Suspension system

Abstract

The present invention provides a suspension system that reduces the axial length of the connecting portion between the shock absorber and the support member. [Solution] The suspension device 10 comprises a shock absorber 12 provided between the vehicle body and the wheel, and a support member 14 that supports the shock absorber 12. The shock absorber 12 has an insertion portion on its lower end that is connected to the support member 14. The support member 14 has a connecting portion having a through insertion hole and an arm portion extending from the connecting portion. The insertion portion is inserted into the insertion hole with the insertion portion protruding downward from the connecting portion. The connecting portion and the insertion portion are connected by a first weld welded on the upper side of the insertion hole and a second weld welded on the lower side of the insertion hole.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a suspension device including a shock absorber and a support member.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a suspension device including a shock absorber and an absorber lower bracket connected to the lower end of the shock absorber. The shock absorber has a female screw formed at the lower end. The absorber lower bracket has a male screw that engages with the female screw of the shock absorber at the upper end.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the suspension device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a screw fastening structure below the shock absorber main body, the axial length of the fastening structure may become long.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a suspension device that suppresses the axial length of the connection portion between the shock absorber and the support member.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, a suspension device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a shock absorber provided between the vehicle body and the wheel, and a support member that supports the shock absorber. The shock absorber has an insertion portion connected to the support member on its lower end. The support member has a connecting portion having a through insertion hole and an arm portion extending from the connecting portion. The insertion portion is inserted into the insertion hole with the insertion portion protruding downward from the connecting portion. The connecting portion and the insertion portion are connected by a first weld welded on the upper side of the insertion hole and a second weld welded on the lower side of the insertion hole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a suspension device in which the axial length of the connecting portion between the shock absorber and the support member is reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the suspension device of the embodiment and the surrounding structure. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the support member in the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a front view of the connected shock absorbers and support members. [Figure 4] This is a magnified view of a modified suspension system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of the suspension device 10 and its surroundings in an embodiment. The suspension device 10 comprises a shock absorber 12, a support member 14, a lower arm 16, and a knuckle 18. In addition to the suspension device 10, Figure 1 also shows an axle 20, a stabilizer link 22, and a stabilizer 24.

[0010] The knuckle 18 is connected to the wheel and through which the shaft of the axle 20 can be inserted. The lower arm 16 is connected to the knuckle 18. The stabilizer 24 is connected to the support member 14 via the stabilizer link 22.

[0011] The shock absorber 12 is formed in a columnar shape and is arranged substantially along the vertical direction. The shock absorber 12 is installed between the vehicle body and the wheel and absorbs incoming shocks. The shock absorber 12 is fixed to the support member 14 by welding. The piston of the shock absorber 12 is connected to the vehicle body side.

[0012] The support member 14 supports the shock absorber 12. The support member 14 is a bifurcated fork member through which the axle 20 passes. The upper end of the support member 14 is connected to the shock absorber 12, and the lower end of the support member 14 is connected to the lower arm 16 on the wheel side.

[0013] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the support member 14 of the embodiment. The support member 14 has a connecting portion 30, a first arm portion 32a, a second arm portion 32b, a pivot portion 34a, a pivot portion 34b, and a mounting portion 36.

[0014] The connecting portion 30 connects to the shock absorber 12. The connecting portion 30 has an insertion hole portion 38 and an upper surface 40 and a lower surface 42. The connecting portion 30 is formed in an annular shape and has an insertion hole portion 38 that penetrates through the center. The shock absorber 12 is inserted into the insertion hole portion 38. The upper surface 40 and the lower surface 42 are circumferentially aligned around the insertion hole portion 38 and are formed flat.

[0015] The first arm portion 32a and the second arm portion 32b (referred to as "arm portion 32" if not distinguished) extend downward from the outer surface of the connecting portion 30, curving radially outward. The tips of the first arm portion 32a and the second arm portion 32b are provided with pivot supports 34a and 34b, respectively. The pivot supports 34a and 34b are connected to the lower arm 16. A mounting portion 36 is provided on the upper part of the first arm portion 32a. A stabilizer link 22 is attached to the mounting portion 36.

[0016] Figure 3 is a front view of the connected shock absorber 12 and support member 14. The shock absorber 12 has a cylinder portion 44 that constitutes the outer shell. The cylinder portion 44 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The cylinder portion 44 has an insertion portion 46 located on the lower end side of the cylinder portion 44. The insertion portion 46 is inserted into the insertion hole 38 of the support member 14 and connected to the support member 14.

[0017] The insertion portion 46 is inserted into the insertion hole 38 and protrudes downward from the connecting portion 30, so that it is below the lower surface 42. The length of the insertion portion 46 that protrudes from the lower surface 42 of the connecting portion 30 is shorter than the axial length of the connecting portion 30. The axial direction refers to the direction along the central axis of the shock absorber 12.

