Electric Mobility Suspension With Swing Control for Turn Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric mobility vehicles with soft suspension characteristics for improved ride comfort tend to incline to the outer side of a pivot or turn, compromising stability and control.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle incorporates a pair of swing portions with a biasing member that applies a downward force and a swing control portion to restrain or limit different-direction swings, enhancing stability during turns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a biasing member with a low spring constant is used to achieve soft suspension characteristics, then ride comfort is improved, but the vehicle tends to incline to the outer side during pivots or turns
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the suspension control into two independent dimensions: individual wheel suspension (via biasing members) and inter-wheel coordination (via swing control portion). Each rear wheel assembly has its own biasing member for vertical motion, while the swing control portion connects left and right swing bases to prevent differential swinging during turns, resolving the contradiction between soft suspension and turn stability
Solution Approach 2:
The swing control portion acts as an intermediary mechanism between the left and right rear wheel assemblies. It includes a swing control shaft that connects both swing bases and provides restraint against different-direction swinging, mediating between the soft suspension requirements and turn stability requirements without compromising either
2Ease of operation
If the swingable range in the up-down direction of each swing base is increased, then ride comfort is improved, but the vehicle behavior of inclining to the outer side during pivots or turns occurs more easily
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates vertical suspension motion (allowed and encouraged for comfort) from lateral/differential swing motion (restricted for stability). The swing control portion specifically targets and restrains different-direction swinging between left and right wheels while permitting independent vertical motion of each wheel assembly, thus resolving the contradiction
Solution Approach 2:
The swing control portion applies selective restraint: it restricts different-direction swinging (local quality control) while allowing same-direction vertical motion. The swing control shaft is positioned and configured to provide restraint forces only when differential swinging occurs, leaving normal suspension travel unaffected
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces tilting behavior during turns while maintaining comfort by controlling the swing motion of the wheels, improving both stability and ride quality.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing member that applies a downward force to each of the swing portions when the leading end side moves upward
Data Source
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AI summary
An electric mobility vehicle at least including a pair of wheels (20) and a vehicle body frame (121), including a pair of swing portions (2), wherein a base end side of each swing portion (2) is supported on the vehicle body frame (121) so as to be swingable in an up-down direction about a swing axis (150a) extending in a vehicle front-to-rear direction, and each wheel (20) is supported on each swing portion (2) so as to move in the up-down direction together with a leading end side of each swing portion (2), a biasing member (140) that applies a downward force to each swing portion (2) when the leading end side moves upward, and a swing control portion (3) that restrains a different-direction swing in which one of the base end sides of the pair of swing portions (2) swings in a direction different from the other in the up-down direction or limits the different-direction swing to a predetermined range.