Pivotal Spring Bracket for Independent Suspension Jounce Travel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current independent suspension systems face challenges in accommodating large wheel jounce travel while minimizing weight and size, as the spring bracket portion undergoes significant lateral movement, potentially contacting other vehicle or suspension components, which affects efficient operation.
Innovation Solution
A spring bracket is pivotally connected to a lower control arm, allowing for large wheel jounce travel, and is part of a control linkage with an upper control arm and torque rod, featuring support plates for springs on either side of the drive shaft and a pivotal connection to the torque rod, enabling a six-link control configuration that accommodates both large turning angles and wheel jounce travel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the spring bracket is integrated into the lower control arm to minimize weight and accommodate large turning angles, then weight is reduced and turning angle capability is improved, but the spring bracket undergoes significant lateral movement during large wheel jounce travel, causing potential contact with other components
Solution Approach 1:
The spring bracket is separated from the lower control arm as an independent component. This segmentation allows the spring bracket to pivot independently on a pivot pin, enabling it to accommodate lateral movement during wheel jounce travel without compromising the minimized weight design of the lower control arm itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring bracket is designed with dynamic movement capability through pivotal connection to the lower control arm. This allows the spring bracket to rotate and adjust its position dynamically during wheel jounce travel, accommodating large lateral movements while maintaining proper spring positioning and avoiding contact with other suspension components.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the spring bracket is positioned to accommodate large turning angles, then turning angle capability is improved, but packaging space constraints are violated during large wheel jounce travel
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotal connection enables the spring bracket to dynamically adjust its orientation and position during wheel jounce travel. This dynamic capability allows the system to maintain large turning angle capability while adapting the spring bracket's position to fit within packaging space constraints during vertical wheel movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot pin arrangement allows the spring bracket to move in a different dimensional plane during wheel jounce travel. By rotating about the pivot pin, the spring bracket accommodates vertical wheel movement while maintaining its lateral positioning for large turning angles, effectively utilizing dimensional movement to resolve the space constraint conflict.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the spring bracket is designed to support the spring directly over the wheel drive shaft centerline, then wheel jounce travel capability is improved, but the spring bracket and spring may contact other vehicle or suspension components
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotal connection between the spring bracket and lower control arm enables the spring bracket to dynamically pivot during wheel jounce travel. This dynamic movement allows the spring to maintain its position directly over the wheel drive shaft centerline for optimal wheel jounce travel capability while automatically adjusting to avoid contact with other suspension components through rotational movement about the pivot pin.
Data Source
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AI summary
An independent suspension includes upper and lower control arms that are coupled to a knuckle that supports a wheel assembly. A spring bracket is pivotally connected to the lower control arm. A drive shaft extends through an opening in the spring bracket to drive the wheel assembly. The spring bracket includes first and second support plates that respectively support first and second springs on opposite sides of the drive shaft. A torque rod is pivotally connected to the spring bracket. The torque rod and the upper and lower control arms are also mounted to a vehicle frame member. The torque rod, knuckle, spring bracket, upper and lower control arms, and vehicle structure cooperate to provide a six link control that accommodates large wheel jounce travel.