JPH11180122A - Lower arm of suspension for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To minimize damage caused by contact with curbs or the like by providing a lower arm of suspension for a vehicle composed of a lower arm body in which both ends are connected to the wheels and the car body, and a stop device composed of shock absorbing rubber integrally fixed to a fixture secured to the center portion of the lower arm. SOLUTION: The lower arm is composed of a lower arm body 1 having both ends connected to the wheels and the car body, and a stop device 2 composed of a fixture 21 fixed to the center portion of the lower arm and shock absorbing rubber 22 integrally fixed to the fixture 21. When the vehicle rides up on a curb, the outside portion of the shock absorbing rubber 22 located at the very lowest point contacts the angled portion of the curb. However, damage to the lower arm body 1 itself is avoided because the bottom, front, and rear surfaces of the lower arm body 1 are surrounded by the shock absorbing rubber 22 or the like. Also, when the stop device 2 collides with the corner portion of a curb, the impact is lessened because of the distortion at the shock absorbing portion of the fixture 21 and the elastic action of the shock absorbing rubber 22.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lower arm of a vehicle suspension which forms a part of a suspension mounted on a vehicle and has both ends connected to a vehicle body and wheels.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, each wheel of a four-wheeled vehicle such as a passenger car is suspended from a vehicle body via a suspension. The suspension used here is a spring that reduces the impact received from the road surface during traveling, a shock absorber that controls the vertical vibration of the vehicle body to improve the ride comfort, and a link mechanism that holds them and controls the movement of the wheel It is composed of As the arm members constituting the link mechanism, there are known those using an upper arm connected between the upper part of the wheel and the vehicle body and a lower arm connected between the lower part of the wheel and the vehicle body. .

[0003]

By the way, for example, when a vehicle riding on a sidewalk or the like travels diagonally and returns to the road, one of the front wheels falls from the curb and straddles the curb. If the steps of the curb are large, the vehicle suspension may come into contact with the corners of the curb. In this case, the corner of the curb comes into contact with the lower arm disposed at the lowermost part of the suspension near the inside of the dropped wheel. When such a situation occurs, the lower arm may be damaged.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle suspension lower arm capable of minimizing damage to the lower arm when a curb or the like comes into contact. It is an issue.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lower arm body which forms a part of a suspension mounted on a vehicle and has both ends connected to a vehicle body and wheels, and the lower arm. The present invention employs a means comprising a mounting bracket fixed to a central portion of the main body and a stopper device made of a cushion rubber integrally fixed to the mounting bracket.

According to the present invention, for example, when one of the front wheels of the vehicle falls from the curb of the sidewalk and the lower arm of the vehicle comes into contact with the corner of the curb, the cushioning rubber of the stopper device contacts the curb, and the lower arm Body damage is avoided. At this time, if the stopper device is damaged, only the stopper device needs to be replaced. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the damage caused when a curb or the like comes into contact.

A second aspect of the present invention, according to the first aspect, employs a means in which the stopper device is attached to a position near a lower end of a shock absorber connected and supported by the lower arm body. ing. According to the present invention, when a large impact is input to the stopper device in the vertical direction due to contact with a curb or the like, the impact can be effectively utilized to reduce the impact by effectively utilizing the impact absorbing effect of the shock absorber, and the lower arm body can be reduced. The shock absorber shock-absorbs the shock input portion to prevent the lower arm body from bending and breaking.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the mounting bracket includes a mounting seat mounted on an upper surface of the lower arm main body, and one end of the mounting arm extending from one end of the mounting seat. A first side wall portion facing one side surface, a lower wall portion extending from one end of the first side wall portion and facing a lower surface of the lower arm main body, and a lower wall portion extending from one end of the lower wall portion and extending along the mounting seat portion; A means is adopted in which a slit portion is formed between the end portion and the second arm portion, and a second side wall portion facing the other side surface of the lower arm body.

According to the present invention, the slit formed between the second side wall of the mounting bracket and the other end of the mounting seat has the following features.
It is possible to secure a space for fitting when the stopper device is attached to the lower arm main body, and to protect the lower arm main body by forming a shape surrounding the four surfaces of the lower arm main body at a portion excluding the slit portion. The stopper device can be prevented from easily coming off the lower arm body.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, the first side wall portion has a means for reducing the impact input to the mounting bracket. According to the present invention, when a large impact is input to the stopper device, the mounting bracket can be easily deformed by the buffer provided on the first side wall, and the impact can be reduced.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the third or fourth aspect of the invention, the lower arm body is formed at least at one end thereof to be thinner than a central portion to which the mounting bracket is fixed, and It has a fitting portion formed in a width narrower than the slit portion, the stopper device,
Means is adopted in which the slit portion is fitted into the fitting portion, and is slid in the axial direction to a fixed position and attached.

According to the present invention, when the stopper device is mounted on the lower arm main body, the stopper device can be easily arranged at the mounting position of the lower arm main body.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. [Embodiment 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a lower arm according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the lower arm, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the lower arm according to the present embodiment has a lower arm body 1 having both ends connected to a vehicle body and wheels, a mounting bracket 21 mounted on a central portion of the lower arm body 1, and the mounting arm 21. And a stopper device 2 made of a buffer rubber 22 integrally fixed to a metal fitting 21. Note that the lower arm of the present embodiment is for the left front suspension, and the lower arm for the right front suspension is formed to be symmetrical in the left-right direction with the lower arm of the present embodiment.

The lower arm body 1 has a rod-shaped arm portion 11.
A first cylindrical connecting portion 12 provided at one end of the arm portion 11 and having an inner hole 12a penetrating in the lateral direction;
Having an inner hole 13a which is provided at the other end of the first cylindrical connecting portion 12 and penetrates in the vertical direction in a state where the axis thereof is shifted by about 90 °.
It is composed of a tubular connecting portion 13 and is integrally formed of a metal such as steel.

The arm portion 11 has, on the upper surface at the center thereof, a mounting bracket 21 of the stopper device 2 and a mounting seat surface 11a of a bracket 15 to which a lower end of a shock absorber (not shown) is connected and fixed. Two female screw portions 11b (only one is shown in FIG. 3) are provided on the seat surface 11a. The arm 11 is located at the first position from the center.
It is formed so as to gradually become thinner toward the tubular connecting portion 12 side, and the end portion on the first tubular connecting portion 12 side which is formed most thinly forms a fitting portion 11 d of the stopper device 2.

The first cylindrical connecting portion 12 has an inner hole 1
The second cylindrical connecting portion 13 is a connecting portion connected to the vehicle body via a vibration isolating bush or the like fitted and inserted into the inner hole 2a. It is a connecting part connected to the wheel. Stopper device 2
A mounting bracket 2 fixed to the center of the lower arm body 1
1 and a cushion rubber 22 vulcanized and bonded to a mounting bracket 21.

The mounting bracket 21 has a disk-shaped mounting seat 21a mounted on the upper surface of the lower arm main body 1, and a first extending from one end of the mounting seat 21a in a direction perpendicular to the lower arm main body 1. A side wall portion 21b and the first side wall portion 2
A lower wall portion 21c extending from one end of the lower arm body 1 at right angles to the lower surface of the lower arm body 1, and a slit portion extending from one end of the lower wall portion 21c at right angles to the other end of the mounting seat portion 21a. A second side wall portion 21d is formed to face the other side surface of the lower arm body 1 and has an auxiliary metal fitting 21f formed in a U-shaped cross section and both ends of which are joined and fixed to the outer surface of the lower wall portion 21c.

Note that the slit portion 21e is
Is formed to have a width that is slightly larger than the width of the fitting portion 11d provided in. A mounting hole 21g is formed in the center of the mounting seat 21a. At a position slightly below the center of the first side wall portion 21b, a buffer portion 21h that is recessed on the inside and protrudes outward and extends linearly in the lateral direction.
Is provided. The buffer 21h is provided on the first side wall 2
1b is formed by pressing the inner surface.

The cushioning rubber 22 has an inner portion 22a which covers the inner surface of the mounting bracket 21 except for the mounting seat 21a.
And an outer portion 22b that covers the outer surface of the mounting bracket 21 except for the mounting seat 21a. This cushion rubber portion 22
Is formed by integral vulcanization molding together with the mounting bracket 21. The stopper device 2 includes a mounting bracket 21.
Into the fitting portion 11d of the lower arm body 1 from the slit portion 21e of
It is mounted by sliding in the axial direction to the position a. Then, the bolt screw 16 is screwed into the female screw portion 11b in a state where the shock absorber mounting bracket 15 is superimposed on the mounting seat portion 21a of the mounting bracket 21 positioned on the mounting seat surface 11a. The metal fitting 21 and the bracket 15 are fastened together. Further, the bracket 15 is tightened by a bolt screw 17 screwed into the female screw portion 11c of the mounting seat surface 11a.

The lower arm of this embodiment configured as described above is used in, for example, a four-wheeled vehicle as shown in FIG. 4 (FIG. 4 shows a state in which the left front wheel is viewed from the front side). It constitutes a front suspension together with the absorber 32 and the like, and is used as a device for suspending wheels on the vehicle body. That is, in the lower arm of the present embodiment, the first tubular connecting portion 12 is attached to the vehicle body (not shown) via the vibration isolating bush 41 fitted and inserted into the inner hole 12a of the first tubular connecting portion 12. The ball joint 4 is connected and fitted and inserted into the inner hole 13a of the second cylindrical connecting portion 13.
The second tubular connecting portion 13 is connected to the wheel 43 via the second member 2 or the like. In this case, the stopper device 2 is
Is mounted such that the first side wall 21b is located on the front side of the vehicle.

The lower end of the shock absorber 32 is fixedly held by a mounting bolt 44 or the like to a bracket 15 fixed to the mounting seat surface 11a of the arm portion 11 together with the mounting bracket 21 of the stopper device 2. The upper end of 32 is fixedly held to a vehicle body panel 45 by a mounting bolt 46 or the like. When the vehicle to which the lower arm is attached in this manner is, for example, one of the front wheels falls from a sidewalk having a large step of the curb and straddles the curb, the cushioning rubber of the stopper device 2 located at the lowest position in the lower arm. The outer portion 22b of 22 contacts the corner of the curb. At this time, the lower surface and the front and rear surfaces of the lower arm body 1 are attached to the mounting bracket 21 of the stopper device 2 and the cushion rubber 2.
2, the corners of the curb are less likely to directly contact the lower arm body 1, thereby avoiding damage to the lower arm body 1 itself.

When the stopper device 2 violently collides with the corner of the curb and a large upward impact is input to the stopper device 2, the first side wall 21b of the mounting bracket 21 is connected to the buffer 21h. The impact is alleviated by being deformed to bend, and the impact is alleviated by the elastic action of the cushioning rubber 22 fixed to both the inner and outer sides of the mounting bracket 21.

Further, the impact inputted to the stopper device 2 is absorbed by the shock absorber 32 and effectively reduced because the stopper device 2 is mounted near the lower end of the shock absorber 32. Further, since the shock input portion to the lower arm main body 1 is buffered and supported by the shock absorber 32, the lower arm main body 1 is prevented from being bent or damaged. If the stopper device 2 is damaged by a severe collision, only the stopper device 2 needs to be replaced.

When the vehicle moves forward or backward while the stopper device 2 is in contact with the curb, a force in the front-rear direction (lateral direction) acts on the stopper device 2. However, in the stopper device 2 of the present embodiment, the mounting bracket 21 is
Is formed so as to surround the four sides of the lower arm body 2 and does not easily fall off. As described above, in the lower arm of the present embodiment, since the stopper device 2 including the mounting bracket 21 and the cushion rubber 22 is attached to the lower arm main body 1, damage caused when a curb or the like comes into contact is minimized. be able to.

Further, since the stopper device 2 of this embodiment is mounted near the lower end of the shock absorber 32, the shock absorbing effect of the shock absorber 32 is effectively used to effectively reduce the shock. In addition, the shock absorber 32 buffers and supports the shock input portion to the lower arm main body 1, thereby preventing the lower arm main body 1 from bending and breaking. Further, since the stopper device 2 is attached to the lower arm body 1 together with the bracket 15 for attaching the shock absorber 32, the number of components to be attached can be reduced and the attachment structure can be simplified.

