Cross-linked vehicle suspension

Cross-linked vehicle suspension systems. A first wheel is mechanically linked to a second wheel by a cross tie, so that motion from an impact with an obstacle by the first wheel is transmitted to the second wheel. A shock absorber may be coupled to each wheel, the cross tie, or both, to distribute absorption of the impact. In some embodiments, a second pair of wheels may be coupled by a second cross tie and configured diagonally to the first pair of wheels. A shock absorber may be coupled to both cross ties to link all wheels together, for full distribution of all loads across all wheels.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Disclosed embodiments are directed to a vehicle suspension system. In particular, embodiments include a suspension system that cross-links two axles together to distribute loads imposed by bumps and other obstacles.

BACKGROUND

Vehicle suspension systems are typically designed to help absorb and dissipate shocks encountered during a vehicle's travel, such as impacts experienced from running over surface defects or obstacles like potholes, rocks, bumps, ruts, etc. This is usually accomplished by configuring the axles of the vehicle to pivot or articulate, and then suspending each axle with some form of a damping mechanism, such as a spring or shock absorber. Each axle is often suspended from around the wheel hub using an articulating arm that is connected at one end to the wheel hub, and at the other end to the vehicle frame. The damping mechanism is then connected between the articulating arm and the vehicle frame. When the wheel rides over an obstacle, the impact causes the axle and arm to pivot, transferring the vertical motion from the impact to the damping mechanism.

The damping mechanism is often some combination of spring coupled with a shock absorber. The spring (or a similar type of mechanism) is typically configured to provide a counter resistance against the impacts, to aid in keeping each wheel in contact with the ground and helping to ensure proper vehicle control. The spring also absorbs much of the energy of the initial impact to prevent it from being directly transmitted to the vehicle frame, thus blunting the felt impact of the shock. The shock absorber provides further resistance to dissipate the energy imparted to the vehicle by the impact, but unlike the spring, does not store the energy. Because the spring stores energy, without the shock absorber, the spring may oscillate upon impact with an obstacle, which can diminish vehicle control. The shock absorber thus acts to dissipate the spring's stored energy.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the disclosure are disclosed in the accompanying description. Alternate embodiments of the present disclosure and their equivalents may be devised without parting from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. It should be noted that like elements disclosed below are indicated by like reference numbers in the drawings.

Existing vehicle suspension systems are typically configured so that each wheel is independently suspended, where an impact or jolt imparted to a given wheel is not directly transmitted to the remaining vehicle wheels. Thus, the energy and motion from an impact experienced by a single wheel is immediately transmitted only to that wheel's suspension components, viz. by the shock and/or spring combination that is coupled to the wheel. As the shock and spring components absorb the bulk of the energy from the impact, only an attenuated portion is transmitted to the vehicle body. The remaining wheels, in turn, only incidentally contribute to absorbing the impact, as they absorb the shock only insofar as the vehicle body is displaced, and weight is shifted to the remaining wheels.

This configuration presents several problems. First, the suspension components of each wheel have a finite travel distance. If an obstacle is struck with sufficient force to use the entire travel distance of a wheel's suspension, the remainder of the impact is directly transmitted to the vehicle frame without further attenuation. This can result in damage to vehicle frame components, to say nothing of the harsh jolt transmitted to the vehicle passengers. If the impact is felt on a steered wheel, the impact can damage steering linkages and/or render the vehicle difficult or impossible to control. Second, in reaction to the impact, the vehicle is typically displaced away from the impact. Depending upon the terrain and vehicle conditions at the time of impact, the vehicle may be thrown out of control or induced to roll over. For example, if the vehicle is traversing a slope or is otherwise already at an angle, an impact (depending upon the circumstances, the impact need not exceed the suspension travel) may displace the vehicle past its center of gravity and cause a roll over. Third, a traditional configuration results in the vehicle either rearing up, e.g. loading and depressing the vehicle frame towards the rear wheels while unloading the front wheels, upon hard acceleration, or ducking down, e.g. loading and depressing the vehicle frame towards the front wheels while unloading the rear wheels, upon hard braking/deceleration. This behavior can cause reduce traction from the unloaded wheels. Thus, on hard acceleration, steering control may be compromised, while on hard braking, the rear end may be more prone to breaking loose and causing fishtailing.

