A VEHICLE SUSPENSION AND VEHICLE COMPRISING THE SAME

Abstract

A vehicle suspension has a fixed portion and a movable portion configured to be movable relative to the fixed portion. The movable portion is coupled, at a predetermined part, with a shaft carrying a vehicle wheel, the fixed portion and the movable portion being movably linked via two damper devices and at least two prismatic joints so as to be able to move reciprocally one to the other along an axis. A set comprising one damper device and at least one prismatic joint is disposed opposite to another set comprising one damper device and at least one prismatic joint relative to the predetermined part.

Claims

1. A vehicle suspension comprising a fixed portion and a movable portion configured to be movable relative to the fixed portion, the movable portion being configured to be coupled, at a predetermined part, with a shaft carrying a vehicle wheel, the fixed portion and the movable portion being movably linked via two damper devices and at least two prismatic joints so as to be able to move reciprocally one to the other along an axis, a set comprising one damper device and at least one prismatic joint being disposed opposite to another set comprising one damper device and at least one prismatic joint relative to the predetermined part.

2. The vehicle suspension according to claim 1 wherein each prismatic joint comprises a rod slidably engaged in a sleeve.

3. The vehicle suspension according to claim 2, wherein a portion of the rod and a portion of the sleeve slidably engaged with each other have a circular cross section.

4. The vehicle suspension according to claim 1, comprising an even number 2N of prismatic joints, N prismatic joints being disposed opposite to each other relative to the predetermined part.

5. The vehicle suspension according to claim 1, wherein two first prismatic joints among the at least two prismatic joints extend in first plane.

6. The vehicle suspension according to claim 4, wherein two second prismatic joints among the 2N prismatic joints, distinct from the two first prismatic joints, extend in a second plane, distinct from the first plane, the first plane and the second plane being parallel to each other.

7. The vehicle suspension according to claim 1, wherein the two damper devices extend in a third plane.

8. The vehicle suspension according to claim 5, wherein the first plane and the third plane are distinct from each other and parallel to each other.

9. The vehicle suspension according to claim 6, wherein the first plane, the second plane and the third plane are distinct from each other and parallel to each other.

10. The vehicle suspension according to claim 9, wherein the first plane and the second plane are disposed on the same side relative to the third plane.

11. The vehicle suspension according to claim 1, wherein the movable portion comprises a longitudinal beam.

12. The vehicle suspension according to claim 11, wherein the longitudinal beam extends perpendicularly to the axis and the axis is parallel to the plane(s).

13. The vehicle suspension according to claim 1, wherein each damper device, comprises at least one among an air spring, a coil spring and a hydraulic cylinder.

14. The vehicle suspension according to claim 1, wherein the fixed portion comprises several brackets configured to be fixed to a chassis of a vehicle.

15. A vehicle comprising a vehicle suspension according to claim 1, wherein the fixed portion is fixed to or is a portion of a chassis of the vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a more detailed description of embodiments cited as examples. In the drawings:

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle comprising a vehicle suspension,

[0046] FIG. 2 shows the vehicle suspension according to the zoom Il of FIG. 1,

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view, without the wheel, of the vehicle suspension of FIG. 2,

[0048] FIG. 4 shows a first variant of the damper device,

[0049] FIG. 5 shows a second variant of the damper device, and

[0050] FIG. 6 shows top view perpendicular to the axis X1, along arrow VI of FIG. 2, of the vehicle suspension, without the wheel and the shaft.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 100, in the present example a heavy-duty vehicle, in this example a truck, the rear wheels 102 of which being each mounted onto a vehicle suspension 10, which is magnified in the zoom Il as shown in FIG. 2.

[0052] The vehicle suspension 10 is described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 6. The vehicle suspension 10 comprises a fixed portion 12 and a movable portion 14 configured to be movable relative to the fixed portion 12. The movable portion 14 is configured to be coupled, at a predetermined part 15, with a shaft 106 carrying a vehicle wheel 102. The fixed portion 12 and the movable portion 14 are movably linked via two damper devices 18 and at least two, in the present example four, prismatic joints 20, so as to be able to move reciprocally one to the other along an axis X1, as shown by the double arrow A1 of FIG. 2. A set S1 comprising one damper device 18 and at least one, in the present example a two, prismatic joints 20 is disposed opposite to another set S2 comprising one damper device 18 and at least one, in the present example two, prismatic joints 20 relative to the predetermined part 15.

[0053] The vehicle suspension 10 may comprise strictly four prismatic joints 20 and strictly two damper device 18.

[0054] The vehicle suspension 10 may comprise an even number 2N of prismatic joints 20, in the present example N equals to two, N prismatic joints 20 being disposed opposite to each other relative to the predetermined part 15.

[0055] The prismatic joint(s) 20 of each set S1, S2, may be disposed between the predetermined part 15 and a damper device 18. In other words, considered along a second axis X2 along which the predetermined part 15, the damper devices 18 and the prismatic joints 20 are arranged, the predetermined part 15 is disposed in a middle area between the prismatic joints 20, and one damper device 18 is disposed at each axial outer end of the arrangement. The second axis X2 may be perpendicular to the axis (or first axis) X1.

