Axle beam suspension

Abstract

To be able to prevent interference of a plurality of Watts links with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: An axle beam type suspension 10 comprises: a pair of trailing arms 12a and 12b which extend in a longitudinal direction, and whose front end sides are supported by a vehicle body and whose rear end sides are linked to wheels; an axle beam 13 which links the pair of trailing arms 12a and 12b to each other by extending in a vehicle width direction; a pair of Watts link mechanisms FW and BW which link the pair of trailing arms 12a and 12b to each other behind the axle beam 13 by extending in the vehicle width direction, and whose intermediate parts are fixed to the vehicle body; and an inner shaft 22a, as a connection member, which connects a vehicle width outside end part 22A of the one Watts link mechanism FW in the pair and a vehicle width outside end part 22B of the other Watts link mechanism BW. The inner shaft 22a is configured to be fixed to the trailing arm 12a via an elastic member 22b surrounding the inner shaft 22a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an axle beam suspension using a Watts link mechanism attached to multiple rods arranged parallel to an axle beam extending in the vehicle width direction on the inside of the wheels on both sides of the vehicle body. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide access to sustainable transport systems that take into consideration vulnerable transport participants such as the elderly, people with disabilities, and children have been gaining momentum. To achieve this, we are focusing on research and development to further improve transport safety and convenience through development of vehicle behavior stability.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional axle beam suspension using a Watts link mechanism. The structure described in Patent Document 1 includes two Watts link (or Watts link) mechanisms arranged one above the other. Each Watts link mechanism has multiple lateral (vehicle width) thrust rods. At least one lateral thrust rod in one Watts link mechanism has a variable length, which is controlled by an actuator. In this structure, the joints forming pivot points on the outer side in the vehicle width direction corresponding to the multiple lateral thrust rods of both Watts link mechanisms are paired and located on a common pivot axis for both Watts link mechanisms. The pivot axis of the commonly pivoted or integrally formed lateral thrust rod pair is elastically connected to a mass body or the vehicle's undercarriage. This structure allows the multiple thrust rods to move variably. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication 2011-525451 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In terms of vehicle behavior stability, the configuration of Patent Document 1 has a problem in that multiple thrust rods serving as Watts links tend to interfere with each other when the Watts link mechanisms are activated.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an axle beam suspension with a simple configuration that can prevent interference between multiple Watts links, thereby contributing to the development of sustainable transportation systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the axle beam suspension of the present invention comprises a pair of trailing arms extending in the fore-and-aft direction, with their front ends supported by the vehicle body and their rear ends connected to wheels; an axle beam extending in the vehicle width direction and connecting the pair of trailing arms together; a pair of Watts link mechanisms extending in the vehicle width direction and connecting the pair of trailing arms together rearward of the axle beam, with their middle portions fixed to the vehicle body; and a connecting member connecting the vehicle width outer end of one of the pair of Watts link mechanisms to the vehicle width outer end of the other Watts link mechanism, wherein the connecting member is fixed to the trailing arm via an elastic member surrounding the connecting member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The present invention can prevent interference between multiple Watts links in an axle beam suspension with a simple configuration, thereby contributing to the development of sustainable transportation systems. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an axle beam suspension according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the left Watts link. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the Watts link shown in FIG. 2 taken along line III-III. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the structure of a Watts link mechanism. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the left suspension of the vehicle body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] <Configuration of the embodiment> An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In the description, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. In each figure, the "front and rear" indicated by the arrows indicates the front-rear direction of the automobile (not shown), the "left and right" indicate the width direction of the automobile, and the "up and down" indicate the vertical direction.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an axle beam suspension according to this embodiment. The axle beam suspension 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a pair of left and right trailing arms 12a, 12b that extend forward of the vehicle and are connected to the inside of a pair of wheels 11a, 11b located on both sides of the vehicle width direction at the rear of the vehicle. In other words, the pair of trailing arms 12a, 12b extend in the front-to-rear direction, with their front ends supported by the vehicle body and their rear ends connected to the wheels 11a, 11b. The pair of trailing arms 12a, 12b are spaced apart on the left and right of the vehicle and connected by an axle beam 13 that extends in the vehicle width direction. Coil springs 15a, 15b that absorb vertical movement of the vehicle are disposed on the rear sides of the left and right trailing arms 12a, 12b, and rod-shaped shock absorbers 17a, 17b that control suspension movement to provide a comfortable ride and stable handling are disposed further rearward.

