Patents by Inventor Michael J Longman

Michael J Longman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7384054
    Abstract: A roll control system for a vehicle suspension system and a method for controlling said control system, the suspension system including support means, the roll control system including: wheel cylinders each including first and second chambers; and first and second fluid circuits, each said fluid circuit providing fluid communication between the said first chambers on one side of the vehicle and the second chambers on the opposite side of the vehicle by fluid conduits to thereby provide roll support decoupled from a warp mode of the vehicle suspension system by providing a roll stiffness about a level roll attitude whilst simultaneously providing substantially zero warp stiffness; and the method including bypassing fluid flow from at least a substantial portion of the conduits during predetermined wheel inputs to the control system to thereby minimize line damping and/or fluid inertia effects on the damping of the control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Kinetic Pty. Ltd.
    Inventors: Christopher B Heyring, Michael J Longman
  • Patent number: 6761371
    Abstract: A roll control system for a vehicle suspension system and a method for controlling the control system is disclosed. The vehicle has at least one pair of laterally spaced front wheel assemblies and at least one pair of laterally spaced rear wheel assemblies. Each wheel assembly includes a wheel and a wheel mounting permitting wheel movement in a generally vertical direction relative to the vehicle body, and vehicle support means for providing at least substantially a major portion of the support for the vehicle. The roll control system includes: wheel cylinders respectively locatable between each wheel mounting and the vehicle body. Each wheel cylinder includes an inner volume separated into first and second chambers by a piston supported within, and first and second fluid circuits respectively providing fluid connection between the wheel cylinders by fluid conduits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Kinetic Pty. Ltd.
    Inventors: Christopher B. Heyring, Michael J. Longman
  • Patent number: 6519517
    Abstract: A roll control system (1) for a vehicle suspension system, the vehicle having at least one pair of lately spaced front wheel assemblies (2) and at least one pair of laterally spaced rear wheel assemblies (3), each wheel assembly (2, 3) including a wheel (4) and a wheel mounting (5) permitting wheel movement in a generally vertical direction relative to vehicle body, and vehicle support means (17a, 17b) for providing at least substantially a major portion of the support for the vehicle; the roll control system (1) including: wheel cylinders (8) respectively locatable between each wheel mounting (5) and the vehicle body, each wheel cylinder (8) including an inner volume separated into first (51) and second (52) chambers by a piston (53) supported within; first and second fluid circuits (7) respectively providing fluid connection between the wheel cylinders (8) by fluid conduits (9, 10, 11), each said fluid circuit providing fluid communication between the said first chambers (51) on one side of the vehicle and
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Kinetic Pty. Ltd.
    Inventors: Christopher B Heyring, Michael J. Longman
  • Patent number: 6428024
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension control system that allows substantially vertical motion of each wheel relative to the vehicle body includes front and rear resilient support means for supporting the body, a front roll stabilization assembly interconnecting at least one forward pair of wheels and a rear roll stabilization assembly interconnecting at least one rearward pair of wheels. Each roll stabilization assembly includes at least one lateral torsion bar (2) and a double-acting hydraulic actuator (3) interconnected to the at least one lateral torsion bar (2), the front and rear hydraulic actuators (3) being interconnected by first and second fluid conduits (5). Roll moments applied to the vehicle body generate pressure within the fluid conduits (5) thereby transmitting the roll moment into each lateral torsion bar (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Kinetic Limited
    Inventors: Christopher B. Heyring, Richard Monk, Michael J Longman, Ray Heslewood
  • Patent number: 6217047
    Abstract: A suspension system is provided for a vehicle having a chassis supported on at least one front pair of laterally spaced wheels and at least one rear pair of laterally spaced wheels. The suspension system includes vehicle support devices for supporting the chassis above each pair of wheels, and roll moment reaction devices for providing location of the chassis about a substantially level roll attitude. The roll moment reaction devices include a respective roll attitude control mechanism for each pair of laterally spaced wheels for passively controlling the position of the wheels relative to each other and the chassis. Each roll attitude control mechanism is connected to at least one other roll attitude control mechanism by roll mechanism interconnection devices. The roll mechanism interconnection devices are arranged such that the roll moment reaction devices resist roll of the vehicle chassis with respect to the wheels, while simultaneously permitting cross-axle articulation motions of the wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Kinetic Limited
    Inventors: Christopher B. Heyring, Richard Monk, Michael J Longman, Alexander John Robertson