Land vehicles – Wheeled – Running gear
Patent
1997-01-07
2000-01-04
Carone, Michael J.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Running gear
280124106, 280124159, 280124161, B60G 1100, B60G 700
Patent
active
060101393
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in the suspension system or a vehicle, and is specifically related to controlling the disposition of the vehicle body relative to the ground when the vehicle is subject to variations in the contour of the surface being traversed.
Description of the Background Art
In recent times, there has been a trend towards resilient sprung suspension systems incorporating variable damping and spring rates in an attempt to improve vehicle stability and reduce movement of the vehicle body relative to the surface being traversed.
A range of suspension systems known as `active` and `semi-active` suspensions for vehicles have been trialed including systems operating on the basis of compression and/or displacement of fluids, and such systems currently in use incorporate a pump, to maintain the working fluid at the required pressure and effect the high speed distribution thereof, and sophisticated control mechanisms to regulate the operation of the suspension system in accordance with sensed road and/or vehicle operating conditions. These known systems incorporating pumps and electronic control systems, which both usually operate continuously while the vehicle is in operation, are comparatively expensive to construct and maintain, and require a substantial energy input. They therefore are finding limited acceptability in the vehicle industry.
There is previously published an International Patent Application (International Publication Number WO 93/01948, International Application Number PCT/AU92/00362 and dated Feb. 4, 1993) which discloses a `passive` hydropneumatic vehicular suspension system. This disclosed passive suspension system has many of the advantages of `active` or `semi-active` suspension systems, whilst avoiding the complexity and expense of such systems, thereby making it more acceptable to the automotive industry.
In the suspension system disclosed in said patent, a front wheel ram and the diagonally opposite rear wheel ram have the upper chamber of the front ram interconnected with the lower chamber of the rear ram and the lower chamber of the front ram interconnected to the upper chamber of the rear ram. Similarly the respective chambers of the other front ram and rear ram are likewise interconnected. There is thus provided two individual fluid circuits, each comprising a front ram and a diagonally opposite rear ram. Each of the conduits interconnecting the respective upper and lower chambers normally has at least one conventional pressure accumulator in communication therewith. The two circuits are interconnected to a pressure balancing device which is arranged to maintain a substantially equal pressure in the two circuits, as is described in detail in the previously referred to International Patent Application No. WO93/01948.
This prior proposed vehicle suspension system obviates the use of ordinary springs (eg. coils, leaf, or torsion bar springs) as well as conventional telescopic dampers (commonly referred to as shock absorbers) and roll or sway stabiliser bars.
Springing or resilience is provided by way of the gas filled accumulators with damper valves located in the mouths of the accumulators. Conventional vehicles fitted with accumulator springs are known to provide good comfort levels when traversing low amplitude ground surfaces at most speeds. However, accumulators gassed to provide a soft ride also tend to induce and exaggerate unwanted roll and pitch motions when used without roll or sway stabiliser bars. Most hydropneumatically suspended vehicles are therefore normally provided with roll or sway bars made of spring steel which mechanically and transversely interconnect the two wheels of each axle thereby limiting roll but not pitch movements.
In the suspension system described above, (Patent # WO 93/01948), excessive roll movements are resisted and controlled hydropneumatically without roll stabiliser bars and the amount of roll permitted is defined by a function of the ratio of the rams' cylindrical bore
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Heyring Christopher B.
Thompson Reginald I.
Carone Michael J.
Kinetic Limited
Wesson Theresa M.
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