阅读说明：本技术 后悬架安装总成 (Rear suspension mounting assembly ) 是由 黑马特·贡达里亚 于 2020-03-24 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种适于将驾驶室连接到车辆底盘的后悬架安装总成。下支架设有第一紧固件,用以将下支架固定至车辆底盘。上支架设有第二紧固件,用以将上支架固定至驾驶室。第一和第二连接装置将上支架连接至下支架,其中,第一连接装置适于将上支架刚性地连接至下支架,第二连接装置适于将上支架以可移动方式连接至下支架。当支架通过两个连接装置连接时,上支架被刚性地连接至下支架,其中,第一连接装置按尺寸形成为在受到阈值力时断裂,在阈值力下,第二连接装置保持完整,并允许上支架相对于下支架移动。(The present invention relates to a rear suspension mounting assembly adapted to connect a cab to a vehicle chassis. The lower bracket is provided with a first fastener for securing the lower bracket to the vehicle chassis. The upper bracket is provided with a second fastener for fixing the upper bracket to the cab. First and second connecting means connect the upper bracket to the lower bracket, wherein the first connecting means are adapted to rigidly connect the upper bracket to the lower bracket and the second connecting means are adapted to movably connect the upper bracket to the lower bracket. The upper bracket is rigidly connected to the lower bracket when the brackets are connected by two connecting means, wherein the first connecting means is dimensioned to break when subjected to a threshold force at which the second connecting means remains intact and allows the upper bracket to move relative to the lower bracket.)

1. A rear suspension mounting assembly (4, 204, 304, 404) adapted to connect a cab (6) to a vehicle chassis (8), wherein the rear suspension mounting assembly comprises:

-a lower bracket (10, 210, 310, 410) provided with a first fastener (12, 212) to secure the lower bracket to a vehicle chassis (8),

-an upper bracket (14, 214, 314, 414) provided with a second fastener (16) for fixing the upper bracket to a cab (6),

-first and second connection means (220, 320, 420, 324, 326, 328, 422, 424) connecting the upper carriage to the lower carriage, wherein the first connection means (220, 320, 420) are adapted to rigidly connect the upper carriage to the lower carriage and the second connection means (222, 224, 322, 324, 326, 328, 422, 424) are adapted to movably connect the upper carriage to the lower carriage,

-wherein the upper bracket is rigidly connected to the lower bracket when the upper bracket is connected to the lower bracket by both the first connecting means and the second connecting means,

-wherein the first connecting means are dimensioned to break when subjected to a threshold force at which the second connecting means remain intact and allow the upper carriage to move relative to the lower carriage.

2. A rear suspension mounting assembly (4, 204, 304, 404) as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second connecting means (222, 224, 322, 324, 326, 328, 422, 424) is adapted to rotatably connect said upper bracket (14, 214, 314, 414) to said lower bracket (10, 210, 310, 410) thereby enabling said upper bracket to rotate relative to said lower bracket when said first connecting means (220, 320, 420) breaks at said threshold force.

3. A rear suspension mounting assembly (4, 204, 304) according to any of claims 1-2, wherein the second connecting means comprises a guide slot (224, 324) and a protruding element (222, 322) protruding into the guide slot, wherein one of the upper bracket and the lower bracket is provided with the guide slot, wherein the other of the upper bracket and the lower bracket is provided with the protruding element, wherein the protruding element is enabled to move along the slot when the first connecting means breaks at the threshold force, thereby moving the upper bracket relative to the lower bracket.

4. A rear suspension mounting assembly (4, 204, 304) as set forth in claim 3 wherein said guide slot (224, 324) is curved to guide said projecting element (222, 322) along a curved path thereby enabling rotation of said upper bracket (214, 314) relative to said lower bracket (210, 310).

5. A rear suspension mounting assembly (4, 204, 304) according to any of claims 3 to 4, wherein the guide slot extends between two guide slot edges (224a, 224b, 324a, 324b), wherein at least one of the guide slot edges limits the movement of the protruding element, thereby limiting the movement of the upper bracket relative to the lower bracket after the allowable rotation of the upper bracket.

6. A rear suspension mounting assembly (4, 204) according to any of claims 3-5, wherein one of the upper bracket and the lower bracket is provided with the protruding element and the other of the upper bracket and the lower bracket is provided with the guide slot, wherein the guide slot (224) forms a recess or hole in the bracket.

