4339results about "Pivoted suspension arms" patented technology

A tilting, preferably three-wheeled, vehicle is disclosed that has a tilting mechanism that allows the vehicle to have leaning characteristics substantially similar to those offered by an in-line two-wheeled vehicle, but that does not require complex linkages and/or control systems to operate effectively. A tilting linkage is operably secured to a frame to allow a pair of spaced apart wheels to remain substantially aligned with the plane of the vehicle throughout its range of movement while still allowing the steering axes of each wheel to intersect the substantially vertical centerline of each wheel. The linkage also allows the caster angle of each wheel's pivot axis can be optimized independently of the angle of the vehicle's handlebar steering shaft.

A leaning vehicle has a frame pivotally connected to the lower end of a shock tower, the pivotal connection defining a frame leaning axis wherein the frame is adapted to lean to a right side and to a left side relative to the shock tower about the frame leaning axis. The leaning vehicle includes an actuator operatively connected to the frame and to the shock tower which is adapted to impart a leaning motion to the frame relative to the shock tower about the frame leaning axis.

A vehicle front body structure includes a pair of front side frames each of which has, at a rear portion thereof, an easily deformable portion that is easily deformable during a collision, a support frame for mounting a unit box thereon, which has a pair of rear legs that are fixed to the easily deformable portions of the pair of front side frames, and a pair of front legs that are fixed to portions of the pair of front side frames, the portions being located in the front as viewed from the easily deformable portions. Displacement allowing spaces for allowing displacement of the unit box during a collision are provided near side portions of the unit box adjacent to the rear legs.

A tilting suspension system is provided for two wheels (2, 3) of a vehicle (200) disposed on a common axle with the module comprising a rigid frame (17) adapted to be firmly fixed to the chassis of the vehicle so as to be tilted together with the whole vehicle and a tilting arm (14) pivotally linked to the rigid frame. The tilting of the rigid frame is obtained as a result of the counter torque arising when activating hydraulic actuating means (101, 102) pivotally interposed between the tilting arm (14) and the rigid frame (17), with the tilting arm being pivotally connected to shock absorbers (18). The tilting module further comprises suspension arms (10, 11, 12, 13) pivotally connected to the rigid frame, with the suspension arms supporting, in cooperation with supporting uprights, the two wheels thus allowing both tilting and steering of the two wheels. The hydraulic actuating means (101, 102) are actuated by a hydraulic pump (112) driven by an electric motor (108).

The present invention provides an electric-driven vehicle, which comprises a supporting platform and an upright tube, wherein the supporting platform has first and second ends and a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the first and second ends, the upright tube is fitted at the first end of the supporting platform and operatively connected with the supporting platform, a handle frame is provided on a top end of the upright tube. The electric-driven vehicle further includes two driving wheels operatively mounted at opposite sides of the first end of the supporting platform, at least one steering wheel operatively mounted on a bottom of the second end of the supporting platform, a driving means for the driving wheels, and a power supply means mounted on the bottom of the supporting platform and electrically connected with the driving means. The present invention also provides a support platform structure for an electric-driven vehicle, which comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion having sleeves for operatively mounting the driving wheels, and a first side; the second portion having a steering knuckle for operatively mounting the steering wheels, and a second side corresponding to the first side; the first side and the second side are connected via a connecting member, and at least one of the first side and the second side can rotate about the bond-linkage element.

A ball-and-socket joint with integrated angle sensor for a motor vehicle, especially for the chassis of the motor vehicle is created. The ball-and-socket joint has a ball-and-socket joint housing (6) provided with a joint opening (7), a ball pivot (1) having a joint ball (2) and a pin (3), which is mounted, with its joint ball (2), rotatably and pivotably in a hollow-ball-shaped bearing surface in the ball-and-socket joint housing (6), and projects, with its pin (3), through the joint opening (7) out of the ball-and-socket joint housing (6). A two-pole field transducer (5) is provided at the end of the joint ball (2) facing away from the pin (3). The poles of the field transducer (5) are arranged on the ball surface. In this case, at least two field sensors (13) are arranged at a distance from one another with respect to the meridian plane defined by the large circle on the hollow-ball-shaped bearing surface running at right angles to the bearing longitudinal axis in the area or on the ball-and-socket joint housing (6) facing away from the joint opening, and interact with the field produced by the field transducer (5).

A steering triangle (1) is provided for the axle suspension of motor vehicles for the articulated connection of a vehicle axle with a vehicle chassis with two control arms (2, 3). The control arms are connected to each other in a joint housing (6) formed by the control arms (2, 3) together for a rubber-metal bearing (11) for fixing the steering triangle (1) on the vehicle axle. The rubber-metal bearing (11) has a pivot axis (12) provided with a spherical surface and an elastomer body (14), which extends around the pivot axis (12) at least in the area of the spherical surface and which is accommodated in a recess (16) located within the joint housing (6), in which steering triangle two pressing rings (17, 18) are arranged within the recess (16) of the joint housing (6) on the axial outer sides of the elastomer body (14). The pressing rings can be moved toward each other by a tensioning device via the intermediary of stop faces (22) of the joint housing (6). The stop faces are in contact with the outer sides of the pressing rings (17, 18), which outer sides face away from each other. The rubber-metal bearing can be pretensioned both in the axial direction and in the radial direction, so that stronger forces can be absorbed due to the higher rigidity achieved as a result.

