Chassis for a Utility Vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a chassis for a utility vehicle, having a first .sup.J chassis element extending transversely with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction and a second chassis element (5) fixed to the outer side thereof, wherein the second chassis element (5) is supported against the outer side of the first chassis element via at least one roughened supporting area (11, 12). In order to avoid relative movements between the chassis elements connected by clamping forces in a utility vehicle chassis, the roughening comprises a surface structure produced by machining the supporting area (11, 12) in a blasting process and preferably a laser beam process. The invention further relates to specific individual parts of such a chassis, specifically an axle shell, an axle guide (5), and a brake carrier.

Claims

1. A chassis for a utility vehicle having a first chassis element (2) which extends transversely to the longitudinal vehicle direction and a second chassis element (4, 5, 6) which is fixed to the outer side thereof (15), wherein the second chassis element (4, 5, 6) is supported against the outer side (15) of the first chassis element (2) via at least one roughened support region (11, 12), characterized in that the roughening comprises a surface structure which is produced by processing the support region (11, 12) with a beam method.

2. The chassis as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the second chassis element (4, 5) comprises a spheroidal cast iron.

3. The chassis as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the second chassis element (4, 5) comprises the spheroidal cast iron material GJS or the spheroidal cast iron material GCS.

4. The chassis as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the roughening comprises a surface structure which is produced by processing the support region (11, 12) by means of a solid-state laser.

5. The chassis as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the roughening comprises a surface structure which is produced by processing the support region (11, 12) by means of a solid-state laser which is pulsed with a pulse energy of a maximum of 80 mJ.

6. The chassis as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the second chassis element is an axle shell (6) which has on the inner side (38) thereof which has the roughened support region (11, 12) a curved extent and which is arranged as an independent component between the first chassis element (2) and an axle link (5) which is pivotably supported on the vehicle chassis of the utility vehicle.

7. The chassis as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the axle shell (6) also has a curved extent at the outer side (37) thereof facing the axle link (5).

8. The chassis as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the axle shell (6) is provided with front and rear wheels (39a, 39b) in the peripheral direction of the bending extent thereof and is provided at the edges with recesses (40), through which bar-like pulling elements (30) are at least partially guided.

9. The chassis as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the recesses (40) have a U-shaped or V-shaped contour.

10. The chassis as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the roughened support region (11, 12) is constructed internally on a shell (10) which is a component of the second chassis element (4, 5) and which extends over a partial periphery of the first chassis element (2).

11. The chassis as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the second chassis element is an axle link (5) which is pivotably supported on the vehicle chassis of the utility vehicle.

12. The chassis as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the second chassis element is a brake carrier (4) of a utility vehicle brake.

13. The chassis as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the roughened support region (11, 12) extends in a peripheral direction only over a partial periphery of the shell (6, 10).

14. The chassis as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the roughened support region (11, 12) extends in a longitudinal direction of the first chassis element (2) only over a portion of the length of the shell (6, 10).

15. The chassis as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the support of the second chassis element on the first chassis element is brought about only via at least two support strips (10A) which are formed on the shell (10) and which are constructed so as to project forward toward the first chassis element (2) and which have a main longitudinal extent in the longitudinal direction of the first chassis element (2), wherein the support strips (10A) are located on different peripheral portions of the shell (10) and are separated from each other by peripheral portions without support strips.

16. The chassis as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the support strips (10A) are provided with the roughened surface structure over the entire face thereof.

17. The chassis as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that only part-faces of the support strips (10A) are provided with the roughened surface structure.

18. The chassis as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the support strips (10A) are each provided with the roughened surface structure in the direction toward the ends of the main longitudinal extent thereof.

19. The chassis as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the first chassis element (2) has a rectangular cross-section with four sides and rounded transitions between the sides, and in that a first support strip (10A) is supported only against a first side and a second support strip (10A) is supported only against a second adjacent side.