7. A rear suspension mounting assembly (4, 304) according to any of claims 3-5, wherein one of the upper bracket and the lower bracket is provided with the protruding element and the other of the upper bracket and the lower bracket comprises a main portion (326) and a guiding portion (328) attached to the main portion, wherein the guiding slot (324) is provided in the guiding portion.

8. A rear suspension mounting assembly (4, 404) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the second connecting means includes a pivot axis (442) extending through both the upper bracket (414) and the lower bracket (410), wherein when the first connecting means breaks at the threshold force, the upper bracket is enabled to pivot relative to the lower bracket about the pivot axis.

9. A rear suspension mounting assembly (4, 404) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the second connecting means is provided with a resilient element (444) to provide resilient resistance to relative movement between the upper and lower brackets.

10. A rear suspension mounting assembly (4, 404) according to claim 9 when dependent on claim 8, wherein the pivot shaft (442) is provided with the resilient element (444), such as a torsion spring, to provide rotational resistance.

11. A rear suspension mounting assembly (4, 204, 304, 404) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first connecting means (220, 320, 420) comprises one or more bolts to connect the upper bracket to the lower bracket, wherein the one or more bolts are dimensioned to break when subjected to the threshold force.

12. A rear suspension mounting assembly (4, 204, 304, 404) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the first and second fasteners (12, 212, 16) are spaced from the first and second connecting means (220, 320, 420, 222, 224, 322, 324, 326, 328, 422, 424).

13. A rear suspension mounting assembly (4, 204, 304, 404) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the upper bracket is configured to extend upwardly from the lower bracket when the rear suspension mounting assembly is mounted and connects the cab to the vehicle chassis.

14. A rear suspension mounting assembly (4, 204, 304, 404) according to any of claims 1-13, wherein the upper bracket is elongated and has a lower end connected to the lower bracket and an upper end adapted to be connected to the cab, wherein the longitudinal extension of the upper bracket extends from the lower end to the upper end.

15. A vehicle (2) comprising:

-a driver's cabin (6),

-a chassis (8), and

-a rear suspension mounting assembly (4, 204, 304, 404) according to any of claims 1 to 12 for connecting the rear of the cab to the chassis.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, further comprising a front leg or front suspension mounting assembly (18) to connect a front of the cab to the chassis, wherein the front leg or front suspension mounting assembly or a portion thereof is sized to break upon a frontal collision that generates the threshold force so as to allow the cab to move rearward relative to the chassis.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a rear suspension mounting assembly adapted to connect a cab to a vehicle chassis. The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising such a rear suspension mounting assembly.

The invention may be applied to heavy vehicles such as trucks and construction equipment. Although the invention will be described in relation to a truck, the invention is not limited to this particular vehicle, but may be applied to other vehicles, such as construction equipment.

Background

Heavy vehicles, such as trucks, are often provided with a cabin (cabin), often referred to as a cab, in which an operator may sit to operate the vehicle. The cab is connected to the vehicle chassis, i.e. one or more vehicle frames holding the vehicle body.

Some trucks are designed such that during a frontal impact or pendulum impact of the truck, the impact energy is transferred to some extent to the cab movement, with the remainder being transferred to the cab deformation. By allowing the cab to move and partially deform during a collision, intrusion into the front side of the cab (essentially the firewall area of the truck) may be reduced.

The above-mentioned movements and deformations can be achieved by designing the cab front suspension, i.e. designed to break under a certain impact load. The firewall and floor member provide rigidity to reduce intrusion, while the breaking of the front suspension allows the cab to move rearward, which in turn helps reduce intrusion, thus providing better living space.

Existing legislation requirements, such as the united states protocols ECE R29.02 and ECE R29.03 for the unified technical provisions of wheeled vehicles, state that the cab should be connected to the rest of the vehicle by any cab mounting after an impact. In the above-mentioned prior art solutions, this requirement is met by a complete (intact) rear suspension by means of which the cab remains connected to the vehicle chassis.

While existing solutions provide a certain amount of safety for the driver in the event of a frontal collision impact, it would be desirable to further improve the safety aspects of the cab subjected to a frontal collision impact. In particular, it would be desirable to reduce firewall intrusion into the interior of the driver compartment of the cab during a crash scenario while meeting safety regulations such as ECE 29.02 and ECE 29.03.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a suspension mounting assembly that can be used to improve the safety aspects of a cab impacted by a frontal collision.

According to a first aspect of the invention, this object is achieved by a rear suspension mounting assembly according to claim 1. The rear suspension mounting assembly is adapted to connect the cab to the vehicle chassis, wherein the rear suspension mounting assembly comprises:

a lower bracket having a first fastener to secure the lower bracket to a vehicle chassis,

an upper bracket having a second fastener to secure the upper bracket to the cab,

first and second connecting means connecting the upper bracket to the lower bracket, wherein the first connecting means are adapted to rigidly connect the upper bracket to the lower bracket and the second connecting means are adapted to movably connect the upper bracket to the lower bracket,

wherein the upper bracket is rigidly connected to the lower bracket when the upper bracket is connected to the lower bracket by both the first and the second connecting means,

-wherein the first connection means is dimensioned to break upon being subjected to a threshold force at which the second connection means remains intact and allows the upper carriage to move relative to the lower carriage.

The invention is based on the recognition that in the event of a frontal collision, a further rearward movement of the cab can be provided by allowing a part of the rear suspension to be movable rearward, wherein the cab remains connected to the vehicle chassis via another part of the rear suspension, thereby enabling the cab to be moved further while meeting the regulatory requirements. Thus, existing solutions with a front suspension designed to break under a specific impact can be supplemented by a rear suspension mounting assembly according to the invention. In other words, by using the rear suspension mounting assembly according to the present invention, in addition to the rearward movement allowed by the existing solution, further rearward movement will be allowed, whereby more impact energy will be transferred to the cab movement and less impact energy will be transferred to the cab deformation (intrusion of the firewall).

In this application, terms such as upper, lower, above, below, and the like, refer to the normal mounting of the rear suspension mounting assembly. In particular, these terms may relate to a vehicle standing on the ground (such as a road surface) by its wheels. For example, a cab in a normal environment extends to a level above the floor pan. Thus, at least a part of the upper bracket is intentionally located at a higher level in the vertical direction relative to the ground than the lower bracket.

According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the second connecting means is adapted to rotatably connect the upper bracket to the lower bracket, thereby enabling the upper bracket to rotate relative to the lower bracket when the first connecting means breaks at said threshold force. This has the advantage of enabling a controlled rearward movement of the cab. Even a small angle of rotation at the connection of the upper and lower brackets may result in considerable movement of the cab. The longer the upper support member, the greater the leverage effect (angular rotation vs. cab movement).

According to at least one illustrative embodiment, the second connecting means comprises a guide slot and a protruding element protruding into the guide slot, wherein one of the upper bracket and the lower bracket has the guide slot, wherein the other of the upper bracket and the lower bracket has the protruding element, wherein the protruding element is enabled to move along the slot when the first connecting means breaks at said threshold force, thereby moving the upper bracket relative to the lower bracket. This also has the advantage of providing controlled movement.

According to at least one illustrative embodiment, the guide slot is curved to guide the protruding element along a curved path, thereby enabling the upper bracket to rotate relative to the lower bracket. This also has the advantage of providing controlled movement. Furthermore, due to the lever effect, even a small movement of the protruding element within the curved guide slot may cause a large rearward movement at the upper end of the upper bracket, and thus a large rearward movement of the cab.

According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the guide slot extends between two guide slot edges, wherein at least one guide slot edge limits the movement of the protruding element, thereby limiting the movement of the upper carriage relative to the lower carriage after rotation of the upper carriage. This is advantageous in that the maximum desired relative movement between the upper and lower carrier may be defined, for example in order to find a suitable balance between the impact energy converted into movement of the cab and the impact energy converted into deformation of the cab. In addition, by avoiding unconstrained cab movement, the risk of cab collisions with surrounding interfaces (such as the load on the rear side, the engine assembly portion of the cab floor, etc.) is reduced.

