Rocker arm fixing system

Abstract

To provide a fixation system for adjustably fixing a rocker arm of a suspension to a chassis of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A rocker arm fixation system (10) for a vehicle suspension comprises: a second cam (16) rotating integrally with a rod through a shape adaptation coupling; a first nut (18) screwed into a first thread (30) to lock the position of a first cam (14); and a second nut (20) screwed into a second thread (32) to lock the position of a second cam (16). The second nut (20) has: a circumferential groove; a positioning hole that penetrates the circumferential groove; and an elastic clip in the form of an open ring adapted to be stored in a groove to hold a pin in the positioning hole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fixing system for adjustably fixing a suspension rocker arm to a vehicle chassis.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, to fix a suspension rocker arm to a vehicle's mechanical chassis, a screw / cam assembly is used to adjust the toe-in angle and camber angle of the suspension. The adjustment can be made laterally with respect to the vehicle's travel direction by rotating the screw and utilizing the thrust of the cam on the shoulder of the seat of the mechanical chassis. In conventional vehicles powered by an internal combustion engine, for this attachment, it is necessary to insert the screw from the front to the rear of the vehicle. Next, the assembly is completed by inserting a second cam coupled to a groove appropriately arranged on the shank of the screw and a hexagonal nut for locking the position of the cam on the screw. In the context of all-electric vehicles, usually, the space for the rear attachment of the suspension rocker arm to the mechanical chassis is reduced because the footprint of the electric powertrain is large, thereby precluding the use of a conventional screw / cam assembly as used in vehicles powered by an internal combustion engine. Generally, in practice, all locking systems for screws or nuts with threaded shanks require the insertion of a cotter pin, a circlip, a spring clip, or an equivalent component, and sufficient space is required to correctly position, assemble, and secure them. Therefore, there is a need to provide a fixing system that is small in size, easy to use, and does not require tools for either the fastener or the lock.

[0003] An object of the present invention is to provide a fixing system for adjustably fixing a suspension rocker arm to a vehicle chassis, which has no drawbacks of the prior art and can be easily attached and locked even when there is no large working space.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] This and other objectives are fully achieved, according to the present invention, by the fixing system defined in the attached independent claim 1.

[0005] Advantageous embodiments of the fixing system according to the present invention are described in the dependent claims, which should be understood as an integral part of the following description.

[0006] In summary, the present invention is based on the idea of ​​providing a fastening system for fixing a suspension rocker arm to a vehicle chassis in an adjustable manner, and the fastening system is A threaded rod extending along its longitudinal direction between a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the rod having a first thread at the first end, a second thread at the second end, and also having a locking cavity at the second end, A first cam is positioned at the first end of the rod so as to rotate integrally with the rod by a shape-matching coupling with the rod, A second cam is positioned at the second end of the rod so as to rotate integrally with the rod by a shape-matching coupling with the rod, A first nut is screwed onto the first thread of the rod, locking the position of the first cam in the longitudinal direction. A second nut, which is screwed onto the second thread of the rod and locks the position of the second cam in the longitudinal direction, comprises a second nut having a locking portion including a circumferential groove and a positioning hole formed through the groove, The fixing system further comprises a pin and an elastic clip in the form of an open ring, the elastic clip being housed in the groove of the second nut to hold the pin in the positioning hole, At a predetermined longitudinal screwing position of the second nut into the second thread of the rod, the pin engages with the locking cavity of the rod, thereby locking the position of the second nut on the rod in the longitudinal direction. Fixed system.

[0007] The aforementioned fixing system, particularly the configuration of the pin and elastic clip associated with the second nut, allows for not only adjustment of the toe-in and camber angles but also for tack fastening and locking, enabling suspension adjustment in a simple, quick, and economical manner, even in situations where working space is limited, such as in a fully electric vehicle.

[0008] Preferably, the locking cavity is made in the form of a hole extending transversely and essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, or in the form of a circumferential groove.

[0009] Conveniently, the pin is held in place by the elastic clip, that is, by the springback force exerted by the elastic clip on the pin, in the positioning hole and the locking cavity.

[0010] Preferably, the rod has a first groove at the first end which connects to the first cam by conforming its shape, and a second groove at the second end which connects to the second cam by conforming its shape.

[0011] Preferably, the second nut has an internal cavity having female threads adapted to screw into the second threads of the rod, and the positioning hole of the second nut extends from the outer surface of the nut into the internal cavity.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pin and the elastic clip are manufactured integrally. However, in a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pin has a pin groove, the elastic clip has a clip hole, and the pin is manufactured integrally with the elastic clip by connecting the clip hole to the pin groove.

[0013] Advantageously, the portion of the rod contained between the locking cavity and the second end of the rod has a frustoconical shape that tapers toward the second end from the locking cavity. Even more advantageously, in such a case, the elastic stiffness of the elastic clip is a function of the taper angle of the portion of the rod contained between the locking cavity and the second end of the rod.

[0014] Finally, preferably, the second nut has a gripping portion adapted to allow adjustment of the screwing of the second nut onto the rod by a screwing tool.

[0015] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which is given purely as an example with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is an unequal-angle projection view of a fixed system according to one embodiment of the present invention in relation to a vehicle chassis, with certain components omitted for clarity. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is an exploded view of the fixed system. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is an exploded view detailing a part of the fixed system. [Figure 4a] This is a detailed diagram of part of the fastening system at five consecutive moments when the second nut is screwed onto the second thread of the rod. [Figure 4b] This is a detailed diagram of part of the fastening system at five consecutive moments when the second nut is screwed onto the second thread of the rod. [Figure 4c] This is a detailed diagram of part of the fastening system at five consecutive moments when the second nut is screwed onto the second thread of the rod. [Figure 4d] This is a detailed diagram of part of the fastening system at five consecutive moments when the second nut is screwed onto the second thread of the rod. [Figure 4e]It is a detailed view of a part of a fixing system at five consecutive instants of screwing a second nut onto a second thread of a rod.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Referring to the drawings, the fixing system according to the present invention is generally indicated at 10.

[0018] The fixing system 10 is particularly suitable for fixing the suspension rocker arm to the vehicle chassis T in an adjustable manner, but can also be used in different situations where there is limited space for the operation of adjusting the screwing.

[0019] The fixing system 10 essentially comprises a threaded rod 12, a first cam 14, a second cam 16, a first nut 18, a second nut 20, a pin 22, and an elastic clip 24.

[0020] The rod 12 extends along the longitudinal direction or longitudinal direction x between a first end 26 and a second end 28 opposite the first end 26. A first thread 30 at the first end 26 and a second thread 32 at the second end 28 are formed on the outer surface of the rod 12. For example, in an exemplary and essentially non-limiting manner, the first thread 30 extends longitudinally x over a distance of 1 / 10 to 4 / 10 of the total length of the rod 12, and the second thread 32 extends longitudinally x over a distance of 6 / 10 to 9 / 10 of the total length of the rod 12. The rod 12 has a further locking cavity 34 located at or near the second end 28. For example, in an exemplary and essentially non-limiting manner, the locking cavity 34 is located a few millimeters from the second end 28. The locking cavity 34 may be provided as a through hole or blind hole (the cross-section does not need to be circular) extending in the transverse direction y which is essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction x, as seen in Figures 4a to 4e. Alternatively, the locking cavity 34 may be made in the form of a circumferential groove. In an essentially obvious way, the locking cavity 34 may be made in other equivalent shapes. In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the portion of rod 12a contained between the locking cavity 34 and the second end 28 of the rod 12 has a frustoconical shape. In particular, this portion of rod 12a is tapered in the longitudinal outward direction, or the diameter of the cross-section in the transverse direction y decreases linearly from the locking cavity 34 to the second end 28 of the rod.

[0021] As described above, the fixing system 10 includes a first cam 14 and a second cam 16. The first cam 14 and the second cam 16 are arranged to rotate integrally with the rod 12 by means of shape - conforming couplings respectively arranged at the first end 26 of the rod 12 and the second end 28 of the rod 12. As a result, the rotation of the rod 12 corresponds to a similar rotation of the first cam 14 and the second cam 16. In a manner known per se, the angular positions of the first cam 14 and the second cam 16 are associated with the toe - in angle and the camber angle of the suspension, and by rotating the rod 12, said angles can be changed and adjusted by command. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the rod 12 has a first groove 36 at the first end 26 for shape - conforming coupling with the first cam 14 and a second groove 38 at the second end 28 for shape - conforming coupling with the second cam 16.

