Claims:We Claim:

1. A control arm assembly (100) for adjusting camber of a suspension system (200) in a vehicle, the assembly (100) comprising:
a control arm (1), connectable between a steering knuckle (203) and a steering member (202) of the suspension system (200), the control arm (1) is defined with a cavity (2) at an end away from a connecting end of the steering member (202);
a ball joint (3), linking the control arm (1) to the steering knuckle (203), the ball joint (3) is defined with a flange portion (4) to secure within the cavity (2) of the control arm (1); and
an adjustment mechanism (5) adjustably connecting the ball joint (3) with the control arm (1), wherein the adjustment mechanism (5) comprises:
a bolt (6), defined with a shank portion (7) and a head portion (8), the shank portion (7) extends through corresponding receiving portions defined in the flange portion (4) of the ball joint (3) and the control arm (1) to connect the control arm (1) and the ball joint (3); and
a cam guide (10), disposable about the head portion (8) of the bolt (6) and connectable to the control arm (1), the cam guide (10) is structured to eccentrically guide the head portion (8) of the bolt (6) such that, position of the ball joint (3) is adjusted relative to the control arm (1) for adjusting camber of the suspension system (200).

2. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprises a tongue washer (11), fixed to at least one side of the control arm (1), opposite to a side having the head portion (8) of the bolt (6), wherein the tongue washer (11) is configured to eccentrically displace the shank portion (7) of the bolt (6).

3. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprises a flange nut (12), to rigidly position the tongue washer (11) and the bolt (6) of the adjustment mechanism (5) relative to the control arm (1).

4. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the receiving portions of the control arm (1) is defined as a linear slot proximal to an end including the cavity (2).

5. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head portion (8) of the bolt (6) is defined with a cam adjuster (9), and wherein the cam adjuster (9) is configured to seat within a recess defined in the cam guide (10).

6. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the shank portion (7) of the bolt (6) is configured to connect the control arm (1) and the ball joint (3), via the linear slot (14) of the control arm (1).

7. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cam adjuster (9) is configured to trace along the recess in the cam guide (10), to displace the shank portion (7) of the bolt (6) along the linear slot (14), for adjusting relative position of the ball joint (3) and the control arm (1).

8. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein rotation of the cam adjuster (9) within the recess of the cam guide (10) in a first direction is configured to displace the ball joint (3) towards the control arm (1) for inward camber adjustment of the suspension system (200).

9. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein rotation of the cam adjuster (9) within the recess of the cam guide (10) in a second direction opposite to the first direction is configured to displace the ball joint (3) away from the control arm (1) for outward camber adjustment of the suspension system (200).

10. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprises at least one connecting member (15), to secure the ball joint (3) and the control arm (1), on operation of the cam adjuster (9) for adjusting camber of the suspension system (200).

11. A suspension system (200) of a vehicle, comprising:
a suspensions strut, connectable to a body of the vehicle;
a steering member (202), extending from a steering unit of the vehicle;
a steering knuckle (203), connectable to the suspension strut (201) and the steering member (202);
a control arm assembly (100), comprises:
a control arm (1), connectable between the steering knuckle (203) and the steering member (202) of the suspension system (200), the control arm (1) is defined with a cavity (2) at an end away from a connecting end of the steering member (202);
a ball joint (3), linking the control arm (1) to the steering knuckle (203), the ball joint (3) is defined with a flange portion (4) to secure within the cavity (2) of the control arm (1); and
an adjustment mechanism (5) adjustably connecting the ball joint (3) with the control arm (1), wherein the adjustment mechanism (5) comprises:
a bolt (6), defined with a shank portion (7) and a head portion (8), the shank portion (7) extends through corresponding receiving portions defined in the flange portion (4) of the ball joint (3) and the control arm (1) to connect the control arm (1) and the ball joint (3); and
a cam guide (10), disposable about the head portion (8) of the bolt (6) and connectable to the control arm (1), the cam guide (10) is structured to eccentrically guide the head portion (8) of the bolt (6) such that, position of the ball joint (3) is adjusted relative to the control arm (1) for adjusting camber of the suspension system (200).