20. The chassis as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the surface structure of the roughening is determined by alternating peaks and troughs and in that the plane in which the troughs are primarily arranged is nearer the first chassis element (2) than the inner side of the axle shell (6) or shell (10).

21. An axle shell (6) for arrangement between an axle member and an axle link of a utility vehicle axle, having an inner side (38) which extends in a curved manner for direct support against the axle member and having an outer side (37) which faces the axle link, characterized in that the inner side (38) is provided with at least one roughened support region (11, 12) and in that the roughening comprises a surface structure which is produced by processing the support region (11, 12) using a beam method.

22. The axle shell as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that it comprises a spheroidal cast iron.

23. The axle shell as claimed in claim 22, characterized in that it comprises the spheroidal cast iron material GJS or the spheroidal cast iron material GCS.

24. The axle shell as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that it also has a curved extent at the outer side thereof.

25. The axle shell as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that it is provided with front and rear edges (39a, 39b) in the peripheral direction of the bending extent thereof and is provided at the edges with recesses (40), through which bar-like pulling elements are at least partially guided.

26. The axle shell as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that the roughening comprises a surface structure which is produced by processing the support region (11, 12) by means of a solid-state laser.

27. The axle shell as claimed in claim 26, characterized in that the roughening comprises a surface structure which is produced by processing the support region (11, 12) by means of a solid-state laser which is pulsed with a pulse energy of a maximum of 80 mJ.

28. An axle link (5) for guiding an axle member of a utility vehicle axle, having a support region for pivotably supporting the axle link (5) with respect to the chassis of the utility vehicle, and having at least one axle connection region for connecting the axle link (5) to the axle member, wherein the axle link (5) in the axle connection region has a shell (10) which is a component of the axle link (5), characterized in that the shell (10) is provided at the inner side thereof with at least one roughened support region (11, 12) and in that the roughening comprises a surface structure which is produced by processing the support region (11, 12) with a beam method.

29. The axle link as claimed in claim 28, characterized in that the shell (10) comprises a spheroidal cast iron.

30. The axle link as claimed in claim 29, characterized in that the shell (10) comprises the spheroidal cast iron material GJS or the spheroidal cast iron material GCS.

31. The axle link as claimed in claim 28, characterized in that the roughening comprises a surface structure which is produced by processing the support region (11, 12) by means of a solid-state laser.

32. The axle link as claimed in claim 31, characterized in that the roughening comprises a surface structure which is produced by processing the support region (11, 12) by means of a solid-state laser which is pulsed with a pulse energy of a maximum of 80 mJ.

33. The axle link as claimed in claim 28, having at least two support strips (10A) which are formed on the shell (10) so as to project forward with a main longitudinal extent in the longitudinal direction of the first chassis element (2) and which are provided with the support regions (11, 12), wherein the support strips (10A) are located at different peripheral portions of the shell (10) and are separated from each other by peripheral portions without support strips.

34. A brake carrier (4) of a utility vehicle brake, preferably a disk brake, having a carrier portion (41) for fixing and/or supporting functional elements of the brake and a fixing portion (42) for the rigid fixing of the brake carrier (4) to an axle element of the utility vehicle, wherein the fixing portion (42) is constructed as a shell (10) having a bent inner side which is constructed for direct abutment against the axle element, characterized in that the shell (10) is provided at the inner side with at least one roughened support region (11, 12) and in that the roughening comprises a surface structure which is produced by processing the support region (11, 12) using a beam method.

35. The brake carrier as claimed in claim 34, characterized in that the shell (10) comprises a spheroidal cast iron.

36. The brake carrier as claimed in claim 35, characterized in that the shell (10) comprises the spheroidal cast iron material GJS or the spheroidal cast iron material GCS.

37. The brake carrier as claimed in claim 34, characterized in that the shell (10) is connected to a counter-shell (50) so as to form a substantially closed ring.

38. The brake carrier as claimed in claim 34, characterized in that the roughening comprises a surface structure which is produced by processing the support region (11, 12) by means of a solid-state laser.

