Wheel suspension for a rear wheel of a two-track motor vehicle

Abstract

A wheel suspension for a rear wheel of a two-track motor vehicle, includes a five-link assembly which has five individual links which are coupled to the vehicle body via body-side bearings and to the wheel carrier of the rear wheel via wheel-carrier-side bearings, which five-link assembly, as viewed in the direction of travel, has a front pair of links and a rear pair of links, wherein the front pair of links has a lower, front link, with respect to the axis of rotation of the wheel, and an upper, front link, and the rear pair of links has a lower, rear link, in particular track rod, and an upper, rear link. A lower spring link, on which a spring arrangement having a vibration damper and a supporting spring is supported, is arranged in the direction of travel between the front and rear pairs of links. The front pair of links with respect to the spring link is of softer design in the transverse direction of the vehicle than the rear pair of links. As a result, a change in the toe-in at the rear wheel takes place under exertion of a lateral force or a longitudinal force.

Claims

1. A wheel suspension for a rear wheel of a two-track motor vehicle, comprising: a five-link assembly comprising five individual links pivotally coupled to the vehicle body and to a wheel carrier of the rear wheel via respective bearings on the vehicle body and the wheel-carrier, wherein two of the five individual links form a front pair of links with respect to a direction of travel of the motor vehicle, and another two of the five individual links form a rear pair of links with respect to the direction of travel, said front pair of links, with respect to a rotational axis of the wheel, having a lower front link and an upper front link, said rear pair of links, with respect to the rotational axis of the wheel, having a lower rear link and an upper rear link, wherein a further one of the five individual links is configured as a lower spring link and is arranged in the direction of travel between the front and rear pairs of links; a spring arrangement supported on the lower spring link, said spring arrangement comprising a vibration damper and a suspension spring, wherein the front pair of links is configured softer in transverse direction of the motor vehicle than the rear pair of links so that a toe-in change results at the rear wheel in response to a lateral force and a longitudinal force acting on the wheel suspension; and a stabilizer, said stabilizer having a pivotally supported middle section oriented in transverse direction of the vehicle and at least one output leg extending from the middle section in longitudinal direction of the vehicle, said output leg being directly or indirectly pivotally connected to one of the five individual links via a substantially vertically extending rod.

2. The wheel suspension of claim 1, wherein lower rear link of the rear pair of links is constructed as a track rod.

3. The wheel suspension of claim 1, wherein the upper front link of the front pair of links and the upper rear link of the rear pair of links are arranged relative to each other in the shape of a V as viewed from atop the motor vehicle, with the V opening outwardly in transverse direction of the vehicle with a defined opening angle.

4. The wheel suspension of claim 1, wherein the lower front link and the spring link are arranged relative to each other in the shape of a V as viewed from atop the motor vehicle, with the V opening outwardly in transverse direction of the vehicle with a defined opening angle.

5. The wheel suspension of claim 1, wherein the rotation axis of the wheel is arranged in longitudinal direction of the vehicle between the front pair of links and the rear pair of links.

6. The wheel suspension of claim 1, wherein the suspension spring and the vibration damper are jointly integrated within a suspension strut which is supported on the spring link or are supported separately from one another on the spring link.

7. The wheel suspension of claim 1, wherein the front upper link and the rear upper link form an upper triangle and the front lower link and the rear lower link form a lower triangle, wherein the upper and lower triangle, as viewed from atop the motor vehicle, intersect so as to form a cutting area, and wherein the spring link is at least partly arranged within the cutting area.

8. The wheel suspension of claim 1, wherein the spring link is at arranged entirely within the cutting area.

9. The wheel suspension of claim 1, wherein the upper front link of the front pair of links is set back relative to the lower front link by a longitudinal offset in longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle.

10. The wheel suspension of claim 1, wherein the stabilizer engages on the upper front link.

11. The wheel suspension of claim 1, wherein the rear upper link and the rear lower link of the rear pair of links intersect one another as viewed from atop the motor vehicle.

12. The wheel suspension of claim 1, wherein rear lower link, which forms the track rod, is arranged so that an attachment point, with which the rear lower link is coupled to the wheel carrier is located behind the rear upper link as viewed in the direction of travel.

13. The wheel suspension of claim 1, wherein a virtual extension of the lower spring link and the lower front link converge in a first intersection point, and wherein a virtual extension of the upper links converge in a second intersection point.

14. The wheel suspension of claim 13, wherein an attachment point with which the rear lower link is coupled to the wheel carrier is located behind the first and second points of intersection as viewed in the direction of travel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The advantageous embodiments of the invention described above and/or in the subclaims canexcept in cases of clear dependencies or incompatible alternativesbe used individually or in combination with each other.

(2) The invention and its advantageous embodiments and refinements as well as their advantages are described in the following by way of drawings.

