Invertible stabilizer bar and system incorporating the same
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorMatthew Garn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A suspension assembly for a vehicle may include a first stabilizer bar operably coupled to a first wheel on a first side of the vehicle, a second stabilizer bar operably coupled to a second wheel on a second side of the vehicle, and an chassis coupler comprising an inverter housing and an actuator assembly. The actuator assembly may be operable to arrange the first stabilizer bar and the second stabilizer bar in a selected one of a connected state, a disconnected state, and an inverted state. The inverter housing may be alternately constrained to one of the first stabilizer bar or the chassis coupler based on a position of the actuator assembly to define each of the connected state, the disconnected state and the inverted state.
Claims20
A stabilizer assembly for a vehicle, the stabilizer assembly comprising:
- a first stabilizer bar operably coupled to a first wheel on a first side of the vehicle, the first stabilizer bar comprising a first gear that rotates with the first stabilizer bar;
- a second stabilizer bar operably coupled to a second wheel on a second side of the vehicle, the second stabilizer bar comprising a second gear that rotates with the second stabilizer bar;
- an inverter housing;
- an actuator assembly;
- and
- a chassis coupler;
- wherein the actuator assembly is operable to arrange the first stabilizer bar and the second stabilizer bar in a selected one of a connected state, a disconnected state, and an inverted state;
- wherein the inverter housing is alternately constrained to one of the first stabilizer bar or the chassis coupler based on a position of the actuator assembly to define each of the connected state, the disconnected state, and the inverted state;
- wherein the first gear and the second gear are configured to be in a meshed engagement when the first stabilizer bar and the second stabilizer bar are in the connected state, the disconnected state, and the inverted state.
A stabilizer assembly for a vehicle, the stabilizer assembly comprising:
- a first stabilizer bar operably coupled to a first wheel on a first side of the vehicle;
- a second stabilizer bar operably coupled to a second wheel on a second side of the vehicle;
- an inverter housing;
- an actuator assembly;
- and
- a chassis coupler;
- wherein the actuator assembly is operable to arrange the first stabilizer bar and the second stabilizer bar in a selected one of a connected state, a disconnected state, and an inverted state;
- wherein the inverter housing is alternately constrained to one of the first stabilizer bar or the chassis coupler based on a position of the actuator assembly to define each of the connected state, the disconnected state, and the inverted state;
- wherein the actuator assembly further comprises a draglink coupled between the first stabilizer bar and the second stabilizer bar and rotatable between a draglink constrained position and a draglink unconstrained position, wherein, when the draglink is in the draglink constrained position, the draglink is off-axis with the first stabilizer bar to implement the connected state or the disconnected state, and wherein, when the draglink is in the draglink unconstrained position, the draglink is on-axis with the first stabilizer bar to implement the inverted state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.