Road vehicle with all wheel steering, and process for steering
First Claim
1. A process for steering a road vehicle having all wheel steering for placing the vehicle into, within, and out of constricted spaces and small, constricted travel areas, said vehicle having a front, a rear, a longitudinal axis, front wheels, steerable rear wheels, said all wheel steering being proportional between said front and rear wheels for turning the vehicle about a turning radius, means for determining the distance of said vehicle from an obstacle, and means for restricting or disabling the steerability of said rear wheels in response to the proximity of the obstacle, the process comprising driving the vehicle to the proximity of said obstacle, determining the distance of the vehicle from a location on the obstacle when said vehicle approaches said obstacle closer than by a predetermined distance, determining the relative angle of said longitudinal axis to the location on the obstacle, and adjusting the steering of the rear wheels in response to changes in said angular position to move the vehicle along said obstacle without the wheels contacting the obstacle.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A process for steering a road vehicle having all wheel steering for placing the vehicle into, within, and out of constricted spaces and small, constricted travel areas, the vehicle having a front, a rear, a longitudinal axis, front wheels steerable rear wheels, the all wheel steering being proportional between the front and rear wheels for turning the vehicle about a turning radius, apparatus for determining the distance of the vehicle from an obstacle, and apparatus for restricting or disabling the steerability of the rear wheels in response to the proximity of the obstacle, by driving the vehicle to the proximity of the obstacle, determining the distance of the vehicle from a location on the obstacle when the vehicle approaches the obstacle closer than by a predetermined distance, determining the relative angle of the longitudinal axis to the location on the obstacle, and adjusting the steering of the rear wheels in response to changes in the angular position to move the vehicle along the obstacle without the wheels contacting the obstacle. The road vehicle of the present invention has a longitudinal axis, apparatus for steering the vehicle along an obstacle a reference plane, with steerable front wheels mounted from a front axle, selectively steerable rear wheels mounted from a rear axle and adapted to be steered around a turning radius, on all wheel steering that is proportional between the front and rear wheels, apparatus for restricting or disabling the steerability of the rear wheels in response to the proximity of the reference plane, a front sensor for determining the proximity of the reference plane to the front of the vehicle, a rear sensor for determining the proximity of the reference plane to the rear of the vehicle, a computer adapted to receive signals from the front sensor and the rear sensor for determining the angle of the longitudinal axis to the reference plane, and apparatus for actuating the apparatus for restricting or disabling the steerability of the rear wheels toward the reference plane when the proximity to the reference plane falls below a predetermined distance at the rear of the vehicle.
29 Citations
15 Claims
- 1. A process for steering a road vehicle having all wheel steering for placing the vehicle into, within, and out of constricted spaces and small, constricted travel areas, said vehicle having a front, a rear, a longitudinal axis, front wheels, steerable rear wheels, said all wheel steering being proportional between said front and rear wheels for turning the vehicle about a turning radius, means for determining the distance of said vehicle from an obstacle, and means for restricting or disabling the steerability of said rear wheels in response to the proximity of the obstacle, the process comprising driving the vehicle to the proximity of said obstacle, determining the distance of the vehicle from a location on the obstacle when said vehicle approaches said obstacle closer than by a predetermined distance, determining the relative angle of said longitudinal axis to the location on the obstacle, and adjusting the steering of the rear wheels in response to changes in said angular position to move the vehicle along said obstacle without the wheels contacting the obstacle.
- 13. A road vehicle for travel into, within, and out of constricted places and small, constricted travel areas and being steerable without contacting any obstacle, said vehicle having a front, a rear, a longitudinal axis, front wheels, rear wheels, and all wheel steering that is proportional between said front and rear wheels for turning the vehicle about a turning radius, the improvement which comprises means for determining the distance of said vehicle from said obstacle, means for restricting or disabling the steerability of said rear wheels in response to the proximity of the obstacle, a front sensor for determining the distance between the front of the vehicle and the closest point on the obstacle to the front of the vehicle, a rear sensor for determining the distance between the rear of the vehicle and the closest point on the obstacle to the rear of the vehicle, a computer for receiving signals from said front sensor and said rear sensor for determining the relative angle of said longitudinal axis to a line defined by each of said points, and means for actuating said means for restricting or disabling the steerability of said rear wheels toward the obstacle when at the rear of the vehicle said distance to the obstacle falls below a predetermined value.
Specification