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US 11,279,189 B1Granted
Walking beam suspension
AssigneeGreentech Robotics Limited
InventorDonald H. Sandbrook
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A walking beam suspension for use with an agricultural vehicle or robot having a chassis and a plurality of wheels on opposite sides of the chassis. The walking beam suspension generally includes first and second walking beams pivotably connected to the opposite sides of the chassis and a dynamic coupling connected between the walking beams and the chassis. As the vehicle traverses the surface the wheels encounter deviations. The walking beams pivot relative to each other and to the chassis to maintain the wheels in contact with the surface. The dynamic coupling dynamically extends and retracts connections between the walking beams and dynamically pivots and linearly moves a connection to the chassis to reduce the transfer of movement caused by the deviations to the chassis.
Claims27
A walking beam suspension, comprising:
- a first walking beam that is adapted to be pivotably connected to a first side of a vehicle chassis and to have one or more first surface contacting elements connected;
- wherein the first walking beam is separately pivotable in response to the one or more first surface contacting elements encountering a first deviation in a surface to maintain each of the one or more first surface contacting elements in contact with the surface;
- a second walking beam that is adapted to be pivotably connected to a second side of the vehicle chassis and to have one or more second surface contacting elements connected;
- wherein the second walking beam is separately pivotable in response to the one or more second surface contacting elements encountering a second deviation in the surface to maintain each of the one or more second surface contacting elements in contact with the surface;
- and
- a dynamic coupling connected to the first walking beam and to the second walking beam, and adapted to be connected to the vehicle chassis;
- wherein the dynamic coupling is dynamically adjustable to reduce movement of the vehicle chassis from pivoting of the first walking beam and pivoting of the second walking beam;
- wherein the dynamic coupling is connected to the first walking beam by a first dynamic telescopic connector that is dynamically extendable and retractable.
5 more elements
A walking beam suspension, comprising:
- a first walking beam that is adapted to be pivotably connected to a first side of a vehicle chassis and to have one or more first surface contacting elements connected;
- wherein the first walking beam is separately pivotable in response to the one or more first surface contacting elements encountering a first deviation in a surface to maintain each of the one or more first surface contacting elements in contact with the surface;
- a second walking beam that is adapted to be pivotably connected to a second side of the vehicle chassis and to have one or more second surface contacting elements connected;
- wherein the second walking beam is separately pivotable in response to the one or more second surface contacting elements encountering a second deviation in the surface to maintain each of the one or more second surface contacting elements in contact with the surface;
- and
- a dynamic coupling comprising:
- a lateral connector that extends in a direction of a lateral axis of the vehicle chassis between the first walking beam and the second walking beam, and that has a first end portion connected to the first walking beam by a first dynamic connector and a second end portion connected to the second walking beam by a second dynamic connector;
- and
- a chassis connector that extends in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the vehicle chassis between the lateral connector and the vehicle chassis, and that has a first end portion adapted to be connected to the vehicle chassis and a second end portion connected to the lateral connector by a third dynamic connector;
- wherein the first dynamic connector, the second dynamic connector, and the third dynamic connector are each dynamically adjustable to reduce movement of the vehicle chassis from pivoting of the first walking beam and pivoting of the second walking beam.
7 more elements
A walking beam suspension, comprising:
- a first walking beam that is adapted to be pivotably connected to a first side of a vehicle chassis and to have one or more first surface contacting elements connected;
- wherein the first walking beam is separately pivotable in response to the one or more first surface contacting elements encountering a first deviation in a surface to maintain each of the one or more first surface contacting elements in contact with the surface;
- a second walking beam that is adapted to be pivotably connected to a second side of the vehicle chassis and to have one or more second surface contacting elements connected;
- wherein the second walking beam is separately pivotable in response to the one or more second surface contacting elements encountering a second deviation in the surface to maintain each of the one or more second surface contacting elements in contact with the surface;
- and a dynamic coupling connected to the first walking beam and to the second walking beam, and adapted to be connected to the vehicle chassis;
- wherein the dynamic coupling is dynamically adjustable to reduce movement of the vehicle chassis from pivoting of the first walking beam and pivoting of the second walking beam;
- wherein the dynamic coupling is adapted to be connected to the vehicle chassis by a first dynamic connector that is dynamically pivotable with respect to the vehicle chassis.
4 more elements
A walking beam suspension, comprising:
- a first walking beam that is adapted to be pivotably connected to a first side of a vehicle chassis and to have one or more first surface contacting elements connected;
- wherein the first walking beam is separately pivotable in response to the one or more first surface contacting elements encountering a first deviation in a surface to maintain each of the one or more first surface contacting elements in contact with the surface;
- a second walking beam that is adapted to be pivotably connected to a second side of the vehicle chassis and to have one or more second surface contacting elements connected;
- wherein the second walking beam is separately pivotable in response to the one or more second surface contacting elements encountering a second deviation in the surface to maintain each of the one or more second surface contacting elements in contact with the surface;
- and a dynamic coupling connected to the first walking beam and to the second walking beam, and adapted to be connected to the vehicle chassis;
- wherein the dynamic coupling is dynamically adjustable to reduce movement of the vehicle chassis from pivoting of the first walking beam and pivoting of the second walking beam;
- wherein the dynamic coupling is adapted to be connected to the vehicle chassis by a first dynamic connector that is dynamically linearly movable with respect to the vehicle chassis.
4 more elements
A walking beam suspension, comprising:
- a first walking beam that is adapted to be pivotably connected to a first side of a vehicle chassis and to have one or more first surface contacting elements connected;
- wherein the first walking beam is separately pivotable in response to the one or more first surface contacting elements encountering a first deviation in a surface to maintain each of the one or more first surface contacting elements in contact with the surface;
- a second walking beam that is adapted to be pivotably connected to a second side of the vehicle chassis and to have one or more second surface contacting elements connected;
- wherein the second walking beam is separately pivotable in response to the one or more second surface contacting elements encountering a second deviation in the surface to maintain each of the one or more second surface contacting elements in contact with the surface;
- and a dynamic coupling connected to the first walking beam and to the second walking beam, and adapted to be connected to the vehicle chassis;
- wherein the dynamic coupling is dynamically adjustable to reduce movement of the vehicle chassis from pivoting of the first walking beam and pivoting of the second walking beam;
- wherein the dynamic coupling is adapted to be connected to the vehicle chassis by a first dynamic connector that is dynamically pivotable and linearly movable with respect to the vehicle chassis.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.