[0012] Compliance bushings (also referred to as bushings) 14a, 14b attached to the vehicle body are fixed to the front ends of the left and right trailing arms 12a, 12b. The bushings 14a, 14b are made of an elastic material such as rubber and suppress in-phase or out-of-phase vibrations, which will be described later, when the vehicle goes over a bump. The left and right bushings 14a, 14b are inserted into cylindrical portions 2a1, 2b1, which are roughly cylindrical in shape, at the front ends of the trailing arms 12a, 12b.

[0013] Here, we will explain in-phase and out-of-phase. "In-phase" means that the wheels 11a and 11b on both sides move up and down in the same direction, for example, when the vehicle goes over a bump. "Out-of-phase" means that the wheels 11a and 11b on both sides move up and down in opposite directions, for example, when the vehicle rolls.

[0014] Outer end portions (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle width outer end portions") 22A, 22B of a pair of front and rear Watts link mechanisms FW, BW (described later) extending in the vehicle width direction are fixed to the rear ends of the left and right trailing arms 12a, 12b, respectively. In other words, the ends of two upper and lower rods 23a, 24a extending from the intermediate links 1B, 1F of the pair of front and rear Watts link mechanisms FW, BW to the left in the vehicle width direction are referred to as vehicle width outer end portions 22A, and the ends of two upper and lower rods 23b, 24b extending from the intermediate links 1B, 1F of the pair of front and rear Watts link mechanisms FW, BW to the right in the vehicle width direction are referred to as vehicle width outer end portions 22B.

[0015] Of the pair of front and rear Watts link mechanisms, the one at the front of the vehicle is also referred to as the front Watts link mechanism FW, and the one at the rear of the vehicle, the Watts link mechanism BW, is also referred to as the rear Watts link mechanism BW. Both of the pair of front and rear Watts link mechanisms FW, BW are also referred to as the front and rear Watts link mechanisms FW, BW. The front Watts link mechanism FW includes an upper left rod 24a, a lower right rod 23b, and an intermediate link 1F located between them. The rear Watts link mechanism BW includes a lower left rod 23a, an upper right rod 24b, and an intermediate link 1B located between them.

[0016] The configuration of the widthwise outer end portions 22A, 22B of the front and rear Watts link mechanisms FW, BW will be described using the configuration of the left widthwise outer end portion 22A shown in FIG. 2 as a representative example. The widthwise outer end portion 22A is fixed to the rear end of the trailing arm 12a and held by a bracket 26 extending toward the rear of the vehicle. The bracket 26 has a cylindrical portion 26a that opens at the top and bottom, and an attachment portion 26b that extends toward the front of the vehicle from the cylindrical portion 26a. The bracket 26 is fixed to the rear end of the trailing arm 12a with a bolt (not shown). The bolt is threaded into threaded holes located above and below the attachment portion 26b, as indicated by two dashed lines L1 that extend horizontally toward the front of the vehicle. The connection structure of the widthwise outer end portion 22A includes an inner shaft 22a that is inserted vertically through the cylindrical portion 26a, and upper and lower ball joints 22c, 22d that are combined with the inner shaft 22a at the top and bottom and to which the widthwise outer end portion 22A is connected by the ends of the two rods 23a, 24a. The inner shaft 22a vertically connects the widthwise outer end 22A of the rear Watts link mechanism BW (the end of the rod 23a) and the widthwise outer end 22A of the front Watts link mechanism FW (the end of the rod 24a). The inner shaft 22a constitutes a connecting member as defined in the claims.

[0017] At the left vehicle widthwise outer end 22A, the upper ball joint 22c is connected to the upper left rod 24a of the front Watts link mechanism FW, and the lower left rod 23a of the rear Watts link mechanism BW is connected to the lower ball joint 22d. At the right vehicle widthwise outer end 22B (see FIG. 1), the upper ball joint 22c is connected to the upper right rod 24b of the rear Watts link mechanism BW, and the lower right rod 23b of the front Watts link mechanism FW is connected to the lower ball joint 22d.

