CHASSIS ARRANGEMENT FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE, AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

Chassis arrangement for a motor vehicle for passenger transportation, having two axles which are arranged at a spacing from one another in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction and in each case have wishbones with the incorporation of a spring element for the independent wheel suspension system. A first axle, lying at the front in a driving direction, is lowered from a neutral position by from 5 to 50 mm, 10 to 20 mm, in order to drive in said driving direction, and a second axle, lying at the rear in the driving direction, is raised by from 5 to 50 mm, 10 to 20 mm, in each case by way of adjustment of the spring elements, it being possible for the driving direction to be reversed.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A chassis arrangement of a motor vehicle, the chassis arrangement comprising: first and second axles arranged at a spacing from one another in a longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle, each of the first and second axles comprising: upper and lower components coupled to a subframe, and spring elements between the upper and lower components, wherein, in order to drive in a first driving direction, the spring elements are adjustable to lower the first axle, lying at a front in the first driving direction, from a neutral position by from 5 to 50 mm, and raise the second axle, lying at a rear in the first driving direction, from the neutral position by from 5 to 50 mm, and wherein, in order to drive in a second driving direction reversed from the first driving direction, the spring elements are adjustable to raise the first axle from the neutral position by from 5 to 50 mm, and lower the second axle from the neutral position by from 5 to 50 mm.

12. The chassis arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the spring elements are air springs.

13. The chassis arrangement according to claim 11, wherein each of the upper and lower components is a double wishbone.

14. The chassis arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the first axle and the second axle have a symmetrically identical configuration, a front left-hand wheel coupled to a left side of the first axle is mirrored by way of a rear right-hand wheel coupled to a right side of the second axle, and a front right-hand wheel coupled to a right side of the first axle is mirrored by way of a rear left-hand wheel coupled to a left side of the second axle.

15. The chassis arrangement according to claim 11, wherein wheels coupled to the raised axle are toed-in, and wheels coupled to the lowered axle are toed-out.

16. The chassis arrangement according to claim 11, wherein a roll pole of the lowered axle is lowered by more than 1.1 times the lowering of the lowered axle, or a roll pole of the raised axle is raised by more than 1.1 times the raising of the raised axle.

17. The chassis arrangement according to claim 11, wherein wheels coupled to the lowered axle have a positive caster angle, and wheels coupled to the raised axle have a negative caster angle.

18. The chassis arrangement according to claim 11, wherein each of the first and second axles includes a steering system having a steering rod arranged at a center of said each of the first and second axles.

19. The chassis arrangement according to claim 11, wherein one of the first and second axles is a driven axle.

20. A method of operating the motor vehicle with the chassis arrangement according to claim 1, comprising: when the first and second axles of the motor vehicle are situated in a neutral position, selecting the first driving direction as a forward driving direction, by lowering the first axle and raising the second axle, and selecting the second driving direction as the forward driving direction, by raising the first axle and lowering the second axle.

21. The chassis arrangement according to claim 11, wherein in order to drive in the first driving direction, the spring elements are adjustable to lower the first axle from the neutral position by from 10 to 20 mm, and raise the second axle from the neutral position by from 10 to 20 mm.

22. The chassis arrangement according to claim 11, wherein in order to drive in the second driving direction, the spring elements are adjustable to raise the first axle from the neutral position by from 10 to 20 mm, and lower the second axle from the neutral position by from 10 to 20 mm.

23. The chassis arrangement according to claim 11, wherein both of the first and second axles are driven axles.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] For an understanding of embodiments of the disclosure, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle 1 having a motor vehicle body 2 and four wheels 3,

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a front view of an axle 10,

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a stylized chassis arrangement according to the disclosure in plan view,

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a way the motor vehicle is to be driven in the first driving direction 6, the front axle 17 is lowered, in relation to the motor vehicle vertical direction Z, and the rear axle 18 is raised,

[0035] FIG. 5 shows one or more embodiments, in the case of which driving is then carried out in a second driving direction 8, and

[0036] FIG. 6 shows one or more embodiments, in an analogous manner with respect to FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle 1 having a motor vehicle body 2 and four wheels 3. Here, in each case the wheel center points 4 are illustrated by way of example for a first and a second axle. Moreover, a neutral plane 5 is illustrated, in which the motor vehicle 1 is situated in the case of non-use. If the motor vehicle 1 is then to be moved in a first driving direction 6 (to the right in the direction of the figure) and this is to represent a forward driving direction, the front axle in said driving direction 6 is lowered and the rear axle is raised in accordance with a plane 7 which is inclined toward the front.

[0038] If a second driving direction 8 which is opposed to said first driving direction 6 (to the left in the direction of the figure) is then to be selected, the motor vehicle 1 is positioned into a second inclined plane 9 in the case of a static wheel load. This takes place in such a way that the second previously rear axle is then lowered and the first previously front axle is raised.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a front view of an axle 10. The axle 10 is configured by way of an upper double wishbone 11 and a lower double wishbone 12, to which a wheel support 13 for receiving a wheel 3 is fastened. Shown in a simplified manner, the double wishbones 11, 12 are coupled to a subframe 14 or a motor vehicle body. Two spring elements 15 are arranged in each case, via which the height of the axle can be adjusted in the motor vehicle vertical direction Z, that is to say said axle can be lowered and raised. In relation to the motor vehicle vertical direction Z, the height of the axle 10 can therefore be adjusted in such a way that said axle 10 can be raised or lowered from a neutral plane 5 or neutral position in the motor vehicle vertical direction Z on the basis of the direction arrows 16.

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a stylized chassis arrangement according to the disclosure in plan view. This then shows the first driving direction 6 and a front axle 17 in the first driving direction 6 which therefore results and a rear axle 18. The axles 17, 18 are configured in the same way as the axle 10 according to FIG. 2. The motor vehicle is situated in the neutral position or neutral plane 5 according to FIG. 1. The track is also shown at the edges.

[0041] If the motor vehicle is then set in FIG. 4 in such a way that it is to be driven in the first driving direction 6, the front axle 17 is lowered, in relation to the motor vehicle vertical direction Z, and the rear axle 18 is raised. This leads to the wheels 3 on the front axle 17 rotating by the angle into toe-out or being at a standstill in toe-out, and the wheels 3 on the rear axle 18 rotating by the angle into toe-in or being at a standstill in toe-in. Furthermore, the respective intersection point 19 of the steering rotational axis on the wheel contact area is shown. Said intersection point 19 is arranged in each case outside the wheels 3. This therefore always results in a negative scrub radius.

[0042] FIG. 5 shows one or more embodiments, in the case of which driving is then carried out in a second driving direction 8. The front axle 17 which previously lay on the right in relation to the plane of the figure is raised in this way and then results in a rear axle 18 on account of the driving direction. The previously rear axle 18 is lowered, and therefore results in the front axle 17 in the second driving direction 8.

[0043] Therefore, the wheels 3 of the front axle 17 are also once again toed-out and the wheels 3 of the rear axle 18 are toed-in.

[0044] FIG. 6 shows one or more embodiments, in an analogous manner with respect to FIG. 4; in the case of a driving direction in the first driving direction 6 and in the case of loading all the wheels 3 with a braking force FB, the wheels 3 on the front axle 17 and the rear axle 18 rotate as it were with toe-in, with the result that a critical driving state is avoided if possible.

[0045] The foregoing description of some embodiments of the disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The specifically described embodiments explain the principles and practical applications to enable one ordinarily skilled in the art to utilize various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.