Suspension for landing condition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10723447-B2
Application number	US-201715453527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2017
Priority date	Mar 8, 2017
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

An aerocar with a dual mode suspension system configured to operate in a roadable mode and a flight mode. The aerocar may include a front suspension assembly having a front axle, and a rear suspension assembly having a rear axle. A conduit system provides a hydraulic fluid in fluid communication between the front suspension assembly and the rear suspension assembly. An auxiliary hydraulic fluid reservoir is provided in fluid communication with the conduit system, and configured to selectively maintain or interrupt fluid communication between the front suspension assembly and the rear suspension assembly to adjust damping of the front suspension assembly. A controller may be provided, configured to direct the flow of hydraulic fluid from the rear suspension assembly to the front suspension assembly, for example, when a stroke of the rear suspension exceeds a predetermined value during landing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable damping system for an aerocar, the aerocar including a wing system, the aerocar being configured to operate in a roadable mode and a flight mode, the adjustable damping system comprising:
a front suspension assembly;
a rear suspension assembly;
a conduit system providing a hydraulic fluid in fluid communication between the front suspension assembly and the rear suspension assembly;
an auxiliary hydraulic fluid reservoir coupled to the conduit system and configured to selectively maintain or interrupt fluid communication between the front suspension assembly and the rear suspension assembly to adjust damping of the front suspension assembly after a landing impact force is received by the rear suspension assembly; and
a controller configured to direct a flow of hydraulic fluid within the conduit system and the auxiliary hydraulic fluid reservoir, wherein operation of the controller is based on the aerocar being in one of the roadable mode and the flight mode.

2. The adjustable damping system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the controller and the auxiliary hydraulic fluid reservoir is configured to direct the flow of hydraulic fluid from the rear suspension assembly to the front suspension assembly when a stroke of the rear suspension assembly exceeds a predetermined value, whereby the predetermined value is indicative of the landing impact force.

3. An adjustable damping system for an aerocar, the aerocar being configured to operate in a roadable mode and a flight mode, the adjustable damping system comprising:
a front suspension assembly;
a rear suspension assembly;
a conduit system providing a hydraulic fluid in fluid communication between the front suspension assembly and the rear suspension assembly;
an auxiliary hydraulic fluid reservoir coupled to the conduit system and configured to selectively maintain or interrupt fluid communication between the front suspension assembly and the rear suspension assembly to adjust damping of the front suspension assembly after a landing impact force is received by the rear suspension assembly; and
a controller configured to direct a flow of hydraulic fluid within the conduit system and the auxiliary hydraulic fluid reservoir, wherein operation of the controller is based on the aerocar being in one of the roadable mode and the flight mode,
at least one of the controller and the auxiliary hydraulic fluid reservoir being configured to increase an amount of damping of the front suspension assembly in a manner proportional to an angle of descent of a landing aerocar, whereby the landing impact force varies based on the angle of descent.

4. The adjustable damping system of claim 3 , wherein the angle of descent is between substantially 3 and substantially 15 degrees.

5. The adjustable damping system of claim 1 , wherein the rear suspension assembly is configured to compress upon receiving the landing impact force, thereby directing a flow of hydraulic fluid to the front suspension assembly.

6. The adjustable damping system of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary hydraulic fluid reservoir is configured to interrupt a flow of hydraulic fluid from the rear suspension assembly to the front suspension assembly during operation of the aerocar in the roadable mode.

7. The adjustable damping system of claim 1 , wherein the front suspension assembly comprises a pair of front wheels and a pair of front dampers, and the rear suspension assembly comprises a pair of rear wheels and a pair of rear dampers, and a damping adjustment is equally applied to each front damper.

8. An aerocar with a dual mode suspension system, the aerocar being configured to operate in a roadable mode and a flight mode, the aerocar comprising:
a wing system;
a front suspension assembly having a front axle and at least one front wheel;
a rear suspension assembly having a rear axle and at least one rear wheel;
a conduit system providing a hydraulic fluid in fluid communication between the front suspension assembly and the rear suspension assembly;
a controller configured to change operation of the dual mode suspension system based on the aerocar being in one of the roadable mode and the flight mode; and
an auxiliary hydraulic fluid reservoir coupled to the conduit system and configured to selectively maintain or interrupt fluid communication between the front suspension assembly and the rear suspension assembly in order to adjust damping of the front suspension assembly,
the rear suspension assembly being configured to compress upon receiving a landing impact force, thereby directing a flow of hydraulic fluid to the front suspension assembly.

9. The aerocar of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to direct a flow of hydraulic fluid within the conduit system and the auxiliary hydraulic fluid reservoir.

10. The aerocar of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the controller and the auxiliary hydraulic fluid reservoir is configured to direct the flow of hydraulic fluid from the rear suspension assembly to the front suspension assembly when a stroke of the rear suspension assembly exceeds a predetermined value.

11. An aerocar with a dual mode suspension system, the aerocar comprising:
a front suspension assembly having a front axle and at least one front wheel;
a rear suspension assembly having a rear axle and at least one rear wheel;

a conduit system providing a hydraulic fluid in fluid communication between the front suspension assembly and the rear suspension assembly;
a controller configured to change operation of the dual mode suspension system between a roadable mode and a flight mode; and
an auxiliary hydraulic fluid reservoir coupled to the conduit system and configured to selectively maintain or interrupt fluid communication between the front suspension assembly and the rear suspension assembly in order to adjust damping of the front suspension assembly,
the controller being configured to direct a flow of hydraulic fluid within the conduit system and the auxiliary hydraulic fluid reservoir, and
at least one of the controller and the auxiliary hydraulic fluid reservoir being configured to increase an amount of damping of the front axle in a manner proportional to an angle of descent of a landing aerocar.

12. The aerocar of claim 11 , wherein the angle of descent is between substantially 3 and substantially 15 degrees.

13. The aerocar of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the controller and the auxiliary hydraulic fluid reservoir is configured to interrupt a flow of hydraulic fluid from the rear suspension assembly to the front suspension assembly during operation of the aerocar in the roadable mode.

14. A method for adjusting damping characteristics of a suspension system of an aerocar during a landing event, the aerocar being configured to operate in a plurality of operational modes including a roadable mode and a flight mode, the aerocar including a wing system, a conduit system in the aerocar including a hydraulic fluid in fluid communication between an auxiliary hydraulic fluid reservoir, a front suspension assembly, and a rear suspension assembly of the aerocar, the method comprising:
selectively maintaining or interrupting the fluid communication between the front suspension assembly and the rear suspension assembly based on the operational mode of the aerocar; and
adjusting damping characteristics of the front suspension assembly upon receiving a landing impact by the rear suspension assembly during the landing event.

15. A method for adjusting damping characteristics of a suspension system of an aerocar during a landing event, a conduit sy

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Gandhi Umesh N
• Clontz Matthew C

Classifications

• B60F5/02

  convertible into aircraft (convertible aircraft B64C37/00; convertible unmanned aerial vehicle [UAV]-type aircraft, e.g. convertible into land vehicles, B64U10/70) · CPC title

• B64C25/58 Primary

  Arrangements or adaptations of shock-absorbers or springs (shimmy-dampers B64C25/50) · CPC title

• B60G17/08

  Characteristics of fluid dampers (adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53) · CPC title

• B60G2500/11

  Damping valves · CPC title

• B60G2600/02

  Retarders, delaying means, dead zones, threshold values, cut-off frequency, timer interruption · CPC title