39. The brake carrier as claimed in claim 38, characterized in that the roughening comprises a surface structure which is produced by processing the support region (11, 12) by means of a solid-state laser which is pulsed with a pulse energy of a maximum of 80 mJ.

Description

[0042] Other advantages and details will be appreciated from the following description of embodiments which are illustrated in the drawings, in which:

[0043] FIG. 1 is a side view of a pneumatically suspended utility vehicle chassis having inter alia an axle link and an axle member which is used to support the vehicle wheels;

[0044] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of only the axle link;

[0045] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of only an axle link portion, which is used to fix the pneumatic spring of the pneumatically suspended vehicle axle;

[0046] FIG. 4 is a perspective view in a second embodiment of only the axle link;

[0047] FIG. 5 is a perspective view in the second embodiment of only the axle link portion which is used to fix the pneumatic spring;

[0048] FIG. 6 shows three sections through a contact region which is constructed on the axle link, before the processing, after a pre-processing operation by smoothing the subsequent contact region and after the laser processing of the contact region has been carried out with the result of a substantially roughened surface structure in the contact region;

[0049] FIG. 7 shows sections in the contact region between the axle link and the axle member before a clamping force is applied and after the complete tightening of the clamping connection;

[0050] FIG. 8 shows sections in another embodiment in the contact region between the axle link and the axle member, again before a clamping force is applied and after the complete tightening of the clamping connection;

[0051] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an axle suspension with a pneumatically suspended utility vehicle chassis, wherein only a short axle member portion is reproduced of the axle member;

[0052] FIG. 10 is an exploded view of individual objects of the axle suspension according to FIG. 9;

[0053] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of only the axle shell of the axle suspension according to FIG. 9, and

[0054] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the disk brake of the chassis, the brake carrier of which can be fixed by clamping on the axle member which is constructed here as a round tube, wherein the chassis elements involved are reproduced in the non-assembled state.

[0055] The axle suspension described below is used in particular in pneumatically suspended vehicle axles with long, continuous axle members. Such vehicle axles are used in particular in utility vehicles and in particular in truck trailers and semitrailers. The axles are configured for high transport weights and loads for operation on roads.

[0056] A link support 1 is fixed at each vehicle side under the vehicle frame of a utility vehicle chassis which is not illustrated in greater detail. This support 1 receives a pivot bearing for the axle suspension. At each vehicle side, an axle link 5 is used to guide the axle member 2 which extends transversely to the longitudinal vehicle direction and which extends rigidly here from one vehicle side as far as the other vehicle side. The axle link 5 has at the front end thereof at 1A a support region having an integrally cast-on link lug which is a component of the pivot bearing in the link support 1 in order to retain the axle link 5 by means of a bolt in a vertically pivotable manner on the link support 1 which is fixed to the chassis.

[0057] The axle link is provided with a support face for a pneumatic spring 9 at the rear in the travel direction. The pneumatic spring 9 is supported with an upper closure plate from below against the vehicle frame.

[0058] In order to fix the pneumatic spring 9 at the axle side, the axle link 5 is extended beyond the axle member 2 by an additional rear axle link portion 7. Therefore, the axle link 5 is generally constructed in two pieces and it is composed of the axle link at the front in the travel direction and the additional axle link portion 7 which is at the rear in the travel direction and at which the support face for the pneumatic spring 9 is located. During the assembly of the chassis, the front portion of the axle link 5 and the axle link portion 7 are connected to each other and to the axle member 2 via clamping forces. The front portion of the axle link 5 extends in this case from the bearing lug 1A of the pivot bearing in the support 1 as far as the axle member 2.

[0059] The two-piece nature of the axle link is advantageous because by selecting the length, on the one hand, of the axle link 5 and, on the other hand, of the rear axle member portion 7, the vehicle-specific spacings can be produced between the pivot bearing, the axle member 2 and the pneumatic spring 9 individually, that is to say, in a customer-specific manner.

