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AssigneeAmerican Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsTom V. Ignatius, Jeffrey L. Kincaid, William T. Reid, Jr., Peter E. Asmaro
Estimating the term…
Improvements for a vehicle stabilizer bar assembly having a pair of stabilizer bar members that are selectively uncoupled via a clutch assembly to provide a vehicle with improved traction. A first improvement concerns a reserve powering apparatus for powering the clutch assembly in the event of an electrical failure that prevents the vehicle power source from transmitting electrical power to the clutch assembly. A second improvement concerns a speed sensing apparatus for inhibiting the operation of the stabilizer bar assembly in a disengaged condition if the speed of the vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed threshold. A third improvement concerns a logic for controlling the engagement and disengagement of a pair of stabilizer bar assemblies.
In a stabilizer bar assembly for a vehicle having a pair of laterally-spaced wheels, the stabilizer bar assembly having first and second stabilizer bar members and a clutch assembly, the first stabilizer bar member adapted to be coupled to a first one of the pair of laterally-spaced wheels, the second stabilizer bar member adapted to be coupled to a second one of the pair of laterally-spaced wheels, the clutch assembly coupled to the first and second stabilizer bar members, the clutch assembly having a switch and an electrically-powered actuator that is adapted to be coupled to a vehicle power source, the electrically-powered actuator being responsive to a first control signal, the first control signal causing the electrically-powered actuator to uncouple the first and second stabilizer bar members to permit the first and second stabilizer bar members to rotate independently of one another, and the electrically-powered actuator being responsive to a second control signal, the second control signal causing the electrically-powered actuator to couple the first and second stabilizer bar members for rotation with one another, the switch receiving power from vehicle power source and selectively generating the first and second control signals, the improvement comprising a reserve powering apparatus for powering the electrically-powered actuator, the reserve powering apparatus including:
In a vehicle having a pair of laterally-spaced wheels and a stabilizer bar assembly with first and second stabilizer bar members and a clutch assembly, the first stabilizer bar member being coupled to a first one of the pair of laterally-spaced wheels, the second stabilizer bar member being coupled to a second one of the pair of laterally-spaced wheels, the clutch assembly coupled to the first and second stabilizer bar members, the clutch assembly having a switch and an electrically-powered actuator that is adapted to be coupled to a vehicle power source, the electrically-powered actuator being responsive to a first control signal produced by the switch, the first control signal causing the electrically-powered actuator to uncouple the first and second stabilizer bar members to permit the first and second stabilizer bar members to rotate independently of one another, and the electrically-powered actuator being responsive to a second control signal produced by the switch, the second control signal causing the electrically-powered actuator to couple the first and second stabilizer bar members for rotation with one another, the improvement comprising a controller for inhibiting the operation of the stabilizer bar assembly with the stabilizer bar members uncoupled from one another, the controller including:
In a vehicle having a pair of laterally-spaced wheels and a stabilizer bar assembly with first and second stabilizer bar members and a clutch assembly, the first stabilizer bar member being coupled to a first one of the pair of laterally-spaced wheels, the second stabilizer bar member being coupled to a second one of the pair of laterally-spaced wheels, the clutch assembly coupled to the first and second stabilizer bar members, the clutch assembly having a switch and an electrically-powered actuator that is adapted to be coupled to a vehicle power source, the electrically-powered actuator being responsive to a first control signal produced by the switch, the first control signal causing the electrically-powered actuator to uncouple the first and second stabilizer bar members to permit the first and second stabilizer bar members to rotate independently of one another, and the electrically-powered actuator being responsive to a second control signal produced by the switch, the second control signal causing the electrically-powered actuator to couple the first and second stabilizer bar members for rotation with one another, the improvement comprising a controller for inhibiting the operation of the stabilizer bar assembly with the stabilizer bar members uncoupled from one another, the controller including:
In a vehicle having a pair of laterally-spaced front wheels, a pair of laterally-spaced rear wheels, and front and rear stabilizer bar assemblies, each of the stabilizer bar assemblies having a first stabilizer bar member adapted to be coupled to a first one of the pair of laterally-spaced wheels and a second stabilizer bar member adapted to be coupled to a second one of the pair of laterally-spaced wheels that is spaced laterally from the first one of the pair of laterally-spaced wheels, a method for controlling the front and rear stabilizer bar assemblies, the method comprising the steps of:
In a vehicle having a pair of laterally-spaced front wheels, a pair of laterally-spaced rear wheels, and front and rear stabilizer bar assemblies, each of the stabilizer bar assemblies having a first stabilizer bar member adapted to be coupled to a first one of the pair of laterally-spaced wheels and a second stabilizer bar member adapted to be coupled to a second one of the pair of laterally-spaced wheels that is spaced laterally from the first one of the pair of laterally-spaced wheels, a method for controlling the front and rear stabilizer bar assemblies, the method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.