DRIVABLE TWIST-BEAM REAR AXLE HAVING A TRANSVERSE PROFILED ELEMENT AND LONGITUDINAL CONTROL ARMS CONNECTED TO THE TRANSVERSE PROFILED ELEMENT AT THE ENDS THEREOF

Abstract

A drivable torsion beam axle (2) with a transverse profiled element and trailing arms (1) connected, at each end, to the profiled element is described, within which, at least in some areas, a drive-train (7) is arranged in each case and by which the torsion beam axle (2) can be connected to a vehicle body. The trailing arms (1) are, in each case, made as two-component housing castings with a housing plane of division extending in the longitudinal direction.

Claims

1-17. (canceled)

18. A drivable torsion beam axle (2) with a transverse profiled element and, and respective trailing arms (1) being connected to ends of the transverse profiled element, a respective drive-train (7) being arranged, at least in part, within each of the trailing arms and being connectable to a vehicle body by way of the torsion beam axle (2), and each of the trailing arms (1) being in a form of a two-part housing component with a housing plane of division extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

19. The drivable torsion beam axle according to claim 18, wherein the trailing arms (1), in an installed condition, have an upper housing component (4) and a lower housing component (5).

20. The drivable torsion beam axle according to claim 18, wherein the trailing arms (1), in an installed condition, have a first housing component (4) on a wheel side of the trailing arm and a second housing component (5) facing away from the wheel side of the trailing arm.

21. The drivable torsion beam axle according to claim 18, wherein the trailing arms have two planes of division (15, 16), and the two planes of division enclose with one another an obtuse angle (a).

22. The drivable torsion beam axle according to claim 20, wherein the two planes of division (15, 16) intersect in an area of a mid-point (17) of a wheel axle (12) or a shaft (18) of the drive-train (7).

23. The drivable torsion beam axle according to claim 19, wherein the upper and the lower housing components (4, 5) each form at least part of a seat (6) for a bearing device, and the torsion beam axle (2) is connectable to the vehicle body by the seat.

24. The drivable torsion beam axle according to claim 19, wherein the upper and the lower housing components (4, 5) each form at least part of a seat (3) for the transverse profiled element.

25. The drivable torsion beam axle according to claim 24, wherein the transverse profiled element is formed with end areas which are polygonally shaped at least on an outside and are arranged with interlock in the seats (3) of the trailing arms, and the seats being correspondingly polygonally shaped so that the transverse profiled element is held at least rotationally fixed to the trailing arms (1).

26. The drivable torsion beam axle according to claim 24, wherein the transverse profiled element is in contact with flange areas at ends thereof against corresponding flange-like areas of the seats (3) of the trailing arms (1) and is connected to the trailing arms (1) by bolts.

27. The drivable torsion beam axle according to claim 19, wherein interior spaces, delimited by the upper and the lower housing components (4, 5) of the trailing arms (1) and designed at least in part to accommodate the drive-train (7), are delimited on at least one of a wheel side of the trailing arms (1) and an opposite side of the trailing arms (1) facing away from wheels, in each case, by respective cover elements (23, 24) connected detachably to the housing components (4, 5).

28. The drivable torsion beam axle according to claim 18, wherein the drive-train (7) comprises at least one electric machine (8).

29. The drivable torsion beam axle according to claim 28, wherein the drive-train (7) comprises a transmission device (9) associated with the electric machine (8) and arranged between an output shaft of the electric machine (8) and the wheel axle (12).

30. The drivable torsion beam axle according to claim 29, wherein the output shaft of the electric machine (8) and the wheel axle (12) extend in an arrangement parallel to one another and, in an installed condition of the torsion beam axle (2), the output shaft of the electric machine (8) and the wheel axle are a spaced away from one another at least in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

31. The drivable torsion beam axle according to claim 19, wherein the upper and the lower housing components (4, 5) are connected to one another by a plurality of screw connections (20) distributed around a periphery of the upper and the lower housing components (4, 5).

32. The drivable torsion beam axle according to claim 19, wherein the upper and the lower housing components (4, 5) are connected with one another by way of a centering device.

33. The drivable torsion beam axle according to claim 18, wherein the trailing arms (1) are, on a wheel side thereof, each functionally connected to a wheel carrier (14).

