Adjusting automobile suspension system
First Claim
1. An adjusting vehicle suspension system for a vehicle having a chassis and an individual suspension system at each wheel of the vehicle comprising:
- sensing means at each wheel of the vehicle to sense the height of the vehicle chassis with respect to each said wheel;
sensing means on said vehicle to sense centrifugal force acting on said vehicle;
sensing means on said vehicle to sense longitudinal forces acting on said vehicle due to acceleration or deceleration;
control means carried by said vehicle to receive sensed changes in vehicle performance as indicated by the said sensing means;
said control means including means to alter and adjust camber, castor, toe-in/out, or wheel track of each said wheel with respect to said vehicle chassis to maintain optimum road contact between each said wheel and the road based on a correlation of the factors sensed by said sensing means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An adjusting automobile suspension system providing a controlled camber response to the attitude of a vehicle, the forces acting on such vehicle and/or the type of road surface for example when the vehicle is navigating a turn and/or accelerating or braking. The system includes sensors that monitor the magnitude of centrifugal and vertical forces on the vehicle, the direction and degree that the steering wheel is being turned, the magnitude of longitudinal forces acting on the vehicle, the individual rotational wheel speed at each wheel of the vehicle and camber of each wheel with respect to the vehicle body. In response to the sensed change in the vehicle'"'"'s attitude, the sensed forces acting upon such vehicle, and/or the type of road surface monitored by a central control processor, a series of servo mechanisms are activated to alter the camber of each wheel to optimize tire contact with the road surface, as well as to adjust other suspension parameters (toe-in/toe-out caster, wheel height, wheel track) of each wheel due to mechanical misconfigurations that become inherent in certain suspension designs when servo-mechanisms alter the camber of each wheel.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An adjusting vehicle suspension system for a vehicle having a chassis and an individual suspension system at each wheel of the vehicle comprising:
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sensing means at each wheel of the vehicle to sense the height of the vehicle chassis with respect to each said wheel; sensing means on said vehicle to sense centrifugal force acting on said vehicle; sensing means on said vehicle to sense longitudinal forces acting on said vehicle due to acceleration or deceleration; control means carried by said vehicle to receive sensed changes in vehicle performance as indicated by the said sensing means; said control means including means to alter and adjust camber, castor, toe-in/out, or wheel track of each said wheel with respect to said vehicle chassis to maintain optimum road contact between each said wheel and the road based on a correlation of the factors sensed by said sensing means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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5. An adjusting vehicle suspension system for a vehicle having a chassis and an individual suspension system at each wheel of the vehicle comprising:
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sensing means at each wheel of the vehicle to sense the height of the vehicle chassis with respect to each said wheel; sensing means on said vehicle to sense centrifugal force acting on said vehicle; sensing means associated with each said wheel to sense rotational speed of each said wheel; control means carried by said vehicle to receive sensed changes in vehicle performance as indicated by the said sensing means; said control means including means to alter and adjust camber, castor, toe-in/out, or wheel track of each said wheel with respect to said vehicle chassis to maintain optimum road contact between each said wheel and the road based on a correlation of the factors sensed by said sensing means. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. An adjusting vehicle suspension system for a vehicle having a chassis and an individual suspension system at each wheel of the vehicle comprising:
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sensing means at each wheel of the vehicle to sense the height of the vehicle chassis with respect to each said wheel; sensing means on said vehicle to sense changes in steering wheel direction of said vehicle; sensing means on said vehicle to sense longitudinal forces acting on said vehicle due to acceleration or deceleration; control means carried by said vehicle to receive sensed changes in vehicle performance as indicated by the said sensing means; said control means including means to alter and adjust camber, castor, toe-in/out, or wheel track of each said wheel with respect to said vehicle chassis to maintain optimum road contact between each said wheel and the road based on a correlation of the factors sensed by said sensing means. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. An adjusting vehicle suspension system for a vehicle having a chassis and an individual suspension system at each wheel of the vehicle comprising:
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sensing means at each wheel of the vehicle to sense the height of the vehicle chassis with respect to each said wheel; sensing means associated with each said wheel to sense rotational speed of each said wheel; sensing means on said vehicle to sense changes in steering wheel direction of said vehicle; control means carried by said vehicle to receive sensed changes in vehicle performance as indicated by the said sensing means; said control means including means to alter and adjust camber, castor, toe-in/out, or wheel track of each said wheel with respect to said vehicle chassis to maintain optimum road contact between each said wheel and the road based on a correlation of the factors sensed by said sensing means.
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10. An adjusting vehicle suspension system for a vehicle having a chassis and an individual suspension system at each wheel of the vehicle comprising:
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sensing means at each wheel of the vehicle to sense the height of the vehicle chassis with respect to each said wheel; sensing means associated with each said wheel to sense rotational speed of each said wheel; sensing means on said vehicle to sense longitudinal forces acting on said vehicle due to acceleration or deceleration; control means carried by said vehicle to receive sensed changes in vehicle performance as indicated by the said sensing means; said control means including means to alter and adjust camber, castor, toe-in/out, or wheel track of each said wheel with respect to said vehicle chassis to maintain optimum road contact between each said wheel and the road based on a correlation of the factors sensed by said sensing means.
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Specification