Title of Invention

RADIUS ARM FOR THE WHEEL SUSPENSION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A track control arm for the wheel suspension of a motor vehicle is proposed, comprising a control arm body 1 formed from at least one sheet-metal part as well as at least one coupling point for the connection to a body-side fastening point, wherein the coupling point takes the form of a circular locating bush 2 for a resilient bearing element 3. According to the invention, the wall of the locating bush 2 is formed integrally with the control arm body 1 and comprises an annular bearing region 4 as well as a mounting strap 5 fixed to the control arm body 1.

Full Text

FORM 2 THE PATENT ACT 1970 (39 Of 1970) & The Patents Rules, 2003 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (See Section 10, and rule 13) 1. TITLE OF INVENTION RADIUS ARM FOR THE WHEEL SUSPENSION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE 2. APPLICANT(S) a) Name b) Nationality c) Address ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG GERMAN Company 88038 FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GERMANY 3. PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed : - Description The invention relates to a track control arm for the wheel suspension of a motor vehicle comprising a control arm body formed from at least one sheet-metal part as well as at least one coupling point situated on the control arm body for the connection to a body-side fastening point, wherein the coupling point takes the form of a circular locating bush for a resilient bearing element. Such track control arms of the described type are also known as transverse control arms and generally comprise single or double mutually connected steel sheets, wherein the sheet construction may be provided in sections with beads or doubled-back portions for increased stiffness. The track control arms in said case have coupling points for fastening wheel-related components as well as coupling points for the body-side fastening of the track control arm. These coupling points are generally designed in such a way that at these points a specific degree of mobility is guaranteed, which is realized by means of a resilient bearing arrangement, for example by means of rubber elements. These rubber elements are accommodated on the track control arm in circular locating bushes, which in the background art are connected in various ways to the actual control arm body. For example, auxiliary housings are known, which are screwed or riveted as separate components on the track control arm. Other styles of construction provide that additional sheet-metal shells for receiving the rubber elements or corresponding locating bushes are connected to the control arm housings for example by welding operations. All of the described constructional measures have the drawback that the locating bushes and/or bearing components that are to be connected to the control arm housing are produced in separate manufacturing steps and are then to be connected to the actual control arm housing. This entails an increased number of -2- manufacturing and/or assembly steps and hence increased production costs, wherein moreover additional individual parts have a negative impact on warehousing costs. From the background art, moreover, ways of providing twin-shell control arm bodies, which comprise top and bottom parts welded together, with two-part locating bushes have become known, as is disclosed for example in the patent application WO 02/074562 A2. The drawback of the structural design represented there lies in an increased inaccuracy of the locating bush as a result of the division situated in the layer plane. Proceeding from the existing background art, the object of the invention is therefore to design a track control arm for the wheel suspension of a motor vehicle, in terms of its points of coupling in particular to the body, in a way that guarantees simplified, economical manufacture and optimizes the track control arm in terms of the weight thereof. According to the invention this object is achieved in that the wall of the locating bush is formed integrally with the control arm body and comprises an annular bearing region as well as a mounting strap fixed to the control arm body. This structural design dispenses with the additional coupling point components that were previously needed to manufacture the track control arms of the described type, and manufacture of the control arm body is moreover simplified by the fact that fashioning of the necessary locating bush for the resilient bearing element may be carried out simultaneously with forming of the sheet-metal component used for the control arm body. Special developments of the subject matter of the invention arise in combination with the technical teaching of claim 1 from the features of the sub-claims. -3- For fixing of the mounting strap to the control arm body it has proved advantageous when the mounting strap is fixed by welding, gluing, riveting, screwing, clinching or Tox-clinching to the control arm body. The said types of fastening are, with regard to the required manufacturing sequences, an economical machining variant. It has moreover proved expedient to design the bearing region and the mounting strap in such a way that they have substantially identical width dimensions. There now follows a detailed description of two embodiments of the subject matter of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings show: Figure 1 a partial view of a track control arm according to the invention in the region of the coupling point in the case of a single-shell design of the control arm body and Figure 2 a partial view of a further track control arm according to the invention in the region, of ,the coupling point in the case of a twin-shell design of the control arm body. In Figure 1 the control arm body 1 of a track control arm according to the invention is represented and comprises a sheet steel component, on which there is disposed in a corner region a locating bush that is denoted as a whole by 2. Inserted into the locating bush is a diagrammatically represented bearing element 3 in the form of a rubber ring. The locating bush 2, as may be seen from Figure 1, comprises an annular bearing region 4 and a mounting strap 5. The bearing region 4 and the mounting strap 5 in the illustrated embodiment are of an identical width and in the non-deformed raw state of the control arrn,body 1 take the form of a strap-shaped component thereof. In the course of the forming operation for manufacturing the final control arm body contour, the bearing region 4 is formed into a ring shape and -4- the mounting strap 5 is shaped in such a way that it comes to lie on the top of the control arm body 1. In a final operation, the mounting strap 5 is then permanently connected to the control arm body by means of a welding or gluing operation. The welding operation in said case may be effected by means of a spot welding operation. Alternatively, a welding-over of the edges of the mounting strap is conceivable. The embodiment represented in Figure 2 differs from that of Figure 1 in that, here, the control arm body 1 is composed of a bottom sheet la and a top sheet lb. Top sheet lb and bottom sheet la are welded to one another. The locating bush 2 in the non-machined state of the control arm body^ 1 takes the form of a strap of the bottom sheet la and in the course of the manufacturing process is shaped in a way that produces, on the one hand, the annular bearing region for receiving a resilient bearing element and, in addition, the mounting strap 5. In the illustrated development, the mounting strap 5 comes to lie on the top of the top sheet lb and is fastened here, as in the representation of Figure 1, by gluing, welding or riveting to the top sheet lb. List of reference characters 1 control arm body la bottom sheet lb top sheet 2 locating bush 3 bearing element 4 bearing region 5 mounting strap -5- WE CLAIM: 1. Track control arm for the wheel suspension of a motor vehicle comprising a control arm body formed from at least one sheet-metal part as well as at least one coupling point for the connection to a body-side fastening point, wherein the coupling point takes the form of a circular locating bush for a resilient bearing element, characterized in that the wall of the locating bush (2) is formed integrally with the control arm body (1) and comprises an annular bearing region (4) as well as a mounting strap (5) fixed to the control arm body (1). 2. Track control arm according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting strap (5) is fixed by welding to the control arm body (1). 3. Track control arm according to claim lf characterized in that the mounting strap (5) is fixed by gluing to the control arm body (1). 4. Track control arm according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting strap (5) is fixed by riveting to the control arm body (1). 5. Track control arm according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting strap (5) is fixed by screwing to the control arm body (1). 6. Track control arm according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting strap (5) is fixed by clinching to the control arm body (1). 7. Track control arm according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting strap (5) is fixed by Tox-clinching to the control arm body (1). -6- 8. Track control arm according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the bearing region (4) and the mounting strap (5) have substantially identical width dimensions. Dated this 4th day of September, 2006 HIRAL CHANDRAKANT JOSHI AGENT FOR ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG -7- ABSTRACT A track control arm for the wheel suspension of a motor vehicle is proposed, comprising a control arm body 1 formed from at least one sheet-metal part as well as at least one coupling point for the connection to a body-side fastening point, wherein the coupling point takes the form of a circular locating bush 2 for a resilient bearing element 3. According to the invention, the wall of the locating bush 2 is formed integrally with the control arm body 1 and comprises an annular bearing region 4 as well as a mounting strap 5 fixed to the control arm body 1. To, The Controller of Patents The Patent Office Mumbai. -8- Figure 1

Documents:

1073-mumnp-2006-abstract(05-09-2006).doc

1073-mumnp-2006-abstract(05-09-2006).pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-abstract.doc

1073-mumnp-2006-abstract.pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-cancelled pages(05-09-2006).pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-claims(granted)(05-09-2006.doc

1073-mumnp-2006-claims(granted)(05-09-2006.pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-claims.doc

1073-mumnp-2006-claims.pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-correspondance-received.pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-correspondence(27-05-2008).pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-correspondence(ipo)-(27-01-2009).pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-description (complete).pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-drawing(05-09-2006).pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-form 1(05-09-2006).pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-form 18(05-09-2006).pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-form 2(granted)-(05-09-2006).doc

1073-mumnp-2006-form 2(granted)-(05-09-2006).pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-form 3(04-09-2006).pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-form 5(04-09-2006).pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-form-1.pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-form-2.doc

1073-mumnp-2006-form-2.pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-form-3.pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-form-5.pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-form-pct-ib-301.pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-form-pct-ib-304.pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-form-pct-isa-210.pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-form-pct-ro-101.pdf

1073-mumnp-2006-power of authority(02-03-2006).pdf

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