Trailing arm suspension assembly

• US 20040032107A1
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Technology Investments Limited
• Original Assignee: Technology Investments Limited
• Inventors: Timoney, Sean, Timoney, Eanna Pronsias
• Granted Patent: US 7,111,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/124.128
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 11/28 characterised by means specially adapted for attaching the spring to axle or sprung part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/132 with a single trailing arm
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/422 Driving wheels or live axles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/152 Pneumatic spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/126 Mounting of pneumatic springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/13 with the spring, i.e. coil spring, or damper horizontally mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/143 on the vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/418 Bearings, e.g. ball or roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/07 Off-road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/32 Track vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/145 the arm forming the axle housing
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 5/02 mounted on a single pivoted arm , e.g. the arm being rigid
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/02 Attaching arms to sprung part of vehicle B60G7/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/112 with fluid springs, e.g. hydraulic pneumatic

Abstract

A suspension assembly has a pair of suspension arms, namely a forward suspension arm and a rear suspension arm. Each suspension arm is pivotally mounted on a housing containing spring means associated with each of the suspension arms. A wheel hub assembly is mounted at an outer end of each suspension arm. An inner end of each suspension arm is connected by a pivot shaft with a lower end of an associated lever arm mounted within the housing. An upper end of the lever arm is connected to the spring means. The spring means opposes pivotal movement of the suspension arm away from a neutral position. Mounting flanges on the housing allow the assembly to be bolted to a floor of a vehicle and adjusted for correct alignment on the vehicle.

Claims

1. A modular suspension assembly for an armoured vehicle, including:

a support frame,

a pair of suspension units mounted on the support frame, namely a leading arm suspension unit and a trailing arm suspension unit,

each suspension unit including a suspension arm having an outer end and an inner end,

said outer end having means for connection to a wheel or track support,

said inner end being pivotally mounted on the support frame and connected to a spring means on the support frame which opposes pivotal movement of the suspension arm away from a neutral position,

the suspension arms being pivotal in a vertical plane,

the support frame having mounting means for securing the support frame to a bottom of a vehicle hull upon which the modular suspension assembly is to be mounted.

2. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mounting means is adjustable to allow pivoting of the mounting frame about a vertical axis to facilitate correct alignment of the suspension arms on the vehicle hull.

3. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the mounting means comprises a pair of spaced-apart horizontal mounting flanges on the support frame having vertical through holes for reception of associated mounting bolts to secure the mounting frame to the bottom of the vehicle hull.

4. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the through holes include a circular pivot hole in one flange for reception of a pivot pin and a plurality of elongate slots, a long axis of each slot lying on the circumference of a circle having its centre at the pivot hole.

5. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein a pivot axis about which each suspension arm rotates lies beneath the line of action of the spring means.

6. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the spring means for the suspension arms are mounted on the support frame in a substantially horizontal side by side orientation.

7. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner end of each suspension arm is connected to a lever arm which in turn acts on the spring means.

8. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the mounting frame has a sealed housing within which the lever arms and spring means associated with the suspension arms are mounted, each lever arm being connected to a suspension arm by a pivot shaft which projects outwardly through a complementary opening in a side wall of the housing, a seal being mounted in said opening about the shaft to seal between the housing and the shaft.

9. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein each suspension arm inclines upwardly from the inner end to the outer end of the suspension arm.

10. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the suspension arm of the front leading arm suspension unit has its outer end located forwardly of its inner end, and the suspension arm of the rear trailing arm suspension unit has its outer end located rearwardly of its inner end.

11. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein means is provided at the outer end of each suspension arm for demountably securing a wheel or track support at said outer end.

12. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the spring means is a hydrostrut.

13. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 12 wherein swivel connectors are mounted at each end of the hydrostrut for connection between the hydrostrut and the support frame and the lever arm.

14. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 13 wherein a fork and trunnion connector is provided between the lever arm and the hydrostrut.

15. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 13 or 14 wherein an elastomeric flexible mount is provided between the hydrostrut and the support frame.

16. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 13 wherein swivel bearings are provided between each end of the hydrostut and the support frame and the lever arm.

17. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein a rocking beam is mounted at an outer end of each suspension arm, a centre of the rocking beam being pivotally mounted on the suspension arm by a pivot pin extending between the beam and the suspension arm for pivotal movement about a horizontal pivot axis, a wheel or track support being mounted at each end of the rocking beam.

18. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 17 wherein track supports are mounted at each end of the rocking beam and a wheel support is mounted coaxially with the pivot pin on the rocking beam or suspension arm.

19. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support frame forms a bogie with means for pivotally mounting the bogie on the bottom of the vehicle hull, the bogie having means for connection to a steering system of the vehicle for controlled pivoting of the bogie in response to a steering command from the steering system.

20. A suspension assembly as claimed in claim 19 wherein steerable wheels are mounted at the outer ends of the suspension arms by swivel mounts, a steering arm of the swivel mount being connected by a drag link to a fixed mounting point to provide differential steering of the wheels in response to rotation of the bogie.

21. A modular suspension assembly for an armoured vehicle, including:

a support frame,

a pair of suspension units mounted on the support frame, namely a leading arm suspension unit and a trailing arm suspension unit,

each suspension unit including a suspension arm having an outer end and an inner end,

said outer end having means for connection to a wheel or track support,

said inner end being pivotally mounted on the support frame and connected to a spring means on the support frame which opposes pivotal movement of the suspension arm away from a neutral position,

the suspension arms being pivotal in a vertical plane,

the support frame having mounting means for securing the support frame to a bottom of a vehicle hull upon which the modular suspension assembly is to be mounted,

the mounting means being adjustable to allow pivoting of the mounting frame about a vertical axis to facilitate correct alignment of the suspension arms on the vehicle hull.

22. A modular suspension assembly for an armoured vehicle, including:

a support frame,

a pair of suspension units mounted on the support frame, namely a leading arm suspension unit and a trailing arm suspension unit,

each suspension unit including a suspension arm having an outer end and an inner end,

said outer end having means for connection to a wheel or track support,

said inner end being pivotally mounted on the support frame and connected to a spring means on the support frame which opposes pivotal movement of the suspension arm away from a neutral position,

the suspension arms being pivotal in a vertical plane,

the support frame having mounting means for securing the support frame to a bottom of a vehicle hull upon which the modular suspension assembly is to be mounted,

the mounting means being adjustable to allow pivoting of the mounting frame about a vertical axis to facilitate correct alignment of the suspension arms on the vehicle hull,

the mounting means comprises a pair of spaced-apart horizontal mounting flanges on the support frame having vertical through holes for reception of associated mounting bolts to secure the mounting frame to the bottom of the vehicle hull,

the through holes include a circular pivot hole in one flange for reception of a pivot pin and a plurality of elongate slots, a long axis of each slot lying on the circumference of a circle having its centre at the pivot hole.

23. A modular suspension assembly for an armoured vehicle, including:

a support frame,

a pair of suspension units mounted on the support frame, namely a leading arm suspension unit and a trailing arm suspension unit,

each suspension unit including a suspension arm having an outer end and an inner end,

said outer end having means for connection to a wheel or track support,

said inner end being pivotally mounted on the support frame and connected to a spring means on the support frame which opposes pivotal movement of the suspension arm away from a neutral position,

the suspension arms being pivotal in a vertical plane,

the support frame having mounting means for securing the support frame to a bottom of a vehicle hull upon which the modular suspension assembly is to be mounted,

the spring means for the suspension arms being mounted on the support frame in a substantially horizontal side by side orientation.

24. A modular suspension assembly for an armoured vehicle, including:

a support frame,

a pair of suspension units mounted on the support frame, namely a leading arm suspension unit and a trailing arm suspension unit,

each suspension unit including a suspension arm having an outer end and an inner end,

said outer end having means for connection to a wheel or track support,

said inner end being pivotally mounted on the support frame and connected to a spring means on the support frame which opposes pivotal movement of the suspension arm away from a neutral position,

the suspension arms being pivotal in a vertical plane,

the support frame having mounting means for securing the support frame to a bottom of a vehicle hull upon which the modular suspension assembly is to be mounted,

the inner end of each suspension arm is connected to a lever arm which in turn acts on the spring means,

the mounting frame has a sealed housing within which the lever arms and spring means associated with the suspension arms are mounted, each lever arm being connected to a suspension arm by a pivot shaft which projects outwardly through a complementary opening in a side wall of the housing, a seal being mounted in said opening about the shaft to seal between the housing and the shaft.

25. A modular suspension assembly for an armoured vehicle, including:

a support frame,

a pair of suspension units mounted on the support frame, namely a leading arm suspension unit and a trailing arm suspension unit,

each suspension unit including a suspension arm having an outer end and an inner end,

said outer end having means for connection to a wheel or track support,

said inner end being pivotally mounted on the support frame and connected to a spring means on the support frame which opposes pivotal movement of the suspension arm away from a neutral position,

the suspension arms being pivotal in a vertical plane,

the support frame having mounting means for securing the support frame to a bottom of a vehicle hull upon which the modular suspension assembly is to be mounted,

each suspension arm inclines upwardly from the inner end to the outer end of the suspension arm.

26. A modular suspension assembly for an armoured vehicle, including:

a support frame,

a pair of suspension units mounted on the support frame, namely a leading arm suspension unit and a trailing arm suspension unit,

each suspension unit including a suspension arm having an outer end and an inner end,

said outer end having means for connection to a wheel or track support,

said inner end being pivotally mounted on the support frame and connected to a spring means on the support frame which opposes pivotal movement of the suspension arm away from a neutral position,

the suspension arms being pivotal in a vertical plane,

the support frame having mounting means for securing the support frame to a bottom of a vehicle hull upon which the modular suspension assembly is to be mounted,

the mounting means is adjustable to allow pivoting of the mounting frame about a vertical axis to facilitate correct alignment of the suspension arms on the vehicle hull,

the mounting means comprises a pair of spaced-apart horizontal mounting flanges on the support frame having vertical through holes for reception of associated mounting bolts to secure the mounting frame to the bottom of the vehicle hull,

the through holes include a circular pivot hole in one flange for reception of a pivot pin and a plurality of elongate slots, a long axis of each slot lying on the circumference of a circle having its centre at the pivot hole,

the spring means for the suspension arms are mounted on the support frame in a substantially horizontal side by side orientation,

the inner end of each suspension arm is connected to a lever arm which in turn acts on the spring means,

the mounting frame has a sealed housing within which the lever arms and spring means associated with the suspension arms are mounted, each lever arm being connected to a suspension arm by a pivot shaft which projects outwardly through a complementary opening in a side wall of the housing, a seal being mounted in said opening about the shaft to seal between the housing and the shaft,

each suspension arm inclines upwardly from the inner end to the outer end of the suspension arm,

the suspension arm of the front leading arm suspension unit has its outer end located forwardly of its inner end, and the suspension arm of the rear trailing arm suspension unit has its outer end located rearwardly of its inner end,

the spring means being a hydrostrut.