Vehicle hydropneumatic suspension system

Claim 2

A suspension system in a vehicle, comprising a retractable and extensible suspension strut having a fluid chamber therein, said fluid chamber being filled with pressurized hydraulic fluid and being variable in volume in response to increases and decreases in a load applied to said suspension strut to cause shortening and lengthening thereof, first and second pressure accumulators each of which is in interacting relationship with said fluid chamber to permit variations in the volume of said fluid chamber, and control means disposed between said fluid chamber and said second pressure accumulator, said control means normally permitting said interacting relationship between said fluid chamber and said second pressure accumulator and inhibiting said interacting relationship therebetween in response to braking of the vehicle.

Claim 3

A suspension system in a vehicle, comprising first and second retractable and extensible suspension struts cooperating respectively with left and right wheels of the vehicle, each of said suspension struts having a fluid chamber which is filled with pressurized hydraulic fluid and which is variable in volume in response to increases and decreases in a load applied to the corresponding suspension strut to cause shortening and lengthening thereof, and first and second pressure accumulators each of which is in interacting relationship with said fluid chamber of the corresponding suspension strut to permit variations in the volume of said fluid chamber, and control means disposed between said fluid chamber of each of said suspension struts and each of the corresponding second pressure accumulators, said control means normally permitting said interacting relationship between the corresponding fluid chamber and second pressure accumulator and inhibiting said interacting relationship therebetween in response to braking of the vehicle.

Claim 4

A suspension system in a vehicle, comprising first and second retractable and extensible suspension struts cooperating respectively with left and right wheels of the vehicle, each of said suspension struts having a fluid chamber which is filled with pressurized hydraulic fluid and which is variable in volume in response to increases and decreases in a load applied to the corresponding suspension strut to cause shortening and lengthening thereof, and first and second pressure accumulators each of which is in interacting relationship with said fluid chamber of the corresponding suspension strut to permit variations in the volume of said fluid chamber, and control means disposed between said fluid chamber of each of said suspension struts and each of the corresponding second pressure accumulators, said control means normally permitting said interacting relationship between the corresponding fluid chamber and second pressure accumulator and inhibiting said interacting relationship therebetween in response to braking of the vehicle.

Claim 5

A suspension system as claimed in claim 2, in which said control means comprises a control valve having a valve body formed therein with first, second and third ports and a valve chamber, a valve spool slidably fitted in said valve chamber and formed therein with an annular groove, and biasing means urging said valve spool to a dormant position, said annular groove providing fluid communication between said first and second ports when said valve spool is held in said dormant position, said first port communicating with said fluid chamber of the corresponding suspension strut, said second port communicating with the corresponding second pressure accumulator, said third port communicating with a master cylinder of a braking system of the vehicle for supply of hydraulic fluid pressure thereto to exert on said valve spool a hydraulic force moving it from said dormant position into an operative position to block fluid communication between said first and second ports.