The mounting bracket 21 of the stopper device 2 of the present embodiment has four surfaces of the mounting seat 21a, the first side wall 21b, the lower wall 21c, and the second side wall 21d. A space for fitting when the stopper device 2 is mounted on the lower arm main body 1 because it is formed so as to surround the surface and has a slit portion 21e between the second side wall portion 21d and the other end of the mounting seat portion 21a. The portion can be secured by the slit portion 21e, and the lower arm main body 1 can be protected at the portion other than the slit portion 21e, and at the same time, the stopper device 2 can be prevented from easily falling off from the lower arm main body 1.

The stopper device 2 is connected to the lower arm body 1
At the time of attachment to the fitting portion 11d provided at one end of the lower arm body 1 from the slit portion 21e,
By sliding in the axial direction to the position of the mounting seat surface 11a at the center of the arm 11, the stopper device 2 can be easily arranged at the mounting position. Furthermore, mounting bracket 2
Since the first side wall 21b is provided with the buffer 21h, when a large impact is input to the stopper device 2, the mounting bracket 21 is easily deformed by the buffer 21h, thereby reducing the impact. can do.

It should be noted that the buffer 21h of the present embodiment is
The side wall portion 21b is formed at a position slightly below the center of the side wall portion 21b so as to be concave inward and project outward and extend linearly in the lateral direction. By forming a thin portion in a straight line or forming a narrow portion in a part of the first side wall 21b, a buffer having a similar function can be provided.

[Second Embodiment] FIG. 5 is a front view of a lower arm according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. FIGS. 5 and 6 show the lower arm of this embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 5, a lower arm body 5 having both ends connected to the vehicle body and wheels, a mounting bracket 61 mounted on the lower surface of the central portion of the lower arm body 5, and a pair of buffer rubbers 62 integrally fixed to the mounting bracket 61 And a stopper device 6 composed of

The lower arm body 5 has the same basic configuration as that of the first embodiment, and has a rod-shaped arm portion 51.
And a first cylindrical connecting portion 5 provided at one end of the arm portion 51.
2 and a second tubular connecting portion 53 provided at the other end of the arm portion 51. A mounting seat surface 51a of a bracket (not shown) to which the lower end of the shock absorber is connected and fixed is formed on the upper surface of the central portion of the arm portion 51. And
A mounting seat surface 51b to which the mounting bracket 61 of the stopper device 6 is fixed is formed on the lower surface of the central portion of the arm portion 51 corresponding to the mounting seat surface 51a, and a female screw portion is provided substantially at the center of the mounting seat surface 51b. 51c is provided.

The mounting bracket 61 of the stopper device 6 comprises a long plate-shaped mounting seat portion 61a, and a pair of side wall portions 61b, 61b extending perpendicularly from both sides in the width direction of the mounting seat portion 61a. It is formed in a U-shape. Mounting seat 6
At the center of 1a, a mounting hole 61c penetrating in the thickness direction is provided. The cushion rubbers 62, 62 are formed of somewhat elongated rubber blocks. Each cushion rubber 62, 62
The one end in the longitudinal direction is respectively vulcanized and bonded to both ends of the outer surface of the mounting seat 61a of the mounting bracket 61.

The stopper device 6 is attached to the mounting bracket 61 by screwing a bolt screw 65 inserted into the mounting hole 61c of the mounting bracket 61 into a female screw portion 51c provided on the mounting seat surface 51b of the lower arm body 5. The seat portion 61a is attached to the attachment seat surface 51b of the lower arm body 5. The lower arm of the present embodiment configured as described above constitutes a left front suspension together with the upper arm, the shock absorber and the like, as in the case of the first embodiment, and is used as a device for suspending wheels on the vehicle body. That is, the lower arm is attached by connecting the first tubular connecting portion 52 to the vehicle body and connecting the second tubular connecting portion 53 to the wheel. As a result, the stopper device 6 is located near the lower end of the shock absorber, and is arranged in a state where the cushioning rubbers 62 project below the lower surface of the lower arm body 5.

