LONGITUDINAL CONTROL ARM DEVICE OF A DRIVABLE SEMI-INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION

Abstract

A trailing arm device (1) of a drivable torsion beam axle (2) is described. The trailing arm device (1) has a housing (5) in which a drive-train (8) can be arranged and is connected to a trailing arm (4). The housing (5), as fitted into position within a vehicle, has a sidewall (11) formed integrally with a central housing region (9) on a side facing toward a wheel. The sidewall delimits a housing interior space (10) that accommodates, at least partially, the drive-train (8). On the side facing away from the wheel, the housing interior space (10) is delimited by at least one cover element (14) that can be detachably connected to the central housing region (9).

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A trailing arm device (1) of a drivable torsion beam axle (2), with a housing (5) in which a drive-train (8) can be arranged and which is connected to a trailing arm (4), the housing (5) comprises a sidewall (11) that delimits a housing interior space (10), on a side (R) facing toward a wheel, when installed in position on a vehicle, the sidewall being made integrally with a central housing region (9) and delimiting the housing interior space (10) that at least partially accommodates the drive-train (8), and the housing interior space (10), on a side (A) facing away from the wheel, being delimited by at least one cover element (14), and the at least one cover element being detachably connectable to the central housing region (9).

17. The trailing arm device according to claim 16, wherein the central housing region (9) and the trailing arm (4) are made integrally with one another as one piece.

18. The trailing arm device according to claim 16, wherein the cover element (14) being in a form of an intermediate plate with a holding area (15), in which at least part of the transmission device (7) of the drive-train (8) can be arranged.

19. The trailing arm device according to claim 16, wherein a further cover element (22), detachably connected to the cover element (14), is provided on a side of the cover element (14) facing away from the central housing region (9), and in which an electric machine (6) can be at least partially arranged.

20. The trailing arm device according to claim 16, wherein the trailing arm (4) having a recess in an area of which the trailing arm (4) is connectable to a transverse profiled element of a torsion beam axle (2).

21. The trailing arm device according to claim 16, wherein the trailing arm (4) has first, second and third threaded zones (29A to 29C) for connecting the trailing arm to the transverse profiled element, in the installed position of the trailing arm (4) in the vehicle, the first and the second threaded zones (29A, 29B) are spaced apart from one another in a vertical direction (y) of the vehicle and are arranged essentially approximately one above the other, and the third threaded zone (29C) is provided on the trailing arm (4) spaced away from the first and the second threaded zones (29A, 29) in a longitudinal direction (x) of the vehicle and in the vertical direction (y) of the vehicle is arranged between the first and the second threaded zones (29A, 29B).

22. The trailing arm device according to claim 20, wherein the trailing arm (4) has a further recess (30) in an area of which a main mounting is arranged.

23. The trailing arm device according to claim 16, wherein a connecting device (24) is connected to at least one of the trailing arm (4) and the central housing region (9), and at least one of a spring device (33) and a damping device (34) is connectable in an area of the connecting device.

24. The trailing arm device according to claim 23, wherein the connecting device (24) has a coupling area (26) with at least one of the trailing arm (4) and the central housing region (9), and a connection area (27, 28), so that at least one of the spring device (33) and the damping device (34) is connectable in the connection area (27, 28).

25. The trailing arm device according to claim 16, wherein an output shaft (17) of an electric machine (6) of the drive-train (8) is connectable, in an area of the cover element (14), to a shaft (18) of a planetary gearset (12) and a further shaft (16) of the planetary gearset (12) passes through an opening in the cover element (14) and connects to a spur gear stage (13) of the transmission device (7), on a side of the cover element (14) facing away from the electric machine (6).

26. The trailing arm device according to claim 25, wherein at least one spur gear (13A) of the spur gear stage (13) is mountable in a bearing seat (19) of the sidewall (11).

27. The trailing arm device according to claim 16, wherein a wheel shaft (20) can be installed to project through the sidewall (11) into the interior space (10) of the housing.

