BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART The invention relates to suspension devices for detachable fitting of various units and components. It relates particularly to a suspension device which facilitates and speeds up the fitting of, for example, silencers and/or tanks on a vehicle such as a truck. It relates in particular to speeding up vehicle assembly and facilitating and speeding up the removal of sundry components on the occasion of subsequent repair and maintenance work.

In many different contexts there is a need to be able to fit and remove sundry components in a quick, efficient and ergonomic way, not least during the

manufacture of heavy/commercial motor vehicles. In for example the manufacture and production of trucks it is desirable to simplify and speed up the stages of the production process in order to make it more cost-effective. This may inter alia entail assembling the more complex units alongside the production line, e.g. at so-called prefitting stations, in order thereafter to be able to fit these units more quickly on the vehicle at the various fitting stations on the production line. During the production process it is desirable that certain of these units, particularly those which are heavy and bulky, be fitted from above, inter alia to achieve an ergonomic work posture. This applies for example to silencers, fuel tanks etc. which may thus be fitted from above before the vehicle's superstructures are fitted. On the occasion of subsequent maintenance and service work on the vehicle and the replacement of such fitted units, they will have to be fitted from below because superstructures such as lockers and the like will limit or prevent access from above. This creates problems in that the brackets used at the time of the original fitting from above may be difficult or time- consuming to remove from below, e.g. when working from a workshop oil pit, but also in cases where fitting and removal take place from different sides.

US2010/0065597 describes a fastening device consisting of hooks and screw brackets. A bracket comprising inter alia a hook is fastened in the portion of a frame member where for example a silencer is to be fitted. The bracket is fitted in the

RECORD COPY TRANSLATION

(Rule 12.4) frame member in a hole template and is fastened by screws. A fastening element comprising inter alia a pin is fitted on the silencer. Fitting thus involves the fastening element on the silencer being united with the bracket on the frame member. The pin in the fastening element has to be engaged in the hook which is fitted in the frame member bracket, and support means in the form of screws are used to secure the fastening device.

US4444373 refers to a suspension device for fuel tanks which provides help in the form of an "extra hand" solution during the fitting of such a tank. The tank is provided inter alia with flanges which are situated on its sides and have to be fitted into grooves on the vehicle frame where the tank is to be fitted. The object of the suspension device is to bear part of the weight of the tank until the tank has been fitted. Known suspension devices do not present configurations which effectively combine a satisfactory, quickly fitted and reliable bracket with the simplicity of being able at will to fit and remove the bracket from two directions, e.g. from two different sides and from below. Nor do known solutions present any simple configuration which comprises an "extra hand" function to facilitate fitting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the invention is to solve the problems indicated above and propose a suspension device which facilitates and speeds up fitting operations during vehicle manufacture and facilitates and speeds up the removal for example of sundry components from the vehicle during subsequent maintenance and service work. Fitting the suspension device will also be easy through being achieved merely by hooking fastening elements at two points and by securing support means at both points.

Another object of the invention is that the suspension device should make it easy to fit units and components from one side of the vehicle and easy to remove them subsequently from the opposite side. Moreover, the suspension device will also make it possible to fit and remove components and units from above or below, e.g. in a workshop oil pit where the repairer will be under the vehicle.

A further object is that the invention provide an "extra hand" solution to facilitate for example the fitting of a silencer to a vehicle frame side-member. The suspension device may be prefitted on the silencer, followed by the suspension device with the prefitted silencer being hooked firmly on the side-member to enable the fitter for example to lock the suspension device to the side member by means of screws. Fitting work is thus facilitated by obviating the need for an extra fitter to hold the silencer while the first fitter screws it to the frame side-member.

These objects are achieved by the features indicated in the independent claim set out below. Other features and advantages of the invention are indicated by the dependent claims and the description set out below.

