Component of suspension structure

Abstract

To provide a component of a suspension structure, which can achieve weight reduction while ensuring rigidity.SOLUTION: As a component of the suspension structure 1 for a vehicle 100, a lower arm 20 includes a body 21 made of metal. Reinforcing members 28A-28C that increase a rigidity of the body 21 are securely attached along edges (first to third edges) 20a-20c of the body 21. The reinforcing members are made of a resin material or a rubber material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to components that make up a suspension structure of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Metal materials have been used for components that make up the suspension structure of a vehicle. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a lower arm that connects a wheel and a suspension member. The main body of the lower arm is made of metal, and the main body has side walls that rise from the periphery so as to surround the periphery of the main body. In the internal space surrounded by the side walls, a rib-shaped resin insert is formed to connect the side walls. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6706325 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a component such as the lower arm shown in Patent Document 1, a rib-shaped resin insert is inserted into an internal space surrounded by a side wall. This requires space inside the component to accommodate the insert, making it difficult to ensure the rigidity of the component while making it compact (lightweight).

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and has as its object to provide a component part of a suspension structure that can be made lighter while ensuring rigidity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present invention relates to a component that constitutes a suspension structure of a vehicle, the component having a metal body and a reinforcing material made of a resin material or a rubber material and that enhances the rigidity of the body, which is fixed along the edge of the body.

[0007] According to the present invention, since the reinforcing material that strengthens the rigidity of the main body is fixed to the edge of the main body, the edge of the component that is easily deformed is reinforced. As a result, the rigidity of the component can be efficiently ensured while reducing its weight.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, a groove is formed along the edge of the main body, and the reinforcing material is fixed to the groove so as to fill the groove. According to this embodiment, by providing the groove on the edge, the reinforcing material can be restrained in the groove. Furthermore, when a load is applied to the main body, the groove tends to deform in the width direction when the main body as a whole tries to deform. However, in this embodiment, the groove is filled with the reinforcing material, so that the deformation of the groove can be suppressed. In particular, in the portion where the groove tends to deform so that the groove width becomes narrower, a compressive stress acts on the reinforcing material, so that such deformation of the groove can be effectively suppressed. By suppressing such deformation of the groove, the deformation of the main body can be suppressed.

[0009] In a further preferred embodiment, the component is a lower arm connecting a wheel and a suspension member, and the main body of the lower arm includes a first connecting portion connected to the wheel via a ball joint, and a second connecting portion and a third connecting portion attached to the suspension member via bushes at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the main body having an edge portion formed with a first edge portion connecting the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion, a second edge portion connecting the second connecting portion and the third connecting portion, and a third edge portion connecting the third connecting portion and the first connecting portion, a first groove is formed along the first edge portion, a second groove is formed along the second edge portion, and a third groove is formed along the third edge portion, and the first groove, the second groove, and the third groove are fixed with the reinforcing material.

[0010] According to this embodiment, when the vehicle accelerates or decelerates, and when the vehicle turns, the second connecting portion and the third connecting portion attached to the suspension member are regarded as restrained portions, and a load acts on the first connecting portion connected to the wheel. As a result, a bending moment acts on the entire lower arm. When the lower arm tries to deform due to this bending moment, the first groove, the second groove, and the third groove try to deform in the width direction, but since these grooves are filled with reinforcing material, the deformation of the grooves can be suppressed. Therefore, the deformation of the lower arm can be suppressed.

[0011] In a further preferred embodiment, the main body is a press-formed body obtained by pressing a metal plate, and a convex ridge is formed on one side of the main body, thereby forming the concave groove on the other side of the main body.

[0012] According to this aspect, when the main body of the component is formed by press molding, the thickness of the component can be reduced and the weight can be reduced compared to a cast component. On the other hand, since the main body has a convex rib on one side and a concave groove on the other side, the rigidity of the component can be effectively increased. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the weight while ensuring the rigidity. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of the area around a wheel on the front right side of a vehicle, including a plurality of components of a suspension structure according to an embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a connection state of a lower arm among a plurality of components of the suspension structure shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 1A is a schematic perspective view of the lower arm as viewed obliquely from above, and FIG. 1B is a schematic perspective view of the lower arm as viewed obliquely from below. [Figure 4] 4 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between a main body and a reinforcing member of the lower arm shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a diagram for explaining a load acting on the lower arm shown in FIG. 3(b) in a plan view. FIG. [Figure 6] 13 shows the results of measuring the time difference between the steering angle and the yaw rate when the lower arms according to the embodiment and the comparative example are used. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] The components of the suspension structure of a vehicle will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. The letter "U" in Figs. 1 to 5 indicates the upward direction of the vehicle, and the letter "D" indicates the downward direction of the vehicle. The letter "F" indicates the forward direction of the vehicle, and the letter "B" indicates the rearward direction of the vehicle. The letter "R" indicates the right side of the vehicle, and the letter "L" indicates the left side of the vehicle. The "vehicle width direction" described below is the direction along the letters R and L. The "vehicle length direction" described below is the direction along the letters "F" and "B".

