Patent ID: 9481415
Filing Date: 2016-11-01
CPC Classification: B60G,B62D

Claim Text:
1. A vehicle suspension system for improving a fuel economy of a vehicle by optimizing effective tire rolling resistance, the vehicle suspension system comprising: an at least one principal axle; an at least one lift axle; an at least one tire mounted on each of the axles; an input device for entering instructions or information; a memory for storing instructions, data or programs having algorithms; load sensors for determining a load on each of the principal and lift axles; a lift mechanism for lowering or raising the lift axle; at least one processing device in communication with said input device, said memory, said load sensors, said lift mechanism, said at least one processing device configured for: determining whether a total load carried by the vehicle is greater than a sum of maximum allowable axle load multiplied by a number of lift axles added to a minimum allowable axle load necessary multiplied by a number of principal axles; or determining whether a total load carried by the vehicle is less than or equal to the sum of maximum allowable axle load multiplied by the number of lift axles added to the minimum allowable axle load necessary multiplied by the number of principal axles while also being greater than the total number of axles multiplied by the minimum allowable axle load necessary, or determining whether the total load carried by the vehicle is less than or equal to a total number of axles multiplied by minimum allowable axle load necessary; determining that the tires on a lift axle have lower rolling resistance characteristics than the tires on a principal axle; and signaling to move said at least one lift axle so as to improve the fuel economy of said vehicle.