Adjustable Bolt-In Spring Seat Bracket for Vehicle Ride Height
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle suspension systems lack flexibility in modifying ride height characteristics across different vehicle variants, making it difficult and costly to achieve significant variations in ride height, especially for vehicles with large suspension travels.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of bolt-in spring seat brackets that are adjustable, allowing for changes in ride height without replacing springs or other suspension components, by utilizing a bracket, perch, and interface design that enables multiple ride height configurations through structural modifications and adjustable fastener positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional fixed suspension components are used for all vehicle variants, then manufacturing costs are reduced and production is simplified, but the ability to provide different ride height characteristics across vehicle variants is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The spring seat bracket is divided into multiple identical brackets, each capable of being independently adjusted to different ride heights. This segmentation allows each bracket to be optimized for a specific ride height while using the same design across all variants, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the position parameter of the spring seat bracket along the control arm to achieve different ride heights. By adjusting the longitudinal position of identical brackets rather than changing the bracket design itself, the system achieves versatility without increasing device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If aftermarket products are used to modify ride height, then ride height variation is achieved, but the modification process requires specialized knowledge and significant time investment
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple spring seat brackets are pre-positioned at different longitudinal locations along the control arm during manufacturing. This preliminary action allows the desired ride height to be selected and installed directly, eliminating the need for time-consuming aftermarket modifications while maintaining full adjustability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static, fixed ride height design to a dynamic configuration where different bracket positions can be selected based on requirements. This enables easy adjustment between ride heights by simply changing which pre-positioned bracket is installed, rather than requiring complex modification procedures.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different spring seat brackets are designed for different ride heights, then ride height characteristics can be varied, but manufacturing costs increase due to multiple component variants
Solution Approach 1:
The same spring seat bracket design serves multiple functions by being positioned at different longitudinal locations along the control arm. Each position provides a different ride height, but all positions use identical brackets, eliminating the need to manufacture multiple bracket variants and reducing production costs while maintaining configuration options.
Data Source
AI summary
A suspension assembly for a vehicle may include a wheel support structure operably coupling a wheel to the suspension assembly, a bolt-in spring seat bracket operably coupled to the wheel support structure, and a spring supported by the bolt-in spring seat bracket and disposed between a chassis of the vehicle and the bolt-in spring bracket. The bolt-in spring seat bracket may be adjustable to change a ride height of the vehicle.