COUPLING ROD

Abstract

A coupling rod for the articulated connection of chassis components. The coupling rod has two joint sockets which are connected to one another along a longitudinal axis by a strut structure. The strut structure has two parallel outer struts connected to one another by a plurality of transverse struts. To provide a coupling rod that has a maximum buckling resistance and tensile strength while taking up the least possible fitting space, relative to the longitudinal axis, the transverse struts make an angle of 45°±10°. A central wall is arranged perpendicularly to the outer struts and connects the outer struts to one another.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A coupling rod for the articulated connection of chassis components, the coupling rod comprising: two joint sockets (2, 3) which are connected to one another, along a longitudinal axis (A), by a strut structure (4), the strut structure (4) comprising two outer struts (5, 5′) directed parallel to one another, which are connected to one another by a plurality of transverse struts (6, 9, 9′), the transverse struts (6, 9, 9′) are angled at 45°±10° relative to the longitudinal axis (A), and a central wall (7) of the coupling rod is arranged perpendicular to the two outer struts (5, 5′) and connects the two outer struts (5. 5′) to one another.

12. The coupling rod according to claim 11, wherein between the two outer struts a parallel central strut (8) is arranged, at least is some areas, which is connected to the angled transverse struts (6) in such a manner that essentially trapezium-shaped pockets (10), open on one side, are formed between the central strut (8), the two outer struts (5, 5′), the transverse struts (6) and the central wall (7).

13. The coupling rod according to claim 12, wherein the trapezium-shaped pockets (10), in an area between a first one of the two outer struts (5) and the central strut (8), are orientated oppositely to the trapezium-shaped pockets (10) in an area between a second one of the two outer struts (5′) and the central strut (8), and the trapezium-shaped pockets (10) are formed mirror-symmetrically relative to the central strut (8).

14. The coupling rod according to claim 11, wherein one joint socket (2) is in a form of a ball joint socket and the other joint socket (3) is designed to hold a rubber mounting.

15. The coupling rod according to claim 11, wherein in an area of at least one of the joint sockets, the two outer struts (5, 5′) merge into outer stiffening struts (11, 11′), which completely surround at least one of the joint sockets (2, 3).

16. The coupling rod according to claim 12, wherein in an area of a socket for a rubber mounting, the central strut (8) merges into an inner stiffening strut (12) which completely surrounds the socket for the rubber mounting and which is connected to the outer stiffening struts (11, 11′) by transverse struts (13).

17. The coupling rod according to claim 14, wherein the ball joint socket comprises a dome-shaped section (15) which projects above a surface of an outer strut (5), and the dome-shaped section (15) and the outer strut (5) are joined to one another by a double-walled supporting structure with transverse ribs (17).

18. The coupling rod according to claim 11, wherein each of the two joint sockets defines a joint axis, and the joint axes (B, C) are mutually parallel or are arranged 90° relative to one another.

19. The coupling rod according to claim 11, wherein the coupling rod (1) is made by the injection-molding process and is in a form of an injection-molded plastic component, and the injection-molding process is carried out using an injection-molding die which, in an area of a ball joint socket, holds a ball joint pin, which pin, during the injection-molding process, is directly or indirectly overmolded with plastic in such manner that in a hardened condition the coupling rod (1) is connected to the ball joint pin in a form-enclosing manner.

20. The coupling rod according to claim 19, wherein an injection point for injection-molding is arranged on the ball joint socket on the dome-shaped section (15) of the ball joint socket.

21. A coupling rod for the articulated connection of chassis components, the coupling rod comprising: two joint sockets (2, 3) being connected to one another along a longitudinal axis (A) by a strut structure (4), the strut structure (4) comprising two outer struts (5, 5′) arranged parallel to one another, the two outer struts being connected to one another by a plurality of transverse struts (6, 9, 9′), and the transverse struts (6, 9, 9′) being arranged, relative to the longitudinal axis (A), at an angle of 45°±10°, and a central wall (7) of the coupling rod being arranged perpendicular to the two outer struts (5, 5′) and connecting the two outer struts (5. 5′) to one another.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Specific embodiments of the present invention are explained below with reference to the figures, which show:

[0017] FIG. 1a: A perspective view of a coupling rod,

[0018] FIG. 1b: A cross-sectional view along section line 1b-1b of FIG. 1a of the coupling rod,

[0019] FIG. 1c: A cross-sectional view along section line 1c-1c of FIG. 1b of the coupling rod, and