[0018] The connecting portion 30 and the insertion portion 46 are connected by a first weld 50 and a second weld 52. The first weld 50 is formed over the entire circumference above the insertion hole 38, filling the gap between the connecting portion 30 and the insertion portion 46. The first weld 50 may be locally spaced apart, but it is formed over almost the entire circumference. The first weld 50 is formed from the top surface 40 to the gap between the connecting portion 30 and the insertion portion 46. Since the top surface 40 is a flat surface, it is easy to place the welding material on it, and a sufficient welding area can be secured.

[0019] The second welding part 52 is formed below the insertion hole part 38 so as to fill the gap between the connecting part 30 and the insertion part 46. The second welding parts 52 are formed in a pair in an arc shape with a circumferential separation. Thereby, while avoiding the arm part 32, a welding length can be ensured. The second welding part 52 is formed across the gap between the connecting part 30 and the insertion part 46 from the lower surface 42, and a sufficient welding area is ensured.

[0020] By welding the shock absorber 12 and the support member 14 at two upper and lower locations, the welding length becomes long, and sufficient strength to withstand the load F from the stabilizer 24 can be ensured. Since it is only necessary to weld the two parts consisting of the shock absorber 12 and the support member 14, the number of parts can be reduced, and the assembly property is improved.

[0021] Since the insertion part 46 is inserted into the insertion hole part 38, the axial length of the connecting part of the shock absorber 12 and the support member 14 can be shortened compared with the case where the shock absorber 12 is placed and connected on the support member 14. Thereby, the front part of the vehicle can be lowered, and the design property can be improved.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of a suspension device of a modified example. The suspension device shown in FIG. 4 has a different shape of the shock absorber 112 compared with the suspension device 10 shown in FIG. 3.

[0023] The cylinder part 144 of the shock absorber 112 has an insertion part 146, a tapered part 147, and a large-diameter part 148. The insertion part 146 is located on the lower end side of the shock absorber 112 and is inserted into the insertion hole part 38.

[0024] The large-diameter part 148 is formed to have a larger diameter than the insertion part 146 above the insertion part 146. The outer diameter R2 of the large-diameter part 148 is larger than the outer diameter R1 of the insertion part 146. Thereby, even if the first welding part 50 and the second welding part 52 are peeled off, the large-diameter part 148 can serve as a stopper to prevent the shock absorber 112 from falling out of the insertion hole part 38.

[0025] The tapered section 147 is connected to the large-diameter section 148 and the insertion section 146, and its diameter decreases from the large-diameter section 148 towards the insertion section 146. The first welded section 50 is formed from the insertion section 146 to the tapered section 147. This ensures a sufficient welding area.

[0026] The present disclosure has been explained above based on the examples described. The present disclosure is not limited to the examples described above, and various modifications such as design changes can be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0027] 10 Suspension device, 12 Shock absorber, 14 Support member, 16 Lower arm, 18 Knuckle, 20 Axle, 22 Stabilizer link, 24 Stabilizer, 30 Connecting part, 32a First arm part, 32b Second arm part, 38 Insertion hole part, 40 Upper surface, 42 Lower surface, 44 Cylinder part, 46 Insertion part, 50 First weld part, 52 Second weld part, 148 Large diameter part.

Claims

1. A shock absorber is installed between the vehicle body and the wheels, The shock absorber is supported by a support member, The shock absorber has an insertion portion on its lower end that is connected to the support member, The aforementioned support member is A connecting portion having a through insertion hole, It has an arm portion extending from the aforementioned connecting portion, The insertion portion is inserted into the insertion hole portion with the insertion portion protruding downward from the connecting portion. The suspension device is characterized in that the connecting portion and the insertion portion are connected by a first welded portion welded above the insertion hole and a second welded portion welded below the insertion hole.

2. The shock absorber has a large-diameter portion formed above the insertion portion, which is larger in diameter than the insertion portion. The suspension device according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer diameter of the large-diameter portion is larger than the inner diameter of the insertion hole portion.

3. The shock absorber has a tapered portion that decreases in diameter from the large diameter portion toward the insertion portion, The suspension device according to claim 2, characterized in that the first welded portion is formed extending from the insertion portion to the tapered portion.

4. The aforementioned arm portion is formed in pairs, The suspension device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the second welded portion is formed in pairs spaced apart in the circumferential direction.

5. The connecting portion has an upper surface and a lower surface that are formed flat around the insertion hole. The first welded portion is formed from the upper surface, extending across the insertion hole and the gap between the insertion portion, The suspension device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second welded portion is formed from the lower surface across the insertion hole and the gap between the insertion portion.

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