US3922000A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Liquid-compression suspensions for automobile vehicles
Assignee: Renault SA
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Filing: 1973-03-19
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Granted: 1975-11-25
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Expires: 1993-03-19
Abstract
Abstract A suspension system for automobile vehicles in which each vehicles wheel is carried by at least one suspension arm articulated on the chassis of said vehicle by means of a pivotal shaft and driving in rotation two symmetrically-disposed pistoncylinder units in such manner that a force transmitted to said wheel applies pressure on a liquid compressed between said pistons and the bottoms of said cylinders, said liquid communicating with an otherwise closed tank filled with a compressible liquid, the nature and mass of which determine the flexibility of said suspension system, and in which the wheelsuspension cylinder or cylinders of one wheel are rigidly fixed on an entirely closed fluid-tight casing, fixed with respect to said vehicle and traversed in a fluid-tight manner by the pivotal shaft of said suspension arm which drives in rotation the crankpin or pins receiving said piston rods, said casing being filled with the same fluid as that which fills the space between said pistons and said cylinder bottoms, but at a lower pressure.
Inventors
- 👤 Francois C Pruvot
- 👤 Michel Fayolle
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 18:11
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60G; B60G17/00; B60G17/015; B60G17/019; B60G17/02; B60G17/04; B60G2204/00; B60G2204/10; B60G2204/14; B60G2204/143; B60G2204/40; B60G2204/42; B60G2400/00; B60G2400/25; B60G2400/252; B60G2401/00; B60G2401/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
310 words
In an automotive vehicle having an engine, a chassis supporting the engine and wheels supporting the chassis, a suspension system comprising: at least one movable suspension arm per wheel coupling that wheel to said vehicle chassis; a pivot shaft coupled to and rotatably driven by said suspension arm; a compressor having a sealed casing fixed with respect to said chassis and having a fluid-tight seal through which said pivot shaft traverses into said casing and further including a beam located in said casing and coupled to and rotatable with said pivot shaft, two symmetrically disposed piston-cylinder units located in said casing, each unit comprising a cylinder, a piston movable in said cylinder, and a piston chamber defined between the piston and cylinder, the pistons engaging and being driven by opposite end portions of said beam for movement in opposite directions relative to each other; a first closed tank containing a first compressible fluid under pressure; a second tank containing a second fluid under lower pressure than the fluid in said first tank; fluid circuit means coupling said piston chambers to each other and said second fluid in said second tank to said piston chambers, said fluid circuit means also communicating with the fluid in said first tank; means communicating the fluid in said second tank with the interior of said sealed casing; valve means interposed in said fluid circuit means and coupled to said engine to control the flow of fluid through said fluid circuit means in response to a predetermined engine operating characteristic; pump means interposed in said fluid circuit means between said second tank and said piston-chambers to pump fluid under pressure from said second tank to said chambers; and sensing means couped to said pump means to control the operation of said pump means as a function of the position of said vehicle relative to the ground.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
310 words
In an automotive vehicle having an engine, a chassis supporting the engine and wheels supporting the chassis, a suspension system comprising: at least one movable suspension arm per wheel coupling that wheel to said vehicle chassis; a pivot shaft coupled to and rotatably driven by said suspension arm; a compressor having a sealed casing fixed with respect to said chassis and having a fluid-tight seal through which said pivot shaft traverses into said casing and further including a beam located in said casing and coupled to and rotatable with said pivot shaft, two symmetrically disposed piston-cylinder units located in said casing, each unit comprising a cylinder, a piston movable in said cylinder, and a piston chamber defined between the piston and cylinder, the pistons engaging and being driven by opposite end portions of said beam for movement in opposite directions relative to each other; a first closed tank containing a first compressible fluid under pressure; a second tank containing a second fluid under lower pressure than the fluid in said first tank; fluid circuit means coupling said piston chambers to each other and said second fluid in said second tank to said piston chambers, said fluid circuit means also communicating with the fluid in said first tank; means communicating the fluid in said second tank with the interior of said sealed casing; valve means interposed in said fluid circuit means and coupled to said engine to control the flow of fluid through said fluid circuit means in response to a predetermined engine operating characteristic; pump means interposed in said fluid circuit means between said second tank and said piston-chambers to pump fluid under pressure from said second tank to said chambers; and sensing means couped to said pump means to control the operation of said pump means as a function of the position of said vehicle relative to the ground.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
