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US 12,194,902 B2Granted
Suspension system
AssigneeSuspension Systems Technologies, LLC
InventorPeter Wallace Johnson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A space-saving suspension apparatus comprising a coarse suspension device, a mechanical assembly, and a fine suspension device coupling a supported frame to a base frame at a neutral height such that forces and/or displacements of either the base frame or the supported frame result in oppositely directed forces and/or displacements of the other of the base frame and the supported frame. In some embodiments, the neutral height is adjustable.
Claims27
A passive suspension apparatus for supporting a payload, the passive suspension apparatus comprising:
- a base frame and a supported frame, the supported frame coupled to the base frame, the supported frame configured to be disposed vertically a neutral height above the base frame when a payload having a payload weight is disposed on the supported frame, the passive suspension apparatus configured to support relative displacement in a generally vertical direction between the supported frame and the base frame from a minimum height to a maximum height, the neutral height being between the minimum height and the maximum height, the supported frame being coupled to the base frame via:
- a scissor linkage, the scissor linkage comprising two crossed scissor arms pivotably coupled together about a central pivot, each of the two crossed scissor arms extending from the base frame to the supported frame, the two crossed scissor arms being free to rotate relative to each other as the supported frame and the base frame move closer to and farther away from each other;
- a coarse suspension device coupling the base frame to the supported frame, the coarse suspension device configured to oppose a relative displacement in the generally vertical direction between the base frame and the supported frame, the coarse suspension device being adjustable to support the payload at the neutral height;
- a mechanical assembly configured to convert the relative displacement in the generally vertical direction between the base frame and the supported frame into a generally horizontal displacement;
- and
- a fine suspension device operably coupled to the mechanical assembly to provide damping to the horizontal displacement from the mechanical assembly, the mechanical assembly and the fine suspension device coupling the base frame to the supported frame;
- wherein the passive suspension apparatus comprises only passive components,
- wherein a force applied to one of the base frame and the supported frame in the generally vertical direction causes a generally opposite force to be applied to the other of the base frame and the supported frame, and
- wherein the damping provided by the fine suspension device and the mechanical assembly varies in a non-linear manner such that:
- the amount of damping provided in response to the relative displacement in the generally vertical direction between the base frame and the supported frame is different for an upward displacement of a given amount X than for a downward displacement of the given amount X.
7 more elements
A passive suspension apparatus for supporting a payload, the passive suspension apparatus comprising:
- a base frame and a supported frame, the supported frame coupled to the base frame, the supported frame configured to be disposed vertically a neutral height above the base frame when a payload having a payload weight is disposed on the supported frame, the passive suspension apparatus configured to support relative displacement in a generally vertical direction between the supported frame and the base frame from a minimum height to a maximum height, the neutral height being between the minimum height and the maximum height, the supported frame being coupled to the base frame via:
- a scissor linkage, the scissor linkage comprising two crossed scissor arms pivotably coupled together about a central pivot, each of the two crossed scissor arms extending from the base frame to the supported frame, the two crossed scissor arms being free to rotate relative to each other as the supported frame and the base frame move closer to and farther away from each other;
- a coarse suspension device coupling the base frame to the supported frame, the coarse suspension device configured to oppose a relative displacement in the generally vertical direction between the base frame and the supported frame, the coarse suspension device being adjustable to support the payload at the neutral height;
- a mechanical assembly configured to convert the relative displacement in the generally vertical direction between the base frame and the supported frame into a generally horizontal displacement;
- and
- a fine suspension device operably coupled to the mechanical assembly to provide damping to the horizontal displacement from the mechanical assembly, the mechanical assembly and the fine suspension device coupling the base frame to the supported frame;
- wherein the passive suspension apparatus comprises only passive components,
- wherein a force applied to one of the base frame and the supported frame in the generally vertical direction causes a generally opposite force to be applied to the other of the base frame and the supported frame,
- wherein the damping provided by the fine suspension device and the mechanical assembly vary as a function of both (a) the relative displacement in the generally vertical direction between the base frame and the supported frame, and (b) a velocity of the generally horizontal displacement from the mechanical assembly, and
- wherein the damping provided by the fine suspension device and the mechanical assembly varies in a non-linear manner such that:
- the amount of damping provided in response to the relative displacement in the generally vertical direction between the base frame and the supported frame is different for an upward displacement of a given amount X than for a downward displacement of the given amount X.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.