Axle link for a motor vehicle

Abstract

An axle link for a motor vehicle includes a body-side connecting element and a wheel-side connecting element. The connecting elements are connected to one another by a rod element, comprised of a metal rod and a reinforcement casing. The metal rod is made of a ductile material and is anchored in the reinforcement casing at the connecting elements. The reinforcement casing is made of a brittle material and has a predetermined breaking point at a longitudinal position between the connecting elements.

Claims

1. An axle link for a motor vehicle, comprising: a body-side connecting element; a wheel-side connecting element; and a rod element connecting the connecting elements to one another, said rod element comprising a metal rod and a reinforcement casing, said metal rod being made of ductile material and anchored at the connecting elements in the reinforcement casing, said reinforcement casing being made of a brittle material and having a predetermined breaking point at a longitudinal position between the connection elements.

2. The axle link of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement casing is made of fiber reinforced plastic.

3. The axle link of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement casing is made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP).

4. The axle link of claim 1, wherein the metal rod has a circumference which increases from an anchor point of the metal rod at one of the connecting elements to the predetermined breaking point and decreases from the predetermined breaking point to an anchor point at the other one of the connection elements.

5. The axle link of claim 1, wherein the material of the metal rod and the material of the reinforcement casing are selected such that a force to pull apart the metal rod in relation to the reinforcement casing is adjustable.

6. The axle link of claim 5, wherein the force is adjustable between a large force, caused by rough surfaces on the metal rod and/or the reinforcement casing, a smaller force, caused by polished surfaces on the metal rod and/or the reinforcement casing, and a minimum force, caused by application of oil on the surfaces of the metal rod and/or the reinforcement casing.

7. The axle link of claim 1, wherein an anchor point of the metal rod at each of the connecting elements is formed by a thickening which is molded onto the metal rod.

8. The axle link of claim 1, wherein the metal rod is designed as a hollow body which is dimensioned such as to collapse when subject to rupture stress and to thereby lose a connection to the reinforcement casing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) In the description, in the claims and in the drawing, the terms used in the below list of reference signs and associated reference signs are used. In the drawing:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a section through an embodiment of the axle link according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(3) According to FIG. 1, the axle link 2 according to the invention has a body-side connecting element 4 and a wheel-side connecting element 6, configured for attachment of a link 18. The two connecting elements 4, 6 are connected to one another by a rod member 8 comprised of a metal rod 10 and a reinforcement casing 12. The metal rod 10 is made of a ductile material and is anchored in the vicinity of the connecting elements 4, 6 in the reinforcement casing 12 by thickenings 14, 16 molded onto the metal rod 10.

(4) The reinforcement casing 12 is provided to ensure the necessary rigidity and strength of the axle link 2 in normal operation. For that purpose, the reinforcement casing 12 is made of a brittle material, in particular of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP casing). The reinforcement casing 12 has finally a predetermined breaking point 20 where the axle link 2 according to the invention breaks in the presence of an overload.

(5) In the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the axle link 2, the circumference of the metal rod 10 increases from the anchor point or thickening 14 at the connecting element 4 to the predetermined breaking point 20 and decreases from the predetermined breaking point 20 to the wheel-side connecting element 6. As an alternative, a reverse profile of the circumference of the metal rod 10 can be selected when, for example, the location of the metal rod 10 with the smallest circumference should serve as predetermined breaking point 20 of the metal rod 10.

(6) The force, required to pull apart the metal rod 10 in relation to the reinforcement casing 12, can be adjusted in various ways, in particular by the friction pairing of the materials of the metal rod 10 and the reinforcement casing 12. The force may, for this purpose, be adjusted between a large force, caused by rough surfaces on metal rod 10 and/or the reinforcement casing 12, and a smaller force, caused by polished surfaces on the metal rod 10 and/or the reinforcement casing 12, and a minimum force, caused by the application of oil on the surfaces of the metal rod 10 and/or reinforcement casing 12.

(7) From the standpoint of adjusting the force to pull apart the components, the metal rod 10 may also be configured as a hollow body (not shown), which collapses when subject to rupture stress and thus loses the connection to the reinforcement casing 12.