[0018] The widthwise outer end portion 22A will be described in further detail with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the widthwise outer end portion 22A taken along line III-III of Fig. 2. The inner shaft 22a has a crank shape with upper and lower shafts 22a2 and 22a3 protruding from the front and rear positions of the upper and lower end faces of the main body portion 22a1. The upper and lower shafts 22a2 and 22a3 are offset in the front-rear direction.

[0019] The main body portion 22a1 is inserted vertically into the hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 26a of the bracket 26, and an elastic member 22b such as rubber is interposed around the inserted main body portion 22a1, thereby holding the inner shaft 22a in the hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 26a in a swingable manner, as described below. In other words, the inner shaft 22a is swingably held by the bracket 26 via the elastic member 22b. The inner shaft 22a, the elastic member 22b, and the outer cylinder 22i form a bushing with a vertical center axis, and this bushing is fitted into the cylindrical portion 26a. "Swing" refers to the movement of the inner shaft 22a, which tilts or twists in the front-to-back, left-to-right, up-down directions due to elastic deformation of the elastic member 22b. The upper shaft 22a2 constitutes an upper connecting portion as claimed. The lower shaft 22a3 constitutes a lower connecting portion as claimed.

[0020] A through-hole is formed in the upper shaft 22a2 of the inner shaft 22a in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a shaft portion 22c2 protruding from a ball portion 22c1 of the upper ball joint 22c is inserted into this through-hole toward the rear of the vehicle, with the protruding shaft portion 22c2 being held by a holding member c1. An elastic member c2 such as rubber is wound around the base of the ball portion 22c1 of the ball joint 22c. The left end portion 24a1 of the left rod 24a is attached to the ball joint 22c in a state where it abuts against the elastic member c2 and covers the ball portion 22c1. This attachment allows the left end portion 24a1 of the rod 24a to rotate (swing) freely along the spherical surface of the ball portion 22c1.

[0021] Similarly, a through-hole is formed in the lower shaft 22d2 of the inner shaft 22a in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the shaft portion 22d2 of the lower ball joint 22d is inserted into this through-hole toward the front of the vehicle, with the shaft portion 22c2 protruding from the through-hole being held by a holding member d1. An elastic member d2 such as rubber is wound around the base of the ball portion 22d1 of the ball joint 22d. The left end portion 23a1 of the left rod 23a is attached to the ball joint 22d in a state where it abuts against the elastic member d2 and covers the ball portion 22d1. This attachment allows the left end portion 23a1 of the rod 23a to rotate (swing) freely along the spherical surface of the ball portion 22d1.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of the intermediate portion of the Watts link mechanisms FW, BW. As shown in FIG. 4, the intermediate portion of the Watts link mechanisms FW, BW is configured with a front intermediate link 1F and a rear intermediate link 1B arranged spaced apart from each other in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The rear intermediate link 1B has a cylindrical body portion 1B0 extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction and an extension portion 1B1 extending vertically from the rear end of the outer periphery of the cylindrical body portion 1B0. The front intermediate link 1F has a cylindrical body portion 1F0 extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction and an extension portion 1F1 extending vertically from the rear end of the outer periphery of the cylindrical body portion 1F0. A rotating shaft portion 21e (see FIG. 5) coaxially connecting the front intermediate link 1F and the rear intermediate link 1B is inserted into a hollow portion penetrating the cylindrical body portions 1B0 and 1F0.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 5, which is a VV cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, the rotation shaft portion 21e is configured by integrally arranging ball-shaped pillow balls 21c spaced apart from each other around the outer circumferential surface of a horizontally elongated cylindrical shape 21d.

[0024] The rotating shaft 21e is inserted through the hollow portions of the intermediate links 1B, 1F of the front and rear Watts link mechanisms FW, BW, with bearing seats 21g provided at the front and rear ends thereof sandwiched therebetween. As a result of this insertion, one pillow ball 21c is provided in the cylindrical body portion 1B0 of the front intermediate link 1F, and the other pillow ball 21c is provided in the front intermediate link 1B. A connecting portion 21h that connects the front intermediate link 1F and the rear intermediate link 1B is provided at the space between them.

