Independent Suspension System and Vehicle

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of vehicles, in particular to an independent suspension system and a vehicle.

Background Art

Suspension is one of the critical assemblies on a vehicle, which elastically connects a frame (or vehicle body) with an axle or wheels. The core functions of suspension include transmitting all forces and moments between wheels and the vehicle frame/body, mitigating impact loads transferred from uneven road surfaces to the frame/body, and damping vibration generated by such loads to guarantee smooth vehicle driving.

Chinese Invention Patent Publication No. CN117429216A discloses an air suspension system featuring an integrally cast axle housing and X-shaped thrust rods. The air suspension system comprises vehicle cross members, vehicle longitudinal beams, fixing brackets, an integrally cast axle housing, X-shaped thrust rods, air springs, shock absorbers and I-shaped thrust rods. The integrally cast axle housing is connected to the fixing brackets via I-shaped thrust rods and further coupled with the vehicle longitudinal beams; the X-shaped thrust rods are arranged between the integrally cast axle housing and vehicle cross members. Air springs and shock absorbers are respectively mounted between the vehicle longitudinal beams and the integrally cast axle housing to adjust chassis height and buffer road shocks. Nevertheless, such air suspension is fastened onto the vehicle axle, resulting in excessive overall axle weight and inconvenience for axle transportation and assembly.

Accordingly, there exists an urgent demand in the art for an improved technical solution to address the foregoing drawbacks.

Summary of the Invention

To overcome the technical defect of excessive axle weight caused by conventional suspension fixed directly on axles, the present invention provides an independent suspension system. The independent suspension system includes:
A suspension bracket configured for fixed connection with a vehicle wheel end;
A thrust rod support configured for detachable connection with a vehicle axle;
A thrust rod assembly articulated between the suspension bracket and the thrust rod support;
A guiding shock absorber mounted on the suspension bracket, with its opposite end pivotably fitted to a vehicle frame;
Air springs each fixed at one end to the suspension bracket and abutted against the vehicle frame at the other end.

In the proposed independent suspension system consisting of the suspension bracket, thrust rod support, thrust rod assembly, guiding shock absorber and air springs, the suspension bracket is secured to the wheel end while the thrust rod support is detachably assembled with the vehicle axle via the thrust rod assembly. This arrangement mounts the entire suspension onto the wheel end rather than the axle and effectively reduces axle load and weight. The guiding shock absorber is installed between the suspension bracket and vehicle frame to constrain the moving trajectory of the suspension bracket, while the air springs positioned between the suspension bracket and frame isolate vibration transmitted between wheels and the vehicle body. With the above structural layout, detachable fitting between the thrust rod support and axle shifts suspension load to the wheel end and lowers overall axle weight.

Further, two air springs are symmetrically arranged on two lateral sides of the guiding shock absorber.

Further, the suspension bracket comprises a main body for installing the guiding shock absorber, a fixing portion for coupling with the wheel end, a hinge portion for articulating the thrust rod assembly, and mounting portions for fixing the air springs. The main body is sleeved around the outer circumference of the guiding shock absorber, and limiting plates abutting against the outer peripheral surface of the guiding shock absorber are arranged inside the main body.

Further, a limiting ring for supporting the guiding shock absorber is arranged at the bottom of the main body; a threaded connection section penetrable through the limiting ring is formed at the lower end of the guiding shock absorber and matched with a connecting nut. The connecting nut and the main body end of the guiding shock absorber are separately disposed on two opposite sides of the limiting ring.

Further, weight-reduction grooves are machined on the main body, limiting plates and fixing portion.

Further, the hinge portion includes hinge plates fixedly connected with the fixing portion and hinge seats mounted on the hinge plates for assembling the thrust rod assembly; reinforcing plates are arranged between each hinge plate and the fixing portion.

Further, a ball-joint connecting structure is fitted between the guiding shock absorber and vehicle frame, which includes a ball-joint fixing base fastened to the frame, ball-joint fixing bolts secured to the fixing base, and standard ball-joint components abutting the guiding shock absorber; the standard ball-joint components are fixedly locked with the ball-joint fixing bolts.

Further, a dustproof cover is sleeved externally around the guiding shock absorber. Two ends of the dustproof cover are separately fastened via hose clamps to the guiding shock absorber and a cover base, and the cover base is fixedly connected with the ball-joint fixing bolt.

Further, a connecting plate with an elongated connecting slot is arranged on the top of the cover base, and fastening bolts matched with the connecting slot are assembled onto the ball-joint fixing bolt.

To resolve the problem of overweight axles arising from axle-mounted suspension, the present invention further provides a vehicle, comprising a vehicle axle, wheel ends, a vehicle frame, and the independent suspension system according to any aforementioned embodiment. The suspension bracket of the independent suspension is fixed to the wheel end, the thrust rod support is detachably connected with the vehicle axle, and the guiding shock absorber is assembled onto the vehicle frame.

Beneficial Effects of the Invention

Compared with prior art, the present invention achieves the following advantages:

1. The specially configured suspension bracket, thrust rod support and thrust rod assembly enable full suspension mounting on wheel ends and detachable connection with axles, drastically reducing axle overall weight;

2. Dual air spring layout lowers suspension stiffness, improves vehicle riding comfort and avoids cargo damage during transportation;

3. Weight-reduction grooves and limiting plate design cut down suspension component weight while satisfying structural strength requirements, contributing to overall vehicle lightweighting.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to accompanying drawings:
FIG.1: Schematic view of an embodiment of the inventive vehicle;
FIG.2: Cross-sectional structural view of the independent suspension system for the vehicle;
FIG.3: Enlarged view of Zone A marked in FIG.2;
FIG.4: Enlarged view of Zone B marked in FIG.2;
FIG.5: Structural drawing of the suspension bracket;
FIG.6: Cross-sectional view of the suspension bracket.

List of Reference Numerals

1. Suspension Bracket; 11. Main Body; 111. Limiting Plate; 112. Limiting Ring; 12. Fixing Portion; 121. Square Cylinder Section; 122. Mounting Plate; 13. Hinge Portion; 131. Hinge Plate; 132. Hinge Seat; 133. Reinforcing Plate; 14. Mounting Portion; 15. Weight-Reduction Groove;

2. Thrust Rod Support; 21. First Support Base; 22. Second Support Base; 23. Third Support Base;

3. Thrust Rod Assembly; 31. First Swing Arm; 32. Second Swing Arm; 33. Connecting Piece;

4. Guiding Shock Absorber; 41. Threaded Connection Section; 42. Connecting Nut; 43. Dustproof Cover; 44. Hose Clamp; 45. Cover Base; 46. Connecting Plate; 47. Fastening Bolt;

5. Air Spring;

6. Ball-Joint Connecting Structure; 61. Ball-Joint Fixing Base; 62. Ball-Joint Fixing Bolt; 63. Standard Ball-Joint Component;

7. Wheel End; 200. Vehicle Frame.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are elaborated below with reference to attached drawings. Those skilled in the art shall understand the embodiments are provided solely for explaining the technical principle rather than limiting the protection scope of the invention.

It shall be noted that directional or positional terms including upper, lower, left, right, inner and outer herein are defined based on the orientation shown in attached drawings only for convenient descriptive purposes, without implying mandatory specific installation orientation of related components and thus shall not be construed as restrictive limitations to the present invention. Moreover, terms "first" and "second" are used for distinction only without representing relative importance of relevant parts.

Unless otherwise specified and restricted, terms "mount", "arrange" and "connect" adopt broad definitions in the specification, covering fixed connection, detachable connection and integral forming; direct connection or indirect connection via intermediate connectors as well as internal intercommunication between two parts. Persons skilled in the field may interpret the above terms according to practical application scenarios.

To eliminate excessive axle weight caused by suspension fixed onto vehicle axles in conventional designs, the present invention provides an independent suspension system composed of the suspension bracket 1 fixed to vehicle wheel end 100, the detachable thrust rod support 2 for vehicle axle assembly, the thrust rod assembly 3 articulated between suspension bracket 1 and thrust rod support 2, the guiding shock absorber 4 mounted on suspension bracket 1 with its free end pivotably connected to vehicle frame 200, and air springs 5 fixed on suspension bracket 1 and abutted against vehicle frame 200.

As shown in FIG.1, the independent suspension system consists of suspension bracket 1, thrust rod support 2, thrust rod assembly 3, guiding shock absorber 4 and air springs 5.

Referring to FIG.2, FIG.3 and FIG.4, one end of guiding shock absorber 4 is secured to suspension bracket 1 while the opposite end is assembled to vehicle frame 200 via ball-joint connecting structure 6 fixed on frame 200 to realize swingable connection. Specifically, the ball-joint connecting structure 6 includes two nut-shaped ball-joint fixing bases 61 fastened to vehicle frame 200, ball-joint fixing bolts 62 matched with fixing bases 61, and standard ball-joint components 63 abutting the upper end of guiding shock absorber 4. Each standard ball-joint component 63 is provided with connecting lugs at both ends, and ball-joint fixing bolts 62 pass through such lugs to lock standard ball-joint components 63 onto the fixing bases 61 and vehicle frame 200.

A dustproof cover 43 is wrapped around the outer circumference of guiding shock absorber 4; both terminals of dustproof cover 43 are clamped by hose clamps 44 onto guiding shock absorber 4 and cover base 45 respectively, and cover base 45 is fastened to ball-joint fixing bolt 62. A connecting plate 46 with an elongated strip-shaped connecting slot extending along its length is arranged on top of cover base 45; fastening bolt 47 runs through the connecting slot and threads into a pre-machined bolt hole on ball-joint fixing bolt 62 to lock connecting plate 46 in position.

A limiting ring 112 supporting guiding shock absorber 4 is formed at the bottom of suspension bracket main body 11. The lower-end threaded connection section 41 of guiding shock absorber 4 penetrates the inner bore of limiting ring 112 and mates with connecting nut 42 whose outer diameter exceeds the inner diameter of limiting ring 112. The connecting nut 42 and the shock absorber body are located on two opposite sides of limiting ring 112 to axially fix guiding shock absorber 4 onto suspension bracket 1.

As illustrated in FIG.1, FIG.5 and FIG.6, suspension bracket 1 is split into four functional segments: cylindrical main body 11 for housing guiding shock absorber 4, fixing portion 12 for wheel end installation, hinge portion 13 for thrust rod assembly articulation, and two symmetric mounting portions 14 for air spring fixation. Two parallel limiting plates 111 are installed inside main body 11 and form arc guiding surfaces against the outer wall of guiding shock absorber 4 at weight-reduction groove 15 positions. The limiting plates 111 are mounted on internal mounting steps of main body 11 with reserved gaps between plates and main body inner wall to reduce overall bracket weight; fixing portion 12 runs through weight-reduction grooves 15 to connect with limiting plates 111 and improve structural rigidity.

Fixing portion 12 comprises hollow square cylinder section 121 and mounting plate 122 connected with wheel end 100 via bolt fasteners. The square cylinder section 121 can be integrally cast or welded with limiting plates 111 and mounting plate 122; weight-reduction grooves 15 are cut on four side walls and corner regions of square cylinder section 121 for lightweight optimization while maintaining mechanical strength.

Two mounting portions 14 with cross-shaped profile are symmetrically disposed on two sides of main body 11, each retaining one air spring 5 via four fastening bolts pre-drilled on mounting portions 14. The upper end of each air spring 5 bears against vehicle frame 200 with built-in limiting bolts preventing lateral offset and detachment from the frame; reinforcing ribs are added between each mounting portion 14 and main body 11 for structural reinforcement.

Two sets of hinge portions 13 are symmetrically arranged beside main body 11, each consisting of trapezoidal hinge plate 131 and cylindrical hinge seats 132 with pre-drilled bolt holes for thrust rod assembly connection. Arc transition is formed at the corner where hinge plate 131 connects main body 11, and reinforcing plate 133 is sandwiched between hinge plate 131 and fixing portion 12 to enhance joint strength.

As shown in FIG.1, thrust rod assembly 3 is hinged between hinge seats 132 and thrust rod support 2, composed of parallel first swing arm 31, second swing arm 32 and intermediate connecting piece 33. Ball-joint standard parts are fitted at both terminals of two swing arms; one end connects hinge seats 132 via bolts while the opposite end is fastened onto thrust rod support 2. Weight-reduction grooves are intermittently distributed along the length of first swing arm 31, second swing arm 32 and connecting piece 33 for component lightweight design.

Thrust rod support 2 is detachably bolted onto vehicle axle and fixed partially to vehicle frame 200, including identically structured first support base 21 and second support base 22 plus intermediate third support base 23. Four hinge lugs are arranged at four bottom corners of trapezoidal first support base 21: two inner lugs connect with first swing arm 31 via bolts and two outer lugs form detachable bolted joints with vehicle axle. The first support base 21 adopts hollow layout with internal reinforcing ribs linking base bottom and side walls; two parallel positioning strips are machined on the top surface for positioning third support base 23 during assembly. The bottom wall of third support base 23 is clamped between positioning strips of first support base 21 and second support base 22, with its surrounding side walls fixed upward onto vehicle frame 200.

System Assembly & Working Principle

During installation under vehicle no-load condition, the thrust rod assembly 3 is pre-set to incline downward toward wheel end 100, which turns to horizontal layout under full-load cargo weight and minimizes lateral wheel displacement during suspension travel. When wheel end 100 moves up and down over uneven pavement, the entire thrust rod assembly 3 swings rotationally around thrust rod support 2; the lower end of guiding shock absorber 4 follows suspension bracket 1 for vertical displacement while the shock absorber upper end realizes small-angle swing via top ball-joint connecting structure 6.

The suspension system transfers most suspension load from vehicle axle to wheel end 100 through optimized layout of suspension bracket, thrust rod assembly and thrust rod support to reduce axle dead weight. Weight-reduction grooves and hollow structural design on all core components cut component weight effectively without sacrificing overall structural rigidity.

The inventive vehicle incorporates the above independent suspension system: suspension bracket 1 is bolted onto wheel end 100 and hinged with thrust rod assembly 3; thrust rod assembly 3 articulates thrust rod support 2 which is detachably assembled on vehicle axle and partially fixed to vehicle frame 200; guiding shock absorber 4 connects suspension bracket 1 and vehicle frame 200 via pivot joint; air springs 5 are sandwiched between suspension bracket 1 and vehicle frame 200. Such structural configuration reduces axle and overall vehicle weight remarkably.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to attached drawings, the protection scope of the present invention shall not be limited to such specific implementations. Equivalent modification or replacement on related technical features made by those skilled in the art without departing from the core inventive principle shall all fall within the claimed protection scope of the present invention.