Suspensions for low floor vehicles
First Claim
1. A suspension system for a vehicle comprising:
- a first wheel;
a second wheel;
a first stub axle providing support to said first wheel about a first rotational axis, said first stub axle being coupled to a first spindle support;
a second stub axle providing support to said second wheel about a second rotational axis;
a frame including a substantially flat portion having a top surface, said first wheel being located on one side of said frame, said second wheel being located on an opposing side of said frame, said portion being disposed generally beneath the first and second rotational axes;
an upper pivotal support arm pivotally coupled to said first spindle support, said upper pivotal support arm being pivotally coupled to said frame below the top surface; and
a lower pivotal support arm pivotally coupled to said first spindle support, said lower pivotal support arm being pivotally coupled to said frame below the top surface, said lower pivotal support arm being below said upper pivotal support arm.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A low profile chassis and suspension system for a road vehicle. The chassis supports a payload section or cargo compartment, such as for a delivery truck, ambulance, or shuttle bus. The chassis includes a largely planar frame having a top surface which is located beneath the rotational axes of the rear wheels. The wheel suspension system is particularly compact and close to the road surface. In some embodiments each wheel is suspended from the vehicle by a pair of pivotal support arms. Preferably, one arm is located above the other arm, and both arms pivot along pivot axes that are generally perpendicular to the rotational axis of the supported wheel. A spring urges one of the arms apart from the frame. In other embodiments, the spring is placed beneath the rotational axis of the wheel. In some embodiments both of the pivoting support arms are located beneath the rotational axis of the wheel.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A suspension system for a vehicle comprising:
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a first wheel;
a second wheel;
a first stub axle providing support to said first wheel about a first rotational axis, said first stub axle being coupled to a first spindle support;
a second stub axle providing support to said second wheel about a second rotational axis;
a frame including a substantially flat portion having a top surface, said first wheel being located on one side of said frame, said second wheel being located on an opposing side of said frame, said portion being disposed generally beneath the first and second rotational axes;
an upper pivotal support arm pivotally coupled to said first spindle support, said upper pivotal support arm being pivotally coupled to said frame below the top surface; and
a lower pivotal support arm pivotally coupled to said first spindle support, said lower pivotal support arm being pivotally coupled to said frame below the top surface, said lower pivotal support arm being below said upper pivotal support arm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A vehicle comprising:
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a first unpowered rear wheel;
a second unpowered rear wheel;
a first stub axle providing support to said first wheel about a first rotational axis, said first stub axle being coupled to a first spindle support;
a second stub axle providing support to said second wheel about a second rotational axis, a frame including a substantially flat portion having a top surface, said first wheel being located on one side of said frame, said second wheel being located on an opposing side of said frame, said portion being disposed generally beneath the first and second rotational axes;
a payload section for transporting cargo or persons, said payload section having a floor supported at least in part by the top surface of said frame;
a first pivotal support arm pivotally coupled to said first spindle support, said first support arm being pivotally coupled to the vehicle;
a second pivotal support arm pivotally coupled to said first spindle support, said second pivotal support arm being pivotally coupled to said frame; and
a biasing member urging apart one of said first support arm or said second support arm from one of said floor or said frame, said biasing member being located under said floor. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A vehicle comprising:
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a first unpowered rear wheel;
a second unpowered rear wheel;
a first stub axle providing support to said first wheel about a first rotational axis;
a second stub axle providing support to said second wheel about a second rotational axis;
a frame including a substantially flat portion having a top surface, said first wheel being located on one side of said frame, said second wheel being located on an opposing side of said frame, said portion being disposed generally beneath the first and second rotational axes;
a first pivotal support arm pivotally supporting said first stub axle by first and second pivotal attachments, said first support arm being pivotally coupled to said frame by third and fourth pivotal attachments, said first and second pivotal attachments being spaced apart and being pivotal about a first pivot axis, said third and fourth pivotal attachments being spaced apart and being pivotal about a second pivot axis; and
a second pivotal support arm pivotally supporting said first spindle support, said second pivotal support arm being pivotally coupled to said frame. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A suspension system for a vehicle comprising:
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a first wheel;
a second wheel;
a first stub axle providing support to said first wheel about a first rotational axis;
a second stub axle providing support to said second wheel about a second rotational axis, a frame including a substantially flat portion having a top surface, said first wheel being located on a first side of said frame, said second wheel being located on a second side opposing said first side of said frame, said portion being disposed generally beneath the first and second rotational axes;
a pivotal support arm pivotally supporting said first stub axle, said pivotal support arm being pivotally coupled to said frame below the top surface and being pivotal relative to said frame about a pivot axis, said support arm including a projection adapted and configured for a pivotal connection; and
a dampener having two ends with one of the ends being pivotally coupled to said frame, the other end of said dampener being pivotally coupled to said projection;
wherein the pivot axis is in-between said first stub axle and said other end of said dampener. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A suspension system for a vehicle comprising:
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a first wheel;
a second wheel;
a first stub axle providing support to said first wheel about a first rotational axis;
a second stub axle providing support to said second wheel about a second rotational axis, a frame including a substantially flat portion having a top surface, said first wheel being located on a first side of said frame, said second wheel being located on a second side opposing said first side of said frame, said portion being disposed generally beneath the first and second rotational axes;
a first pivotal support arm pivotally supporting said first stub axle, said first pivotal support arm being pivotally coupled to said frame below the top surface;
a second pivotal support arm pivotally supporting said first stub axle, said second pivotal support arm being pivotally coupled to said frame; and
a first wheelhousing carried by said frame and located inboard and above said first wheel, said first wheelhousing including a dividing member [partition;
panel] located inboard of said first wheel, said dividing member having a lower, outboard section proximate to said first stub axle and proximate to said first pivotal support arm;
wherein said first pivotal support arm includes a downwardly concave portion adapted and configured to provide clearance from the section of said dividing member during jounce of said first wheel. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. An apparatus for suspending a stub axle of a vehicle, comprising:
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a wheel support having a vertical section including means for attachment of the stub axle, a first lateral section to one side of said vertical section and a second lateral section to the other side of said vertical section;
said first lateral section including a first upper pivot attachment for pivotal coupling to the vehicle and a first lower pivot attachment for pivotal coupling to the vehicle, said first upper pivot attachment being spaced above said first lower pivot attachment and being spaced below the rotational axis of an attached stub axle; and
said second lateral section including a second pivot attachment for pivotal coupling to the vehicle, said second pivot attachment being spaced below the rotational axis of an attached stub axle, said second pivot attachment being adapted and configured to establish a common pivot axis with one of said first upper pivot attachment or said first lower pivot attachment. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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32. An apparatus for suspending a stub axle of a vehicle, comprising:
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a wheel support having a vertical section including a flange with a face and having a vehicle coupling section, said flange being adapted and configured for coupling to a stub axle, the face contacting a coupled stub axle, the face being substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of the a coupled stub axle;
said vehicle coupling section including a first pivot attachment for pivotal coupling to the vehicle and a second pivot attachment for pivotal coupling to the vehicle, said first pivot attachment being spaced apart from said second pivot attachment along a common pivot axis;
wherein the face lies in a plane, and the plane intercepts the pivot axis in between said first pivot attachment and said second pivot attachment. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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35. An apparatus for suspending a tire of a vehicle from a stub axle and over a roadway, comprising:
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a wheel support having a vertical section including a flange and having a vehicle coupling section, said flange being adapted and configured for coupling to a stub axle which supports a tire, the supported tire contacting the roadway along a tire track;
said vehicle coupling section including a first pivot attachment for pivotal coupling to the vehicle and a second pivot attachment for pivotal coupling to the vehicle, said first pivot attachment being spaced apart from said second pivot attachment along a common pivot axis;
wherein at least a portion of said first pivot attachment is above the tire track and said second pivot attachment is inboard of the tire track. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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38. A suspension system for a vehicle, comprising:
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a first wheel;
a second wheel;
a first stub axle providing support to said first wheel about a first rotational axis, said first stub axle being coupled to a first wheel support, said first wheel support being pivotally coupled to the vehicle by spaced-apart first and second pivot attachments, said first and second pivot joints establishing a common pivot axis a second stub axle providing support to said second wheel about a second rotational axis;
a frame including a substantially flat portion having a bottom surface, said first wheel being located on one side of the portion of said frame, said second wheel being located on an opposing side of the portion of said frame, the first and second rotational axes being above the bottom surface, said frame having a first structural member proximate to said first wheel and in front of said first wheel;
a biasing member for biasing said first wheel support to a position; and
a wheel housing attached to said frame, said wheel housing having an inboard wall and a top wall;
wherein said biasing member, said first stub axle, and said first wheel support are located outboard of the inboard wall and lower than the top wall. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification