Patent Application
20190375233
The present invention relates generally to rear suspensions on vehicles and in particular to a method and apparatus to adapt a vehicle to replace an OEM independent multi-link rear suspension with a torsion beam rear suspension.
Passenger vehicles may be built with one of several types of rear suspension systems. When an independent multi-link rear suspension is used, a portion of the vehicle's interior volume is occupied by coil springs. A torsion beam rear suspension has a small profile along the width of the vehicle, takes up less of the interior volume, and the ride height can be easily adjusted.
In some cases, it is desirable to convert a standard passenger vehicle, such as a minivan, to include a rear entry wheelchair lift. With an independent rear suspension vehicle, it is difficult to accommodate the ramp system within the vehicle while providing sufficient space for both the ramp and a wheelchair within the interior of the vehicle.
According to a first embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed a method for adapting a vehicle rear suspension comprising removing a multi-link rear suspension assembly from the vehicle and removing left and right wheel assemblies from the multi-link rear suspension assembly. The method further comprises mounting an adaptor plate to each of the left and right wheel assemblies on an inside surface thereof with a first set of fasteners, mounting an axle beam of a torsion bar rear suspension assembly to each of the adaptor plates with a second set of fasteners and securing the torsion bar rear suspension assembly to the vehicle.
According to a further embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed an adaptor plate for adapting a torsion bar rear suspension assembly to a wheel assembly comprising a substantially circular plate having first and second surfaces with a central bore therethrough and with closed and open notches extending into a circumferential edge thereof, a pair of outer mounting bores extending through the plate proximate to the circumferential edge with the closed notch therebetween and a plurality of first and second inner mounting bores distributed around the central bore.
The central bore may include a cylindrical raised lip therearound extending from the first surface. The cylindrical raised lip may be adapted to correspond to and be receivable within a central mounting bore in a rear axle beam of the torsion bar rear suspension assembly. The central bore may include an enlarged portion extending into the second surface adapted to receive a portion of the wheel assembly therein.
The closed notch may be sized to receive a disc brake caliper assembly therein. The pair of outer mounting bores may be sized and positioned to correspond to a pair of mounting holes on a disc brake caliper mounting bracket. The open notch may be sized to receive a parking brake clip on the wheel assembly to pass therethrough.
The plurality of first mounting bores may be located at positions selected to correspond to a plurality of mounting holes on the wheel assembly. Each of the plurality of first mounting bores may include an enlarged opening extending into the first surface. The plurality of second mounting holes may include internal threading. The plurality of second mounting holes may be located at positions selected to correspond to a plurality of mounting holes on the torsion bar rear suspension assembly. The plurality of second mounting holes may be blind holes extending into the first surface.
The first surface may include a substantially circular first raised surface at a central portion thereof. The second surface may include a substantially circular second raised surface at a central portion thereof.
Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention wherein similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in each view,
Referring to
Referring now to
Referring to
The rotor assembly 18 includes a disc brake assembly 30 with a brake caliper 32 mounted on a caliper bracket 34. The caliper bracket 34 includes front and rear lower mounting holes, 36 and 38, respectively, as illustrated in
The torsion bar rear suspension assembly 8 extends between right and left sides, 40 and 42, respectively, and between front and rear, 44 and 46, respectively, as indicated in
The mounting portion 50 includes outer and inner surfaces, 60 and 62, respectively, with a central bore 64 extending therethrough, which is aligned on the central rotation axis 500 when installed. A plurality of axle beam mounting bores 66 are distributed around the central bore 64, extending between the outer and inner surfaces, 60 and 62. As illustrated in
Turning now to
Referring to
The adaptor plate 100 includes a mounting portion 128 extending to the circumferential edge 108 between the first closed notch radial edge 114 of the closed notch 110 and the open notch radial edge 120 of the open notch 112. The mounting portion 128 includes a brake front caliper mounting hole 124 extending therethrough proximate to the circumferential edge 108. A brake rear caliper mounting hole 126 extends through the adaptor plate 100 proximate to the second closed notch radial edge 116 and proximate to the circumferential edge 108. The size and relative position of the brake front and rear caliper mounting holes, 124 and 126, are selected to correspond to the front and rear lower mounting holes, 36 and 38, on the caliper bracket 34 when the adaptor plate 100 is mounted to the rotor assembly 18 with the central axis 502 aligned with the central rotation axis 500. The size and shape of the closed notch 110 is selected to allow a portion of the brake caliper 32 to pass therethrough. The size and shape of the open notch 112 is selected to allow the parking brake clip 28 to pass therethrough.
The inside surface 102 includes a peripheral portion 130 extending therearound from the circumferential edge 108 and a central raised portion 132, with a sloped surface 134 therebetween. A central bore 106 extends through the central raised portion 132, between the inside and outside surfaces, 102 and 104. A cylindrical raised lip 136 extends from the central raised portion 132 around the exterior of the central bore 106. The raised lip 136 is selected to correspond to the central bore 64 on the mounting portion 50 of the axle beam 48 such that it may be received therein.
A plurality of recessed wheel assembly mounting bores 140 extend through the central raised portion 132 between the inside and outside surfaces, 102 and 104, distributed around the central bore 106. The wheel assembly mounting bores 140 are sized and positioned to correspond to the mounting bores 24 on the rotor assembly 18 of the wheel assembly 6. As set out above, the present embodiment of the invention is illustrated with four wheel assembly mounting bores 140, although it will be appreciated that more or less wheel assembly mounting bores 140 may be used to correspond to the mounting bores 24 on the rotor assembly 18. Each wheel assembly mounting bore 140 may include an enlarged opening extending into the adaptor plate 100 from the inside surface 102 to allow for the head of a fastener (not shown) to be retained therein, as is commonly known with recessed mounting holes.
A plurality of threaded rear suspension assembly mounting bores 144 extend into the central raised portion 132 from the inside surface 102, distributed around the central bore 106. The rear suspension assembly mounting bores 144 are sized and positioned to correspond to the axle beam mounting bores 66 on the axle beam 48 of the torsion bar rear suspension assembly 8. As set out above, the present embodiment of the invention is illustrated with four rear suspension assembly mounting bores 144, although it will be appreciated that more or less rear suspension assembly mounting bores 144 may be used to correspond to the axle beam mounting bores 66 on the axle beam 48.
Turning now to
The wheel assembly mounting bores 140 extend through the outside surface 104, as set out above. The central bore 106 includes an enlarged portion 160 extending into the outside surface 104 selected to receive the central raised circular portion 26 on the rotor assembly 18 therein.
Referring now to
Referring now to
While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims.
