BEARING DEVICE FOR A LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY OF A WHEEL SUSPENSION

Abstract

A bearing device (7) for a leaf spring assembly (1) of a wheel suspension, having a leaf spring (2) and a connection device, which serves for the installation of the leaf spring (2) at the vehicle body. The connection device has a bolt. The leaf spring (2) is fabricated from a fiber composite material and has a recess that passes through the leaf spring, in a transverse direction, and through which the bolt (10) extends in order to provide the bearing device (7) with a compact construction and a low manufacturing cost and effort.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A bearing device (7; 8), for a leaf spring assembly (1) of a wheel suspension, comprising: a leaf spring (2), a connection assembly (9) serving to connect the leaf spring (2) to a vehicle body, the connection assembly (9) having a bolt (10), the leaf spring (2) being fabricated from a fiber composite material and being penetrated transversely by a recess (11) through which the bolt (10) passes.

12. The bearing device (7; 8) according to claim 11, wherein the bolt (10) accommodates clamping devices (13, 14; 25, 26) located on both sides of the leaf spring (2), and the clamping devices (13, 14; 25, 26) are pre-loaded by the bolt (10) toward one another and thus against the leaf spring (2) which is positioned in between.

13. The bearing device (7; 8) according to claim 12, wherein each of the clamping devices (13, 14; 25, 26) comprises a clamping sleeve (15, 16, 27, 28, 31).

14. The bearing device (7; 8) according to claim 13, wherein the clamping sleeves (27, 28) are each equipped, at the sides of the leaf spring (2), with at least one of a conical and a cylindrical enlargement (29, 30) through which the respective clamping sleeve (27, 28) is pre-loaded against the leaf spring (2).

15. The bearing device (7; 8) according to claim 13, wherein a contact element (17; 18) is provided, between the leaf spring (2) and the respective clamping sleeve (15; 16) of the respective clamping device (13; 14), each of which is loaded through the respective clamping sleeve (15; 16) against the leaf spring (2).

16. The bearing device (7; 8) according to claim 15, wherein the contact elements (17; 18) has clamp-like projections (21; 22), through which the contact elements encompass the leave spring (2) from sides of the respective clamping device (13; 14).

17. The bearing device (7; 8) according to claim 11, wherein the connection assembly (9) comprises rubber bearings (32) through which an installation at the vehicle body is accomplished.

18. The bearing device (7; 8) according to claim 13, wherein rubber bearings (32) are placed on the respective clamping sleeves (31).

19. The bearing device (7; 8) according to claim 12, wherein the pre-load of the clamping devices (13, 14; 25, 26) is achieved by a screw fastening.

20. A leaf spring assembly (1) for a wheel suspension of a vehicle, comprising: a leaf spring (2) being connected with part of a vehicle body by a bearing device (7, 8) having a connection assemblies (9) serving to connect the leaf spring (2) to the vehicle body, the connection assemblies (9) each having a bolt (10), the leaf spring (2) being fabricated from a fiber composite material and being penetrated transversely by recesses (11) through which the bolts (10) pass.

21. A leaf spring assembly of a wheel suspension comprising: a leaf spring, first and second bearing devices, each of the first and the second bearing devices having a connection assembly which connects the leaf spring to a vehicle body, each of the connection assemblies having a respective bolt, the leaf spring being fabricated from a fiber composite material and has first and second transverse recesses extending through the leaf spring, and the respective bolt of the first bearing device passing through the first recess and the respective bolt of the second bearing device passing through the second recess.

22. The leaf spring assembly according to claim 21, wherein each of the first and the second bearing devices comprises clamping devices which are supported by the respective bolts on opposite transverse sides of the leaf spring, and the clamping devices on the respective bolts being pre-loaded against each other thereby clamping the leaf spring therebetween.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Advantageous embodiments of the invention which are hereinafter described are presented in the drawings. These show:

[0027] FIG. 1 a schematic presentation of a leaf spring assembly;

[0028] FIG. 2 a perspective view of a bearing device of the leaf spring assembly of FIG. 1, according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[0029] FIG. 3 a sectional view of the bearing device as in FIG. 2;

[0030] FIG. 4 a perspective view of a bearing device of the leaf spring assembly as in FIG. 1, in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention;

[0031] FIG. 5 a section view of the bearing device as in FIG. 4; and

[0032] FIG. 6 a section view of a bearing device of the leaf spring assembly as in FIG. 1, in accordance with the third embodiment of the invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] FIG. 1 presents a schematic view of a leaf spring assembly 1, which is used in a wheel suspension of a motor vehicle. The leaf spring assembly 1 comprises a leaf spring 2 made of a fiber composite material, which is preferably GFK (glass fiber reinforced plastic). Hereby, the leaf spring can be designed as one-layer, or composed of several single layers which are combined to form a packet.

