The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 25, 2000
Filed:
Aug. 18, 1997
Adolph Greuter, Tagerwilen, CH;
Bernhard Doll, Siegershausen, CH;
Romano Lorini, Flawil, CH;
Jens Schroeder, Konstanz, CH;
Franz Osterwalder, Kreuzlingen, CH;
Mowag Motorwagenfabrik AG, , CH;
Abstract
The invention concerns a method and apparatus for regulating the distance between the frame and a wheel unit or axle of a motor vehicle by means of a hydrodynamic suspension element by varying the volume of the damping liquid. The vehicle frame is sprung and damped at both sides of the vehicle relative to one or more wheel axles by means of hydropneumatic springs, wherein one of the volumes of the hydropneumatic springs is variable. In this arrangement, to increase the distance the static volume is supplemented by an additonal volume and to reduce the distance the static volume is reduced by a reduction volume. Associated with one or more parallel-connected hydropneumatic springs is a metering unit which can add or withdraw at least one defined additional volume and/or reduction volume with respect to the instantaneous sum of the damping volumes of the associated hydropneumatic springs. The vehicle frame/wheel axle distance can be adjusted in the region of the hydropneumatic springs connected to the metering unit by detecting the condition of the metering unit by means of sensors arranged on the metering unit and readjusting to the reference functional condition.