Vehicle suspension beam

Abstract

A hollow vehicle suspension beam has opposed side walls formed with recesses in which an axle wrap is located and secured by welded jointing internally and externally of the opposed side walls to provide a strong joint between the beam and axle wrap. The beam may comprise at least one component of a generally U-shaped section the opposed limbs of which provide at least part of the opposed side walls of the beam, and the mouth of the section provides an access opening into the interior of the beam for the internal welded jointing to be made at the axle wrap. One embodiment has the beam comprised of two of the U-shaped components disposed with their mouths opening in opposite directions to provide access to the interior of the beam for the internal welded jointing to be made at the axle wrap before the mouths are closed by closure components. Another embodiment has the opposed side walls formed in combination by the opposed limbs of a U-shaped component and the space between the plate components being closed off by closure components after the internal welded joint have been made.

1 - 19 . (canceled)  
   
   
       20 . A vehicle suspension beam comprising: 
 a beam including opposed side walls having recesses, wherein a plate extends between the opposed side walls, and a hollow interior is defined between the opposed side walls; and    an axle wrap located in the recesses and secured to the beam by an internal weld bead inside the opposed side walls and by an external weld bead outside the opposed side walls.    
   
   
       21 . The vehicle suspension beam as recited in  claim 20  wherein the plate is secured across the hollow interior to increase transverse rigidity of the beam.  
   
   
       22 . The vehicle suspension beam as recited in  claim 20  wherein the plate is secured to each of the opposed side walls.  
   
   
       23 . The vehicle suspension beam as recited in  claim 20  wherein the plate is above and generally radially to the axle wrap.  
   
   
       24 . The vehicle suspension beam as recited in  claim 20  wherein the plate is attached to the opposed side walls by a weld bead.  
   
   
       25 . The vehicle suspension beam as recited in  claim 20  wherein the beam includes an access opening for access into the hollow interior, and the access opening locates the internal weld bead inside the opposed side walls between the axle wrap and the opposed side walls.  
   
   
       26 . The vehicle suspension beam as recited in  claim 25  wherein a closure component fixed to the opposed side walls closes the access opening after the internal weld bead has been made inside the opposed side walls.  
   
   
       27 . The vehicle suspension beam as recited in  claim 25  wherein the access opening is located between the opposed side walls.  
   
   
       28 . The vehicle suspension beam as recited in  claim 25  wherein the access opening comprises an upper access opening and a lower access opening, and a closure component closes each of the upper access opening and the lower access opening.  
   
   
       29 . The vehicle suspension beam as recited in  claim 20  wherein the beam is formed of two components each having a generally U-shaped cross-section and opposed limbs that act as at least part of the opposed side walls.  
   
   
       30 . The vehicle suspension beam as recited in  claim 29  wherein each of the two components extends substantially to one side of the axle wrap to provide part of the opposed side walls.  
   
   
       31 . The vehicle suspension beam as recited in  claim 20  wherein the axle wrap includes two semi-circular shells welded together.  
   
   
       32 . The vehicle suspension beam as recited in  claim 20  wherein the beam is formed of two components and one of the two components includes a web transverse to the opposed side walls that is attached to the axle wrap by a web weld bead.  
   
   
       33 . The vehicle suspension beam as recited in  claim 20  wherein the beam is formed of a front substantially U-shaped component and a rear substantially U-shaped component that are attached by welding to define the recesses.  
   
   
       34 . The vehicle suspension beam as recited in  claim 20  wherein the beam is formed of two components and one of the two components includes a tapered end.  
   
   
       35 . The vehicle suspension beam as recited in  claim 20  wherein the at least one internal weld bead is continuous around a perimeter of the axle wrap.  
   
   
       36 . The vehicle suspension beam as recited in  claim 20  wherein a portion of a perimeter of the axle wrap is contained inside the beam and a remainder of the perimeter is exposed outside the beam.