[0025] A through-hole is formed in the upper extension 1F1 of the front intermediate link 1F in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the shaft F2b protruding from the ball F2a of the ball joint 1F2 is inserted into this through-hole toward the front of the vehicle. An elastic member 21j such as rubber is wound around the base of the ball F2a. The right end 24a2 of the left rod 24a (see FIG. 1) is attached to the ball joint 1F2 in a state where it abuts against the elastic member 21j and covers the ball F2a. This attachment allows the right end 24a2 of the rod 24a to rotate (swing) freely along the spherical surface of the ball F2a.

[0026] A through-hole is formed in the lower extension 1F1 of the front intermediate link 1F in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the shaft F3b of the ball joint 1F3 is inserted into this through-hole toward the front of the vehicle. An elastic member 21j, such as rubber, is wound around the base of the ball portion F3a. The right end 23a2 of the left rod 23a (see FIG. 1) is attached to the ball joint 1F3 in a state where it abuts against the elastic member 21j and covers the ball portion F3a. This attachment allows the right end 23a2 of the rod 23a to rotate (swing) freely along the spherical surface of the ball portion F3a.

[0027] A through-hole is formed in the upper extension 1B1 of the rear intermediate link 1B in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the shaft B2b of the ball joint 1B2 is inserted into this through-hole toward the rear of the vehicle. An elastic member 21j, such as rubber, is wound around the base of the ball portion B2a. The left end 24b2 of the right rod 24b (see FIG. 1) is attached to the ball joint 1B2 in a state where it abuts against the elastic member 21j and covers the ball portion B2a. This attachment allows the left end 24b2 of the rod 24b to rotate (swing) freely along the spherical surface of the ball portion F2a.

[0028] A through-hole is formed in the lower extension 1B1 of the rear intermediate link 1B in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the shaft B3b of the ball joint 1B3 is inserted into this through-hole toward the rear of the vehicle. An elastic member 21j, such as rubber, is wound around the base of the ball portion B3a. The left end 23b2 of the right rod 23b (see FIG. 1) is attached to the ball joint 1B3 in a state where it abuts against the elastic member 21j and covers the ball portion B3a. This attachment allows the left end 23b2 of the rod 23b to rotate (swing) freely along the spherical surface of the ball portion F3a.

[0029] In the front and rear Watts link mechanisms FW, BW, the coaxial rotating shaft 21e inserted through the hollow portion of the intermediate links 1B, 1F is joined to the vehicle body via T-shaped brackets 31a, 31b. The horizontally extending bracket 31a is joined to the vehicle body, and the lower side of bracket 31b extending downward from the center of the horizontal bracket 31a is joined to the center of the rotating shaft 21e. When the centers of the rotating shafts 21e of the front and rear Watts link mechanisms FW, BW are fixed to the vehicle body via the vertical bracket 31b in this manner, the front and rear Watts link mechanisms FW, BW at the center of the vehicle width shown in FIG. 1 move in synchronization with the vehicle body, but the left and right widthwise outer end portions 22A, 22B move in synchronization with the wheels.

[0030] In this configuration, the left and right vehicle width outer end portions 22A, 22B connected to the left and right trailing arms 12a, 12b are connected to each other by a pair of rods 23a, 24a and 23b, 24b on the left and right via intermediate links 1B, 1F, and they operate as follows when in phase or out of phase.

[0031] The Watts link mechanisms FW, BW according to this embodiment, like a typical Watts link mechanism, function to prevent the entire axle beam suspension from moving in the vehicle width direction when the left and right wheels move in the same phase or opposite phases. In this embodiment, a pair of Watts link mechanisms FW, BW are provided at the front and rear, which allows for space savings while strengthening the function of preventing the suspension from moving in the vehicle width direction. Here, the movement of the left widthwise outer end 22A of the pair of front and rear Watts link mechanisms FW, BW will be explained as an example with reference to the schematic diagram of Figure 6. Figure 6 is a schematic side view of the left suspension of the vehicle body, with the solid line indicating a state in which the vehicle is traveling on flat ground and the dashed line indicating a state in which the suspension has stroked upward after riding over a bump, for example.

