Vehicle fuel economy by optimizing effective tire rolling resistance
First Claim
1. A vehicle suspension system for improving a fuel economy of a vehicle by optimizing effective tire rolling resistance, the vehicle suspension system comprising:
- an at least one principal axle;
an at least one lift axle;
an at least one tire mounted on each of the axles;
a memory for storing instructions, data or programs having algorithms;
load sensors for determining a load on each of the principal and lift axles;
a lift mechanism for lowering or raising the lift axle;
at least one processing device in communication with said memory, said load sensors, said lift mechanism, said at least one processing device configured for;
determining whether a total load carried by the vehicle is greater than a sum of maximum allowable axle load multiplied by a number of lift axles added to a minimum allowable axle load necessary multiplied by a number of principal axles;
ordetermining whether the total load carried by the vehicle is less than or equal to the sum of maximum allowable axle load multiplied by the number of lift axles added to the minimum allowable axle load necessary multiplied by the number of principal axles while also being greater than the total number of axles multiplied by the minimum allowable axle load necessary, ordetermining whether the total load carried by the vehicle is less than or equal to a total number of axles multiplied by minimum allowable axle load necessary;
determining that the tires on a lift axle have lower rolling resistance characteristics than the tires on a principal axle; and
signaling to move said at least one lift axle so as to improve the fuel economy of said vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The subject matter of the present invention relates generally to a vehicle that has axles with tires mounted thereon with at least one axle that is a lift axle, and more specifically, to a method that optimizes the effective tire rolling resistance by adjusting the load on the tires, resulting in an improvement in the fuel economy of the vehicle. According to one embodiment, the method takes into consideration the rolling resistance characteristics of the tires placed onto the axles of the vehicle and provides an algorithm for optimizing their rolling resistance by raising or lowering the lift axle.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A vehicle suspension system for improving a fuel economy of a vehicle by optimizing effective tire rolling resistance, the vehicle suspension system comprising:
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an at least one principal axle; an at least one lift axle; an at least one tire mounted on each of the axles; a memory for storing instructions, data or programs having algorithms; load sensors for determining a load on each of the principal and lift axles; a lift mechanism for lowering or raising the lift axle; at least one processing device in communication with said memory, said load sensors, said lift mechanism, said at least one processing device configured for; determining whether a total load carried by the vehicle is greater than a sum of maximum allowable axle load multiplied by a number of lift axles added to a minimum allowable axle load necessary multiplied by a number of principal axles;
ordetermining whether the total load carried by the vehicle is less than or equal to the sum of maximum allowable axle load multiplied by the number of lift axles added to the minimum allowable axle load necessary multiplied by the number of principal axles while also being greater than the total number of axles multiplied by the minimum allowable axle load necessary, or determining whether the total load carried by the vehicle is less than or equal to a total number of axles multiplied by minimum allowable axle load necessary; determining that the tires on a lift axle have lower rolling resistance characteristics than the tires on a principal axle; and signaling to move said at least one lift axle so as to improve the fuel economy of said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A vehicle suspension system for improving a fuel economy of a vehicle by optimizing effective tire rolling resistance, the vehicle suspension system comprising:
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an at least one principal axle; an at least one lift axle; an at least one tire mounted on each of the axles; a memory for storing instructions, data or programs having algorithms; load sensors for determining a load on each of the principal and lift axles; a lift mechanism for lowering or raising the lift axle; at least one processing device in communication with said memory, said load sensors, said lift mechanism, said at least one processing device configured for; determining whether a quantity of a total load carried by the vehicle minus a product of a maximum allowable axle load multiplied by a number of principal axles is greater the minimum allowable axle load necessary multiplied by a number of lift axles;
ordetermining whether the quantity of the total load carried by the vehicle minus the product of the maximum allowable axle load multiplied by the number of principal axles is less than or equal to the product of minimum allowable axle load multiplied by the number of lift axles while at a same time the total load is greater than or equal to the total number of axles multiplied by the minimum allowable axle load necessary, or determining whether the quantity of the total load carried by the vehicle is less than the total number of axles multiplied by the minimum allowable axle load necessary, or determining whether the quantity of the load carried by the vehicle minus the product of the maximum allowable axle load multiplied by the number of lift axles is less than or equal to the product of the minimum allowable axle load multiplied by the number of principal axles while at the same time the total load is greater than or equal to the total number of axles multiplied by the minimum allowable axle load necessary; determining that the tires on a lift axle have the same or higher rolling resistance characteristics than the tires on a principal axle; and signaling to move said at least one lift axle so as to improve the fuel economy of said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A vehicle having an improved vehicle fuel economy, comprising:
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an at least one lift axle; an at least one principal axle; tires mounted on the lift and principal axles; a memory for storing instructions, data or programs having algorithms; load sensors for determining a load on each of the principal and lift axles; a lift mechanism for lowering or raising the lift axle; at least one processing device in communication with said memory, said load sensors, and said lift mechanism, said processing device configured for; receiving measurements indicative of the load placed on the principal and lift axles as well as a total load carried by the vehicle; executing an algorithm depending on whether the tires on the lift axle have rolling resistance characteristics that are higher, lower or equivalent to the tires on the principal axle and subsequently sending a signal to the lift mechanism in order to move the lift axle to change the loads placed on the principal and lift axles; stopping the movement of the lift mechanism once a desired loads on the principal and lift axles have been reached; and
,monitoring the total vehicle load over time. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification