ADJUSTABLE ROLL STABILIZER FOR A CHASSIS OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

An adjustable roll stabilizer (9), for a chassis of a motor vehicle, having an actuator (13) arranged between two partial sections (10,11) of a stabilizer. The actuator has an actuator housing (20) and an output (21) and is designed to produce a torsional moment acting between the two partial sections. A damping element (23,25) is arranged outside of the actuator.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. An adjustable roll stabilizer (9) for a chassis (2) of a motor vehicle, the roll stabilizer comprising: an actuator (13) being arranged between two partial-sections (10, 11) of a stabilizer (12), and actuator having an actuator housing (20) and a drive output element (21); the actuator serving to produce a torsional moment acting between the two partial-sections (10, 11); and at least one damping element (23, 25) being arranged outside the actuator (13).

12. The adjustable roll stabilizer according to claim 11, wherein the at least one damping element (23, 25) is formed by an elastic element (28, 29) for damping both rotary and axial perturbing influences.

13. The adjustable roll stabilizer according to claim 11, wherein the at least one damping element (23, 25) is provided between at least one structural element (20) of the actuator (13), which is in a form of at least one of the actuator housing (20) and the drive output element (21), and the corresponding partial-section (10, 11), and the at least one structural element (20) is connected to the corresponding partial-section (10, 11), in both a circumferential direction and an axial direction, by at least one of interlocking, frictional and material-merged means, and an elastic element (28; 35) of the damping element (23, 25) is arranged between surfaces (26, 27, 31) of the structural element (20) concerned and the corresponding partial-section (10, 11) that face one another.

14. The adjustable roll stabilizer according to claim 11, wherein the damping element is formed of at least one elastic element (28, 29, 34, 35) and a securing element (30, 36) and facing ends of the two partial-sections (10, 11).

15. The adjustable roll stabilizer according to claim 14, wherein a structural element and the two partial-sections (10, 11) of the stabilizer (12), in an area of their connection with one another, are made complementary to one another, and their surfaces (26, 27) facing toward one another, in which the elastic element (28) of the damping element (23, 25) is located, have shapes that correspond with one another.

16. The adjustable roll stabilizer according to claim 15, wherein the structural element of the actuator (13) concerned and the two partial-sections (10, 11) of the stabilizer (12), in an area of their connection with one another, form a cylindrical outer contour and the surfaces (26, 27) of the two part sections, facing toward one another a longitudinal direction, have undulating shapes, and a cylindrical outer contour of the two partial-sections is surrounded by a clamping element in a form of either a sleeve or a shell.

17. The adjustable roll stabilizer according to claim 16, wherein the sleeve (30) is fitted over the structural element (22, 24) or the two partial-sections (10, 11) of the stabilizer (12), respectively, by a press fit, on one side, and by a transition fit, on the other side.

18. The adjustable roll stabilizer according to claim 17, wherein the clamping element is in the form of a shell which also serves to mount the two partial-sections of the stabilizer to an axle body.

19. The adjustable roll stabilizer according to claim 14, wherein an interlocked connection, between the structural element (22, 24) concerned and the corresponding partial-section (10, 11), is in a form of a bolt (36) passing therethrough, and the elastic element (35) is arranged through respective through-bores (31) in the structural element (22, 24) concerned and the corresponding partial-section (10, 11) and the bolt (36).

20. The adjustable roll stabilizer according to claim 11, wherein a damping element is also arranged inside the actuator housing (20) and positioned between a motor (17) and at least one of a transmission (18) and the drive output element (22).

21. An adjustable roll stabilizer for a chassis of a motor vehicle, the roll stabilizer comprising: an actuator having an actuator housing and a drive output element being arranged between first and second partial-sections of a stabilizer; the actuator producing a torsional moment acting between the first and the second partial-sections of the stabilizer; and a damping element being arranged outside the actuator housing and coupling the drive output element of the actuator to the second part-section of the stabilizer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] To explain the invention further, reference is made to the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention. The figures show:

[0027] FIG. 1: A schematic representation of a front view of a chassis fitted with an adjustable roll stabilizer in a passenger car,

[0028] FIG. 2: A longitudinal section through an actuator of the roll stabilizer,

[0029] FIG. 3: A longitudinal section through a first arrangement according to the invention, of a damping element between a structural element that transmits a torsional moment and a part-section of a stabilizer, with undulating surfaces formed between them, and

[0030] FIG. 4: A longitudinal section through a second arrangement according to the invention, of a damping element between a structural element that transmits a torsional moment and a part-section of a stabilizer, wherein an interlocked connection is produced between the structural element concerned and the corresponding part-section in the form of a radially through-going bolt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle body 1 of a motor vehicle having a chassis 2. The chassis 2 has wheel suspensions 3 and 4, whose control arms 5 and 6 are supported on the vehicle body 1 by suspension struts 7 and 8. As can also be seen from the figure, an adjustable roll stabilizer 9 engages at its ends with the wheel suspensions 3 and 4. The stabilizer is, in this case, a stabilizer 12 divided into two part-sections 10 and 11, with an actuator 13 arranged between the part-sections 10 and 11.