Disclosed embodiments address these issues by providing a suspension configuration that cross-links the wheels, so that an impact experienced on one wheel is more evenly transmitted to across all wheels. Embodiments provide a suspension system that offers an improved suspension travel, increased impact absorbing ability, as well as greater resistance to vehicle body roll. Moreover, the cross-linked configuration helps reduce rearing and ducking, such as induced by acceleration or braking, respectively. Thus, the disclosed cross-linked suspension systems can enhance both impact absorption ability, as well as vehicle controllability.

As used herein, “spring rate” refers to the amount of weight that is needed to compress a spring a given distance. If the rate of the spring is linear, its rate is not affected by the load that is put on the spring. For example, a spring with a rate of 200 lbs. per inch will compress1″ when a 200 lbs. load is placed onto the spring. If another 200 lbs. is put onto the spring, the spring will compress another inch. At this point the load on the spring is 400 lbs. The rate of the spring, however, remains constant at 200 lbs. per inch. Some springs may have a variable or progressive rate, where the rate starts low and ramps up in relation to the weight placed upon the spring. For example, a spring with a progressive rate may start at 200 lbs./inch, then after compressing1″ from a 200 lbs. load, will ramp to a 300 lbs./inch rate. An additional 200 lbs. would thus compress the spring an amount less than 1″, as 500 lbs. total weight (initial 200 lbs. plus 300 lbs. for the increased rate) would be needed to compress the spring the full additional 1″, for a total travel of 2″.

As used herein, “mechanically linked” components include arrangements where motion or force imparted upon one of the components is transmitted, in whole or in part, to the other component. The components need not be directly connected, but may be connected by way of intervening components that serve to transfer the motion or force, or a portion of the motion or force, between the mechanically linked components. The intervening components may modify, attenuate, amplify, or otherwise affect the motion or force being transmitted, or may transmit the motion or force substantially as received without alteration.

FIG. 1illustrates an example vehicle suspension system100. In the depicted embodiment, suspension system100includes a first assembly that includes a first articulated arm102aand a second articulated arm104a. The first and second articulated arms102aand104aare mechanically linked together by a first cross tie106a. A first shock absorber108ais mechanically linked to the assemblage of first articulated arm102a, second articulated arm104a, and cross tie106a. As depicted inFIG. 1, first shock absorber108ais coupled to cross tie106aso as to receive motion from cross tie106aand, due to cross tie106abeing mechanically linked to first and second articulated arms102aand104a, motion from first and/or second articulated arms102aand104a. As can be seen inFIG. 1, a second assembly, identical in configuration but a mirror image of the first assembly, includes a third articulated arm102b, fourth articulated arm104b, a second cross tie106bmechanically coupled to the third and fourth articulated arms102band104b, and a second shock absorber108bmechanically linked to the assemblage of the third and fourth articulated arms102band104b, and the second cross tie106b. For ease of reference, components in the embodiment depicted inFIG. 1are referred to with an “a” or “b” designation appended to the call-out to denote mechanical interconnectedness, viz. all components with an “a” are mechanically linked to each other, but may be separate from (not mechanically linked to) components with a “b”, while all components with a “b” are mechanically linked together. It should be understood that different embodiments may have different combinations of components linked together, where some combination of both “a” and “b” components may be linked. Where a part is referred to without the “a” or “b”, e.g. first articulated arm102, such a designation refers to either arm102aor (third) arm102b.

The example depicted inFIG. 1, as may be seen, is configured for a four-wheeled vehicle, such as an automobile, truck, sport-utility vehicle (SUV), off-road vehicle (ORV), quad all-terrain vehicle (ATV), or any other similar vehicle that uses four points of contact with the surface. The vehicle may be wheeled, or may be equipped with other types of traction devices, such as skis. As will be explained in greater detail herein, the first and second assembly in the embodiment ofFIG. 1cross-connect diagonally, and so form essentially form an “X” configuration. Thus, if first articulated arm102ais associated with a vehicle's right (passenger) front wheel, second articulated arm104ais associated with the vehicle's left (driver) rear wheel; in corresponding fashion, the third articulated arm102bis associated with the vehicle's left front wheel, and the fourth articulated arm104bis associated with the vehicle's right rear wheel. Other configurations are possible, as will be discussed herein with respect toFIGS. 4A-4N.

