Modular Independent coil spring suspension

• US 5,538,274 A
• Filed: 04/14/1995
• Issued: 07/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
• Original Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
• Inventors: Archer, David W., Schmitz, Geoffrey W., Schmidt, Daniel J., Anderson, Brian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth, Eric D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US08/421,995
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 280/673, 280/674, 280/663, 280/666, 280/670, 280/696, 280/701, 280/724, 280/690, 280/691, 267/141.2, 267/141.3, 267/279, 267/281
• US Class Current: 280/124.142
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 11/14 having helical, spiral or coil springs only B60G11/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/144 with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/422 Driving wheels or live axles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/44 steerable
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/12 Wound spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/135 Stabiliser bar and/or tube
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/312 The spring being a wound spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/1222 Middle mounts of stabiliser on vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/1224 End mounts of stabiliser on wheel suspension
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/124 Mounting of coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/1244 on a suspension arm
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/143 on the vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/15 Mounting of subframes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/19 Mounting of transmission differential
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/41 Elastic mounts, e.g. bushings
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/416 Ball or spherical joints
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/43 Fittings, brackets or knuckles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/4302 for fixing suspension arm on the vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/011 Modular constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/0114 Independent suspensions on subframes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/124 : the arm having triangular or Y-shape, e.g. wishbone
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/50 : Constructional features of wheel supports or knuckles, e.g. steering knuckles, spindle attachments
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/60 : Subframe construction
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/02 : Trucks; Load vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/026 : Heavy duty trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/07 : Off-road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/14 : Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/38 : Low or lowerable bed vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/20 : Spring action or springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/20 : all arms being rigid
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/24 : a rigid arm being formed by the live axle B60G3/22, B60G3/26 take precedence; driving arrangements B60K17/22, B60K17/30, B60K17/32
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/00 : Pivoted suspension arms; Accessories thereof means for maintaining substantially constant wheel camber during suspension movement B60G3/26; articulations for wheels B60G5/00; leaf spring attaching means B60G11/10, B60G11/12; trailing arm twist beam axle attaching means B60G21/052; articulations in general F16C
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/02 : Attaching arms to sprung part of vehicle B60G7/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 1/38 : with a sleeve of elastic material between a rigid outer sleeve and a rigid inner sleeve or pin , i.e. bushing-type hydraulically-damped bushes F16F13/14; suppression of vibrations in rotating systems by making use of elastomeric spring members between rotating elements, driveline torque being transmitted therebetween F16F15/126, by making use of a dynamic damping mass attached to a rotating element by means of elastomeric springs F16F15/14; pivots per se F16C11/00; elastic or yielding bearings or bearing supports F16C27/00; parts of sliding-contact bearings, e.g. bushes F16C33/04

Abstract

A modular independent coil spring suspension for steerable/non-steerable wheel assemblies and driven/non-driven axles having a single coil spring with a low spring rate secured (a) to the lower of two vertically spaced control arms which connect the chassis to the wheel assembly on one end, and (b) to the chassis at an upper location approximately level with a tire of the wheel assembly at the other end which provides maximum wheel travel, decreased rearward thrust, and tire/ground mobility.

Claims

1. A modular independent suspension for both driven and non-driven axles and both steerable and non-steerable wheels mountable directly to a vehicle chassis supported by said suspension without use of an intermediary sub-frame whereby wheel axle loads imposed on a wheel assembly supported by said suspension are transmitted directly from the wheel assembly to the vehicle chassis, said modular independent suspension including

a steering knuckle forming part of a wheel assembly which includes a wheel having a tire,

a lower control arm means having an inner end and an outer end,

said lower control arm means being pivotally connected for rotation about a lower pivot axis, at its inner end, to a chassis and, at its outer end to a first, lower location on the steering knuckle,

an upper control arm means having an inner end and an outer end,

said upper control arm means being pivotally connected for rotation about an upper pivot axis, at its inner end, to the chassis and, at its outer end to a second, upper location on the steering knuckle,

bracket means integrally formed on the chassis which define, firstly, the upper pivot axis for the upper control arm means and, secondly, the lower pivot axis for the lower control arm means,

a single coil spring having an upper end and a lower end, said coil spring being anchored to the chassis at its upper end and, at its lower end being connected directly to the lower control arm means at a location on said lower control arm means which is located inwardly from the connection of said lower control arm means to the steering knuckle,

the upper end of the coil spring extending upwardly a distance no greater than approximately the height of the tire,

said coil spring being offset from a plane which is perpendicular to the chassis and passes through the connections of the upper and lower control arm means to the steering knuckle

to thereby provide clearance for a drive shaft extending outwardly from the chassis, through the steering knuckle, and to the wheel assembly.

2. The modular independent suspension of claim 1 further characterized in that

said lower and upper pivot axes are perpendicularly vertically aligned one to the other.

3. The modular independent suspension of claim 2 further characterized in that

the length of the lower control arm means is greater than the length of the upper control arm means so that the wheel assembly remains substantially vertical during wheel travel.

4. The modular independent suspension of claim 3 further characterized in that

the lower control arm means is articulated to thereby provide high ground clearance.

5. The modular independent suspension of claim 4 further characterized in that

said chassis includes a flexible frame.

6. The modular independent suspension of claim 1 further including

a shock absorber,

said shock absorber having bracket means for connecting said shock absorber to the chassis at its upper end,

said shock absorber being pivotally connected to the lower control arm means at its lower end,

said shock absorber being located on the side of the aforesaid plane opposite to the side on which the coil spring is located.

7. The modular independent suspension of claim 6 further characterized in that

said lower and upper pivot axes are perpendicularly vertically aligned one to the other.

8. The modular independent suspension of claim 7 further characterized in that

the length of the lower control arm means is greater than the length of the upper control arm means so that the wheel assembly remains substantially vertical during wheel travel.

9. The modular independent suspension of claim 8 further characterized in that

the lower control arm means is articulated to thereby provide high ground clearance.

10. The modular independent suspension of claim 9 further characterized in that

said chassis includes a flexible frame.

11. The modular independent suspension of claim 1 further characterized in that

the pivotal connection between the inner end of the upper control arm means and the chassis, and the pivotal connection between the inner end of the lower control arm means and the chassis, each includes pivot pin means carried by the chassis and gripping means carried by the upper and lower control arm means,respectively, the pivot pin means being received within the gripping means.

12. The modular independent suspension of claim 11 further characterized in that

the pivot means which connect the inner ends of the upper and lower control arm means to the chassis each includes a bushing,

said bushing having metal sleeve means surrounding the pivot pin means associated with each chassis connection,

said metal sleeve means having an outer periphery and being bonded to a second surrounding metal sleeve means,

said second metal sleeve means being bonded on its outer periphery to a surrounding flexible annulus,

said flexible annulus being bonded on its outer periphery to third metal sleeve means, and

each of said control arm means having a bushing socket which encircles the third metal sleeve means in a rotative relationship therewith.

13. The modular independent suspension of claim 1 further characterized in that

the connection of each of the outer ends of the upper and lower control arm means to the steering knuckle is a two piece ball joint,

each of said ball joints having a stud which is secured to the steering knuckle and a ball which is received on the stud, and

a connectable and disconnectable fastener for securing the ball to the stud,

whereby, upon removal of the fastener, the steering knuckle and the wheel assembly may be removed from the independent suspension without further disassembly of the suspension.