Abstract:
In a suspension for a steerable wheel of a vehicle with a semi-virtual steering axis, a wheel support is connected to vehicle structure by an upper arm and two lower rods, one supporting lateral loads, whereas the other supporting longitudinal loads and being located forwardly relative to the rod supporting lateral loads. In a non-steered wheel condition, an articulated joint connecting the lower rod supporting the longitudinal loads is located more outwardly. The arrangement is such that during steering with a wheel being on an outer side of the curve, an intersection point of projections on a horizontal plane of the lower rods is displaced more inwardly. In a steered wheel condition, with said wheel being on an inner side of the curve, projections on the horizontal plane of said lower rods meet at a point displaced longitudinally forwardly relative to the intersection point in the non-steered wheel condition.
Abstract:
A motor-vehicle wheel suspension includes a lower oscillating arm, a damper unit, an upper oscillating rod and a vertical articulated rod. The suspension includes a toe control oscillating rod having an inner end pivotally connected to a supporting structure and an outer end pivotally connected to a wheel support. An articulation of the outer end of the toe control rod to the wheel support and the upper end of the vertical rod includes an articulation axle connected to the vertical rod. An eccentric cylindrical member is rotatably mounted on the articulation axle within a cylindrical cavity in the support and has an axis eccentric relative to the articulation axle. The articulation axle is connected to an adjustment ring, whose rotation determines a variation in the position of the wheel support and a resulting variation of the wheel toe angle.
Abstract:
A motor-vehicle floor panel structure includes a front body sub-unit, a central floor sub-unit, and a rear body sub-unit. The central floor sub-unit has a front floor structure including a central longitudinal tunnel, a lateral longitudinal beams, connected to the front floor structure and to the front body sub-unit and two intermediate longitudinal beams which connect the central floor sub-unit to the front body sub-unit and which extend at intermediate areas between the lateral longitudinal beams and the central tunnel. The intermediate longitudinal beams are connected to the front floor structure and have portions extending in a cantilever fashion from the front edge of the front floor structure and which are connected to said front body sub-unit.
Abstract:
A motor vehicle body is provided with a substantially vertical wall, which separates a lower zone of the passenger compartment from the engine compartment, and with a structure for receiving and draining water; such a structure protrudes forward into the engine compartment from an upper end of the substantially vertical wall and has an upper crosspiece shaped so as to define a manifold for receiving water; the upper crosspiece has a perforated intermediate portion and two opposite end portions provided with respective openings for draining water into drain passages; the structure further has a reinforcing crosspiece, which is arranged underneath the perforated intermediate portion for receiving some of the water and is shaped so as to define a channel which is elongated in the transversal direction so as to divert the water sideways and outwards.
Abstract:
Described herein is a selector for an automatically operated gearbox, the selector including: a casing; a control member mounted within said casing in an oscillating manner around a first axis of rotation, the control member being movable through a plurality of operative positions associated to respective operating conditions of the gearbox; a prevention device of the selection of an undesired operative position of said selector, wherein the prevention device includes a rocker mounted within said casing in a rotatable manner around a second axis of rotation; said rocker being operable in rotation around said second axis of rotation by an actuator member between a resting position and a working position in which it is configured to inhibit the selection of said undesired operative position. The prevention device is configured for enabling, in certain conditions, selection of the undesired operative position even when it is currently inhibited.
Abstract:
A tool for mounting a motor-vehicle wheel on a wheel hub includes a tubular body having a coupling portion arranged for coupling to the wheel hub, and a carrier portion for supporting the motor-vehicle wheel during a centering phase of the wheel on the hub. The tool has an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member rigidly connected to each other so as to be coaxial. At the coupling portion, the inner and outer tubular members are spaced apart so as to define a space arranged to receive an end portion of the wheel hub, in such a way that, in an operating condition, the end portion of the hub is interposed between the inner tubular member and the outer tubular member.
Abstract:
A finishing/covering element for a component in a vehicle passenger compartment has a front surface facing, in use, the inside of the passenger compartment and a rear surface facing, in use, the component on which the finishing/covering element is fitted; the finishing/covering element is manufactured by moulding a thermoplastic material in a mould, which has a first and a second forming surface facing one another; the first forming surface forms the outline of the front surface and is embossed so as to form a corresponding embossing on the front surface, without further treatments and/or coating operations and/or processing on the front surface after the moulding; at the same time, the moulded thermoplastic material comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane reinforced by reinforcement fibres.
Abstract:
Described herein is a method for setting up and/or reconfiguring an industrial plant, in particular for the manufacture of motor vehicles or sub-assemblies thereof. The method includes providing a plurality of mobile processing stations, each mobile processing station comprising a palletisable platform and at least one interface unit provided on the palletisable platform and configured for the coupling of the mobile processing station with one or more further adjacent mobile processing stations; arranging mobile processing stations according to a pre-set layout; and coupling at least one interface unit of each mobile processing station with the at least one interface unit of one or more further mobile processing adjacent stations thereto. Each interface unit includes at least one of the following: an electrical and/or electronic coupling device; a fluidic coupling device; and a mechanical coupling device.
Abstract:
A motor-vehicle wheel support unit includes a first base body provided with attachments for connection to arms of a motor-vehicle suspension, and a second body for rotatably supporting a wheel hub, which is separate with respect to the first base body and is secured to the first base body in one of two different selectable mounting positions, which correspond to two different vertical positions, with reference to a condition of use, of an axis of the wheel hub with respect to the first base body. In this manner, a height of the vehicle from the ground can be modified by simply mounting said second body on the first body in one or the other of the two mounting positions. In each of the two mounting positions, the second body is rotated by 180° around an axis parallel to the wheel hub axis with respect to the other mounting position.