In embodiments, each articulated arm102and104is comprised of one or more components designed to withstand the forces that may be experienced in expected use for a vehicle to which the arm is equipped. Arms equipped to passenger vehicles intended for road use that experience relatively few obstacle impacts may be constructed less robustly than arms equipped to off-road vehicles intended for use in severe off-road conditions, over rough terrain that presents many impacts of varying intensity. A less robust arm may be lighter weight, offering fuel savings for a passenger vehicle, while a more robust arm may be heavier, to absorb a greater number of high intensity impacts without sustaining damage or undue wear. Each articulated arm102,104(and its constituent components, where the arm is comprised of multiple components) may be constructed of metal, plastic, composites, or any other material or combination of materials suitable for the arm's intended use.

Each articulated arm, as may be seen in the example ofFIG. 1, is attached at a first end to the vehicle frame, chassis, or another suitable vehicle structure at a mount point122a(for first articulated arm102a),126a(for second articulated arm104a),122b(for third articulated arm102b), and126b(for fourth articulated arm104b), and at a second end to a corresponding wheel at end124a(for first articulated arm102a),128a(for second articulated arm104a),124b(for third articulated arm102b), and128b(for fourth articulated arm104b). As suggested by the name “articulated arm”, each mount point122and126, and/or ends124and128are articulated or otherwise pivoting, to allow the articulated arms102and104to rotate relative to the vehicle frame and/or wheel in response to an impact with an obstacle.

Each articulated arm102and104, in the example embodiment ofFIG. 1, is mechanically linked to the cross tie106via a shock absorber110and112, respectively. One end of shock absorber110and112is coupled to articulated arm102and104, respectively, with the opposing distal end of shock absorber110and112coupled to a linking arm114and116, respectively. Shock absorber110and112may each couple to articulated arm102and104at any suitable location along the length of the articulated arm. As each articulated arm102,104, essentially acts as a lever with a fulcrum point of the mount point122and126, the location where the shock absorber attaches to the articulated arm can impact how loads imparted by obstacle impacts are transferred to the shock absorber, and, by extension, the remaining components of the assemblage.

For a given shock absorber110,112, the further away from mount point122,126the shock absorber is attached to articulated arm102,104, the greater the amount of damping effect the shock absorber will impart. However, such mounting also requires a greater amount of travel from the shock absorber, as the distance traveled by articulated arm102,104, in an impact increases further away from mount point122,126, as will be understood. Conversely, mounting a shock absorber closer to mount point122,126will result in a lesser damping effect, but also allow use of a shock absorber with a relatively shorter range of travel. To consider from another point of view, shock absorbers mounted further from mount point122,126may need to be configured to offer less resistance but greater travel, while shock absorbers mounted closer to mount point122,126may need to be configured to offer a greater resistance, but shorter travel. In some embodiments, the placement of the coupling of each shock absorber110,112may vary across one or more articulated arms102,104to achieve a desired overall vehicle suspension behavior.

Each linking arm114,116has a first end coupled to shock absorber110,112, respectively, and a second end coupled to one end of cross tie106. In turn, each linking arm114,116is attached to a vehicle frame or other relatively stationary mount point at a mount point118,120, respectively. The location at which each linking arm114,116mounts to mount point118,120relative to shock absorber110,112and cross tie106determines, in embodiments, how the linking arm114,116translates motion imparted through either the shock absorber110,112and/or cross tie106. For example, changing the location along linking arm114,116where the linking arm attaches to mount point118,120, acting as a fulcrum, changes the degree to which linking arm114,116, acting as a lever, translates motion for force. Further, mounting the shock absorber110and/or112on the same side of linking arm114and/or116as cross tie106will result in cross tie106and shock absorber110and/or112moving in the same direction, rather than reversing direction, as would result from the configuration ofFIG. 1.

