Axle suspension on especially rear axle suspension for motor vehicles

Claim 2

An axle suspension for a vehicle with a supersTructure with a wheel carrier means guided by cross and longitudinal guide means, characterized in that the wheel carrier means carrying a wheel journal forms part of a spring leg means adapted to be shortened and lengthened telescopically under spring action, said spring leg means being pivotally connected with at least one longitudinal and cross guide means each, and in that the longitudinal guide means is rotatably connected with the wheel carrier means about the axis of the wheel journal, is universally pivotally supported at the vehicle superstructure and is constructed laterally flexible in bending as well as torsionally elastic, the cross guide means being connected with the wheel carrier means by hinge-like joint means with a longitudinal elasticity.

Claim 3

An axle suspension according to claim 1, characterized in that said last mentioned joint means are rubber joints.

Claim 4

An axle suspension according to claim 1, characterized in that said last-mentioned joint means are ball joints.

Claim 5

An axle suspension arrangement for a vehicle having a vehicle superstructure; said arrangement comprising: a wheel carrier for supporting a vehicle wheel for rotation about a wheel axis, a spring leg supporting the wheel carrier in the upward direction with respect to the vehicle superstructure, said spring leg including at least one upper portion and a lower portion displaceable with respect to one another, wherein said lower portion forms a rigid unit with the wheel carrier, at least one transverse guide member extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle with one end hingedly mounted at the vehicle superstructure and the other end hingedly mounted at the wheel carrier, and a longitudinal guide member extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, one end of said longitudinal guide member being universally resiliently joined to the vehicle superstructure, the other end of said longitudinal guide member including a hub portion for mounting said longitudinal guide member to said d wheel carrier such that said longitudinal guide member is rotatable with respect to said wheel carrier about said wheel axis.

Claim 6

An axle suspension arrangement for a vehicle having a vehicle superstructure; said arrangement comprising: a wheel carrier for supporting a vehicle wheel for rotation about a wheel axis, a spring leg supporting the wheel carrier in the upward direction with respect to the vehicle superstructure, said spring leg including at least one upper portion and a lower portion displaceable with respect to one another, wherein said lower portion forms a rigid unit with the wheel carrier, at least one transverse guide member extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle with one end hingedly mounted at the vehicle superstructure and the other end hingedly mounted at the wheel carrier, and a longitudinal guide member extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, one end of said longitudinal guide member being universally resiliently joined to the vehicle superstructure, the other end of said longitudinal guide member including a hub portion for mounting said longitudinal guide member to said d wheel carrier such that said longitudinal guide member is rotatable with respect to said wheel carrier about said wheel axis.

Claim 7

An arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that the spring leg means serves at the same time for the support of a wheel spring which is arranged between the two telescopically nested parts of the spring leg means.

Claim 8

An arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that the spring leg means is constructed at least as partially supporting spring element.

Claim 9

An arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that at least one of the two parts consisting of spring leg means and wheel spring additionall provided is supported by interposition of elastic cushion means at the vehicle superstructure.

Claim 10

An arrangement according to claim 7, characterized in that the stroke of the two parts of the spring leg means with respect to each other is limited by elastic cushion means.

Claim 11

An arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that the longitudinal guide members of the two sides of the vehicle are connected with each other at the ends thereof on the side of the superstructure by a torsion rod stabilizer.

Claim 12

An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein means of limited elastic resilience are provided in the hinged mountings of the at least one transverse guide member.

Claim 13

An arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said means of limited elastic resilience include rubber joints.

Claim 14

An arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said longitudinal guide member and said at least one transverse guide member are dimensioned and positioned with respect to said wheel axis and said vehicle superstructure such that, upon relative vertical movement of said wheel axis towards said superstructure and consequent shortening of said spring leg, the wheel carrier is moved such that the toe-in of a wheel supported thereby is increased.

Claim 15

An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein said at lEast one transverse guide member includes two transverse guide members spaced in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle at opposite sides of said wheel axis, and wherein the hinged mountings of the transverse guide members are positioned such that the joint between the transverse guide member and the wheel carrier on the same side of the wheel axis as the longitudinal guide member approaches the vehicle longitudinal centerline more rapidly than the joint between the other transverse guide member and the wheel carrier during said shortening of said spring leg.

Claim 16

An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein said at least one transverse guide member includes two approximately parallel transverse guide members which are hingedly mounted at said wheel carrier along a common hinge axis.

Claim 17

An arrangement according to claim 14, wherein said transverse guide members are spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and wherein the forward most transverse guide member is shorter than the rearward most transverse guide member.

Claim 18

An arrangement according to claim 15, wherein said longitudinal guide member extends forwardly of said wheel carrier in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein said forward most transverse guide member is disposed forwardly of said wheel axis and wherein said rearward most transverse guide member is disposed rearwardly of said wheel axis.

Claim 19

An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said at least one transverse guide member includes two transverse guide members spaced from one another in the vehicle longitudinal direction and hingedly connected at said vehicle superstructure and said wheel carrier with longitudinally extending hinge axes, wherein resilient insert means of relatively high resilience is provided in the hinged connection of the longitudinal guide member and the vehicle superstructure, and wherein resilient insert means of relatively low resilience in the transverse direction are provided in the hinged connections at each end of each of said transverse guide means.

Claim 20

An arrangement according to claim 17, wherein each of said resilient insert means are rubber inserts.

Claim 21

An arrangement according to claim 18, wherein the hinged connection of the longitudinal guide member at said vehicle superstructure has a relatively large elasticity in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

Claim 22

An arrangement according to claim 4, further comprising a brake saddle for a wheel brake, said brake saddle being securely attached to said longitudinal guide member.

