Back to results
US 2005/0206111 A1Published application
Tunable suspension system for enhanced acceleration characteristics of wheeled vehicles
OwnerGregory Gibson, Donald Munsoninventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved vehicle suspension system providing for readily adjustable rearward weight transfer upon acceleration by permitting controlled upward motion of the mid-wheelbase portion of the vehicle and corresponding dynamic change in center of gravity height. The movement of the central portions of the vehicle in an upward direction is controlled and adjusted through a plurality of pivot points and links, together with variable resistance spring and damper means, to provide for optimum dynamic weight transfer onto driven wheels and superior acceleration characteristics under a variety of road surface, vehicle, and environmental conditions.
Claims19
In combination with a vehicle frame, said frame including:
- a front structure spaced above the ground and including at least one ground engaging wheel mounted on the forward, outer portion of said front structure, and
- a rear structure spaced above the ground and including at least one ground engaging, driven wheel mounted on the rearward, outer portion of said rear structure;
- the improvements comprising suspension means to allow for variable and controlled raising of the central portion of the vehicle frame and accordingly the center of gravity thereof upon acceleration of the vehicle, said suspension means including:
- (a) means for the forward portion of the rear structure to connect to the rear portion of the front structure by at least one primary pivot point such that the front and rear structures can each pivot about its respective axle centerline and pivot with respect to each other about an axis passing horizontally through the pivot point(s) and perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of the car;
- and
- (b) linkage means for pivotally interconnecting one or more rear pivot point(s) on the forward portion of said rear structure with one or more forward pivot point(s) on the rear portion of said front structure, said linkage means including a plurality of links pivotally interconnecting said forward and rear pivot points, said linkage means controlling the aforesaid rotational freedom of movement of the front and rear structures, thereby
- (i) preventing significant downward displacement of the mid-wheelbase portion of said vehicle, such that the desired minimum ground clearance of said vehicle is maintained under all normal operational conditions, while
- (ii) permitting the mid-wheelbase portion of said vehicle frame to be upwardly displaced away from the ground, and thus the distance between said forward and rear pivot points to increase or decrease, when the vehicle is acted upon by accelerative and rotational forces transferred by the rear drive wheel(s);
- and
- (c) one or more resilient, adjustable spring and adjustable damper means, including one end pivotally connected to said vehicle frame and a second end pivotally connected to said linkage means, with said spring and damper means attached so that they respectively resist and damp said accelerative and rotational forces and said tendency for the central portion of said vehicle frame to rise upon vehicle acceleration, thus
- (i) limiting the maximum amount of upward displacement of said mid-wheelbase portion of the vehicle upon acceleration, and the resultant dynamic rise of vehicle center of gravity height, to an extent which may be adjusted and modified in order to optimize upward center of gravity height change and resultant rearward weight transfer for desired acceleration characteristics,
- (ii) controlling the rate at which said upward displacement of said mid-wheelbase portion of the vehicle occurs upon acceleration, to an extent which may be adjusted and modified in order to optimize upward center of gravity height change and resultant rearward weight transfer for desired acceleration characteristics,
- (iii) providing an adjustable and damped spring resilient force to assist the return of said mid-wheelbase portion of the vehicle to its at-rest position, and
- (iv) providing an adjustable degree of damping of all of said upward or downward relative motions of said mid-wheelbase portion of the vehicle which might occur during vehicle operation.
11 more elements
In combination with a vehicle frame, said frame including:
- a front structure spaced above the ground and including at least one ground engaging wheel mounted on the forward, outer portion of said front structure, and
- a rear structure spaced above the ground and including at least one ground engaging, driven wheel mounted on the rearward, outer portion of said rear structure;
- the improvements comprising suspension means to allow for variable and controlled raising of the central portion of the vehicle frame and accordingly the center of gravity thereof upon acceleration of the vehicle, said suspension means including:
- (a) means for the forward portion of the rear structure to connect to the rear portion of the front structure by at least one primary pivot point such that the front and rear structures can each pivot about its respective axle centerline and pivot with respect to each other about an axis passing horizontally through the pivot point(s) and perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of the car;
- and
- (b) linkage means for pivotally interconnecting one or more rear pivot point(s) on the forward portion of said rear structure with one or more forward pivot point(s) on the rear portion of said front structure, said linkage means comprising one or more spring and damper means pivotally interconnecting said forward and rear pivot points, said linkage means controlling the aforesaid rotational freedom of movement of the front and rear structures, thereby
- (i) preventing significant downward displacement of the mid-wheelbase portion of said vehicle, such that the desired minimum ground clearance of said vehicle is maintained under all normal operational conditions, while
- (ii) permitting the mid-wheelbase portion of said vehicle frame to be upwardly displaced away from the ground, and thus the distance between said forward and rear pivot points to increase or decrease, when the vehicle is acted upon by accelerative and rotational forces transferred by the rear drive wheel(s);
- and
- (c) with said spring and damper means attached so that they respectively resist and damp said accelerative and rotational forces and said tendency for the central portion of said vehicle frame to rise upon vehicle acceleration, thus
- (i) limiting the maximum amount of upward displacement of said mid-wheelbase portion of the vehicle upon acceleration, and the resultant dynamic rise of vehicle center of gravity height, to an extent which may be adjusted and modified in order to optimize upward center of gravity height change and resultant rearward weight transfer for desired acceleration characteristics,
- (ii) controlling the rate at which said upward displacement of said mid-wheelbase portion of the vehicle occurs upon acceleration, to an extent which may be adjusted and modified in order to optimize upward center of gravity height change and resultant rearward weight transfer for desired acceleration characteristics,
- (iii) providing an adjustable and damped spring resilient force to assist the return of said mid-wheelbase portion of the vehicle to its at-rest position, and
- (iv) providing an adjustable degree of damping of all of said upward or downward relative motions of said mid-wheelbase portion of the vehicle which might occur during vehicle operation.
11 more elements
In combination with a vehicle frame, said frame including:
- a front structure spaced above the ground and including at least one ground engaging wheel mounted on the forward, outer portion of said front structure, and
- a rear structure spaced above the ground and including at least one ground engaging, driven wheel mounted on the rearward, outer portion of said rear structure;
- the improvements comprising suspension means to allow for variable and controlled raising of the central portion of the vehicle frame and accordingly the center of gravity thereof upon acceleration of the vehicle, said suspension means including:
- (a) means for the forward portion of the rear structure to connect to the rear portion of the front structure by at least one primary pivot point such that the front and rear structures can each pivot about its respective axle centerline and pivot with respect to each other about an axis passing horizontally through the pivot point(s) and perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of the car;
- and
- (b) linkage means for pivotally interconnecting one or more rear pivot point(s) on the forward portion of said rear structure with one or more forward pivot point(s) on the rear portion of said front structure, said linkage means including a plurality of links pivotally interconnecting said forward and rear pivot points, said linkage means controlling the aforesaid rotational freedom of movement of the front and rear structures, thereby
- (i) preventing significant downward displacement of the mid-wheelbase portion of said vehicle, such that the desired minimum ground clearance of said vehicle is maintained under all normal operational conditions, while
- (ii) permitting the mid-wheelbase portion of said vehicle frame to be upwardly displaced away from the ground, and thus the distance between said forward and rear pivot points to increase or decrease, when the vehicle is acted upon by accelerative and rotational forces transferred by the rear drive wheel(s);
- and
- (c) one or more resilient, adjustable spring means and one or more adjustable damper means, each the spring means and damper means having one end pivotally connected, directly or through further links, to said front structure and a second end pivotally connected, directly or through further links, to said rear structure, with said spring and damper means attached so that they respectively resist and damp said accelerative and rotational forces and said tendency for the central portion of said vehicle frame to rise upon vehicle acceleration, thus
- (i) limiting the maximum amount of upward displacement of said mid-wheelbase portion of the vehicle upon acceleration, and the resultant dynamic rise of vehicle center of gravity height, to an extent which may be adjusted and modified in order to optimize upward center of gravity height change and resultant rearward weight transfer for desired acceleration characteristics,
- (ii) controlling the rate at which said upward displacement of said mid-wheelbase portion of the vehicle occurs upon acceleration, to an extent which may be adjusted and modified in order to optimize upward center of gravity height change and resultant rearward weight transfer for desired acceleration characteristics,
- (iii) providing an adjustable and damped spring resilient force to assist the return of said mid-wheelbase portion of the vehicle to its at-rest position, and
- (iv) providing an adjustable degree of damping of all of said upward or downward relative motions of said mid-wheelbase portion of the vehicle which might occur during vehicle operation.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.