As can be seen inFIG. 1, linking arms114,116serve to translate the direction of movement imparted to shock absorber110,112by articulated arm102,104, to the correct direction to distribute the load of an impact through cross tie106. In the case ofFIG. 1, linking arms114,116cause an impact that raises either of articulated arms102,104to transfer through cross tie106and raise the corresponding articulated arm104,102, respectively. Each linking arm114,116may be constructed from materials similar to those used for articulated arms102,104, as suitable for a given embodiment of vehicle suspension system100. In some embodiments, one or either of articulated arms102,104may be omitted as unnecessary. In other embodiments, one or either of articulated arms102,104may comprise additional components. Further, various embodiments may employ different configurations of linking arms114,116; in some embodiments, the configuration of a linking arm114may vary from linking arm116, as discussed above, in a single embodiment, depending upon the needs of a given implementation.

Cross tie106, in embodiments, links the suspension components of one wheel with a second wheel. As depicted inFIG. 1, cross tie106links articulated arm102, shock absorber110, and linking arm114to linking arm116, shock absorber112, and articulated arm104. In some embodiments, a shock absorber108may further be coupled between cross tie106and a vehicle frame or chassis mounting point117. Cross tie106thus acts to transfer the shock of an impact on one wheel to its other linked wheel and associated suspension, as well as a central or common shock absorber108. This linking enables the shock and corresponding impact from an obstacle to be distributed across the entire vehicle frame, rather than an incidental distribution through vehicle body roll. Referring toFIG. 1, an impact upon the front passenger wheel will be transmitted, via levering of articulated arm102a, through cross tie106ato second articulated arm104a, which will result in, at least, an unloading of shock absorber112aand potentially some degree to unloading and/or pulling up of a wheel attached to second articulated arm104a. Thus unloading, in turn, due to the weight of the vehicle will transfer a greater load to the front driver's side and rear passenger's side wheels (corresponding to third and fourth articulated arms102band104b. As a result, a vehicle configured with suspension system100encountering an obstacle to the front passenger wheel will have less a tendency to be lifted away from the front passenger wheel (with a commensurate high loading of the rear driver wheel, diagonal from the obstacle), but instead be configured to maintain a more even stance with a greater load transferred to the front driver and rear passenger wheels.

Cross tie106may be constructed in a similar fashion and from similar materials as the articulated arms and linking arms. The specific materials used will depend upon the needs of a given implementation. Moreover, cross tie106, although depicted in the embodiment ofFIG. 1as a single piece, may be implemented as multiple pieces, in other embodiments. Further still, linking arms114and116may, in some embodiments, be considered as part of cross tie106.

Shock absorbers108,110, and112each may be configured as damping mechanisms that absorb and store and/or dissipate energy imparted to the mechanism. In some embodiments, shock absorbers108,110, and/or112may include both a spring component, which resiliently absorbs the kinetic energy of an impact and stores it through either spring compression or tension, and a shock damper, which resists movement by dissipating it, typically by offering some sort of fluid resistance that converts the motion into heat. The spring may act to keep any attached structures at a desired position, with expansion or contraction storing energy into the spring which then biases the attached structures back to the spring's resting low-energy state. However, a spring typically dissipates kinetic energy only very slowly, instead oscillating as energy is gradually lost through internal and external friction. The shock damper slows the spring rate, and absorbs excess energy that may cause the spring to otherwise oscillate (e.g. “bounce”) before reaching its resting state.

In some embodiments, the shock absorber108,110, and/or112may co-locate the spring and shock damper. In other embodiments, such as many vehicle suspensions, the spring and shock damper are separate units secured to the vehicle chassis at different points but that are mechanically linked to operate in tandem, such as via an articulating arm102,104, or other similar structure. In still other embodiments, a shock damper may integrate sufficient spring qualities (primarily, a tendency to return to an approximately central low-energy point) to forego a separate spring, with the shock damper offering both spring and damper characteristics in a single shock absorber unit. In embodiments, the spring portion of the shock absorber may have a variable rate, with the shock absorber's initial travel distance configured with an initial soft or low rate, which then increases to a harder or high rate as the shock absorber compresses. In some embodiments, the shock absorber may be adjustable, such as on the fly or via servicing. The shock damper may be implemented using hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical, or any other suitable technology now known or later developed that is suitable for use in energy absorption. Likewise, the spring may be implemented using any technology suitable for vehicle springs, including both metallic springs, as well as other types of springs such as pneumatic air bags, pneumatic cylinders, air shocks, hydraulic pumps, cylinders, or any other suitable technology now known or later developed.

As may be appreciated, a vehicle configured with suspension system100will be resistant to ducking and rearing from braking and acceleration, as well as have reduced leaning while cornering, when compared with conventional suspension systems. For example, acceleration typically causes weight to shift to a vehicle's rear suspension, due to inertia. Suspension system100will transfer some of the weight and associated motion back to the front wheels, thus causing the vehicle to remain more level. Similarly, on a braking event, the weight shift to the front due to inertia will result in the rear suspension also being loaded; in a cornering maneuver, loading to the outside of the turn will be at least partially transferred to the inside wheels. In all cases, suspension system100provides an enhanced distribution of loads experienced unequally by one or more wheels to the remaining unloaded wheels, as compared to existing suspension systems.

FIGS. 2A and 2Bdepict the components and component movement of an example vehicle with a suspension system similar to that of suspension system100, from a front elevation perspective.FIG. 2Adepicts the suspension in a “full bump” configuration, with the shock absorbers substantially compressed, as may be encountered immediately following impact with an obstacle such as a speed bump.FIG. 2Bdepicts the suspension in a “full droop” configuration, with the shock absorbers substantially extended, as may be encountered immediately following impact with an obstacle such as a rut or pothole. For ease of viewing, callouts are not duplicated betweenFIGS. 2A and 2B; instead,FIG. 2Aincludes callouts for each wheel and one cross tie between two wheels, andFIG. 2Bincludes callouts for the other cross tie between the remaining two wheels. The callouts would otherwise be identical for bothFIGS. 2A and 2B. It should be understood that the connection of the wheels inFIGS. 2A and 2Bare identical to those inFIG. 1, viz. the front driver's side wheel (corresponding to end124b) is mechanically linked to the rear passenger's side wheel (corresponding to end128b); likewise, the front passenger's side wheel (end124a) is mechanically linked to the rear driver's side wheel (end128a). Motion on any wheel of the vehicle is thus mechanically transmitted diagonally across the vehicle.

InFIG. 2A, a front elevation view is depicted of an embodiment of the suspension system described above with respect to example suspension system100inFIG. 1. Four wheels are each connected to an articulating arm202a,202b,202c, and202d. To each articulating arm is coupled one end of a shock absorber204a,204b,204c, and204d. The other end of each shock absorber204a-dis attached to a component of a cross tie. The components of an example cross tie connecting two wheels include a first linking arm206, adjustable first cross tie208, second linking arm210, adjustable second cross tie214, and third linking arm216. A shock absorber218is attached to linking arm216. As will be understood by a person skilled in the art, an impact to the wheel attached to articulating arm202cwill at least partially compress shock absorber204c, which in turn imparts a pushing motion to first linking arm206. First linking arm206pivots away from shock absorber204c, and in turn imparts the pushing motion on first cross tie208by virtue of its coupling to first linking arm206. First cross tie208imparts the pushing motion to second linking arm210, which pivots about attachment point212and so reverses the direction of motion imparted by first cross tie208. Thus, second linking arm210imparts a pulling motion to second cross tie214, which in turn imparts the pulling motion to third linking arm216, which finally pulls upon shock absorber204b, unloading it. In response to the unloading, articulating arm202bis thus urged upward in a similar direction to articulating arm202b. Further, as third linking arm216is pulled, it imparts motion to shock absorber218, causing it to compress, thus absorbing some of the energy from the impact in conjunction with shock absorbers204band204c.

It should be understood that components206-216are all mechanically linked, to that motion initially imparted to either articulating arm202bor202cwill be transferred through components206-216to the other articulating arm202cor202b. Further, some components such as first cross tie208and second cross tie214may be configured to be adjustable, to allow tuning of the response of the suspension system.

FIG. 2Bdepicts the components linking the remaining two wheels, connected to articulating arms202aand202d, with their corresponding shock absorbers204aand204d. As withFIG. 2A, these components may include a first linking arm230, an adjustable first cross tie228, a second linking arm224which pivots about an attachment point226to reverse direction of motion, an adjustable second cross tie222, and a third linking arm220. A shock absorber232is attached between the vehicle chassis or frame and first linking arm230. The components depicted inFIG. 2Boperate substantially identically to the components depicted inFIG. 2A.

