Patent ID: 6499754
Filing Date: 2002-12-31
Classification: B60G

Abstract:
A suspension system for a vehicle, the suspension system comprising:two laterally spaced front wheel assemblies and two laterally spaced rear wheel assemblies, each wheel assembly including a wheel and a wheel mounting supporting the wheel to permit movement of the wheel in a generally vertical direction relative to a body of the vehicle; bounce support means for supporting the vehicle body above the wheels and roll control means for controlling a roll attitude of the vehicle body with respect to the wheels; said bounce support means for at least one end of the vehicle including at least one first coupling means interconnecting one wheel assembly to the laterally adjacent wheel assembly; said roll control means including respective second coupling means interconnecting each wheel assembly to the longitudinally adjacent wheel assembly, and further including transfer means interconnecting the second coupling means of each said pair of longitudinally adjacent wheel assemblies; said second coupling means including a roll lever arm for each wheel assembly, the second coupling means being adapted to urge in response to a movement of the wheel of one said wheel assembly in a substantially vertical direction a movement of the wheel of another said wheel assembly longitudinally spaced on the same side of the vehicle and connected to said same second coupling means in an opposing direction relative thereto; said second coupling means also including average movement generating means arranged to generate a movement therein substantially proportional to the average movement of the two wheels connected thereto on one side of the vehicle, said generated average including a factor for the roll moment; distribution of the roll control means, the transfer means transferring said generated average movement of said second coupling means to the other said second coupling means on the opposite side of the vehicle; wherein each average movement generating means includes a linkage member substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the linkage member having a flexible connection at each end thereof, one flexible connection connected to the roll lever arm for one said wheel assembly and the other flexible connection connected to the roll lever arm for the other said wheel assembly on the same side of the vehicle, the linkage member having a pivot point between the two flexible connections, the linkage member being able to rotate about the pivot point, the position of the pivot point being the factor for the roll moment distribution of the roll control means; and wherein said at least one first coupling means includes a bounce lever arm for each associated wheel assembly and at least one bounce torsion bar extending substantially longitudinally along each side of the vehicle, each said at least one bounce torsion bar interconnecting at least one said bounce lever arm with the associated wheel assembly, and the first coupling means further including a connection means interconnecting the bounce lever arm of one wheel assembly with the bounce lever arm of the laterally adjacent wheel assembly, said at least one first coupling means thereby supporting at least a portion of the load on the associated wheel assemblies whilst providing substantially zero roll or warp stiffness.