SUSPENSION CONVERSION METHOD AND APPARATUS
First Claim
1. A method of controlling a vehicle suspension, comprising:
- providing a multiwheeled vehicle having a suspension system including a plurality of pneumatic springs each in fluid communication with a source of pressurized gas;
substantially deflating at least one of the pneumatic springs while the vehicle is not moving;
attempting to drive the vehicle after said deflating; and
automatically reinflating the at least one pneumatic spring from the source by said attempting.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for modifying a vehicle chassis. In one embodiment the modified vehicle is capable of being placed close to the roadway at a position suitable for deployment of a wheel chair ramp that complies with ADA requirements. In yet another embodiment, the vehicle can be raised to a position in which the frame of the vehicle is higher than it was when the ramp was deployed, such that the frame provides crash worthiness to the vehicle relative to side impacts. Yet other embodiments pertain to vehicles that have a plurality of wheels in which the suspension for the wheel is biased by a pneumatic spring. Various embodiments pertain to methods and apparatus for safely interlocking the operation of the pneumatic air springs with the controls of the vehicles.
87 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a vehicle suspension, comprising:
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providing a multiwheeled vehicle having a suspension system including a plurality of pneumatic springs each in fluid communication with a source of pressurized gas; substantially deflating at least one of the pneumatic springs while the vehicle is not moving; attempting to drive the vehicle after said deflating; and automatically reinflating the at least one pneumatic spring from the source by said attempting. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of controlling a vehicle suspension, comprising:
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providing a multiwheeled vehicle having a suspension system including right and left front pneumatic springs and right and left rear pneumatic springs, each spring being in fluid communication with an exhaust to ambient conditions and a source of pressurized gas, the vehicle having an operator-actuated control having a plurality of positions; attempting to substantially exhaust gas from all four pneumatic springs when the vehicle is not moving; automatically preventing exhausting of gas during said attempting based on the position of the control. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for controlling the height of a vehicle, comprising:
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a multiwheeled vehicle having at least one steerable wheel; a source of pressurized gas; a pneumatic spring for biasing the vehicle to a position relative to said steerable wheel; an electrically actuatable valve in fluid communication with said source and said spring a sensor for providing a signal corresponding to the angular orientation of the steered wheel; an electrical circuit which receives the signal and actuates said valve based on the angle of the steered wheel. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle suspension, comprising:
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a multiwheeled vehicle having at least one steerable wheel; a source of pressurized gas; a pneumatic spring for biasing the vehicle to a position relative to said steerable wheel; an electrically actuatable valve in fluid communication with said source and said spring; means for interlocking the actuation of said valve based on the state of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of modifying a vehicle chassis, comprising:
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providing an OEM vehicle having a frame and right and left front wheels and right and left rear wheels, each wheel being biased apart from the OEM frame by a corresponding OEM spring; replacing the right and left front springs with right and left front air springs; reducing the stiffness of each right and left rear spring; adding right and left rear air springs to the rear suspension; and removing the OEM bump stops from the right and left front suspension and from the right and left rear suspension. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of modifying a vehicle chassis, comprising:
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providing an OEM vehicle having an OEM frame with right and left longitudinally extending side rails, the OEM vehicle having an OEM ride height during normal operation of the vehicle; modifying the left side rail to accommodate a deployable ramp; adding an ADA-compatible deployable ramp to the vehicle; operating the modified chassis at the OEM ride height. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification