Daimler-Benz Ag

Mercedes-Benz Aktiengesellschaft

Harald Schwer

Hubert Bruehl

Hubert Bruhl

Joachim Bortz

Martin Mayerhofer

A subframe for motor vehicles, in particular for the front axles of passenger cars, which includes side parts running in the longitudinal vehicle direction that are joined by upper and lower cross elements running in the transverse vehicle direction to form a box profiled section, which is deformable in the longitudinal direction in response to longitudinal forces produced by a collision, and which is able to be used as an assembly unit.

Subframe for motor vehicles

An axial mounting of a rack-and-pinion steering system takes transverse forces and, at the same time, permits a defined resilience of the rack mounting in the transverse direction of the vehicle for affecting steering behavior of the vehicle and, in particular, permitting desired understeer during cornering. Mountings of this kind are particularly applicable to passenger vehicles in which the track rods are arranged behind the steered axle in the direction of travel. The rack-and-pinion steering system is mounted by two bearings arranged upright and at a relatively great distance from one another at the ends of the steering gear casing. The bearing bodies are either V-shaped or Y-shaped as viewed in longitudinal section. One upper and one lower bearing body together with damping elements are in each case arranged symmetrically and in alignment with one another in the top and bottom parts respectively of the bearing guide, with the smaller end faces of the V-shaped or Y-shaped bearing bodies facing one another. The upright arrangement of the bearing bodies with damping elements subjects the damping elements axially to compressive stress and also to shear stress. A desired stiffness and spring hardness in the vertical and longitudinal directions of the vehicle are thereby achieved.

Growing community of inventors

Ulm, Germany

Harald Schwer