US 6,786,509 B2Granted

Vehicle suspension with a dock height holding device

AssigneeMeritor Heavy Vehicle Technology, LLC

InventorsKenneth G. Lang, Steven R. Miller, James Eckelberry, Richard M. Clisch

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A vehicle suspension assembly includes a height holding device that is at least partially supported within an air spring of the suspension assembly. The height holding device includes a hydraulic ram. A moveable portion of the hydraulic ram moves between a first position where a minimum clearance is maintained between suspension components and a second position where a larger clearance is maintained between the suspension components. The height holding device moves into the second position to maintain a desired height of the truck or trailer bed during loading and unloading operations at a loading dock, for example. The height holding device allows for the suspension air springs to be evacuated of air pressure during loading or unloading conditions without a change in deck height.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A vehicle suspension assembly, comprising:

a first support member attachable to a body of the vehicle;
a second support member that moves relative to the first support member;
at least one air spring coupled with the first and second support members;
a height holding device at least partially within the air spring and supported on one of the first and second support members, the height holding device having a moveable portion that is moveable from a first retracted position where the moveable portion permits relative movement between the first and second support members into a second extended position where the moveable portion maintains a desired spacing between the first and second support members;
a biasing member that biases the moveable portion into the first retracted position;
a hydraulic ram that moves the moveable portion against the bias of the biasing member, the moveable portion comprising a piston portion of the hydraulic ram;
and
an inlet port associated with the hydraulic ram that selectively locks the hydraulic ram such that pressure within the hydraulic ram provides the only maintaining force to maintain the moveable portion in the second extended position.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.