Patent ID: 8123235
Filing Date: 2012-02-28
Classification: B60G

Abstract:
1. A suspension system for a vehicle, the vehicle including a vehicle body and at least two forward and two rearward wheel assemblies, the suspension system including front and rear resilient vehicle support means between the vehicle body and the two forward and two rearward wheel assemblies respectively, for providing resilient support of at least a portion of the vehicle body above the wheel assemblies, and a hydraulic system, the hydraulic system including: at least one front left, at least one front right, at least one rear left and at least one rear right wheel ram each located between a respective said wheel assembly and the vehicle body, each wheel ram including at least a compression chamber; and a mode decoupling device, the device including first, second, third and fourth balance chambers formed by an arrangement of at least two cylinder portions and a piston rod assembly, the first and fourth balance chambers varying in volume in the same direction as each other with motion of the piston rod assembly, the third and second balance chambers varying in volume in the same direction as each other and in the opposite direction to the first and fourth balance chambers with motion of the piston rod assembly; wherein the compression chamber of the front left wheel ram is in constant fluid communication with the first balance chamber of the mode decoupling device forming a front left fluid volume, the compression chamber of the front right wheel ram is in constant fluid communication with the second balance chamber forming a front right fluid volume, the compression chamber of the rear left wheel ram is in fluid communication with the third balance chamber forming a rear left fluid volume and the compression chamber of the rear right wheel ram is in fluid communication with the fourth balance chamber of the mode decoupling device forming a rear right fluid volume, such that the piston rod assembly of the mode decoupling device operates to proportion fluid pressure during roll motions of the vehicle, and operates to distribute fluid between the respective fluid volumes during warp motions, heave motions or warp and heave motions; each front wheel ram further includes a respective rebound chamber and the compression chamber of one front wheel ram is in fluid communication with the rebound chamber of a laterally adjacent wheel ram; or each rear wheel ram further includes a respective rebound chamber wherein the compression chamber of one rear wheel ram is in fluid communication with the rebound chamber of a laterally adjacent wheel ram; the mode decoupling device includes three cylinder portions and the piston rod assembly includes a first central piston and at least two rods; the mode decoupling device includes a second central piston, the first and second central pistons forming at least one fluid pressure chamber; and the suspension system further comprises: