Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Peter J Soles

Jian Chen

Yunjun Li

Frank Nick Casali

Jeremy W Short

John K Dagg

Scott A Kolp

Keith E Olson

John T Monaghan

A suspension system allows travel of a sprung mass relative to an unsprung mass. A primary stage has a primary leaf attached between the sprung mass and the unsprung mass. An auxiliary stage has an auxiliary leaf operatively attached to either the primary stage or unsprung mass. A variable engagement bracket includes a mount point, attached to the sprung mass and defining an axis, and an offset arm extending from the mount point and rotatable about the axis. The offset arm contacts the auxiliary stage at a first point at a first travel of the suspension system and at a second point at a second travel. The first point provides or defines a maximum contact span and the second provides a minimum contact span, smaller than the maximum contact span, for the auxiliary stage.

Variable rate auxiliary leaf engagement

A leaf spring assembly comprises a leaf spring having an axially extending member, an axis, a key portion disposed at an end thereof, first and second parallel elongate members extending radially from the attachment ring along an axis and include inner facing surfaces opposing one another along the axis to define a receiving slot that is configured to receive the end of the leaf spring. The leaf spring is joined with the leaf spring eye and a key slot, formed adjacent to a terminal end of the receiving slot and comprising an enlarged slot portion defined by a first shoulder formed in an inner facing surface of an elongate member and configured to receive the key portion disposed at the end of the axially extending member.

Leaf spring assembly

A damping device includes a housing defining a pressure chamber, containing a magnetorheological fluid. A rod is slideably coupled to the housing to adjust a length of the housing. A piston is attached to the rod and disposed within the pressure chamber. The piston is immersed within the magnetorheological fluid, and separates the pressure chamber into a first half and a second half. An electromagnet is disposed in magnetic contact with the magnetorheological fluid, and is operable to apply a magnetic field to the magnetorheological fluid to increase viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid to prevent movement of the rod relative to the housing. The magnetorheological fluid is free to flow through a fluid port in the piston, between a first half and a second half of the pressure chamber, in the absence of the magnetic field from the magnetic source to allow adjustment of the length.

Height adjustable damping device

A leaf spring assembly, which may be attached to, for example, an axle or suspended components a vehicle, includes a leaf having a first end and a second end on opposing sides of a center point. The leaf is the only leaf in the leaf spring assembly. The leaf spring assembly also includes a first bumper and a second bumper spaced from the first bumper. The first bumper contacts the leaf upon a first displacement of the leaf spring assembly. The second bumper also contacts the leaf upon the first displacement of the leaf spring assembly.

The invention concerns a brinelling bushing joint assembly having a brinelling bushing sleeve with a brinelling feature that mates with a bracket. This joint assembly may be particularly advantageous when employed to connect a vehicle frame to a vehicle suspension.

Brinelling bushing joint assembly

The present invention concerns an air spring and jounce shock assembly for use in an automotive vehicle suspension system. The assembly may include a base adapted to be mounted on one of an axle assembly and a suspension component, a top cap adapted to be attached to a vehicle frame, and a diaphragm disposed between and attached to the base and the top cap, with the diaphragm including an inner surface defining a first portion of a compressed air cavity. A jounce shock reaction surface defines a second portion of the compressed air cavity and is included in a one of the top cap and the base. A jounce shock assembly is disposed in the air cavity in opposed relation to the jounce shock reaction surface and affixed to an other of the top cap and the base, with the jounce shock assembly including a body, affixed to the other of the top cap and the base and defining a compressed gas chamber, and a rod having a first end portion in the compressed gas chamber sealably engaged with and slidable relative to the body and a second end portion telescopically slidable from the body and located to selectively engage the jounce shock reaction surface.

Air spring and jounce shock assembly

Control arms used to support a swivel member retaining a wheel of a vehicle are attached to the body or frame rail of the vehicle by U-shaped attachment brackets having walls with lateral slots therein, each of which receives a mounting bolt therethrough. The mounting bolts pass through bushings in the ends of the control arms to pivot the control arms on the vehicle body or frame rail. Adjacent to the heads of the bolts are pairs of reaction surfaces that in one embodiment of the invention are pairs of opposed projecting surfaces on the attachment brackets. Separate tools are provided which have cams thereon each having a first peripheral cam surface for engaging one of the reaction surfaces and a second peripheral cam surface for engaging the other reaction surface. Upon loosening nuts threaded on the mounting bolts and rotating the cams with levers, socket wrench handles or other drives, the bolts shift laterally in the lateral slots enabling adjustment of the camber and caster of the wheels. In another embodiment, the reaction surfaces are opposite sides of a pin projecting from one of the flanges and the cam is a curved slot within a cam portion of the tool.

Wheel alignment arrangements for vehicles

Automotive suspension system having a leaf spring assembly. A splay reduction device is employed for maintaining alignment of leaf members.

Automotive suspension system incorporating splay reduction device

A fastener-less spring assembly for a vehicle includes an axle spring seat adapted to be secured to an axle of a vehicle. The fastener-less spring assembly also includes a frame spring seat adapted to be secured to a frame of the vehicle. The fastener-less spring assembly further includes an inflatable air spring having a base for attachment to the axle spring seat and a mounting cap for attachment to the frame spring seat. The frame spring seat has at least one slot extending therethrough and the mounting cap has at least one projection extending through the slot and being rotated relative to the frame spring seat to prevent the projection from exiting the slot to attach the mounting cap to the frame spring seat.

Growing community of inventors

Tecumseh, Canada

Peter J Soles