Camber adjustment system for semi-trailers with independent suspension

Abstract

The invention relates to a camber adjustment system (1) which comprises the U-type chassis (10) designed for semi-trailers which can carry high length special loads (Y); spring bracket (20) which is used to connect the wheel configuration to said U-type chassis (10); suspension swing (50) which comprises equipment such as axle, wheel, shock absorber, air bellow and brake chamber; spring bracket connection bracket (30) which is welded to said U-type chassis (10) and spring bracket (20) and provides ease of position verification and assembly during welded manufacturing; camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) which gives the suspension swing (50) and the tires positive camber angle (α) to prevent the tire wear problem of said U-type chassis (10) semi-trailers by being welded to said spring bracket connection bracket (30) and suspension swing (50).

Description

[0001] CAMBER ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM FOR SEMI-TRAILERS WITH INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION

[0002] Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates to connection structures that enable formation of the camber angle of the wheels of U-type chassis trailers.

[0004] The invention particularly relates to a camber angle adjustment system for wheels in suspensions moving independently from each other, which are connected to the spring bracket of a carrier structure and allow the movement of the carrier system.

[0005] State of the Art

[0006] Today, suspension connection system in which the left and right rear end areas are not connected to each other is used in U-chassis semi-trailers with independent suspension. This chassis form flexes much more under reactive forces than standard semi-trailer chassis due to its structure. In particular, the camber angle difference of the tires between the loaded and unloaded states of the vehicle is far above the negligible value.

[0007] In the state of the art, the suspension and tires, which are in the 0°camber axis in the unloaded state, are subjected to torsion up to a°in the dir ection of negative camber position in the loaded state in U-chassis semi-trailers. This causes increased tire wear when semi-trailers are loaded.

[0008] In the state of the art, tire wear on semi-trailers is 5-6 times higher when in the loaded state compared to when in the unloaded state due to the increase in unit force and pressure on them. In the loaded state, the tires of the semi-trailer, which cannot maintain a 0° camber position, wear out 3 times faster. This situation causes the tire to burst while driving and accidents in which loss of life and property will occur.

[0009] In the state of the art, the tires of the semi-trailer are 3 changed times more than the normal number of tire changes to reduce the risk of accidents. The average price of one set of these semi-trailers, which use a minimum of 6 tires, is €3.000. If a vehicle that changes 3 sets of tires per year on average in its loaded state and its tire is not on the 0° camber axis, it changes 9 sets of tires per year and spends an extra €18.000 per year.

[0010] Despite all these, there is no system to prevent the tires from being worn under the loaded state in the current suspension system being used. In the state of the art, a connection system comprising 3 parts is used for the camber adjustment system. This situation causes 3 times more time to be spent compared to the new system by positioning 3 parts and performing measurement checks before and after welding.

[0011] As a result of the research conducted in the literature, various structures relating to the said camber adjustment systems are found. One of them is the patent with application number TR2022 / 017570 titled "Camber Connection Comprising a Lateral Shock Absorber". In the summary of the invention, the classification class of which is B62D 17 / 00, "The invention relates to the camber connection positioned between the traverse and the axon and including a lateral shock absorber that allows the adjustment of the camber angle required for the safe cornering of the vehicle.” is stated.

[0012] In the abovementioned application, improvements have been made regarding camber connections. However, there is no contribution to the adjustment of the tires at a positive camber angle. Therefore, this application can be shown as an example of some of the said disadvantages.

[0013] As a result, improvements are made in camber adjustment systems in parallel with the developing technology, so there is a need for new structures that will eliminate the said disadvantages and bring solutions to existing systems.

[0014] The Object of the Invention

[0015] The invention relates to camber adjustment systems developed to solve said disadvantages and bringing some additional advantages, unlike the embodiments used in the state of the art.

[0016] The object of the invention is to provide a positive camber angle to the suspension swing and to the wheels connected to it, by giving a reverse camber angle to the suspension trunnion sleeve, which has a form suitable for the flexible structure of U-chassis semi-trailers with independent suspension.

