Load cushion
AssigneeHendrickson USA, L.L.C.
InventorsShawn D. Noble, Matthew J. Van Meter, Randy Joseph Zimmerman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle suspension having a frame attachment portion attached to a saddle, first and second bolster springs mounted to spring mounts on an outboard side of the saddle and mounted on walls of a spring mount on an outboard side of an equalizing beam, and third and fourth bolster springs mounted to walls of a spring mount on an inboard side of the saddle and mounted to spring mounts on an inboard side of the equalizing beam, wherein upwardly extending flanges on the bottom of the first and second bolster sprints are mounted to each other using a common fastener, and wherein upwardly extending flanges on the bottom of the third and fourth bolster springs are mounted to each other with a common fastener.
Claims8
A load cushion for a vehicle suspension system, the load cushion comprising:
- an end plate;
- an elastomeric cushion portion extending from the end plate to a top of the cushion portion;
- wherein a vertical cross-section of the cushion portion from a front side to a rear side of the cushion is symmetrical and has curvilinear edges;
- and wherein a narrowest width between the front side and the rear side is positioned at a midpoint between the end plate and the top of the cushion portion;
- wherein a vertical cross section of the cushion portion from a left side to a right side of the cushion is symmetrical and has curvilinear edges;
- and wherein a narrowest width between the left side and the right side is positioned at a midpoint between the end plate and the top of the cushion portion;
- and
- wherein a horizontal cross section of the elastomeric cushion portion taken at the midpoint is square with rounded corners.
A load cushion for a vehicle suspension system, the load cushion comprising:
- an end plate;
- an elastomeric cushion portion extending from the end plate to a top of the cushion portion;
- wherein a vertical cross-section of the cushion portion from a front side to a rear side of the cushion is symmetrical and has curvilinear edges;
- wherein a narrowest width between the front side and the rear side is positioned at a midpoint between the end plate and the top of the cushion portion;
- wherein the vertical cross-section of the elastomeric cushion has a negative Gaussian curvature;
- and
- wherein when the load cushion undergoes compression, the vertical cross-section changes through a zero Gaussian curvature.
A load cushion for a vehicle suspension system, the load cushion comprising:
- an end plate;
- an elastomeric cushion portion extending from the end plate to a top of the cushion portion;
- wherein a vertical cross-section of the cushion portion from a front side to a rear side of the cushion is symmetrical and has curvilinear edges;
- and wherein a narrowest width between the front side and the rear side is positioned at a midpoint between the end plate and the top of the cushion portion;
- wherein the vertical cross-section of the cushion portion of the elastomeric cushion has a negative Gaussian curvature;
- and
- wherein when the load cushion undergoes 50% compression, the vertical cross-section changes to a zero or slightly positive Gaussian curvature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.