Suspension arrangement
AssigneeGibbs Technologies Limited
InventorTerence James Roycroft
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Vehicle suspension having a control arm pivotally mounted to vehicle body. Wheel support is pivotally mounted to the control arm. A hydraulic strut is pivotally mounted to body at trunnion mount. The wheel may be protracted to be placed vertically on the road surface or retracted at an angle, for example to allow good marine performance in an amphibious vehicle. Strut may be extended or retracted by hydraulic fluid pumped through ports and may also be used for wheel springing and damping. As trunnion mount is part way up the strut, the strut can pivot out of the way of the retracing wheel. A second control arm may also be fitted; this may be part of a double wishbone wheel suspension.
Claims12
A suspension arrangement for an amphibious vehicle comprising a control arm pivotally mounted to the vehicle body and extending to a wheel support, the control arm and the wheel support being mounted for pivotal movement one relative to the other, and the wheel support including means for supporting a vehicle wheel;
- the suspension arrangement further comprising drive means pivotally mounted to the vehicle body in spaced relationship to the mounting for the control arm and operative to rotate the control arm about its pivotal connection to the body to displace the wheel support, and hence the vehicle wheel, for movement between a pair of limiting positions, in the first of which the wheel lies generally vertically for road engagement and in the second of which the wheel lies in a retracted position for use of the vehicle on water;
- wherein the drive means is pivotally mounted to the vehicle body at a position intermediate its length, such that, in use, the drive means pivots relative to the vehicle body as the wheel support moves between the first and second limiting positions;
- and when the wheel is in a retracted position said wheel lies at an angle to the vertical and overlaps the drive means in both longitudinal and transverse directions of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.