Parallel rod system
The present invention is related to a rod system adapted to enable two interconnected rods to be moved parallel to each other substantially without amendment of their mutual distance.
Rod systems of the above-mentioned type are well suited for use in wheel suspensions systems for automobiles. In the wheel suspension systems used today undesired changes occur during the movements of the wheels and the suspension springs. During such movements of wheels changes will occur in at least one of the following points, wheel track, camber, kingbolt backward inclination, caster, toe-in or the wheelbase. The aforementioned disadvantages and weaknesses connected with known systems are avoided with the rod system according to the present invention as it is defined with the features stated in the claims. Especially the system used as a suspension system will ensure vertical movements of the wheels i relation to the chassis along substantially parallel lines having fixed distance.
With the wheel suspension here suggested, the wheels will move practically rectilinearly upwards and downwards without amending their distance. This means that the above mentioned and undesired changes of this distance are avoided.
This suggested wheel suspension therefore will contri¬ bute to less wear of tyres, improve the driving comfort and decrease fuel consumption. This spring system make possible a longer spring distance than prior art solutions. The invention is described in the following and discloses in the drawing, figure 1 thereby disclosing one embodiment of the invention schematically in a side view, figure 2 disclosing a ground view of figure 1, and figure 3 disclosing schematically the rod system according to the present invention in a side view.
This wheel suspension system may be adapted to rear and front wheels on different vehicles, with or without transmission. How a wheel is connected to the wheel holder piece 7 is con¬ sidered optional.
The above mentioned advantageous are achieved with the rod system and wheel suspension system according to the present invention comprising an upper support arm 1 and a lower support arm 2 being parallel and having the same length. These being s hinged with a bolt link to the wheel holder piece 7 in the one end and to a vertical arm 5 in the other hand. To the same vertical arm is secured, with a bolt link, and upper guiding arm 4 and a lower guiding arm 3. The other end of the guiding arms being connected with bolt links to the chassis 6. There are o duplicates of all above mentioned parts, upper guiding arm, lower guiding arm, vertical arm and chassis. The guiding arms are parallel and have the same length, measured between the hinging bolts. The guiding arms may have the same length, be shorter or longer than the support arms. s The upper support arm is connected with the lower guiding arm by a momentum rod 8. The securement points for a momentum rod lie each on one side in relation to the vertical arm 5.
The moment arm a2 in figure 2, to which the lower o securement point for the momentum rod 8 acts, may have the same length as al, or may be of different length. The vertical arm 5 can, in fact, be omitted, whether al and a2 are of different or equal length. If the momentum arms al and a2 have the same length, the angle movement also will be the same, and rods could 5 connect upper support arm. With lower guiding arm, crossing rods connecting lower support arm with upper guiding arm. All support arms and guiding arms thereby should be given the shape of triangles. To avoid changes in the track width support arms and guiding arms may have the same length. 0 When the car wheel is moved upwardly or downwardly, the movement to the upper and lower support arms and the movements to the guiding arms are mutually connected to each other and an angle change to the guiding arms may be different from the angle change of the support arms. Hereby the horizontal displacements 5 of the guiding arms and the support arms will compensate each other.
In another embodiment the system is made upside down in relation to figure 3 such that the momentum arm 8 connects the lower support arm with the upper guiding arm.
The two upper guiding arms may be rigidly connected to each other in a U-fashion, and also the two lower guiding arms.