Vehicle having suspension system with variable camber and vertical suspension in the plane of the wheel

• US 20010028154A1
• Filed: 04/09/2001
• Published: 10/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conception ET Developpement Michelin S.A.
• Original Assignee: Conception ET Developpement Michelin S.A.
• Inventors: Sebe, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 6,511,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/86.757
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0162 mainly during a motion involving steering operation, e.g. cornering, overtaking B60G17/0164 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 21/007 means for adjusting the wheel inclination
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/144 with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/44 steerable
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/46 camber angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/462 Toe-in/out
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/464 Caster angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/413 Hydraulic actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/143 on the vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/421 Pivoted lever mechanisms for mounting suspension elements, e.g. Watt linkage
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/422 Links for mounting suspension elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/82 left and right unit on same axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/8302 Mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/11 the arm being a radius or track or torque or steering rod or stabiliser end link
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/1114 Self-adjustable during driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/01 the wheel being mounted for sliding movement, e.g. in or on a vertical guide camber maintaining means B60G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/001 Suspension arms, e.g. constructional features B60G7/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 17/00 Means on vehicles for adjusting camber, castor, or toe-in
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 9/02 combined with means for inwardly inclining vehicle body on bends

Abstract

A ground contact system for a vehicle having a wheel mounted on a wheel carrier, the wheel carrier being mounted on a support by a vertical suspension device, the support being mounted on a chassis by a load transfer arm on one side of which the support is articulated along an essentially horizontal geometrical camber axis, the load transfer arm being connected at its other side to the chassis along an essentially vertical geometrical axis, a camber control rod being mounted articulated to the support some distance from the geometrical suspension axis, the camber control rod being able to move transversely relative to the chassis, a triangulation-forming element connecting the load transfer arm to the chassis around the essentially vertical geometrical axis, such that it controls the moment about the essentially vertical geometrical axis.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a rolling and suspended chassis,

at least two ground contact systems each comprising a wheel, the said ground contact systems being mounted on the said chassis transversely on either side thereof, the wheel of each ground contact system being mounted on a wheel carrier, the wheel carrier being mounted on a support by a vertical suspension device that permits suspension travel movement of the wheel carrier relative to the support, the suspension travel movement taking place in the plane of the wheel, the suspension travel movement being sufficient to permit the vertical suspension movement required, and the movement being controlled by appropriate means,

each support being mounted on the said chassis in a manner that makes it possible to incline each wheel relative to the said chassis in order to impose on the planes of the said wheels a camber angle γ

of the desired amplitude, by inclining the wheels relative to the ground all on the same side,

said support being mounted on the said chassis by a load transfer arm, at one side of which the support is articulated along an essentially horizontal geometrical camber axis, the said load transfer arm being connected at its other side to the chassis along an essentially vertical geometrical axis,

a camber control rod being mounted articulated to the support and some distance away from the geometrical camber axis, the camber control rod being able to move transversely relative to the chassis, and

a triangulation-forming element connecting the load transfer arm to the chassis, such that it controls the moment about the essentially vertical geometrical axis.

2. A vehicle according to

claim 1

, wherein the support comprises a first element that guides the wheel and a second element on which the load transfer arm is mounted, the first and second elements together forming a pivot that defines a geometrical pivot axis which enables the wheel to be tracked relative to the chassis, the steering angle being controlled by a track rod.

3. A vehicle according to

claim 2

in which, viewed in a horizontal plane, the track rod forms a trapezium with the load transfer arm.

4. A vehicle according to

claim 2

in which the track rod is actuated by a direction control lever mounted articulated to the essentially vertical geometrical axis of the load transfer arm.

5. A vehicle according to

claim 1

in which the triangulation-forming element which controls the horizontal suspension travel of the load transfer arm is mounted on the one hand on the load transfer arm at a point intermediate between its ends, and on the other hand on the chassis at a point some distance away from the essentially vertical geometrical axis of the load transfer arm.

6. A vehicle according to

claim 1

in which the triangulation-forming element is an element that permits an oscillation movement of the load transfer arm about the essentially vertical geometrical axis, such that a horizontal suspension is obtained.

7. A vehicle according to

claim 1

in which the control-side ends of the camber control rods are essentially united at the center of the vehicle, where each is mounted to the same plate whose transverse movement relative to the chassis is controlled by a camber control jack.

8. A vehicle according to

claim 1

, comprising:

a passenger compartment for the transport of passengers, mounted on the chassis and able to tilt about an essentially longitudinal roll axis, such that the passenger compartment can move through a variable roll angle relative to the said chassis, and

means for controlling the roll interposed between the chassis and the passenger compartment, which act so as to impose the said roll angle in the same direction as the camber imposed on the wheels.

9. A vehicle according to

claim 8

in which the control-side ends of the camber control rods are essentially united at the center of the vehicle, where each is mounted to a common plate whose transverse movement relative to the chassis is controlled by a camber control jack, and in which the roll control means comprise the camber control jack, such that the variation of the camber of the wheels and the variation of the roll angle of the passenger compartment are synchronous.

10. A vehicle according to

claim 1

, comprising at least one sensor to detect the value of at least one parameter that enables evaluation of the transverse acceleration acting on the vehicle, and computation means for calculating the amplitude of the camber angle as a function of the value(s) determined.