Dynamic vehicle suspension for a radio-controlled vehicle
First Claim
1. A dynamic vehicle suspension system comprising:
- a suspension tube filled with a fluid;
a piston rod at least partially enclosed within the suspension tube;
a first impedance plate coupled to a portion of the piston rod enclosed within the suspension tube, the first impedance plate comprising one or more bypass apertures;
a second impedance plate comprising one or more bypass apertures and arranged relative to the first impedance plate within the suspension tube to form one or more overlap regions at each point where at least a portion of a bypass aperture of the first impedance plate overlaps at least a portion of a bypass aperture of the second impedance plate; and
wherein at least one of the first or second impedance plates is movable to change at least one of a size or number of the one or more overlap regions, thereby adjusting a fluid flow rate through the one or more overlap regions to control a speed and/or acceleration of the piston rod as the piston rod moves through the fluid in the suspension tube.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosed dynamic suspension systems include (i) a fluid-filled suspension tube, (ii) a piston rod partially enclosed within the suspension tube, (iii) a first impedance plate coupled to the piston rod and comprising bypass apertures, (iv) a second impedance plate comprising bypass apertures and arranged relative to the first impedance plate to form overlap regions at each point where a portion of a bypass aperture of the first impedance plate overlaps a portion of a bypass aperture of the second impedance plate. In operation, the first or second impedance plates is movable to change a size or number of the overlap regions to adjust a fluid flow rate through the overlap regions to control the speed and/or acceleration of the piston rod as the piston rod moves through the fluid-filled suspension tube.
24 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A dynamic vehicle suspension system comprising:
-
a suspension tube filled with a fluid; a piston rod at least partially enclosed within the suspension tube; a first impedance plate coupled to a portion of the piston rod enclosed within the suspension tube, the first impedance plate comprising one or more bypass apertures; a second impedance plate comprising one or more bypass apertures and arranged relative to the first impedance plate within the suspension tube to form one or more overlap regions at each point where at least a portion of a bypass aperture of the first impedance plate overlaps at least a portion of a bypass aperture of the second impedance plate; and wherein at least one of the first or second impedance plates is movable to change at least one of a size or number of the one or more overlap regions, thereby adjusting a fluid flow rate through the one or more overlap regions to control a speed and/or acceleration of the piston rod as the piston rod moves through the fluid in the suspension tube. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method comprising:
-
measuring at least one of a speed or acceleration of a piston rod of a suspension system as the piston rod moves through fluid in a suspension tube of the suspension system; and determining whether the measured speed and/or acceleration is greater than or equal to a first corresponding speed and/or acceleration threshold; determining whether the measured speed and/or acceleration is less than or equal to a second corresponding speed and/or acceleration threshold; in response to determining that the measured speed and/or acceleration is greater than or equal to the first corresponding speed and/or threshold, adjusting at least one impedance plate of the suspension system to give the suspension system a stiffer response than the suspension system had before adjusting the at least one impedance plate, wherein adjusting at least one impedance plate of the suspension system to give the suspension system a stiffer response than the suspension system had before adjusting the at least one impedance plate comprises reducing a number of or a size of one or more overlap regions between bypass apertures of first and second impedance plates by rotating the first impedance plate relative to the second impedance plate; and in response to determining that the measured speed and/or acceleration is less than or equal to the first corresponding speed and/or threshold, adjusting at least one impedance plate of the suspension system to give the suspension system a looser response than the suspension system had before adjusting the at least one impedance plate, wherein adjusting at least one impedance plate of the suspension system to give the suspension system a looser response than the suspension system had before adjusting the at least one impedance plate comprises increasing the number of or the size of one or more overlap regions between bypass apertures of the first and second impedance plates by rotating the first impedance plate relative to the second impedance plate.
-
-
19. A radio-controlled (RC) vehicle comprising:
-
one or more processors configured to control one or more aspects of a suspension system of the RC vehicle, wherein the suspension comprises four shock absorbers, each shock absorber comprising; a suspension tube filled with a fluid; a piston rod at least partially enclosed within the suspension tube; a first impedance plate coupled to a portion of the piston rod enclosed within the suspension tube, the first impedance plate comprising one or more bypass apertures; a second impedance plate comprising one or more bypass apertures and arranged relative to the first impedance plate within the suspension tube to form one or more overlap regions at each point where at least a portion of a bypass aperture of the first impedance plate overlaps at least a portion of a bypass aperture of the second impedance plate; and wherein at least one of the first or second impedance plates is movable to change at least one of a size or number of the one or more overlap regions based on one or more commands issued or calculations performed by the one or more processors, thereby adjusting a fluid flow rate through the one or more overlap regions to control a speed and/or acceleration of the piston rod as the piston rod moves through the fluid in the suspension tube.
-
Specification