EP0142947A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vehicle suspension arrangements
Assignee: Group Lotus PLC
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Filing: 1984-10-23
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-10-23
Abstract
Abstract A vehicle wheel suspension system includes a suspension device (a) having a double acting hydraulic actuator, of which the piston (64) position is adjustable in response to forces acting on the piston (64) and or to a selective control input, and a load bearing strut operable in response to the actuator piston (64) experience to minimise the actuator load. The device comprises an inner member having a portion slidable within an outer member (56), with the piston (64) on the inner member and slidably engaging the outer member (56), and a fluid body operative between the members, the volume of which is selectively adjustable to alter the strut pre-load and load deflection characteristics. The fluid body may be a body of oil or of gas, when the volume adjustment, which alters the spring rate, can be effected by alteration of the volume of a liquid directly in contact with the gas body or separated therefrom by a free piston.
Inventors
- 👤 David Allen Williams
- 👤 Peter Godfrey Wright
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 17:54
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60G; B60G17/00; B60G17/015; B60G17/0152; B60G17/02; B60G17/04; B60G17/048; B60G2202/00; B60G2202/10; B60G2202/15; B60G2202/40; B60G2202/41; B60G2202/413; B60G2400/00; B60G2400/10; B60G2400/102; B60G2400/20; B60G2400/202; B60G2400/25; B60G2400/252; B60G2400/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
64 words
A method of operating a vehicle wheel suspension device comprising an hydraulic actuator and a load bearing strut, the method having the steps of adjusting the hydraulic actuator piston position in response to forces acting thereon and/or to a control input, and operating the load bearing strut in response to the actuator piston experience so as to minimise the load carried by the actuator.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
64 words
A method of operating a vehicle wheel suspension device comprising an hydraulic actuator and a load bearing strut, the method having the steps of adjusting the hydraulic actuator piston position in response to forces acting thereon and/or to a control input, and operating the load bearing strut in response to the actuator piston experience so as to minimise the load carried by the actuator.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
64 words
A vehicle wheel suspension system comprising a wheel suspension device, the wheel suspension device having an hydraulic actuator and load bearing strut, means for adjusting the hydraulic actuator piston position in response to forces acting thereon and/or to a control input, and means for operating the load bearing strut in response to the experience of the actuator piston to thereby minimise the actuator load.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
64 words
A vehicle wheel suspension system comprising a wheel suspension device, the wheel suspension device having an hydraulic actuator and load bearing strut, means for adjusting the hydraulic actuator piston position in response to forces acting thereon and/or to a control input, and means for operating the load bearing strut in response to the experience of the actuator piston to thereby minimise the actuator load.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
A vehicle wheel suspension system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the hydraulic actuator is a double acting actuator which shares the suspension load with the strut of which the pre-load and load deflection characteristics are adjustable in response to the pressure differential experienced by the actuator piston.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
A vehicle wheel suspension system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the strut incorporates a gas spring and the load deflection characteristics are adjustable by adjustment of the spring rate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
119 words
A vehicle wheel suspension device capable of use in the system of claim 2 or 3, the device comprising an inner member having an end connectable to one of the vehicle axle assembly and the vehicle chassis, an outer member having the inner member slidably received therein and having an end connectable to the other of the vehicle axle assembly and the vehicle chassis, a body of fluid received between the inner and outer members, the volume of which is selectively adjustable, and a piston within a working chamber formed between the inner and outer members, the sides of the piston being exposed to respective fluid pressures to effect the relatively sliding movement of the inner and outer members.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
A vehicle wheel suspension device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the fluid body comprises a liquid body.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
A vehicle wheel suspension device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the fluid body comprises a body of gas, the device including a body of liquid of which the volume is selectively adjustable to adjust the volume of the gas body.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
A vehicle wheel suspension device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the liquid body is received in the interior of the inner member, which interior communicates with the gas body through a restricted orifice at the upper end of the inner member within the outer member.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
A vehicle wheel suspension device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the bodies of gas and liquid are separated by a free piston in the inner member interior.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
45 words
A vehicle wheel suspension device as claimed in claim 7, 8 or 9 wherein the outer member contains a gas reservoir in communication with the gas body through a restricted orifice, the reservoir being : chargeable from outside the device through the outer member wall.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
A vehicle wheel suspension device as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 10 wherein the inner member comprises an end fitting from which extend three spaced concentric tubes defining passages therebetween for communicating pressure fluid between a servo-valve carried by the end fitting and respective ends of the working chamber.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
A vehicle wheel suspension device as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 11 having sensing means responsive to at least one of piston position, piston velocity and piston acceleration.
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