12. The suspension system (200) as claimed in claim 11, wherein one of the receiving portions of the control arm (1) is defined with a linear slot proximal to an end including the cavity (2).

13. The suspension system (200) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the head portion (8) of the bolt (6) is defined with a cam adjuster (9), and wherein the cam adjuster (9) is configured to seat within a recess defined in the cam guide (10).

14. The suspension system (200) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the shank portion (7) of the bolt (6) is configured to connect the control arm (1) and the ball joint (3), via the linear slot (14) of the control arm (1).

15. The suspension system (200) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the cam adjuster (9) is configured to trace along the recess in the cam guide (10), to displace the shank portion (7) of the bolt (6) along the linear slot (14), for adjusting relative position of the ball joint (3) and the control arm (1).

16. The suspension system (200) as claimed in claim 15, wherein rotation of the cam adjuster (9) within the recess of the cam guide (10) in a first direction is configured to displace the ball joint (3) towards the control arm (1) for inward camber adjustment of the suspension system (200).

17. The suspension system (200) as claimed in claim 15, wherein rotation of the cam adjuster (9) within the recess of the cam guide (10) in a second direction opposite to the first direction is configured to displace the ball joint (3) away from the control arm (1) for outward camber adjustment of the suspension system (200).

18. The suspension system (200) as claimed in claim 11, comprises at least one connecting member (15), to secure the ball joint (3) and the control arm (1), on operation of the cam adjuster (9) for adjusting camber of the suspension system (200).

19. The suspension system (200) as claimed in claim 11, comprises a tongue washer (11), fixed to at least one side of the control arm (1), opposite to a side having the head portion (8) of the bolt (6), wherein the tongue washer (11) is configured to eccentrically displace the shank portion (7) of the bolt (6) for adjusting camber.

20. The suspension system (200) as claimed in claim 11, comprises a flange nut (12), to rigidly position the tongue washer (11) and the bolt (6) of the adjustment mechanism (5) relative to the control arm (1), when camber is adjusted and position of the ball joint (3) is secured relative to the control arm (1).

21. A vehicle comprising a suspensions system as claimed in claim 11.
, Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD
Present disclosure, in general, relates to the field of automobiles. Particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to a suspension system of a vehicle. Further, embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a control arm assembly for adjusting camber of the suspension system in the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Generally, parameters for controlling a vehicle such as, but not limited to, traction, velocity, suspension, center of gravity and other parameters that affect performance and movability of the vehicle may be regulated by adjusting extent of contact between tires of the vehicle relative to a terrain. One of such parameters is camber of the vehicle, or also referred to as angular deviation relative to a vertical axis of the tires or wheels of the vehicle. By adjusting camber, factors such as, cornering, shock absorption, weight distribution and the like, may be controlled for handling of the vehicle.
Conventionally, camber adjustments may be performed by modifying or adjusting either configuration of a steering system or a suspension system in the vehicle, so that an operator or driver may be equipped for better handling of the vehicle. For adjusting camber through the steering system, one of the approaches may be by modifying or re-designing components including, but not limited to, forks, sleeves and tie rods pertaining to the steering system, which may render such modification of the steering system to be tedious and expensive. With respect to the suspension system, generally, the vehicles may be equipped with a plurality of control arms extending between a steering column and a dampener member of the suspension system, where a pivotal joint may be provided for regulating steering and suspension of the vehicle. Such configuration of the plurality of control arms may assist in adjustment of camber of the wheels or tires of the vehicle, however, such arrangements have a number of demerits including, but not limited to, bulky size of the suspension system, complex arrangement for servicing and maintenance, requirement of skilled labor of adjusting camber, cost of incorporation is high, assembly time is high and the like.

With advent of technology, strut-based suspension systems have been developed for vehicles to reduce cost of manufacturing and minimizing requirement of skilled labor to repair, service and maintain such suspension systems. The strut-based suspension systems require comparatively less number of components and is comparatively easy to assemble. However, adjustment of camber is complex as the pivotal joints are conventionally rivetted to a control arm extending from the steering system of the vehicle. With such configuration, for adjustment of camber, each of the rivets connecting the control arm, the pivotal joint and the strut art to be removed and then may require re-fitting after adjustment of camber. Such process of adjusting the camber is tedious process.

The present disclosure is directed to overcome one or more limitations stated above or any other limitations associated with the conventional suspension system.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

One or more shortcomings of the prior art are overcome by an assembly and a system as claimed and additional advantages are provided through the assembly and the system as claimed in the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.

In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, a control arm assembly for adjusting camber of a suspension system in a vehicle is disclosed. The assembly includes a control arm, which is connectable between a steering knuckle and a steering member of the suspension system. The control arm is defined with a cavity at an end away from a connecting end of the steering member. The assembly further includes a ball joint, that links the control arm to the steering knuckle. The ball joint is defined with a flange portion to secure within the cavity of the control arm. Also, the assembly includes an adjustment mechanism, to adjustably connect the ball joint with the control arm. The adjustment mechanism includes a bolt, defined with a shank portion and a head portion, where the shank portion extends through corresponding receiving portions defined in the flange portion of the ball joint and the control arm to connect the control arm and the ball joint. The adjustment mechanism also includes a cam guide, which is disposable about the head portion of the bolt and connectable to the control arm. The cam guide is structured to eccentrically guide the head portion of the bolt such that, position of the ball joint is adjusted relative to the control arm for adjusting camber of the suspension system.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the assembly comprises a tongue washer, fixed to at least one side of the control arm, opposite to a side having the head portion of the bolt. The tongue washer is configured to eccentrically displace the shank portion of the bolt for adjusting camber.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the assembly comprises a flange nut, to rigidly position the tongue washer and the bolt of the adjustment mechanism relative to the control arm, when camber is adjusted and position of the ball joint is secured relative to the control arm.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, one of the receiving portions of the control arm is defined with a linear slot proximal to an end including the cavity. The shank portion of the bolt is configured to connect the control arm and the ball joint, via the linear slot of the control arm.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the head portion of the bolt is defined with a cam adjuster, which is configured to seat within a recess defined in the cam guide.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cam adjuster is configured to trace along the recess in the cam guide, to displace the shank portion of the bolt along the linear slot, for adjusting relative position of the ball joint and the control arm. Rotation of the cam adjuster within the recess of the cam guide in a first direction is configured to displace the ball joint towards the control arm for inward camber adjustment of the suspension system. Further, rotation of the cam adjuster within the recess of the cam guide in a second direction opposite to the first direction is configured to displace the ball joint away from the control arm for outward camber adjustment of the suspension system.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the assembly comprises at least one connecting member, to secure the ball joint and the control arm, on operation of the cam adjuster for adjusting camber of the suspension system.

In another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, a suspension system of a vehicle is disclosed. The suspension system comprising a suspensions strut, which is connectable to a body of the vehicle and a steering member extending from a steering unit of the vehicle. Further, the suspension system includes a steering knuckle, that is connectable to the suspension strut and the steering member and a control arm assembly, for adjusting camber of the suspension system. The control arm assembly comprises a control arm, connectable between a steering knuckle and a steering member. The control arm is defined with a cavity at an end away from the steering member The assembly further includes a ball joint, that links the control arm to the steering knuckle. The ball joint is defined with a flange portion to secure within the cavity of the control arm. Also, the assembly includes an adjustment mechanism, to adjustably connect the ball joint with the control arm. The adjustment mechanism includes a bolt, defined with a shank portion and a head portion, where the shank portion extends through corresponding receiving portions defined in the flange portion of the ball joint and the control arm to connect the control arm and the ball joint. The adjustment mechanism also includes a cam guide, which is disposable about the head portion of the bolt and connectable to the control arm. The cam guide is structured to eccentrically guide the head portion of the bolt such that, position of the ball joint is adjusted relative to the control arm for adjusting camber of the suspension system.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The novel features and characteristics of the disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. The disclosure itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives, and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures. One or more embodiments are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures wherein like reference numerals represent like elements and in which:

Figs. 1 illustrates a schematic view of a suspension system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2a illustrates a perspective view of a control arm assembly for the suspension system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2b illustrates an exploded view of the control arm assembly of Fig. 2a.

Fig. 2c illustrates a disassembled view of a control arm and a ball joint of the control arm assembly of Fig. 2a, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figs. 3a and 3b illustrate schematic view of the suspension system including outward and inward camber adjustment, respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 illustrates various orientations of an adjustment mechanism for different camber adjustment in the control arm assembly of Fig. 2a, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the system and method illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The foregoing has broadly outlined the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description of the disclosure that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the disclosure. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, the conception and specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying other systems, assemblies, mechanisms, methods, and processes for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that, such equivalent constructions do not depart from the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristics of the disclosure, to its system, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.

The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusions, such that a system or a device that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by “comprises… a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or apparatus.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, a suspension system of a vehicle is disclosed. The suspension system among other components include a suspensions strut, which is connectable to a body of the vehicle and a steering member extending from a steering unit of the vehicle. Further, the suspension system includes a steering knuckle, that is connectable to the suspension strut and the steering member and a control arm assembly, for adjusting camber of the suspension system. The control arm assembly further includes a control arm, connectable between a steering knuckle and a steering member. The control arm is defined with a cavity at an end away from the steering member. The assembly also includes a ball joint, that links the control arm to the steering knuckle. The ball joint is defined with a flange portion to be seated within the cavity of the control arm. Also, the assembly includes an adjustment mechanism, to adjustably connect the ball joint with the control arm. The adjustment mechanism includes a bolt, defined with a shank portion and a head portion, where the shank portion extends through corresponding receiving portions defined in the flange portion of the ball joint and the control arm to connect the control arm and the ball joint. The adjustment mechanism also includes a cam guide, which is disposable about the head portion of the bolt and connectable to the control arm. The cam guide is structured to eccentrically guide the head portion of the bolt such that, position of the ball joint is adjusted relative to the control arm for adjusting camber of the suspension system. Such configuration of the suspension system may allow a user or operator to easily adjust camber, without having to substantially modify and/or replace components of conventional suspension systems. Also, as camber adjustment may be performed by assembly, disassembly and/or operation of minimal number of components, assembly time and maintenance time of the suspension system is reduced, whereby rendering the assembly economical.

Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, same numerals have been used to refer to the same or like parts. The following paragraphs describe the present disclosure with reference to Fig. 1-4. It is to be noted that the suspension system and the control arm assembly may be employed in any vehicle including but not limited to a passenger vehicle, a utility vehicle, commercial vehicles, and any other vehicle.

Referring now to Fig. 1, which illustrates a suspension system (200) for a vehicle in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The suspension system (200) may be a strut-based suspension system (200), where a suspension strut (201) may be coupled between a body of the vehicle [not shown in Figures] and a wheel hub for selective and/or restrictive movement from a steering member (202) that may be coupled to a steering unit [not shown in Figures] of the vehicle. One end of the suspension strut (201) may be coupled to the body of the vehicle through one or more resilient members for dampening, while an other end of the suspension strut (201) may be connected the wheel hub of the vehicle via a steering knuckle (203) for allowing movement of the wheels. The steering knuckle (203) may structured to extend and further be coupled to a control arm assembly (100) [which can be best seen in Fig. 3a]. The control arm assembly (100) may couple to the steering knuckle (203) with a steering member (202) of the steering unit, where the steering member (202) may be including, but not limited to, an outer tie rod, an inner tie rod, an elongated tubular member connected to a rack, a turnbuckle, the rack of steering unit and any other member capable of operating and/or translating the control arm assembly (100) and in-turn the wheel hub of the vehicle. Based on operation and/or displacement of the control arm assembly (100) by the steering member (202), movement may be imparted to the steering knuckle (203) for operating the wheel hub, and in-turn wheel of the vehicle. Subject to flatness and banking of terrain on which the vehicle is travelling, the suspension strut (201) of the suspension system (200) and the steering knuckle (203) may be selectively operated for maintaining and/or regulating camber of wheels of the vehicle within a predefined angle relative to vertical axis of the wheels of the vehicle.

