Suspensions for low floor vehicle
First Claim
1. A suspension system for a vehicle comprising:
- a first wheel;
a second wheel;
a first stub axle providing support to said first wheel about a first rotational axis;
a second stub axle providing support to said second wheel about a second rotational axis,a frame including a substantially flat portion having a top surface, said first wheel being located on a first side of said frame, said second wheel being located on a second side opposing said first side of said frame, said top surface being disposed generally beneath the first and second rotational axes;
a pivotal support arm pivotally supporting said first stub axle, said pivotal support arm being pivotally coupled to said frame by spaced-apart first and second pivot attachments and being pivotal relative to said frame about a pivot axis anda dampener having two ends with one of the ends being pivotally coupled to said frame, the other end of said dampener being pivotally coupled to said support arm;
wherein said dampener is vertically located above the pivot axis and laterally located between the first pivot attachment and the second pivot attachment, and the pivot axis is forward of the first rotational axis and above the first rotational axis.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A low profile chassis and suspension system for a road vehicle. The chassis supports a payload section or cargo compartment, such as for a delivery truck, ambulance, or shuttle bus. The chassis includes a largely planar frame having a top surface which is located beneath the rotational axes of the rear wheels. The wheel suspension system is particularly compact and close to the road surface. In some embodiments each wheel is suspended from the vehicle by a pair of pivotal support arms. Preferably, one arm is located above the other arm, and both arms pivot along pivot axes that are generally perpendicular to the rotational axis of the supported wheel. A spring urges one of the arms apart from the frame. In other embodiments, the spring is placed beneath the rotational axis of the wheel. In some embodiments both of the pivoting support arms are located beneath the rotational axis of the wheel.
338 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A suspension system for a vehicle comprising:
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a first wheel; a second wheel; a first stub axle providing support to said first wheel about a first rotational axis; a second stub axle providing support to said second wheel about a second rotational axis, a frame including a substantially flat portion having a top surface, said first wheel being located on a first side of said frame, said second wheel being located on a second side opposing said first side of said frame, said top surface being disposed generally beneath the first and second rotational axes; a pivotal support arm pivotally supporting said first stub axle, said pivotal support arm being pivotally coupled to said frame by spaced-apart first and second pivot attachments and being pivotal relative to said frame about a pivot axis and a dampener having two ends with one of the ends being pivotally coupled to said frame, the other end of said dampener being pivotally coupled to said support arm; wherein said dampener is vertically located above the pivot axis and laterally located between the first pivot attachment and the second pivot attachment, and the pivot axis is forward of the first rotational axis and above the first rotational axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A suspension system for a vehicle, comprising:
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a first wheel; a second wheel; a first stub axle providing support to said first wheel about a first rotational axis, said first stub axle being coupled to a first wheel support, said first wheel support being pivotally coupled to the vehicle by spaced-apart first and second pivot attachments, said first and second pivot attachments establishing a common pivot axis; a second stub axle providing support to said second wheel about a second rotational axis; a frame including a portion having a substantially flat top surface and having a bottom surface, said first wheel being located on one side of the portion of said frame, said second wheel being located on an opposing side of the portion of said frame, the first and second rotational axes being above the bottom surface; a wheel housing attached to said frame, said wheel housing having an inboard wall and a top wall; a biasing member for biasing said first wheel support apart from the top wall and to a position; and wherein said biasing member, said first stub axle, and said first wheel support are located outboard of the inboard wall and lower than the top wall, and said biasing member is inboard of said first stub axle. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A suspension system for a vehicle, comprising:
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a frame including a portion having a substantially flat top surface, a first wheel being located on one side of the portion of said frame, a second wheel being located on an opposing side of the portion of said frame, a first wheel support providing support to said first wheel about a first rotational axis, said first wheel support being pivotally coupled to said frame by spaced-apart first and second pivot attachments, said first and second pivot attachments establishing a common pivot axis forward of the first rotational axis and above the first rotational axis, and a dampener compressible and extendable about a working axis, the working axis being substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis and above the pivot axis;
wherein the common pivot axis is angled relative to the first rotational axis in a direction from outboard of the vehicle toward inboard of the vehicle such that a projection of the common pivot axis onto a horizontal plane converges toward a projection of the first rotational axis onto the horizontal plane. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification