Wheel Carrier of a Vehicle Having a Clamping-Fit Connection

Abstract

A wheel carrier of a vehicle has a clamping-fit connection to a further component, preferably a suspension strut, including a threaded connection having a screw for clamping the clamping-fit connection; a hole, in which the screw sits; and a lever, which has a fastening segment and an impact segment. The fastening segment is fastened by the threaded connection. The impact segment protrudes from the fastening segment in such a way that, in the event of a vehicle crash and the accompanying deformation, a part of the vehicle applies a force to the impact segment in order to at least partially loosen the threaded connection. At least one material taper or material recess is formed in the material of the wheel carrier surrounding the hole in order to enable an at least partial break-out of the screw from the hole in the event of the application of force to the lever.

Claims

1. A wheel carrier of a vehicle having a clamping-fit connection to a further component, comprising: a screwed connection having a screw for the clamping of the clamping-fit connection; a hole, in which the screw is situated; and a lever having a fastening section and an impact section, wherein the fastening section is fastened by way of the screwed connection, and the impact section projects from the fastening section such that, in an event of a vehicle crash and a resulting deformation, a part of the vehicle causes a force upon the impact section in order to at least partially loosen the screwed connection, and at least one taper or recess of material is formed in the material of the wheel carrier surrounding the hole, in order to permit an at least partial breaking-out of the screw from the hole in the event of the force effect upon the lever.

2. The wheel carrier according to claim 1, wherein the material taper or material recess extends over at least 10% of the length of the hole.

3. The wheel carrier according to claim 1, wherein the material taper or material recess extends over at least 20% of the length of the hole.

4. The wheel carrier according to claim 1, wherein the at least one material recess is constructed such that a surface of the screw is exposed at least in places in the hole.

5. The wheel carrier according to claim 1, wherein the clamping-fit connection is constructed as a clamp in the wheel carrier, a slot of the clamp dividing the hole into a first hole section and a second hole section, and the lever being fastened to the first hole section.

6. The wheel carrier according to claim 5, wherein the material taper or material recess is formed only at the first hole section.

7. The wheel carrier according to claim 6, wherein the material recess is formed as a longitudinal slot at the first hole section, so that the surface of the screw is exposed in the first hole section.

8. The wheel carrier according to claim 5, wherein the material recess is formed as a longitudinal slot at the first hole section, so that the surface of the screw is exposed in the first hole section.

9. The wheel carrier according to claim 7, wherein the longitudinal slot extends at least over 80% of the length of the first hole section.

10. The wheel carrier according to claim 7, wherein the longitudinal slot extends at least over 90% of the length of the first hole section.

11. The wheel carrier according to claim 7, wherein the longitudinal slot extends at least over 100% of the length of the first hole section.

12. The wheel carrier according to claim 8, wherein the longitudinal slot extends at least over 80% of the length of the first hole section.

13. The wheel carrier according to claim 8, wherein the longitudinal slot extends at least over 100% of the length of the first hole section.

14. The wheel carrier according to claim 1, wherein the further component is a suspension strut.

15. A vehicle, comprising: a vehicle body and at least one wheel carrier according to claim 1, wherein the component fastened in the clamping-fit connection connects the wheel carrier with the vehicle body.

16. The vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the vehicle is a passenger vehicle and the further component is a suspension strut.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1 is a view of a wheel carrier according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a view of a first detail of FIG. 1.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a view of a second detail of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In the following, a wheel carrier 1 according to an embodiment of the invention will be described using FIGS. 1-3. FIGS. 2 and 3 each show details of FIG. 1.

[0020] The wheel carrier 1 is used for rotatably carrying a wheel of a motor vehicle. A front left wheel carrier 1 is illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 1. Accordingly, a traveling direction 13 of the vehicle is also outlined. The wheel carrier 1 has a clamping-fit connection 2. A further component 3here constructed as a suspension strutis clamped into this clamping-fit connection 2. By way of this further component 3, the wheel carrier 1 is connected with a vehicle body that is not shown.

[0021] The clamping-fit connection 2 is constructed as a clamp 4. The clamp 4 is an integral component of the wheel carrier 1. The clamp 4 has a slot 5. The width of the slot 5 is reduced by tightening the screwed connection 6, and the further component 3 can thereby be clamped into the clamping-fit connection 2.

[0022] The screwed connection 6 includes a screw (bolt) 7 having a head 8 as well as a nut 9 screwed onto the screw 7.

[0023] A lever 10 is provided, as illustrated particularly by the representation of the detail in FIG. 2. As a one-piece component, the lever 10 is divided into a fastening section 11 and an impact section 12. The fastening section 11 of the lever 10 is clamped in under the head 8 of the screw 7. The impact section 12 projects from the fastening section 11. A crash of the vehicle causes a deformation of the vehicle and thereby an impacting of certain parts of the vehicle on the impact section 12. This results in the schematically outlined force effect 14. As a result of the force effect 14, a corresponding force acts by way of the lever 10 upon the screwed connection 6 and upon the clamping-fit connection 2.

[0024] In particular, FIGS. 2 and 3 show the shape of a hole 15 in the clamping-fit connection 2. A screw 7 is situated in this hole 15. The slot 5 of the clamp 4 divides the hole 15 into a first hole section 16 and into a second hole section 17. The fastening section 11 of the lever 10 is clamped in under the head 8 of the screw 7 at the first hole section 16. A recess 18 of material is provided in the material surrounding the first hole section 16. In the illustrated embodiment, this material recess is constructed as a longitudinal slot. Particularly, FIG. 3 illustrates that the material recess 18 exposes the screw 7 along the entire length of the first hole section 16.

[0025] By means of the force effect 14 upon the lever 16, the screw 7 can be levered out by way of the material recess 18. The clamping-fit connection 2 is thereby loosened. Because of the loosening of the clamping-fit connection 2, the wheel carrier 1 can move with respect to the component 3. As a result, it becomes possible that, in the event of a crash, the wheel fastened to the wheel carrier 1 is correspondingly moved and can be moved into the position preferred for the crash.

[0026] The embodiment illustrates the material recess 18 constructed as a longitudinal slot. As an alternative or addition, it is contemplated that the material recess 18 represents only a material taper at the first hole section 16 and/or at the second hole section 17. The corresponding material taper can be broken open by the force effect, so that then also a levering-out of the screw 7 will take place.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0027] 1 Wheel carrier

[0028] 2 Clamping-fit connection

[0029] 3 Further component, particularly suspension strut or the like

[0030] 4 Clamp

[0031] 5 Slot

[0032] 6 Screwed connection

[0033] 7 Screw (bolt)

[0034] 8 Head

[0035] 9 Nut

[0036] 10 Lever

[0037] 11 Fastening section

[0038] 12 Impact section

[0039] 13 Traveling direction

[0040] 14 Force effect

[0041] 15 Hole

[0042] 16 First hole section

[0043] 17 Second hole section

[0044] 18 Material recess, particularly longitudinal slot

[0045] 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.