Suspension and steering control of motor vehicles
First Claim
1. A motor vehicle comprising:
- a body, wheels for supporting said body and including steerable wheels, a plurality of suspension means between said body and respective ones of said wheels, manually operated steering means for steering said steerable wheels, said suspension means including variable resistance means for providing resistance to vertical movements of said body with respect to said wheels, first adjusting means for simultaneously adjusting the resistance of all of said resistance means to change the resistance in the same way, second adjusting means for adjusting the operating force necessary to operate said steering means, control means for providing a control signal to said first adjusting means for adjusting the resistance of said suspension means and for providing a control signal to the second adjusting means to adjust the operating force necessary to operate said steering means in predetermined relationship to the adjustment of the resistance of all of the suspension means, and switch means operatively connected to said control means for selectively providing desired adjustment of said variable resistance means and desired adjustment of the force necessary to operate said steering means, whereby the vehicle body movement and the steering force required to turn the steerable wheels can be changed by changing the resistance of the suspension means and the operating force necessary to operate the steering means to selectively provide handling characteristics of vehicles having high suspension resistance and requiring high steering operating force or to provide handling characteristics of vehicles having lower suspension resistance and requiring lower steering operating force.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A motor vehicle including a body, steerable front wheels and rear wheels for supporting the body, front suspension mechanisms between the body and the front wheels and rear suspension mechanisms between the body and the rear wheels, a power steering mechanism for operating the front wheels with desired steering characteristics, the front and rear suspension mechanisms including suspension struts which resist vertical movements of the body with respect to the wheels with damping powers and having spring rates. A control circuit is provided for changing the damping powers and the spring rates in all of the suspension mechanisms and at the same time changing the power assist force of the steering mechanism.
27 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A motor vehicle comprising:
- a body, wheels for supporting said body and including steerable wheels, a plurality of suspension means between said body and respective ones of said wheels, manually operated steering means for steering said steerable wheels, said suspension means including variable resistance means for providing resistance to vertical movements of said body with respect to said wheels, first adjusting means for simultaneously adjusting the resistance of all of said resistance means to change the resistance in the same way, second adjusting means for adjusting the operating force necessary to operate said steering means, control means for providing a control signal to said first adjusting means for adjusting the resistance of said suspension means and for providing a control signal to the second adjusting means to adjust the operating force necessary to operate said steering means in predetermined relationship to the adjustment of the resistance of all of the suspension means, and switch means operatively connected to said control means for selectively providing desired adjustment of said variable resistance means and desired adjustment of the force necessary to operate said steering means, whereby the vehicle body movement and the steering force required to turn the steerable wheels can be changed by changing the resistance of the suspension means and the operating force necessary to operate the steering means to selectively provide handling characteristics of vehicles having high suspension resistance and requiring high steering operating force or to provide handling characteristics of vehicles having lower suspension resistance and requiring lower steering operating force.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Specification