JPS6146339B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a rear suspension for an automobile, and particularly to a novel rear suspension with excellent toe-in effect.

BACKGROUND ART In the rear suspension of an automobile, in order to improve steering stability, riding comfort, etc., it is desired to have a rear suspension that allows tires to be toe-in during driving, especially when cornering. In other words, as is well known, when cornering, the centrifugal force applied to the vehicle body acts on the suspension as a lateral force.
In order to increase the turning limit G, it is desirable for tires to counteract this lateral force with a large resistance force. This drag can be increased by toe-in the tire and increase the slip angle. Also, if you increase this drag and improve the grip of the rear wheels, you can strengthen the tendency to understeer,
It can improve the stability of the car.

Conventionally, various types of rear suspensions have been known that have a toe-in effect against lateral force during cornering, but all of them are somewhat complex in structure. For example, the one described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 52-37649 uses three rubber bushings and the hardness of the bushings is changed, and the one described in West German Patent Publication No. 2158931 or West German Patent Publication No. 2355954 is The wheel hub is supported via a vertical shaft and a spring, making the structure complex.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a novel rear suspension that has an extremely simple structure and can effectively toe-in the rear wheels against external forces particularly during cornering.

In the rear suspension of the present invention, a rear wheel support member is connected to a swinging member whose part is swingably supported on the vehicle body through one ball joint and an elastic bushing such as a rubber bushing. A stabilizer having a center of rotation in the left-right direction of the vehicle body and rotatably supported by the vehicle body via a control link is connected to a wheel support member, and in particular, the swing member is used to control the rotation of the wheel support member during bumps. The stabilizer is mounted so that its motion locus moves inward in the left-right direction of the vehicle body, and the end of the stabilizer is connected to a wheel support member behind the ball joint and above the center of swing of the swing member. It is something to do.

In the present invention, the swinging member refers to a swinging support member on the vehicle body side that is partially supported swingably on the vehicle body, such as a semi-trailing arm of a semi-trailing type rear suspension, or a strut-type rear suspension. A general term for various support members attached to the vehicle body, such as the pension strut, the upper and lower arms of a suspension type rear suspension, and the front tube of a rear suspension type. It is not limited to the format.

In addition, wheel members are a general term for members such as wheel hubs that rotatably support tires.
It is not limited to a specific wheel hub.

In addition, the control link is a link member that is connected between a bracket that supports the center portion of the stabilizer extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle body and a bracket on the vehicle body side in order to support the stabilizer on the vehicle body while allowing the stabilizer to be slightly displaced. be.

Furthermore, the quadrants defined in the present invention are the quadrants in the orthogonal mark when looking at the rear wheels from the left side of the vehicle body and imagining horizontal and vertical orthogonal axes centered on the wheel center, and each of the first to fourth quadrants. All quadrants include the axes at both ends that limit the quadrant (for example, in the first quadrant, the right half of the horizontal axis and the upper half of the vertical axis).

In the present invention, the direction of rotation of the wheel support member is also expressed as clockwise, counterclockwise, etc. when viewed from the left side of the vehicle body.

According to the rear suspension of the present invention, when a lateral force is applied during cornering, the stabilizing reaction force due to the bump on one side acts to displace the wheel support member in the toe-in direction, and the tire can be automatically toe-in. In other words, while the wheel support member tends to move inward to the vehicle body due to the rocking of the rocking member during a bump, the end of the stabilizer moves straight upward, causing the end of the stabilizer to move straight upward, causing The stabilizer reaction force acts outward in the left-right direction of the vehicle body, thereby displacing the wheel support member around the ball joint in the toe-in direction.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example in which the present invention is applied to a semi-trailing type rear suspension. A wheel hub 10 of a tire 14 is connected to a rear end 2c of a semi-trailing arm 2 whose front ends 2a and 2b are pivotally supported on a vehicle body frame 1 via one ball joint 11 and two rubber bushes 12 and 13. ing. The rear end 2c of the semi-trailing arm 2 is connected to the lower end of the shock absorber 3, and the semi-trailing arm 2 has front ends 2a, 2b.
It is possible to swing up and down by the pivot support.

Further, the stabilizer 16 is provided with a central portion 16B extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle body being pivotally supported by a pair of brackets 19. This bracket 19 is connected to the vehicle body side bracket 1 via the control link 17.
It is fixed at 8. The stabilizer 16 has a forward bent portion 16A at both ends.
The tip of A is located behind the ball joint 11 and at the front end 2a, 2b of the semi-trailing arm 2.
It is coupled to an arm 15 extending rearward from the wheel hub 10 at a position above the wheel hub 10.

The semi-trailing arm 2 is attached so that the rotation locus of the wheel hub 10 moves inward in the left-right direction of the vehicle body when a bump occurs. Therefore, when bumping, the wheel hub 10 tends to move upward and inward of the vehicle body as the semi-trailing arm 2 swings, while the front bent portion 16 of the stabilizer 16
Try to move it straight upward along the rotation trajectory of A. Therefore, the wheel hub 10 receives a stabilizing reaction force directed toward the outside of the vehicle body from the front bent portion 16A of the stabilizer 16 at the rear end of the arm 15 extending rearward. This stabilizer reaction force acts to push the rear part of the wheel hub 10 outward around the ball joint 11, and the wheel hub 10 eventually moves around the ball joint 11 with the rubber bush 12,
13 and is displaced in the toe-in direction.

As described above, according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the wheel hub 10 connected to the rear end of the semi-trailing arm 2 receives the outward reaction force of the stabilizer 16 at the rear when bumping, and the ball joint 11 in the toe-in direction.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example in which the present invention is applied to a strut type twin link suspension. A bracket 6 for supporting a wheel hub 10 of a tire 14 is connected to the rear end of a trailing link 5 extending rearward from the end of the vehicle frame 4. This bracket 6 is connected to the lower end of the shock absorber 3 and to the tips of a pair of lateral links 7. In addition, the wheel hub 10 includes
A drive shaft 9A extending laterally from a differential case 9 fixed to the cross member 8 is connected.

The bracket 6 has a wheel hub 10 with two rubber bushes 12 and 13 and a ball joint 1.
1, it is rotatably mounted around the ball joint 11. An arm 15 extending rearward is integrally provided on the wheel hub 10, and an end of a stabilizer 16 is connected to a rear end 15a of the arm 15, so that the stabilizing reaction force from the stabilizer 16 is transmitted to the arm 15. It's becoming like that.

The ball joint 11 is placed in the fourth quadrant,
It is desirable that at least one of the two rubber bushes 12, 13 be located forward of the wheel center. The lateral link 7 swings up and down about its inner end, so that the bracket 6 supporting the wheel hub 10 can swing up and down around the center of swing of the lateral link 7. This rocking is such that the wheel hub 10 moves inward in the left-right direction of the vehicle body when bumping. Further, the connecting portion between the end of the stabilizer 16 and the end of the arm 15 is located above the center of swing and behind the ball joint 11.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, when bumps such as cornering occur, the swing locus of the lateral link 7 and the upward rotation locus of the end of the stabilizer 16 (because the center of rotation is in the left-right direction of the vehicle) are different from each other. Due to the displacement, an outward stabilizing reaction force acts on the connection between the rear end of the arm 15 of the wheel hub 1 and the end of the stabilizer 16, and the wheel hub 10 is displaced in the toe-in direction.

Next, the configuration and effects of other embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the basic structure and function of another embodiment of the rear suspension of the present invention, with the right rear wheel shown in the center as seen from the left (inside) rear;
Projections are shown on the left, right, and bottom from behind, left, and above, respectively. The ball joint 11 is disposed on the lower side behind the wheel center W (that is, in the fourth quadrant of the coordinates), and is connected to the two rubber bushes 1.
One of the two, 12, is placed in the second quadrant, and the other is placed in the first quadrant. In addition, the plane P including these two rubber bushes 12, 13 and the ball joint 11 is at the height CL of the wheel center in a vertical plane including the wheel center axis C (its projection is shown on the left in Figure 2). It is located inside the vehicle body from the left and right center W of the wheel, and outside the vehicle body on the ground GL.

Furthermore, the shafts 12 of the rubber bushes 12 and 13
a, 13a are arranged in such a direction as to guide the wheel hub 10 inwardly in front of the wheel center W when the wheel hub 10 rotates clockwise around the ball joint, that is, in a direction to toe-in the tire 14. That is, the front rubber bushing 12 is oriented rearward inward, and the rear rubber bushing 13 is oriented rearward outward. This direction may be reversed depending on the position of the rubber bushes 12, 13. That is, for example, when the front rubber bush 12 is arranged horizontally or diagonally toward the bottom of the third quadrant with the front high and the rear low, the axis 12a is directed forward inward rather than backward inward. . This is to displace the clockwise rotation of the wheel hub 10 around the ball joint 11 in the toe-in direction in either case.

Also, the arm 15 is rearwardly moved from the wheel hub 10.
extends, and the front end 16a of the front bent portion 16A of the stabilizer 16 is connected to the rear end 15a of the arm 15. The center portion 16B of the stabilizer 16 extends in the left-right direction of the vehicle body, has one end 17a supported by the other end 17b of the control link 17 connected to the vehicle body side bracket 18 via a bracket 19, and is rotatable about the left-right direction of the vehicle body. freely supported. Therefore, at the time of a bump, the end portion 16a of the stabilizer 16 can move in the vertical direction along the vertical trajectory A in the projection view on the left side of FIG.

On the other hand, the wheel hub 10 is supported by a swing member that is a support member on the vehicle body side, such as a semi-trailing arm that is partially swingably supported by the vehicle body.
This swinging member is attached so that the rotation locus of the wheel hub moves inward in the left-right direction of the vehicle body (as shown by locus B on the left in FIG. 1) when the vehicle bumps.

Further, the connecting portion between the end portion 16a of the stabilizer and the rear end 15a of the arm 15 of the wheel hub 10 is located behind the ball joint 11 and above the center of swing of the swing member.

Hereinafter, the toe-in effect due to external force will be explained in detail in this embodiment with reference to FIG.
In FIG. 3, the vertical imaginary axis passing through the ball joint 11 is L, and the imaginary axis in the width direction of the vehicle body is M.

The lateral force S acts on the tire grounding point G from the outside to the inside.

When a lateral force S acts on the tire during cornering, etc., a rotational moment is generated around the L axis in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from above, and the rubber bushes 12, 13
Due to the elasticity of the wheel hub 10, the wheel hub 10 is displaced around the ball joint 11 in the toe-in direction. At this time, if the elasticity of the front rubber bushing 12 on the inside in the right angle direction and the elasticity of the rear rubber bushing 13 on the outside in the right angle direction are increased, an even greater toe-in effect can be obtained.

At the same time, due to a bump on one side during cornering, the end 15a of the arm 15 of the wheel hub 10 is
The stabilizer 16 attempts to move upward and inward along a trajectory B, but at this time, it receives an outward stabilizing reaction force HF due to an upward trajectory A of the end 16a of the stabilizer 16. Therefore, the rear portion of the wheel hub 10 is displaced outward, and thus displaced in the toe-in direction. Also, at this time, a vertical component VF of the stabilizing reaction force from the stabilizer 16 acts downward on the rear end 15a of the arm 15 of the wheel hub 10.
The wheel hub 10 rotates clockwise (as viewed from the left) around the ball joint 11 due to the vertical component VF of this stabilizer reaction force. This clockwise rotation causes the wheel hub 10 to be displaced inwardly at the front and outwardly at the rear due to the orientation of the axes of the rubber bushes 12 and 13, as described above.
0 in the toe-in direction.

In this way, during cornering, both the lateral force S and the stabilizer reaction forces HF and VF produce a toe-in effect, making it possible to effectively toe-in the tire.

As is clear from the above detailed description, in this embodiment, the toe-in effect is automatically obtained not only by the stabilizing reaction force at the time of a bump but also by the lateral force S at the time of cornering, and the tire is effectively toe-in. be able to.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the basic structure and function of yet another embodiment of the rear suspension of the present invention. Below, respectively behind and to the left,
A projection view from above is shown. ball joint 11
is arranged on the upper side behind the wheel center W (ie, in the first quadrant of the above coordinates), and the two rubber bushes 12 and 13, one of which 12, is arranged in front of the wheel center W (ie, in the third or second quadrant of the above coordinates). It is located. In addition, the plane P that includes these two rubber bushes 12, 13 and the ball joint 11 is the height CL of the wheel center and It is located outward of the vehicle body from the left and right center W of the wheel on the ground GL.

Furthermore, the shafts 12 of the rubber bushes 12 and 13
a and 13a are arranged in such a direction as to guide the wheel hub 10 inwardly in front of the wheel center W when the wheel hub 10 rotates clockwise around the ball joint, that is, in a direction that causes the tire 14 to be toe-in. That is, the front rubber bushing 12 is oriented forward inward, and the rear rubber bushing 13 is oriented forward outward. This direction may be reversed depending on the position of the rubber bushes 12, 13. That is, for example, when the front rubber bushing 12 is placed horizontally or diagonally in the upper part of the second quadrant with the front low and the rear high, the axis 12a is not directed forward inward but rearward inward. . This is to displace the clockwise rotation of the wheel hub 10 around the ball joint 11 in the toe-in direction in either case.