According to at least one exemplary embodiment, one of the upper bracket and the lower bracket is provided with a protruding element and the other of the upper bracket and the lower bracket is provided with a guide slot, wherein the guide slot forms a groove or a hole in the bracket. By integrating the guide slot in one of the brackets, the number of components can be kept low. Furthermore, the material thickness of the holder may be dimensioned such that the material strength is sufficient, even if recesses are provided in the holder material.

According to at least one illustrative embodiment, one of the upper bracket and the lower bracket has a protruding element, and the other of the upper bracket and the lower bracket includes a main portion and a guide portion attached to the main portion, wherein the guide slot is provided in the guide portion. This is advantageous in that the size of the guide portion and thus the extension of the guide slot can be designed smaller independently of the dimensions and material strength of the main portion, compared to the guide slot which would form an integral part of the main portion.

According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the second connecting means comprises a pivot axis extending through both the upper bracket and the lower bracket, wherein the upper bracket is enabled to pivot relative to the lower bracket about the pivot axis when the first connecting means breaks at said threshold force. By this arrangement a simple connection is provided between the upper and lower brackets.

According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the second connection means has a resilient element to provide a resilient resistance to the relative movement between the upper bracket and the lower bracket. By choosing a suitable spring force of the spring element, the desired rearward movement can be limited and somewhat damped.

According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the pivot shaft is provided with said resilient element, such as a torsion spring, to provide a rotational resistance. This may be a simple way of limiting said rearward movement, for example instead of providing the slot with a limiting edge.

According to at least one illustrative embodiment, the first connecting means comprises one or more bolts to connect the upper bracket to the lower bracket, wherein the one or more bolts are dimensioned to break when subjected to the threshold force. By suitably selecting the dimensions of the one or more bolts it is possible to predict at what force they will break. For example, a bolt with a thicker shank will generally provide a higher threshold force than a bolt with a thinner shank. Depending on the type of vehicle and the type of cab, a desired threshold force may be determined, and an appropriately sized bolt may be selected based on the desired threshold force.

According to at least one illustrative embodiment, the first and second fasteners are spaced apart from the first and second attachment devices. Thus, the first and second fixation to the cab and the vehicle chassis may be constructed independently of the connection between the upper and lower brackets. If one of the connecting means is to be used for connecting both the upper bracket and the lower bracket to each other and for connecting the lower bracket to the chassis, for example, a lower degree of freedom of design and adaptation to different vehicle and cab types will result.

According to at least one illustrative embodiment, the upper bracket is configured to extend upwardly from the lower bracket when the rear suspension mounting assembly is installed and connects the cab to the vehicle chassis. By selecting the point of attachment between the upper bracket and the lower bracket, i.e. by selecting the position of the second attachment means, and by selecting the length of the upper bracket, a suitable leverage effect can be obtained when the upper bracket is impacted and rotated relative to the lower bracket.

According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the upper bracket is elongated and has a lower end connected to the lower bracket and an upper end adapted to be connected to the cab, wherein the longitudinal extension of the upper bracket extends from the lower end to the upper end. Likewise, by selecting a suitable length of the upper bracket and a position of the second connecting means, a suitable leverage effect can be obtained when the upper bracket is impacted to rotate relative to the lower bracket.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes:

-a cabin of a vehicle,

-a chassis, and

-a rear suspension mounting assembly according to the first aspect of the invention (including any embodiment thereof) to connect the rear of the cab to the chassis.

According to at least one exemplary embodiment of the second aspect, the vehicle further comprises a front leg or front suspension mounting assembly to connect a front portion of the cab to the chassis, wherein the front leg or front suspension mounting assembly or a portion thereof is dimensioned to break upon a frontal collision generating the threshold force so as to allow the cab to move rearwardly relative to the chassis. Thus, by providing the vehicle with a breakable front leg or front suspension mounting assembly and rear suspension mounting assembly, the range of rearward movement is extended compared to when the front leg or front suspension mounting assembly would be used in combination with a non-movable rear suspension mounting assembly.

Further advantages and advantageous features of the invention are disclosed in the following description and in the dependent claims.

Drawings

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the following is a more detailed description of embodiments of the invention cited as examples.