34. The drivable torsion beam axle according to claim 19, wherein at least one of a spring seat and a damper seat (21, 22) is formed integrally with one of the upper and the lower housing components (4, 5).

35. A drivable torsion beam axle for coupling a transverse profiled element, the torsion beam axle comprising: a trailing arm, and an end of the torsion beam axle being connected to the trailing arm; at least part of a drive-train being arranged within the trailing arm, and the drive-train being connected by the torsion beam axle to a vehicle body; and the trailing arm comprising a housing having a first housing member and a second housing member that are rigidly connectable to one another, and an interface between the first and the second housing members forming a dividing plane that extends in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Further advantages and advantageous further developments of the invention emerge from the claims and the example embodiments whose principle is described with reference to the drawing. For the sake of clarity, in the description of the various example embodiments the same indexes are used for structurally and functionally equivalent components. The drawings show:

[0033] FIG. 1: A trailing arm of a first embodiment of the drivable torsion beam axle according to the invention, with a drive-train shown in an exploded view;

[0034] FIG. 2: The trailing arm of FIG. 1, shown in a view characterized in more detail in FIG. 1;

[0035] FIG. 3: The trailing arm of FIG. 1 viewed from above;

[0036] FIG. 4: A trailing arm of a second embodiment of the drivable torsion beam axle according to the invention, shown in an exploded view;

[0037] FIG. 5: The trailing arm of FIG. 4, viewed from above; and

[0038] FIG. 6: A trailing arm of a third embodiment of the drivable torsion beam axle according to the invention, shown in an exploded view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a trailing arm 1 of a first embodiment of a drivable torsion beam axle 2, which, in a known manner, is used in a motor vehicle and which has a trailing arm 1 on each side of the vehicle. The trailing arms 1 are each connected to a transverse profiled element extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle.

[0040] Basically, the trailing arms 1 of the torsion beam axle 2 are made mirror-image identically, for which reason in the following description reference will only be made to the trailing arm 1 shown in FIG. 1.

[0041] The trailing arm 1 is in the form of a two-part housing component with a housing plane of division extending in the longitudinal direction, and in the example embodiment of the torsion beam axle 2 shown in FIG. 1 comprises, relative to a vertical axis of the vehicle and in the installed condition of the torsion beam axle in the vehicle, an upper housing component 4 and a lower housing component 5 which, as also shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, besides the seat 3 for the transverse profiled element, also form a further seat 6 for a bearing device by means of which the torsion beam axle 2 can be connected to a vehicle body. Into the area of the further seat 6 there can, for example, be press-fit a bearing device made in the form of a rubber mounting which allows rotational and pivoting movements of the trailing arm 1 relative to the vehicle axle within rotational and pivoting ranges which are limited for driving safety purposes.

[0042] In the assembled condition of the drivable torsion beam axle 2, the transverse profiled element is arranged with interlock, with its end areas of polygonal shape at least on the outside, in the correspondingly polygonally shaped seats 3 of the trailing arms 1, and in that way it is connected to the trailing arms 1 in a rotationally fixed manner. Furthermore, relative movement between the transverse profiled element and the trailing arms in the transverse direction or the longitudinal direction of the transverse profiled element is prevented, for example either by press-fitting and/or bonding or welding the transverse profiled element and the trailing arms 1 to one another.

[0043] In addition the upper housing component 4 and the lower housing component 5 delimit an interior space, within which is arranged a drive-train 7, which comprises an electric machine 8 and a transmission device 9. The transmission device 9 is made with an output shaft of the electric machine 8 and a planetary gearset 10 coupled to it, and in turn a spur gear stage 11 is in functional connection therewith, which is functionally connected to a wheel axle 12. The output shaft of the electric machine 8 and the wheel axle 12 are arranged parallel to one another and when the torsion beam axle 2 is in its installed condition they are a distance apart from one another at least in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The wheel axle 12 is mounted by means of a wheel bearing 13 so that it can rotate in the housing components 4 and 5, and is connected to a wheel carrier 14.

[0044] The trailing arm 1 has two planes of division 15, 16 which enclose an obtuse angle with one another. In the present case the planes of division 15 and 16 intersect in the area of the mid-point 17 of a shaft 18 of the drive-train 7, which in this case is coupled to the output shaft of the electric machine 8. Depending on the application case concerned, the planes of division 15 and 16 can also intersect in the area of the mid-point of the wheel axle 12.

