Mazda Motor Corporation

Hiroo Shimoe

Shin Takehara

Toshiro Kondo

Kenichi Watanabe

Tetsuya Kameshima

Akihiko Miyoshi

Haruyuki Taniguchi

Shoich Kamimura

In a rear suspension comprising left and right trailing arms which are pivoted on the vehicle body at the front ends for vertical swinging motion by way of rubber bushings, and a torsion beam connecting the trailing arms, nonlinear toe characteristics of the outer rear wheel are obtained by mounting the trailing arms so that the pivotal axes thereof intersect on the front side of the line joining the rubber bushings on the front ends thereof, and selecting the elastic characteristics of the rubber bushings in the direction perpendicular to the pivotal axis of the corresponding trailing arm in the horizontal plane including the pivotal axis.

Vehicle rear suspension

A vehicle suspension system including a hydraulic cylinder and a gas spring having a gas chamber and a hydraulic chamber which is connected with the hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic cylinder is located between the vehicle body and the wheel to support the body on the wheels. A control valve is provided for controlling the supply of hydraulic pressure to the cylidner in accordance with a signal from a control unit. The control unit receives a detection signal from a detector which detects the pressure in the cylinder and produces a control signal in accordance with a transfer function H(s)=R.times.S/(1+R.times.S).

Vehicle suspension system having variable suspension properties

The suspension system of the present invention comprises support means installed between a wheel and the vehicle body exerting suspension force which can be changed irrespective of relative displacement between the wheel and the vehicle body. According to low frequency components of a parameter which respresents changing condition of the relative displacement, the support means is controlled to exert a suspension force in such a way that the relative displacement can be suppressed. Such parameters include the relative displacement and the rate of the change thereof. According to the present invention, suspension characteristics can be maintained to maintain riding qualities and rolling and pitching properties in a preferable condition throughout all running conditions.

Vehicle suspension system

In a rear suspension comprising left and right wheel supports for supporting left and right rear wheels for rotation, a cross member connected to the wheel supports at opposite ends, left and right trailing arms which are connected to the cross member at the rear ends and to the vehicle body at the front ends by way of elastic members for vertical swinging motion and longitudinal displacement and a lateral rod which is connected to the cross member at one end by way of an elastic member and to the vehicle body at the other end by way of an elastic member, nonlinear toe characteristics of the outer rear wheel are obtained by selecting the positions of the junctions of the trailing arms to the vehicle body and the cross member, the position of the lateral rod, and the elastic characteristics of the elastic members.

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Hiroshima, Japan

Hiroo Shimoe