a loading floor (1), two side members (2) and a rear suspension according to any of the preceding claims.