SPRING LINK MADE OF STEEL

Abstract

The present invention relates to a spring link for a motor vehicle, wherein the spring link is produced as an elongated, deformed hollow profile of open cross section made of a steel material and has respective attachment points at its ends, said spring link being characterized in that the spring link, in the installed position, is arranged with its opening of the hollow profile pointing upward, wherein a spring seat plate for receiving a helical compression spring is coupled to the spring link on and/or partially in the opening.

Claims

1. Spring link for a motor vehicle, wherein the spring link is produced as an elongated, deformed hollow profile of open cross section made of a steel material and has respective attachment points at its ends, wherein the spring link, in the installed position, is arranged with its opening of the hollow profile pointing upward, wherein a spring seat plate for receiving a helical compression spring is coupled to the spring link on and/or partially in the opening.

2. Spring link according to claim 1, wherein the hollow profile is of U-shaped or C-shaped or hat-shaped configuration in cross section, having two opposing legs.

3. Spring link according to claim 2, wherein a spacing between the legs in the region of the spring seat plate is smaller than or equal to 1.2 times a spacing between the legs in the region of an end or an attachment point, in particular the spacing between the legs in the region of the spring seat plate is smaller than or equal to the spacing between the legs in the region of the end or the attachment point.

4. Spring link according to claim 2, wherein a spacing between the legs in the region of the spring seat plate corresponds to 0.5 times to 1.2 times, preferably 0.8 times to 1.1 times, a receiving diameter on the spring seat plate, wherein the receiving diameter is suitable for receiving a helical compression spring.

5. Spring link according to claim 1, wherein the spacing between the legs increases in the direction toward the opening, in particular the legs are arranged oriented in such a manner as to extend at an angle in relation to one another.

6. Spring link according to claim 1, wherein the hollow profile comprises laterally protruding flange and/or collars in the region of the spring seat plate.

7. Spring link according to claim 1, wherein the hollow profile is formed in its longitudinal direction such that at least lengthwise portions run toward one another in a trapezoidal manner, in particular toward an end.

8. Spring link according to claim 1, wherein a straight connecting line through the attachment points forms a line of action, wherein the hollow profile has an arched progression in relation to the line of action.

9. Spring link according to claim 8, wherein the arched progression is oriented below the line of action and/or in that the spring seat plate comprises a spring supporting surface lying below the line of action.

10. Spring link according to claim 1, wherein a wall thickness of the hollow profile is formed so as to be from 1.8 mm to 4.75 mm and a wall thickness of the spring seat plate is formed so as to be greater than or equal to the wall thickness of the hollow profile.

11. Spring link according to claim 1, wherein a reinforcement plate is coupled in and/or on the opening of the hollow profile at least in lengthwise portions.

12. Spring link according to claim 1, wherein the spring seat plate comprises a bead oriented upward with respect to a spring supporting surface in relation to the installed position, such that the bead engages into the helical compression spring on the inner side.

Description

[0027] Further advantages, features, properties and aspects of the present invention are the subject of the description hereinbelow. Preferred embodiment variants are shown in the schematic figures. These serve for a simple understanding of the invention.

[0028] FIG. 1 shows the spring link according to the invention in a perspective view,

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view with a helical compression spring in the region of the spring seat plate,

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the spring link,

[0031] FIG. 4 shows a line of intersection A-A from FIG. 3,

[0032] FIG. 5 shows a plan view onto the spring link according to the invention, and

[0033] FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of a downwardly curved spring link.

[0034] In the figures, the same reference signs are used for identical or similar components, even if a repeated description is avoided for reasons of simplicity.

[0035] FIG. 1 shows the spring link 1 according to the invention in a perspective view. Said spring link is in the form of an elongated deformed sheet-metal component and has attachment points 4, 5 at its respective ends 2, 3, such that it can be fastened rotatably at one end 3 to a vehicle body (not shown in greater detail) and at the opposing end 2 to a wheel carrier (not shown in greater detail) or some other type of axle component. The spring link 1 can also be fastened to an axle subframe. To this end, use is made either of bolts or else of rubber/metal bearings or other mounting systems. These are not shown in greater detail for reasons of simplicity, however.

[0036] According to the invention, the spring link 1 is in the form of an open hollow profile in cross section and has an opening 6, the opening 6 pointing upward with respect to the vertical direction V in the installed position. A spring seat plate 8 is arranged in portions on the opening 6 in the longitudinal direction 7 of the spring link 1. The spring seat plate 8 comprises a spring supporting surface 9 and also a bead 10 extending upward with respect to the vertical direction V. Furthermore, a receptacle 11 is provided for coupling a damper (not shown in greater detail).

