초록 ▼

A suspension assembly (40) in an automobile vehicle includes a support frame (42), a control arm (44) movable relative to the support frame (42), and a torsion bar (46) connected to the control arm (44) for resisting movement of the control arm (44). An adjustment lever (50, 150, 250, 350, 450, 550,

A suspension assembly (40) in an automobile vehicle includes a support frame (42), a control arm (44) movable relative to the support frame (42), and a torsion bar (46) connected to the control arm (44) for resisting movement of the control arm (44). An adjustment lever (50, 150, 250, 350, 450, 550, 650) is connected to the torsion bar (46) for placing the torsion bar (46) in torsion. A hub (74, 174, 274, 374, 474, 574, 674) is positioned in a socket in the adjustment lever (50, 150, 250, 350, 450, 550, 650) for connecting the adjustment lever (50, 150, 250, 350, 450, 550, 650) to the torsion bar (46) at a plurality of primary drive positions at first angular increments as defined by a hexagonal connection. The hub (74, 174, 274, 374, 474, 574, 674) is connected to the adjustment lever (50, 150, 250, 350, 450, 550, 650) by an indexing system to allow positioning of the adjustment lever (50, 150, 250, 350, 450, 550, 650) at a plurality of intermediate drive positions other than the first angular increments defined by the hexagonal connection to the torsion bar (46).

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A suspension assembly in an automobile vehicle comprising: a support frame; a control arm movable relative to said support frame; a torsion bar connected to said control arm for resisting movement of said control arm relative to said support frame; an adjustment lever connect