The suspension device according to the invention comprises a main portion provided with at least one fastening element and at least one support means intended to cooperate with at least one locking means. The fastening element and the support means are situated at a distance from one another in the longitudinal direction and fitting involves the fastening element being hooked firmly to a fastening means which is attached to a first or second unit. The fastening element is provided with an inner surface, and when the locking means is activated the inner surface on the fastening element moves towards, and is secured to, the fastening means. The second unit will thus be locked to the first unit. The harder the locking means is activated, the more firmly the fastening element will be secured to the fastening means.

The first unit may for example be a frame side-member and the second unit may for example be a silencer, a tank or the like, and the suspension device will be used to fit the two units together, in this example to fit the silencer to the side-member. In one embodiment the fastening element and the support means may be arranged horizontally or vertically to one another.

The suspension device may in one embodiment comprise first and second fastening elements and first and second support means, in which case the first and second fastening elements will be arranged diagonally to one another in respective fitting directions and the first and second support means will be arranged diagonally in respective fitting directions. This arrangement of the respective fastening elements and support means results in a stable suspension device whereby respective fastening elements are secured to respective fastening means when the locking means are activated.

If the suspension device is for example prefitted on the first unit, it may be fitted from one direction and be subsequently removed from the opposite side, e.g. during service or repair work.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below by way of examples with reference to the attached drawings, in which

FIG. 1 depicts a vehicle with a silencer fitted to one side of a truck's two load-bearing longitudinal frame side-members, FIG. 2 depicts a view from the side of a silencer unit fitted to one of the truck's two load-bearing longitudinal frame side-members by means of the suspension device according to the invention,

FIG. 3 depicts a view from the side of the suspension device according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT EXAMPLES

The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, in which the same reference notations have been used throughout for items which have the same or similar functions.

Fig. 1 depicts a vehicle 100 with a frame which may take the form of two elongate parallel side-members connected to one another by a number of cross-members. A silencer 2 is fitted to the side of the side-member 1 .

The vehicle exemplified is a heavy vehicle in the form of a truck. It may alternatively be any suitable vehicle such as a bus or a car.

Fig. 2 depicts from the side a second unit 2, .e.g. in the form of a silencer, fitted to a first unit 1 , e.g. a frame side-member, on a truck (not depicted in this drawing).

Fitting has been effected by means of the suspension device 3 according to the invention which comprises a main portion provided with a first fastening element 4, a first support means 5 (depicted in Fig. 3), a second fastening element 8 and a second support means 9. The first fastening element 4 and the first support means 5 are situated at a distance from one another in the longitudinal direction. Similarly, the second fastening element 8 and the second support means 9 are situated at a distance from another in the longitudinal direction. The respective fastening elements 4, 8 and support means 5, 9 being situated at a distance from one another in the longitudinal direction means that at any given distance from one another, e.g. 20 cm, they will be mutually in line and may be arranged horizontally or vertically relative to one another. Moreover, the respective fastening elements 4, 8 and support means 5, 9 may also be oriented relative to one another, e.g. by the support means 5, 9 being at a higher location than the fastening elements 4, 8 or by the support means 5, 9 being at a lower location than the fastening elements 4, 8.

The fastening elements 4, 8 with their respective support means 5, 9 are each intended to cooperate with respective locking means 6, 10. The description below refers to first and second fastening elements 4, 8, first and second support means 5, 9 and first and second locking means 6, 10, but the invention may also relate to more than two sets of these parts. There might for example be four fastening elements, two of them on the upper side and two on the lower side of the suspension device 3. In this example, each pair of fastening elements might coordinate with respective support means and might each cooperate with respective locking means.

