Leaf Spring Mount With Impact Absorber for Transverse Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing leaf spring devices for vehicle suspension systems face issues with increased spring characteristics due to transverse displacement and force, leading to instability, particularly in electric and autonomous vehicles where weight reduction is a priority.
Innovation Solution
A leaf spring device incorporating an impact absorbing unit with stacked plate units, bushing units, and a fastening rod, mounted on a lower arm support unit, which absorbs and reduces transverse displacement and force, enhancing spring performance and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a solid mounting structure is used to connect the spring and lower arm, then the connection strength is improved, but the transverse displacement and transverse force increase the spring characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The solid mounting structure is segmented into multiple components: a support body, multiple support protrusions, and a bushing. This segmentation allows the structure to maintain strength through multiple connection points while reducing harmful spring characteristics by distributing forces across several elements rather than a single rigid connection.
Solution Approach 2:
A bushing is introduced as an intermediary element between the support protrusions and the spring. This bushing acts as a mediator that allows controlled movement and absorbs transverse forces, preventing them from directly increasing the spring characteristics while maintaining the connection strength of the overall structure.
2Force
If the leaf spring is designed to have the same spring constant as the existing coil spring, then the existing characteristics of a single leaf spring are implemented, but the spring characteristics increase because of mechanical limits when the leaf spring performs the motion
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is designed with dynamic characteristics through the bushing element, which allows the connection to adapt during motion. The bushing provides controlled compliance that maintains consistent spring characteristics throughout the range of motion, preventing the increase in spring characteristics that occurs with rigid mechanical limits.
3Weight of moving object
If a transversal composite leaf spring is used to reduce weight and height of the vehicle, then the weight reduction is achieved, but the spring characteristics vary because of the transverse displacement during the motion of the wheel
Solution Approach 1:
The connection structure is segmented into multiple support protrusions and a bushing system, which allows the lightweight composite spring to maintain stable characteristics. The segmentation distributes the load and movement across multiple points, preventing the variation in spring characteristics that would otherwise occur during wheel motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The bushing serves as an intermediary that stabilizes the connection between the composite spring and lower arm. It absorbs and dampens transverse displacements, preventing them from causing variations in spring characteristics while allowing the lightweight composite structure to function effectively.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively absorbs and reduces transverse displacement and force, improving the stability and spring performance of the leaf spring unit, thereby enhancing the overall performance of the vehicle suspension system.
Implementation Method 1
one or more bushing units disposed between adjacent plate units of the plurality of plate units and mounted on the lower arm support unit
Implementation Method 2
The transverse displacement needs to be absorbed without friction during the arc motion of the wheel
Data Source
AI summary
A leaf spring device for a suspension system for a vehicle a including a leaf spring unit, an impact absorbing unit connected to the leaf spring unit and configured to absorb an impact generated by a motion of the leaf spring unit, and a lower arm support unit configured to accommodate the impact absorbing unit, the lower arm support unit being mounted on a lower arm.