IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
UP-0046176
(2008-03-11)
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등록번호 |
US-7703781
(2010-05-20)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Smith, Earl Dallas
- Smith, Judson
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
204 |
초록
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A low profile chassis and suspension system for a road vehicle. The chassis supports a payload section or cargo compartment, such as for a delivery truck, ambulance, or shuttle bus. The chassis includes a largely planar frame having a top surface which is located beneath the rotational axes of the r
A low profile chassis and suspension system for a road vehicle. The chassis supports a payload section or cargo compartment, such as for a delivery truck, ambulance, or shuttle bus. The chassis includes a largely planar frame having a top surface which is located beneath the rotational axes of the rear wheels. The wheel suspension system is particularly compact and close to the road surface. In some embodiments each wheel is suspended from the vehicle by a pair of pivotal support arms. Preferably, one arm is located above the other arm, and both arms pivot along pivot axes that are generally perpendicular to the rotational axis of the supported wheel. A spring urges one of the arms apart from the frame. In other embodiments, the spring is placed beneath the rotational axis of the wheel. In some embodiments both of the pivoting support arms are located beneath the rotational axis of the wheel.
대표청구항
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What is claimed is: 1. A suspension system for a vehicle comprising: a first wheel; a second wheel; a first stub axle providing support to said first wheel about a first rotational axis; a second stub axle providing support to said second wheel about a second rotational axis, a frame including a su
What is claimed is: 1. A suspension system for a vehicle comprising: a first wheel; a second wheel; a first stub axle providing support to said first wheel about a first rotational axis; a second stub axle providing support to said second wheel about a second rotational axis, a frame including a substantially flat portion having a top surface, said first wheel being located on a first side of said frame, said second wheel being located on a second side opposing said first side of said frame, said top surface being disposed generally beneath the first and second rotational axes; a pivotal support arm pivotally supporting said first stub axle, said pivotal support arm being pivotally coupled to said frame by spaced-apart first and second pivot attachments and being pivotal relative to said frame about a pivot axis and a dampener having two ends with one of the ends being pivotally coupled to said frame, the other end of said dampener being pivotally coupled to said support arm; wherein said dampener is vertically located above the pivot axis and laterally located between the first pivot attachment and the second pivot attachment, and the pivot axis is forward of the first rotational axis and above the first rotational axis. 2. The suspension system of claim 1 which further comprises a biasing member coupled to said pivotal support arm and located at least partially under the top surface of said frame. 3. The suspension system of claim 2 wherein said pivotal support arm defines an aperture, and said biasing member extends through the aperture. 4. The suspension system of claim 2 wherein said biasing member is an air spring. 5. The suspension system of claim 2 wherein said biasing member is electronically actuated. 6. The suspension system of claim 1 wherein the dampener is compressible and extendable about a working axis, and the working axis is substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis. 7. The suspension system of claim 1 wherein said pivotal support arm is an upper pivotal support arm and which further comprises a lower pivotal support arm pivotally coupled to said first stub axle, said lower pivotal support arm being pivotally coupled to said frame below the top surface, said lower pivotal support arm being below said upper pivotal support arm. 8. The suspension system of claim 7 wherein the pivotal coupling of said upper pivotal support arm to said first stub axle is below the top surface when the vehicle is transporting cargo or people. 9. The suspension system of claim 1 wherein the top surface is substantially parallel to the roadway when the vehicle is transporting cargo or people. 10. The suspension system of claim 1 wherein the substantially flat portion of the frame is between said first wheel and said second wheel. 11. The suspension system of claim 1 wherein said dampener is compressible and extendable about a working axis, and the working axis is substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis. 12. The suspension system of claim 1 wherein said dampener is compressible about a working axis and the working axis is above the pivot axis. 13. The suspension system of claim 1 which further comprises a biasing member urging apart said pivotal support arm from said frame. 