(19) & (11) EP 2 255 981 A1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION published in accordance with Art. 153(4) EPC (43) Date of publication: (51) Int Cl.: 01.12.2010 Bulletin 2010/48 B60G 21/045 (2006.01) B60G 11/18 (2006.01) (21) Application number: 09712575.1 (86) International application number: PCT/CN2009/070494 (22) Date of filing: 20.02.2009 (87) International publication number: WO 2009/103241 (27.08.2009 Gazette 2009/35) (84) Designated Contracting States: (72) Inventors: AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR • LI, Xin HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL Shizuishan PT RO SE SI SK TR Ningxia 753000 (CN) Designated Extension States: • LI, Zhidong AL BA RS Shizuishan Ningxia 753000 (CN) (30) Priority: 23.02.2008 CN 200810074135 (74) Representative: Ferreccio, Rinaldo (71) Applicant: Li, Zhidong Botti & Ferrari S.r.l. Shizuishan, Ningxia 753000CN (CN) Via Cappellini, 11 20124 Milano (IT) (54) TORSION BAR VEHICLE SUSPENSION DEVICE (57) A vehicular torsion bar suspension device, the front and rear torsion bar springs on the same side, which comprises a front torsion bar spring and a rear so that a linkage relationship is established between the torsion bar spring respectively installed at front and rear front and rear torsion bar springs. The device improves suspensions of the vehicle. The opposite ends of the front the vibration situation of the vehicle when driving the ve- and rear torsion bar springs on the same side are con- hicle on an uneven ground, and prevents the vehicle nected mutually by a connection mechanism, and are frame and vehicle body skeleton from suffering torsional connected with a vehicle frame through a positioning de- force. As a result, the usage life of the vehicle is pro- vice. The connection mechanism is mounted between longed. EP 2 255 981 A1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) 1 EP 2 255 981 A1 2 Description and etc., so as to fix one end to the vehicle frame and the other end to the wheels through the control arm. The Background of the Present Invention torsion bar is made of alloy spring steel, which has very good elasticity and is subject to distortion and restoring; Field of Invention 5 actually, it plays the same role as the spiral spring but with different form. When the vehicle is running, the [0001] The present invention pertains to a vehicle sus- wheels will jolt up and down due to the uneven road, and pension device, especially, a vehicular torsion bar sus- the control arm will also move up and down accordingly. pension device. When the wheels jolts up, the control arm moves up, so 10 that the torsion bar is forced to distort and meanwhile Description of Related Arts absorb the shock energy. When the shock force gets less, the natural restoring capability of the bar is able to [0002] Nowadays, there are two types of suspension restore rapidly to its original position, and in turn makes system. One is neon- independent suspension; the other wheels back to oar the ground, preventing the vehicle is independent suspension. The axle of the independent 15 from bumping. suspension is divided into two sections. Each wheel is [0004] Because the torsion bar spring bears only independently mounted through a spiral spring under the sheering force, a coil spring with the same weight can vehicle frame; as a result, when bumping happens to one absorb more than double energy of a leaf plate with the wheel, the other wheel will not be affected, and thereby same weight. The torsion bar spring is applied in auto- the vibrations of the vehicle body will be reduced drasti- 20 mobiles in two ways; one is the longitudinal device and cally and accordingly improve the comfortability effec- the other is the transverse device, the latter being used tively; especially, when driving in a highway, the running more often. In the longitudinal device, the torsion bar is stability will be increase as well. However, this type of used to substitute for the leaf spring and coil spring, which suspension structurehas complicated structure, little car- take up more rooms; for example, in the front suspension rying ability; and correspondingly, it makes the drive sys- 25 of vehicle type, Toyota Hiace, Zace, Surf, the torsion bar tem and steering system of the vehicle get more compli- spring is used to match the A aren type of suspension cated. Thus, current sedans have adopted the independ- system. The torsion bar of a transverse device is used ent suspension system and have become a development to balance the acted force of the left and right wheels and trend. as a balancing bar of anti-tilting, with the exception of [0003] The independent suspension has varieties of 30 fewer vehicle types that use the torsion bar to substitute structures, such as sliding pillar type, MacPherson type, for the coil spring. link type and etc. There are three types of metallic springs [0005] In current auto suspension devices, the torsion among these independent suspensions; they are spiral bar spring is usually installed on the front suspension spring, leaf spring and torsion bar spring. The spiral device of an automobile. Its front and rear elastic com- spring got the name from its spiral line, and has advan- 35 ponents are independent of each other in between, with- tages of light weight and small volume; when the shock out any influence and connection. Even if the vibration force resulting from the road surface acts on the wheels, direction of the front and rear wheels of the automobile the spiral spring will be distorted and absorb the kinetic is opposite, the impact the automobile gets will not be energy of the wheels and convert it into the potential en- increased and the body will move in the manner that the ergy of the spiral spring; accordingly the impact of the 40 front body goes up and the rear body goes down; more- shock from road surface on the vehicle body will be de- over, when four wheels are not in a same surface or a creased.The middlepart ofthe leaf springis fixed through pair of diagonal wheels bears a bigger force, the body a U-shape bolt to the axle; the spring eyes at two ends and frame will get a certain amount of torque force; there- are hinged to the bracket of the vehicle frame through a fore, the current suspension structure still have the fol- peg; in this way, the axle and vehicle body are connected 45 lowing pitfalls, e.g., elastic components are likely subject through the leaf spring; as a result, when the shock force to be broken, the body and frame is likely subject to be resulting from the road surface acts on wheels, the leaf distorted, and so on. In addition, articles carried in vehi- plate will be distorted and therefore bring the effect of cles might be damaged and the passengers will feel un- buffering and shock absorption. The torsion bar spring comfortable. has one end fixedly connected with the vehicle frame and 50 the other end connected with the control arm of the sus- Summary of the Present Invention pension in order to fulfill the shock absorption by virtue of the torsion distortion of the torsion bar. Seen from the [0006] The object of the present invention is to furnish transverse section, the torsion bar spring has the circular a vehicular torsion bar suspension device that has better type, tubular type, rectangular type, stacked type, com- 55 integral elasticity performance with the torsion bar spring bined type and etc. The circular torsion bar is applied the of the front and rear suspension, and obvious shock ab- most. It takes on the shape of a rod, with two ends being sorption effect, thereby to overcome the pitfalls of the able to be processed into the shape of spline, hexagon current technology,. 2 3 EP 2 255 981 A1 4 [0007] According to the present invention, the vehicu- side of the vehicle, specifically, owing to the gears pro- lar torsion bar suspension device comprises a front tor- vided at the ends of the two torsion bar springs, the link- sion bar spring mounted on the front suspension of a age relationship can be established between the front vehicle, and a rear torsion bar spring mounted on the and rear torsion bar spring on the same side, and as a rear suspension of the vehicle; the opposite end of the 5 result, improves the vibration effectively of a running ve- front and the rear torsion bar spring mounted on the same hicle on uneven roads. If the front wheels are given an side of the vehicle is connected with each other through upward force, the control arm of the suspension connect- a connection mechanism, and connected with the vehicle ed with the front wheels will transmit the force to the front frame through a positioning device. torsion bar spring; at the moment, the front torsion bar [0008] Said connection mechanism is a group of gears 10 spring will be distorted, and bring along the rear torsion installed respectively at the opposite ends of the front bar spring to be twisted and distorted as well through the and the rear torsion bar spring. The gears of the front gear installed at its end and engaged with the end of the and rear torsion bar spring on the same side of the vehicle rear torsion bar spring, the rear torsion bar spring having are engaged with each other.