The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 08, 1998
Filed:
Mar. 03, 1997
Yoshihisa Kato, Nishikamo-gun, JP;
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota, JP;
Abstract
A suspension arm adapted for use in a suspension system of an automotive vehicle, the suspension arm being in the form of a single structure made of sheet metal pressed in an approximately L-shape and having a rear arm portion formed at one end thereof with a rear mounting portion mounted on a vehicle body structure and at the other end thereof with a support portion supporting a road wheel mounted thereon and a front arm portion bifurcated from an intermediate portion of the rear arm portion and formed at a distal end thereof with a front mounting portion mounted on the vehicle body structure at a position spaced from the rear mounting portion in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, wherein a crotched portion between the front and rear arm portions is in the form of a lower stiffness portion to be buckled or deformed when applied with an impact force in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and wherein the front and rear arm portions are reinforced at their outer peripheries except for a region of the low stiffness portion to provide enhanced transverse stiffness of the suspension arm in a lateral direction of the vehicle.