Vehicle Suspension With Integrated Toe Control Link
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle suspension systems face a compromise between ride comfort and handling, often requiring complex designs that increase cost, weight, and material usage, while struggling to effectively decouple transverse and longitudinal compliance in compact vehicle configurations.
Innovation Solution
A suspension system comprising a hub carrier, support arm, trailing link, and toe control link, with a reduced parts count, including an inverted wishbone and strut, designed to provide enhanced camber and toe control, particularly suited for narrow-track vehicles with rear- or mid-engined power trains, allowing for a more compact and lightweight design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex suspension systems (double wishbone, multi-link) are used to improve ride comfort and handling, then ride comfort and handling are improved, but device complexity, cost, and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple suspension functions into a reduced number of multi-functional components. The control arm assembly integrates wheel location, camber control, and toe control functions that traditionally required separate links and arms. This merging reduces the parts count while maintaining the necessary ride comfort and handling performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The control arm assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it locates the wheel laterally and longitudinally, controls camber angle through its geometry, and controls toe angle through the integrated toe control link. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated components for each function, reducing overall system complexity.
2Reliability
If complex suspension systems with more parts are used to achieve better ride comfort and handling, then performance is improved, but manufacturing cost and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple suspension functions into fewer integrated components, the patent reduces the total number of parts that need to be manufactured, stocked, and assembled. This directly reduces manufacturing complexity and production costs while maintaining performance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent discards redundant components that are present in traditional multi-link systems. By eliminating unnecessary links and arms while retaining essential functions through the control arm assembly, the design reduces material usage and manufacturing cost without sacrificing ride comfort or handling.
3Force
If traditional suspension designs are used to ensure safe handling, then handling is improved, but the system weight and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control arm assembly merges multiple structural functions into a single integrated component structure. By combining wheel location, camber control, and toe control functions into one assembly rather than using separate links and arms, the patent reduces the total material required and consequently the weight of the suspension system while maintaining handling performance.
4Manufacturing precision
If more suspension components are used to control wheel geometry, then camber and toe control are improved, but the system complexity and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges camber control and toe control functions into the control arm assembly, reducing the number of separate components that need to be precisely assembled. The integrated design maintains precise geometric control while simplifying the assembly process by reducing the number of joints and mounting points required.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using multiple separate links to control wheel geometry, the patent inverts the approach by using a reduced number of multi-functional arms with integrated control features. This inversion simplifies the system architecture while maintaining the necessary geometric control precision.
Data Source
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AI summary
A vehicle suspension comprises an assembly of a hub carrier and a support arm, the support arm being attached to the hub carrier at two points spaced from each other in the direction of travel and extending inwardly therefrom to a support arm attachment point for fixing to a chassis, and a trailing link extending from the assembly in a direction transverse to that of the support arm, toward a trailing link attachment point for fixing to the chassis. The trailing link preferably extends from the assembly in a forward direction, and is preferably connected directly to the hub carrier. A strut can extend upwardly toward an attachment point for fixing to a chassis, to provide a spring and damper. The support arm can comprise a pair of arms extending divergently from the attachment point to each of the two points. A toe control link extends generally parallel to but spaced from the rear arm, linking the hub carrier to the chassis to provide geometry control under high load conditions. The invention further relates to a vehicle, comprising a chassis and at least two wheels, one on each side of the vehicle, each wheel being attached to the chassis via such a suspension.