14. A suspension system for a vehicle, comprising: a first wheel; a second wheel; a first stub axle providing support to said first wheel about a first rotational axis, said first stub axle being coupled to a first wheel support, said first wheel support being pivotally coupled to the vehicle by spaced-apart first and second pivot attachments, said first and second pivot attachments establishing a common pivot axis; a second stub axle providing support to said second wheel about a second rotational axis; a frame including a portion having a substantially flat top surface and having a bottom surface, said first wheel being located on one side of the portion of said frame, said second wheel being located on an opposing side of the portion of said frame, the first and second rotational axes being above the bottom surface; a wheel housing attached to said frame, said wheel housing having an inboard wall and a top wall; a biasing member for biasing said first wheel support apart from the top wall and to a position; and wherein said biasing member, said first stub axle, and said first wheel support are located outboard of the inboard wall and lower than the top wall, and said biasing member is inboard of said first stub axle. 15. The suspension system of claim 14 wherein said wheel housing includes a forward wall and an aft wall, the inboard wall, top wall, forward wall and aft wall being interconnected to form a partial enclosure, and said first and second pivot attachments, said biasing member, said first stub axle, and said first wheel support are located aft of the forward wall and forward of the aft wall. 16. The suspension system of claim 15 which further comprises a dampener located within the enclosure and pivotally coupled to said first wheel support. 17. The suspension system of claim 14 wherein said first wheel support is a trailing arm support. 18. The suspension system of claim 14 wherein the substantially flat portion has a top surface and the first and second rotational axes are above the top surface of said frame. 19. The suspension system of claim 14 wherein the biasing member is above the bottom surface. 20. The suspension system of claim 14 wherein said first wheel supports a tire, the supported tire contacting a roadway along a tire track, and said first pivot attachment is above the tire track and said second pivot attachment is inboard of the tire track. 21. The suspension system of claim 14 wherein the top surface is substantially parallel to the roadway when the vehicle is transporting cargo or people. 22. The suspension system of claim 14 which further comprises a shock absorber having two ends, one end of said shock absorber being pivotally coupled to said wheelhousing and the other end of said shock absorber being pivotally coupled to said first wheel support. 23. The suspension system of claim 14 which further comprises a shock absorber vertically located above the pivot axis. 24. The suspension system of claim 14 which further comprises a shock absorber laterally located between the first pivot attachment and the second pivot attachment. 25. The suspension system of claim 14 which further comprises a shock absorber compressible and extendable about a working axis and the working axis is substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis. 26. The suspension system of claim 14 which further comprises a shock absorber compressible and extendable about a working axis and the working axis is above the pivot axis. 27. The suspension system of claim 14 which further comprises a second wheel support pivotally coupled to said first stub axle, one of said first wheel support or said second wheel support being above the other said wheel support. 28. The suspension system of claim 14 which further comprises a second wheel support pivotally coupled to said first stub axle, wherein said second wheel support is above said first wheel support, said second wheel support defines an aperture, and said biasing member extends through the aperture. 29. The suspension system of claim 14 wherein said biasing member is an air spring. 30. The suspension system of claim 14 wherein said biasing member is electronically actuated. 31. A suspension system for a vehicle, comprising: a frame including a portion having a substantially flat top surface, a first wheel being located on one side of the portion of said frame, a second wheel being located on an opposing side of the portion of said frame, a first wheel support providing support to said first wheel about a first rotational axis, said first wheel support being pivotally coupled to said frame by spaced-apart first and second pivot attachments, said first and second pivot attachments establishing a common pivot axis forward of the first rotational axis and above the first rotational axis, and a dampener compressible and extendable about a working axis, the working axis being substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis and above the pivot axis; wherein the common pivot axis is angled relative to the first rotational axis in a direction from outboard of the vehicle toward inboard of the vehicle such that a projection of the common pivot axis onto a horizontal plane converges toward a projection of the first rotational axis onto the horizontal plane. 32. The suspension system of claim 31 wherein the top surface is substantially parallel to the roadway when the vehicle is transporting cargo or people. 33. The suspension system of claim 31 wherein said dampener is vertically located above the pivot axis. 34. The suspension system of claim 31 wherein said dampener is laterally located between the first pivot attachment and the second pivot attachment. 35. The suspension system of claim 31 which further comprises a wheelhousing generally surrounding said first wheel and attached to said frame, one end of said dampener being pivotally coupled to said wheelhousing and the other end of said shock absorber being pivotally coupled to said first wheel support. 36. The suspension system of claim 31 which further comprises a biasing member and a wheelhousing generally surrounding said first wheel and attached to said frame, said biasing member urging apart said wheelhousing from said first wheel support. 37. The suspension system of claim 36 wherein said biasing member is an air spring.
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