Vehicle suspension
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A wheel suspension for suspending a wheel assembly from a sprung body of a wheeled vehicle, and adapted to permit the wheel assembly to move relative to the sprung body through a jounce and rebound vertical travel limited by mechanical stops, the suspension comprising:
- an upper structural member coupled to the wheel assembly to define an upper relative rotation center, and rotationally coupled to the sprung body at an upper pivot;
a lower structural member coupled to the wheel assembly to define a lower relative rotation center disposed on a side of a gravitational center of the wheel assembly opposite the upper relative rotation center, and rotationally coupled to the sprung body at a lower pivot; and
an actuator connected to both the wheel assembly and the sprung body and capable of applying an active control force between the body and wheel assembly to move the wheel assembly over an active control range comprising at least 80 percent of the vertical travel of the wheel assembly;
the upper and lower pivots and relative rotation centers being positioned to produce a maximum horizontal kinetic displacement of the wheel assembly of less than about 4.0 millimeters as the actuator moves through the active control range.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An active suspension for a wheeled vehicle is configured for improved occupant comfort, with an advantageously low maximum horizontal kinetic displacement of the wheel assembly, and particularly low horizontal inertial and tire loads, as the suspension moves through jounce and rebound under active control. The front suspension is a strut configuration, with an active actuator in place of the strut, and the rear suspension is a double wishbone configuration.
92 Citations
64 Claims
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1. A wheel suspension for suspending a wheel assembly from a sprung body of a wheeled vehicle, and adapted to permit the wheel assembly to move relative to the sprung body through a jounce and rebound vertical travel limited by mechanical stops, the suspension comprising:
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an upper structural member coupled to the wheel assembly to define an upper relative rotation center, and rotationally coupled to the sprung body at an upper pivot;
a lower structural member coupled to the wheel assembly to define a lower relative rotation center disposed on a side of a gravitational center of the wheel assembly opposite the upper relative rotation center, and rotationally coupled to the sprung body at a lower pivot; and
an actuator connected to both the wheel assembly and the sprung body and capable of applying an active control force between the body and wheel assembly to move the wheel assembly over an active control range comprising at least 80 percent of the vertical travel of the wheel assembly;
the upper and lower pivots and relative rotation centers being positioned to produce a maximum horizontal kinetic displacement of the wheel assembly of less than about 4.0 millimeters as the actuator moves through the active control range. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A wheel suspension for suspending a wheel assembly from a sprung body of a wheeled vehicle, and adapted to permit the wheel assembly to move relative to the sprung body through a jounce and rebound vertical travel limited by mechanical stops, the suspension including
an actuator connected to both the wheel assembly and the sprung body and capable of applying an active control force between the body and wheel assembly to move the wheel assembly through an active control range along its vertical travel; - and
a structural link coupled to the wheel assembly to define a relative rotation center, and rotationally coupled to the sprung body at a pivot;
the suspension forming a geometry selected to produce a maximum lateral displacement of the gravitational center of the wheel assembly of less than about 20 millimeters through the jounce and rebound vertical travel, and a maximum wheel camber change of less than about 3.0 degrees through said jounce and rebound vertical travel. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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- 35. A wheel suspension for suspending a wheel assembly from a sprung body of a wheeled vehicle, and adapted to permit the wheel assembly to move vertically relative to the sprung body, the suspension including an actuator connected to both the wheel assembly and the sprung body and capable of applying an active control force between the body and wheel assembly to move the wheel assembly vertically over a total active control range of vertical wheel displacement, the suspension forming a geometry selected to produce a maximum horizontal kinetic displacement of the wheel assembly of less than about 3.0 millimeters as the wheel assembly is moved through said total active control range of vertical wheel displacement.
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47. A rear wheel suspension for suspending a rear wheel assembly from a sprung body of an automobile, and adapted to permit the rear wheel assembly to move relative to the sprung body through a jounce and rebound vertical travel of at least two inches total, as limited by mechanical stops, the suspension comprising:
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an upper structural member coupled to the wheel assembly to define an upper relative rotation center, and rotationally coupled to the sprung body at an upper pivot; and
a lower structural member coupled to the wheel assembly to define a lower relative rotation center disposed on a side of a gravitational center of the wheel assembly opposite the upper relative rotation center, and rotationally coupled to the sprung body at a lower pivot;
the suspension defining a geometry selected to produce a maximum lateral displacement of the gravitational center of the wheel assembly of less than about 10 millimeters through said vertical travel, and a maximum wheel camber change of less than about 3.0 degrees through said vertical travel. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A wheel suspension for suspending a wheel assembly from a sprung body of a wheeled vehicle, and adapted to permit the wheel assembly to move relative to the sprung body through a jounce and rebound vertical travel limited by mechanical stops, the suspension comprising:
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a lower structural member coupled to the wheel assembly to define a lower relative rotation center disposed on a side of a gravitational center of the wheel assembly opposite the upper relative rotation center, and rotationally coupled to the sprung body at a lower pivot; and
an actuator connected to both the wheel assembly and the sprung body to define an upper relative rotation center, and rotationally coupled to the sprung body at an upper pivot, the actuator capable of applying an active control force between the body and wheel assembly to move the wheel assembly over an active control range comprising at least 80 percent of the vertical travel of the wheel assembly;
the upper and lower pivots and relative rotation centers being positioned to produce a maximum horizontal kinetic displacement of the wheel assembly of less than about 4.0 millimeters as the actuator moves through the active control range. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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Specification