[0060] The axle link 5 comprises cast metal and preferably a spheroidal cast iron, in particular the material spheroidal graphite cast iron GCS. The rear axle link portion 7 also comprises cast metal and preferably a spheroidal cast iron, in particular the material spheroidal graphite cast iron GCS.

[0061] The cast iron material GJS has also been found to be particularly suitable and here in particular the material designated EN-GJS-600-3. This material, which belongs to the group of spheroidal cast materials, is distinguished by graphite which is intercalated in a spheroidal manner. This material structure causes a high level of strength of the material and has the advantage in the case of surface structuring by means of a solid-state laser that the re-molten material has a very high level of hardness in the region of the structure with, at the same time, tough material properties.

[0062] The axle member 2 is provided at the outer vehicle end thereof with an axle journal 8 for supporting a vehicle wheel.

[0063] Preferably, the axle member is constructed as an elongate axle tube. In this case, it is provided with axle journals for supporting the wheel hubs with the vehicle wheels which are fixed thereto at the two ends thereof. Here, the axle tube generally has a rectangular cross-section with four sides and rounded transitions between the sides. The axle tube can comprise, for example, two U-profiles which are longitudinally welded to each other. The outer side 15 thereof is not processed. In particular, it is not synthetically roughened.

[0064] In order to clamp the axle member 2 between the axle link 5 and the rear axle link portion 7, the axle link 5 is provided with a shell 10 which is wider than the axle link 5. The axle link portion 7 is also provided with a shell 20 which is wider than this axle link portion. The shells 10, 20 are an integral component of the axle link 5 or the axle link portion 7.

[0065] For an optimum force path in the region of the axle connection, the cast construction is such that the axle link 5 strikes the shell 10 thereof obliquely downward and the axle link portion 7 strikes the shell 20 thereof obliquely upward.

[0066] The two shells 10, 20 extend along the axle member 2. They have at the inner side thereof facing the axle member 2 a first inner side portion and a second inner side portion which forms a corner angle of approximately 90° together with the first inner side portion. The support of the axle link 5 and the axle link portion 7 against the non-processed outer side 15 of the axle member 2 is not carried out over the whole face of the inner side but instead only in the edge zone of the respective inner side portion, which edge zone faces away from the corner angle. In this edge zone, a projection which extends primarily in the longitudinal extent of the axle member 2 in the form of a support strip 10A is constructed at each of the two inner side portions of the shell 10 and the shell 20. The strip forms a support region 11, 12, 13, 14. The contact between one chassis element, that is to say, the axle member 2, and the other chassis element, that is to say, the axle link 5, is produced only at this support region 11, 12, 13, 14 and therefore only at the support strip 10A, or between the axle member 2 and the rear axle member portion 7.

[0067] The support regions 11, 12, 13, 14 are located at different peripheral portions of the shells 10, 20 and are in particular separated from each other by peripheral portions without support regions. The result of this construction of the shells 10, 20 is only partial contact between the axle link 5 and the axle member 2 or between the axle link portion 7 and the axle member 2 at locations where the support strips 10A with the support regions are located. However, great regions of the inner side of the two shells 10, 20 are not involved in this contact.

[0068] FIG. 1 shows that, since the axle member 2 has a rectangular cross-section with four sides and rounded transitions between the sides, the first support region 11 of the axle link 5 is supported only against a first side, and the second support region 12 of the axle link 5 is supported only against a second side of the axle member 2, wherein these two sides of the axle member 2 are adjacent to each other. Similarly, the axle link portion 7 illustrated in FIG. 3 is supported with a first support region 13 only against a third side and with a second support region 14 only against a fourth side of the axle member 2, wherein these third and fourth sides of the axle member 2 are also adjacent to each other.

[0069] According to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the support regions 11, 12 which are formed on the axle link 5 in a strip-like manner and also the support regions 13, 14 which are formed on the axle link portion 7 in a strip-like manner are provided with a surface structure which is roughened by selective laser processing of these faces. In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the support strips 10A are provided completely, that is to say, over the entire face thereof, with the surface structure which is roughened in this manner.