[0045] The housing components 4 and 5 are connected to one another by means of a plurality of screw connections 0 to the desired extent. In addition, the housing components 4 and 5 are in functional connection with one another by virtue of centering means, preferably centering pins or the like, in order to orientate and adjust the housing components 4 and 5 relative to one another without further measures before being, with little effort, able to connect them firmly to one another by means of the screw connections 20.

[0046] In addition a spring seat 21 and a damper seat 22 are formed integrally with the lower housing component 5, such that depending on the application case concerned, the spring seat and/or the damper seat can also be connected to the lower housing component or to the upper housing component of the trailing arm 1 by bolting, bonding, riveting, welding or suchlike.

[0047] In the second example embodiment of the torsion beam axle 2 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the trailing arm 1 is also made with two housing halves 4, 5 and with a plane of division extending in the longitudinal direction. In the assembled position of the torsion beam axle 2 according to FIGS. 4 and 5, the housing plane of division extends essentially vertically, whereas in FIGS. 1 to 3 the housing plane of division of the trailing arm 1 of the torsion beam axle 2 in its installed condition is orientated essentially horizontally. Thus, the trailing arm 1 of the torsion beam axle 2 according to FIGS. 4 and 5 has a housing half 4 facing away from the middle of the vehicle or toward the wheel carrier 14, and a housing half 5 facing away from the wheel carrier 14, within which the drive-train 7 is arranged at least in part. On the housing halves 4 and 5, on the side facing toward the wheel carrier 14 and on the side facing away therefrom, in each case cover elements 23, 24 can be fixed by means of screw connections, which covers, in the first embodiment of the torsion beam axle according to FIGS. 1 to 3, were formed integrally with the housing halves 4 and 5.

[0048] The spring seat 21 is connected integrally to the housing half 5, whereas the damper seat 22 is made integrally with the housing half 4. Both between the housing halves 4 and 5 and also between the housing half 4 and the cover element 23 and between the housing half 5 and the other cover element 24, sealing means are in each case provided in order to seal off the interior space of the trailing arm 1 delimited by the housing halves 4 and 5 and the cover elements 23 and 24 from the surroundings.

[0049] The trailing arm 1 of the third example embodiment of the drivable torsion beam axle 2 shown in FIG. 6 corresponds substantially to the trailing arm 1 of the second example embodiment of the torsion beam axle 2 according to FIG. 4. Only in the area of the seat 3 are the two trailing arms 1 made differently, for which reason in the following description of FIG. 6 essentially only the differences between the third and the second example embodiments will be described in detail, while with regard to the rest of the structure of the trailing arm 1 of the torsion beam axle 2 according to FIG. 6, reference should be made to the previous description.

[0050] In the third example embodiment of the torsion beam axle 2, in the assembled condition of the torsion beam axle 2, the transverse profiled element is positioned with flange areas at its ends in contact against flange-like areas 25 of the seats 3 of the trailing arms 1, and the transverse profiled element is firmly connected to the trailing arms 1 by means of bolts. In this case the seats 3 or their flange-like areas 25 have flat and in this case closed flange surfaces 26, against which the respective flange areas of the transverse profiled element are in contact. Thus, the closed flange surfaces 26 are on the one hand contact surfaces for the transverse profiled element and on the other hand sealing surfaces for a hollow space of the transverse profiled element made in the form of a hollow body, whereby the penetration of corrosion-promoting media such as salt water and the like in the area of the transverse profiled element into the inside of the transverse profiled element is prevented in a simple manner.

INDEXES

[0051] 1 Trailing arm [0052] 2 Torsion beam axle [0053] 3 Seat [0054] 4 Upper housing component [0055] 5 Lower housing component [0056] 6 Further seat [0057] 7 Drive-train [0058] 8 Electric machine [0059] 9 Transmission device [0060] 10 Planetary gearset [0061] 11 Spur gear stage [0062] 12 Wheel axle [0063] 13 Wheel bearing [0064] 14 Wheel carrier [0065] 15, 16 Plane of division [0066] 17 Mid-point [0067] 18 Shaft [0068] 19 Mid-point of the wheel axle [0069] 20 Bolt connection [0070] 21 Spring seat [0071] 22 Damper seat [0072] 23, 24 Cover element [0073] 25 Area [0074] 26 Flange surface