AU2016202202A1 - Independent suspension assembly for a vehicle such as a trailer - Google Patents
Independent suspension assembly for a vehicle such as a trailer Download PDFInfo
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- AU2016202202A1 AU2016202202A1 AU2016202202A AU2016202202A AU2016202202A1 AU 2016202202 A1 AU2016202202 A1 AU 2016202202A1 AU 2016202202 A AU2016202202 A AU 2016202202A AU 2016202202 A AU2016202202 A AU 2016202202A AU 2016202202 A1 AU2016202202 A1 AU 2016202202A1
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- trailer
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Abstract
Abstract An independent suspension assembly for a vehicle including first and second parallel members, the suspension assembly including: a forward end including a hinge bar for mounting parallel to the first member; a trailing suspension arm hingedly attached to the forward end; a resilient assembly mounting formation and a shock absorber mounted at or toward a rearward end of the trailing arm, wherein upper ends of both the shock absorber and the resilient assembly mounting formation are coupled to a common bracket for mounting to the second member of the vehicle, whereby the independent suspension assembly is mountable to the first and second parallel members at any one of a range of positions therealong. co> co V c J(
Description
1
INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY FOR A VEHICLE
SUCH AS A TRAILER
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention is directed to an independent suspension assembly for a vehicle such as a trailer. The invention is particularly suited for a towed vehicle, for example a box trailer or a caravan.
BACKGROUND
Any references to methods, apparatus or documents of the prior art are not to be taken as constituting any evidence or admission that they formed, or form part of the common general knowledge.
Suspension assemblies for trailers and caravans are generally made to tailor for a wide range of terrains. For example, a user of a trailer may initially travel over a well paved bitumen highway before reaching a dirt road where corrugations may be encountered. General purpose suspension assemblies cater for both environments. It would however be advantageous if a suspension assembly were provided that could be adjusted to take into account a particular type of terrain by allowing for some type of ride control.
An additional problem is that an independent suspension assembly may be for use with any of a wide variety of tire types. Consequently it would be desirable if an independent suspension assembly was provided that could be readily installed on a vehicle to accommodate for positioning at a range of locations across the trailer, for example to accommodate for a range of tire widths.
It is an object of the invention to provide an independent suspension assembly that addresses at least one of the above described problems. 2
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an independent suspension assembly for a vehicle including first and second parallel members, the suspension assembly including: a forward end including a hinge bar for mounting parallel to the first member; a trailing arm hingedly attached to the forward end; a resilient assembly mounting formation and a shock absorber mounted at or toward a rearward end of the trailing arm, wherein upper ends of both the shock absorber and the resilient assembly mounting formation are coupled to a common bracket for mounting to the second member of the vehicle, whereby the independent suspension assembly is mountable to the first and second parallel members at any one of a range of positions therealong.
Preferably the common bracket includes a channel portion adapted to receive the second member of the vehicle for fastening thereto.
The resilient assembly mounting formation may engage any one of: a coil spring; i. an air bag; or ii. a coil spring in combination with an air bag.
The shock absorber may be mounted rearward of the resilient assembly mounting formation.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the hinge bar is disposed between hinge side plates wherein the trailing arm is hingedly attached between the hinge side plates.
The trailing arm may be formed with a hinge tube that locates between the hinge side plates and rotates about an axle disposed between said side plates. 3 A strengthening diagonal member may be disposed between the trailing arm and the hinge tube.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention camber adjustment means are coupled to at least one of the hinge side plates.
The invention further encompasses a vehicle chassis including first and second parallel suspension mounting members and left and right side independent suspension assemblies mounted thereto, each of the left and right side independent suspension assemblies being as previously described.
Preferably the vehicle chassis comprises a towed trailer chassis such as a chassis for a caravan.
