Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Chuo Hatsujo Kabushiki Kaisha

Kiyoaki Kuwayama

Yasuhiro Mishima

Katsunori Makibayashi

Kenichi Sekiyama

Masami Yamamoto

Katsumi Hirabayashi

Kazuo Nishiyama

Stabilizer device for motor vehicles including a torsion bar, an actuator having a piston and two cylinder chambers on both sides of piston, a first and a second fluid passages for connecting said two cylinder chambers, respectively, a solenoid changeover valve provided in first fluid passage. A actuator has two openings for communicating with each end of first fluid passage within an area on which piston may not slidably contact. A plate member and a centering spring are provided within each of cylinder chambers in such a manner that each of plate members is to come in contact with a bottom surface of cylinder slightly by virtue of resilience of centering spring when piston is positioned in a neutral position. An opening is provided in each of bottom surface of cylinder chambers within an area on which plate member is to come in contact therewith. Each of openings is communicated with second fluid passage and a check valve may be mounted in each of openings. Relative movement of torsion bar with a body portion of the vehicle resulted from up-and-down motion of wheels is transmitted to piston through a piston rod. During changeover valve allows flow of fluid flowing first fluid passage between cylinder chambers, anti-roll, anti-dive and anti-squat effects of torsion bar are made ineffective. When changeover valve prohibits flow of fluid in first fluid passage, fluid is trapped in both cylinder chambers, therefore, anti-roll or anti-dive and anti-squat effects of torsion bar are made effective. Fluid is allowed to flow from one cylinder chamber to another cylinder chamber through second fluid passage, then finally piston is positioned at neutral position.

Stabilizer device for motor vehicles

A leaf spring assembly comprises a longitudinal leaf spring of fiber reinforced plastics having a first surface to be applied with a tension force and a second surface to be applied with a compression force, a pair of retainer plates attached to the first and second surfaces of the leaf spring, and a pair of U-bolts and nuts for clamping the retainer plates to the leaf spring and mounting the same on an axle housing. The leaf spring is provided at the second surface thereof with a recess which is located substantially at the central portion of the leaf spring. The leaf spring assembly further comprises a seat plate formed with a protruded portion coupled with the recess of the leaf spring and secured to the second surface of the leaf spring, and a position pin fixed to the retainer plate attached to the second surface of the leaf spring, the position pin being coupled with the recess of the leaf spring through the seat plate to position the retainer plates substantially at the central portion of the leaf spring.

Leaf spring assembly

A leaf spring assembly comprises a longitudinal leaf spring made of fiber reinforced plastics, a pair of retainer plates attached to opposite faces of the leaf spring, and a pair of fastening U-bolts and nuts for clamping the retainer plates to the leaf spring and mounting the same on an axle housing. The leaf spring is provided only at its compression surface with a protrusion which is located substantially at the central portion of the leaf spring, and one of the retainer plates is formed with an indented portion which is coupled to the protrusion of the leaf spring to clamp the leaf spring at its central portion.

Leaf spring assembly for wheel suspension

The invention relates to a FRP leaf spring suspension for an automobile including a FRP leaf spring body interposed between a hat-shaped retainer having flanges at its free ends and a U bolt seat having opposed flanges through a rubber pad at its longitudinally central portion. The FRP leaf spring body is fixed through a spring seat to an axle housing by a U bolt passing through mating holes formed in flanges of the retainer and the U bolt seat. A reinforcing fiber impregnated with resin is wound around a central portion of the FRP leaf spring body and is fixed thereto to form unevenness on a surface of the FRP leaf spring body, thereby distributing frictional force between the FRP leaf spring body and the rubber pad uniformly on the frictional contact surface of the FRP leaf spring body, and preventing stress concentration from being generated in the FRP leaf spring body. In another mode, there are formed each unevenness on an upper and a lower surface of the central portion of the FRP leaf spring body, a lower surface of the retainer, and an upper surface of the U bolt seat, thereby preventing stress concentration from being generated in the FRP leaf spring body.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Kiyoaki Kuwayama