Hydro-pneumatic wheel suspension
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsFritz Glaser, Roman Munz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wheel suspension for a vehicle, in particular for utility and agricultural vehicles, has a hydro-pneumatic spring system arranged between a vehicle body and a wheel support that includes at least one hydraulic cylinder, a hydraulic accumulator arrangement and an intervening valve arrangement. The hydro-pneumatic spring system contains at least two hydraulic accumulators. The hydraulic accumulators can be connected individually or in groups of more than one with the one or more hydraulic cylinders selectively by means of the valve arrangement. Preferably at least two of the hydraulic accumulators are provided with differing pre-loads. In addition load-sensitive damping, a blocking valve and a level control valve that can be controlled by a level control linkage with switches are provided.
Claims14
A wheel suspension for a vehicle having a vehicle body and a wheel-bearing axle, the suspension comprising:
- a. at least one hydraulic cylinder with a piston chamber and having one end mounted to the axle and another end mounted to the vehicle body to suspend the vehicle body on the axle;
- b. at least two hydraulic accumulators;
- c. valve means for selectively connecting none, one or more of said hydraulic accumulators to said piston chamber, said valve means comprising:
- i. a supply line from each hydraulic accumulator to said piston chamber;
- ii. at least one pressure reducing valve in each supply line, said pressure reducing valve closing said supply line when the line pressure in said piston chamber exceeds a pre-determined maximum operating pressure for the corresponding hydraulic accumulator;
- iii. at least one return line from said at least one hydraulic cylinder to each hydraulic accumulator;
- and
- iv. at least one pressure limiting relief valve in each return line, said relief valve closing said return line when the pressure in said piston chamber falls below a pre-determined minimum operating pressure for the corresponding hydraulic accumulator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.