Patent ID: 7740234

Claim:
A method of providing suspension, comprising: adaptively maintaining a position of an object between a minimum and a maximum distance in a first direction; rotationally actuating a shock absorbing device to dampen movement of the object between the minimum and the maximum distance, wherein a direction of a range of stroke of the shock absorbing device is angled with respect to the first direction, and wherein rotationally actuating the shock absorbing device includes, detecting movement of the object; adaptively programming a damper resistance of the shock absorbing device in response to the detected movement; rotating a right-angle gear drive in a second direction in response to an upward movement of the object; rotating the right-angle gear drive in a third direction in response to a downward movement of the object; moving a piston of the shock absorbing device in response to the rotational movement of the right-angle gear drive; and adaptively dampening movement of the piston in response to the adaptively programmed damper resistance; and pneumatically maintaining a position of the object along an axis orthogonal to the first direction.