Body Banking Patents (Class 280/5.509)
  • Publication number: 20060255550
    Abstract: An auxiliary lean control system is provided for controlling a lean angle of at least a portion of a vehicle. The auxiliary lean control system includes an energy storage device for storing energy to actuate the lean control system, a stabilizing mechanism coupled to the energy storage device and to the at least a portion of the vehicle for applying energy received from the energy storage device to the at least a portion of the vehicle to adjust the lean angle of the at least a portion of a vehicle, and a linkage coupled to the energy storage device and to the stabilizing mechanism for transferring energy from the energy storage device to the stabilizing mechanism. The auxiliary lean control system controls the lean angle of the portion of the vehicle in an absence of control of the lean angle by a primary lean control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Inventors: Michael Pfeil, Gary Fulks, Timothy Haerr, Scott Saiki, Andrew Roth
  • Patent number: 7029014
    Abstract: A vehicle stability control system is provided, which includes a movable tongue member and a ratchet mechanism. The movable tongue member is adapted to move between a first tongue position and a second tongue position. The ratchet mechanism is adapted to be mechanically coupled to a movable unsprung mass portion and to a sprung mass portion of a vehicle when the vehicle stability control system is operably installed on the vehicle. The ratchet mechanism comprising a ratchet tooth, such that the ratchet mechanism is adapted to restrict a movement of the unsprung mass portion away from the sprung mass portion when the tongue member is moved toward the second tongue position and into the ratchet tooth, and wherein the tongue member does not restrict the movement of the unsprung mass portion relative to the sprung mass portion when the tongue member is in the first tongue position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Inventor: Alton B. Hamm
  • Patent number: 6817617
    Abstract: In a tricycle in which left and right front forks (30L, 30R) for rotatably supporting left and right front wheels (WFL, WFR) respectively are disposed on laterally opposite sides of a handle post (21) to extend upwards and downwards and are turnably carried on left and right side posts (29L, 29R) supported on the handle post (21), and an upper link (35U) connected at its opposite ends to the left and right side posts (29L, 29R) and a lower link (35D) connected at its opposite ends to the left and right side posts (29L, 29R) are turnably connected at their central portions to the handle post (21), the left and right side posts (29L, 29R) are disposed in an inclined state, so that the distance between both of the side posts (29L, 29R) is decreased toward their upper portions. Thus, the tricycle can be braced sufficiently by inner one of the front wheels during bank-traveling thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignees: Avantec Corporation, K Design Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masayasu Hayashi
  • Patent number: 6719313
    Abstract: An anti-roll suspension system for a vehicle, including a steer able axle assembly mounting a pair of laterally spaced wheels on a vehicle chassis, a spring assembly supporting the chassis on each of the axle assemblies, a lever attaching each spring assembly to the vehicle chassis, and a roll compensating linkage connected to the lever of each spring assembly and being responsive to a steering movement to the chassis to translate the steering movement to a vertical movement on the suspension of the chassis to simultaneously lift the outside turn side of the vehicle and lower the inside turn side of the vehicle thereby counteracting roll of the chassis when in a turn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Inventor: Adam Zadok
  • Patent number: 6547260
    Abstract: The vehicle includes a suspended running chassis (1) making it possible to define a longitudinal and vertical plane forming a reference on the chassis (1), the preferred running direction being parallel to the longitudinal plane, and at least two wheel connecting systems, the wheels (2) of which are not aligned relative to the longitudinal plane, the wheel connecting systems being mounted on the chassis (1) on either side of the latter in the transverse direction, each of the wheel connecting systems including a wheel (2) mounted on a support (5) by means of a suspension device allowing vertical deflection of the wheel (2) relative to the support (5), the suspensions being independent of one another. Each support (5) is mounted on the chassis (1) by means of a camber mechanism which includes a camber lever (4) and an actuating lever (40) making it possible to vary the camber angle of the corresponding wheel (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Conception et Developpement Michelin S.A.
    Inventors: Daniel Laurent, Marc Sebe
  • Patent number: 6511078
    Abstract: A ground contact system for a vehicle having a wheel mounted on a wheel carrier, the wheel carrier being mounted on a support by a vertical suspension device, the support being mounted on a chassis by a load transfer arm on one side of which the support is articulated along an essentially horizontal geometrical camber axis, the load transfer arm being connected at its other side to the chassis along an essentially vertical geometrical axis, a camber control rod being pivotally mounted to the support some distance from the geometrical camber axis, the camber control rod being able to move transversely relative to the chassis, a triangulation-forming element connecting the load transfer arm to the chassis around the essentially vertical geometrical axis, such that it controls the moment about the essentially vertical geometrical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Conception et Developpement Michelin S.A.
    Inventor: Marc Sebe
  • Patent number: 6435522
    Abstract: A vehicle (1) provided with a frame having two frame sections (3,4) which are able to tilt with respect to one another. An opposite steer power transmitter (50) is connected to a steerable front wheel (13). The opposite steer power transmitter (50) is controlled as a function of the tilting moment on the frame sections (3,4). By this means, application of opposite steer is achieved, as a result of which the tilting section of the vehicle “drops into the bend” more rapidly and as a result of which increased maneuvrability is obtained. The opposite steer power transmitter (50) can be used on vehicles having an active tilting system with, for example, hydraulic tilting cylinders (9,9′), which are controlled by a sensor depending on the radius of the bend (24). The tilting moment generated by the tilting cylinders (9,9′) can optionally serve as a control signal for the opposite steer power transmitter (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Brinks Westmaas B.V.
    Inventors: Christopher Ralph Van Den Brink, Hendrik Marinus Kroonen
  • Patent number: 6406036
    Abstract: The vehicle includes a suspended running chassis (1) making it possible to define a longitudinal and vertical plane forming a reference on the chassis (1), the preferred running direction being parallel to the longitudinal plane, and at least two wheel connecting systems, the wheels (2) of which are not aligned relative to the longitudinal plane, the wheel connecting systems being mounted on the chassis (1) on either side of the latter in the transverse direction, each of the wheel connecting systems including a wheel (2) mounted on a support (5) by means of a suspension device allowing vertical deflection of the wheel (2) relative to the support (5), the suspensions being independent of one another. Each support (5) is mounted on the chassis (1) by means of a camber mechanism which includes a camber lever (4) and an activating lever (40) making it possible to vary the camber angle of the corresponding wheel (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: Conception et Developpement - Michelin S.A.
    Inventors: Daniel Laurent, Marc Sebe
  • Patent number: 6244190
    Abstract: The invention refers to a tilting mechanism for creating track curve-dependent tilt of the superstructure of rail vehicles (1), consisting of a coupling (15) with which the superstructure (2) is movably connected to a bogie (3) in such a way that the superstructure can be transferred from an upright initial position into a tilted position relative to the bogie and having a drive (31) and an transfer mechanism including a transfer mechanism by which means the superstructure can be movably transferred from its initial position into its tilted position relative to the bogie. To be able to manufacture such tilting mechanism in a more inexpensive way, the invention aims at equipping the transfer mechanism with a mechanism with a variable transmission, the transmission of the mechanism increasing with increasing inclination angle of the superstructure relative to the bogie during transfer of the superstructure from its initial position into its tilted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Moog GmbH
    Inventors: Roger Sembtner, Bernd Stehlin