[0034] The leaf spring 2 is connected, in the installed condition of the leaf spring assembly 1, at its ends 3 and 4 via the supports 5 and 6 with wheel carriers of the respective vehicle axle. In this respect, the leaf spring 2 is hereby installed as a transverse leaf spring, which runs transverse to the direction of travel of the motor vehicle. Between the two ends 5 and 6, the leaf spring 2 is also connected, in the installed condition of the leaf spring assembly 1, via bearing devices 7 and 8 to the vehicle body.

[0035] FIGS. 2 and 3 show a first embodiment in accordance with the invention of the bearing devices 7 and 8 using the example of the bearing device 7, wherein the bearing device 8 corresponds to the described embodiment. As one can see, the bearing device 7 comprises a connecting device 9 with a bolt 10 which is passed throughseen in FIG. 3a recess 11 of the leaf spring 2. The recess 11 passes through the leaf spring 2 transversely in the region of a thickening 12, as shown in FIG. 2, and in the region of a neutral fiber of the leaf spring 2.

[0036] The bolt 10 is, in the present case, designed as a screw and carries on both sides, facing towards the leaf spring 2, the clamping devices 13 and 14, which are each assembled with a clamping sleeve 15 or 16, respectively, and a contact element 17 or 18, respectively, The clamping devices 13 and 14 are biased towards each other and thus against the leaf spring 2 positioned therebetween via a screw head 19 of the bolt 10, designed as a screw, and a nut 20 on the threaded end of the bolt 10.

[0037] As it can be seen in FIG. 3, the contact elements 17 and 18 each have a respective clamp-like projection 21 or 22, with which the respective contact element 17 or 18 engages around the spring leaf 2 from the respective side. The projections 21 and 22 each have chamfers 23 and 24, respectively, which firmly clamp in the course of pre-loading process the clamping devices 13 and 14 against the leaf spring 2 and its material. The contact surfaces of the projections 21 and 22 with the leaf spring 2 can hereby also designed with a larger surface roughness, for instance through respective knurling of the surfaces.

[0038] Placed on the clamping sleeves 15 and 16 are in addition rubber bearingsnot shown herewhich, in the installed condition of the leaf spring assembly 1 in FIG. 1, form a connection to the vehicle body.

[0039] FIGS. 4 and 5 show an alternative embodiment of the bearing assemblies 7 and 8 according to a second design possibility of the invention. Again, this embodiment is described based on the bearing device 7, whereby the bearing device 8 is a similar design.

[0040] The embodiment according to FIGS. 4 and 5 essentially corresponds with the variation according to FIGS. 2 and 3, in contrast to which clamping devices 25 and 26 have no contact elements, but clamping sleeves 27 and 28 are directly pre-loaded against the leaf spring 2 positioned therebetween. Hereby, the clamping sleeves 27 and 28 on both sides of the leave spring 2 each have a conical and/or cylindrical enlargement 29 or 30, respectively, which are pre-loaded against the leave spring 2. As an alternative, a special contour can be used to minimize the surface pressure on the spring, for instance according to the tensile triangles method. Besides this, the embodiment according to FIGS. 4 and 5 corresponds to the variation as in FIGS. 2 and 3, so that the here described is referencing it.

[0041] Finally, FIG. 6 shows an additional embodiment of the bearing devices 7 and 8 in accordance with a third variation of the invention, which is for instance described based on the bearing device 7. The bearing device 8 is similarly constructed.

[0042] The variation shown in FIG. 6 corresponds essentially with the previously described embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5. Deviating are damping sleeves, of which in the present case only the damping sleeve 31 can be seen enlarged in the contact area with the leaf spring 2. In the case of the variation shown in FIG. 6, the rubber bearing 32 can additionally be seen. For that matter, the embodiment according to FIG. 6 corresponds to the variation according to FIGS. 4 and 5, so that the here described is referenced to it.

[0043] By means of the inventive embodiments, a bearing device can be created which is characterized by a compact construction and a low manufacturing effort.

REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0044] 1 Leaf Spring Assembly

[0045] 2 Leaf Spring

[0046] 3 End Piece

[0047] 4 End Piece

[0048] 5 Support

[0049] 6 Support

[0050] 7 Bearing Device

[0051] 8 Bearing Device

[0052] 9 Connecting Assembly

[0053] 10 Bolt

[0054] 11 Recess

[0055] 12 Thickening

[0056] 13 Clamping Device

[0057] 14 Clamping Device

[0058] 15 Clamping Sleeve

[0059] 16 Clamping Sleeve

[0060] 17 Contact element

[0061] 18 Contact element

[0062] 19 Screw Head

[0063] 20 Nut

[0064] 21 Projection

[0065] 22 Projection

[0066] 23 Chamfers

[0067] 24 Chamfers

[0068] 25 Clamping Device

[0069] 26 Clamping Device

[0070] 27 Clamping Sleeve

[0071] 28 Clamping Sleeve

[0072] 29 Conical Enlargement

[0073] 30 Conical Enlargement

[0074] 31 Clamping Sleeve

[0075] 32 Rubber Bearing