28. The trailing arm device according to claim 16, wherein the trailing arm device (1), at least in some areas, is made of at least one of a forged component and a cast component.

29. The trailing arm device according to claim 19, wherein the further cover element (22) is of at least approximately cup-shaped form.

30. The trailing arm device according to claim 23, wherein the connecting device (24) is made integrally with at least one of the trailing arm, the central housing region, the cover element and the further cover element.

31. A trailing arm device of a drivable torsion beam axle that is mountable on a vehicle defining a longitudinal axis and having wheels, the trailing arm device comprising a housing which is connected to a trailing arm and accommodates a drive-train, the housing comprising a sidewall, a central region and a cover element, the central region and the sidewall are formed integrally with each other and the cover element is detachably connectable to a lateral side of the central region opposite from the sidewall, the sidewall, the central region and the cover element delimiting an interior space of the housing, and, when the trailing arm device is mounted in the vehicle, the housing is positioned such that the sidewall is on a laterally opposite side of the central region and facing one of the wheels of the vehicle, and the interior space of the housing at least partially accommodates a transmission of a drive-train.

32. The trailing arm device according to claim 31, wherein the transmission of the drive-train comprising a spur gear stage which is accommodated within the interior space of the housing, and a planetary gear set, the cover element comprising an opening which at least partially accommodates the planetary gear set, an electric machine is mounted on a lateral side of the cover element opposite the central region such that an output shaft of the electric machine couples the planetary gear set which passes through the cover element to engage the spur gear stage, a wheel shaft of the spur gear stage extends laterally through the sidewall and is rotatably supported by a wheel bearing mounted in the sidewall such that drive laterally passes along the drive-train from the electric machine through the interior space of the housing to a side of the sidewall facing the wheel.

33. The trailing arm device according to claim 31, wherein a connecting element is connected to the central region of the housing comprises connection areas which facilitate coupling at least one of a spring device and a damping device to the trailing arm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The drawings show:

[0033] FIG. 1: An exploded view of a first embodiment of a trailing arm device, seen from above;

[0034] FIG. 2: An exploded view of the trailing arm device according to FIG. 1, seen obliquely from above;

[0035] FIG. 3: A side view of the trailing arm device according to FIG. 1;

[0036] FIG. 4: A side of a trailing arm facing away from the wheel and a central housing region of the trailing arm device according to FIG. 1 made integrally therewith, shown in isolation;

[0037] FIG. 5: A view on the wheel side, of the trailing arm and the central housing region of the trailing arm device according to FIG. 1;

[0038] FIG. 6: The trailing arm according to FIG. 1 and the central housing region connected thereto, seen from above;

[0039] FIG. 7: A three-dimensional detailed view of a drive-train that can be arranged in a housing inside space of the trailing arm device according to FIG. 1;

[0040] FIG. 8: A three-dimensional representation of the trailing arm device according to FIG. 1, with a spring and damper unit in the fully assembled condition;

[0041] FIG. 9: A first embodiment of a connecting device in the area of which a spring device can be connected to the central housing component;

[0042] FIG. 10: Another view of the connecting device according to FIG. 9;

[0043] FIG. 11: A detailed view of a second embodiment of the connecting device; and

[0044] FIG. 12: A representation corresponding to FIG. 8, of a further embodiment of the trailing arm device according to the invention, in which a spring and damper device are arranged coaxially with one another.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0045] FIGS. 1 and 2 are exploded representations of a first embodiment of a trailing arm device 1 of a drivable torsion beam axle 2. When installed in a vehicle the drivable torsion beam axle 2 has a trailing arm device 1 on each side of the vehicle, which are installed essentially in the longitudinal direction x of the vehicle and, in the area of seats 3 of a trailing arm 4, are connected preferably by both interlock and friction force to a transverse profiled element that extends in the transverse direction of the vehicle.