In another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for constructing a vehicle to accommodate for tyres of varying width comprising: providing first and second independent suspension assemblies as previously described; mounting the first and second independent suspension assemblies at points along first and second parallel members of a vehicle chassis taking into account width of tyres to be mounted to said assemblies.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an independent suspension assembly for a vehicle having a resilient assembly comprising a coil spring and an air bag wherein the coil spring and the air bag are mounted upon a common support and wherein the air bag is located within the coil spring. It will be realized that this first aspect of the invention addresses the previously described problem of providing an independent suspension assembly that confers a degree of adjustable ride control since the pressure within the air bag and hence its “hardness” and “softness” may be varied as desired and also a constant ride height may be attained for varying loads. 4
Preferably said suspension includes: a vehicle mounting subassembly; a trailing suspension arm extending from the trailer mounting subassembly and hingedly connected thereto; a support subassembly fast with an end of the suspension arm remote from the trailer mounting subassembly supporting the coil spring and the airbag; and a stub axle extending laterally from the suspension arm between the trailer mounting subassembly and the support assembly. A shock absorber may also be coupled to the support subassembly to supplement the coil spring and air bag.
The support subassembly may further include a formation for coupling a second shock absorber thereto.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the coil spring and air bag and the first shock absorber are coupled to a common bracket for fastening to a member of the vehicle.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the support subassembly includes a support member that spans the side plates.
Preferably the resilient member is mounted above a portion of the support member and also above an edge of one of the side plates.
The trailer mounting subassembly preferably includes a pair of spaced hinge side plates
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the hinge side plates rotatably support a hinge tube assembly therebetween.
The hinge tube assembly is preferably supported between the side plates by an elongate member therethrough. For example the hinge tube assembly 5 may be supported between the side plates by an elongate member in the form of a rod fastened at either end to a respective one of the hinge side plates.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention a camber or toe-in adjustment assembly is provided. For example, the adjustment assembly may include a cam fastened to an end of the elongate member and arranged to abut a side wall of a hole formed through the corresponding hinge side wall.
Preferably a stiffening member is connected between the hinge tube and the suspension arm to counteract sideways forces exerted on the suspension arm in use.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the hinge side plates are interconnected by a hinge bar for imparting rigidity to the trailer mounting subassembly.
Preferably opposite ends of the hinge bar are received into complementary slots formed into upper ends of the hinge plates.
According to a second embodiment of the present invention there is provided an independent suspension assembly for a vehicle which includes: a resilient assembly mounting formation and also a shock absorber, wherein upper ends of both the shock absorber and the resilient assembly mounting formation are coupled to a common bracket for mounting to the vehicle, whereby the suspension assembly may be readily mounted to the vehicle at any one of a range of positions. It will be realized that this second aspect of the invention addresses the second problem of providing an independent suspension assembly which is able to be readily installed on a vehicle to accommodate a desired one of a range of tire widths. This is because both the hinge assembly and the common mounting bracket may be slid along parallel beams of a vehicle frame until a desired mounting point is arrived at.
The resilient assembly mounting formation of the independent suspension assembly may receive any one of: 6 i. a coil spring; ii. an air bag; iii. a coil spring in combination with an air bag.
Preferably the common bracket includes a channel portion adapted to receive a portion of a member of the vehicle for fastening thereto.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following Detailed Description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The Detailed Description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding Summary of the Invention in any way. The Detailed Description will make reference to a number of drawings as follows:
Figure 1 is an isometric view of the rear, top and right hand side of an independent trailer assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a detail of a camber adjustment assembly.
Figure 3 is a detail of the attachment of a shock absorber to a remote end of a trailing suspension arm of the independent suspension assembly.
Figure 4 is a detail of a further camber adjustment assembly for the suspension.
Figure 5 is a view of the rear of the suspension assembly.
Figure 6 is a view of the wheel side of the suspension assembly.
Figure 7 is a top view of a trailer, shown in phantom outline, incorporating two independent suspension assemblies according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.
Figure 8 is a side view that schematically illustrates a pneumatic linkage between airbags of two suspension assemblies in a tandem configuration. Figure 9 depicts an independent vehicle suspension according to a preferred embodiment of a further aspect of the present invention. 7
Figures 10 to 14 show the installation of the vehicle suspension of Figure 9 to a frame of a vehicle, such as a trailer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to Figures 1 to 6, there is shown an independent suspension assembly 1 for a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The suspension assembly 1 includes a resilient assembly 3 that comprises a coil spring 5 and an air bag 7. The coil spring 5 and the air bag 7 are mounted upon a common support 9 and the air bag 7 is located within the coil spring 5. A top plate 16 is fastened to the upper end of the coil spring and cooperates with the support 9 to capture the airbag 7 therebetween.