[0070] In the other embodiment according to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, only part-faces 11, 12, 13, 14 of the support strips 10A are provided with the roughened surface structure. Other part-faces of the support strips 10A are without this surface structure, that is to say, these part-regions were not roughened by an electron beam processing operation or laser processing.

[0071] If only part-faces are provided with the roughened surface structure, they are the part-faces which are located in the direction toward the two ends of the main longitudinal extent of the support strips, as can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0072] The processing of the support faces is preferably carried out using a pulsed laser. This has been found to be more advantageous with regard to the material spheroidal cast iron, which the axle link 5 and the link portion 7 thereof comprise, than a continuously operating laser. It is advantageous if the support regions 11, 12, 13, 14 are prepared and smoothed before the laser processing operation by a cutting processing operation, for example, by means of a milling tool. This preparation improves the result of the subsequent laser processing.

[0073] During the laser beam processing, the laser can be operated with an advance direction in the longitudinal direction of the shells 10, 20 or with an advance direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the shells 10, 20. A beam processing operation initially in one advance direction and then in the advance direction arranged transversely thereto is also possible.

[0074] The clamping connection of the axle member 2 between the axle link 5 and the axle link portion 7 is carried out by tightening bar-like pulling elements 30 which clamp one shell 10 against the other shell 20 with the fixing portion of the axle member 2 being interposed. This clamping is carried out at an oblique angle relative to the horizontal.

[0075] Two threaded curved members each comprising a bent curved member portion 32 and two mutually parallel portions which are straight in a bar-like manner and which transmit the tensile force as the actual pulling elements are used as pulling elements 30. At the free ends thereof, the bar-like portions are provided with outer threads, onto which a threaded nut 33 which is supported at the outer side on the shell 20 is screwed.

[0076] The curved member portion 32 of each threaded curved member is guided around an abutment 34 which is formed on the axle link 5. The abutment 34 is a projection which is integrally formed on the axle link 5 and which is provided with a groove which corresponds to the curvature of the curved member portion 32.

[0077] As a result of the arrangement of the threaded curved member transversely to the axle tube 2, it is possible for the bar-like pulling elements 30 to extend in the region of the axle connection substantially along the extent of the axle link 5 and axle link portion 7 and for the ends of the pulling elements to extend backward and obliquely downward with the threaded nuts 33 screwed on at that location. As a result of this arrangement, an optimally protected position of the pulling elements 30 and in particular the threaded nuts 33 is achieved.

[0078] As a result of the at least partial roughening of the support regions 11, 12, 13, 14 by means of the described beam method, there is produced a permanently secure arrangement in the zones of direct contact between the support regions constructed internally on the axle link 5 and the unprocessed, comparatively smooth outer side 15 of the axle member 2. The same applies to the axle link portion 7. In this manner, a secure transmission of the operating forces is ensured without a continuous offset being produced, that is to say, a constant offset, whether in the longitudinal direction of the axle or in the peripheral axle direction.

[0079] In the fixing method described here, there is produced, as illustrated in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, by the pulling elements 30 being tightened an embedding of the tips of the surface structure which is roughened and hardened by the beam processing in the unprocessed and therefore comparatively smoother outer side of the axle member 2. The contact brought about in this manner takes place only at the support regions 11, 12, 13, 14 not outside the support regions.

[0080] FIGS. 9-11 depict another embodiment of the axle connection, here in conjunction with an axle member 2 which is constructed as a round tube and of which only a short longitudinal portion is reproduced in FIG. 9. The axle link 5 is not constructed in two pieces in this instance but instead in one piece and it comprises a spring steel here, which imparts a given inherent resilience and deformability to the axle link 5.

[0081] There are arranged and clamped between the axle link 5 and the axle member 2, arranged transversely relative thereto, two chassis elements, that is to say, a bent axle shell 6 and an axle pad 36 which is constructed as a formed cast member or forged component. The axle pad 36 abuts the axle link 5 from below in the assembled axle connection, as illustrated in FIG. 9. The lower side of the axle pad 36 is constructed in a shell-like manner, wherein the shell contour is identical or practically identical to the outer side 37 of the axle shell 6. The inner side 38 of the axle shell 6 also has the curved extent and it is identical or practically identical to the outer contour of the round axle member 2. The axle shell 6 therefore surrounds with the curved inner side 38 thereof the axle member 2 over a portion of the periphery thereof and at a maximum over half of the periphery of the axle member 2.

[0082] The chassis portions mentioned are tensioned against each other and therefore clamped by means of two threaded curved members. In particular, there is produced a clamping of the bent axle shell 6 with the axle member 2. The axle shell 6 is provided at the inner side 38 with the roughened support regions 11, 12 for an improved connection between the inner side 38 of the axle shell 6 and the outer side 15 of the axle member 2, wherein the roughening by the processing of the support regions 11, 12 in the already-described beam method above is achieved. Therefore, the axle shell 6 comprises one of the spheroidal cast iron materials already set out above.

[0083] The axle shell 6 is provided with recesses 40 at the edges 39a, 39b which are at the front and rear in the peripheral direction of the bending extent of the axle shell and which extend along the axle member 2. The bar-like pulling elements 30 of the threaded curved members extend at least partially through the recesses 40. The axle shell 6 is thereby fixed in the longitudinal direction of the axle member to the pulling elements and therefore also with respect to the axle link 5. The axle shell 6 is therefore capable of taking up forces in the longitudinal direction of the axle member and to transmit them to the axle link 5. An offset of the axle member in this longitudinal direction is also prevented in the case of longer use.

[0084] The four recesses 40 at the axle shell 6 are for guiding the bar-like pulling elements 30 of U-shaped or V-shaped contour through with little play.

[0085] FIG. 12 illustrates another embodiment of the utility vehicle chassis. The first chassis element is again the axle element, here with the cross-section of a round axle tube. However, the second chassis element in this case is the brake carrier 4 of the utility vehicle disk brake.

[0086] The brake carrier 4 has a carrier portion 41 for fixing and/or supporting functional elements of a disk brake, for example, for fixing and supporting the brake caliper of the disk brake. Furthermore, the brake carrier has a fixing portion 42 for the rigid fixing of the brake carrier 4 to the axle element. In this case, this fixing portion 42 is the bent shell 10 which is constructed for abutment directly against the axle element, that is to say, the axle member 2.

[0087] The fixing portion 42 which has the shell 10 is connected to a counter-shell 50 to then form a closed ring which clamps the axle element 2, for example, by means of screws 51. At the inner side of the shell 10 and preferably also of the counter-shell 50, the roughened portions are each constructed partially in the form of the support regions 11, 12, 13, 14 which are produced by the beam processing operation.

[0088] The brake carrier 4 and preferably also the counter-shell 50 again comprise the already-described spheroidal cast steel, in particular spheroidal graphite cast iron GJS or GCS, which is roughened with the beam method.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0089] 1 Link support [0090] 1A Bearing lug [0091] 2 First chassis element, axle member [0092] 4 Second chassis element, brake carrier [0093] 5 Second chassis element, axle link [0094] 6 Second chassis element, axle shell [0095] 7 Axle link portion [0096] 9 Pneumatic spring [0097] 10 Shell [0098] 10A Support strip [0099] 11 Support region [0100] 12 Support region [0101] 13 Support region [0102] 14 Support region [0103] 15 Outer side of axle member [0104] 20 Shell [0105] 30 Pulling element, threaded curved member [0106] 32 Curved member portion [0107] 33 Threaded nut [0108] 34 Abutment [0109] 36 Axle pad [0110] 37 Outer side [0111] 38 Inner side [0112] 39a Edge [0113] 39b Edge [0114] 40 Recess [0115] 41 Carrier portion [0116] 42 Fixing portion [0117] 50 Counter-shell [0118] 51 Screw