In the drawings:

fig. 1 is a schematic view of a portion of a vehicle in which a rear suspension mounting assembly connects a cab to a chassis,

figures 2, 2a and 2b schematically illustrate a rear suspension mounting assembly according to at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention,

FIGS. 3, 3a, and 3b schematically illustrate a rear suspension mounting assembly, and

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a rear suspension mounting assembly according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a vehicle 2 in which a rear suspension mounting assembly 4 connects a cab 6 to a chassis 8, according to at least one illustrative embodiment of the invention. Although the vehicle 2 is shown in the form of a truck, other types of vehicles, such as construction equipment, may also be provided with the rear suspension mounting assembly 4 of the present invention.

The rear suspension mounting assembly 4 comprises a lower bracket 10, the lower bracket 10 being provided with a first fastener 12 for securing the lower bracket to the vehicle chassis. The first fasteners 12 are shown here in the form of a plurality of bolts that secure the lower bracket 10 to the vehicle chassis 8. Although six bolts are shown, other numbers of bolts are also contemplated. In addition, other or additional types of fasteners are also contemplated. The rear suspension mounting assembly 4 further comprises an upper bracket 14, the upper bracket 14 being provided with a second fastener 16 for securing the upper bracket 14 to the cab 6. For example, second fasteners 16 may include any set of components, including bolts, nuts, bracket members, flexible members (such as bumpers and/or springs), and the like, to secure upper bracket 14 to cab 6.

The upper bracket 14 is further discussed with reference to fig. 2, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b and 4 by connecting the first and second connecting means to the lower bracket 10.

Before referring to those figures, it should be noted that the vehicle may further include a front leg or front suspension mounting assembly 18 in addition to the rear suspension mounting assembly 4 of the present invention to connect the front of the cab 6 to the chassis 8, as shown in fig. 1. Such front legs or suspension mount assemblies 18 or portions thereof may be sized in a known manner to break upon a frontal collision producing a defined threshold force so as to allow rearward movement of the cab 6 relative to the chassis 8. By combining the movable rear suspension mounting assembly 4 of the present invention with the known front suspension mounting assembly 18, the range of rearward movement will be extended compared to using the front suspension mounting assembly 18 in combination with a non-movable rear suspension mounting assembly.

Fig. 2, 2a, and 2b schematically illustrate a rear suspension mounting assembly 204 according to at least one illustrative embodiment of the invention.

In fig. 2, the upper bracket 214 and the lower bracket 210 are schematically shown before they are connected to each other and before they are mounted to the vehicle.

Fig. 2a schematically shows a normal operating state when the rear suspension mounting assembly 204 has been mounted to the vehicle and connects the cab to the chassis 8. It should be noted that the cab is not shown for simplicity and explanation, and only a portion of the upper bracket 214 is shown. Thus, fig. 2a shows that the lower bracket 210 has been fixed to the chassis 8 by first fasteners 212 (here shown as comprising six bolts), and that the upper bracket 214 has been connected to the lower bracket 210.

Fig. 2b shows a frontal collision situation, i.e. the cab has been impacted. In this state, the cab (not shown) and the upper bracket 214 have rotated relative to the lower bracket 210 and the chassis 8.

The first connecting means 220 is adapted to rigidly connect the upper bracket 214 to the lower bracket 210. In fig. 2 and 2a, the first connection means 220 are shown as a pair of bolts, however, other types of first connection means are also conceivable as long as they rigidly connect the brackets and disconnect at the desired threshold force, i.e. upon the occurrence of a frontal collision of a certain magnitude.

The second attachment devices 222, 224 are adapted to removably attach the upper rack 214 to the lower rack 210. In fig. 2, 2a and 2b, the second connection means 222, 224 are shown as knobs 222 on the upper bracket 214 configured to be guided by curved slots 222 in the lower bracket 210. However, in other embodiments, the curved slot would be provided in the upper bracket and the knob provided in the lower bracket. Furthermore, various alternative movable connections are conceivable. For example, the slot need not necessarily be curved, but may be straight, parallel to the ground or inclined relative to the ground, etc. Furthermore, instead of a knob, other types of protruding elements are envisaged that protrude into the guiding slot and enable it to move along the guiding slot when the first connecting means 220 breaks at said threshold force. The protruding element may be, for example, a pin or a shaft.