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle 100 such as an automobile is provided with a strut-type suspension structure 1. Fig. 1 shows the suspension structure 1 supporting a wheel 39 on the right front of the vehicle 100. The suspension structure 1 includes a shock absorber 47 composed of a damper and a coil spring (not shown), and a suspension member 10 that extends in the left-right direction of the vehicle 100 and is fixed to a vehicle body (not shown). Furthermore, the suspension structure 1 includes a lower arm 20 that is connected to the suspension member 10, on the outer side of the suspension member 10 in the vehicle width direction.

[0017] The shock absorbing device 47 is fixed to the knuckle 31. The knuckle 31 supports the wheel 34 of the wheel 39 via a hub bearing 33 so that the wheel 39 is rotatable. The hub bearing 33 supports a drive shaft (not shown). A brake device is attached to the hub bearing 33 via a hub 36 (see FIG. 2).

[0018] The suspension member 10 is disposed at the center in the width direction of the vehicle 100, and includes center members 11, 12 disposed so as to overlap in the vertical direction, and side members 13, 14 disposed so as to overlap in the vertical direction on both sides in the vehicle width direction of the center members 11, 12. The lower arm 20 is connected to the suspension member 10. The lower arm 20 supports wheels (steered wheels) 39 that steer the vehicle 100 via a ball joint 32 attached to a knuckle 31.

[0019] A tie rod 46 extending from a steering device 42 mounted on the vehicle body (not shown) is connected to the knuckle 31, so that the wheels 39 can be rotated. A stabilizer 41 extending along the vehicle width direction is attached to the suspension member 10. An end of the stabilizer 41 is connected to a shock absorbing device 47 via a stabilizer link 45.

[0020] Below, a description will be given of the lower arm 20 as a component part that configures the suspension structure 1 of the vehicle 100. The lower arm 20 has a metal main body 21, and reinforcing members 28A to 28C that enhance the rigidity of the main body 21 are fixed along edges 20a to 20c of the main body 21. The reinforcing members 28A to 28C are made of a resin material or a rubber material.

[0021] 1 and 2, the lower arm 20 is a member that connects a wheel 39 (a knuckle 31 attached to a wheel 34) and the suspension member 10. In this embodiment, a main body 21 of the lower arm 20 is a press-formed product obtained by press-forming a metal plate such as a steel plate or an aluminum plate.

[0022] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3(a), the lower arm 20 is an L-shaped member and includes first to third connecting portions 23A to 23C. The first connecting portion 23A is connected to a knuckle 31 attached to a wheel 34 of a wheel 39 via a ball joint 32. An attachment hole 26A is formed in the first connecting portion 23A, and a bracket 51 is fixed to the lower arm 20 with a fastener 61 such as a screw being inserted through the attachment hole 26A. The knuckle 31 and the bracket 51 are connected to each other via the fastener 61.

[0023] The second connecting portion 23B and the third connecting portion 23C are attached to the suspension member 10 via a first bush 54 and a second bush 53, respectively, at both ends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 100. The second connecting portion 23B is formed rearward B of the third connecting portion 23C in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle 100. The third connecting portion 23C is formed inwardly of the first connecting portion 23A in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 100.

[0024] An attachment hole 26B is formed in the second connecting portion 23B, and a first bushing 54 is inserted into the attachment hole 26B. The second connecting portion 23B is connected to the suspension member 10 by inserting a fastener (not shown) into an insertion hole formed in the first bushing 54.

[0025] 2, the suspension member 10 is fixed to mounting members 17, 18, which are attached to the vehicle body, via a second bush 53 made of a rubber material described later. The third connecting portion 23C is a support claw 26C, and the third connecting portion 23C of the lower arm 20 is connected to the suspension member 10 in a state in which the cylindrical second bush 53 is sandwiched between the mounting members 17, 18 from both sides by fasteners 62, such as hexagonal bolts, with the axis extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 100.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3(a), in this embodiment, the main body 21 of the lower arm 20 is formed with a first edge 20a to a third edge 20c as edges. Specifically, the first edge 20a is an edge connecting the first connecting portion 23A and the second connecting portion 23B. The second edge 20b is an edge connecting the second connecting portion 23B and the third connecting portion 23C. The third edge 20c is an edge connecting the third connecting portion 23C and the first connecting portion 23A. The first edge 20a has an edge extending in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction of the vehicle 100) and a portion extending in the vehicle length direction (front-rear direction of the vehicle 100). The first edge 20a is curved in an L-shape when viewed from the top-bottom direction.

[0027] The first edge portion 20a, which is formed along the vehicle length direction, and the second edge portion 20b are formed to sandwich the flat plate portion 24 of the main body 21. The first edge portion 20a, which is formed along the vehicle width direction, and the third edge portion 20c are formed to sandwich the flat plate portion 24 of the main body 21.

[0028] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3(b), a first groove 25A is formed along the first edge 20a on the other surface (rear surface) 20r of the main body 21, a second groove 25B is formed along the second edge 20b, and a third groove 25C is formed along the third edge 20c. In this embodiment, the main body 21 is a press-formed body obtained by press-forming a metal plate, and as shown in Fig. 3(a), the first to third ridges 22A to 22C are formed on one surface 20f of the main body 21, and as shown in Fig. 3(b), the first to third grooves 25A to 25C corresponding to the first to third ridges 22A to 22C are formed on the other surface 20r of the main body 21, respectively.

[0029] The first to third convex stripes 22A to 22C protrude from a surface of the flat plate portion 24 surrounded by the first to third edge portions 20a to 20c on one face 20f in the thickness direction of the flat plate portion 24. The first to third concave grooves 25A to 25C are recessed in the thickness direction of the flat plate portion 24 further from the surface of the flat plate portion 24 surrounded by the first to third edge portions 20a to 20c on the other face 20r.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 4, first to third reinforcing members 28A to 28C are fixed to the first groove 25A, the second groove 25B, and the third groove 25C, respectively, so as to fill these grooves. The first to third reinforcing members 28A to 28C are made of a resin material or a rubber material. The resin material or the rubber material is not particularly limited as long as it can increase the rigidity of the main body 21 of the lower arm 20. Examples of the resin material include resin materials such as epoxy resin and urethane resin, and examples of the rubber material include hard rubber such as acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), nitrile rubber (NR), chloroprene rubber (CR), urethane rubber, and acrylic rubber. The first to third reinforcing materials 28A to 28C are curable materials such as bake-curable, two-component-curable, or moisture-curable, and can be obtained by applying a paste-like coating material that will be the raw material of the first to third reinforcing materials 28A to 28C to the first groove 25A, the second groove 25B, and the third groove 25C, and then curing the material. The coating material may be foamed at the same time as it is cured.

[0031] The first to third reinforcing members 28A to 28C may be fixed to the wall surfaces of the first to third grooves 25A to 25C of the main body 21 by forming an anti-rust coating film (not shown) on the main body 21 and bonding the first to third reinforcing members 28A to 28C by hydrogen bonding at the molecular level. Alternatively, the first to third reinforcing members 28A to 28C may be fixed to the wall surfaces of the first to third grooves 25A to 25C of the main body 21 by applying a coupling agent between the first to third reinforcing members 28A to 28C and the wall surfaces of the first to third grooves 25A to 25C of the main body 21.

[0032] In this way, the first to third reinforcing members 28A to 28C for strengthening the rigidity of the main body 21 are fixed to the first to third edge portions 20a to 20c of the main body 21 of the lower arm 20, so that the edge portions 20a to 20c of the lower arm 20 that are easily deformed are reinforced. As a result, the rigidity of the lower arm 20 can be efficiently ensured while reducing its weight. In particular, since the main body 21 of the lower arm 20 is a press-molded product, the thickness of the lower arm 20 can be reduced compared to a cast lower arm, so that such an effect can be further exerted. Furthermore, since the first to third convex strips 22A to 22C are formed on one surface 20f of the main body 21, the rigidity of the lower arm 20 can be effectively increased.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, when the vehicle 100 accelerates or decelerates, and when the vehicle 100 turns, the second connecting portion 23B and the third connecting portion 23B become restrained portions of the suspension member 10 and the vehicle body, and a load acts on the first connecting portion 23A connected to the wheel 39. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the vehicle 100 accelerates, a load F1 acts toward the front F at the position of a virtual line L1 along the vehicle width direction passing through the first connecting portion 23A. On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 decelerates, a load F2 acts toward the rear B at the position of the virtual line L1. In either case, a bending moment acts on the entire lower arm 20 due to these loads F1 and F2. When the lower arm 20 tries to deform due to such a bending moment, the first groove 25A, the second groove 25B, and the third groove 25C try to deform in the groove width direction.

