Vehicle knuckle
The objective of the present invention is to improve the rigidity of a vehicle knuckle made from an aluminum alloy with respect to a force directed from the outside to the inside in the width direction of a vehicle. A vehicle knuckle ( 11 ) is provided with a bearing support portion ( 111 ), a knuckle upper portion ( 113 ) and a knuckle lower portion ( 112 ). With the vehicle knuckle ( 11 ) in a position fitted to a vehicle main body, the knuckle upper portion ( 113 ) has a shape in which, if the knuckle upper portion ( 113 ) is divided equally into five or more regions in a vertical direction, and the center of the bearing support portion ( 111 ) is fixed and a horizontal load F is applied to a knuckle upper end portion ( 115 ) from the outside toward the inside in the width direction of the vehicle, the minimum value of a value obtained by dividing the strain energy in each of the five or more regions other than a first region ( 11 A) by the mass of the corresponding region is at least equal to 0.70 times the maximum value thereof.
1. A vehicle knuckle made of an aluminum alloy, comprising:
a bearing support portion configured to support a bearing portion forming a rotational axis of a wheel;
a knuckle upper portion extending upward from the bearing support portion, the knuckle upper portion having a knuckle upper end portion; and
a knuckle lower portion extending downward from the bearing support portion and connected to a lower arm,
wherein in a position where the vehicle knuckle is fitted to a vehicle main body, the knuckle upper portion has a shape in which, when the knuckle upper portion is equally divided into five or more regions along a vertical direction and a horizontal load directed from an outside to an inside in a width direction of a vehicle is applied to the knuckle upper end portion while fixing a center of the bearing support portion, a minimum value among values obtained by dividing a strain energy in each of other regions of the five or more regions, except for a region including the knuckle upper end portion and located at an uppermost position, by a mass of the corresponding region is at least equal to 0.70 times a maximum value thereamong.
2. The vehicle knuckle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the vehicle knuckle is formed by hot forging using an aluminum alloy material.
3. The vehicle knuckle according to claim 2 ,
wherein a 0.2% proof stress of the vehicle knuckle in a tensile test is 350 MPa or more.