When the vehicle to which the lower arm is attached as described above falls, for example, on one side of a sidewalk having a large step of the curb, and the front wheel falls over the curb, the cushioning rubbers 62, 62 of the stopper device 6 cause the cushioning rubbers 62, 62 of the curb to be removed. Since the lower arm body 1 does not come into direct contact with the corners, damage to the lower arm body 5 itself is avoided. When the stopper device 6 violently collides with the corner of the curb and a large upward impact is input to the stopper device 6, the impact is applied to the cushioning rubber 62,
Since the stopper device 6 is mounted near the lower end of the shock absorber, the shock absorbing effect is effectively alleviated by the shock absorbing effect of the shock absorber. Also, the lower arm body 5
Since the shock input portion to the shock absorber is buffer-supported by the shock absorber, the lower arm main body 5 is prevented from being bent or damaged. If the stopper device 6 is damaged by a severe collision, only the stopper device 6 needs to be replaced.

As described above, in the lower arm of the present embodiment, the stopper device 6 including the mounting bracket 61 and the cushion rubbers 62, 62 is attached to the lower arm main body 5, so that the same effect as in the case of the first embodiment is obtained. Is obtained. In addition, since the stopper device 6 of the present embodiment is attached to the position near the lower end of the shock absorber, the shock can be effectively reduced while effectively utilizing the shock absorbing effect of the shock absorber. In addition, the shock absorber shock-absorbs and supports the shock input portion to the lower arm main body 5, thereby preventing the lower arm main body 5 from being bent or damaged.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a lower arm according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a lower arm according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a state where the lower arm according to the first embodiment of the present invention is attached.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a lower arm according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 5: Lower arm body 2, 6: Stopper device 11, 51: Arm portion 11a, 51a, 51b ...
Mounting seat surface 11b, 51b Female screw part 12, 52 First cylindrical part 13, 53 Second cylindrical part 12a, 13a Internal hole 15 Bracket 16, 17, 65 Bolt screw 21, 51 Mounting bracket 21a, 61a: mounting seat 21b: first side wall 61b: side wall 21c
... lower wall part 21d ... second side wall part 21e ... slit part 2
1f Auxiliary metal fittings 21g Mounting holes 21h Buffers 22, 52
... buffer rubber 22a ... inner part 22b ... outer part 31 ...
Upper arm 32 Shock absorber 41 Vibration-proof bush 42 Ball joint 43 Wheels 44, 46 Mounting bolts 45 Body panel

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A lower arm main body which constitutes a part of a suspension mounted on a vehicle and has both ends connected to a vehicle body and wheels, a mounting bracket fixed to a central portion of the lower arm main body, and an integral part of the mounting bracket. And a stopper device made of a shock-absorbing rubber fixed to the lower arm, and a lower arm of the vehicle suspension. 2. The lower arm of a vehicle suspension according to claim 1, wherein the stopper device is attached to a position near a lower end of a shock absorber connected and supported by the lower arm body. 3. The mounting bracket includes a mounting seat mounted on an upper surface of the lower arm main body, a first side wall extending from one end of the mounting seat and facing one side surface of the lower arm main body, and A lower wall portion extending from one end of the side wall portion and facing the lower surface of the lower arm body, and a slit portion is formed between the lower wall portion extending from one end of the lower wall portion and the other end of the mounting seat portion. The lower arm of a vehicle suspension according to claim 1, further comprising a second side wall facing the other side surface. 4. The lower arm of the vehicle suspension according to claim 3, wherein the first side wall has a buffer for reducing an impact inputted to the mounting bracket. 5. The lower arm body has a fitting portion formed at least at one end thereof to be thinner than a central portion to which the mounting bracket is fixed and formed to have a width smaller than the slit of the mounting bracket. 5. The lower arm of a vehicle suspension according to claim 3, wherein the stopper device is fitted into the fitting portion from the slit portion, and is slid in the axial direction to a fixed position.