[0046] For its connection to the transverse profiled element, in this case the trailing arm 4 has three threaded zones 29A to 29C, two of which 29A, 29B, in the installed position of the trailing arm 4 in a vehicle, are arranged at a distance apart from one another in the vertical direction y of the vehicle and essentially approximately one above the other, whereas the third threaded zone 29C is provided on the trailing arm 4 at a distance away in the longitudinal direction x of the vehicle from the other two threaded zones 29A, 29B, and is arranged between the other two threaded zones 29A and 29B in the vertical direction y of the vehicle. In addition the trailing arm 4 has a further seat 30 in the area of which a main mounting preferably in the form of a rubber mounting can be inserted, by means of which, in a manner known as such, the torsion beam axle 2 can be connected in the area of a vehicle body of a vehicle.

[0047] Furthermore, FIG. 3 shows a side view of the trailing arm device 1 according to FIGS. 1 and 2, such that FIG. 3 shows a side A of the trailing arm device 1 facing away from a vehicle wheel when the trailing arm device 1 is in a installed position in a vehicle. The trailing arm 4 is made with a housing 5, in which a drive-train 8 comprising an electric machine 6 and a transmission device 7 is integrated.

[0048] On a side R facing toward a wheel when installed in a vehicle, the housing 5 has a central housing region 9 formed integrally with a housing inside space 10 delimited by a sidewall 11, which space accommodates the drive-train 8 at least in part. On the side A facing away from the wheel, the housing inside space 10 is delimited by a cover element 14 detachably connected to the central housing region 9.

[0049] During assembly of the trailing arm device 1 both the electric machine 6 and the transmission device 7, the latter comprising in this case a planetary gearset 12 and a spur gear stage 13, are inserted into the housing 5 from the side A of the trailing arm 4 or its central housing region 9 facing away from the wheel, since on the wheel side R, the housing 5 is made integrally with the sidewall 11.

[0050] The central housing region 9 and the trailing arm 4 are made integrally, as one piece. Moreover, the cover element 14 is in the form of an intermediate plate with a holding area 15. In the present case, the planetary gearset 12 of the transmission 7 of the drive-train 8 is at least partially arranged in the holding area 15. A shaft 16 of the planetary gearset 12, which can be a sun gear, a planetary carrier or a ring gear, passes through the plane formed by the cover element 14 and, on the side R of the cover element 14 facing toward the wheel, is functionally connected to the spur gear stage 13. In its installed operational condition in the housing inside space 10, the spur gear stage 13 is positioned on the side R of the cover element 14 facing toward the wheel. In addition, in the area of the cover element 14, an output shaft 17 of the electric machine 6 of the drive-train 8 can be connected to a shaft 18 of the planetary gearset 12, or is connected thereto in the installed condition, the shaft can again be a sun gear, a planetary carrier or a ring gear. A spur gear 13A of the spur gear stage 13 is mounted to rotate in a bearing seat 19 of the sidewall 11. Furthermore, a wheel shaft 20 projects through the sidewall 11 into the housing interior space 10 and is mounted to rotate by virtue of a wheel bearing 21 in the area of the sidewall 11.

[0051] On the side of the cover element 14 facing away from the central housing region 9, a further cover element 22 connected detachably to the cover element 14 is provided, in which the electric machine 6 is arranged. In the present case, the further cover element 22 is cup-shaped or cartridge-shaped and, together with the electric machine 6, forms a preassembled module which can be attached firmly to the cover element 14 by means of screw joints 23 as shown in FIG. 3, and thus functionally connected with the central housing region 9.

[0052] A connecting device 24, by means of which a spring device and a damper device can be coupled, is in this case connected by screws 25 to the central housing region 9. For this, the connecting element 24 is connected at a coupling area 26 to the central housing region 9 and is designed with connection areas 27, 28 in the areas of which the spring device and the damping device can be joined to the connecting device 24.