What is claimed is: 1. A suspension assembly in an automobile vehicle comprising: a support frame; a control arm movable relative to said support frame; a torsion bar connected to said control arm for resisting movement of said control arm relative to said support frame; an adjustment lever connected to said torsion bar for placing said torsion bar in torsion; a torsion bar connection between said adjustment lever and said torsion bar for connecting said adjustment lever to said torsion bar at a plurality of primary drive positions at first angular increments relative to one another; and an indexing system operatively disposed between and directly interconnecting said torsion bar connection and said adjustment lever for positioning said adjustment lever at a plurality of intermediate drive positions at second angular increments; wherein said indexing system includes a hub independent of said adjustment lever and including said torsion bar connection to said torsion bar at said first angular increments; wherein said indexing system includes a hub connection between said hub and said adjustment lever to position said hub angularly relative to said adjustment lever at said second angular increments; wherein said indexing system includes at least one tooth extending radially from said hub and a tooth cavity in said adjustment lever for receiving said at least one tooth; wherein said tooth cavity extends angularly a greater degree than said tooth for allowing said hub to rotate relative to said adjustment lever. 2. An assembly (40) as set forth in claim 1 including an adjustment device (268) interacting between said adjustment lever (250) and said tooth (276) for adjusting the angular position of said hub (274) relative to said adjustment lever (250) through an infinite number of said intermediate drive positions within the angular extent of said tooth cavity (266). 3. An assembly (40) as set forth in claim 2 wherein said adjustment device (268) includes a bore (271) in said adjustment lever (250) and a screw (272) extending through said bore (271) to engage said tooth (276) and adjust the angular position of said hub (274). 4. An assembly (40) as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one tooth cavity presents a generally triangular configuration having two sides and a rounded bottom interconnecting said two sides, and wherein one of said two sides slopes at a degree different than the other side. 5. An adjustment lever for applying torsion to a torsion bar for resisting movement of a control arm relative to a support frame in a vehicle; said adjustment lever comprising: a torsion bar connection for connecting said adjustment lever to the torsion bar at a plurality of primary drive positions at first angular increments relative to one another; an indexing system operatively disposed between and directly interconnecting said torsion bar connection and said adjustment lever for positioning said adjustment lever at a plurality of intermediate drive positions at second angular increments; wherein said indexing system includes a hub independent of said adjustment lever and including said torsion bar connection for connection to the torsion bar; wherein said indexing system includes a hub connection between said hub and said adjustment lever to position said hub angularly relative to said adjustment lever at said second angular increments; wherein said indexing system includes at least one tooth extending radially from said hub and a tooth cavity in said adjustment lever for receiving said at least one tooth; and wherein said tooth cavity extends angularly a greater degree than said tooth for allowing said hub to rotate relative to said adjustment lever. 6. An adjustment lever (250) as set forth in claim 5 including an adjustment device (268) interacting between said adjustment lever (250) and said tooth (276) for adjusting the angular position of said hub (274) relative to said adjustment lever (250) through an infinite number of said intermediate drive positions within the angular extent of said tooth cavity (266). 7. An apparatus for extending the useful life of a torsion bar in a vehicular suspension assembly, said apparatus comprising: a support frame; a control arm movable relative to said support frame for carrying a wheel; a torsion bar extending between a control end and an anchored end, said control end directly connected to said control arm for torsionally resisting movement of said control arm relative to said support frame, said anchored end of said torsion bar including a hex-shaped fitting consisting of six points arranged in equal angular increments of 60�� relative to one another; an adjustment lever supported in said frame and pivotally moveable for twisting said torsion bar so as to increase or decrease the position of said control arm relative to said frame, said adjustment lever having a pivot portion operatively connected to said adjustment end of said torsion bar and a distal swinging tip portion; a screw adjustment mechanism operatively engaging said tip portion of said adjustment lever for precisely and infinitely inducing twist in said torsion bar within the limited range of pivotal movement of said adjustment lever; and an intermediate hub removably disposed in said pivot portion of said adjustment lever, said hub having a hex-shaped opening adapted for mating engagement with said hex-shaped fitting on said adjustment end of said torsion bar and a toothed outer periphery consisting of equally angularly spaced apart teeth slideably received in a complimentary-shaped pocket in said pivot portion of said adjustment lever, whereby the useful life of a fatigued torsion bar can be extended by completely disengaging said hub from said adjustment lever and said torsion bar, and then re-engaging said hub with said torsion bar and said adjustment lever in a new relative position resulting in an incremental adjustment of said tip portion relative to said torsion bar so that said screw adjustment mechanism remains operative to infinitely induce twist in said torsion bar while said adjustment lever remains supported in said frame within its limited range of pivotal movement. 8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein each said tooth on said outer periphery of said hub is aligned along an imaginary radial passing centrally therethrough, and wherein none of said six points of said hex-shaped opening coincide with said imaginary radial passing centrally through each of said respective teeth in said pocket, whereby the useful life of a fatigued torsion bar can be extended by completely disengaging said hub from said adjustment lever and then re-engaging said hub with said adjustment lever in a new relative position resulting in a slight incremental adjustment of said tip portion relative to the torsion bar. 9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the number of said teeth on said outer periphery of said hub is not equal to the number of said points in said hex-shaped opening. 10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said hub includes exactly seven teeth and said pocket in said adjustment lever includes exactly seven tooth cavities for slideably receiving said seven teeth of said hub. 11. An adjustment lever for extending the useful life of a torsion bar in a vehicular suspension assembly, said lever comprising: a body having a pivot portion at one end thereof, a tip portion at another end thereof, and a central lever portion extending between said pivot and tip portions, said pivot portion including a pocket formed by a toothed inner periphery defined by a plurality of equally angularly spaced apart teeth, each said tooth aligned along a respective imaginary radial passing centrally therethrough; an intermediate hub removably disposed in said toothed pocket of said body, said hub having a hex-shaped opening and a toothed outer periphery consisting of equally angularly spaced apart teeth slideably received in said pocket of said body, said hex-shaped opening defined by six points arranged in equal angular increments of 60�� relative to one another; and wherein none of said six points of said hex-shaped opening coincide with said imaginary radial passing centrally through each of said respective teeth in said pocket, whereby the useful life of a fatigued torsion bar can be extended by completely disengaging said hub from said adjustment lever and then re-engaging said hub with said adjustment lever in a new relative position resulting in an incremental adjustment of said tip portion relative to the torsion bar. 12. An adjustment as set forth in claim 11 wherein the number of said teeth is not equal to the number of said points in said hex-shaped opening. 13. An adjustment lever as set forth in claim 11 wherein said hub includes exactly seven teeth and said pocket in said adjustment lever includes exactly seven tooth cavities for slideably receiving said seven teeth of said hub.