[0032] By means of the actuator 13 different torsional moments can be produced between the part-sections 10 and 11, whereby depending on the driving conditions of the passenger car forces and torques occurring between the vehicle body 1 and the chassis 2 can be varied. Each of the part-sections 10 and 11 is guided and able to rotate on the vehicle body 1 by virtue of respective bearings 14 and 15 on the body. A control unit 16, to which any desired measurement values such as a transverse acceleration or a wall angle are transmitted, is connected to the actuator 13.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section of the actuator 13. This comprises an electric motor 17 and a multi-gear planetary gearset 18. These structural elements are arranged inside an actuator housing 20. On the drive output side a drive output element 21 of the planetary gearset 18 is connected to the part-section 11 with a drive output shaft 22 via a first damping element 23 for damping both rotary and axial vibrations. At its end remote from the part-section 11 the actuator 20 has an attachment 24 which is connected via a second damping element 25 to the part-section 10. This damping element 25 too contributes toward damping both rotary and axial vibrations. It is also possible to provide a damping element 23 or 25 only on the drive output shaft 22 or on the attachment 24.

[0034] FIG. 3 shows a sectioned representation of a first preferred example embodiment of the invention, in which the drive output shaft 22 forms an undulating surface 26 over an area of its longitudinal extension owing to a recess. Between this undulating surface 26 of the drive output shaft 22 and an undulating surface 27 of the part-section 11 complementary thereto, is arranged a first elastic element 28 that is adapted to these contours, this being in the form of an elastomer element. It can be vulcanized onto both surfaces 26 and 27 or only onto one of the surfaces 26 and 27, or even just held between the two surfaces 26 and 27.

[0035] At least in the area in which the two aforesaid undulating surfaces 26 and 27 are located, the drive output shaft 22 and the part-section 11 are surrounded by a second elastic element 29, preferably in the form of an elastomer element, and a sleeve 30 that encloses it. By virtue of the aforesaid contours the two components, the drive output shaft 22 and the part-section 11, can be fitted into one another with the elastic element 28 between them. The sleeves 29, 30 previously pushed onto the part-section 11 are then with the second elastic element 29 pushed over the joint in order to complete the damping element and to connect the components firmly to one another in a rigid manner.

[0036] This joint can transmit both axial and radial as well as rotational forces. The sleeve 30 secures the joint. The first elastic element 28 damps axial and rotary vibrations and impacts between the two interlocking partners. Furthermore, the second elastic element 29, which is arranged between the sleeve 30 and the components, damps radial movements mainly transmitted from the corresponding part-section 10 of the stabilizer 12. In this case it is possible to supply the actuator 13 as a preassembled unit without supplying the part-sections 10 and 11 of the stabilizer 12, and only to combine them during the fitting of the roll stabilizer 9 to the axle.

[0037] Finally, FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the drive output shaft 22 and the part-section 11 are in each case tubular and are fitted concentrically with one another. In this case the two components have an aligned through-going bore 31. Between an inner casing surface 32 of the drive output shaft 22 and an outer casing surface 33 of the part-section 11 is arranged a first cylindrical elastic element 34. In addition, a second elastic element 35, in the form of a sleeve, passes through the through-going bore 31 and receives on its inside a bolt 36 which, at its ends, is fixed on the drive output shaft 22 by means of bolt-heads 37 and 39. In this case too the interlocked connection formed by the radial through-bore 31 and the bolt 36 can transmit both rotary and axial forces. Vibrations introduced by the part-section 11 are effectively damped by the damping element 23 formed by the two elastic elements 34 and 35.

INDEXES

[0038] 1 Vehicle body [0039] 2 Chassis [0040] 3 Wheel suspension [0041] 4 Wheel suspension [0042] 5 Control arm [0043] 6 Control arm [0044] 7 Suspension strut [0045] 8 Suspension strut [0046] 9 Adjustable roll stabilizer [0047] 10 Part-section [0048] 11 Part-section [0049] 13 Actuator [0050] 14 Bearing on the body [0051] 15 Bearing on the body [0052] 16 Control unit [0053] 17 Electric motor [0054] 18 Planetary gearset [0055] 19 Rotation angle sensor [0056] 20 Actuator housing, structural element [0057] 21 Drive output element [0058] 22 Drive output shaft [0059] 23 Damping element [0060] 24 Undulating attachment [0061] 25 Damping element [0062] 26 Undulating surface [0063] 27 Undulating surface [0064] 28 Elastic element [0065] 29 Elastic element [0066] 30 Sleeve [0067] 31 Through-going bore [0068] 32 Inner casing surface [0069] 33 Outer casing surface [0070] 34 Elastic element [0071] 35 Elastic element [0072] 36 Bolt [0073] 37 Head of 36 [0074] 38 Head of 36