Hydropneumatic suspension unit

Claim 2

In a hydropneumatic wheel suspension unit for a vehicle including a pivotable wheel support strut, a road wheel on the free end of said strut, a piston within said strut arranged for axial movement in response to pivotal movement of said strut, and an accumulator in said strut for resisting the movement of said piston, the improvement wherein said strut is tubular and is provided with an interior surface which forms the working cylinder for said piston, said accumulator being mounted in the free end of said strut, a self-aligning coupling carried by said piston rod and interconnecting said piston and said anchor arm to accommodate dynamic misalignment of said strut relative to said anchor arm, and a hollow wheel spindle extending from said strut, said spindle being in fluid communication with the fluid reacted against by said piston and said accumulator to transfer the heat generated internally under operating conditions externally into the road wheel.

Claim 3

In a hydropneumatic wheel suspension unit including a hollow pivotable wheel support strut carrying a road wheel and having liquid damping means to resist pivotal movement of the strut, the improvement comprising a tubular spindle for the road wheel, a hollow wheel hub mounted on said spindle, and means dynamically sealing the inner end portion of said hub to said spindle, the inside surface of said hub being in heat transfer communication with said damping means through said hollow spindle so that part of the heat generated in said damping means during operation of said suspension unit is dissipated to atmosphere from both the hub and wheel.

Claim 4

In a hydropneumatic wheel suspension unit including a hollow pivotable wheel support strut carrying a road wheel and having liquid damping means to resist pivotal movement of the strut, the improvement comprising a tubular spindle for the road wheel, a hollow wheel hub mounted on said spindle, and means dynamically sealing the inner end portion of said hub to said spindle, the inside surface of said hub being in heat transfer communication with said damping means through said hollow spindle so that part of the heat generated in said damping means during operation of said suspension unit is dissipated to atmosphere from both the hub and wheel.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said damping means includes a body of hydraulic fluid contacting the inner surfaces of said hub, said spindle and said strut, part of the heat generated in said fluid during operation of said suspension unit thus being conducted to and radiated from the strut, the hub, and the wheel.

Claim 6

A vehicle suspension unit comprising an elongate hollow strut, means mounting one end portion of said strut on a vehicle for pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal axis, a hollow wheel spindle projecting from the other end portion of said strut parallel to said axis, a wheel mounted on said spindle, the interior of said hollow spindle being in fluid communication with the interior of said hollow strut, and hydropneumatic spring means including a piston and accumulator for resiliently damping pivOtal movement of said strut, a body of liquid filling said hollow wheel spindle and being in heat transfer relation with said hydropneumatic spring means, said body of liquid conducting the operating heat generated by said spring means into the wheel through said hollow wheel spindle, whereby the wheel provides an air cooled heat sink to dissipate the operating heat of the suspension unit.

Claim 7

A vehicle suspension unit comprising an elongate hollow strut, means mounting one end portion of said strut on a vehicle for pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal axis, a hollow wheel spindle projecting from the other end portion of said strut parallel to said axis, a wheel mounted on said spindle, the interior of said hollow spindle being in fluid communication with the interior of said hollow strut, and hydropneumatic spring means including a piston and accumulator for resiliently damping pivOtal movement of said strut, a body of liquid filling said hollow wheel spindle and being in heat transfer relation with said hydropneumatic spring means, said body of liquid conducting the operating heat generated by said spring means into the wheel through said hollow wheel spindle, whereby the wheel provides an air cooled heat sink to dissipate the operating heat of the suspension unit.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said pivot means includes a tubular hub bolted to the hull, said hub having a transverse wall adjacent the hull and an opposite open end, a conduit extending through said hub and having one end portion cantilevered in said wall, a hub closure bolted to said strut in overlying relation with the open end of said hub, and means defining an inwardly open socket in said hub closure for laterally restraining but accommodating axial movement of said conduit, said conduit being capable of flexure so that dynamic forces tending to misalign said conduit and tending to change the interspacing of the hull and hub closure have minimal effect on the cantilevered conduit.

Claim 9

A vehicle suspension unit comprising an elongate strut defining a closed cavity, means mounting one end portion of said strut on a vehicle for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the direction of vehicle movement, a hollow wheel spindle projecting from the other end portion of said arm parallel to said axis, a wheel mounted on said spindle, the interior of said spindle being in fluid communication with the interior of said strut, and hydropneumatic spring means including a piston and accumulator within said arm for resiliently damping pivotal movement of said strut, said accumulator operating in a body of liquid enveloping said accumulator and filling said hollow wheel spindle, the wheel forming an air cooled heat sink to dissipate the operating heat generated by said accumulator and conducted to the wheel through said hollow wheel spindle.

Claim 10

A vehicle suspension unit comprising an elongate strut defining a closed cavity, means mounting one end portion of said strut on a vehicle for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the direction of vehicle movement, a hollow wheel spindle projecting from the other end portion of said arm parallel to said axis, a wheel mounted on said spindle, the interior of said spindle being in fluid communication with the interior of said strut, and hydropneumatic spring means including a piston and accumulator within said arm for resiliently damping pivotal movement of said strut, said accumulator operating in a body of liquid enveloping said accumulator and filling said hollow wheel spindle, the wheel forming an air cooled heat sink to dissipate the operating heat generated by said accumulator and conducted to the wheel through said hollow wheel spindle.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said support arm defines a cylindrical bore and provides the operating cylinder for the piston to eliminate the weight and cost of an otherwise required separate piston cylinder.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said accumulator is coaxially mounted in the free end portion of said cylinder and said wheel spindle is located intermediate the ends of said support arm to minimize the overall length of said suspension unit.

Claim 13

A hydropneumatic vehicle suspension unit comprising an elongate hollow suspension arm including a closed bell end portion, a reservoir housing at the other end, and an intermediate portion having a cylindrical bore, a fixed pivot shaft pivotally connecting the reservoir end of said suspension arm to a vehicle, an anchor arm fixed to said pivot shaft, a piston movable in said bore, a piston rod interconnecting said piston and said anchor arm, a gas-charged spherical accumulator mounted in said bell end portion of the suspension arm and having an inlet port exposed to fluid transferred by said piston, hydraulic fluid forming a liquid column between said piston and the inlet port of said accumulator, a hollow wheel spindle projecting laterally from said bell end in fluid communication with the interior of said bell end, and a body of heat transfer liquid internally flooding said bell end and said wheel spindle, oscillation of said suspension arm about said pivot shaft effecting relative axial movement between said piston and said cylinder so that the hydraulic fluid reacts against the gas cushion of said accumulator, heat thus developed from friction and compression being directly conducted by the heat transfer liquid through said hollow wheel spindle into the wheel hub and wheel for dissipation into the atmosphere.

Claim 14

A hydropneumatic vehicle suspension unit comprising an elongate hollow suspension arm including a closed bell end portion, a reservoir housing at the other end, and an intermediate portion having a cylindrical bore, a fixed pivot shaft pivotally connecting the reservoir end of said suspension arm to a vehicle, an anchor arm fixed to said pivot shaft, a piston movable in said bore, a piston rod interconnecting said piston and said anchor arm, a gas-charged spherical accumulator mounted in said bell end portion of the suspension arm and having an inlet port exposed to fluid transferred by said piston, hydraulic fluid forming a liquid column between said piston and the inlet port of said accumulator, a hollow wheel spindle projecting laterally from said bell end in fluid communication with the interior of said bell end, and a body of heat transfer liquid internally flooding said bell end and said wheel spindle, oscillation of said suspension arm about said pivot shaft effecting relative axial movement between said piston and said cylinder so that the hydraulic fluid reacts against the gas cushion of said accumulator, heat thus developed from friction and compression being directly conducted by the heat transfer liquid through said hollow wheel spindle into the wheel hub and wheel for dissipation into the atmosphere.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 9 and stop means limiting the maximum upward pivotal movement of said strut, said accumulator including a metal shell enclosing a flexible gas charged bladder, the gas charge of said accumulator expanding said bladder ouTward into contact with the surrounding metal shell before said suspension arm attains its maximum upward movement, fluid leaking past the piston accumulating in said reservoir housing, the pressure of the hydraulic fluid intermediate said piston and said accumulator thus dropping below the pressure of the hydraulic fluid in said reservoir housing to create a pressure differential across the piston, and a one-way valve mounted in said piston and operable to transfer fluid from said reservoir through the piston under said pressure differential conditions.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 9 and a hydraulically actuated lockout valve arranged to control the inlet port of said accumulator, said lockout valve being operable to block the transfer of fluid between said piston to said accumulator in order to immobilize the suspension unit, and means defining an internal passage through said strut and into the vehicle hull for the remote hydraulic operation of said valve.

Claim 17

In a wheel suspension unit for a vehicle including a hollow wheel support strut carrying a road wheel mounted on one end of the strut; pivot means connecting the other end portion of said strut to the vehicle for pivotal movement of said arm about a substantially horizontal axis; a piston movable axially within the strut as the strut swings about its pivot axis to the vehicle, said piston being arranged to react against hydraulic fluid during pivotal movement of said strut; the improvement comprising a hollow wheel spindle carried by and communicating with the interior of said strut, a hollow wheel hub mounted on said spindle and providing an inwardly open annular chamber circumscribing said wheel spindle, means providing a dynamic seal between the open end portion of said hub and said spindle, and a body of hydraulic fluid substantially filling said strut, said spindle and said hub, the heat generated by operation of said piston thus being conducted by the hydraulic fluid and radiated from the strut, the hub and the wheel.

Claim 18

In a wheel suspension unit for a vehicle including a hollow wheel support strut carrying a road wheel mounted on one end of the strut; pivot means connecting the other end portion of said strut to the vehicle for pivotal movement of said arm about a substantially horizontal axis; a piston movable axially within the strut as the strut swings about its pivot axis to the vehicle, said piston being arranged to react against hydraulic fluid during pivotal movement of said strut; the improvement comprising a hollow wheel spindle carried by and communicating with the interior of said strut, a hollow wheel hub mounted on said spindle and providing an inwardly open annular chamber circumscribing said wheel spindle, means providing a dynamic seal between the open end portion of said hub and said spindle, and a body of hydraulic fluid substantially filling said strut, said spindle and said hub, the heat generated by operation of said piston thus being conducted by the hydraulic fluid and radiated from the strut, the hub and the wheel.