Arrangement and method for operating self-steering wheels
AssigneeVolvo Lastvagnar AB
InventorBjorn Jaberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method and arrangement for operating self-steering wheels on a non-driving axle (3) in a vehicle, which wheels (1, 2) are each mounted on their own stub axle (4, 5) and connected to a tie rod (8). The axle (3) and one (4) of the stub axles are connected by a cylinder (12) with two separate chambers (16, 17), each chamber having an individually adjustable piston (22, 23), the cylinder (12) having a first, freely movable state, in which its length is variable, and a second, pressurized state, in which its length (S3) is fixed, and in that each chamber (16, 17) has at least one connection (18, 19, 20, 21) for pressure medium for acting on the respective piston (22, 23) in the cylinder (12).
Claims15
An arrangement for operating self-steering wheels on a non-driving axle in a vehicle, the arrangement comprising:
- self-steering wheels, each connected to a non-driving axle by a stub axle and said stub axles being interconnected by a tie rod;
- a piston and cylinder arrangement connecting the non-driving axle and at least one of the stub axles, a cylinder of the piston and cylinder arrangement being provided with two separate chambers, each chamber having an individually adjustable piston;
- and
- the piston and cylinder arrangement having a first, freely movable state, in which a length thereof is variable, and a second, pressurized state, in which a predetermined length is assumed, and each chamber having at least one connection for pressure medium for acting on the respective piston in the cylinder.
A method for operating self-steering wheels on a non-driving axle in a vehicle, the method comprising:
- providing an arrangement having:
- wheels that are, one each, mounted on stub axles to a non-driving axle, the stub axles being interconnected by a tie rod;
- a piston and cylinder arrangement interconnecting the non-driving axle and one of the stub axles;
- a cylinder of the piston and cylinder arrangement being provided with two separate chambers, each chamber having a piston thereby permitting the piston and cylinder arrangement to be adjustable between two states and each chamber having at least one connection for pressure medium for acting on the respective piston in the cylinder, the adjustment between the states being effected by:
- opening the connections of at least a first chamber to the atmosphere or an outlet so that the respective piston is freely movable, and as a result of which, the length of the piston and cylinder arrangement is variable thereby enabling self-steering.
A method for operating self-steering wheels on a non-driving axle in a vehicle, the method comprising:
- providing an arrangement having:
- wheels that are, one each, mounted on stub axles to a non-driving axle, the stub axles being interconnected by a tie rod;
- a piston and cylinder arrangement interconnecting the non-driving axle and one of the stub axles;
- a cylinder of the piston and cylinder arrangement being provided with two separate chambers, each chamber having a piston thereby permitting the piston and cylinder arrangement to be adjustable between two states and each chamber having at least one connection for pressure medium for acting on the respective piston in the cylinder, the adjustment between the states being effected by:
- pressuring both chambers so that the pistons each adopt their own end position in the piston and cylinder arrangement thereby the piston and cylinder arrangement to adopt a predetermined length thereby locking the wheels in a position parallel to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.