Further, an arm 15 extends rearward from the wheel hub 10 by the diameter of the ball joint 11, and the front end 16a of the front bent portion 16A of the stabilizer 16 is connected to the rear end 15a of the arm 15. The center portion 16B of the stabilizer 16 extends in the left-right direction of the vehicle body, has one end 17a supported by the other end 17b of the control link 17 connected to the vehicle body side bracket 18 via a bracket 19, and rotates around the left-right direction of the vehicle body. Supported for free movement. Therefore, when bumping, the end 1 of the stabilizer 16
6a is movable in the vertical direction along a trajectory A in the vertical direction in the projection view on the left side of FIG.

On the other hand, the wheel hub 10 is supported by a swinging member that is a support member on the vehicle body side, such as a semi-trailing arm, which is partially swingably supported by the vehicle body. It is mounted so that the rotation locus moves inward to the left and right of the vehicle body (as shown by locus B on the left in Figure 1).

Further, the connecting portion between the end portion 16a of the stabilizer and the rear end 15a of the arm 15 of the wheel hub 0 is located behind the ball joint 11 and above the center of swing of the swing member.

Hereinafter, the toe-in effect due to external force will be explained in detail in this embodiment with reference to FIG.
In FIG. 4, the vertical imaginary axis passing through the ball joint 11 is L, and the imaginary axis in the width direction of the vehicle body is M.

Lateral force S acts on the tire grounding point G from outside to inside.

When a lateral force S acts on the tire during cornering, etc., a rotational moment is generated around the L axis in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from above, and the rubber bushings 12, 13
Due to the elasticity of the wheel hub 10, the wheel hub 10 is displaced around the ball joint 11 in the toe-in direction. At this time, if the elasticity of the front rubber bushing 12 on the inside in the right angle direction and the elasticity of the rear rubber bushing 13 on the outside in the right angle direction are increased, an even greater toe-in effect can be obtained.

At the same time, due to a bump on one side during cornering, the end 15a of the arm 15 of the wheel hub 10 is
The stabilizer 16 attempts to move upward and inward along a trajectory B, but at this time, it receives an outward stabilizing reaction force HF due to an upward trajectory A of the end 16a of the stabilizer 16. Therefore, the rear portion of the wheel hub 10 is displaced outward, and thus displaced in the toe-in direction. Also, at this time, a vertical component VF of the stabilizing reaction force from the stabilizer 16 acts downward on the rear end 15a of the arm 15 of the wheel hub 10.
The wheel hub 10 rotates clockwise (as viewed from the left) around the ball joint 11 due to the vertical component VF of this stabilizer reaction force. This clockwise rotation causes the wheel hub 0 to be displaced inwardly at the front and outwardly at the rear due to the orientation of the axes of the rubber bushes 12 and 13, as described above, resulting in wheel hub 10
is displaced in the toe-in direction.

In this way, during cornering, both the lateral force S and the stabilizer reaction forces HF and VF produce a toe-in effect, making it possible to effectively toe-in the tire.

As is clear from the description of the above embodiments, the present invention provides a rear suspension that has the effect of toe-in the tire on the side of the bump due to a stabilizing reaction force when a bump occurs on one side due to cornering or the like. Therefore, it is possible to realize a vehicle that is constantly stabilized during driving such as cornering, and that has improved maneuverability without impairing ride comfort.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example in which the present invention is applied to a semi-trailing type rear suspension, Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an example in which the invention is applied to a strut type twin link suspension, and Figs. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing in detail the main parts of the rear suspension in different embodiments, and shows a perspective view of the right rear wheel viewed from the rear left and a three-way projection view thereof. 1... Vehicle side frame, 2... Semi-trailing arm, 3... Shock absorber, 4... Vehicle side frame, 5... Trailing link, 6... Bracket, 7... Lateral link, 8... Cross member, 1
0...Wheel hub, 11...Ball joint, 1
2, 13...Rubber bushing, 14...Tire, 15
...Arm, 16...Stabilizer, 17...Control link.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A rocking member, a part of which is swingably supported on the vehicle body;
A wheel support member is supported by this swinging member via a single ball joint and an elastic bushing, rotatably supporting the rear wheel, and has a rotation center in the left-right direction of the vehicle body, and a control link. It consists of a stabilizer that is rotatably supported on the vehicle body via the swing member, and the swing member is attached so that the rotation locus of the wheel support member moves inward in the left-right direction of the vehicle body when bumping, and the end of the stabilizer is attached to a ball. A rear suspension for an automobile, characterized in that the rear suspension is connected to a wheel support member behind a joint and above a center of swing of the swing member.