Abstract: A vehicle air suspension system includes a control unit 32 which is arranged to produce a running measure of the level of cross articulation of the two axles 18, 20 and, if it exceeds a certain level indicating that the vehicle is on rough terrain, to open respective interconnections 34, 36 between the suspension units 24 on opposite ends of each axle so as to reduce the resistance to that articulation. The interconnections are arranged to close when the vehicle speed increases so as to provide roll control.

Abstract: A vehicle air suspension system includes a control unit 32 which is arranged to produce a running measure of the level of cross articulation of the two axles 18, 20 and, if it exceeds a certain level indicating that the vehicle is on rough terrain, to open respective interconnections 34, 36 between the suspension units 24 on opposite ends of each axle so as to reduce the resistance to that articulation. The interconnections are arranged to close when the vehicle speed increases so as to provide roll control.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension system having first and second trailing arms (10), each trailing arm (10) being mounted to the vehicle adjacent its forward end (14) for pivotal movement about a transverse axis of the vehicle, one trailing arm (10) being located adjacent one side of the vehicle and adapted adjacent its trailing end (22) to support a first wheel of a vehicle and the other trailing arm (10) being located adjacent the other side of the vehicle and adapted adjacent its trailing end (22) to support a second wheel of the vehicle, the first and second wheels being located on a transverse axis of the vehicle, a torsion beam (24) being provided to control lateral separation of the trailing arms (10), and a pair of dynamic beams (30) being secured at their forward and rearward ends longitudinally of the vehicle, one dynamic beam (30) being located in juxtaposed relationship with each of the trailing arms (10), each trailing arm (10) being connected adjacent its trailing end (22) to the adjacent dynamic beam (10),

Abstract: In an active roll control system for a vehicle, anti-roll bars (26, 30) are provided with actuators (28, 32) which can provide a torque in the anti-roll bars to control vehicle body roll. Under certain cornering conditions when the vehicle is liable to over-steer, the pressure supply to the actuators is pulsed so that the front wheels of the vehicle tend to break away more easily, thereby reducing over-steer.

Abstract: A closure valve for the filler neck of a vehicle fuel tank includes a plastic ball with a vapor impermeable plate attached to it to form part of its surface. The ball is held between a carrier on the inside and a seal carrier on the outside, the seal carrier being held against the ball by a screw cap, a spring washer and a vapor seal. When the valve is closed the plate, the seal carrier, the vapor seal and ring seals form a relatively impermeable barrier covering the end of the fuel filler pipe and preventing the escape of significant amounts of fuel vapor.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension system control unit (40) is arranged to determine from a lateral accelerometer (42) and vehicle speed sensor (44) when the vehicle is executing a series of opposite turns in a slalom type manner which are likely to cause a build-up of body roll. In this situation the roll control system is modified from a regime in which some body roll is allowed, to a regime in which body roll is substantially prevented thereby to prevent the build up of body roll during slalom type maneuvers.

Abstract: A holder for a beverage container has two holding elements which are turnable around two turning axes spaced from one another from a substantially lying position to a substantially standing position and vice versa so that the holding elements in the substantially standing position have a distance therebetween which allows insertion of a beverage container between the holding elements, and a coupling transmission which provides an opposite turning movement of the holding elements.

Abstract: A cable drive assembly 102 for a motor vehicle locking system is described. A lock mechanism 104 is mounted on a first carrier 108. The first carrier is connected to a second carrier 110 by a cable, such that turning of an appropriate key in the lock causes the first carrier to rotate. In turn this causes the second carrier to rotate. Rotation of the second carrier causes a latch mechanism remote from the locking system to be actuated. The first carrier is held in a first position within a housing prior to insertion of the lock mechanism. Insertion of the lock mechanism during assembly of the locking system frees the carrier and allows it to rotate in response to turning of the lock mechanism.

Abstract: A hydraulic rotary roll damper for a motor vehicle is mounted concentrically about an anti-roll bar 4 and coupled to the ends of the anti-roll bar 4 by tubing 7, 8. The damper includes a stack of stator plates 18 mounted on a stator housing member 10 and rotor plates 19 mounted on a rotor housing member 11. The rotor plates 19 are each located within a recess of one of the stator plates 18, and side plates 18a between the stator plates 18 cooperate with the stator plates 18 so as to form a series of cavities 50 each divided into working chambers 52, 54 by one of the rotor plates 19. A varying width passage 25 or a valve 62 and piping 60 are provided to decrease the damping with increasing axle articulation.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension system includes a hydraulic anti-roll mechanism in which a pair of suspension arms (10a, 10b), on opposite sides of the vehicle, are mounted to the vehicle body pivots (16a, 16b). A pair of hydraulic struts (22a, 22b) are connected between the suspension arms and the body (14). The struts are asymmetrically mounted so that one is inboard of its suspension arm pivot and the other is outboard of its suspension arm pivot. The two lower chambers of the struts (22a, 22b), through which the connecting rods (32) of the pistons extend, are hydraulically interconnected, and so are the two upper chambers.

Abstract: A CVT controller 22 of a vehicle 10 communicates with the engine management system (EMS) 20. When a manual shift between simulated fixed ratios is performed, the CVT controller 22 sends a shift signal to the EMS 20 which alters the engine torque for the duration of the shift in order to simulate a manual shift to provide, for example, a sporty feel to the vehicle 10.

Abstract: A vehicle speed control system can be activated so as to control the vehicle speed in a modified way in response to the driver's inputs. When activated, the accelerator 30 position defines a target speed and the speed controller 22 controls both the engine 34, via and engine control unit 36 and the brakes 14, 16, via a hydraulic brake control unit 20 so as to control the vehicle speed to the target speed. The acceleration of the vehicle is also controlled according to the difference between the present vehicle speed and the present target speed.

Abstract: An active vehicle roll control system is disclosed in which a roll bar (22) has two halves (22a, 22b) which can be locked together to allow the system to operate passively. A sensing system based on a lateral accelerometer and vehicle speed sensor is arranged to detect when the vehicle is on a side slope and to put the roll control system into the passive mode.

Abstract: A container holder for a motor vehicle is disclosed in which a generally concave recess (14, 114, 214) is provided with two convex portions (16, 116, 216) that in combination with an elastically deformable member (15, 115, 215) provide a three point support system for a cup or can (126, 127). The arrangement providing a support system for supporting containers of differing dimensions.

Abstract: An independent vehicle suspension in which the height change which can be made while the vehicle is stationary is limited so as to prevent the system from having to make too great an associated track change. This prevents the system from becoming locked during a height change due to stiction between the wheels and ground which opposes the track change. The height change is completed when the vehicle is detected as starting to move.

Abstract: A vehicle (10) includes a suspension system controlled by a suspension controller (12). The system further comprises a user interface unit (18) which includes a series of symbols (26, 28, 30) which remain secret until illuminated and each of which is associated with a particular operating mode of the suspension system. The symbols are illuminated only when their associated mode is available to a user for selection. The operating modes are selected by a series of push button switches (20, 22, 24) which are associated with the symbols (26, 28, 30) and are disabled unless their associated symbol is illuminated.

Abstract: A motor vehicle transmission has a differential assembly (17) in which one input, sun gear (39), of an epicyclic gear train can be selectively coupled by a sleeve (59) through a viscous coupling (55) to either an input, i.e. annulus gear (31), or to another output, i.e. carrier (36). Coupling the sun gear to the annulus gear gives a low resistance mode of operation and coupling the sun gear to the carrier gives a high resistance mode of operation. A locked mode where the annulus is locked to the sun gear is also described, together with a free mode where the viscous coupling is disconnected from both the annulus gear and the carrier. The sleeve is lined to the control of a range change gearbox to select the low resistance mode when a high range is selected for on-road use and a high resistance mode is selected when a low range is selected for off-road use.

Abstract: A motor vehicle power train includes an engine (26) mounted longitudinally in the vehicle adjacent one end, a change speed transmission (28) spaced from and drivably connected to the engine through an input propshaft (31) and a transfer transmission (29) mounted on the change speed transmission and drivably connected to a front differential through a front propshaft (34) and to a rear differential through a rear propshaft (35). The change speed transmission has an input shaft (39) to receive drive at one end from the engine and an output shaft (41) axially offset from the input shaft and having a drive output at the opposite end. The transfer transmission is arranged at the opposite end of the change speed transmission and includes a center differential (56) having differential output shafts (57, 58) drivably connected to the front and rear propshafts and axially offset from the input shaft and the change speed transmission output shaft.