Continental Teves, Inc.

Continental Automotive Systems Corporation

Kent Randolph Young

David Leslie Agnew

Sunny Makkar

Kurt Stouffer Lehmann

Robert Charles Beaver

Trevor B McLennan

A suspension arrangement for passenger car, an SUV or light truck is provided. The suspension arrangement includes a frame for said vehicle and an axle with rotatably mounted wheels. A leaf spring is provided connected with the frame and connected with the axle. The leaf spring has a contribution to the total axle ride frequency less than 80% of the total axle ride frequency. An air spring acting in parallel with the leaf spring is also provided.

Vehicle axle suspension arrangement

An aft suspension system for a pickup truck comprises four corner assemblies, where one corner assembly is located at a suspension position corresponding to each of the wheel corners for the vehicle. An air supply unit includes a reservoir, a compressor, and an ECU is fluidly connected to the corner assemblies. The air supply unit is capable of independently adjusting the corner assemblies from one another. The air suspension system is operable to place the corner assemblies in a unloading position or a trailer, which corresponds to two of the corner assemblies in raised positions and the other of the two corner assemblies located in lowered positions to create a maximum height differential between the front and rear corner assemblies.

System and method of using air suspension to improve vehicle unloading

A hydraulic brake system for a motor vehicle supplies pressurized brake fluid to a wheel brake in response to a demand signal. The brake system includes a master cylinder in fluid communication with the wheel brake to control the actuation thereof. Furthermore, actuation of the master cylinder is controlled and/or amplified by first and second pressure-amplifying mechanisms, which are electrically controlled by an electrical control unit.

Electro-hydraulic braking system

A brake pedal feel simulator is provided which reduces the simulation force provided to the brake pedal during emergency or failed conditions. The simulator generally comprises a first spring having a first spring rate and a second spring having a second spring rate. The second spring rate is selected to be lower than the first spring rate. When a predetermined force level is achieved at the brake pedal and simulator, the spring rate provided by the simulator shifts to the second spring rate. In this manner, the rate resistance to translation of the brake pedal is reduced, thereby improving the operator's ability to brake the vehicle.

Brake pedal feel simulator

A brake pedal feel simulator is provided which eliminates the simulation force during emergency, non-assisted and failure conditions. The brake pedal feel simulator generally comprises a spring, a spring seat and a spring stop. The spring is operatively connected to the brake pedal for providing the simulation force, while the spring seat receives an end of the spring. A spring stop is operable between an extended position and a retracted position to prevent and permit rearward axial translation of the spring seat. By permitting rearward axial translation of the spring seat, a simulation force provided by the spring is removed so that there is essentially no resistance to translation of the brake pedal, thereby improving the operator's ability to brake the vehicle.

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Grand Blanc, MI, United States of America

Kent Randolph Young