IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,463,676
Granted Patent B2
US 9,463,676 · App. 14/702,958 · Granted Oct 11, 2016

Suspension and compression coil spring for suspension

Inventors: Kenji Yamamotoya (Manesar, IN); Hideto Enomoto (Yokohama, JP); Ken Takahashi (Yokohama, JP); Toshiaki Sato (Yokohama, JP); Mitsuhiro Sugiyama (Yokohama, JP); Yoshio Kobayashi (Yokohama, JP); Taichi Inage (Yokohama, JP); Tomotake Kato (Yokohama, JP); Akihiko Nishikawa (Wolfsburg, DE); Masahiro Umezawa (Yokohama, JP); Michihiko Ayada (Yokohama, JP); Suguru Kajigaya (Yokohama, JP)
Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
B60G3/14B60G11/14B60G21/051F16F1/043B60G2200/132B60G2200/21B60G2202/12B60G2204/1246B60G2206/426F16F2238/026
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,463,676
App. No.
14/702,958
Granted
Oct 11, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A knee-action-type suspension is provided with an arm member, a compression coil spring, and a shock absorber. The coil spring is extended and retracted between a full-rebound state and a full-bump state in accordance with the magnitude of a load applied to a vehicle body. A wire of the coil spring includes a large-diameter wire portion, a small-diameter wire portion, and a wire diameter varying portion. The large-diameter wire portion is provided in a first portion of the coil spring, which is on the side near to a pivot. The small-diameter wire portion is provided in a second portion of the coil spring, which is on the side far from the pivot. A wire diameter of the large-diameter wire portion is greater than a wire diameter of the small-diameter wire portion.

Claims (19)

1. A knee-action-type suspension comprising:

an arm member which is pivotable in upward and downward directions about a pivot supported on a vehicle body;

a lower spring seat which is provided on the arm member;

an upper spring seat which is disposed above the lower spring seat; and

a compression coil spring which is arranged between the lower spring seat and the upper spring seat, and urges the arm member downward in a compressed state,

a wire of the compression coil spring comprising:

a large-diameter wire portion which is arranged on a side near to the pivot, and has a wire diameter which is greater than an average wire diameter of the wire;

a small-diameter wire portion which is arranged on a side far from the pivot, and has a wire diameter which is smaller than the wire diameter of the large-diameter wire portion; and

a wire diameter varying portion whose wire diameter is continuously varied between the large-diameter wire portion and the small-diameter wire portion.

2. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein:

the arm member is a trailing arm extending in a front-rear direction of the vehicle body;

the pivot is provided in a front end of the trailing arm; and

in the wire, the large-diameter wire portion is provided on the side near to the pivot, and the small-diameter wire portion is provided on the side far from the pivot.

3. The suspension of claim 2 , wherein the lower spring seat comprises a first spring receiving portion which is on the side near to the pivot, and a second spring receiving portion which is on the side far from the pivot, and wherein

in a full-rebound state of the compression coil spring, a distance between the first spring receiving portion and the upper spring seat is smaller than a distance between the second spring receiving portion and the upper spring seat; and

in a full-bump state of the compression coil spring, a distance between the first spring receiving portion and the upper spring seat is greater than a distance between the second spring receiving portion and the upper spring seat.

4. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein the lower spring seat comprises a first spring receiving portion which is on the side near to the pivot, and a second spring receiving portion which is on the side far from the pivot, and wherein

in a full-rebound state of the compression coil spring, a distance between the first spring receiving portion and the upper spring seat is smaller than a distance between the second spring receiving portion and the upper spring seat; and

in a full-bump state of the compression coil spring, a distance between the first spring receiving portion and the upper spring seat is greater than a distance between the second spring receiving portion and the upper spring seat.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 4, 2015
From: YAMAMOTOYA, KENJI; ENOMOTO, HIDETO; TAKAHASHI, KEN; SATO, TOSHIAKI; SUGIYAMA, MITSUHIRO; KOBAYASHI, YOSHIO; INAGE, TAICHI; KATO, TOMOTAKE; NISHIKAWA, AKIHIKO; UMEZAWA, MASAHIRO; AYADA, MICHIHIKO; KAJIGAYA, SUGURU
To: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 035555/0363 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2012-252520 · Nov 16, 2012 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2013080811 · Nov 14, 2013
Related Publication 20150231939A1 · Aug 20, 2015