(3) It is shown in:

(4) FIG. 1 in a partial view from below the five-link assembly of the wheel suspension;

(5) FIG. 2 in a partial view from above the five-link assembly of the wheel suspension;

(6) FIG. 3 in a partial view from the front the five-link assembly of the wheel suspension;

(7) FIG. 4 in a further partial view from the front the lower spring link with suspension spring and vibration damper situated thereon; and

(8) FIG. 5 the individual links of the five-link assembly in a broadly simplified substitute model.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(9) FIG. 1 shows a bottom partial view of a rear axle 1 for a motor vehicle, which is only described to the extent necessary to understand the invention. The rear axle 1 is configured mirror-symmetrical with regard to a center longitudinal plane 3 of the vehicle. The rear axle 1 includes an auxiliary frame 5, which is constructed from longitudinal members 7 as well as front and rear cross members 9. The auxiliary frame 5 is connected in a manner known per se on a vehicle shell. On the longitudinal member 7 of the auxiliary frame 5 lower links 14, 16, 18 and upper links 20, 22 are hinged in spatially offset arrangement via a not further shown link bearing. The links 14 to 22 extend outwardly in transverse direction y of the vehicle up to the wheel carrier 23 that carries a rear wheel 19 of the motor vehicle, which is only indicated in FIG. 5. In the present embodiment, the rear wheel 19 is driven by an articulated shaft 25, which leads into a not-shown rear axle differential attached to the auxiliary frame 5.

(10) According to FIG. 5, the five-link assembly 21 of the rear axle 1 is divided into a front pair of links I and a rear pair of links II when viewed in driving direction FR. The front pair of links I includes a lower front link 14, regarding its arrangement relative to axis of rotation R of the wheel, and an upper front link 20. The rear pair of links II includes a lower rear link 18, i.e., the track rod, and an upper rear link 22.

(11) A lower spring link 16 is arranged between both pairs of links I, II when viewed in driving direction FR. According to FIG. 4, a vibration damper 43 and a suspension spring 41 are supported on the lower spring link 16, and form a spring arrangement provided between the vehicle body and the wheel suspension. According to FIG. 4, the connecting points of the vibration dampers 43 and the suspension spring 41 to the spring link 16 are vertically offset downwards from rotation axis R of the rear wheel by a height offset h. Due to the height offset h of the suspension spring 41 and the vibration damper 43, additional installation space is gained at the rear region of the vehicle.

(12) As further shown in the Figures, the upper front link 20 and the upper rear link 22 are arranged in v-shape relative to one another when viewed from the top, with the V having opening outwardly in transverse direction y of the vehicle with an opening angle .sub.up (FIG. 5). The same applies to the lower front link 14 and the spring link 16, which are arranged v-shaped relative to one another when viewed from the top, with the V opening outwardly in transverse direction y of the vehicle with another opening angle .sub.down (FIG. 5). When viewed in longitudinal direction of the vehicle x, the axis of rotation R of the wheel is furthermore arranged between the front pair of links I and the rear pair of links II.

(13) According to FIG. 5, the two upper links 20, 22 which are arranged v-shaped relative to each other, form an upper triangle, while the two lower links 14, 16 form a lower triangle. The upper triangle and the lower triangle overlap so as to form a cutting area when viewed from the top. The spring link 16 is substantially arranged entirely within the common cutting area.

(14) According to FIG. 5, a virtual extension of the lower spring link 16 and the lower front link 14 converge in a lower intersection S.sub.down, while a virtual extension of the upper front link 20 and the upper rear link 22 converge in an upper intersection S.sub.up and form the opening angle .sub.up. Both intersections S.sub.up and S.sub.down define a steering axle about which the rear wheel 19 essentially pivots during exertion of longitudinal- and lateral forces. In relation to a not shown wheel contact point (between rear wheel and road surface), the steering axle is offset outwardly in transverse direction y of the vehicle by a transverse offset. This results in an advantageous toe-in change V of the rear wheel 19, indicated in FIG. 5 by an arrow, when exerting a longitudinal force F.sub.L (FIG. 5) on the rear wheel 19 (i.e., during the breaking process or recuperation mode).

(15) The front pair of links I, regarding its arrangement relative to the spring link 16, is softer in transverse direction y of the vehicle than the rear pair of links II. The front pair of links I, which is transversely softer than the rear pair of links II, favors a toe-in change V at the rear wheel 19 when exerting a lateral force F.sub.S as indicated in FIG. 5.

(16) In addition, in the front pair of links I, the upper link 20 is set back in longitudinal direction x of the vehicle relative to the lower front link 14 by a longitudinal offset x.sub.1 (FIG. 5). On the other hand, in the rear pair of links II, the upper rear link 22 and the lower rear link 18 are arranged so as to intersect each other when viewed from the top.

(17) As shown in FIG. 5, a U-shaped stabilizer bar 36 is arranged in driving direction FR in front of the axis of rotation R of the wheel and approximately on the same level as the lower link, with a middle section 36a of the stabilizer bar, which extends in transverse direction y of the vehicle, is pivotally arranged on the auxiliary frame 5 via stabilizer bearings.

(18) The, legs 36b of the stabilizer 36 which protrude in opposite direction of travel FR backwards and obliquely outwardly, are pivotally connected at their free ends to the upper front link 20 of the wheel suspension via a respective upwardly projecting rod 40 (FIGS. 3 and 5). The pivot joint 40a, 40b (FIG. 3) of the rod 40 and the legs 36b of the stabilizer 36 and the link 20 are made of rubber-metal-sleeve-bearings.

(19) FIG. 3 shows the wheel suspension in a deflected position of the motor vehicle. Consequently, the hinge joint 40b between the rod 40 and the upper front link 20 is arranged outside of the vehicle's longitudinal members 45 in transverse direction y of the vehicle by a transverse clearance y. Furthermore, the link 20 extending below the vehicle's longitudinal member 45 is curved downwards approximately v-shaped and spaced apart from the vehicle's longitudinal member 45a by a vertical clearance z.