[0032] For example, as shown in Figure 6, when the rear end of the trailing arm 12a moves upward around the front compliance bushing 14a, the outer ends of the rods 23a and 24a of the Watts link mechanisms FW and BW also rotate upward. The outer ends of the rods 23a and 24a are connected vertically by shafts 22a2 and 22a3 of the inner shaft 22a. As a result, a link length difference Δ1 occurs in the front-to-rear direction at the outer ends of the rods 23a and 24a, causing over-constraint.

[0033] In the present invention, as shown in Fig. 3, the vehicle widthwise outer ends 22A of the Watts link mechanisms FW, BW are connected to connecting members (upper and lower shafts 22a2, 22a3 of the inner shaft 22a), and the outer periphery of these is surrounded by elastic members 22b (bushings). Therefore, the bushings allow the connecting members to move in a prying manner, absorbing the link length difference Δ1 and eliminating over-constraint of the Watts link mechanisms FW, BW.

[0034] <Effects of the embodiment> Next, the characteristic configuration and effects of the axle beam suspension of this embodiment will be described.

[0035] (1) The axle beam suspension 10 includes a pair of trailing arms 12a, 12b extending in the fore-and-aft direction, with their front ends supported by the vehicle body and their rear ends connected to wheels, an axle beam 13 extending in the vehicle width direction and connecting the pair of trailing arms 12a, 12b, a pair of Watts link mechanisms FW, BW extending in the vehicle width direction and connecting the pair of trailing arms 12a, 12b rearward of the axle beam 13 and having intermediate portions fixed to the vehicle body, and an inner shaft 22a serving as a connecting member connecting an outer end 22A of one of the pair of Watts link mechanisms FW to an outer end 22B of the other Watts link mechanism BW. The inner shaft 22a is fixed to the trailing arm 12a via an elastic member 22b surrounding the inner shaft 22a.

[0036] This configuration provides the following advantageous effects. When the vehicle goes over a bump in the same phase or opposite phase, the widthwise outer ends 22A, 22B of the front and rear Watts link mechanisms FW, BW may be pulled in the direction extending toward the wheels 11a, 11b on both sides or toward one of the wheels 11a, 11b, resulting in a link length difference Δ1 (see FIG. 6 ). In this case, the inner shafts 22a of the left and right widthwise outer ends 22A, 22B swing due to the elastic members 22b, thereby absorbing the link length difference Δ1. This suppresses interference between the Watts link mechanisms FW, BW due to excessive constraint of the widthwise outer ends 22A, 22B, enabling smooth operation. Furthermore, it also enables smooth movement of suspension components (not shown) connected to the widthwise outer ends 22A, 22B on both sides. This prevents damage to the Watts link mechanisms FW, BW and other components.

[0037] (2) The trailing arms 12a, 12b are fixed to their rear ends with a bracket 26 having a hollow portion. The inner shafts 22a at the left and right vehicle width outer ends 22A, 22B are surrounded and held by elastic members 22b in the hollow portion of the bracket 26.

[0038] With this configuration, inner shaft 22a is able to swing freely due to elastic member 22b. By providing bracket 26 as a separate member, there is no need to provide a protrusion such as a bracket on trailing arms 12a, 12b, allowing trailing arms 12a, 12b to be made smaller. This smaller size facilitates manufacturing. As a result, the weight of trailing arms 12a, 12b can be reduced while also increasing design freedom and versatility of trailing arms 12a, 12b, i.e., adaptability to different specifications such as the presence or absence of bracket 26 and changes to the shape of trailing arms 12a, 12b.

[0039] (3) The pair of Watts link mechanisms FW, BW are arranged side by side in the front and rear, and the inner shaft 22a serving as a connecting member includes a main body 22a1 surrounded and held by the elastic member 22b, a shaft 22a2 serving as an upper coupling part extending upward from the main body 22a1 and to which the widthwise outer end 22A of one Watts link mechanism FW is coupled, and a shaft 22a3 serving as a lower coupling part extending downward from the main body 22a1 and to which the widthwise outer end 22A of the other Watts link mechanism BW is coupled. The upper and lower shafts 22a2, 22a3 are offset in the front-to-rear direction.

