Mazda Motor Corporation

Molten Corporation

Kazuhiro Okuyama

Masaya Hiramatsu

Fumitaka Andou

Hiroyuki Okamoto

Susumu Sano

Eiji Okada

Tadashi Yoshimura

Hiroki Kimura

Haruaki Iseri

Hiromi Miwade

Masayuki Mochizuki

Takahiko Shigyo

Naoki Kurata

Ryo Ogawa

Tomohiro Tuji

Makoto Nishino

Yoshitada Toyoshima

A vehicle suspension system smoothly changes a vehicle posture with respect to a steering force and a steering angle by minimizing a kinematic roll at an initial turning stage, thereby allowing a driver to obtain the sensation of maneuvering the vehicle well. The suspension system includes a front suspension having geometry satisfying that a caster angle is +3&#xb0; to +5&#xb0;, a caster trail is +20 to +30 mm, an intersection point between a kingpin axis and ground is located on an inner side in a vehicle width direction of a center of a tire contact patch, and an anhedral angle of a lower arm is +2.8&#xb0; to +7.2&#xb0;. A rear suspension includes five links and has geometry satisfying that a virtual kingpin axis extends near the center of a tire contact patch of a rear wheel assembly and extends vertically at &#x2212;2&#xb0; to 0&#xb0;.

Vehicle suspension system

A five-link automobile suspension device is configured to support a lower end of a damper with a lower arm, and is capable of reducing sliding friction while ensuring a road clearance. Embodiments include a lower arm connecting a wheel support and a vehicle body, and a damper that has a lower end connected to the lower arm and is disposed to incline upward toward a vehicle-width-direction inner side in a rear view. A wall surface of the lower arm has a damper mounting portion, which supports a pivot of the damper, at a position lower than a straight line connecting a pivot on a wheel side and a pivot on a vehicle-body side of the lower arm. A bottom surface of the lower arm has a bulge formed at a position under the damper mounting portion.

Automobile suspension device

The bushing includes an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder, and an elastic body therebetween. The outer cylinder has a central recess portion formed in a curved shape. The inner cylinder has a central convex portion being formed in a curved shape. A distance between a vertex of the central recess portion and the vertex of the central convex portion is smaller than a distance between a point other than the vertex of the central recess portion and a point at which a straight line extending from the point other than the vertex of the central recess portion to an intersection point of the perpendicular line and the axis of the inner cylinder intersects the central convex portion.

Bushing and vehicle suspension device

The bushing includes an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder, and an elastic body therebetween. The outer cylinder has a central recess portion recessed from the inner peripheral surface in the radial direction at the central portion in the axial direction, and the thickness of both end portions is thicker than the thickness of the central portion. The central recess portion is formed in a curved shape or having a curved and a straight shape. The inner cylinder has a central convex portion swelling from the outer peripheral surface in the radial direction at a position corresponding to the central recess portion. The maximum outer diameter of the central convex portion is larger than the minimum inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder.

Suspension arms comprise five arms of a trailing arm, a leading arm, an upper arm, a lower arm, and a control arm. A lower-arm connection portion of a knuckle to the lower arm is positioned in front of a trailing-arm connection portion of the knuckle to the trailing arm as well as a wheel axis. Accordingly, the anti-swing rigidity of a wheel can be increased sufficiently.

Suspension device of vehicle

A rear sub frame comprising a pair of side members, a front cross member, and a rear cross member. The front cross member is configured in substantially a V shape in a front view such that the front cross member slants continuously from both end portions thereof toward a central portion, in a vehicle width direction, thereof which is located below a rear differential, and that a center position, in the vehicle width direction, of a bottom portion of the front cross member which corresponds to an apex portion of the V shape is offset from a center of a vehicle body in the vehicle width direction toward a specified side which matches an offset-arrangement side of a ring gear arranged in the rear differential.

Rear sub frame of automotive vehicle

A sub frame attached to a vehicle-body rear portion from below comprises a pair of right-and-left side members and a front cross member which interconnects substantially respective central portions, in a vehicle longitudinal direction, of the side members. As attachment portions for attaching lower links, there are provided a central attachment portion which is provided at an interconnection portion between the side member and the front cross member, a front attachment portion which is provided at the side member at a position located in front of the interconnection portion, and a rear attachment portion which is provided at the side member at a position located in back of the interconnection portion. Thereby, a sub frame structure of an automotive can be superior in the light weight, ensuring the support rigidity of the suspension links.

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Hiroshima, Japan

Kazuhiro Okuyama