US 8,967,639 B2Granted

Auxiliary axle and suspension assembly

AssigneeSAF-HOLLAND GmbH

InventorsRichard Conaway, Daniel R. Dykstra, Marc Johnson, Doug Thole, Boyd Freeman

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Abstract

A vehicle suspension assembly includes first and second mounting brackets each adapted to couple to a vehicle frame assembly, first and second trailing arms each having a first end pivotably coupled to the mounting brackets, and a second end located outboard of the first end of the associated trailing arm; an axle member having a first end and a second end; an integrated first mounting arrangement and an integrated second mounting arrangement coupled to the associated ends of the axle member, wherein the mounting arrangements pivotably couple the second end of the associated trailing arm to one of the ends of the axle member, and wherein the mounting arrangements couple one of the ends of the axle member to the spindle assembly.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A vehicle suspension assembly, comprising:

a first mounting bracket adapted to couple to a vehicle frame assembly;
a first trailing arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the first mounting bracket, and a second end, wherein the second end of the first trailing arm is located outboard of the first end of the first trailing arm;
a second mounting bracket adapted to couple to the vehicle frame assembly;
a second trailing arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the second mounting bracket, and a second end, wherein the second end of the second trailing arm is located outboard of the first end of the second trailing arm;
an axle member having a first end and a second end;
an integrated first mounting arrangement coupled to the first end of the axle member, wherein the first mounting arrangement pivotably couples the second end of the first trailing arm to the first end of the axle member, and wherein the first mounting arrangement couples the first end of the axle member to a first spindle assembly;
and
an integrated second mounting arrangement coupled to the second end of the axle member, wherein the second mounting arrangement pivotably couples the second end of the second trailing arm to the second end of the axle member, and wherein the second mounting arrangement couples the second end of the axle member to a second spindle assembly.

5 more elements

A vehicle suspension assembly, comprising:

an axle member having a first end and a second end;
a first mounting bracket adapted to couple to a vehicle frame assembly;
a first trailing arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the first mounting bracket, and a second end pivotably coupled to the axle member;
a second mounting bracket adapted to couple to the vehicle frame assembly;
a second trailing arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the second mounting bracket, and a second end pivotably coupled to the axle member;
an integrated first mounting arrangement coupled to the first end of the axle member, wherein the first mounting arrangement couples the first end of the axle member to a first spindle assembly, and wherein the first mounting arrangement couples a first air spring to the first end of the axle member such that the first air spring is adapted to extend between the first end of the axle member and the vehicle frame assembly;
and
an integrated second mounting arrangement coupled to the second end of the axle member, wherein the second mounting arrangement couples the second end of the axle member to a second spindle assembly, and wherein the second mounting arrangement couples a second air spring to the second end of the axle member such that the second air spring is adapted to extend between the second end of the axle member and the vehicle frame assembly;
and,
wherein the second end of the first trailing arm is located outboard of the first end of the first trailing arm, and wherein the second end of the second trailing arm is located outboard of the first end of the second trailing arm.

7 more elements

A vehicle suspension assembly, comprising:

an axle member having a first end and a second end;
a first mounting bracket adapted to couple to a vehicle frame assembly;
a first trailing arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the first mounting bracket, and a second end pivotably coupled to the axle member;
a second mounting bracket adapted to couple to the vehicle frame assembly;
a second trailing arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the second mounting bracket, and a second end pivotably coupled to the axle member;
an integrated first mounting arrangement coupled to the first end of the axle member, wherein the first mounting arrangement couples the first end of the axle member to a first spindle assembly, and wherein the first mounting arrangement couples a first air spring to the first end of the axle member such that the first air spring is adapted to extend between the first end of the axle member and the vehicle frame assembly;
an integrated second mounting arrangement coupled to the second end of the axle member, wherein the second mounting arrangement couples the second end of the axle member to a second spindle assembly, and wherein the second mounting arrangement couples a second air spring to the second end of the axle member such that the second air spring is adapted to extend between the second end of the axle member and the vehicle frame assembly;
and
a third trailing arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the first mounting bracket, and a second end pivotably coupled to the axle member;
a fourth trailing arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the second mounting bracket, and a second end pivotably coupled to the axle member;
and
wherein the second end of the third trailing arm is located outboard of the first end of the third trailing arm, and wherein the second end of the fourth trailing arm is located outboard of the first end of the fourth trailing arm.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/132,758Filed 18 Dec 2013 · us provisional application
Priority: 28 Jan 2013
Published: US 2014/0210174 A131 Jul 2014
Granted: 3 Mar 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification40 codes

B62D 65/12
Joining sub-units or components to, or positioning sub-units or components with respect to, body shell or other sub-units or components: the…
B60B 35/003
Axle units; Parts thereof ; Arrangements for lubrication of axles: steerable axles
B60B 35/007
With mounting plates or consoles fitted to axles: for mounting suspension elements to axles
B60B 35/008
With mounting plates or consoles fitted to axles: for mounting air suspension elements to axles