A suspension system according to claim 1, wherein said first fluid has a modulus of compressibility lower than that of said second fluid.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
An automobile vehicle suspension as claimed in claim 2, in which said compressible fluid contained in said first tank is a hydrocarbon of the pentane type.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
74 words
A suspension system according to claim 2, wherein said first fluid is a compressible liquid and said second fluid is a liquid substantially insoluble and immiscible with said first liquid and having a density substantially different from that of said first liquid, said second liquid having lubricating qualities to ensure sliding movement of said piston in said cylinder and having a viscosity to substantially prevent leakage of said second lIquid from said piston chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
An automobile vehicle suspension as claimed in claim 4, in which said second liquid as a polyglycol.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
A suspension system according to claim 4, wherein said first liquid is a hydrocarbon of the pentane type.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
A suspension system according to claim 4, wherein said piston chambers are connected to said second tank through a pressure loss device interposed in said first circuit means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
64 words
A suspension as claimed in claim 7, in which a fluid-tight joint of the type having lips is provided in a cavity formed between said casing and each cylinder, whereby one of the lips of said fluid-tight joint is in frictional engagement with the corresponding piston, said cavity being coupled to said second tank through said fluid circuit means downstream of said pressure-loss device.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
68 words
A suspension as claimed in claim 8, in which the communication between each said piston chamber and said second tank is controlled, downstream of said pressure-loss device and of the connection of said cavity to said fluid circuit means, by said control valve means which is opened only when the engine of said vehicle is running and is closed in a fluid-tight manner when said engine is stopped.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
64 words
A suspension system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the piston chambers for each wheel suspension system are coupled to said control valve means through respective non-return valves located in said fluid circuit means downstream of said piston chambers to prevent the flow of fluid from the piston chambers of one wheel suspension system to the piston chambers of a second wheel suspension system.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
A suspension system as claimed in claim 7, further comprising damping means located in said fluid circuit means between said piston chambers and said first tank to restrict the flow of said second fluid from said piston chambers to said first tank.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
A suspension system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pump means is coupled to and driven by said engine and said pump means comprises at least as many separate pumping members as there are separate wheel suspension systems on said vehicle.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
47 words
A suspension system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said fluid circuit means includes means coupling the suction side of each separate pumping member to said second tank and means coupling the output of each separate pumping member to said first tank through an interposed, non-return valve.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
A suspension system as claimed in claim 13, further comprising solenoid operated means coupled to each separate pumping member to shut off the flow of said second fluid from said pumping member to said first tank and corresponding piston chambers when said solenoid operated means is energized.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
In which said pump means is of the type having pistons with suction and delivery clappers, and in which said solenoid operated means when excited, continuously holds open the suction clapper belonging to a particular piston.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
36 words
In which said pump means is of the type having pistons with suction and delivery clappers, and in which said solenoid operated means when excited, continuously holds open the suction clapper belonging to a particular piston.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
70 words
A suspension system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said sensing means includes means for detecting the mean position of a wheel of said vehicle relative to said vehicle chassis and for energizing said solenoid-operated means when the detected mean position of a wheel is higher than a preset reference level and for deenergizing said solenoid-operated means when the detected mean position of said wheel is below said reference level.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-11-24 | 1979-05-26 | 1979-11-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-11-24 | 1983-05-26 | 1983-11-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-11-24 | 1987-05-26 | 1987-11-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |