Suspension device and method for use with a vehicle
AssigneeBAE Systems Hägglunds Aktiebolag
InventorsHenrik Hägglund, Assar Christensen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A suspension device has in- and out-configurations for use with a vehicle, including means for damping and/or spring action, the damping and/or spring action being controllable, wherein the controllability of the damping and/or spring action includes a locked or substantially locked state in the out-configuration. A method of using the suspension device with a vehicle is also provided.
Claims19
A suspension device having in- and out-configurations for use with a vehicle, the suspension device comprising:
- means for providing damping and/or spring action operable in a direction of compression and a direction of expansion, the damping and/or spring action being controllable to have at least a substantially locked state in the out-configuration in which the means for providing damping and/or spring action is operable in only one of the direction of compression or the direction of expansion.
A method of using a suspension device having in- and out-configurations for use with a vehicle, the method comprising:
- providing damping and/or spring action to the vehicle, the damping and/or spring action being operable in a direction of compression and a direction of expansion;
- and
- controlling the damping and/or spring action by at least substantially locking the damping and/or spring action in the out-configuration such that the damping and/or spring action is operable in only one of the direction of compression or the direction of expansion.
A suspension device for use with a vehicle, the suspension device comprising:
- a body movable in a retraction direction and in an extension direction;
- and
- a valve mechanism having first and second conditions, the valve mechanism in the first condition permitting movement of the body in both the retraction direction and the extension direction, and the valve mechanism in the second condition permitting movement of the body in the retraction direction and substantially preventing movement of the body in the extension direction.
A method of controlling the suspension of a vehicle, the method comprising:
- providing the vehicle with a suspension device having a body movable in a retraction direction and in an extension direction;
- sensing a condition of the vehicle;
- controlling the suspension device to permit movement of the body in both the retraction direction and the extension direction when the condition of the vehicle is a first condition;
- and
- controlling the suspension device to permit movement of the body in the retraction direction while substantially preventing movement of the body in the extension direction when the condition of the vehicle is a second condition different from the first condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.