Systems and methods of adjustable suspensions for off-road recreational vehicles
AssigneePolaris Industries Inc.
InventorsMichael A. Hedlund, Trevor F. Rhodes, Jonathon P. Graus, Kyle W. Olson, Justin T. Anderson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A damping control system is provided for an off-road recreational vehicles having a suspension located between a ground engaging member and a vehicle frame and including at least one adjustable shock absorber having an adjustable damping characteristic based on an input from a sensor.
Claims33
A snowmobile for propelled movement relative to the ground, comprising
- a plurality of ground engaging members including an endless track positioned along a centerline vertical longitudinal plane of the snowmobile having a lateral width, a left front ski positioned on a left side of the centerline vertical longitudinal plane of the snowmobile, and a right front ski positioned on a right side of the centerline vertical longitudinal plane of the snowmobile;
- a frame supported by the plurality of ground engaging members;
- a steering system supported by the frame and operatively coupled to the left front ski and the right front ski to control a direction of travel of the snowmobile;
- a left ski suspension operatively coupling the left front ski to the frame;
- a right ski suspension operatively coupling the right front ski to the frame;
- a track suspension operatively coupling the endless track to the frame, the track suspension including a first adjustable shock absorber, the first adjustable shock absorber having at least one adjustable damping characteristic, the first adjustable shock absorber being laterally positioned within the lateral width of the endless track;
- a plurality of sensors supported by the ground engaging members;
- and
- at least one electronic controller operatively coupled to the first adjustable shock absorber, the at least one electronic controller based on a sensor measurement from a sensor spaced apart from each of the left ski suspension, right ski suspension, and track suspension operable to determine an airborne condition, and in response to the airborne condition the electronic controller alters at least one damping characteristic of the first adjustable shock absorber, wherein the at least one damping characteristic includes a rebound damping characteristic and the controller is operable to alter the rebound damping characteristic based upon a length of time that the snowmobile has been airborne.
A method of controlling ride characteristics of a snowmobile, the method comprising the steps of:
- monitoring with at least one electronic controller a plurality of sensors supported by the snowmobile while the snowmobile is moving;
- predictively determining a longitudinal acceleration of the snowmobile based on a current sensor value of at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors;
- and
- adjusting with the at least one electronic controller at least one damping characteristic of an adjustable shock absorber while the vehicle is moving, based on the predicted longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle, the adjustable shock absorber being apart of a suspension of an endless track of the snowmobile.
A method of controlling a damping characteristic of at least one adjustable shock absorber of a vehicle being operated by a driver, the method comprising:
- receiving with an electronic controller a plurality of inputs from a plurality of sensors supported by the vehicle;
- predictively determining a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle based on a current sensor value of at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors;
- and
- adjusting the damping characteristic of the at least one adjustable shock absorber of the vehicle based on the predicted longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.