Axle arrangement for a vehicle

Abstract

An axle arrangement for a motor vehicle includes two opposite wheel carriers which are connectable to a bodywork of the motor vehicle via links, and a transverse leaf spring which is connected to the two wheel carriers. The transverse leaf spring is manufactured as one piece from fiber-reinforced plastic, has at least two bands spaced apart from one another and is at least partially integrated in a shear field. The shear field extends between the two wheel carriers and on both sides is connected fixedly to the body or the bodywork of the vehicle and projects beyond the transverse leaf spring, as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An axle arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising: two opposite wheel carriers which are connectable to a body work of the motor vehicle via links; a transverse leaf spring connected to the two wheel carriers, the transverse leaf spring being made in one-piece of fiber-reinforced plastic and having at least two bands that are spaced apart from one another; and a shear field configured to extend between the two wheel carriers, the shear field being fixedly connectable on both sides to the bodywork of the motor vehicle, wherein the transverse leaf spring is at least partially integrated into the shear field over at least a majority of a transverse length of the leaf spring, and the shear field, when viewed in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, extends beyond the transverse leaf spring.

2. The axle arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the shear field is made of fiber reinforced plastic and the transverse leaf spring is configured as a material thickening in the shear field.

3. The axle arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the transverse leaf spring is laminated onto the shear field.

4. The axle arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the transverse leaf spring extends laterally over the shear field and has extensions that are connected to the wheel carriers.

5. The axle arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a free space is located between the two bands of the transverse leaf spring, a width of the free space in a transverse direction of the vehicle being at least 60% of a width of the transverse leaf spring in the transverse direction of the vehicle, and a length of the free space in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle being at least 40% of a longest length of the transverse leaf spring in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

6. The axle arrangement according to claim 5, further comprising an electrical machine configured to extend into the free space between the two bands of the transverse leaf spring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 illustrates an axle arrangement according to the invention for a vehicle according to a first exemplary embodiment in a first spatial representation;

(2) FIG. 2 illustrates an axle arrangement according to the invention for a vehicle according to the first exemplary embodiment in a second spatial representation;

(3) FIG. 3 is a modification of the first exemplary embodiment, with the wheels not shown here;

(4) FIG. 4 illustrates only a shear field with a transverse leaf spring provided thereon;

(5) FIG. 5 is another modification of the first exemplary embodiment in a representation similar to FIG. 3

(6) FIG. 6 illustrates another motor vehicle axle arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention with a machine that partially extends into a so-called free space of the transverse leaf spring, with the shear field not being shown for the sake of clarity.

(7) FIG. 7 illustrates the motor vehicle axle arrangement of FIG. 6 in a different special representation; and

(8) FIG. 8 illustrates a detailed representation of FIG. 6.

(9) In all figures, identical and/or functionally identical components are denoted with the same reference symbols.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(10) FIG. 1 shows in a spatial view obliquely from above and FIG. 2 shows in a spatial view obliquely from below an axle arrangement 1 of a double track vehicle according to a first exemplary embodiment. The axle arrangement 1 includesas is principally typicala left side and a right side (and therefore two) wheel carriers 2, with a wheel 3 attached to each of them. The axle arrangement 1 is used either as front axle or as rear axle of a motor vehicle. The wheel carriers 2 are pivotably connected to the vehicle body 16 (shown here by longitudinal body side members) via a plurality of links 4.

(11) The axle arrangement 1 furthermore includes a so-called shear field 17, which is connected to the bodywork 16 via multiple bodywork connecting points 18. It is known that a shear field (17) is an essentially plate-shaped stiffening element which, if applicable, may be multi-layered and is provided, in particular, in the area of the vehicle axles, in particular with passenger cars. The shear field 17 essentially extends in a horizontal plane as viewed in the transverse direction of the vehicle between the lateral edges of the vehicle body and projects, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (which runs parallel to the plane of the shear field 17 perpendicular to a connecting line of the mid-points of the two wheels 3) generally past the actual vehicle axle, which is defined by the wheel-guided links 4. In the present case, the shear field is made of fiber reinforced plastic.

(12) Furthermore, the axle arrangement 1 includes a transverse leaf spring 7 which extends in the transverse direction of the vehicle. The ends 8 of the transverse leaf spring are connected in the first exemplary embodiment in form of extensions 19 to the wheel carriers 2 in a wheel-guided fashion. The transverse leaf spring 7 is made in one piece of fiber reinforced plastic and separates in the present case into two bands or belts 9 in the area between the ends. The two bands 9 join towards the ends 8 of the transverse leaf spring 7.

(13) The transverse leaf spring 7 is at least partially integrated in the shear field. To that end, in the first exemplary embodiment, the transverse leaf spring 7, which has two (or, which is not shown, multiple) bands 9, is laminated onto the shear field 17 or its upper side. Therefore, the bands 9 are represented visibly in FIG. 1 and non-visibly by dashes in FIG. 2. However, the transverse leaf spring 7 together with its extensions 19 and the shear field 17 can also be made in one piece of fiber reinforced plastic. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the aforementioned extensions 19 and/or their end sections 8 of the transverse leaf spring 7 are connected in a wheel-guided (and therefore rigid) fashion to the respective associated wheel carrier 2.

(14) FIG. 3 shows a modification of the first exemplary embodiment in a view obliquely from below, according to which the extensions 19 of the transverse leaf spring 7 are connected to the wheel carriers 2 in a non-wheel guided fashion. Rather, the ends 8 of the extensions 19 are connected to the wheel carriers 2 via connecting elements 15 that act the same way and/or as pendulum supports. Five links 4 are provided for the wheel guidance here, which are pivotably connected to the vehicle body 16.

(15) FIG. 4 shows only a shear field 17 with a transverse leaf spring 7 which has two bands 9 and is integrated, for example in the form of a material thickness, in a perpendicular direction to the plane of the shear field 17.

(16) In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 5, in a spatial view obliquely from below, a free space 14 is provided between the two bands 9 of the transverse leaf spring 7, whichbecause analogously to FIG. 4 they are on the upper side of the shear field 17are shown only in dashed lines. The free space 14 is developed as an opening in the shear field 17, e.g. the free space 14 practically represents a hole in the shear field 14, the edge of which is formed over a wide area by the peripheral sections of the bands 9.

(17) FIG. 6 (spatial view obliquely from above) and FIG. 7 (spatial view obliquely from below), which do not show the shear field 17, show that according to a further exemplary embodiment, an electrical machine 6 can be provided between the two wheel carriers 2. The electrical machine 6 is used for propulsion of the vehicle. The electrical machine 6 has an armature shaft 5 on both sides of the electrical machine 6 which leads to the wheels 3. The armature shaft 5 of the electrical machine 6 is arranged approximately at the height of the hubs of the wheels 3. As is shown, the electrical machine 6 extends at least partially into the aforementioned free space 14, which is provided between the two bands 9 of the transverse leaf spring in the shear field (not shown).

(18) To obtain a sufficiently large free space 14, the following dimensions are preferably provided. According to FIG. 8, which is a detailed representation of FIG. 6, the free space 14 has, measured in the transverse direction of the vehicle, a first width 10. The entire transverse leaf spring 7 has a second width 11. The first width 10 is at least 60% of the second width 11. This allows for a sufficiently large free space 14 in the transverse direction of the vehicle.

(19) According to FIG. 7, the free space 14 extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle over a first length 12. At the largest point, the entire transverse leaf spring 7 has in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle a second length 13. Said first length 12 is at least 40% of the second length 13 so that the free space 14 is also sufficiently large in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to accommodate the electrical machine 6. FIG. 8 furthermore shows, with dashed lines and extremely abstracted, the shear field 17 onto which the transverse leaf spring 7 is laminated. It goes without saying that the free space 14 extends through the shear field 17 and/or is also provided in the shear field.

(20) The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.