Mazda Motor Corporation

Hiroyoshi Kumada

Shin Takehara

Takeshi Edahiro

Toshiki Morita

Tadanobu Yamamoto

Mineharu Shibata

Toshihide Koyama

Shoichi Kamimura

Masashi Oda

Kazunori Kawamura

A suspension system is provided with a suspension cross member for rear wheels, a suspension member supported on the suspension cross member , elastic mounts to for mounting the suspension cross member on the vehicle body, the elastic mounting means to being provided at three positions along forward and backward directions in such a manner as to form a triangle when the vehicle body is viewed sideways. Thus, a change in wheel alignment can be effectively suppressed without reducing a vehicle's comfort to ride.

Vehicle suspension device

A suspension system for vehicle includes a steering knuckle for supporting a wheel used for steering, a steering arm connected to the steering knuckle at one end thereof and to a tie rod of a steering device at an opposite end thereof, an upper arm for connecting an upper portion of the steering knuckle to a frame of the vehicle, and a lower arm for connecting a lower portion of the steering knuckle to a frame of the vehicle. At least one of the arms includes two link members, and each of the link members is pivotally connected to the frame of the vehicle at one end thereof and to the steering knuckle at an opposite end thereof. The link members are so disposed as to increase a distance between the connection point of the steering arm with the tie rod and a kingpin axis in response to an increase in a turning angle of the wheel used for steering when the wheel is turned toward an outward direction in which the wheel is located radially outwardly in relation to a turning circle. The ink members also reduce their distance in response to an increase in a turning angle of the wheel when the wheel is turned toward an inward direction in which the wheel is located radially inwardly in relation to the turning circle.

Suspension system of a vehicle

A suspension system for a vehicle includes a steering knuckle for supporting a wheel which is used for steering, an upper arm for connecting an upper portion of the steering knuckle to a frame of the vehicle, and a lower arm for connecting a lower portion of the steering knuckle to a frame of the vehicle. At least one of the arms has two link members, each of which is pivotally connected to the frame of the vehicle at one end thereof and to the steering knuckle at an opposite end thereof. The link members are disposed so as to set a kingpin offset at a positive value when a cross point between the kingpin axis and the ground is located inside of a center of a contact surface between the wheel and the ground in relation to a transverse direction of the vehicle, and to increase the kingpin offset as the wheel is turned toward an outward direction so that the wheel is located radially outwardly in relation to a turning circle.

A suspension system for a vehicle includes a steering knuckle for supporting a wheel which is used for steering and also for driving, an upper arm for connecting an upper portion of the steering knuckle to a frame of the vehicle, and a lower arm for connecting a lower portion of the steering knuckle to a frame of the vehicle. At least one of the arms includes two link members. Each of the link members is pivotally connected to the frame of the vehicle at one end thereof and to the steering knuckle at an opposite end thereof. The link members are so disposed as to set a transverse distance between a kingpin axis and a center of the wheel at a positive value such that the kingpin axis is located inside of the center of the wheel in relation to a transverse direction of the vehicle, and reduce the distance as the wheel is turned toward an outward direction wherein the wheel is located radially outwardly in relation to a turning circle.

A suspension apparatus of a vehicle has a cylinder unit interposed between a sprang weight and an unsprung weight, which changes a ride height of the vehicle body by supplying or discharging an operating liquid through a supply/discharge control valve. The supply/discharge control valve is controlled on the basis of a predetermined condition so as to control a posture of the vehicle body. There are further provided a rebound detecting means for detecting a rebound of each of the wheels and a pressure detecting means for detecting a pressure in the cylinder unit. When the rebound is detected by the rebound detecting sensor to be above a given value, if the pressure detected by the pressure detecting means is continued at a magnitude above a given value for a given period of time, it is judged that the supply/discharge control valve is in trouble.

Suspension apparatus of a vehicle

A suspension apparatus of a vehicle has a cylinder unit interposed between a sprang weight and an unsprung weight, which changes a ride height of the vehicle body by supplying or discharging an operating liquid through a supply/discharge control valve. The supply/discharge control value is controlled on the basis of a predetermined condition so as to control a posture of the vehicle body. There are further provided a bump detecting means for detecting a bump of each of the wheels and a pressure detecting means for detecting a pressure in the cylinder unit. When the bump is detected by the bump detecting sensor to be below a given value, if the pressure detected by the pressure detecting means is continued at a magnitude above a given value for a given period of time, it is judged that the supply/discharge control valve is in trouble.

A suspension apparatus of a vehicle has a cylinder unit interposed between a sprang weight and an unsprung weight, which changes a ride height of the vehicle body by supplying or discharging an operating liquid through a supply/discharge control valve. The supply/discharge control value is controlled on the basis of a predetermined condition so as to control a posture of the vehicle body. There are further provided a rebound detecting sensor for detecting a rebound of each of the wheels, which occurs further from a state in which the wheel is rebounded, and a pressure detecting sensor for detecting a pressure in the cylinder unit. When it is sensed by the rebound detecting sensor that the rebound occurs further from the rebounding state, if the pressure detected by the pressure detecting sensor is continued in an elevating state for a given period of time, it is judged that the supply/discharge control valve is in trouble.

A hydropneumatic suspension system for a vehicle has a hydraulic cylinder-piston device connected between the vehicle body and each of the wheels, and a plurality of gas springs which exert a spring force according to the hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic chamber of the cylinder-piston device. Each gas spring has a fluid chamber and a gas chamber which are defined in a casing and are separated from each other by a movable partition wall, and the fluid chamber is communicated with the hydraulic chamber of the hydraulic cylinder-piston device. The upper end portion of the piston rod is supported by the vehicle body by way of a mount. The piston rod is provided with a fluid passage which axially extends through the piston rod and the lower end of which opens to the hydraulic chamber of the cylinder-piston device. A support member is fixed to the piston rod at an upper portion below the mount. The upper end portions of the casings of the gas springs are mounted on the support member and the fluid chamber of each gas spring is communicated with the fluid passage in the piston rod by way of a fluid passage formed in the support member.

Automotive suspension system

A vehicle suspension system includes a liquid piston-cylinder device connected between the vehicle body and a wheel. A liquid pump is provided in a liquid passage which connects the liquid piston-cylinder device to a reservoir in which hydraulic liquid is reserved, and feeds under pressure the hydraulic liquid in the reservoir through the liquid passage. A control valve controls the flow of the hydraulic liquid through the liquid passage, thereby controlling feed and discharge of the hydraulic liquid to and from the liquid piston-cylinder device in order to control the properties of the suspension. An accumulator is connected to the liquid passage between the liquid pump and the control valve and accumulates the hydraulic liquid under pressure. A return passage connects the reservoir to the liquid passage between the liquid pump and the control valve and is provided with an on-off valve which opens and closes the return passage. The on-off valve closes the return passage when the ignition switch is turned off.

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Hiroshima, Japan

Hiroyoshi Kumada