The suspension 1 includes a trailer mounting subassembly 11 from which a trailing suspension arm 13 extends. The trailer mounting subassembly 11 and the suspension arm 13 are hingedly interconnected. The trailer mounting subassembly 11 includes a pair of spaced hinge side plates 23, 25. Between the hinge side plates 23, 25 is a rotatably supported hinge tube assembly 27. Figures 2 and 4 are detail views of opposite ends of the trailer mounting subassembly 11.
The hinge tube assembly 27 is supported between the side plates 23, 25 by an elongate member 29 in the form of a rod fastened at either end to a respective one of the hinge side plates 23, 25. The hinge side plates 23, 25 are interconnected by a hinge bar 39 for imparting rigidity to the trailer mounting subassembly 11. Opposite ends of the hinge bar 39 are received into complementary slots formed into upper ends of the hinge plates and welded thereto. A toe-in or camber adjustment assembly 31 is provided (as best seen in Figure 2). The camber adjustment assembly 33 is fastened to an end of the elongate member 29 and arranged to abut a side wall of a hole 35 formed through the corresponding hinge side wall. Alternatively the camber adjustment may instead be provided by using eccentric bushes. 8
With reference to both Figures 1 and 3, a support subassembly 15 is fastened at a remote end of the trailing suspension arm 13 opposite the trailer mounting subassembly 11. The support subassembly supports the coil spring 5 and the airbag 7. A stub axle 17 extends laterally from the suspension arm 13 between the trailer mounting subassembly 11 and the support assembly 15. A wheel hub 6, for receiving a tyre, is rotatably mounted to the stub axle. A shock absorber 19 is coupled to the support subassembly via tube 21 (visible in Figure 3) to supplement the coil spring 5 and air bag 7. The upper end of shock absorber 19 terminates in a bracket 14 for fastening to a member of a vehicle such as a trailer in use. A stiffening member 37 is connected between the hinge tube and the suspension arm to counteract sideways forces exerted on the suspension arm in use.
Figure 7 is a top plan view of right and left independent vehicle suspensions 1a, 1b in use mounted to cross members 8a, 8b of a trailer 2. Each of the suspensions 1 a and 1 b, are identical to suspension 1 of Figure 1 save that suspension 1a is a mirror image thereof. It will be observed that the hinge assemblies are each mounted to cross member 8a whereas the upper ends of the resilient assemblies, each comprising a coil and air bag are mounted to cross member 8b.
Referring now to Figure 8, there is shown a vehicle in the form of a tandem (twin axle) configuration trailer on side view. Each side of a trailer incorporating this configuration uses two suspension assemblies, e.g. assemblies 1c, 1d of Figure 8. The airbags from one side of the vehicle are in fluid communication with each other via pneumatic tube 4 thereby enabling air flow between front/rear air bags 7c, 7d. This pneumatic interconnection provides a load sharing feature whereby load placed on one axle is transferred to another axle via air pressure equalizing in the two airbags. 9
The combination of the airbag with the coil provides the ability to vary the vehicle height, or correct the vehicle height with varying load by increasing or decreasing inflation of the airbag.
Furthermore, the inclusion of the airbag into inside the coil spring provides a means of varying the effective spring rate and thereby adjusting the ride/handling/performance characteristics of the trailer. Higher airbag pressure will increase the spring rate making the suspension less compliant and more resistant to vehicle roll. A low air pressure will result in lower spring rate, more conducive to rough terrain.
It will be realised that in the event of an airbag failure, an air/coil spring combination is able to rely on the coil spring to support the trailer and vice-versa.
Referring now to Figure 9, there is depicted a preferred embodiment of an independent suspension 50 according to a further aspect of the present invention.
The independent suspension assembly 50 is similar to independent suspension assembly 1 of Figure 1 and so the same item numbering has been used to refer to the same items in Figure 9 as in Figure 1. There are however some differences as will be discussed. Most importantly, the suspension assembly 50 includes a vehicle mounting bracket 51 that is commonly fastened to both the top plate 16 for the coil spring 5 and/or air bag 7 and also to the top bracket 14 of the shock absorber 19. It will also be observed that in contrast to the suspension assembly 1 of Figure 1, the shock absorber 19 is mounted rearward, i.e. trailing relative to, the coil spring 5 and air bag 7. A further difference is that the wheel hub 6 that is mounted to the suspension assembly 50 is fitted with a disc brake rather than the drum brake as shown in Figure 1. It will be realised that either drum or disc brakes might be used for either of the suspension assemblies and that the use of a particular type of brake makes no difference to the present invention. 10
The resilient assembly for the independent suspension assembly 50 may, for example be: i. the coil spring 5 by itself; or ii. the air bag 7 by itself; or iii. the coil spring 5 in combination with the air bag 7.
Figures 10 to 12 show left and right suspension assemblies 50a and 50b, each of which correspond to the suspension assembly 50 of Figure 9, mounted to transverse beams 55, 57 of a frame 53 of a trailer.
The mounting of each of the suspension assemblies is straightforward. With reference to Figure 11, the hinge side plates 25a, 23a and hinge bar 39a of left suspension assembly 50a are welded to trailer member 55. Similarly the vehicle mounting bracket 51a is located about trailer beam 57 and welded in place. The left suspension assembly 50a is installed to the trailer frame in the same manner, as shown in Figure 12.
It will be noted that the hinge side plates 23, 25 and the hinge bar 39 provide a single mounting assembly for coupling the forward end of the suspension assembly to the forward trailer beam 55. Similarly the common vehicle bracket 51 provides a single mounting point for coupling the rearward end of the suspension assembly to the rearward trailer beam 57. Since the channel of the bracket 51 and the hinge bar 39 are parallel the suspension assembly can be readily located transversely along the beams 55, 57 of the trailer frame 53 as desired.
For example, Figure 13 is a view of the rear of the left suspension assembly 50a mounted in a first position wherein an outer side of the wheel hub 6a is located at 200 mm from the chassis outer wall of the trailer. This position is suitable where it is desired to install a wheel with a wider tyre to the hub.
In contrast, Figure 14 is a similar view to that of Figure 13 wherein the left suspension assembly is mounted in a second position wherein the outer side of the wheel 6a is located at a distance of 170mm from the chassis outer wall 11 of the trailer. This position is suitable where it is desired to install a wheel with a narrower tyre to the hub 6.
It will be realised that the two positions that are illustrated in Figures 13 and 14 are examples only and that the independent suspensions 50a, 50b may be installed at other positions as desired.
Embodiments of various aspects of the invention provide the ability to have a common/universal arm which can fit a coil spring, an air spring or a combination of both. This makes it easier for a chassis manufacturer as only one type of arm is required to accommodate all combinations. Allied to this is the method of fixing to the chassis which allows for all the mounts to be positioned transversely along the trailer members as desired. This means that once again only one arm is needed to suit a number of wheel offsets. In the prior art the accommodation of different wheel offsets has been achieved by using a different length stub axle to suit each application. Use of embodiments of the present invention are beneficial to trailer manufactures because the manufacturer can order a common universal arm and then position it to suit any wheel and fit any resilient system, i.e. coil/airbag combination, that is desired. This flexibility of course provides for the ability to easily upgrade a suspension if required at a later date
In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. The term “comprises” and its variations, such as “comprising” and “comprised of” is used throughout in an inclusive sense and not to the exclusion of any additional features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims appropriately interpreted by those skilled in the art. 2016202202 08 Apr 2016 12
Throughout the specification and claims unless the context requires otherwise, the term "substantially" or "about" will be understood to not be limited to the value for the range qualified by the terms.
Any embodiment of the invention is meant to be illustrative only and is not meant to be limiting to the invention. Therefore, it should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications can be made to any embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims (13)
- The claims defining the invention are as follows:1. An independent suspension assembly for a vehicle including first and second parallel members, the suspension assembly including: a forward end including a hinge bar for mounting parallel to the first member; a trailing suspension arm hingedly attached to the forward end; a resilient assembly mounting formation and a shock absorber mounted at or toward a rearward end of the trailing arm, wherein upper ends of both the shock absorber and the resilient assembly mounting formation are coupled to a common bracket for mounting to the second member of the vehicle, whereby the independent suspension assembly is mountable to the first and second parallel members at any one of a range of positions therealong.
- 2. An assembly according to claim 2, wherein the common bracket includes a channel portion adapted to receive the second member of the vehicle for fastening thereto.
- 3. An assembly according any one of the preceding claims, wherein the resilient assembly mounting formation engages any one of: i. a coil spring; ii. an air bag; or iii. a coil spring in combination with an air bag.
- 4. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the shock absorber is mounted rearward of the resilient assembly mounting formation.
- 5. An assembly according to claim 4, wherein the hinge bar is disposed between hinge side plates wherein the trailing arm is hingedly attached between the hinge side plates.
- 6. An assembly according to claim 5, wherein the trailing arm is formed with a hinge tube that locates between the hinge side plates and rotates about an axle disposed between said side plates.
- 7. An assembly according to claim 6, including a strengthening diagonal member disposed between the trailing arm and the hinge tube.
- 8. An assembly according to claim 7 including camber adjustment means coupled to at least one of the hinge side plates.
- 9. A vehicle chassis including first and second parallel suspension mounting members and left and right side independent suspension assemblies mounted thereto, each of the left and right side independent suspension assemblies being in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 8.
- 10. A vehicle chassis according to claim 9, comprising a towed trailer chassis.
- 11. A method for constructing a vehicle to accommodate for tyres of varying width comprising: providing first and second independent suspension assemblies according to any one of claims 1 to 10; mounting the first and second independent suspension assemblies at points along first and second parallel members of a vehicle chassis taking into account width of tyres to be mounted to said assemblies.
- 12. An independent suspension assembly for a vehicle having a resilient assembly comprising a coil spring and an air bag for wherein the coil spring and the air bag are mounted upon a common support and wherein the air bag is located within the coil spring.
- 13. An assembly according to claim 12, including: a forward end comprising a trailer mounting subassembly; a trailing suspension arm extending from the trailer mounting subassembly and hingedly connected thereto; a support subassembly fast with an end of the suspension arm remote from the trailer mounting subassembly supporting the coil spring and the airbag; and a stub axle extending laterally from the suspension arm between the trailer mounting subassembly and the support assembly. * * *
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2015901266A AU2015901266A0 (en) | 2015-04-09 | Independent suspension assembly for a vehicle such as a trailer | |
| AU2015901266 | 2015-04-09 |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| AU2016202202A1 true AU2016202202A1 (en) | 2016-10-27 |
| AU2016202202B2 AU2016202202B2 (en) | 2021-04-08 |
Family
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Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2016202202A Active AU2016202202B2 (en) | 2015-04-09 | 2016-04-08 | Independent suspension assembly for a vehicle such as a trailer |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU2016202202B2 (en) |
Family Cites Families (9)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB522103A (en) * | 1938-12-01 | 1940-06-10 | Eagle Eng Co Ltd | Improvements in means for the independent suspension of vehicle wheels |
| US2710184A (en) * | 1951-03-10 | 1955-06-07 | Universal Air Lift Inc | Spring suspension devices for motor vehicles |
| US3572749A (en) * | 1968-11-29 | 1971-03-30 | Gen Motors Corp | Vehicle suspension with retractable auxiliary overload spring |
| US6398251B1 (en) * | 1997-01-31 | 2002-06-04 | Dallas Smith Corporation | Axleless vehicle suspension system |
| FR2848148B1 (en) * | 2002-12-06 | 2006-04-14 | Rsa | SUSPENSION DEVICE WITH SWING ARM FOR TRAILER REACHED |
| AU2011218652B2 (en) * | 2003-04-08 | 2013-05-02 | AL-KO Chassis Systems Pty Ltd | Integrated suspension and chassis assembly |
| US8356839B1 (en) * | 2009-09-11 | 2013-01-22 | Vey Jeffrey L | Trailer frame |
| AU2012216240B1 (en) * | 2012-08-16 | 2013-08-29 | Tru-Line Suspensions Pty Ltd | Suspension System |
| CN206030983U (en) * | 2015-02-13 | 2017-03-22 | 汽车零部件私人有限公司 | Modified vehicle independent suspension assembly |
-
2016
- 2016-04-08 AU AU2016202202A patent/AU2016202202B2/en active Active
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| AU2016202202B2 (en) | 2021-04-08 |
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| HB | Alteration of name in register |
Owner name: CRUISEMASTER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD Free format text: FORMER NAME(S): VEHICLE COMPONENTS PTY LTD |
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| NB | Applications allowed - extensions of time section 223(2) |
Free format text: THE TIME IN WHICH TO GAIN ACCEPTANCE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 26 MAY 2021 |
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| FGA | Letters patent sealed or granted (standard patent) |