When the upper bracket 214 is connected to the lower bracket 210 by both the first connecting means 220 and the second connecting means 222, the upper bracket 214 is rigidly connected to the lower bracket 210, as shown in fig. 2 a. The first attachment means 220 is dimensioned to break when subjected to a threshold force at which the second attachment means 222, 224 remain intact and allow the upper bracket 214 to move relative to the lower bracket 210, as shown in fig. 2 b.

It should be noted that even though the first connecting means 220 has been shown as being located above the second connecting means 222, 224, it is envisaged that in other embodiments, instead of having the second connecting means located above the first connecting means.

As shown in fig. 2b, due to the curvature of the guide slot 224, the second connection means 222, 224 rotatably connect the upper bracket 214 to the lower bracket 210, thereby enabling the upper bracket 214 to rotate relative to the lower bracket 210 due to the curved path traveled by the knob 222 in the guide slot 224 when the first connection means 220 breaks at said threshold force. In some illustrative embodiments, such as shown in fig. 2, 2a, and 2b, the guide slot 222 begins at a bottom position, such as a centered position on the bracket (on the lower bracket 210 in the illustration), and then curves upward and toward the front of the vehicle. However, other curved extensions may also be present.

Thus, the guide slot 224 extends between two guide slot edges 224a, 224b (see fig. 2). The guide slot edges 224a, 224b limit the movement of the protruding element (knob 222), thereby limiting the movement of the upper bracket 214 relative to the lower bracket 210 after the allowable rotation of the upper bracket 214.

In the illustrative embodiment shown in fig. 2, 2a and 2b, the guide slot 224 forms a recess or hole in the lower bracket 210 itself. However, in other illustrative embodiments, the guide slot may be formed in a separate part attached to one of the upper bracket and the lower bracket, wherein the protruding element to be guided in the guide slot is provided on the other of the upper bracket and the lower bracket. Such illustrative embodiments are shown in fig. 3, 3a and 3 b.

Thus, fig. 3, 3a, and 3b schematically illustrate a rear suspension mounting assembly 304 in accordance with at least another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows that the upper bracket 314 is provided with a protruding element, such as a knob 322, similar to the upper bracket 214 and the knob 222 in fig. 2. In fig. 3, the lower bracket 310 comprises a main portion 326 and a guide portion 328, the guide portion 328 being attached to the main portion 326 by suitable fixing means, such as screws, bolts or the like, wherein the guide slot 324 (with its guide slot edges 324a, 324b) is provided in the guide portion 328. However, the guiding principle substantially corresponds to the guiding principle shown and discussed in relation to fig. 2, 2a and 2b, and accordingly fig. 3a shows a normal operating state when the rear suspension mounting assembly 304 has been mounted to the vehicle and connects the cab to the chassis 8, and fig. 3b shows a frontal collision state, i.e. the cab has been subjected to an impact. In this state, the cab (not shown) and the upper bracket 314 have rotated relative to the lower bracket 310 and the chassis 8.

Although guide slots such as shown in fig. 2, 2a, 2b, 3a and 3b are beneficial for controlled movement of the upper bracket and the cab, other embodiments are also contemplated.

Fig. 4 schematically illustrates a rear suspension mounting assembly 404 according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In this simplified illustration, the second linkage includes a pivot shaft 442 that extends through the upper bracket 414 and the lower bracket 410. Thus, the upper bracket 414 is enabled to pivot relative to the lower bracket 410 about the pivot axis 442 when the first connection means 420 breaks at the threshold force. Since there are no movement limiting edges with respect to the guide slots in the above figures, different movement limiting mechanisms may be provided. For example, the pivot shaft 442 may be provided with a resilient element 444, such as a torsion spring, to provide rotational resistance to relative movement between the upper bracket 414 and the lower bracket 410. It should be understood that resilient elements are also contemplated in other exemplary embodiments to limit relative movement between the upper and lower brackets. For example, even embodiments with guide slots may be provided with suitable resilient elements as required to control the movement of the knob within the guide slot.

As shown, the first and second fasteners are spaced apart from the first and second attachment devices. Further, the upper bracket is configured to extend upwardly from the lower bracket when the rear suspension mounting assembly is installed and connects the cab to the vehicle chassis. In fig. 1, it can be seen that the upper rack 14 is elongated and may suitably be longer than the lower rack 10. The upper end of the upper bracket is adapted to be connected to the cab. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings; on the contrary, those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.