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US 9,517,673 B2Granted
Vehicle and a suspension system for the vehicle
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorRobert G. Izak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle and a suspension system for the vehicle are disclosed. The suspension system includes a first suspension corner assembly adapted to support a structure of the vehicle and a second suspension corner assembly adapted to support the structure. The first suspension corner assembly includes a first bell crank and the second suspension corner assembly includes a second bell crank. The suspension system also includes an actuator device attached to the first and second bell cranks to selectively change at least one of a first spring rate and a preload.
Claims20
A vehicle comprising:
- a structure;
- a suspension system supporting the structure, with the suspension system including:
- a first suspension corner assembly coupled to the structure and including a first bell crank rotatably attached to the structure, and wherein the first suspension corner assembly includes a first coil-over shock attached to the first bell crank;
- a second suspension corner assembly coupled to the structure and including a second bell crank rotatably attached to the structure, and wherein the second suspension corner assembly includes a second coil-over shock attached to the second bell crank;
- and
- an actuator device attached to the first and second bell cranks, with the actuator device operable to selectively change at least one of a first spring rate of the suspension system and a preload of the suspension system to counteract a downward load applied to the structure;
- wherein the actuator device includes a cylinder defining a chamber and a piston disposed inside the chamber to split the chamber into a first chamber portion and a second chamber portion, wherein the piston is selectively movable inside the chamber along a longitudinal axis to correspondingly change sizes of the first and second chamber portions which selectively changes the preload;
- wherein the cylinder includes a first end and a second end spaced from each other along the longitudinal axis, wherein the actuator device includes a first rod attached to the piston and extending to a distal end, with the distal end disposed outside of the first end of the cylinder and the distal end attached to the first bell crank;
- wherein the first and second coil-over shocks have a second spring rate, with the actuator device operable in a parallel relationship to the first and second coil-over shocks such that the second spring rate remains substantially the same when the first spring rate changes.
6 more elements
A suspension system for a vehicle, with the vehicle including a structure, the system comprising:
- a first suspension corner assembly adapted to support the structure and including a first bell crank;
- a second suspension corner assembly adapted to support the structure and including a second bell crank;
- and
- an actuator device attached to the first and second bell cranks, with the actuator device operable to selectively change at least one of a first spring rate and a preload of the suspension system;
- wherein the actuator device includes a cylinder defining a chamber and a piston disposed inside the chamber to split the chamber into a first chamber portion and a second chamber portion, and wherein the actuator device includes a first accumulator in fluid communication with the first chamber portion and a second accumulator in fluid communication with the second chamber portion;
- wherein the actuator device includes a first rod attached to the piston and extending to a distal end, with the distal end attached to the first bell crank;
- wherein the actuator device includes a second rod attached to the cylinder and the second bell crank.
4 more elements
A suspension system for a vehicle, with the vehicle including a structure, the system comprising:
- a first suspension corner assembly adapted to support the structure and including a first bell crank;
- a second suspension corner assembly adapted to support the structure and including a second bell crank;
- an actuator device attached to the first and second bell cranks, with the actuator device operable to selectively change at least one of a first spring rate and a preload of the suspension system;
- wherein the first suspension corner assembly includes a first coil-over shock directly attached to the first bell crank and attached to the structure, and the second suspension corner assembly includes a second coil-over shock directly attached to the second bell crank and attached to the structure;
- and
- wherein the actuator device includes a cylinder defining a chamber and a piston disposed inside the chamber and wherein the cylinder is disposed above the first and second coil-over shocks.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.