GB2526885A - Eco-suspension - Google Patents

Abstract

A suspension assembly that consists of individual telescopic suspension struts 3 in a ratio of one per wheel that is set at an angle to the road and uses a strong telescopic air dampener to provide adequate dampening depending on the conditions of the vehicle. The suspension assembly will preferably be constructed out of the latest strong and light metal material. The suspension may use a plurality of solenoid valves 13 to control the level of dampening through the variable release of air pressure. The suspension may also have an option to use an electronic gyro orientation device which can detect angle dip of the wheel and vehicle and facilitate self-levelling in a co-ordinated inter-dependant system. The suspension assembly may preferably be Eco friendly and environmentally sound in view of its size, resources for construction, smaller parts and none use of hydraulic oil.

Description

Eco-Suspension -Patent Application Title: Eco-Suspension

Description

Summary: Eco-Suspension is a vehicle suspension system that uses only one telescopic suspension strut per wheel that dramatically reduces the costs, complexity, weight, size, reliability and maintenance time/cost of a suspension system, whilst giving very good handling and ride characteristics. An option exists to also use a unique self-levelling feature that delivers dampening action between the wheels providing a superior ride, smoothness) road-holding and easier vehicle handling whilst improving safety. Aim

The aim of the two inventors was to design and build a radically new and improved vehicle suspension system that was more reliable, lower cost, lower maintenance, longer lasting, simpler and more efficient than existing systems.

Eco-Suspension System For Vehicle An Eco-Suspension System for vehicles has been built as a scaled down prototype model that has fulfilled all these criteria and has been successfully road tested. The prototype is proof the invention works and has a very high chance of being commercial at full scale. The system meets the design criteria of providing a smooth ride, with good road-holding, safety and reliability. Further variants of the Eco-Suspension system are now being designed for an assortment of different vehicles.

Benefits of Product * Cost -reduces parts cost and assembly costs because it has only one strut that all key components reside within.

* Complexity -dramatically reduces complexity of a suspension system because only one strut is used per wheel on a vehicle.

* Weight -weight is dramatically reduced because of the smaller size and number of components -therefore increasing a vehicles power-weight ratio and/or fuel consumption and efficiency.

* Size -dramatically reduces the size of a vehicle suspension system -therefore giving options to reduce the size and cost of vehicles and/or create more interior space in vehicles (e.g. in a car for example, both leg room at the front and size of boot at the rear can be increased).

* Reliability -dramatically increases reliability because only one suspension strut is required per wheel of a vehicle -meaning there is only one simple part to go wrong -rather than multiple complex interconnecting components, that are often at different angles and encountering different stresses/forces.

* Maintenance -dramatically reduces maintenance of a suspension system because only one strut is required for each wheel and the number of large moving parts is dramatically reduced compare with normal suspension systems.

* Efficiency -the product is very good environmentally because it uses less metal and different parts to create the same suspension behaviour and therefore indirectly saves resources.

* Design Robustness -the design is safe, strong and provides very good dampening and road-holding features.

* Self Levelling -this innovative system provides far better road-holding and handling and thereby significantly improves road safety compared to normal suspension systems (e.g. reduces the risk of careering off the road, or losing control of a vehicle).

Confidentiality: No other people apart from Peter Evans and Arben Sallaku and the Patent Office know about this invention. To confirm it is NOT in the public domain, has not been externalised, and is NOT known by any other persons. No other people have been involved in this invention.

Prototypes of the Eco-Suspension system are in a top secret location.

Intellectual Property The co-inventors Peter Evans and Arben Sallaku firmly believe the mechanics, process and engineering idea through to build for Eco-Suspension should achieve full patent status -through the UK Intellectual Property office (patent office) and/or European Patent Office (EPO). It is thereby being submitted in this application.

Concept: The concept for the Eco-Suspension invention was to start from scratch -a "blank canvass" approach. It was noted that conventional vehicle suspension systems were inefficient, had not changed much for many decades and there did not appear to be much innovation. The systems were complex, multi-component and units have many moving parts all susceptible to breaking or failure. The hypothesis was that there was a much improved suspension system that could be invented -giving better performance at lower cost.

Starting Point: The starting point for a new basis of design was to firstly brainstorm ideas and then design on paper a highly efficient Eco-Suspension using the latest ideas and technology-materials to radically re-engineer a vehicle's suspension system, then to build a proto-type to prove the concept.