In some embodiments, second linking arms210and224, which respectively pivot about attachment points212and226, each comprise a tube or shaft as part of attachment points212,226, that extend from the front to the rear of the vehicle. In such configurations, the portion of linking arm210that connects to first cross tie208and the portion of linking arm224that connects to second cross tie222are located proximate to the rear of the vehicle in the embodiment ofFIG. 2, and the portion of linking arm210that connects to second cross tie214and the portion of linking arm224that connects to first cross tie228are located proximate to the front of the vehicle. The two portions of each linking arm210and224are connected by the tube or shaft, which serves to transmit motion between the front and rear of the vehicle. Each attachment point212,226may comprise multiple points on the vehicle to support the tube or shaft. Moving one of the portions of either linking arm210or224imparts a rotational motion to the tube or shaft, thus transmitting motion to the corresponding other portion of the linking arm210or224. With such a configuration, the primarily lateral motion of suspension travel on one wheel is converted to a rotational motion, transmitted from one end of the vehicle to the other, then converted back to a primarily lateral motion that is conveyed to the other corresponding wheel.

As may be appreciated from the foregoing, the cross linked suspension can cause the energy of an impact imparted to one wheel to be distributed to the other cross linked wheel, potentially allowing multiple shock absorbers to dissipate the energy. Such a configuration can allow each shock absorber attached to the suspension system to be fine-tuned or adjusted to achieve a desired suspension performance.FIG. 3depicts an example diagram of how an obstacle impact may be distributed over multiple shock absorbers equipped to a cross-linked suspension system. Starting at the bottom of the diagram, four shock absorbers (or simply, “shock”)302a-d, labeled PF, DR, PR, and DF are depicted. These correspond to the four wheels of a vehicle, specifically, passenger front shock302a, driver rear shock302b, passenger rear shock302c, and driver front shock302d. As will be understood fromFIG. 1, in a four wheel vehicle, the cross tie results in the passenger front shock302aand driver rear shock302bbeing linked, and the passenger rear shock302cand driver front shock302dbeing linked.

Each of the four shocks, on a vehicle that is well-balanced, receives 25% of the vehicle load. Due to the cross-linking, depicted as the box combining shocks302aand302b, and the box combining shocks302cand302d, the load of shocks302aand302bare transmitted to a shock304a. Similarly, the load of shocks302cand302dare transmitted to a shock304b. With reference to the example depicted inFIG. 1, shocks304aand304bwould correspond to shock absorbers108aand108b, respectively, secured to the cross ties106and106b. Each shock304aand304brespectively receives 50% of the vehicle load, with each shock304aand304breceiving its load from two diagonally opposed (takingFIG. 1as the example) shocks. In some embodiments, such as will be described below, an additional shock306may be configured to tie shocks304aand304btogether, essentially mechanically linking the two cross-linked suspension assemblages (in the case ofFIG. 1). Shock306thus could receive 100% of the vehicle load. Because, as described above, the cross tie and associated arms transmit movement between wheels, linking the two cross ties via shock306effectively may result in at least some of the energy of an impact experienced at a single wheel being transmitted to all remaining wheels and, by implication, the other shocks304a-band302a-d. Depending upon how the spring rate of each shock is configured and because all components in of the suspension are mechanically linked in the embodiment, an impact on any one or more of the wheels can result in a portion of the impact being absorbed, directly or indirectly, by every shock302a-d,304a-b, and306, in the suspension system.

Because the vehicle load is accumulated via the suspension system to the various shocks at different points in the suspension system, shocks that receive a greater load can be configured with a greater weight, to provide a desired amount of shock absorber travel and level of firmness. As depicted in the embodiment ofFIG. 3, the intermediate shocks304aand304bare configured with a rate that is twice (400 lbs/in.) those of the shocks302a-dthat are associated with each individual wheel (200 lbs/in.). Similarly, the top shock306that can potentially receive load from all wheels has a rate of 800 lbs/in., double those of the intermediate shocks304aand304b, and four times the rate of the wheel shocks302a-d. This rate doubling reflects the multiplication of load passed up through the cross-linked suspension. Other embodiments may vary the rates across the tiers of shocks to achieve a desired suspension feel and behavior. In still other embodiments, one or more shocks may be configured with a variable or progressive rate, such as a shock absorber that starts with a low rate, but gets progressively higher as the shock absorber is compressed.

