US 2003/0221879 A1Published application

Articulation of suspension in an independently suspended beam structure

AssigneeHonda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsLee N. Bowers, Mark Kittel, Hidefumi Ishii

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Abstract

A half-track all-terrain vehicle having an independent suspension system that provides an improved vehicle ride and facilitates traversing obstacles. The vehicle includes a frame, a pair of beams that each holds front and rear wheels, and a suspension system extending between the each beam and the frame. The suspension system includes a plurality of cushions. The cushions are tuned such that forward cushions have a relatively greater suspension stroke than the rearward cushions and thereby permit the front wheels to engage the ground sequentially before the rear wheels when the vehicle goes over a step or drop off. The suspension system is further tuned to permit the vehicle to traverse an obstacle having a height that is slightly lower than the frame clearance by permitting the front wheels to lift vertically to a distance essentially equal to the frame clearance.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A half-track vehicle, comprising:

(a) a frame having a first side and a second side;
(b) a first beam disposed at the first side of said frame and having a forward end and a rearward end;
(c) a second beam disposed at the second side of said frame and having a forward end and a rearward end;
(d) a first suspension system suspending the first beam from the frame adjacent the first side of the frame, said first suspension system including first and second cushions, said first suspension system first cushion extending between said first beam first end and said frame, said first suspension system second cushion extending between said first beam second end and said frame;
(e) a second suspension system substantially separate from the first suspension system suspending the second beam from the frame adjacent the second side of the frame, said second suspension system including first and second cushions, said second suspension system first cushion extending between said the first end of said second beam and said frame, said second suspension system second cushion extending between said second beam second end and said frame;
(f) first wheels attached to each of said first and second beams adjacent the forward ends thereof;
(g) second wheels attached to each of said first and second beams adjacent the rearward ends thereof;
(h) wherein said first cushions have a first suspension stroke and said second cushions have a second suspension stroke, and wherein said first suspension stroke is greater than said second suspension stroke.

5 more elements

A half-track vehicle, comprising:

(a) a frame having a first side and a second side and being spaced a first distance from a ground surface;
(b) a first beam disposed at the first side of said frame and having a forward end and a rearward end, said first beam being spaced a second distance from the ground surface;
(c) a second beam disposed at the second side of said frame and having a forward end and a rearward end, said second beam being spaced the second distance from the ground surface;
(d) a first suspension system suspending the first beam from the frame adjacent the first side of the frame, said first suspension system including first and second cushions, said first suspension system first cushion extending between said first beam first end and said frame, said first suspension system second cushion extending between said first beam second end and said frame;
(e) a second suspension system substantially separate from the first suspension system suspending the second beam from the frame adjacent the second side of the frame, said second suspension system including first and second cushions, said second suspension system first cushion extending between said the first end of said second beam and said frame, said second suspension system second cushion extending between said second beam second end and said frame;
(f) first wheels attached to each of said first and second beams adjacent the forward ends thereof;
(g) second wheels attached to each of said first and second beams adjacent the rearward ends thereof;
(h) wherein when said first wheels engage an obstacle, said first wheels and said forward ends of said beams are adapted to raise vertically such that said first wheels are lifted vertically toward said first distance from the ground and ride over said obstacle.

5 more elements

A half-track vehicle, comprising:

(a) a frame having a first side and a second side and being spaced a first distance from a ground surface;
(b) a first beam disposed at the first side of said frame and having a forward end and a rearward end, said first beam being spaced a second distance from the ground surface;
(c) a second beam disposed at the second side of said frame and having a forward end and a rearward end, said second beam being spaced the second distance from the ground surface;
(d) a first suspension system suspending the first beam from the frame adjacent the first side of the frame, said first suspension system including first and second cushions, said first suspension system first cushion extending between said first beam first end and said frame, said first suspension system second cushion extending between said first beam second end and said frame;
(e) a second suspension system substantially separate from the first suspension system suspending the second beam from the frame adjacent the second side of the frame, said second suspension system including first and second cushions, said second suspension system first cushion extending between said the first end of said second beam and said frame, said second suspension system second cushion extending between said second beam second end and said frame;
(f) first wheels attached to each of said first and second beams adjacent the forward ends thereof;
(g) second wheels attached to each of said first and second beams adjacent the rearward ends thereof;
(h) wherein when said first wheels engage an obstacle, said first wheels and said forward ends of said beams are adapted to raise vertically such that said first wheels are lifted vertically toward said first distance from the ground and ride over said obstacle;
and,
(i) wherein said first cushions have a first suspension stroke and said second cushions have a second suspension stroke, and wherein said first suspension stroke is greater than said second suspension stroke.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/382,380Filed 6 Mar 2003
Priority: 8 Mar 2002
Published: 4 Dec 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B62D 55/104
Endless track units; Parts thereof: suspension devices for wheels, rollers, bogies or frames
B60G 5/00
Resilient suspensions for a set of tandem wheels or axles having interrelated
B62D 55/00
Endless track vehicles
B62D
Motor vehicles

Family

Application60/362,769Us provisional application · filed 8 Mar 2002
Application60/362,768Us provisional application · filed 8 Mar 2002
US 6,840,338 B2Related patent
US 2003/0221879 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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