[0053] FIGS. 4 to 6 show a trailing arm 4 and the central housing region 9 as viewed from A, from R, and from above, respectively. It can be seen from the representations in FIGS. 4 and 5 that the sidewall 11 is made with a bore 32 through which the wheel shaft 20 can be introduced into the inside space 10 of the housing. In addition FIG. 4 shows the bearing seat 19 which is in the form of a cylindrical recess in the sidewall 11. The threaded zones 29A to 29C extend in the transverse direction z of the vehicle essentially over the full width of the trailing arm 4. In the present case the threaded zones 29A to 29C are in the form of blind holes with internal threads, so that when the transverse profiled element is positioned on the trailing arm 4 any penetration of dirt into the threaded zones 29A to 29C can be prevented with little effort.

[0054] FIG. 7 in turn shows the electric machine 6 and the transmission device 7, with the electric machine 6 arranged in the cup-like further cover element 22. The further cover element 22 is firmly connected to the cover element 14, in the holding area 15 of which the planetary gearset 12 is arranged as described earlier, while the spur gear stage 13 is installed on the side of the cover element 14 facing away from the electric machine 6. The cover element 14, the further cover element 22, the electric machine 6 and the transmission device 7 form a preassembled module which can be attached onto the central housing region 9 by screws with little effort during final assembly of the drivable torsion beam axle 2.

[0055] FIG. 8 shows a three-dimensional view of the trailing arm device 1 according to FIG. 1 with a spring device 33 attached to the connecting device 24 and a damping device 34 connected to the central housing region 9, these being arranged essentially next to one another in the vertical direction y of the vehicle. In addition, FIGS. 9 and 10 each show a three-dimensional detail representation of the connecting device 24 seen in two different views, while FIG. 11 shows a further embodiment of the connecting device 24. The connecting device according to FIGS. 9 and 10 is connected in the installed operating condition only to the central housing region 9, whereas the further embodiment of the connecting device 24 according to FIG. 11 is made with a circular base area 35 which in the installed operating condition of the connecting device 24 is arranged between the cover element 14 and the further cover element 22 and is connected firmly thereto.

[0056] FIG. 12 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 8, of the trailing arm device 1 according to FIG. 1, in which the connecting device 24 is made integrally with the central housing region 9, and the spring device 33 and the damper device 34 are arranged coaxially with one another in a space-saving manner.

[0057] Depending on the application case concerned, the trailing arm device 1, or its assemblies, can be made as a cast component, a forged component, a bend-formed component, a deep-drawn component, or the like.

INDEXES

[0058] 1 Trailing arm device [0059] 2 Drivable torsion beam axle [0060] 3 Seat [0061] 4 Trailing arm [0062] Housing [0063] 6 Electric machine [0064] 7 Transmission device [0065] 8 Drive-train [0066] 9 Central housing region [0067] 10 Interior space of the housing [0068] 11 Sidewall [0069] 12 Planetary gearset [0070] 13 Spur gear stage [0071] 13A Spur gear [0072] 14 Cover element [0073] 15 Holding area [0074] 16 Shaft of the planetary gearset [0075] 17 Output shaft of the electric machine [0076] 18 Shaft of the planetary gearset [0077] 19 Bearing seat [0078] 20 Wheel shaft [0079] 21 Wheel bearing [0080] 22 Further cover element [0081] 23 Screw joint [0082] 24 Connecting device [0083] 25 Screw joint [0084] 26 Coupling area [0085] 27, 28 Connection area [0086] 29A to 29 C Threaded zone [0087] 30 Further seat [0088] 32 Bore [0089] 33 Spring device [0090] 34 Damper device [0091] 35 Circular base area [0092] A A side of the trailing arm device facing away from the wheel side [0093] R Wheel side of the trailing arm device [0094] x Longitudinal direction of the vehicle [0095] y Vertical direction of the vehicle [0096] z Transverse direction of the vehicle