The invention relates to suspension systems comprising, in certain embodiments, a pivoting means concentric to a wheel rotation axis so that braking forces can be controlled by placement of an instant force center, and so that acceleration forces can be controlled by a swinging wheel link.

A suspension system for a vehicle (50c) having a body (52c) and a plurality of wheel support assemblies (56c, 58c) includes a tie structure (60c) interposed between the body and the wheel support assemblies. A first interconnection system (68c) interconnects the tie structure to the wheel support assemblies, and the second interconnection system (302) interconnects the tie structure and the body. The second interconnection system includes a plurality of link structures (304, 320) pivotally connected at one end to the tie structure, and pivotally connected at the opposite end to the body. Such link structures are oriented relative to the tie structure to extend towards a common point along a longitudinal axis (33B) of the tie structure.

The present invention provides a suspension tuning device and kit for vehicles with four link rear suspensions. More specifically, the suspension tuning device generally comprises a pair of billet aluminum lower control arms each having a spring platform rotatably secured to a weight jacking bolt and a removable/replaceable sway bar attachment plate. Each end of the control arms include a transverse thru-bore adapted to accept a three part urethane bushing or a spherical bearing. The lower control arms are constructed to mount within a standard four link rear suspension, such as that supplied on a FORD MUSTANG, to permit quick suspension alterations throughout a predetermined range.

A first rotor (24; 124) and a second rotor (25; 125) are arranged in a coaxial and mutually rotatable relationship and are provided with a first driven gear (41; 141) and a second driven gear (42; 142), respectively. A drive shaft (31; 131) is also provided with a first drive gear (43; 143) and a second drive gear (44; 144) which are commonly connected to an output shaft of an electric motor (32; 132), and mesh with the first and second driven gears, respectively, at slightly different gear ratios. The first and second rotors are connected via a thread feed mechanism (36; 136) that converts a relative rotation between the first and second rotors into an axial linear movement between the first and second rotors that is used for changing a distance between a vehicle body part and a corresponding end of a suspension spring in a vehicle height adjusting system (9; 109). Owing to a differential rotation of a high gear ratio between the first and second rotors, a significant torque amplification is possible with a compact arrangement. The use of spur gears instead of a worm gear mechanism minimizes torque loss.

In this vehicular chassis system, the vehicle's passenger compartment and wheels incline toward the turning center side in such a manner, that the wheels can be tilted independently from steering. This vehicle has a steering apparatus controlling the steering, and a separate apparatus controlling the lateral leaning. The lean is controlled mechanically using a pendulum, and forced lateral leaned using a control unit, or manually with the transfer of body weight using several pinions with a set ratio to control the passenger compartment lateral lean in conjunction with the wheel lateral lean. An electric DC servo gear motor can be used to control the lateral lean, that intern moves a pinion, which moves a rack and lateral movable cross member, while controlling the lateral leaning wheels and pulling the tilt support bar pivotally attached to a passenger compartment in the same leaning direction.

A modular suspension system for automobiles and trucks. The present invention relates to a suspension system which is both modular in design and specifically manufactured for high performance wheeled vehicles. This system has multiple modular parts which enable the system to function in various makes and models of vehicles. The modular aspects of this system also enable the cradle to be removable so that the engine and transmission of the vehicle can be easily reached. The modular aspects also allow this system to be set-up with a traditional shock configuration or with a rocker set-up shock system.

The amount of lean to be provided is determined by force sensors, the speed, and/or the angle of turn. Then the vehicle is leaned by actuators in the suspension in accordance with a predetermined protocol in an electronic control unit (ECU). The protocol also provides shock absorption by rapidly tracking a contour of a surface on which the vehicle rides. The suspension is provided by a plurality of arm assemblies each including a lower arm, an upper control arm, and an actuator motively connected to the lower arm and to the upper control arm. The arm assemblies are pivotally connected to the frame on a common axis. The arm assemblies generally form parallelograms and are actuated in concert to remain generally parallel to each other through a range of angles to adjust the lean of the vehicle. The arm assemblies are also actuated independently of each other to accommodate variations in the contour. In one aspect, an actuator controlled by an ECU can be replaced by a mechanical actuator that can be activated manually such as by a driver's own leaning weight.

In a neutral position detection error protecting apparatus, vehicle wheel velocities SFR, SFL of right/left driven wheels FR, FL are detected by vehicle wheel sensors 27a, 27b and a right/left wheel velocity difference VFD is obtained from vehicle wheel velocities VFR, VFL of the driven wheels FR, FL through vehicle wheel velocity signal abnormality determining processing 30b so as to detect steering angle information thetah from the steering wheel 21. Then, when a condition that a right/left wheel velocity difference VFD is less than a predetermined velocity V1, a condition that a rotation angle of steering angle information thetah is more than a predetermined value thetak and a condition that a vehicle wheel velocity is more than a predetermined velocity V2 according to vehicle wheel velocities VFR, VFL of the driven wheels FR, FL are all satisfied in a predetermined period T, it is determined that there is any abnormality in the vehicle wheel velocities SFR, SFL (VFR, VFL) of the driven wheels FR, FL through vehicle wheel velocity signal abnormality determining processing 30b.

A dual spring jounce bumper assembly for a vehicle includes a jounce bumper adapted to be mounted in the suspension system and a spring disposed in series with the jounce bumper to reduce jounce bumper rate progressivity and peak loads in the jounce bumper.