[0017] Another object of the invention is to ensure that the trailer chassis suspension system, which is loaded, reaches 0 degrees thanks to the positive camber angle given to the wheels. In this way, the tire surfaces will become parallel to the ground and rapid tire wear will be prevented.

[0018] Another object of the invention is to prevent time losses spent for precision during welded manufacturing and assembly processes by giving the positive camber angle to the suspension swing through the trunnion sleeve.

[0019] Another object of the invention is to reduce the time spent on measurement checks before and after welding to one third by using the newly designed spring bracket connection bracket, instead of the 3 part connection system used in previous applications. In general, the objects of the invention are;

[0020] • to save labor time by improving the precision of the spring bracket welded manufacturing and saving time on suspension mounting adjustments through the angle provided by the trunnion sleeve.

[0021] • to ensure that the wheels of the U-type chassis, which bear the load, remain parallel to the ground by providing a positive camber angle, thereby extending the wear durations.

[0022] The structural and characteristic features and all advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood by means of the following figures and the detailed description with reference to these figures. Therefore, the assessment should be made while considering the figure and their detailed descriptions.

[0023] Figures for a Better Understanding of the Invention

[0024] Figure - 1 ; Shows the perspective view of the U-chassis.

[0025] Figure - 2; Shows the two dimensional view of the U-chassis from the side.

[0026] Figure - 3; Shows the perspective view of the spring configuration in the U-chassis.

[0027] Figure - 4; Shows the perspective view of the connection bracket.

[0028] Figure - 5; Shows the perspective view of the trunnion mechanism.

[0029] Figure - 6; Shows the two dimensional view of the trunnion mechanism from the side.

[0030] Figure - 7; Shows a two dimensional view of the camber adjustment system with a positive camber angle on an unloaded U-type chassis from the front.

[0031] Figure - 8; Shows a two dimensional view of the camber adjustment system with 0 camber angle on a loaded U-type chassis from the front.

[0032] Reference Numbers

[0033] 1. Camber adjustment system

[0034] 10. U-type chassis

[0035] 20. Spring bracket

[0036] 30. Spring bracket connection bracket

[0037] 31. Bracket mounting surface

[0038] 32. Centering hole

[0039] 40. Camber angled trunnion mechanism 41. Trunnion mounting surface

[0040] 42. Centering pin

[0041] 43. Bolt mounting hole

[0042] 50. Suspension swing a. Positive camber angle p. 0 camber angle

[0043] Detailed Description of an Embodiment of the Invention

[0044] In this detailed description, the preferred embodiments of the camber adjustment system (1) of the invention are described solely for the purpose of a better understanding of the subject matter and without any limiting effect.

[0045] Structure principle;

[0046] The camber adjustment system (1) comprises U-type chassis (10), spring bracket (20), spring bracket connection bracket (30), camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) and suspension swing (50). The general structure is shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0047] The U-type chassis (10) is a special chassis type which is designed for semi-trailers that are able to carry high length special loads.

[0048] The spring bracket (20) is welded on the U-type chassis (10) and is the carrier section that allows the camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) to be mounted to the system by being welded on the spring bracket connection bracket (30).

[0049] The spring bracket connection bracket (30) is a part in special form that is welded to the U- type chassis (10) and the spring bracket (20) and provides ease of position verification and assembly during welded manufacturing. The spring bracket connection bracket (30) shown in Figure 4 has the bracket mounting surface (31 ) and the centering hole (32). Bracket mounting surface (31) is the surface where the spring bracket connection bracket (30) is in face-to-face contact with the camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) during the mounting stage. The centering hole (32) is the part where the position centering is made during the mounting stage of the spring bracket connection bracket (30) and the camber angled trunnion mechanism (40).

[0050] Said camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) is the system element in which the positive camber angle (a) is given to the suspension and thus, the wheels in order to prevent the tire wear problem of the U-type chassis (10) semi-trailers. Camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) has trunnion mounting surface (41 ), centering pin (42) and bolt mounting hole (43) are shown in perspective in Figure 5. The two dimensional view of the camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) from the side in figure 6.

[0051] The trunnion mounting surface (41 ) is the surface where the spring bracket connection bracket (30) and the camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) are contacted in face-to-face contact during the mounting stage.

[0052] The centering pin (42) is the part where the position centering is made during the mounting stage of the spring bracket connection bracket (30) and the camber angled trunnion mechanism (40).

[0053] The bolt mounting hole (43) is the bolting hole that allows the mounting of the camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) with the spring bracket connection bracket (30).

[0054] The suspension swing (50) is the component that comprises equipment such as axle, wheel, shock absorber, air bellow and brake chamber and carries the camber angle to the wheels by connecting to the camber angled trunnion mechanism (40).

[0055] Mounting and working principle;

[0056] The spring bracket (20) is mounted to the U-type chassis (10) with welded connection. By welding the spring bracket connection bracket (30) onto these two systems, the mounting of the camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) welded to the suspension swing (50) is achieved and thus, the suspension system is formed.

[0057] In line with this working principle, the centering pin (42) of the camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) and the centering hole (32) of the spring bracket connection bracket (30) are centered on the coaxial axis. Then, the bracket mounting surface (31) and the trunnion mounting surface (41) are mounted face-to-face through the bolt mounting hole (43). The trunnion mounting surface (41) of the camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) is given a positive camber angle (a) between 0.4°and 1.5°extending from the tire sid e surface towards the inner wall of the vehicle. Since the camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) and the suspension swing (50) are welded together through a welded connection, the positive camber angle (a) is indirectly reflected on the wheels. Figure 7 shows the camber adjustment system (1) and wheel configuration with a positive camber angle (a).

[0058] Thanks to the camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) in the unloaded state, the wheels that are given positive camber angle (a) come to a camber angle (£) of 0 when the U-type chassis (10) flexes under load (Y) and thus, preventing the tires from coming into angled contact with the ground. The tires that make flat contact with the ground experience reduced wear rates and have an increased service life. Figure 8 shows the wheel configuration coming to the 0 camber angle (|3). In addition, the specially designed spring bracket connection bracket (30) acts as a support element between the U-type chassis (10) and the spring bracket (20), preventing the spring bracket (20) from being deformed independently of the U-type chassis (10). Thanks to the Z- shaped structure of the spring bracket connection bracket (30), position verification is achieved between the bottom surface of the U-type chassis (10) and the bottom surface of the spring bracket (20), preventing time losses during mounting verification.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Camber adjustment system (1 ) which provides the adjustment of the camber angle by being connected to the U-type chassis (10) designed for semi-trailers which can carry high length special loads (Y); spring bracket (20) which is used to connect the wheel configuration to said U-type chassis (10); suspension swing (50) which comprises equipment such as axle, wheel, shock absorber, air bellow and brake chamber, characterized by comprising:• spring bracket connection bracket (30) which is welded to said U-type chassis (10) and the spring bracket (20) which provides ease of position verification and assembly during welded manufacturing,• camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) which is welded to said spring bracket connection bracket (30) and suspension swing (50) which provides positive camber angle (a) to the suspension swing (50) and the wheels to prevent the tire wear problem of said U-type chassis (10) semi-trailers.

2. The camber adjustment system (1) according to claim 1 , characterized by comprising bracket mounting surface (31) in which said spring bracket connection bracket (30) and camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) are contacted face-to-face during the mounting stage.

3. The camber adjustment system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by comprising bracket centering hole (32) where the position centering of said spring bracket connection bracket (30) and camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) are made during the mounting stage.

4. The camber adjustment system (1) according to claim 1 , characterized by comprising trunnion mounting surface (41) where said spring bracket connection bracket (30) and camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) are contacted face-to-face during the mounting stage.

5. The camber adjustment system (1) according to claim 1 , characterized by comprising centering pin (42) where the position centering of said spring bracket connection bracket (30) and camber angled trunnion mechanism (40) are made during the mounting stage.

6. The camber adjustment system (1) according to claim 1 , characterized by comprising bolt mounting hole (43) which provides the mounting of said spring bracket connection bracket (30) and camber angled trunnion mechanism (40).

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