Vehicle cab suspension system
AssigneeInternational Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC
InventorsMichael A. Taylor, Benjamin S. Puterbaugh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A truck cab suspension system provides improved durability of the truck cab structure by reducing twisting forces applied to the cab frame from the suspension system. The suspension system provides support to the rear sill of the truck by positioning two air springs on either side of the vehicle center line under the sill and two shock absorbers aligned along the vehicle center line between the air springs. The forces applied to the cab frame rear sill balance one another avoiding twisting.
Claims14
A vehicle comprising:
- a frame having a pair of parallel, elongated side rails on either side of a vehicle longitudinal axis and a cross member connected between the pair of parallel, elongated side rails;
- a passenger cab positioned above the cross member and having a bottom side;
- and
- a suspension unit supporting the cab from the cross member, the suspension unit comprising,
- an attachment plate connected to the bottom side of the passenger cab above the cross member, a compression spring positioned between the attachment plate and the cross member, and front and rear shock dampening units substantially aligned along the longitudinal vehicle axis.
A vehicle as set forth in Clam 3, wherein the attachment plate is directly fastened to the rear sill element.
Apparatus comprising:
- a support body;
- a suspended body positioned above the support body;
- a support plate attached to the suspended body and positioned over the support body;
- a pair of vertically oriented air springs having upper and lower ends, the lower end of each air spring being mounted on the support body and the upper end of each air spring being attached to the support plate, the pair of air springs defining an axis of support across the support plate;
- and
- first and second shock absorbers connected between the support plate and the support body, the points of attachment of the first and second shock absorbers to the support plate being spaced and defining an axis of support perpendicular to and bisecting the axis of support defined by the pair of air springs.
A truck cab suspension system comprising:
- a support body;
- an attachment plate positioned over the support body including a linear array of attachment points;
- a pair of air springs supported on the support body and underlying the attachment point, aligned parallel to the array of attachment points;
- and
- fore and aft shock absorbers aligned in a plane perpendicular to the array of attachment and located between the pair of air springs, the fore and aft shock absorbers each being connected between the support body and the attachment plate at spaced points of connection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.