Hybrid suspension arm
A hybrid lower arm and a hybrid upper arm include an arm body made of a metal material, and an insert injection-molded integrally with the arm body so that the insert is inserted into an inside of the arm body. The arm body has a weight ratio of 50% or more and 90% or less with respect to the total weight of the hybrid lower arm or the hybrid upper arm, thus achieving the rigidity increase as well as the weight reduction in the lower arm and the upper arm of a suspension system.
1. A hybrid upper arm, comprising:
an upper arm body made of a metal material, the upper wall including:
an upper wall, and
two side walls extending downward from the upper wall; and
wherein the upper arm body has a weight ratio of 50% or more and 90% or less with respect to a total weight of the hybrid upper arm; and
an insert injection-molded integrally with the upper arm body so that the insert is inserted into an inside of the upper arm body,
wherein the insert is made of a plastic material and supports the upper arm body,
wherein the insert includes:
an upper wall and two side walls extending downward from the upper wall of the insert,
a reinforcement rib that is disposed in a space surrounded by the upper wall and the side walls corresponding to the insert and supports the upper wall and the side walls corresponding to the insert, the reinforcement rib including:
a first portion having a constant vertical length, and
a second portion that is disposed between the first portion and the side walls of the insert and has a vertical length gradually increasing from the first portion toward the side walls of the insert,
wherein both ends of the reinforcement rib are coupled to the side walls corresponding to the insert respectively and connect the side walls of the insert to each other,
wherein a vertical length of the reinforcement rib is less than vertical lengths of the side walls corresponding to the insert, and
wherein the upper wall and the side walls corresponding to the insert are coupled to the upper wall and the side walls corresponding to the upper arm body respectively.
2. The hybrid upper arm of claim 1 , wherein a coupling flange is formed in the upper arm body so as to be bent inward in a width direction of the upper arm body, and
wherein the coupling flange is inserted into and coupled to the insert.
3. The hybrid upper arm of claim 1 , wherein the upper arm body includes two leg portions and a joint portion integrally connecting the two leg portions,
wherein a bush pipe is coupled to a leading end portion of each of the two leg portions by welding,
wherein a ball joint pipe is coupled to a leading end portion of the joint portion by welding,
wherein bushes are force-fitted into and coupled to the bush pipes respectively, and
wherein a ball joint is force-fitted into and coupled to the ball joint pipe.
4. The hybrid upper arm of claim 3 , wherein the ball joint pipe is located in a central portion between the bush pipes,
wherein the bush pipes are disposed to be opened in a horizontal direction, and
wherein the ball joint pipe is disposed to be opened in a vertical direction.
5. The hybrid upper arm of claim 1 , wherein at least one hole is formed through the upper arm body, and
wherein at least one coupling protrusion is formed in the insert, the at least one coupling protrusion being inserted into and filling in the hole and being enlarged up to a peripheral edge of the hole.
6. The hybrid upper arm of claim 5 , wherein the upper arm body includes two leg portions and a joint portion integrally connecting the two leg portions,
wherein the insert includes two leg portions and a joint portion integrally connecting the two leg portions,
wherein the at least one hole includes at least one small-diameter hole disposed in each of the two leg portions at predetermined spacings along a longitudinal direction, and
wherein the at least one coupling protrusion is inserted into and fills in the at least one small-diameter hole and is formed in a size radially enlarged up to a peripheral edge of the at least one small-diameter hole.
7. The hybrid upper arm of claim 6 , wherein the at least one small-diameter hole includes two or more small-diameter holes disposed adjacent to each other,
wherein at least one middle-diameter hole having a diameter relatively larger than that of the small-diameter hole is formed between the two or more small-diameter holes, and
wherein a portion of the insert is inserted into the middle-diameter hole such that a middle-diameter coupling rim radially enlarged up to a peripheral edge of the middle-diameter hole is formed in the insert.
8. The hybrid upper arm of claim 7 , wherein the at least one hole includes a large-diameter hole formed in the joint portion of the upper arm body, and
wherein a portion of the insert is inserted into the large-diameter hole such that a large-diameter coupling rim radially enlarged up to a peripheral edge of the large-diameter hole is formed in the insert.
9. The hybrid upper arm of claim 1 , wherein at least one reinforcement rib having a lattice-patterned shape is protrudingly formed integrally with the insert.