[0037] It can be seen readily in FIG. 2, which shows a cross-sectional view in the region of the spring seat plate 8 with a helical compression spring 12, that the spring link 1 is in the form of a hollow profile in cross section. The bead 10 is not shown. An opening 6 located at the top with respect to the vertical direction V is closed off by the spring seat plate 8. The hollow profile comprises a web 14 and also legs 15 extending laterally from the web 14 oriented in the vertical direction V. Laterally protruding flanges 16 are arranged at the end of the legs 15, and in turn a collar 17 bent downward with respect to the vertical direction is formed at the end of each of the flanges 16.

[0038] The wall thickness W6 of the spring seat plate 8 is greater than the wall thickness W1 of the hollow profile. The helical compression spring 12 itself is arranged with its final winding 13 in such a manner that the latter is arranged above the legs 15 with respect to the vertical direction V. A force introduced into the spring link 1 by the helical compression spring 12 is thus introduced directly into the legs 15 via the spring seat plate 8.

[0039] The greatest spacing A150 between the legs 15 preferably corresponds here to 0.5 to 1.2 times, in particular 0.8 to 1.1 times, the diameter D12 of the helical compression spring 12 or a receiving diameter AD12. The invention therefore also relates to an arrangement on a motor vehicle axle with a helical compression spring 12 and a spring link 1. A receiving diameter AD12 is preferably formed on the spring seat plate 8. This receiving diameter AD12 is suitable in particular for correspondingly receiving the last winding 13 of the helical compression spring 12.

[0040] It can furthermore be seen that the legs are arranged in a V shape in relation to one another, such as to give rise, with respect to the vertical direction, to a bottom spacing A15U, this increasing in the direction toward the opening 6 to the top spacing A150.

[0041] It can be seen readily in the plan view shown in FIG. 5 that the spacing A15 between the legs 15 in the region of the spring seat plate 8 corresponds substantially to the spacing A15 between the legs 15 in the region of the end 3. In particular, the spacing A15 in the region of the spring seat plate 8 is at most 1.2 times greater than the spacing A15 between the legs 15 in the region of the end 3. The spacing A15 between the legs 15 decreases toward the other end 2, such that the spring link 1 is formed in a trapezoidal manner in portions in its longitudinal direction 7, or the legs 15 are oriented so as to taper toward one another. Furthermore, cutouts 18 are provided for reducing the weight and/or so that spray water does not accumulate in the interior of the hollow profile such that corrosion would thereby be promoted on account of standing water.

[0042] Furthermore, a reinforcement plate 19 with additional stiffening is provided. This can also be readily seen in the cross-sectional view as shown in FIG. 4. It can also be seen in the side view shown in FIG. 3 that the collar 17 bent downward with respect to the vertical direction is formed only in the region of the spring seat plate 8 to afford additional bracing. Furthermore, as shown in the plan view of FIG. 5, the flange 16 is widened in the region of the spring seat plate 8, such that a thermal joining seam 20 (indicated by way of example) can be produced. Once again, the spring link is shown in a sectional view as per the line of intersection A-A from FIG. 3 in FIG. 4.

[0043] FIG. 6 shows a spring link 1 according to the invention in an alternative embodiment variant. Here, a line of action W is shown through the attachment points 4, 5. Said line of action runs through the respective center points M of the attachment points 4, 5. Thus, the spring link 1 has an arched progression oriented downward with respect to the vertical direction V. This has the effect that the spring supporting surface 9 lies below the line of action W.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0044] 1 Spring link [0045] 2 End of 1 [0046] 3 End of 1 [0047] 4 Attachment point of 2 [0048] 5 Attachment point of 3 [0049] 6 Opening [0050] 7 Longitudinal direction of 1 [0051] 8 Spring seat plate [0052] 9 Spring supporting surface of 8 [0053] 10 Bead [0054] 11 Receptacle [0055] 12 Helical compression spring [0056] 13 Winding of 12 [0057] 14 Web [0058] 15 Leg [0059] 16 Flange [0060] 17 Collar [0061] 18 Cutout [0062] 19 Reinforcement plate [0063] 20 Thermal joining seam [0064] A15 Spacing between 15 [0065] A150 Spacing top [0066] A15U Spacing bottom [0067] AD12 Receiving diameter [0068] D12 Diameter [0069] M Center point [0070] V Vertical direction [0071] W Line of action