Multitrack Vehicle Suspension With Non-Linear Springs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laterally tiltable multitrack vehicles lack the ability to automatically self-upright after tilting, which is essential for maintaining stability, especially in compact designs that require minimal installation space.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a multitrack vehicle with at least three wheels, where the first and second wheels form a common axle, and are suspended via wheel control parts supported by resilient elements with a non-linear spring characteristic that increases in compression and decreases in rebound, allowing the vehicle to raise its centroid during tilting and automatically return to an upright position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the vehicle body is designed to tilt laterally during cornering, then the vehicle can maintain stability and prevent turning over, but the vehicle loses the ability to self-upright automatically after tilting
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system employs dynamic characteristics where the spring rate varies with compression and rebound, allowing the vehicle to tilt laterally during cornering while automatically self-uprighting when the tilting force is removed. This dynamic behavior enables both lateral stability during cornering and automatic return to upright position.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient element's spring rate parameter changes based on compression and rebound conditions. During lateral tilting, the spring rate decreases in rebound direction to allow easy tilting, while increasing in compression direction to provide restoring force for self-uprighting, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining tilt stability and enabling automatic recovery.
2Length of moving object
If all wheels are designed to tilt with the vehicle body, then the vehicle achieves narrower overall design and requires less installation space, but the suspension system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system merges the wheel tilting function with the vehicle body tilting by suspending wheels from the vehicle body via resilient elements. This integration allows all wheels to tilt together with the vehicle body, achieving a narrow vehicle design without requiring separate tilting mechanisms for each wheel.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient elements serve multiple functions: they support the wheels, enable lateral tilting of all wheels with the vehicle body, and provide the non-linear spring characteristic for self-uprighting. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components, maintaining compact design while achieving the desired suspension behavior.
3Ease of operation
If the spring rate increases in compression direction and decreases in rebound direction, then the vehicle can self-upright automatically, but the suspension behavior becomes non-linear
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient element is designed with a non-linear spring characteristic where the spring rate parameter changes dynamically: it increases in the compression direction to provide restoring force for self-uprighting, and decreases in the rebound direction to allow easy lateral tilting. This parameter variation enables automatic self-uprighting while maintaining simple suspension components.
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
This solution enables automatic self-uprighting without additional installation space, ensuring the vehicle remains stable and compact, effectively addressing the challenge of maintaining stability in laterally tiltable vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
The resilient element has a non-linear spring characteristic with a spring rate which increases in a compression direction and decreases in a rebound direction
Implementation Method 2
An elegant possibility for achieving automatic uprighting of the laterally tilted vehicle body is to raise the centroid of the vehicle during lateral tilting as the tilting angle increases
Implementation Method 3
With such tilting, the resultant of the weight force and the centrifugal force runs substantially along the vertical axis of the vehicle body, preventing the vehicle from turning over
Data Source
AI summary
A laterally tiltable, multitrack vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle includes a vehicle body and at least three wheels, first and second wheels of the three wheels being assigned to a common axle to form a first wheel pair. The vehicle includes at least one wheel control part suspending each of the first and second wheels of the wheel pair from the vehicle body. At least one resilient element supports each wheel control part on the vehicle body. The resilient element has a non-linear spring characteristic with a spring rate which increases in a compression direction and decreases in a rebound direction. The vehicle may be a motor vehicle.