Vehicle suspension system

Claim 2

A suspension system of wheeled vehicle, comprising; a plurality of retractable and extensible suspension struts each having chamber of variable volume filled with pressurized fluid, said chambers of said plurality of struts being fluidly communicable with a pressurized fluid source to supply pressurized fluid into said chambers for extension of said plurality of struts; a plurality of level regulating means disposed between said chambers of said plurality of struts and said source and fluidly communicable with said source; and a control valve disposed between said plurality of level regulating means and said source to control fluid communication therebetween; said control valve being responsive to the difference between the pressures of the fluids in said chambers of two struts of said plurality of struts to block said fluid communication between said plurality of level regulating means and said source; each of said plurality of level regulating means, when said control valve unblocks said fluid communication between said plurality of level regulating means and said source, being able to control fluid communication between said chamber of the corresponding strut and said source.

Claim 3

A suspension system of a wheeled vehicle, comprising; a plurality of retractable and extensible suspension struts each having chamber of variable volume filled with pressurized fluid; said chambers of said plurality of struts being fluidly communicable with a source of pressurized fluid to supply pressurized fluid into said chambers for extension of said plurality of struts; said chambers of said plurality of struts being also fluidly communicable with a reservoir to discharge fluid thereinto for retraction of said plurality of struts; a plurality of level regulating means disposed between said chambers of said plurality of struts and said source and between said chambers of said plurality of struts and said reservoir and fluidly communicable with said source and reservoir; and a control valve disposed between said plurality of level regulating means and said source and between said plurality of level regulating means and said reservoir to control fluid communication therebetween, said control valve being responsive to the difference between the pressures of the fluids in said chambers of two struts of said plurality of struts to block said fluid communications between said plurality of level regulating means and said source and between said plurality of level regulating means and said reservoir; each of said plurality of level regulating means, when said control valve unblocks said fluid communication between said plurality of level regulating means and said source and between said plurality of level regulating means and said reservoir, being able to control fluid communications between said chamber of the corresponding strut and said source and between said chamber of the corresponding strut and said reservoir.

Claim 4

A suspension system of a wheeled vehicle, comprising; a plurality of retractable and extensible suspension struts each having chamber of variable volume filled with pressurized fluid; said chambers of said plurality of struts being fluidly communicable with a source of pressurized fluid to supply pressurized fluid into said chambers for extension of said plurality of struts; said chambers of said plurality of struts being also fluidly communicable with a reservoir to discharge fluid thereinto for retraction of said plurality of struts; a plurality of level regulating means disposed between said chambers of said plurality of struts and said source and between said chambers of said plurality of struts and said reservoir and fluidly communicable with said source and reservoir; and a control valve disposed between said plurality of level regulating means and said source and between said plurality of level regulating means and said reservoir to control fluid communication therebetween, said control valve being responsive to the difference between the pressures of the fluids in said chambers of two struts of said plurality of struts to block said fluid communications between said plurality of level regulating means and said source and between said plurality of level regulating means and said reservoir; each of said plurality of level regulating means, when said control valve unblocks said fluid communication between said plurality of level regulating means and said source and between said plurality of level regulating means and said reservoir, being able to control fluid communications between said chamber of the corresponding strut and said source and between said chamber of the corresponding strut and said reservoir.

Claim 5

A suspension system as claimed in claim 2, in which said two suspension struts are operatively connected with front left and right wheels Of said vehicle, respectively.

Claim 6

A suspension system as claimed in claim 2, in which said two suspension struts are operatively connected with rear left and right wheels of said vehicle, respectively.

Claim 7

A suspension system as claimed in claim 2, in which said two suspension struts are operatively connected with left front and rear wheels of said vehicle, respectively.

Claim 8

A suspension system as claimed in claim 2, in which said two suspension struts are operatively connected with right front and rear wheels of said vehicle, respectively.

Claim 9

A suspension system as claimed in claim 2, in which said control valve has a first port communicating with said source, a second port communicating with said plurality of level regulating means, a third port communicating with said plurality of level regulating means, a fourth port communicating with said reservoir, a valve spool slidably disposed in said valve providing communications between said first and second ports and between said third and fourth ports in a neutral position thereof, biasing means urging said valve spool into said neutral position, and two chambers fluidly communicating respectively with said chambers of said two suspension struts, said valve spool being axially biased in opposite directions by the pressures of the fluids in said two chambers, respectively.

Claim 10

A suspension system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a plurality of hydropneumatic spring means positioned relative to said plurality of suspension struts, respectively, each of said hydropneumatic spring means having a casing and a flexible partition member dividing said casing into a gas chamber filled with gas under pressure and a fluid chamber filled with hydraulic fluid under pressure and communicating with said chamber of the corresponding suspension strut.