[0020] FIG. 2: A perspective view of a further coupling rod.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] FIG. 1a shows a perspective view of a first example embodiment of a coupling rod 1 according to the invention for the articulated connection of chassis components (not shown), with two joint sockets 2, 3. The joint sockets 2, 3 are connected to one another along a longitudinal axis A by means of a strut structure 4, which comprises two parallel outer struts 5, 5′. The outer struts 5, 5′ are connected at least indirectly to one another by a plurality of transverse struts 6, which relative to the longitudinal axis A make an angle α of 45° (see FIG. 1b). The outer struts 5, 5′ are also connected by a perpendicular central wall 7, which is shown in the cross-sectional illustration of FIG. 1c. Furthermore, between the outer struts 5, 5′ and along the longitudinal axis A, a central strut 8 is formed. In the example embodiment shown, the central strut 8 is not through-going from the joint socket 2 to the joint socket 3, but rather, it extends starting from the joint socket 3 approximately into the second half (shown on the left) of the strut structure 4, where the central strut 8 merges via two transverse struts 9, 9′ into the outer struts 5, 5′. The central strut 8 is connected to the transverse struts 6, 9, 9′ arranged at an angle, in such manner that between the central strut 9, the outer struts 5, 5′, the transverse struts 6, 9, 9′ and the central wall 7 essentially trapezium-shaped pockets 10 open on one side are formed.

[0022] The joint sockets 2, 3 can be designed in various ways. In the embodiment shown, the joint socket 2 is a ball joint socket and the joint socket 3 is designed to hold a rubber mounting. Both of the joint sockets 2, 3 are completely surrounded by stiffening struts 11, 11′ which in the area of the strut structure 4 merge into the outer struts 5, 5′. In the area of the socket for the rubber mounting and therefore in the area of the joint socket 3, the central strut 8 shown in FIG. 1a also merges into an inner stiffening strut 12 which completely surrounds the socket for the rubber mounting and is connected by transverse struts 13 to the outer stiffening struts 11, 11′. The transverse struts 13 are directed essentially parallel to one another, so that between the transverse struts 13, the outer stiffening struts 11, 11′ and the central stiffening strut 12, pockets 14 with rectangular cross-sections are formed.

[0023] The joint socket 2 in the form of a ball joint socket has a dome-shaped section 15 which projects above the surface of the outer strut 5. To stiffen the coupling rod 1 further, the dome-shaped section 15 and the outer strut 5 are connected by a double-walled supporting structure 16 with parallel transverse ribs 17.

[0024] In the example embodiment shown, the joint axes B, C are directed parallel to one another. In contrast, FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a coupling rod 1 in which the joint axes B. C are rotated through 90° relative to one another. In other respects the design according to FIG. 2 corresponds essentially to the design shown in FIGS. 1a-c, although owing to the rotation the stiffening struts 11, 11′ and 12 do not merge with the outer struts 5, 5′ or the central strut 8. Moreover. in the embodiment according to FIG. 2 the central strut 8 is through-going and connects the joint sockets 2, 3. In this example embodiment the outer struts 5, 5′ are parallel to one another and symmetrical relative to the central strut 8. In addition, the trapezium-shaped pockets 10 are formed and arranged mirror-symmetrically relative to the central strut 8.

[0025] The coupling rods 1 in the embodiments shown are produced by the injection-molding process. For this, in the area of the ball joint socket and thus the joint socket 2, in particular there in the area of the dome-shaped section 15, a flattened area 18 is provided, which forms the point of injection. During the production of a coupling rod 1, at that point the fluid plastic is injected into an injection-molding die, and flows from there out through the whole of the injection-molding die. When the injection-molding process is carried out the injection-molding die already holds a ball joint pin in the area of the ball joint socket, which pin is directly overmolded with plastic during the injection-molding. In the hardened condition of the coupling rod 1, the ball joint pin is already surrounded in a form-enclosing manner and does not have to be pressed into the joint socket by expanding the latter.

INDEXES

1 Coupling rod

[0026] 2 Joint socket
3 Joint socket
4 Strut structure
5, 5′ Outer struts
6 Transverse struts
7 Central wall
8 Central strut
9, 9′ Transverse struts

10 Pocket

[0027] 11, 11′ Stiffening struts
12 Stiffening strut
13 Transverse strut

14 Pocket

[0028] 15 Dome-shaped section
16 Double-walled supporting structure

17 Transverse rib

[0029] 18 Flattened area
A Longitudinal axis
B, C Joint axes

α Angle