Vehicle with independently adjustable suspension
AssigneeGlydways Inc.
InventorsErik Shahoian, Patrick Kessler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle may include a frame structure, four wheels, and four independent suspension systems coupled to the frame structure and configured to support the wheels relative to the frame structure. Each suspension system may include a suspension arm movably coupling a respective wheel to the frame structure, a torsion bar coupled to the suspension arm and imparting a spring force on the suspension arm, a preload arm coupled to the torsion bar, and a preload adjustment motor coupled to the preload arm and configured to rotate the torsion bar to adjust a preload on the torsion bar.
Claims20
A vehicle, comprising:
- a frame structure;
- four wheels;
- four independent suspension systems coupled to the frame structure and configured to support the wheels relative to the frame structure, each suspension system comprising:
- a suspension arm movably coupling a respective wheel to the frame structure;
- and
- a preload adjustment system configured to adjust a suspension preload on the suspension arm;
- and
- a control system operably coupled to the four independent suspension systems and configured to, in response to detecting at least one of a pitch motion or a roll motion of the vehicle, change a preload of at least two of the four independent suspension systems to compensate for the at least one of the pitch motion or the roll motion of the vehicle.
A vehicle, comprising:
- a frame structure;
- a set of wheels;
- an adjustable suspension system supporting the set of wheels relative to the frame structure and configured to adjust a suspension preload of each respective wheel of the set of wheels;
- and
- a control system operably coupled to the adjustable suspension system and configured to:
- dynamically adjust the suspension preload of respective wheels of the set of wheels to maintain the vehicle in a level attitude when the vehicle is travelling on an inclined road surface;
- and
- dynamically adjust the suspension preload of respective wheels of the set of wheels to maintain the vehicle in the level attitude when the vehicle is travelling on a crowned road surface.
A vehicle comprising:
- a frame structure;
- a set of wheels comprising:
- a first pair of wheels proximate a first end of the vehicle and configured to steer the vehicle when the vehicle is travelling in a direction of the first end of the vehicle;
- a second pair of wheels proximate a second end of the vehicle and configured to steer the vehicle when the vehicle is travelling in a direction of the second end of the vehicle;
- and
- an adjustable suspension system supporting the set of wheels relative to the frame structure;
- and
- a control system operably coupled to the adjustable suspension system and configured to:
- operate the adjustable suspension system in a first mode to increase a suspension preload of the first pair of wheels when the vehicle is traveling in the direction of the first end of the vehicle and is travelling downhill;
- and
- operate the adjustable suspension system in a second mode to increase a suspension preload of the second pair of wheels when the vehicle is travelling in the direction of the second end of the vehicle and is travelling downhill.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.