Fitting involves the first fastening element 4, which in Fig. 2 is on the upper side of the main portion 3, being hooked firmly to a first fastening means 7 which is attached to a first unit 1 , e.g. a frame side-member. The first fastening element 4 is provided with an inner surface 3a (depicted in Fig. 3) which, when the first locking means 6 is activated, moves in the direction of the arrow A towards a first fastening means 7 attached to the first unit 1 . The first support means 5 will be fastened in the first locking means 6. In one embodiment the first support means 5 is provided with a threaded recess intended to accommodate the first locking means 6. The first support means 5 will thus preferably be screwed firmly to the first locking means 6 by means of a nut or the like. Thereafter the second fastening element 8, which in this example is attached to the lower side of the main portion 3, will be fastened in a second fastening means 1 1 which is attached to the second unit 2, e.g. a silencer. The second fastening element 8 is provided with an inner surface 3c (depicted in Fig. 3) which, when the second locking means 10 is activated, moves in the direction of the arrow B towards the second fastening means 1 1 attached to the second unit 2. The second support means 9 will be fastened in the second locking means 10. In one embodiment the second support means 9 is provided with a threaded recess intended to

accommodate the second locking means 10. The second support means 9 will thus preferably be screwed firmly to the second locking means 10 by means of a nut or the like.

Activating the locking means 6, 10 secures the fastening elements 4, 8 to the respective fastening means 7, 1 1 . The fact that the respective fastening elements and support means 4, 5 and 8, 9 cooperate in pairs thus results in stability in all directions.

In a preferred embodiment the first fastening element 4 attached to the upper side of the suspension device 3, and the second fastening element 8 attached to the lower side of the suspension device 3, are arranged diagonally to one another. The first support means 5 and the second support means 9 are attached in the same way, i.e. diagonally to one another. This arrangement of the respective fastening elements 4, 8 and support means 5, 9 means that when the support means 5, 9 are secured to the respective locking means 6, 10 the result is stability in all directions.

The first and second fastening elements 4, 8 are provided in one embodiment with at least one U-shaped female cavity which is open on one side in the fitting direction, and each fastening element 4, 8 has an inner surface 3a, 3c which will be secured to the fastening means 7, 1 1 . The fastening elements 4, 8 are so attached to the suspension device 3 that their respective apertures face in mutually opposite directions. These apertures are preferably provided with a broad opening which then narrows, but other embodiments are also possible. Each of the fastening means 7, 1 1 may for example be a pin, screw, bolt, hook or other suitable device attached respectively to the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 and intended to have the first and second fastening elements 4, 8 of the suspension device 3 hooked on them. The support means 5, 9 are preferably screwed firmly in the respective locking means 6, 10 by nuts or the like. The first locking means 6 is fitted on the first unit 1 and the second locking means 1 0 is fitted on the second unit 2. In one embodiment the support means 5, 9 are bent to a right angle to the suspension device 3 (depicted as 3b and 3d in Fig. 3), but other embodiments are also possible.

Fitting may for example involve the suspension device 3 being prefitted on the second unit 2 by means of the second fastening element 8 and the second support means 9. The second fastening element 8 will be hooked on the second fastening means 1 1 , followed by the second fastening means 9 being fastened in the second locking means 10, e.g. by being screwed firmly in by a nut. When the second locking means 10 is activated, the inner surface 3c will move towards the second fastening means 1 1 .

The suspension device carrying the prefitted second unit 2 will then be fitted on the first unit 1 by the first fastening element 4 being hooked on the first fastening means 7 and by the first support means 5 being secured in the first locking means 6, e.g. by being screwed firmly in by a nut. When the first locking means 6 is activated, the inner surface 3a will move towards the first fastening means 7.

The opposite is of course also feasible, i.e. the suspension device 3 may be prefitted on the first unit 1 , followed by the second unit 2 being fitted on the suspension device 3 which has been prefitted on the first unit 1 .

Removal of the second unit 2 may be effected from the opposite side by releasing the second support means 9 from the second locking means 10 and then unhooking the second fastening element 8 from the second fastening means 1 1 . The invention is of course in no way confined to the embodiments described above, since numerous possibilities for modifications of them are likely to be obvious to one skilled in the art without having to deviate from the invention's basic concept such as defined in the attached claims.