[0034] However, since the first to third reinforcing members 28A to 28C are embedded (filled) in the first to third grooves 25A to 25C, deformation of the first to third grooves 25A to 25C can be suppressed, and therefore deformation of the lower arm 20 can be suppressed.

[0035] In particular, even if the lower arm 20 is deformed by the load F1 so that the groove width of the portion of the first groove 25A along the vehicle width direction narrows during acceleration, this deformation can be suppressed by the portion of the first reinforcement 28A along the vehicle width direction. Even if the lower arm 20 is deformed by the load F2 so that the groove width of the second groove 25B narrows during deceleration, this deformation can be suppressed by the second reinforcement 28B. Similarly, even if the lower arm 20 is deformed by the load F2 so that the groove width of the portion of the first groove 25A along the vehicle length direction and the groove width of the third groove 25C change during turning of the vehicle 100, this deformation can be suppressed by the portion of the first reinforcement 28A along the vehicle length direction and the third reinforcement 28C.

[0036] Here, the inventors prepared a lower arm, with the lower arm 20 according to this embodiment as an example and a lower arm having only the main body 21 without the first to third reinforcing members 28 as compared to the lower arm of the example as a comparative example. As shown in FIG. 6, the lower arms of the example and the comparative example were mounted on a vehicle, and the time difference between the steering angle and the yaw rate was measured. As a result, the lower arm of the example had a shorter time difference between the steering angle and the yaw rate than the comparative example. This means that the vehicle 100 equipped with the lower arm 20 of the example has higher operability of the steering wheel than the comparative example. This is considered to be because the rigidity of the lower arm 20 is increased by the first to third reinforcing members 28A to 28C.

[0037] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention as described in the claims.

[0038] In this embodiment, the lower arm 20 of the suspension structure 1 is exemplified as a component of the present invention, but for example, a similar reinforcing material may be provided for the components (center members 11, 12, side members 13, 14) that make up the suspension member 10. In addition, although the strut-type suspension structure 1 is exemplified in this embodiment, for example, a double wishbone suspension structure may also be used, in which case a similar configuration to the lower arm of this embodiment may be applied not only to the lower arm but also to the upper arm. Furthermore, although the suspension structure 1 is exemplified for the front wheels in this embodiment, it goes without saying that a similar configuration may be applied to the suspension structure for the rear, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1: suspension structure, 10: suspension member, 20: lower arm, 20a to 20c: first to third edge portions (edge ​​portions), 21: main body, 22A to 22C: first to third convex strips (convex strips), 23A to 23C: first to third connecting portions, 25A to 25C: first to third concave grooves, 28A to 28C: first to third reinforcing members, 31: knuckle, 32: ball joint, 39: wheel, 53: second bush (bush), 54: first bush (bush), 100: vehicle

Claims

1. A component that constitutes a suspension structure of a vehicle, the component has a metal body; A component of a suspension structure, characterized in that a reinforcing material made of a resin material or a rubber material is fixed along the edge of the main body to enhance the rigidity of the main body.

2. The body has a groove formed along the edge, 2. The component of a suspension structure according to claim 1, wherein a reinforcing material is fixed to said groove so as to fill said groove.

3. the component is a lower arm that connects a wheel and a suspension member, The main body of the lower arm is A first connecting portion connected to the wheel via a ball joint; a second connecting portion and a third connecting portion attached to the suspension member via bushes at both ends in a front-rear direction of the vehicle; It is equipped with The main body is formed with the edge portion including a first edge portion connecting the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion, a second edge portion connecting the second connecting portion and the third connecting portion, and a third edge portion connecting the third connecting portion and the first connecting portion, A first groove is formed along the first edge, a second groove is formed along the second edge, and a third groove is formed along the third edge, 3. The component of a suspension structure according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcing material is fixed to the first groove, the second groove and the third groove.

4. 3. A component of a suspension structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that the main body is a press-formed body obtained by pressing a metal plate, and a convex rib is formed on one side of the main body, thereby forming the concave groove on the other side of the main body.

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