H-Shaped Suspension Arm Eccentric Wall Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing link elements for commercial vehicles require high wall thicknesses for flexural strength, resulting in excessive weight and limited geometric design for attaching additional chassis components, necessitating an optimization of strength-to-weight ratio and geometric design.
Innovation Solution
A link element with a unique H-shaped cross-section, featuring eccentrically arranged third wall areas that optimize the area moment of inertia, allowing for reduced weight while maintaining strength, and incorporating a recess to further minimize weight while maintaining structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If large wall thicknesses are used to achieve required flexural strength, then the strength and bending resistance of the link element is improved, but the weight of the link element becomes very high
Solution Approach 1:
The link element is divided into multiple wall areas (first, second, and third wall areas) that form an H-shaped cross-section. This segmentation allows the structure to achieve required flexural strength through optimized geometric distribution of material rather than uniform thick walls, reducing overall weight while maintaining strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The third wall area is arranged eccentrically relative to the first and second wall areas, creating an asymmetric H-shaped cross-section. This asymmetric arrangement optimizes the area moment of inertia for the specific loading conditions, enabling reduced weight while maintaining the required bending resistance.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional geometric designs are used for link elements, then manufacturing is simplified, but the ability to attach further chassis components is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The H-shaped cross-section with the third wall area serves multiple functions: it maintains structural strength, creates optimized attachment surfaces for additional chassis components, and provides a versatile geometric design that can accommodate various mounting configurations while remaining manufacturable.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a suspension link element, in particular for use in utility vehicles, comprising a first wall region, a second wall region and a third wall region, wherein the link element has a pivot region for pivotable mounting around a pivot axis, wherein the first wall region and the second wall region extend substantially parallel to a transverse plane, wherein the transverse plane is orthogonal to the pivot axis, wherein the third wall region protrudes from the first wall region and/or from the second wall region along a lateral plane, wherein the lateral plane is oriented perpendicular to the transverse plane, wherein the third wall region is arranged parallel to the transverse plane and eccentric relative to the extension of the first wall region and/or of the second wall region.