U.S. patent application number 13/438454 was filed with the patent office on 2012-09-20 for wheel assembly.
This patent application is currently assigned to AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL IP HOLDINGS, LLC. Invention is credited to Dan S. Ursu.
Application Number | 20120235374 13/438454 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40522604 |
Filed Date | 2012-09-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120235374 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ursu; Dan S. |
September 20, 2012 |
Wheel Assembly
Abstract
A wheel assembly for a vehicle includes a knuckle having an
upper end and a lower end. A bracket is mounted to one of the upper
end and the lower end of the knuckle by a plurality of fasteners. A
ball joint is mounted to the bracket and configured for attaching
the wheel assembly to the vehicle. One of the knuckle and the
bracket defines a boss and the other defines a bore. The boss is
slideably disposed within the bore in slip fit engagement. The boss
transfers a load between the knuckle and the bracket in both a
vertical direction along a king pin axis and a horizontal direction
along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
Inventors: |
Ursu; Dan S.; (Windsor,
CA) |
Assignee: |
AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL IP HOLDINGS,
LLC
Troy
MI
|
Family ID: |
40522604 |
Appl. No.: |
13/438454 |
Filed: |
April 3, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12967575 |
Dec 14, 2010 |
8146931 |
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13438454 |
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12239174 |
Sep 26, 2008 |
7850179 |
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12967575 |
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60977959 |
Oct 5, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
280/93.512 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B62D 7/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
280/93.512 |
International
Class: |
B62D 7/18 20060101
B62D007/18 |
Claims
1. A wheel assembly for a vehicle, said assembly comprising: a
knuckle having an upper end and a lower end spaced from said upper
end; a bracket mounted to one of said upper end and said lower end
of said knuckle and defining an aperture for receiving a ball stud
within said aperture; and one of said knuckle and said bracket
defining a boss and another of said knuckle and said bracket
defining a bore with said boss in slip fit engagement within said
bore to transfer a load between said knuckle and said bracket both
vertically and horizontally with respect to a longitudinal axis of
the vehicle.
2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bore includes a
cross section defining a shape and wherein said boss includes a
cross section defining a shape complimentary to said cross
sectional shape of said bore for mating with said cross sectional
shape of said bore.
3. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said cross sectional
shape of said bore and said cross sectional shape of said boss
include a circular cross sectional shape.
4. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said boss includes a
diameter and said bore includes a diameter between the range of 40
microns and 120 microns larger than said diameter of said boss.
5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said diameter of
said boss is at least 20 mm.
6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said diameter of
said boss is at least 25 mm.
7. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bracket
includes a body with said boss extending from said body along a
central axis.
8. (canceled)
9. (canceled)
10. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said body and said
boss are integrally formed.
11. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said knuckle
defines said bore.
12. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said boss extends
from said body of said bracket a boss length and said bore extends
into said knuckle a bore distance with said bore distance greater
than said boss length.
13. An assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein said boss length
is at least 15 mm.
14. An assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said boss length
is at least 19 mm.
15. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bracket
defines a plurality of fastener apertures extending generally
perpendicular to said knuckle.
16. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 further comprising a
plurality of fasteners with each of said plurality of fasteners
slideably disposed within one of said plurality of fastener
apertures and in threaded engagement with said knuckle.
17. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said knuckle is
manufactured from aluminum.
18. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bracket
includes an upper bracket mounted to said upper end of said knuckle
and a lower bracket mounted to said lower end of said knuckle.
19. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a wheel
hub rotatably mounted to said knuckle.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 12/967,575 filed Dec. 14, 2010, now
U.S. Pat. No. ______, which is a continuation of U.S.
Non-Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 12/239,174 filed Sep.
26, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,850,179, which claims the benefit of
U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/977,959 filed Oct.
5, 2007, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The subject invention generally relates to a wheel assembly
for a vehicle.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] Wheel assemblies generally include a knuckle. A wheel hub is
rotatably supported by the knuckle. The knuckle is coupled to the
vehicle by an upper ball joint and a lower ball joint. The upper
ball joint and the lower ball joint are concentric with and aligned
along a king pin axis. The upper ball joint and the lower ball
joint may be mounted to an upper bracket and a lower bracket
respectively, with the upper bracket and the lower bracket mounted
to the knuckle by a plurality of fasteners, such as by bolts.
Accordingly, the fasteners provide a clamping force to mount the
brackets to the knuckle. Additionally, the fasteners transfer a
load, i.e., a force, between the knuckle and the upper bracket and
the lower bracket. This load is considerable when the wheel
assembly is utilized in heavy duty vehicles, such as in commercial
off-road use and in military applications.