Turning toFIGS. 4A-4N, various example embodiments of a cross-linked vehicle suspension system are depicted, with a variety of shock configurations as well as 4-, 3-, and 2-wheel implementations. Starting withFIG. 4A, a seven shock configuration, providing a layout for distributing the load across all four wheels, is depicted. The embodiment inFIG. 4Ais substantially similar to the layout depicted inFIG. 1, with the addition of the seventh shock absorber402, which is linked to the two shock absorbers that are coupled to the cross ties (corresponding to shock absorbers108aand108b). As seen inFIG. 4A, shock absorber402is coupled to the cross tie shock absorbers via a transfer arm404, which itself is secured to the vehicle chassis in an articulated fashion. The cross tie shock absorbers, rather than being secured at one end to the vehicle chassis, are instead secured to the transfer arm404, thereby allowing loads transferred from any of the one or more wheels to be at least partially absorbed by shock absorber402.

FIG. 4Bis substantially identical to the layout depicted inFIG. 1.FIG. 4Cmodifies the layout ofFIGS. 1 & 4Bby tying all four wheels to a single central cross tie, rather than having two independent assemblages diagonally tying together two wheels. As will be understood, each of the four wheels, when moved such as from an obstacle impact, will cause the remaining three wheels to also be at least directly partially moved or loaded/unloaded, in addition to transferring load to the central shock absorber tied to the single cross tie.FIG. 4Ccan also be considered as a variant of one half ofFIG. 1C, with an extra wheel and articulating arm added to each half.

FIG. 4Dis similar in layout toFIG. 1, with the exception that the central shock absorbers108tied to each cross tie have been omitted.

FIG. 4Eis similar in layout to the seven shock arrangement ofFIG. 4A, except that the individual shock absorbers for each wheel (corresponding to shock absorbers110a,110b,112a, and112bofFIG. 1) have been omitted. Thus, the energy from an impact on any of the wheels is absorbed by the wheel's associated cross tie, and at least partially absorbed by the central shock absorber tying together the two cross tie shock absorbers.

FIG. 4Fis similar in layout toFIGS. 1 and 4E, with the exception that the shock absorbers for each wheel have been omitted, leaving only the two cross tie shock absorbers, with each absorbing the load from its associated two wheels.

FIG. 4Gis similar in layout toFIG. 4C, with the exception that the shock absorbers for each wheel have been omitted. All impacts from any wheel are absorbed solely by the single shock coupled to the cross tie.

FIGS. 4H-4Kdepict three-wheeled configurations of a cross-linked suspension system. In each implementation, a single cross tie connects each of the three wheels, similar to the layouts ofFIGS. 4C and 4G, albeit with one less wheel.FIG. 4Hincludes shocks on each wheel, as well as a shock absorber coupled to the cross tie.FIG. 4Hcan also be considered a variation of one half of the layout ofFIG. 1, with an additional wheel and associated articulated arm and linking arm added.FIG. 4Iis similar to the layout ofFIG. 4H, except that the shock absorber coupled to the cross tie is omitted.

FIGS. 4J and 4Komit all shocks from the wheels in favor of one shock coupled to the cross tie. In the case ofFIG. 4J, one wheel is also equipped with a shock.

FIGS. 4L, 4M, and 4Ndepict two-wheel configurations of a cross-linked suspension system. Each can be thought of one half of the layout ofFIG. 1, and includes many of the same components.FIG. 4Lis substantially identical to one half ofFIG. 1.FIG. 4Momits the shock absorber coupled to the cross tie.FIG. 4Nomits the shock absorbers on each wheel, and only has the shock absorber coupled to the cross tie.

Other embodiments and variations of cross-linked suspension systems may be possible, with varying numbers of wheels and/or shock absorbers, still keeping within the scope of this disclosure. As will be appreciated by a person skilled in the relevant art, the choice of a given embodiment may depend upon a variety of factors pertinent to the intended use of the embodiment.