US 7,455,306 B2Granted

Integral arm axle/suspension system

AssigneeHendrickson USA, L.L.C.

InventorsJohn Edward Ramsey, Jeffrey R Wittlinger

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Abstract

An axle/suspension system for a wheeled vehicle, in which the vehicle has a frame, includes an integral arm structure that includes an attachment member for connecting the integral arm structure to the vehicle frame. A flexible transition member is connected to and extends from the attachment member and a body is connected to and extends from the transition member The flexible transition member may be generally curved or angular and enables pivotal movement of the integral arm structure and cooperates with the body to distribute forces encountered by the axle/suspension system The body may be a truss structure or a solid body, which may include a member that replaces a conventional axle tube. Optionally, two axle/suspension integral arm structures may be used to capture a conventional axle tube.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An axle/suspension system for a heavy-duty vehicle, said heavy-duty vehicle having a frame, said axle/suspension system including at least one air spring for cushioning the vehicle frame, at least one shock absorber for dampening axle oscillations, and a pair of axle spindles for mounting wheels of said vehicle, wherein the improvement comprises:

at least one axle/suspension system integral arm structure, said integral arm structure being a generally continuous structure including:
a) an attachment member for connecting said integral arm structure to said vehicle frame;
b) a flexible transition member connected to and extending from said attachment member;
c) a body connected to and extending from said transition member, said body including an axle mount;
and
d) said integral arm structure being free of a hanger for connecting the integral arm structure to said vehicle frame, and said integral arm structure being generally free of intervening structure for connecting said attachment member to said transition member and for connecting the transition member to said body, whereby said transition member enables articulation of said integral arm structure and cooperates with said body to distribute forces encountered by said axle/suspension system during operation of said heavy-duty vehicle.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/684,250Filed 9 Mar 2007 · continuation in part
Priority: 17 Oct 2003
Published: US 2007/0145705 A128 Jun 2007
Granted: 25 Nov 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

B60G 7/001
Pivoted suspension arms; Accessories thereof: suspension arms, e.g. constructional features
B60G 7/02
Pivoted suspension arms; Accessories thereof: attaching arms to sprung part of vehicle
B60G 9/003
Resilient suspensions of a rigid axle or axle housing for two or more wheels: the axle being rigidly connected to a trailing guiding device
B60G 11/27
Having fluid springs only, e.g. hydropneumatic springs: wherein the fluid is a gas

Family

Application60/512,328Us provisional application · filed 17 Oct 2003
Application60/554,729Us provisional application · filed 19 Mar 2004
Application10/966,273Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 15 Oct 2004
US 2007/0145705 A1Pre-grant publication · published 28 Jun 2007
US 2005/0082783 A1Published application
US 7,455,306 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.