[0022] The first nut 18 is screwed onto the first thread 30 outside the first cam 14 in a manner known per se and locks its movement along the longitudinal direction x.

[0023] Similarly, the second nut 20 is screwed onto the second thread 32 outside the second cam 16 so as to prevent its movement along the longitudinal direction x. For this purpose, the second nut 20 has an internal thread 42 adapted to be screwed onto the second thread 32 of the rod 12.

[0024] The second nut 20 has a locking part 40 and a gripping part 44. The gripping part is adapted to facilitate the adjustment of screwing the second nut 20 onto the second thread 32 of the rod 12 by means of a conventional screwing tool, thereby facilitating the gripping of the second nut 20. Next, the locking part 40 includes a groove 46 and a positioning hole 48. The groove 46 is made on the outside and extends circumferentially. The positioning hole 48 is formed through the groove 46. Preferably, as shown in the figure, the second nut 20 has an internal cavity 50 along which the internal thread 42 is made, and the positioning hole 48 extends from the outer surface of the second nut 20 to the internal cavity 50.

[0025] As described above, in order to enable a firm connection between the rod 12 and the second nut 20, the fastening system 10 further comprises a pin 22 and an elastic clip 24. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the pin 22 and the elastic clip 24 can be made as a single part or integrally. According to another embodiment of the present invention (illustrated), the pin 22 and the elastic clip 24 are made separately but are connected to each other so as to move integrally. For example, the pin 22 has a circumferential pin groove 22a and the elastic clip 24 has a clip hole 24a, and the pin 22 is held integrally with the elastic clip 24 by connecting the pin groove 22a to the clip hole 24a. However, essentially, the elastic clip 24 constitutes a retaining element that helps to keep the pin 22 integral with the second nut 20 and elastically bias it toward the inside of the second nut 20.

[0026] According to the present invention, the elastic clip 24 is configured in the form of an open ring to hold the pin 22 integrally with the second nut 20 and exert sufficient springback force to position it in the positioning hole 46, and is adapted to fit into the groove 46 of the second nut 20. With this configuration, when the second nut 20 is screwed into the second thread 32 of the rod 12, the pin 22 reaches a predetermined longitudinal screwed position where it fits into the locking cavity 34 of the rod 12. In this way, the position of the second nut 20 on the rod 12 in the longitudinal direction x is locked.

[0027] As described above, the rod portion 12a is preferably tapered in a frustoconical shape toward the second end 28. In such a case, the elastic stiffness of the elastic clip 24 is favorably selected as a function of the taper angle of the rod portion 12a contained between the locking cavity 34 and the second end 28 of the rod 12.

[0028] In particular, the screwing procedure can be seen in sequence in Figures 4a to 4e. When the operator begins screwing the second nut 20 onto the second thread 32 of the rod 12, the pin 22 is positioned as shown in Figure 4a or not in contact with the rod 12. As screwing continues, the longitudinal x position of the second nut 20 changes, and the pin 22 comes into contact with the rod 12, in particular with the portion of the rod 12a that has a frustoconical shape that slopes toward the second end 28. As a result, as shown in Figures 4b and 4c, the pin 22 moves axially while remaining within the positioning hole 48, and partially emerges from the hole. As screwing continues, the longitudinal x position of the second nut 20 changes, and the pin 22 reaches the position of the locking cavity 34 (Figures 4d and 4e). At this point, the springback force applied to the pin 22 by the spring clip 24 pushes the pin into the locking cavity 34, thereby locking the position of the second nut 20 on the rod 12 in the longitudinal direction x.

[0029] As is evident from the above description, the present invention is readily applicable to a vehicle comprising a chassis T and rocker arms adapted to connect the suspension to the vehicle's chassis T. In such applications, it is sufficient to mount the fixing system 10 according to the present invention such that the first cam 14 and the second cam 16 are positioned so that the position of the rocker arms can be adjusted according to the angular positions of the first cam 14 and the second cam 16. At this point, it is only necessary to adjust the angular position of the rod 12, thereby adjusting the first cam 14 and the second cam 16 to adjust the toe-in angle and camber angle of the vehicle's suspension.

