High performance automobile suspension

• US 5,324,056 A
• Filed: 08/23/1993
• Issued: 06/28/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kevin R. Orton
• Original Assignee: Kevin R. Orton
• Inventors: Orton, Kevin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Focarino, Margaret A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLISH, PETER C
• Application Number:
  US08/109,951
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 280/661, 280/663, 280/666, 280/675, 280/772, 280/111, 280/112.1, 280/112.2, 280/688, 280/689, 280/724, 280/725, 280/726, 280/693, 280/696, 280/698, 280/701
• US Class Current: 280/124.106
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 21/04 mechanically
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/144 with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/46 camber angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/421 Pivoted lever mechanisms for mounting suspension elements, e.g. Watt linkage
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/62 Adjustable continuously, e.g. during driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/27 Racing vehicles, e.g. F1
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/012 Rolling condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/26 Means for maintaining substantially-constant wheel camber during suspension movement ; Means for controlling the variation of the wheel position during suspension movement B60G3/202, B60G3/22, B60G7/003, B60G7/006 take precedence; means for adjusting camber, castor, or toe-in B62D17/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 9/02 combined with means for inwardly inclining vehicle body on bends

Abstract

A suspension for a wheeled vehicle includes a chassis, left and right hub carriers, and left and right support members for supporting the left and right hub carriers on the chassis in opposite positions relative to a reference axis through the chassis that is vertical when the chassis is level and for enabling the hub carriers to individually move up and down relative to a reference plane that is perpendicular to the reference axis. Left and right linkages are provided for cooperating with the left and right support members in order to control chamber as the left and right hub carriers move up and down relative to the reference plane. The suspension also includes differential camber control components for controlling the camber of the left and right hub carriers according to any difference in the positions of the left and right hub carriers relative to the reference plane in order to offset for chassis roll. The differential camber control components include a moveable linkage-connecting component that is mounted moveably on the chassis and connected to an inboard end of the left linkage and an inboard end of the right linkage. The differential camber control components also include left and right auxiliary linkages connecting the moveable linkage-connecting component to the left and right support members. That is done so that the moveable linkage-connecting component responds to any difference in the position of the left and right hub carriers relative to the reference plane by moving relative to the chassis toward the one of the left and right hub carriers that is lower relative to the reference plane, thereby to offset for chassis roll.

Claims

1. A suspension, comprising:

a chassis, left and right hub carriers, and means in the form of left and right support members for supporting the left and right hub carriers on the chassis in opposite positions relative to a reference axis through the chassis that is vertical when the chassis is level and for enabling the hub carriers to individually move up and down relative to a reference plane that is perpendicular to the reference axis;

means in the form of left and right linkages for cooperating with the left and right support members in order to control camber as the left and right hub carriers move up and down relative to the reference plane; and

differential camber control means for controlling the camber of the left and right hub carriers according to any difference in the positions of the left and right hub carriers relative to the reference plane in order to offset for chassis roll;

the differential camber control means including a moveable linkage-connecting component that is mounted moveably on the chassis and connected to an inboard end of the left linkage and an inboard end of the right linkage; and

the differential camber control means also including means in the form of left and right auxiliary linkages connecting the moveable linkage-connecting component to the left and right support members so that the moveable linkage-connecting component responds to any difference in the position of the left and right hub carriers relative to the reference plane by moving relative to the chassis toward the one of the left and right hub carriers that is lower relative to the reference plane, thereby to offset for chassis roll.

2. A suspension as recited in claim 1, wherein the left and right support members take the form of A-arms.

3. A suspension as recited in claim 1, wherein the left and right support members are mounted lower than the left and right linkages relative to the reference plane.

4. A suspension as recited in claim 1, wherein the movable linkage-connecting component is slidably mounted on the chassis for movement back and forth along a path between the hub carriers.