Hence the starting point of the two co-inventors Arben Sallaku and Peter Evans, was to aim to create an Eco-Suspension invention that dramatically improves the following key aspects in a measurable material way: * Dramatically reduce costs * Dramatically reduce complexity * Reduce weight * Reduce size * Increase reliability * Decrease maintenance * Improve overall efficiency * Create a robust design that was safe and provided very good dampening and road-holding features In doing so, the Eco-Suspension will be more efficient, with low installation, running and maintenance costs. The Eco-Suspension system should have global reach and be applicable to all types of vehicles and airplanes.

Process: The following process was used: * Target of new design -theory * Engineering ideas generation * Scoping, component and design-selection

* Design description

* Construction * Testing -assessment -confirmation * Final documentation for patent * Documentation for later manufacture and marketing If/when the product is successfully implemented it will have global reach, would be ecologically -environmentally sound, highly efficient, and be an truly outstanding UK based manufacturing engineering invention/innovation.

Build and Testing of Invention: A prototype of the invention -a small car size -was built end May 2014, an approx. half scale of an average vehicle (car in this example), and was trialled June 2014 and works perfectly. The Eco-Suspension is now ready for full production. Photographs are available to the Patent Office of parts and the build process for verification, on request. A video can also be made available to the Patent Office only, on request.

How This Invention Differs From Others: There have been many suspension designs with multiple parts, but to the knowledge of the inventors) this is the first such suspension design that uses only one key component for each wheel with a radical ai compression telescopic design set at an angle to road to provide superior dampening. An options is available also for a coordinated self-levelling mechanism that makes road-holding and cornering superior to the standard complex design. The suspension for each wheel on the convention option is also fully independent -each suspension strut for each wheel does not connect to other wheels. Two solenoid valves allow the variable release of air pressure and thence control the level of dampening depending on the roughness (velocity, weight, degree of turn, gravitational forces) when a vehicle is negotiating a road or rough terrain. Each unit is a single unit, self-adjustable, air dampened and independent.

Further Options Available: Options 1: An option exists to install an electronic gyro assisted self-levelling system to Eco-Suspension where extreme conditions are expected -e.g. off-road rough terrain or racing cars. A central control box with one gyro detects the G-Forces and adjusts each suspension strut per leg -through control of the solenoid values, to give extra suspension support when extreme G-forces are expected. This system allows the independent suspension struts to become inter-dependent during in extreme road conditions. This system adds to complexity and cost, but customers may prefer to spend the additional money to enhance further the ride quality, particular in high-quality sports cars, motor racing cars and 4-wheel drive luxury cars or military vehicles that require enhanced utility.

Options 1: A further option exists to install a metal cylinder above the values within the suspension unit -that collects pressure as it is released through the valve into a secondary chamber. The purpose of this chamber is to allow the higher pressure emissions of air that would otherwise screech or make a high pitched whining noise. Instead, this chamber takes these noise emissions and dampens the effect, whilst releasing the air to atmosphere more slowly after the air has collected in this chamber. Whilst not being necessary, this optimisation will prevent screeching sounds every time a bump or significant G-force is experienced whilst travelling in the vehicle where Eco-Suspension is installed within.

Application of the Eco-Suspension: Public sector and private sectors: cars/automobiles, trucks-lorries, railway engines, railway carriages, railway tankers, buses, trams, trailers, caravans, taxis, tanks, helicopters, airplanes, lifts-elevators, amphibious vehicles, motor-racing cars, motorbikes, scooters, bicycles, transporters of all sorts, any moving land based object with wheels that require suspension-dampening of force.

Cost Benefit Potential -example for the UK "Cars" Only * Assuming 40 million cars operating in the UK.

* Each car lasts ten years * Each car has a suspension system costing £300 to manufacture * Eco-Suspension has a cost of only £150 to manufacture * Cost saving per car of £150 * 4 million cars replaced each year * Total capital cost saving annually UK £600 million (approx. £10/person/year) Cost Benefit Potential -example for the Global "Cars" Only * Assuming 1000 million cars operating globally.

* Each car lasts ten years * Each car has a suspension system costing £300 to manufacture * Eco-Suspension has an estimated cost of only £150 to manufacture * Cost saving per car of £150 * 100 million cars replaced each year * Total capital cost saving annually UK £15 billion (approx. £2/person/year) Specific Applications of Eco-Suspension * Trucks-Lorries * Railway Engines and Railway Carriages, Wagons and Tankers * Cars-Automobiles * Trams * Buses * Tube Trains * Light Railway Cars * Racing cars -e.g. Formula 1, Sports Rally Cars Upside Opportunity By using the latest high strength, low weight materials, it will be possible to substantially improve efficiency even further, with the aim of delivering an even lower weight, higher strength and likely even smaller suspension system.

Stakeholders Private sector and public sector entities that will be very interested in this invention and the opportunity to implement to reduce costs-spending, maintenance and improve economic and environmental efficiency: * Governments * Transportation Ministries * Bus manufacturing companies * Bus operating companies and authorities * Train manufacturing companies * Train operating companies * Car manufacturing companies * Private car owners, public sector car operators, car rental companies * Truck manufacturing companies * Truck operating companies * Tram, tube and light railway manufacturing companies * Tram, tube and light railway operating companies and authorities * Airplane manufactures * Airplane operators * Helicopter manufactures * Helicopter operators * Military Defence manufactures -tank, lorry, transporters, planes * Military Defence Forces operators-tank, lorry) transporters) planes * Racing car operators and owners * Racing car manufacturers * Off-road vehicle (4 wheel-drive) and rally car manufactures * Off-road vehicle (4 wheel-drive) and rally car operators * Caravans, trailer, motor home manufacturers * Caravans, trailer, motor home owners Economic Efficiency Because the new suspension system is so much superior to the old conventional designs, it costs less to manufacture and maintain, is more efficient and uses less of the earth's resources -hence we describe it as an Eco-Suspension System for these reasons. It has the opportunity to be a leading UK based engineering innovation in vehicle manufacturing in the next few decades. It is a breakthrough technology that has the potential to revolutionise suspensions on all vehicles.

Particular Benefit The invention should particularly help countries that: * Want to reduce materials costs (mining) * Reduce the cost of vehicle manufacture * Want to improve vehicle road-holding and handling -thereby improving road safety Opportunity Examples: * Motor-racing: Formula One start using Eco-Suspension with self-levelling system option to improve road-holding -allowing greater speed at lower weight/cost/power output.

* Military: The system is installed on heavy duty trucks allowing superior road-grip in extreme rocky/rough terrain and lowering operating costs whilst improving reliability.

* Cars: Car manufacturers rapidly switch to Eco-Suspension to reduce suspension cost, whilst reducing maintenance cost, weight, size whilst providing customers with far superior road holding and thence safety.

* Helicopters: Large powerful variants of the telescopic Eco-Suspension struts are installed on helicopter wheels that are pinned to the main solid frame of the fuselage -therefore if the helicopter crash-lands, the system allows sufficient dampening to allow passengers to escape serious injury on impact with the ground (the helicopter "bounces" with far less maximum crash-landing force).

S

Figure 1 1-Bearing housing 2-Bearing 3 -Shaft -in centre of bearing housing 4-Housing of suspension strut -thick steady metal -Pressurized container that collects the pressure 6 -Bracket to support strut-housing 7-Bolt securing bracket to vehicle 9-Suspension coiled spring 8-Cylindrical housing of suspension 10-Top of suspension pipe 11 -Inner cylinder of suspension strut that contact air "air compression resistance cushion" 12 -Bolt securing housing to vehicle 13-Two valves that slowly release pressure from cylinder 14-Cylindrical container that collects pressure -Collar tightens four bearings into place 16 -Tight fitting cylinders keep the suspension strut perfectly aligned maintaining straight attitude 17 -Central metal cylinder-chamber with communication-attached to valves below that collects pressured air that is emitted-collected -to prevent air screeching noise emissions Figure 2 1-Bearing housing 2-Shaft -in centre of bearing housing 3 -Housing of suspension strut -thick steady metal 4-Pressurized container that collects the pressure -Bracket to support strut-housing 6-Suspension coiled spring 7-Cylindrical housing of suspension 8-Top of suspension pipe 9-Inner cylinder of suspension strut that contact air "air compression resistance cushion" -Two valves that slowly release pressure from cylinder 11 -Cylindrical container that collects pressure 12 -Collar tightens four bearings into place 13 -Tight fitting cylinders keep the suspension strut perfectly aligned maintaining straight attitude 14-Central metal cylinder-chamber with communication-attached to valves below that collects pressured air that is emitted-collected -to prevent air screeching noise emissions