Sheet-Metal Suspension Arm With Ball Joint Shell for Low-Weight Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing carriers for motor vehicle wheel suspensions face challenges in achieving the required high rigidity and stiffness while minimizing weight and production costs.
Innovation Solution
The carrier incorporates an elongated handlebar made of metal sheet with a hollow chamber section, featuring a ball joint shell made of forged or cast metal. The handlebar is constructed using sheet metal shells or formwork segments, with a fastening process that integrates a supporting joint absorption for spring and damper forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If control arms are manufactured from steel or aluminum using forging or casting processes, then high rigidity and strength requirements are met, but production costs and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control arm combines sheet metal (for the main body) with forged or cast metal parts (for the ball joint socket and fastening extension), creating a composite structure that optimizes both weight and strength. The sheet metal provides sufficient rigidity for the control arm body while the forged/cast metal components provide high-strength connection points.
2Strength
If control arms are manufactured from steel or aluminum using forging or casting processes, then high rigidity and strength requirements are met, but production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control arm combines sheet metal (for the main body) with forged or cast metal parts (for the ball joint socket and fastening extension), creating a composite structure that optimizes both weight and strength. The sheet metal provides sufficient rigidity for the control arm body while the forged/cast metal components provide high-strength connection points.
3Weight of moving object
If sheet metal shells or formwork segments are used to construct the handlebar, then weight is reduced, but achieving required stiffness and strength becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The control arm combines sheet metal (for the main body) with forged or cast metal parts (for the ball joint socket and fastening extension), creating a composite structure that optimizes both weight and strength. The sheet metal provides sufficient rigidity for the control arm body while the forged/cast metal components provide high-strength connection points.
Solution Approach 2:
The control arm is divided into functional segments: the sheet metal handlebar body for weight reduction and the forged/cast ball joint socket with fastening extension for high-strength connection. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a suspension arm comprising an elongated link body 5, wherein a ball joint shell 8 is arranged at a first longitudinal end 6 of the link body 5, wherein the link body 5 is formed from sheet metal, wherein the link body 5 is composed of shell segments, in particular of two sheet metal shells 11, 12, and wherein the link body 5 has a height h and a width b in vertical cross-section, wherein the height h is greater than the width b of the link body 5, and the link body 5 has a hollow chamber section 10, and the ball joint shell 8 is a forged or cast metal part and has a fastening extension 9, wherein the ball joint shell 8 engages with the fastening extension 9 in the hollow chamber section 10 of the link body 5 and is joined to the link body 5.The hollow chamber section 10 has two mutually spaced opposite side walls 15, 16, wherein a bearing opening 25, 26 is provided in each side wall 15, 16 and the fastening extension 9 has a bearing opening 27, wherein the bearing openings 25, 26 in the side walls 15, 1 and the bearing opening 27 in the fastening extension 9 are arranged coaxially to each other and form a ball joint receptacle 24 for a spring/damper element.