Vehicle suspension system
OwnerAlan Bryn Birdinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Vehicle suspension having arms (6) and (7) for each wheel (14) and (15) respectively, each arm (6) having more than one sprung strut (18) and (19) of which two such struts each operates exclusively between two different arms. Each arm's rotational axis (28) and (38) respectively intersects a vertical longitudinal plane through the centre of road contact with the wheel at a point (45) and (46) respectively on a straight lines (47) and (48) respectively between the centre of contact with the road and a point at or near the anticipated centre of gravity (49) of the suspended mass projected onto the plane. Preferably, the vehicle transmission avoids applying a moment about the arm's rotation axis, braking is attached to the arm and steering linkage is passed through or near the arm's axis of rotation.
Claims19
1-18. (canceled)
A vehicle suspension system for a vehicle comprising at least three wheels each mounted at the outer end of a respective suspension arm which is rotationally connected at an inner end to the suspended mass of the vehicle, each said arm of the vehicle suspension system having attached thereto an end of each of at least two suspension arm connectors, the other ends of said suspension arm connectors each being attached to a respective one of two other suspension arms of the suspension system, the axis of rotation of each suspension arm being oriented such that each of the suspension arm connectors attached to that arm has a turning moment about said axis, and each said suspension arm connector contributing a force to the turning moment required to suspend the suspended mass of the vehicle at one suspension arm and acting in tension or compression to deliver a reaction to that force to a suspension arm at the other end of the suspension arm connector.
A vehicle comprising a suspension system having at least three suspension arms each supporting a vehicle wheel and having a respective axis for rotation relative to a body of the vehicle, each said arm of the vehicle suspension system having attached thereto an end of each of at least two suspension arm connectors, the other ends of said suspension arm connectors each being attached to a respective one of two other suspension arms of the suspension system, the axis of rotation of each suspension arm being oriented such that each of the suspension arm connectors attached to that arm has a turning moment about said axis, and wherein the axis of rotation of each suspension arm intersects a vertical, longitudinal plane, being a plane parallel with the normal direction of movement of the vehicle and containing the centre of contact of the wheel with a ground surface, at a point on a line containing the centre of contact of that wheel with the ground surface and a selected point in the said plane close to or at the anticipated centre of gravity of the vehicle's suspended mass as projected at right angles onto the said plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.