Rear suspension systems for laterally tiltable multitrack vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9925843-B2
Application number	US-201514630070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2015
Priority date	Feb 24, 2015
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A rear suspension system for a laterally tiltable, multitrack vehicle may include first and second trailing arms. The rear suspension system may further include first and second balancer systems acting between the first and second trailing arms. The first balancer system may create a torque to influence a leaning angle of the vehicle when the suspension system is in use. The second balancer system may suppress a resonant vertical motion of the vehicle when the suspension system is in use.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rear suspension for a laterally tiltable, multitrack vehicle, comprising:
first and second balancer systems extending transversely between and independently connecting first and second trailing arms to form first and second independent load paths, respectively,
wherein the first balancer system creates a torque along the first load path to influence a leaning angle of the vehicle and the second balancer system suppresses a resonant vertical motion of the vehicle along the second load path.

2. The rear suspension of claim 1 , wherein the first and second trailing arms are parallel to one another.

3. The rear suspension of claim 1 , wherein, when the suspension is in use, the first and second trailing arms are each configured to extend between a rear wheel of the vehicle and a frame rail of the vehicle.

4. The rear suspension of claim 1 , wherein the first balancer system comprises a first balancer control arm extending in a transverse direction between and connected to each of the first and second trailing arms, a first hinged control arm connected to the first balancer control arm, and an actuator attached to the first hinged control arm.

5. The rear suspension of claim 1 , wherein the second balancer system comprises two link arms and a lateral spring/damper element operating between the link arms.

6. The rear suspension of claim 1 , wherein the second balancer system comprises a leaf spring.

7. The rear suspension of claim 1 , wherein the second balancer system comprises a second balancer control arm extending in a transverse direction between and connected to each of the first and second trailing arms and at least one spring/damper element.

8. The rear suspension of claim 7 , wherein the at least one spring/damper element comprises a shock absorber and a coil spring.

9. The rear suspension of claim 7 , wherein the second balancer system comprises two vertical spring/damper elements connected to opposite ends of the second balancer control arm.

10. The rear suspension of claim 7 , wherein the second balancer system further comprises a second hinged control arm connected to the second balancer control arm, and wherein the at least one spring/damper element is connected to the second hinged control arm.

11. The rear suspension of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second trailing arms has about a 90 degree angle.

12. The rear suspension of claim 11 , wherein the first balancer system comprises an actuator, and wherein the first and second trailing arms are configured to reposition the actuator with respect to a body of the vehicle.

13. The rear suspension of claim 11 , wherein the second balancer system comprises a lateral spring/damper element, and wherein the first and second trailing arms are configured to reposition the spring/damper element with respect to a body of the vehicle.

14. The rear suspension of claim 1 , wherein the first balancer system comprises a first balancer control arm and the second balancer system comprises a second balancer control arm, the first and second balancer control arms extending adjacent to one another in parallel between and transverse to the first and second trailing arms.

15. The rear suspension of claim 14 , wherein the first balancer system comprises a vertical connecting rod at each end of the first balancer control arm, the vertical connecting rods connecting the first balancer system to the first and second trailing arms.

16. A rear suspension for a laterally tiltable, multitrack vehicle, comprising:
first and second trailing arms, each of the first and second trailing arms extending between a rear wheel of the vehicle and a frame rail of the vehicle;
a first balancer system extending transversely between and connected to each of the first and second trailing arms, the first balancer system being configured to create a torque to influence a leaning angle of a body of the vehicle and to provide a first load path for the torque; and
a second balancer system extending transversely between and connected to each of the first and second trailing arms, the second balancer system being configured to provide a second load path for suspension and road loads and to suppress a resonant vertical motion of the body of the vehicle caused by the suspension and road loads,
wherein each of the first and second load paths links the first trailing arm to the second trailing arm, and
wherein the first balancer system is connected to each of the first and second trailing arms at a different location than the second balancer system such that the first load path is separate and distinct from the second load path.

17. The rear suspension of claim 16 , wherein the first balancer system comprises a first balancer control arm extending in a transverse direction between and connected to each of the first and second trailing arms, a first hinged control arm connected to the first balancer control arm, and an actuator attached to the first hinged control arm.

18. The rear suspension of claim 16 , wherein the second balancer system comprises a second balancer control arm extending in a transverse direction between and connected to each of the first and second trailing arms and at least one spring/damper element.

19. The suspension of claim 16 , wherein the second balancer system comprises two link arms and a lateral spring/damper element operating between the two link arms.

20. The rear suspension of claim 16 , wherein the second balancer control system comprises a leaf spring.

21. The rear suspension of claim 16 , wherein each of the first and second trailing arms has about a 90 degree angle.

22. The rear suspension of claim 16 , wherein the first balancer system comprises a first balancer control arm and the second balancer system comprises a second balancer control arm, the first and second balancer control arms extending adjacent to one another in parallel between and transverse to the first and second trailing arms.

23. The rear suspension of claim 22 , wherein the first balancer system comprises a vertical connecting rod at each end of the first balancer control arm, the vertical connecting rods connecting the first balancer system to the first and second trailing arms.

24. A method of stabilizing a tiltable, multitrack vehicle comprising a first rear wheel mounted to a first rear trailing arm and a second rear wheel mounted to a second rear trailing arm, the method comprising:
distributing a first load via a first balancer system during a roll motion of the vehicle to influence a leaning angle of the vehicle, the first balancer system being connected to each of the first rear trailing arm and the second rear trailing arm; and
distributing a second load via a second balancer system during a jounce/rebound motion of the vehicle to suppresses a resonant vertical motion of the vehicle, the second balancer system being connected to each of the first rear trailing arm and the second rear trailing arm at a different location than the first balancer system such that a load path of the first balancer system, which links the rear trailing arms, is separate and distinct from a load path of the second balancer system, which links the rear trailing arms.

25. A rear suspension for a laterally tiltable, multitrack vehicle, comprising:
first and second balancer systems, the first balancer system comprising a first balancer control arm and the second balancer system comprising a second bala

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Spahl Robert
• Simon Marc
• Halfmann Edmund
• Gerhards Thomas
• Souschek Rainer
• Hintzen Ralf
• Mainz Daniel
• Saeger Martin

Classifications

• B60G2300/13

  Small sized city motor vehicles · CPC title

• B60G2204/62

  Adjustable continuously, e.g. during driving · CPC title

• B60G2204/8304

  using a fluid · CPC title

• B60G2300/45

  Rolling frame vehicles · CPC title

• B60G21/05 Primary

  between wheels on the same axle but on different sides of the vehicle, i.e. the left and right wheel suspensions being interconnected · CPC title