Motor Vehicle Fiber-Reinforced Synthetic Material Leaf Spring or Transverse Link With End Clamp/Power-Induction Unit

The invention relates to a device with a flat component made of fiber-reinforced synthetic material and an end power induction unit, in particular at a leaf spring or transverse link for motor vehicles. Various elements of the device cooperate to reduce certain loads and stresses typically imposed on leaf springs of this type.

In generic devices, such as a leaf spring made of fiber-reinforced synthetic material, particular attention must be paid to the power induction into the component, because damage due to excessive bending moments or shear stress originates or appears almost regularly at a power induction unit. Where a leaf spring is installed transversally in a motor vehicle, it must absorb both vertical forces due to the static and dynamic axle load and high lateral forces while taking curves. While braking the vehicle, it is still possible for significant longitudinal forces or torsion couples to appear. In this, the vertical forces have a perendicular effect on the directed fiber layers of the leaf spring, while the lateral forces are parallel, and thus in the fiber direction. Particularly high bending moments and shear stress appear while taking curves because here great vertical forces from the dynamic axle weight shift is added to the great amount of lateral force. These high strains can result in excessive stress, especially in the area of the power induction unit; damage that can occur includes separation of the upper and lower levels of directed fibers, fiber tears on these levels and deformations on the component. The object of the invention is to reduce the stress in the area of the power induction unit for the generic device, using simple means.

This object is accomplished by features of the invention described herein. A feature of the invention is the application of force at the power induction unit asymmetrically to the fiber levels. This permits absorption of the component or leaf spring end in the power induction unit such that the latter experiences a moment of torsion from the lateral forces, which is directed against the vertical forces of the axle weight. The result is a considerable reduction in bending stresses in the area of the power induction unit, and a reduction in shear stress. The definition of the length of the component or of the leaf spring end beyond the point of application of force in the power induction unit means an equivalent decrease in stress and a reduction of shear stress for lateral forces acting in the opposite direction.

As described in detail hereinafter the power induction unit and the end portion of the leaf spring are specially configured to insure the spring is properly retained and the power is absorbed as desired. In particular, wedge-shaped design of the end portion of the component has proven to be particularly advantageous and capable of bearing stress.

Insofar as additional, one-sided, relatively high torsion couples act on the component, as sometimes happens, for example, with a wheel-drive leaf spring while braking a vehicle, the point of application of force on the power induction unit can be arranged asymmetrically to the spring itself. The power induction unit is formed of two separate parts with clamping means involving little or no invasive elements to the fiber material. The arrangement of the screws or bolts about the periphery of the end portion means that the effective cross section of the component or of the leaf spring is fully preserved.

The above has been a brief description of deficiencies in the prior art and advantages of the invention. An embodiment of the invention is described below in greater detail.

FIG. 1 shows a device with a leaf spring of a motor vehicle as a flat component and a power induction unit in a cross section of Line I--I in FIG. 2,

FIG. 2 is a view of the power induction unit in the direction of Arrow Z in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a view in keeping with Line III--III of FIG. 2 in the plane of osculation of the power induction unit.

A device 10 has a leaf spring 12 as a flat component and a power induction unit 14. The leaf spring 12, made of glass fiber reinforced synthetic resin, consists of an upper layer 16, a lower layer 18 and a middle component layer 20. The upper and lower layers 16, 18 have directed glass fibers for the length of leaf spring 12. The compound layer 20 contains undirected fibers embedded in a synthetic resin matrix.

Leaf spring 12 has a rectangular cross section. Its height h becomes less as it approaches the power induction unit 14, but then increases in a wedge shape across a length y. This wedge-shaped end section 22 is form-fitted in the power induction unit 14, whereby the power induction unit 14 is under prestress both on the front face and on the peripheral faces of section 22. In addition, the power induction unit 14 is divided into a base or lower section 24 and an upper section 26, in a plane corresponding approximately to the neutral fiber 28 of the leaf spring 12, whereby the two sections are held together by several screws 30, 32. The two screws 32 secure front recesses 34 of the leaf spring 12, while the two screws 30, or their corresponding screw threads are lateral to the leaf spring 12. This arrangement of the screws 30, 32 ensures on the one hand an even grip and a high-tensile form closure of the spring 12 in the corresponding recess of the power induction unit 14, without the effective cross section of the leaf spring 12 being weakened.

A spring eye or journal 38 positioned at the power induction unit 14, or rather at the base section 24, through which the leaf spring 12 or the power induction unit 14 can be connected to the wheel drive of the vehicle, which is not depicted. Via the spring eye 38, the lateral forces Fs or the axle loads are passed to the leaf spring 12. In this process, the theoretical contact point 40 of the spring eye 38 is displaced by a quantity "a" asymmetrically to the neutral fiber 28 or to the fiber level of the leaf spring 12 contrary to force FG. Through this displacement, the lateral force Fs exerts a twisting moment on the power induction unit 14 that is directed against the force FG.

From the two forces Fs and FG there emerges a resultant force FR, which results in a reduction of bending moments due to the axle load and shear stress affecting the leaf spring 12 in the area of the neutral fiber 28, especially around point 42, which is defined from the projection of the resultant force FR by the neutral fiber 28 of the leaf spring 12.

The leaf spring 12 is dimensioned and incorporated in the power induction unit 14 such that its free clamping length y in the power induction unit 14, calculated from a perpendicular 44 through the point of application of force 40 to its front face, is approximately the same as length X, which is determined from this same perpendicular 44 and the intersecting point 42. This length Y corresponds approximately to quantity "a", which defines the contact point 40 from the neutral fiber 28 of the leaf spring 12. As shown in this specific embodiment Y is about two-thirds of X.

As FIG. 2 shows, the spring eye 38 opposite the perpendicular middle level of the leaf spring 12 is displaced from the middle by quantity b. Through this, a twisting moment MG affecting the leaf spring 46 and based on force FG emerges. This twisting moment functions in the sense of a reduction of a much larger twisting moment MB, which acts upon the wheel drive formed by the leaf spring 12 when the vehicle is braked, by way of its wheel brakes. This twisting moment MB is then calculated without the counter-twisting moment MG based on the displacement b of the spring eye 38 with respect to the leaf spring 12.

As is clear from the drawing, especially FIG. 1, the end section 22 of the leaf spring 12 enters the power induction unit 14 without significant changes in fiber direction in the upper and lower layer 16, 18 of the leaf spring 12. This is of considerable importance, because this means that lateral forces Fs are transmittable in both the direction indicated in the drawing and in the opposite direction, without there being impermissibly high bending stress or impermissibly high shear stress in the compound layer 20 in layers 16, 18.

Instead of the wedge depicted for the end section 11, other form-fitted shapes, such as a double wedge with two shorter, diverging or converging wedge sections, are also possible.