Claim 23

An arrangement according to claim 20, wherein said wheel axis is associated with a rear wheel of said vehicle, and wherein said longitudinal guide member is inclined upwardly in the forward longitudinal direction with respect to said wheel axis.

Claim 24

An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said wheel axis is associated with a rear wheel of said vehicle, and wherein said longitudinal guide member is inclined upwardly in the forward longitudinal direction with respect to said wheel axis.

Claim 25

An arrangement according to claim 17, wherein said wheel axis is associated with a rear wheel of said vehicle, and wherein said longitudinal guide member is inclined upwardly in the forward longitudinal direction with respect to said wheel axis.

Claim 26

An axle suspension arrangement for a vehicle having a vehicle superstructure; said arrangement comprising: a wheel carrier for supporting a vehicle wheel for rotation about a wheel axis, a spring leg supporting the wheel carrier in the upward direction with respect to the vehicle superstructure, said spring leg including at least one upper portion and a lower portion displaceable with respeect to one another, wherein said lower portion forms a rigid unit with the wheel carrier, at least one transverse guide member extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle with one end hingedly mounted at the vehicle superstructure and the other end hingedly mounted at the wheel carriEr, and a longitudinal guide member extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, one end of said longitudinal guide member being joined to the vehicle superstructure, the other end of said longitudinal guide member being connected to said wheel carrier, wherein said longitudinal guide member and said at least one transverse guide member are dimensioned and positioned with respect to said wheel axis and said vehicle superstructure such that, upon relative vertical movement of said wheel axis towards said superstructure and consequent shortening of said spring leg, the wheel carrier is moved such that the toe-in of a wheel supported thereby is increased.

Claim 27

An axle suspension arrangement for a vehicle having a vehicle superstructure; said arrangement comprising: a wheel carrier for supporting a vehicle wheel for rotation about a wheel axis, a spring leg supporting the wheel carrier in the upward direction with respect to the vehicle superstructure, said spring leg including at least one upper portion and a lower portion displaceable with respeect to one another, wherein said lower portion forms a rigid unit with the wheel carrier, at least one transverse guide member extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle with one end hingedly mounted at the vehicle superstructure and the other end hingedly mounted at the wheel carriEr, and a longitudinal guide member extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, one end of said longitudinal guide member being joined to the vehicle superstructure, the other end of said longitudinal guide member being connected to said wheel carrier, wherein said longitudinal guide member and said at least one transverse guide member are dimensioned and positioned with respect to said wheel axis and said vehicle superstructure such that, upon relative vertical movement of said wheel axis towards said superstructure and consequent shortening of said spring leg, the wheel carrier is moved such that the toe-in of a wheel supported thereby is increased.

Claim 28

An arrangement according to claim 24, wherein said at least one transverse guide member includes two transverse guide members spaced in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle at opposite sides of said wheel axis, and wherein the hinged mountings of the transverse guide members are positioned such that the joint between the transverse guide member and the wheel carrier on the same side of the wheel axis as the longitudinal guide member approaches the vehicle longitudinal centerline more rapidly then the joint between the other transverse guide member and the wheel carrier during said shortening of said spring leg.

Claim 29

An arrangement according to claim 24, wherein said at least one transverse guide member includes two approximately parallel transverse guide members which are hingedly mounted at said wheel carrier along a common hinge axis.

Claim 30

An arrangement according to claim 26, wherein said transverse guide members are spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and wherein the forward most transverse guide member is shorter than the rearward most transverse guide member.

Claim 31

An arrangement according to claim 27, wherein said longitudinal guide member extends forwardly of said wheel carrier in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein said forward most transverse guide member is disposed forwardly of said wheel axis and wherein said rearward most transverse guide member is disposed rearwardly of said wheel axis.

Claim 32

An axle suspension arrangement for a vehicle having a vehicle superstructure; said arrangement comprising: a wheel carrier for supporting a vehicle wheel for rotation about a wheel axis, a spring leg supporting the wheel carrier in the upward direction with respect to the vehicle superstructure, said spring leg including at least one upper portion and a lower portion displaceable with respect to one another, wherein said lower portion forms a rigid unit with the wheel carrier, at least one transverse guide member extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle with one end hingedly mounted at the vehicle superstructure and the other end hingedly mounted at the wheel carrier, and a longitudinal guide member extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, one end of said longitudinal guide member being joined to the vehicle superstrucutre, the other end of said longitudinal guide member being connected to said wheel carrier, wherein a brake saddle for a wheel brake is securely attached to said longitudinal guide member.

Claim 33

An axle suspension arrangement for a vehicle having a vehicle superstructure; said arrangement comprising: a wheel carrier for supporting a vehicle wheel for rotation about a wheel axis, a spring leg supporting the wheel carrier in the upward direction with respect to the vehicle superstructure, said spring leg including at least one upper portion and a lower portion displaceable with respect to one another, wherein said lower portion forms a rigid unit with the wheel carrier, at least one transverse guide member extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle with one end hingedly mounted at the vehicle superstructure and the other end hingedly mounted at the wheel carrier, and a longitudinal guide member extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, one end of said longitudinal guide member being joined to the vehicle superstrucutre, the other end of said longitudinal guide member being connected to said wheel carrier, wherein a brake saddle for a wheel brake is securely attached to said longitudinal guide member.

Claim 34

An arrangement according to claim 29, wherein said wheel axis is associated with a rear wheel of said vehicle, and wherein said longitudinal guide member is inclined upwardly in the forward longitudinal direction with respect to said wheel axis.