Device for elastic suspension of an assembly of reservoirs on the underbody of a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for elastic suspension of an assembly of reservoirs (50, 60) on the underbody of a motor vehicle. The reservoirs (50, 60) are mounted substantially in parallel and have a substantially cylindrical general shape terminated by two shaped end pieces (50A, 50B; 60A, 60B). Said novel suspension device comprises two flanges (10, 11), which fit closely to the shaped end pieces (50A, 50B; 60A, 60B) of the reservoirs (50, 60) and are linked together by tie rods (30) gripping said reservoirs (50, 60), and a plurality of arms (40A, 40B, 40C, 40D) which link the flanges (10, 11) to a plurality of elastic connection points of the suspension device on the vehicle body.

Claims

1. An elastic suspension device for suspending an assembly of reservoirs to an underbody of a vehicle body of a motor vehicle, said reservoirs being substantially parallel to each other and having a substantially cylinder shape terminated longitudinally by two end pieces, wherein said suspension device comprises two flanges which embrace said end pieces of the reservoirs and which are interconnected by connecting members surrounding said reservoirs, and a plurality of arms connecting the flanges to a plurality of elastic connection points on the vehicle body.

2. The suspension device according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of arms comprises four arms, with two of said arms being fixed to one of the flanges and the other two of the arms being fixed to the other of the two flanges, and in that said plurality of elastic connection points on the vehicle body comprises of up to four elastic connection points.

3. The suspension device according to claim 1, wherein said end pieces of the reservoirs are substantially ogivale shaped pieces, the flanges therefore comprising holding parts, which are substantially ogivale shaped, and in which are inserted said end pieces of the reservoirs substantially in a ogivale shaped manner.

4. The suspension device according to claim 3 wherein the arms are fixed to the holding parts of the substantially ogivale shaped flanges.

5. The suspension device according to claim 1, wherein said assembly of reservoirs comprises two reservoirs.

6. The suspension device according to claim 5 including six connecting members comprised of cylindrical bars threaded at the ends thereof to allow each connecting member to rigidly connect two flanges.

7. The suspension device according to claim 1, wherein an elastomeric part is located between the flanges and the reservoirs.

8. The suspension device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic connection points of the suspension device on the vehicle body are elastomeric pads oriented substantially vertically.

9. The suspension device according to claim 1, wherein said suspension device is made from a material selected from a group consisting of steel, aluminum, composite material, and plastic material.

10. A motor vehicle comprising an assembly of reservoirs suspended from said vehicle underbody, wherein said assembly of reservoirs is suspended via an elastic suspension device according to claim 1.

11. The suspension device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting members are tie rods.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other objects, advantages and features of the invention appear from the following description of an exemplary embodiment, nonlimiting with reference to the object and scope of the present patent application, accompanied by drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective, schematic view of an embodiment of the elastic suspension device of an assembly of underbody reservoirs of a motor vehicle, and

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view, also schematic, of the FIG. 1 suspension device mounted with two accumulators.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) Referring to the drawing of FIG. 1, there is depicted an exemplary embodiment of an elastic suspension of an assembly of two underbody reservoirs of a motor vehicle. The two reservoirs, depicted in the drawing of FIG. 2 and designated by references 50 and 60, are substantially of a generally cylindrical shape terminated with a substantially ogivale shaped end pieces 50A, 50B, 60A, 60B, respectively, at each of the two ends. The longitudinal axes Y.sub.1 and Y.sub.2 of the two reservoirs 50, 60 respectively, are substantially parallel.

(5) The suspension device according to the invention consists on the one hand, of two flanges, labeled 10 and 11, which are interconnected by six tie rods designated collectively by the reference numeral 30 and designed to grip the reservoirs 50 and 60, and on the other hand, four arms 40A, 40B, 40C and 40D that connect the flanges 10 and 11 at four elastic connection points on the frame of the vehicle bodywork.

(6) The end pieces 50A, 50B, 60A, 60B of the reservoirs 50, 60 being substantially ogivale shaped, the flanges 10, 11 therefore comprise substantially ogivale or egg carton shaped holding parts, in which are inserted these ogivale shaped end pieces. Thus, the reservoir 50 is held by the holding parts 10A and 11A of the flanges 10 and 11, respectively, while the reservoir 60 is held by the holding parts 10B and 11B of the flanges 10 and 11, respectively.

(7) As illustrated in the figures, the arms 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D, which achieve the connection points on the vehicle bodywork, are embedded or fixed in the holding parts, respectively 11A, 10A, 11B, 10B, substantially ogivale shaped flanges 10, 11, so as to give them a significant embedded rigidity in all directions. The support surfaces are coated with a thin elastomeric layer so as to distribute the stress on the contact surface.

(8) The suspension arms 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D, depending on the constituent material, may be welded on the flanges 10, 11 or well achieved by welding with the latter.

(9) The tie rods 30 are comprised of cylindrical rods threaded at their ends, in order to allow each tie rod 30 to rigidly connect the two flanges 10 and 11. The longitudinal axes of the tie rods 30 are substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the reservoirs, namely Y.sub.1 and Y.sub.2.

(10) An elastomeric part (not shown in the drawings) may be located advantageously between the flanges 10, 11 and reservoirs 50, 60.

(11) Note that the ends of the reservoirs may be of any shape, because the elastomeric part mentioned above, disposed between the flanges 10, 11 and reservoirs 50, 60, can conform to very different shapes.

(12) The four elastic connection points 140A, 140B, 140C and 140D of the suspension device on the vehicle body, which are located at the ends of arms 40A, 40B, 40C and 40D, are elastic shims or elastomeric pads oriented substantially vertically. The vertical position and orientation of the elastomeric pads is held in place by the constraints of local rigidity and synthesis of the vehicle (crash tests, ease of installation or assembly, in particular). These constraints force the separation of the connection points of the suspended reservoirs.

(13) The suspension device described above may be made of steel, or aluminum, or made of a composite material, or alternatively of a plastic material.

(14) It is to be noted that the suspension arms 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D have a sufficient width in the direction Z of the vehicle, so as to overcome the problems of bending the assembly of the vehicle body and reservoirs due to the fact that the elastic connection points on the vehicle body are relatively remote from reservoirs.

(15) It is also to be noted that the tie rods 30, because their ends are threaded, allow controlling the clamping force of the holding parts on the ends of reservoirs 50, 60.

(16) The operation of the suspension device described above in an exemplary embodiment is as follows: the positioning the two reservoirs 50, 60, the placing of the holding parts 10A, 10B, 11A, 11B of an ogivale-shape or egg carton-shape with an integrated elastomer, and the mounting of the assembly under the vehicle body.

(17) The transverse forces are taken up by total insertion of the ends of the reservoirs 50, 60 at the level of the ogivale or egg carton shaped holding parts 10A, 10B, 11A, 11B, and the reservoirs themselves contribute to the rigidity.

(18) It goes without saying that the suspension device described above is provided by way of a non-limiting example of the object and scope of the present invention. The suspension arm system may be redesigned according to the further connection points and attaching points on the framework of the vehicle. Alternatively, the threaded tie rods 30 may also be replaced by cables.

(19) The elastic suspension device of an assembly of underbody reservoirs of a motor vehicle described above in an exemplary embodiment, has many advantages, including the following advantages: it provides an optimally rendered mass, it is comparatively more compact than suspension devices of reservoirs known from the prior art, and it offers a better vibration behavior (high specific rigidity).