[0030] As is readily apparent from the above description, the fixing system according to the present invention makes it possible to achieve the objectives of the present invention.

[0031] In particular, thanks to the user-friendly configuration of the fixing system, the angle position of the rod can be adjusted and locked in place even when the workspace is very small, such as in the case of vehicles that are at least partially powered.

[0032] Of course, without prejudice to the principles of the present invention, the details of the embodiments and configurations can vary widely with respect to those described and illustrated as purely non-limiting examples, thereby not departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A fixing system (10) for fixing a suspension rocker arm to the vehicle chassis (A) in an adjustable manner, wherein the fixing system (10) A threaded rod (12) extending along the longitudinal direction (x) between a first end (26) and a second end (28) opposite to the first end (26), wherein the first end (26) has a first thread (30), the second end (28) has a second thread (32), and the second end (28) further has a locking cavity (34), A first cam (14) is positioned at the first end (26) to rotate integrally with the rod (12) by a shape-matching coupling with the rod (12), A second cam (16) is positioned at the second end (28) to rotate integrally with the rod (12) by a shape-matching coupling with the rod (12), A first nut (18) is screwed onto the first thread (30) of the rod (12) so as to lock the position of the first cam (14) along the longitudinal direction (x), A second nut (20) is screwed onto the second thread (32) of the rod (12) to lock the position of the second cam (16) along the longitudinal direction (x), and the second nut (20) has a locking portion (40) including a circumferential groove (46) and a positioning hole (48) passing through the groove (46), The fixing system (10) further comprises a pin (22) and an elastic clip (24), the elastic clip (24) being formed as an open ring to hold the pin (22) in the positioning hole (48) and fitted to fit into the groove (46) of the second nut (20), The pin (22) enters the locking cavity (34) of the rod (12) so as to lock the position of the second nut (20) on the rod (12) along the longitudinal direction (x) at a predetermined screw-in position of the second nut (20) on the second thread (32) of the rod (12). Fixed system.

2. The locking cavity (34) is formed as a hole extending in the lateral direction (y) which is essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (x), or as a circumferential groove. The fixing system according to claim 1.

3. The pin (22) is held in place within the positioning hole (48) and the locking cavity (34) by the springback force generated by the elastic clip (24). The fixing system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The rod (12) has a first notch (36) at the first end (26) for coupling with the first cam (14) by shape matching, and a second notch (38) at the second end (28) for coupling with the second cam (16) by shape matching. The fixing system according to claim 1.

5. The second nut (20) has an internal cavity (50) having female threads (42) that are fitted to screw into the second threads (32) of the rod (12), The positioning hole (48) of the second nut (20) extends from the outer surface of the second nut (20) to the internal cavity (50) of the second nut (20). The fixing system according to claim 1.

6. The pin (22) and the elastic clip (24) are manufactured as a single unit. The fixing system according to claim 1.

7. The pin (22) has a pin groove (22a), and the elastic clip (24) has a clip hole (24a). The pin (22) is integrated with the elastic clip (24) by the interlocking connection between the clip hole (24a) and the pin groove (22a). The fixing system according to claim 1.

8. The rod portion (12a) included between the locking cavity (34) and the second end (28) of the rod (12) has a frustoconical shape that tapers from the locking cavity (34) towards the second end (28). The fixing system according to claim 1.

9. The elastic stiffness of the elastic clip (24) is a function of the taper angle of the rod portion (12a) contained between the locking cavity (34) and the second end (28) of the rod (12). The fixing system according to claim 8.

10. The second nut (20) has a gripping portion (44) adapted to allow adjustment of the screwing of the second nut (20) onto the rod (12) by a screwing tool. The fixing system according to claim 1.

11. The system comprises a chassis (T), rocker arms adapted to connect the suspension to the chassis (T) of the vehicle, and the fixing system (10) described in claim 1. The first cam (14) and the second cam (16) are arranged such that the position of the rocker arm is adjustable as a function of the angular positions of the first cam (14) and the second cam (16). vehicle.

Images