In an embodiment, the suspension strut (201) and the steering knuckle (203) may be pivotally coupled by means including, but not limited to, clamping, fastening, and journaling suitably for relative pivotal motion, while restricting normal or linear motion.

Further referring to Fig. 1, the control arm assembly (100) may be connected to the steering knuckle (203) through a ball joint (3), for imparting selective translation motion to the wheel hub by the steering knuckle (203). In an embodiment, camber of the wheel hub, and in-turn wheels of the vehicle, may be fixed within the predefined range of about 0.2° to 1.8° about a vertical axis of corresponding wheel considering relative transitional motion between at least some of the ball joint (3), the suspension strut (201), the control arm assembly (100) and the steering member (202) for ease of handling of the vehicle. With high banking and/or irregular terrain, camber of the suspensions system may be required to be adjusted for ease in handling of the vehicle. Also, due to prolonged usage and/or wear-off of components in the suspension system (200), camber may be required to be adjusted for maneuvering the vehicle. In an embodiment, camber for each wheel of the vehicle may be required to be individually adjusted by considering dimensional variations in components of the suspension system (200). For such adjustment of the camber, the control arm assembly (100) of the present disclosure includes an adjustment mechanism (5) for connecting the ball joint (3) with the suspension system (200), as explained below from Fig. 2a to Fig. 2c.

Turning now to Fig. 2a, which illustrates the control arm assembly (100), including a control arm (1) and the adjustment mechanism (5). The control arm (1) may be connectable between the steering knuckle (203) and the steering member (202) so that, motion between the steering member (202) and the steering knuckle (203) be translated without affecting operation of the suspension system (200) of the vehicle. One end of the control arm (1) may be pivotally coupled to the steering member (202) by connecting means including, but not limited to, fasteners, riveting, clamping, and any other connecting means which may allow transmission of motion from the steering member (202) to the control arm (1). An other end of the control arm (1), which is away from the one end connected to the steering member (202), may be defined with a cavity (2) to receive and accommodate at least a portion of the ball joint (3), as can be seen in Fig. 2a. The ball joint (3) may be defined with a flange portion (4) to reside within the cavity (2) of the control arm (1), where the flange portion (4) may laterally extend from the ball joint (3) such that a ball or pivotal portion (16) of the ball joint (3) may remain outside of the cavity (2) of the control arm (1), as can be seen in Fig. 2a. Such configuration may enable one end of the ball joint (3) to be rigidly fixed to the control arm (1), while other end of the ball joint (3) may pivotable for suitably handling and/or operating the suspension system (200) and in-turn wheels of the vehicle.

Referring now to Fig. 2b, the control arm assembly (100) includes the adjustment mechanism (5) for connecting the control arm (1) with the suspension system (200) via the ball joint (3). In an exemplary embodiment, the adjustment mechanism (5) may include a bolt (6) and a cam guide (10) for adjusting position and/or orientation of the ball joint (3) relative to the control arm (1), in-turn to adjust camber of the suspension system (200). The adjusting mechanism may further include at least one connecting member (15) such as, but not limited to, a fastener, a pin, a rivet and the like which may removably secure the ball joint (3) to the control arm (1). In an embodiment, the control arm (1) and the flange portion (4) of ball joint (3) may be defined with a plurality of receiving portions to allow the bolt (6) and the at least one connecting member (15) to pass through for securement.

In an exemplary embodiment, three receiving portions are depicted, where each of the three receiving portions receive at least one of the bolt (6) and the connecting member (15) for securing the ball joint (3) with the control arm (1). Here, number of receiving portions may be varied depending on number of bolts employed for camber adjustment or number of connecting members employed for securement of the ball joint (3), which should not be considered as a limitation and the same may be performed by one, two or more receiving portions. Further, profile of the receiving portions defined in the control arm (1) is configured to complement profile of the receiving portions in the flange portion (4) of the ball joint (3), where one of the receiving portions of the control arm (1) is defined with a linear slot (14) proximal to an end including the cavity (2), to complement circular profile of the receiving portion (13) in the ball joint (3). Such configuration allows relative displacement between the ball joint (3) and the control arm (1) during tightening and/or loosening of the bolt (6) or the at least one connecting member (15). Here, it should not be construed that the profile depicted to be limitation of the adjusting mechanism, as such profile of the receiving portion (13) may be varied depending on various parameters. Some of such parameter may be including, but not limited to, camber angle adjustment, torque required for securement of the ball joint (3), and the like. Also, orientation and/or axis of the linear slot (14) may be along an axial axis of the control arm (1), however, such orientation and/or axis of the linear slot (14) may be varied based on requirement or angle of connection between the ball joint (3) and the control arm (1).

Referring back to Fig. 2b, the bolt (6), in the exemplary embodiment, may be an eccentric bolt (6). The eccentric bolt (6) may include a shank portion (7) and a head portion (8), where the head portion (8) may be defined with a cam adjuster (9) such that axis of the cam adjuster (9) is eccentric to axis of the shank portion (7) of the bolt (6). The shank portion (7) of the bolt (6) may be configured to extend through the corresponding receiving portions defined in the flange portion (4) of the ball joint (3) and the control arm (1) to connect the control arm (1) and the ball joint (3). The cam adjuster (9) may be joined to the head portion (8) of the bolt (6) or may be integrally formed with the head portion (8) of the bolt (6). Further, the cam guide (10) may be connectable to the control arm (1) by means including, but not limited to, welding, brazing, adhesive bonding, and other means for receiving and securing the bolt (6) to the control arm (1). The cam guide (10) may further be defined with a recess, configured to receive the cam adjuster (9) and in-turn secure the head portion (8) of the bolt (6) to the control arm (1). In an embodiment, the cam guide (10) may be provided on at least one side of the control arm (1) such that, the cam adjuster (9) within the cam guide (10) is configured to trace along the recess of the cam guide (10) for adjusting camber of the suspension system (200). Such movement of the cam adjuster (9) along the cam guide (10) may be configured to displace the bolt (6) along the linear slot (14) defined in the control arm (1) for positioning the ball joint (3) relative to the control arm (1), thereby adjusting camber of the suspension system (200). The cam guide (10) may be configured to limit extent of displacement of the bolt (6) for adjusting camber of the suspension system (200).

Further referring to Figs. 2b and 2c, the adjustment mechanism (5) further includes a tongue washer (11) and flange nut (12), which may be positioned relative to the control arm (1) in such a way that the flange nut (12) and the tongue washer (11) may be easily accessible by a user or operator for adjusting camber of the suspension system (200). The tongue washer (11) may be defined with an eccentric hole, through which the shank portion (7) of the bolt (6) may extend and be secured by the flange nut (12). The eccentric hole of the tongue washer (11) may be profiled such that, the shank portion (7) of the bolt (6) may be relatively and eccentrically displaceable along a radial direction about each side the tongue washer (11) and along the linear slot (14) defined in the control arm (1). Such displacement of the bolt (6) may enable the user to displace the ball joint (3) relative to the control arm (1) via the shank portion (7), for adjusting of camber of the suspension system (200). In an exemplary embodiment, the profile of the eccentric hole in the tongue washer (11) may resemble at least one of “U-cut”, “C-cut”, crescent profile or an arc having sufficient dimension for relative movement of the shank portion (7) in the eccentric hole, however, such profile of the eccentric hole may also be in the form of “V-cut”, “W-cut” and the like, as per requirement for displacing the shank portion (7) for adjusting camber of the suspension system (200).