[0056] The arrangement of the predetermined part 15, the damper devices 18 and the prismatic joints 20 may be symmetric relative to the predetermined part 15 along the second axis X2. In other words, the vehicle suspension 10 may comprise a plane of symmetry PS, perpendicular to the second axis X2, disposed at the middle of the predetermined part 15 considered along the second axis X2, the damper devices 18 and the prismatic joints 20 being symmetrically arranged relative the plane of symmetry PS.

[0057] In the present example, two first prismatic joints 20-1 among the at least two prismatic joints 20 may extend in first plane P1. Two second prismatic joints 20-2 among the 2N prismatic joints 20, distinct from the two first prismatic joints 20-1, may extend in a second plane P2, distinct from the first plane P1, the first plane P1 and the second plane P2 being parallel to each other. The two damper devices 18 may extend in a third plane P3. The first plane P1, the second plane P2 and the third plane P3 may be distinct from each other and parallel to each other. The first plane P1 and the second plane P2 may be disposed on the same side relative to the third plane P3. The planes P1, P2 and P3 may be parallel to the axis X1 and to the second axis X2.

[0058] The planes P1, P2 and P3 may be distant from each other along a third axis X3 perpendicular to the axis X1 and to the second axis X2. The first plane P1 (or the first prismatic joints 20-1) may be distant from the second plane P2 (or second prismatic joints 20-2) along the third axis X3 of a distance D1. The second plane P2 ((or second prismatic joints 20-2) may be distant from the third plane P3 (or the damper devices 18) along the third axis X3 of a distance D2. The first plane P1 (or the first prismatic joints 20-1) may be distant from the third plane P3 (or the damper devices 18) along the third axis X3 of a distance D3=D1+D2.

[0059] The predetermined part 15 and each of the first prismatic joints 20-1 may be distant from each other along the second axis X2 of a distance L1. The predetermined part 15 and each of the second prismatic joints 20-2 may be distant from each other along the second axis X2 of a distance L2. The predetermined part 15 and each of the damper device 18 may be distant from each other along the second axis X2 of a distance L3. The first prismatic joints 20-1 may be distant from the second prismatic joint 20-2 of the same set along the second axis X2 of a distance L3=L2-L1. The first prismatic joints 20-1 may be distant from the damper device 18 of the same set along the second axis X2 of a distance L4=L3-L1. The second prismatic joints 20-2 may be distant from the damper device 18 of the same set along the second axis X2 of a distance L5=L3-L2.

[0060] It is noted that the reference point for determining the distance between different elements and/or whether they belong to the same plane may be the geometric centres of said elements (for example the axis of the prismatic joints 20 and of the damper devices 18, the centre of the predetermined part 15).

[0061] Each prismatic joint 20 may comprise a rod 20A slidably engaged in a sleeve 20B. As shown in FIG. 6, a portion of the rod and a portion of the sleeve slidably engaged with each other may have a cross section perpendicular the axis X1 that is circular. Each prismatic joint 20 may comprise a silent bloc 22.

[0062] As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6, each damper device 18 may comprise an air spring. In a variant shown in FIG. 4, the damper device 18 may comprise a coil spring. In another variant shown in FIG. 5, the damper device 18 may comprise a hydraulic cylinder. The fixed portion 12 may comprise several brackets 12A, 12B, in the present example two brackets 12A and two brackets 12B, configured to be fixed to a chassis 104 of the vehicle 100. In a variant not shown, the brackets 12A and 12B may form parts of the chassis 104, so that the fixed portion 12 is a portion of the chassis 104.

[0063] Each bracket 12B may be configured to couple a damper device 18 to the chassis 104. Each bracket 12A may be configured to couple a prismatic joint 20 to the chassis 104. For example, the sleeve 20B of a prismatic joint 20 and a bracket 12A may form a single and same element. In the present example, the bracket 12A form a single and same element with two distinct sleeves 20B of two distinct prismatic joints 20, respectively.

[0064] The movable portion may comprise a longitudinal beam 14, which extends perpendicularly to the axis X1, along a longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axis may be parallel to or coincide with the second axis X2. In the present example, when the vehicle suspension 10 is mounted onto the vehicle 100, the second axis X2 is parallel to the forward/rearward axis FR of the vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. 6, the longitudinal beam 14 may comprise a straight main portion 14A that extends along the second axis X2, and two curved portions 14B each disposed at an axial end of the main portion 14A, and curved in the same side relative to the main portion 14A, in a plane perpendicular to the axis X1.

[0065] The prismatic joints 20 may be coupled to the main portion 14A, for example via non-referenced brackets show in FIG. 3. The non-referenced brackets of two adjacent prismatic joints 20 of a set S1, S2, may form a single and same element. Each damper device 18 may be coupled, directly or via a bracket not shown, to a single curved portion 14B.

[0066] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.