NZ242929A - Swivelling sub-chassis system for off-road vehicle - Google Patents

Description

Pat. 5' Pat^tis Form W5 * NEW ZEALAND Priority Datcfc): Complete Gpccir;cf.:."on fiiod: Class: fa&Zriv+.Qf? Pubiic.at.ion Date: .. £ P. .4. |9?^, P.O. Journs!, No: ..... 242929 // % ■ o\ V t\\ P24N0V19935/ PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (To be furnished in Duplicate) Where priority as provided by subsection (2) or (3) of section 11 of the Patents Act 1953 is desired in respect of one or more provisional specifications, quote number or numbers and date or dates No.

Date (a) Insert tide of Invention. # (b) State (in full) name, address and nationality of applicant or applicants as ^j^in application form (c) Here begin full description of invention. The continuation of the specification should. be upon paper of the same size as this form, on one side only with the lines well spaced and with a margin of 2.5cm on the left hand side of the paper. The completion of the description should be followed by the words "What I (or we) claim is" after which should be written the claim or claims numbered consecutively (see note below). The specification and the dup-licaie thereof must be sinned at the end. 933290 1.500/2/89MK (fl) {KPRQV€LHgJMTS TO GfeOONb CJO ^TOOE-CjQHP&>OSY\T\QyO -FOSL. Q^=f=- RO-Psta VfeUlCU-BS , ■ a* P&fr&SL ULfra< 44 , 4-*S. R<oAcb ; T-\T1^A-K>G>\ t AOCAxiUNN^ T ; NfeNN -Z-SAtLAN D .

NQ\I CAT\^_gJv3 HEREBY declare the invention, for which I/we pray that a patent may be granted to me/w* and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: M & SYSTEM OF qomOTfeta. COMPENSATING REO P&OCATINCa CHASSIS P6AMES POP- NOTE. The claims must relate to a single invention, must be clear and succinct, and must be fairly based on the matter disclosed in the specification. They should form in brief a clear statement of that which constitutes the invention. Applicants should be careful that their claims include neither more nor less than they desire to protect by their patent. Any unnecessary multiplicity of claims or prolixity of language should be avoided. .

Claims should not be made for the efficiency or advantages of the invention. I ♦ # 24 29 29 Off Road vehicles. A flexible chassis system which combines fast responding vibration compensation with slower, full traction ground contour compensation, suitable for electric or hydraulic wheel hub motor 5 driven Off Road vehicles.

THIS INVENTION relates to improvements to Off Road vehicle construction and in particular to the provision of full traction on all wheels, while vehicle is passing over quickly changing ground contours, displacing front 10 and rear wheel axii at opposing angles to each other.

Conventional Off Road vehicle chassis configurations have not increased the percentage of wheel traction area available on quickly changing ground contours, resulting in three wheel contact and severe tyre peeling effect on 15 the rims due to odd angle load distribution.

The limitation parameters are established by the conventional double drive shaft layout of four wheel drive vehicles and the resulting rigid chassis or monocoque construction.

The present invention claims to overcome or alleviate these problems by firstly employing a different drive system which 1s independent on each wheel, secondly a two part chassis system, of which the bottom part can rotate A fry 6 fc / iU 24N0V 1991m 24 2929 # m on a central longitudinal axis, thirdly two separate v suspension systems, one to compensate for fast vibration but limited movement, and one to more slowly compensate for opposing ground contours, while providing full, all wheel 5 traction.

Suitably the technology employed 1s based on well tested vehicle componentry combined 1n a different configuration.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put to practical effect, reference will now be made to the 10 accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the Invention and wherein: F1g. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the double chassis-wheel assembly showing the maximum and minimum displacement of opposing wheel axli according to the 15 invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view from the end of the vehicle on level ground, showing the various components of the double chassis-wheel assembly according to the invention.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view from the end of the vehicle 20 on uneven ground, showing the various components of the double chassis-wheel assembly at maximum displacement in opposite directions according to the invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view from above the chassis- -V 24N0Vfo$S 2 4 wheel assembly on level ground according to the Invention.

F1g. 5 is a perspective side view of the chassis-wheel assembly on uneven ground, showing the maximum displacement of wheel axii in opposite directions according to the 5 Invention.

Referring to the drawings and firstly to Fig. 1, there 1s illustrated a typical configuration where 1* indicates wheels on level ground, 2* wheels in maximum depression, 3* wheels in maximum elevation, 4* vibration compensation, 5* ground 10 contour compensation, 6* ground contour chassis, 7* longitudinal ground contour bearing axis, 8* vehicle chassis, 9* adjustments for wheel alignment and four wheel steering, 10* level ground line, 11* maximum left incline, 12* minimum left incline, 13* minimum right incline, 14* maximum right 15 incline, 15* chassis to chassis fixing points, 16* maximum ground clearance for full length of vehicle.

It will be apparent from the above that the ability of the ground contour chassis to ensure that the wheel tyres at all times maintain maximum contact area with the ground, 20 with minimum distortion of the tyre itself, combined with four wheel steering and direct drive, individual wheel motors, will have broad applications for Off Road vehicles used for civilian, military and disaster relief purposes. / " «f- V.

. V "^v VlWSj K ' 24 2929' The double chassis principle and the maximum-minimum displacement of wheel ax11 are Indicative only and variations and modifications to the invention as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad 5 scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth.

Claims (2)

242929 WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A vehicle, for off road use whereby full ground traction on all four wheels can be provided over quickly changing ground contours, comprising: Front and rear wheel sets each 5 having a right and a left wheel, each wheel set having a sub chassis swivelling within bearings fixed along a common longitudinal centre line of a rigid body/ chassis assembly and which is controlled at each wheel location by slow acting air or oil shock absorbers, the top ends of which are fixed to the 10 rigid body/ chassis assembly and the bottom ends to the wheel supporting ends of the swivelling sub chassis, to compensate for the large movement of the sub chassis in relation to the rigid body/ chassis assembly, allowing the front set and back set of independent either hydraulically or electrically, hub 15 driven, stub axled vehicle wheels, each of which are provided with fast acting, vibration compensating, combined coil spring and air or oil shock absorbers, acting between the bottom ends of the sub chassis and the stub axle assemblies of the wheels, to move in such a way that the left hand front wheel can be at 20 maximum distance and the right hand front wheel at minimum distance from the rigid vehicle body/ chassis assembly while the left hand rear wheel can be at minimum distance and the right hand rear wheel at maximum distance from the rigid vehicle body/ chassis assembly arid hydraulic steering to provide either two wheel steering on the front of the vehicle for higher vehicle speed or four wheel steering on both front and back wheels for slower vehicle speed and better 5 manoeuvrability as selected and will also provide compensation for the substantial wheel displacements possible with the swivelling sub chassis, resulting in an off road vehicle capable of traversing difficult terrain with minimum strain on vehicle components and tyres and able to provide improved 10 driving balance characteristics.

2. A swivelling sub chassis system suitable for off road vehicles substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to accompanying drawings. 15 PEDER ULRIK HANSEN as Inventor 20 7 t