US 4,705,128 A · Independent wheel suspension system having a differential pivotable about two axes

Abstract

An independent wheel suspension system having a pair of wheel assemblies, a transverse support member rotatably connected between side frame members of the vehicle frame to pivot about a transverse pivot axis, a differential attached to the transverse support member, a prop shaft coupling the differential and the vehicle engine with universal joints, one of the joints being of the constant velocity plunging type, and a trailing arm pivotably connecting each wheel assembly to the transverse support member, the trailing arm having a wheel end coupled to the wheel assembly and a pair of spaced-apart support sections defining a swing axis therebetween pivotably coupled to the transverse support member so that the swing axis is substantially perpendicular to the wheel axis of the wheel assembly and substantially parallel to the prop shaft axis of the prop shaft, whereby relative motion is allowed about the swing axis between the differential and the wheel assembly while also permitting relative motion about the transverse pivot axis between the vehicle frame and both the differential and the wheel assemblies, while also permitting relative movement between each of the foregoing elements and the driving surface about a drive axis established by a drive shaft coupling the wheel assembly to the differential.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An independent wheel suspension system for a vehicle having a chassis, vehicle support means for supporting said chassis for displacement relative to a driving surface, a pair of laterally spaced-apart wheel assemblies, each having a wheel rotatable about a wheel rotation axis, an engine having an engine output adapted to provide a driving torque about an engine output axis, said independent wheel suspension system comprising:

transverse support means rotatably connected to said vehicle support means to pivot about a transverse pivot axis;
a differential mounted to said transverse support means adapted to pivot therewith about said transverse pivot axis, said differential having a differential input adapted to receive said driving torque about a differential input axis and to redirect said driving torque to a differential output about a differential output axis substantially parallel to said transverse pivot axis;
and
a pair of arm means each coupling one of said pair of wheel assemblies and said transverse support means, each of said pair of arm means having a wheel end coupled to said one wheel assembly and a pair of spaced apart support sections establishing a swing axis therebetween, each said support section being pivotably coupled to said transverse support means so as to establish said swing axis substantially perpendicular to said wheel axis;
whereby a first relative movement is allowed about said swing axis between said differential and each said wheel assembly while a second relative movement is allowed about said transverse pivot axis between said vehicle support means and both said differential and said wheel assemblies.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Independent wheel suspension system having a differential pivotable about two axes

Life of this patent

Independent wheel suspension system having a differential pivotable about two axes

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13