[0006] The knuckle, the upper bracket and the lower bracket are
typically manufactured from steel in order to adequately transfer
the load between the knuckle and the upper and lower brackets to
the fasteners connecting the upper and lower brackets to the
knuckle. Having the knuckle, the upper bracket and the lower
bracket manufactured from steel increases the weight of the wheel
assembly, which increases the overall weight of the vehicle and
thereby negatively affects fuel efficiency of the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES
[0007] The subject invention provides a wheel assembly for a
vehicle. The wheel assembly comprises a knuckle. The knuckle
includes an upper end and a lower end spaced from the upper end
along a king pin axis. A bracket is mounted to one of the upper end
and the lower end of the knuckle. The bracket defines a king pin
aperture concentric with the king pin axis. The king pin aperture
receives a ball stud within the king pin aperture. One of the
knuckle and the bracket defines a boss and another of the knuckle
and the bracket defines a bore. The boss is in slip fit engagement
within the bore. The boss transfers a load between the knuckle and
the bracket vertically along the king pin axis and horizontally
along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The longitudinal axis of
the vehicle is generally transverse to the king pin axis.
[0008] Accordingly, the wheel assembly of the subject invention
utilizes the boss to transfer the load, i.e., a force between the
knuckle and the bracket. The use of the boss to transfer the load
between the knuckle and the bracket permits the knuckle to be
manufactured from a lightweight material, such as aluminum, thereby
reducing the weight of the wheel assembly. Furthermore, the boss
reduces the load transferred between the knuckle and the bracket by
a plurality of fasteners interconnecting the knuckle and the
bracket, which improves a clamping force applied by the fasteners
to the knuckle and the bracket.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Other advantages of the present invention will be readily
appreciated, as the same becomes better understood by reference to
the following detailed description when considered in connection
with the accompanying drawings wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wheel assembly;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the wheel assembly;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a rear plan view of the wheel assembly;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a bracket of the wheel
assembly;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the bracket along cut
line 5-5 shown in FIG. 4;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the bracket; and
[0016] FIG. 7 is a front plan view of the bracket.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate
corresponding parts throughout the several views, a wheel assembly
is shown generally at 20. The wheel assembly 20 is for a vehicle
and rotatably supports a wheel hub 22. A wheel (not shown) is
mounted to the wheel hub 22, and a tire (not shown) is mounted to
the wheel as is well known. It should be appreciated that the wheel
hub 22 may include any suitable hub assembly, and specifically may
include an electric drive hub assembly, a gear reduction hub
assembly, or some other hub assembly particularly suited for heavy
duty vehicles and/or off-highway applications. It should also be
appreciated that the scope of the claims are not limited by the
type and configuration of the wheel hub 22.
[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1 through 2, the wheel assembly 20
includes a knuckle 24. The wheel hub 22 is rotatably mounted to the
knuckle 24. The knuckle 24 includes an upper end 26 and a lower end
28. The lower end 28 of the knuckle 24 is vertically spaced from
the upper end 26 of the knuckle 24 along a king pin axis 30.
[0019] A bracket 32 is mounted to one of the upper end 26 and the
lower end 28 of the knuckle 24. Preferably, the bracket 32 includes
an upper bracket 32A mounted to the upper end 26 of the knuckle 24
and a lower bracket 32B mounted to the lower end 28 of the knuckle
24. It should be appreciated that throughout the detailed
description of the subject invention, reference to "the bracket 32"
describes both the upper bracket 32A and the lower bracket 32B
unless otherwise noted. However, within the scope of the claims,
the recited term "the bracket 32" refers to either the upper
bracket 32A or the lower bracket 32B and should not be limited to
require both the upper bracket 32A and the lower bracket 32B unless
specifically recited.
[0020] Referring Also to FIGS. 4 through 7, the bracket 32 defines
a plurality of fastener apertures 34. The fastener apertures 34
extend transverse to the king pin axis 30 and are generally
perpendicular to the knuckle 24. The wheel assembly 20 further
includes a plurality of fasteners 36. Each of the plurality of
fasteners 36 is slideably disposed within one of the plurality of
fastener apertures 34. Each of the fasteners 36 is in threaded
engagement with one of the knuckle 24 and the bracket 32. As shown,
the fasteners 36 are in threaded engagement with the knuckle 24.
The fasteners 36 provide a clamping force to bias the knuckle 24
and the bracket 32 together.
[0021] The bracket 32 includes a body 38. The body 38 of the
bracket 32 defines a king pin aperture 40. As best shown in FIG. 2,
the king pin aperture 40 receives a ball stud 42 of a ball joint
therein. The ball joint couples the wheel assembly 20 to the
vehicle as is well known in the art. Preferably, and as shown, the
wheel assembly 20 includes an upper ball stud 42A mounted to the
upper bracket 32A and a lower ball stud 42B mounted to the lower
bracket 32B.
[0022] One of the knuckle 24 and the bracket 32 defines a boss 44.
Another of the knuckle 24 and the bracket 32 defines a bore 46.
Preferably, and as best shown in FIG. 2, the bracket 32 includes
the boss 44 and the knuckle 24 defines the bore 46. As shown, the
boss 44 extends from the body 38 of the bracket 32 along a central
axis 48. Preferably, the body 38 and the boss 44 are integrally
formed. However, it should be appreciated that the boss 44 may be a
separate piece from both the knuckle 24 and the bracket 32 and
fixedly mounted to one of the knuckle 24 and the bracket 32.
[0023] The boss 44 is disposed within the bore 46 in slip fit
engagement within the bore 46. Accordingly, the bore 46 includes a
cross section defining a shape. The boss 44 also includes a cross
section defining a shape complimentary to the cross sectional shape
of the bore 46. The cross sectional shape of the boss 44 mates with
the cross sectional shape of the bore 46 in a tight lash free
engagement so as to permit load transfer therebetween in all
directions radially about the central axis 48.
[0024] Preferably, and as shown, the cross sectional shape of the
bore 46 and the cross sectional shape of the boss 44 include a
circular cross sectional shape. The boss 44 includes a boss
diameter 50 and the bore 46 includes a bore diameter 52. The bore
diameter 52 is between the range of 40 microns and 120 microns
larger than the boss diameter 50. Preferably, the diameter of the
boss 44 is at least 20 mm. Even more preferably, the diameter of
the boss 44 is at least 25 mm. While the boss 44 and the bore 46
are both shown as having a circular cross sectional shape, it
should be appreciated that the cross sectional shape of the boss 44
and the cross sectional shape of the bore 46 may include shapes
other than circular, such as a square cross sectional shape, a
hexagonal cross sectional shape, etc.
[0025] The boss 44 extends from the knuckle 24 or the body 38 of
the bracket 32 a boss length 54. The bore 46 extends into the
knuckle 24 or the body 38 of the bracket 32 a bore distance 56. The
bore distance 56 is greater than the boss length 54. Accordingly,
an end of the boss 44 does not contact an end of the bore 46 so
that any debris caught within the bore 46 does not interfere with
the boss 44. As shown, the knuckle 24 defines the bore 46 and the
bore distance 56 and the bracket 32 includes the boss 44, which
defines the boss length 54. Preferably, the boss length 54 is at
least 15 mm. Even more preferably, the boss length 54 is at least
19 mm.
[0026] As described above, the boss 44 extends from the body 38
along the central axis 48. The central axis 48 intersects the king
pin axis 30 with the boss 44 concentric with the central axis 48.
Preferably, the central axis 48 intersects the king pin axis 30 at
a non-perpendicular angle 58 relative to the body 38 as shown in
FIG. 5. The angled intersection between the central axis 48 and the
king pin axis 30 allows the central axis 48, and therewith the boss
44, to extend in a generally horizontal direction with the king pin
axis 30 angled away from vertical to provide a proper ride
alignment for the vehicle as is well known in the art.
[0027] Preferably, the knuckle 24 is manufactured from aluminum to
reduce the weight of the wheel assembly 20, with the bracket 32
being manufactured from steel to provide sufficient strength.
However, it should be appreciated that the knuckle 24 may be
manufactured from a material other than aluminum, such as steel;
and the bracket 32 may be manufactured from a material other than
steel, such as cast iron.
[0028] The boss 44 transfers a load between the knuckle 24 and the
bracket 32 vertically along the king pin axis 30 and horizontally
along a longitudinal axis 60 of the vehicle. The longitudinal axis
60 is generally transverse to the king pin axis 30 and extends
between a front of the vehicle and a rear of the vehicle.
[0029] The vehicle includes multiple wheel assemblies 20, which
transfer the weight of the vehicle, i.e., the load, to a surface,
and likewise transfer a reactionary load from the surface to the
vehicle. The tight lash-free fit between the boss 44 and the bore
46 transfer the load between the knuckle 24 and the bracket 32.
Because the boss 44 and the bore 46 include the complimentary cross
sectional shapes, the boss 44 is capable of transferring the load
between the knuckle 24 and the bracket 32 in any direction
extending radially outward from the central axis 48.
[0030] It should be appreciated that the magnitude of the load that
may be transferred is dependent upon the shear strength of the boss
44. The shear strength of the boss 44 is dependent upon, among
other factors, a material strength of the boss 44 and the cross
sectional area of the boss 44 perpendicular to the central axis 48.
By increasing the cross sectional area of the boss 44, the shear
strength of the boss 44 increases. The boss 44 therefore increases
the shear strength between the knuckle 24 and the bracket 32 beyond
that provided by the fasteners 36 connecting the bracket 32 to the
knuckle 24. Accordingly, if so desired, the boss 44 may be designed
to transfer the entire load and the fasteners 36 may be sized to
merely provide the necessary clamping force. Additionally, the boss
44 may be sized to permit use of different materials having
different material strengths.
[0031] The invention has been described in an illustrative manner,
and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used
is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than
of limitation. As is now apparent to those skilled in the art, many
modifications and variations of the present invention are possible
in light of the above teachings. The use of the word "said" in the
apparatus claims refers to an antecedent that is a positive
recitation meant to be included in the coverage of the claims
whereas the word "the" precedes a word not meant to be included in
the coverage of the claims. In addition, the reference numerals in
the claims are merely for convenience and are not to be read in any
way as limiting. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the
scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced
otherwise than as specifically described.
* * * * *