[0040] With this configuration, as shown in FIG. 3, the inner shaft 22a has a crank shape in which the upper and lower shafts 22a2 and 22a3 are offset from each other. This allows the width of the ball joints 22c and 22d in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction to be narrower than when the upper and lower shafts 22a2 and 22a3 extend in the same vertical position. When the upper and lower shafts 22a2 and 22a3 extend in the same vertical position, the width of the ball joints 22c and 22d in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction increases because the widths increase in the front and rear directions. This effectively ensures clearance with other components. Furthermore, the upper and lower ball joints 22c and 22d can be positioned substantially parallel to each other.

[0041] (4) A pair of Watts link mechanisms FW, BW are arranged side by side in the front and rear, and each Watts link mechanism FW, BW includes a pair of left and right rods 23a, 24a and 23b, 24b extending in the vehicle width direction, and intermediate links 1B, 1F extending in the vertical direction and rotatably connecting the inner ends of the rods 23a, 24a and 23b, 24b in the vehicle width direction. Each intermediate link 1B, 1F is rotatably held coaxially (rotating shaft portion 21e) with respect to the vehicle body.

[0042] This configuration improves the mounting accuracy of the pair of Watts link mechanisms FW, BW. Furthermore, while the left and right widthwise outer ends 22A, 22B of the pair of Watts link mechanisms FW, BW move asynchronously with the vehicle wheels, the middle portions of the pair of Watts link mechanisms FW, BW can move synchronously with the vehicle body. Therefore, when in-phase or out-of-phase, the axle beam suspension 10 can be appropriately positioned in the vehicle width direction while suppressing interference between the Watts link mechanisms FW, BW due to over-constraint of the widthwise outer ends 22A, 22B, enabling smooth operation.

[0043] Although the vehicle body structure according to this embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 10 Axle beam suspension 11a,11b Wheels 12a, 12b Trailing arm 13 Axle beam 14a, 14b Compliance bushing 21e Rotating shaft 22A, 22B Inner shaft (connecting member) 22a2, 22a3 Shaft (upper connecting part, lower connecting part) 22b Elastic member FW Front Watts link mechanism FB rear Watts link mechanism

Claims

1. a pair of trailing arms extending in the front-rear direction, with front ends supported by the vehicle body and rear ends connected to the wheels; an axle beam extending in the vehicle width direction and connecting the pair of trailing arms; a pair of Watts link mechanisms extending in the vehicle width direction, connecting the pair of trailing arms to each other rearward of the axle beam, and having intermediate portions fixed to the vehicle body, the Watts link mechanisms being arranged side by side in the front and rear; a connecting member that connects an outer end portion of one of the pair of Watts link mechanisms to an outer end portion of the other of the pair of Watts link mechanisms, the connecting member connects the pair of Watts link mechanisms to each other at the same side in the vehicle width direction, The connecting member is fixed to the trailing arm via an elastic member that surrounds the connecting member. Axle beam suspension.

2. a bracket fixed to a rear end side of the trailing arm and having a hollow portion; The connecting member is held in the hollow portion of the bracket by being surrounded by the elastic member.

2. The axle beam suspension according to claim 1.

3. The connecting member comprises a main body portion surrounded and held by the elastic member, an upper connecting portion extending upward from the main body portion and to which the vehicle width outer end portion of one of the Watts link mechanisms is connected, and a lower connecting portion extending downward from the main body portion and to which the vehicle width outer end portion of the other Watts link mechanism is connected; The upper connecting portion and the lower connecting portion are offset in the front-rear direction.

3. The axle beam suspension according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Each Watts link mechanism comprises a pair of left and right rods extending in the vehicle width direction, and an intermediate link extending in the vertical direction and rotatably connecting the inner ends of the rods in the vehicle width direction, Each intermediate link is held coaxially and rotatably relative to the vehicle body.

2. The axle beam suspension according to claim 1.

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