Vehicle suspension system with flexible control arm
OwnerBenjamin V. Booherinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flexible, resilient control arm is rigidly connected at an inner end thereof to a side of a vehicle frame and pivotally connected at an outer end thereof to a wheel assembly. A rigid control arm may be pivotally connected at an inner end thereof to the side of the frame and pivotally connected at an outer end thereof to the wheel assembly. A shock absorber is connected for damping motion of the wheel assembly. The flexible control arm thus operates in place of a second rigid control arm and a separate coil or leaf spring. The flexible control arm may have various composite constructions for providing both dimensional integrity and flexibility, including metal and binder impregnated fiber portions having varying thickness and width along their lengths.
Claims50
A vehicle suspension system, comprising:
- a longitudinally extending vehicle frame;
- a vehicle wheel assembly;
- a flexible, resilient composite control arm having an inner end and an outer end;
- means for rigidly connecting the inner end of the flexible control arm to a side of the frame for extending transversely thereto;
- means for pivotally connecting the outer end of the flexible control arm to the wheel assembly;
- and
- a shock absorber connected for damping motion of the outer end of the flexible control arm.
A vehicle suspension system, comprising:
- a vehicle frame having a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension;
- a first wheel assembly;
- a second wheel assembly;
- a pair of rigid control arms each having inner and outer ends;
- a pair of flexible, resilient composite control arms each having inner and outer ends;
- means for pivotally connecting the inner end of a first one of the rigid control arms to a first side of the frame;
- means for pivotally connecting the inner end of a second one of the rigid control arms to a second side of the frame;
- means for rigidly connecting the inner end of a first one of the flexible control arms to the first side of the frame above the first rigid control arm;
- means for rigidly connecting the inner end of a second one of the flexible control arms to the second side of the frame above the second rigid control arm;
- means for pivotally connecting the outer ends of the first rigid control arm and the first flexible control arm to the first wheel assembly;
- means for pivotally connecting the outer ends of the second rigid control arm and the second flexible control arm to the second wheel assembly;
- a first shock absorber connected for damping motion of the first wheel assembly;
- and
- a second shock absorber connected for damping motion of the second wheel assembly.
A vehicle suspension system comprising:
- a vehicle having a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension;
- a vehicle wheel assembly including an upper ball joint and a lower ball joint;
- a rigid lower control arm having an inner end and an outer end;
- bushing means for pivotally connecting the inner end of the rigid control arm to a side of the frame so that the rigid control arm extends in a transverse direction and pivots about an axis extending in the longitudinal direction;
- a flexible, resilient composite control arm having an inner end and an outer end;
- means for rigidly mounting the inner end of the flexible control arm to the side of the frame so that it extends in a transverse direction and so that its outer end can flex upwardly and downwardly relative to the frame, the flexible control arm being mounted to the frame in alignment with the rigid control arm;
- means for coupling the outer end of the rigid control arm and the lower ball joint;
- means for coupling the outer end of the flexible control arm and the upper ball joint;
- and
- means for damping the up and down motion of the wheel assembly.
A control arm for use in a vehicle suspension system, comprising:
- an elongate member having an inner end and an outer end, and a length such that the inner end may be rigidly mounted to a side of the vehicle frame and a wheel assembly pivotally connected to the outer end will be in a position for supporting a wheel inside a wheel well of a vehicle body supported on the frame;
- and
- the member having a composite construction.
A suspension system for a vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle frame;
- a vehicle wheel assembly;
- a flexible, resilient composite control arm including a plurality of non-metallic fibers held together in closely packed relationship, the arm having an inner end, an outer end, and a thickness and width between its ends being selected to provide a predetermined degree of flexibility of the outer end relative to the inner end;
- means for rigidly connecting the inner end of the control arm to a side of the frame;
- means for connecting the outer end of the control arm to the wheel assembly;
- and
- means for damping the motion of the outer end of the control arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.