Spring devices – Vehicle – Mechanical spring and nonresilient retarder
Patent
1991-08-05
1993-09-14
Oberleitner, Robert J.
Spring devices
Vehicle
Mechanical spring and nonresilient retarder
267217, 267229, 267248, 267 361, 267273, 267286, B60G 1132, B60G 1700, B60G 1506
Patent
active
052441903
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention has for its object a suspension of dynamically variable flexibility or stiffness and whose flexibility is increased in the region in which the wheels are retracted, that is from the normal working position to the abutting position, and whose stiffness is increased from the normal working position to the position in which the wheel hangs free (or abuts a detent).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The state of the art can be defined by various patents. All these patents describe means to vary the flexibility or stiffness as a function of the load of the vehicle. Other patents describe tilt correctors. These patents cause the intervention upon application of energy, of a mechanism which modifies the stiffness or the flexibility as a function of the load. Certain patents modify the stiffness or the flexibility as a function of the choice of driving mode (example: sports mode, family mode, etc. . . . ) By applying energy, the flexibility of the elastic elements can vary as a function of detectors (of direction, tilt, speed, etc. . . . ) The change of flexibility or of stiffness is applicable throughout the suspension.
In the very great majority of cases, the suspensions of automobiles are constituted by a combined "spring+shock absorber" giving rise, at the level of the vehicle wheel, to a suspension force which increases in a constant manner with the collapse of the suspension. In other words, the stiffness or flexibility is constant (stiffness=delta F over delta L or a variation of force over variation of length), and this regardless of the nature of the spring used (the elastic element could be a helicoidal metal spring, a torsion blade or blades, or pneumatic, etc. . . . )
Nevertheless there are suspensions in which this stiffness varies as the load on the vehicle wheel. These suspensions are of so-called variable flexibility and all those known to the present rely on increase in stiffness upon increase of load on the vehicle wheel; this increase of stiffness is adapted better to control the maintenance of the "increased" mass of the vehicle. It can be obtained in various ways: may be adapted so that they act progressively; progressive so that these latter come into contact with each other one after the other during collapse; pitch, but of different values. The first part collapses until the turns touch, while only the second part continues to be compressed; this gives rise to two successive stiffnesses, the greater being at the end of collapse; to vary by varying the multiplication ratio relative to the spring; accumulator of the element giving rise to a variation of this volume which is more and more abrupt, from which the stiffness increases.
In these different well known examples, the stiffness always increases with collapse of the suspension. This increase of stiffness is ordinarily progressive.
The state of the art may be defined by the following patents:
FR-A-1.349.851: Suspension of a movable engine comprising one or several elements of usual deformable means, such as springs or other devices which can if desired be complex and buffered, acting either by contraction or extension or torsion of their filaments, materials or elastic fluids, so arranged that:
their elongation and corresponding charge may be different from those of subsequent expanders, namely predetermined within limits of loads defined or above an occasional predetermined surcharge;
the combination of the elastic elements permits any obstacle acting on one of these elements to provoke non-resonance of the engine below this obstacle and to benefit from the flexibility of several, that is, the assembly of the elements, that these adjustments and connections may be maintained within limits defined by a given surcharge or discharge at rest, namely a lower guard (or in the plane of displacement) of this engine.
This patent directs all its efforts to achieve non-resonance. Nothing is described which suggests the positioning and the value of the different regions of stiffness.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,976: this p
REFERENCES:
patent: 2160541 (1939-05-01), Dubonnet
patent: 3559976 (1971-02-01), Jerz, Jr.
patent: 3984119 (1976-10-01), Okazima
Chironis, Nicholas P., ed. Spring Design and Application, McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc. (1961) pp. 170 and 172.
Ballato Josie A.
Mauro Bianchi S.A.
Oberleitner Robert J.
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