Turning now to Fig. 2c, for adjusting camber of the suspension system (200), the receiving portions of the control arm (1) and those of the flange portion (4) of the ball joint (3) may be aligned. On aligning, the connecting members may introduced for positioning the ball joint (3) and the control arm (1), while the bolt (6) may be relatively positioned about at least one of the tongue washer (11) and the cam guide (10) for adjusting camber of the suspension system (200). In an embodiment, the receiving portion (13) in the flange portion (4) of the ball joint (3) may be profiled to resemble the linear slot (14) of the control arm (1) so that, the flange portion (4) of the ball joint (3) may suitably be displaced into or out from the cavity (2) of the control arm (1) for adjusting relative position therebetween. On adjusting the camber of the suspension system (200), the connecting members (15) may be operated to rigidly connect and position the ball joint (3) relative to the control arm (1). The flange nut (12) may then be operated to fix the bolt (6) at a defined alignment relative to the eccentric hole of the tongue washer (11) and the cam guide (10). Such alignment may secure the ball joint (3) to the control arm (1) at a predefined camber, which may be measurable as degree of relative orientation of the ball joint (3) with respect to the control arm (1) in the suspension system (200).

Such adjustment of camber may be depicted in Figs. 3a and 3b, where Fig. 3a may illustrate outward camber adjustment, and Fig. 3b may illustrate inward camber adjustment. For example, to adjust camber of the suspension system (200) in an inward adjustment, the cam adjuster (9) of the bolt (6) may be rotated within the recess of the cam guide (10) in a first direction such that, the ball joint (3) may be displaced towards the control arm (1) for the inward camber adjustment of the suspension system (200). Such displacement of the ball joint (3) towards the control arm (1) may be in a range of 0.5mm to 10mm for adjusting camber angle in a range of 0.2° to 1.8° about the vertical axis of corresponding wheel, where such range may correspond to “A” in Y-A as depicted in Fig. 4. Also, to adjust camber of the suspension system (200) in an outward adjustment, the cam adjuster (9) of the bolt (6) may be rotated within the recess of the cam guide (10) in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction of rotation such that, the ball joint (3) may be displaced away from the control arm (1) for the outward camber adjustment of the suspension system (200). Such displacement of the ball joint (3) away from the control arm (1) may be in a range of 0.5mm to 10mm for adjusting camber angle in a range of 0.2° to 1.8° about the vertical axis of corresponding wheel, where such range may correspond to “B” in Y+B as depicted in Fig. 4.

In an exemplary embodiment, alignment of the cam adjuster (9) along a normal axis of the bolt (6), when viewed from the top, may be considered as a nominal camber adjustment, as seen in Fig. 4. Further, the first direction of rotation may be a clock-wise direction about the normal axis of the bolt (6) for the inward camber adjustment, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The second direction of rotation may be in an anti-clock-wise direction about the normal axis of the bolt (6), for the outward camber adjustment. Here, rotation and/or displacement of the cam adjuster (9) may be performed by either employing a tool or by displacing the shank portion (7) relative to the eccentric hole in the tongue washer (11).

In an embodiment, the cam adjuster (9) of the bolt (6) may be defined with graduations for indicating degree of rotation relative to the normal axis of the control arm (1), and in-turn displacement of the ball joint (3) relative to the control arm (1), for selectively regulating camber angle of the suspension system.

It should be imperative that the construction and configuration of the assembly, system and any other elements or components described in the above detailed description should not be considered as a limitation with respect to the figures. Rather, variation to such structural configuration of the elements or components should be considered within the scope of the detailed description.

Equivalents:
With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.
It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
In addition, where features or aspects of the disclosure are described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group.
While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
Detailed description:

Particular Numeral
Suspension system 200
Suspension strut 201
Steering member 202
Steering knuckle 203
Wheel hub 204
Control arm assembly 100
Control arm 1
Cavity 2
Ball joint 3
Flange portion 4
Adjustment mechanism 5
Bolt 6
Shank portion 7
Head portion 8
Cam adjuster 9
Cam guide 10
Tongue washer 11
Flange nut 12
Receiving portion 13
Linear slot 14
Connecting member 15
Ball portion 16