US4076275A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vehicle hydropneumatic suspension system with vehicle body height control means
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-05-20
•
Granted: 1978-02-28
•
Expires: 1994-05-20
Abstract
Abstract A sensor senses the height of the vehicle body above the road surface by sensing the angular rotation of the stabilizer bar, and fluid is pumped into or drained out of hydraulic adjustors to maintain the height at a manually adjustable selected level.
Inventors
- 👤 Mituo Hiruma
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 12:27
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60G; B60G17/00; B60G17/015; B60G17/019; B60G17/01933
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
192 words
In a fluid operated suspension system of a vehicle including a source of fluid under pressure with a fluid reservoir, adjustors disposed between vehicle wheel axles and a vehicle body, valves operative to communicate the adjustors with the source and the reservoir to raise and lower the vehicle body respectively relative to a road surface and a stabilizer bar connected to at least two of the adjustors, the improvement comprising: sensing means disposed between the vehicle body and the stabilizer bar to sense an angular orientation of the stabilizer bar relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle body and operative to produce an electrical signal when said angular orientation is outside a predetermined range indicating that a vehicle height above the road surface is outside a predetermined range, said sensing means being adjustable to allow selection of the predetermined range of the vehicle height above the road surface; and control means responsive to said electrical signal and operative to actuate the valves to communicate the adjustors with one of the source and the reservoir to restore the height of the vehicle body above the road surface to within said predetermined range.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
192 words
In a fluid operated suspension system of a vehicle including a source of fluid under pressure with a fluid reservoir, adjustors disposed between vehicle wheel axles and a vehicle body, valves operative to communicate the adjustors with the source and the reservoir to raise and lower the vehicle body respectively relative to a road surface and a stabilizer bar connected to at least two of the adjustors, the improvement comprising: sensing means disposed between the vehicle body and the stabilizer bar to sense an angular orientation of the stabilizer bar relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle body and operative to produce an electrical signal when said angular orientation is outside a predetermined range indicating that a vehicle height above the road surface is outside a predetermined range, said sensing means being adjustable to allow selection of the predetermined range of the vehicle height above the road surface; and control means responsive to said electrical signal and operative to actuate the valves to communicate the adjustors with one of the source and the reservoir to restore the height of the vehicle body above the road surface to within said predetermined range.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The improvement according to claim 1, in which said control means actuates the valves only if said sensing means produces said electrical signal for a predetermined length of time.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
The improvement according to claim 2, in which said control means include a delay unit responsive to the output of said sensing means and a control unit responsive to the output of said delay unit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The improvement according to claim 3, in which said delay unit is operative to integrate said electrical signal with respect to time, and in which said control means are operative to actuate the valves when the integrated value of said electrical signal exceeds a predetermined value.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
The improvement according to claim 1, in which said valves include a first solenoid valve connected between the source and the adjustors and a second solenoid valve connected between the reservoir and the adjustors.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
168 words
The improvement according to claim 1, in which the valves include a first normally closed solenoid valve connected between the source and the adjustors and a second normally closed solenoid valve connected between the reservoir and the adjustors, said sensing means are operative to produce a first electrical signal when the height of the vehicle body above the road surface is above said predetermined range and a second electrical signal when the height of the vehicle body above the road surface is below said predetermined range, and said control means are operative to feed a control signal to said second solenoid valve in response to said first electrical signal to open said second solenoid valve to drain fluid from the adjustors into the reservoir to lower the vehicle body, and operative to feed a control signal to said first solenoid valve to open said first solenoid valve in response to said second electrical signal to admit fluid from the source into the adjustors to raise the vehicle body.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The improvement according to claim 6, in which said control means include a first channel to control said first solenoid valve and a second channel to control said second solenoid valve.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said sensing means has a portion mounted on the vehicle body and another portion mounted on the stabilizer bar, and further comprising adjusting means connected to said portion on the vehicle body to permit adjustment of the sensing means for selection of the predetermined range.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The improvement according to claim 8 wherein said adjusting means includes a lever system operable by a vehicle occupant from within the vehicle.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-02-27 | 1981-08-29 | 1982-02-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-02-27 | 1985-08-29 | 1986-02-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-02-27 | 1989-08-29 | 1990-02-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |