Abstract: The part-mounting structure of the present invention includes a part-mounting portion of a sandwich structure constituted by a core layer and plastic skin layers formed on both surfaces of the core layer, and a part-mounting metal member, at least one of the skin layers having a tapered recess having a sloped side wall and a flat bottom wall, the bottom wall being constituted by the skin layers bonded together, the part-mounting metal member having a bottom plate, and a pair of side plates vertically extending from the bottom plate substantially on both sides, at least one of the side plates having a dent tapered complementarily to the tapered recess of the sandwich structure. The part-mounting metal member is mounted to the part-mounting portion of the sandwich structure with a surface of the tapered recess of the sandwich structure and a surface of the tapered dent of the part-mounting metal member bonded together by an adhesive.

Abstract: A steering system (1) for vehicles including a front wheel steering mechanism (1a) for steering front wheels (5) at an angle in accordance with a steering operation of a driver, and a rear wheel steering mechanism (1b) for steering rear wheels (11) at an angle (Sr) in accordance with a travelling state of the vehicle.For the steering of the rear wheel, a reference steering angle (Ar) according to a turning state of the vehicle and a corrective steering angle (Ac) according to a velocity derivative thereof are computed, and the steering angle (Sr) of the rear wheel is obtained by making either an addition or a subtraction of the reference and corrective steering angles at least in accordance with the velocity derivative.

Abstract: A suspension system in a motor vehicle has a suspension including at least a resilient member extending transversely of the motor vehicle and having one end operatively coupled to a knuckle, the resilient member supporting a vehicle body of the motor vehicle, and a detector disposed on the resilient member for detecting at least one of a change in a load and a change in the height of the motor vehicle from the ground due to an external force applied to the suspension. The resilient member comprises at least a leaf spring, and the detector is attached to the leaf spring for detecting a strain of the leaf spring due to flexing thereof. A calculator is provided for calculating at least one of a vertical load applied to a road wheel coupled to the knuckle and a displacement of the road wheel with respect to the vehicle body based on a change in the strain detected by the detector.

Abstract: A steering system for a motor vehicle having power steering means including an actuator for turning steerable road wheels of the motor vehicle includes a control mechanism for eliminating a deviation between a desired direction of travel of the motor vehicle and an actual direction of travel of the motor vehicle, based on an output signal from a direction indicating mechanism which indicates the desired direction and an output signal from a direction detecting mechanism which detects the actual direction. The control mechanism determines a target turning angle for the steerable road wheels dependent on the deviation between the desired direction and the actual direction, and controls the power steering mechanism to turn the steerable road wheels up to the target turning angle.

Abstract: A steering system (1) for vehicles including a front wheel steering mechanism (1a) for steering front wheels (5) at an angle in accordance with a steering operation of a driver, and a rear wheel steering mechanism (1b) for steering rear wheels (11) at an angle (Sr) in accordance with a travelling state of the vehicle. For the steering of the rear wheel, a reference steering angle (Ar) according to a turning state of the vehicle and a corrective steering angle (Ac) according to a velocity derivative thereof are computed, and the steering angle (Sr) of the rear wheel is obtained by making either an addition or a subtraction of the reference and corrective steering angles at least in accordance with the velocity derivative.

Abstract: A steering system for a vehicle with a steerable front wheel (5) and a rear wheel (11) controlled to be steered in accordance with a travelling state representative quantity (.delta..sub.f, V, .alpha..sub.a), wherein the rear wheel is steered taking into account at least a ratio of a cornering power (Kr) thereof to a vertical load on the tire thereof, besides the travelling state representative quantity.

Abstract: A suspension device in a motor vehicle has at least one component separate from a damper and to which vertical movement of a road wheel can be transmitted. The component comprises a resilient member supported on a vehicle body at a portion spaced from another portion operatively coupled to the road wheel, for giving vertical resiliency to the road wheel. The suspension device also has a counteracting load mechanism for applying a counteracting load which is variable dependent on an amount of flexing of a section of the component caused by vertical movement of the road wheel. The suspension device further includes a vehicle height adjusting mechanism operatively coupled to the counteracting load means for varying a static counteracting load of the counteracting load mechanism when the motor vehicle is at rest, to thereby vertically displace the section of the component for adjusting the height of the motor vehicle.

Abstract: A steering system for the front and rear wheels of an automotive vehicle comprises a front wheel steering mechanism having an output shaft, a rear wheel steering mechanism having an input shaft coupled to the output shaft, an output member for steering the rear wheels, and a motion converting mechanism for converting rotation of the input shaft to movement of the output member, a vehicle speed sensor, and a control unit connected to the vehicle speed sensor for controlling operation of the motion converting mechanism dependent on the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor.

Abstract: A vehicle height adjusting device includes a resilient member having an outer end coupled to a wheel support member and an inner end supported on a vehicle body, the resilient member having a vertically resilient characteristic and serving as a suspension component, and a load unit disposed between the resilient member and the vehicle body for applying a vertical bonding stress to the resilient member to displace the resilient member for thereby varying the height of the vehicle body.

Abstract: A wheel alignment control system for a vehicle having at least one pair of rear road wheels opposing each other in the transverse direction of the vehicle, for changing and setting a wheel alignment factor of the wheels in relation to a current speed of the vehicle. The wheel alignment factor to be set by the control system is a camber angle of the rear wheels, a static toeing angle of the rear wheels, or a dynamic toeing angle of the rear wheels. The dynamic toeing angle of changed to be set by changing a stroke characteristic of each of a pair of suspenion units respectively supporting the rear wheels, on which the stroke characteristic of an associated one of the suspension units exerts an effect such that, in accordance with a stroke length thereof, the toeing angle of a corresponding one of the rear wheels is varied.

Abstract: A steering system for the front and rear wheels of an automotive vehicle comprises a front wheel steering mechanism having an output shaft, a rear wheel steering mechanism having an input shaft coupled to the output shaft, an output member for steering the rear wheels, and a motion converting mechanism for converting rotation of the input shaft to movement of the output member, a vehicle speed sensor, and a control unit connected to the vehicle speed sensor for controlling operation of the motion converting mechanism dependent on the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor.

Abstract: A trailing arm suspension includes a holder pivotally supported on a vehicle body by a first pivot shaft extending substantially longitudinally of the vehicle body and supporting a second pivot shaft extending substantially transversely of the vehicle body, a trailing arm pivotally supported by the second pivot shaft on the holder and having a spindle mounted on a rear portion thereof for rotatably supporting a wheel, and a plurality of links have first ends thereof coupled to the trailing arm and extending substantially transversely of the vehicle body. The point at which the trailing arm is pivotally supported by the second pivot shaft can easily be displaced transversely through swinging movement of the holder about the axis of the first pivot shaft. A rubber bushing interposed between the trailing arm and the second pivot shaft can be harder or higher in rubber rigidity in the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle body for limiting changes in wheel alignment when wheels are driven or braked.

Abstract: A steering assembly for a motor vehicle includes a trailing arm pivotally supported on a pivot shaft extending substantially transversely of the motor vehicle and rotatably supporting a wheel at a rear end thereof, at least three links each having one end pivotally coupled to said trailing arm and extending substantially transversely of the motor vehicle, and a steering gear box for steering the wheel. One of the three links, i.e., the first link, has an opposite end operatively coupled to said steering gear box. The other two links are coupled to the trailing arm by respective joints interconnected by a straight line serving as a kingpin axis serving as a steering center of the wheel.

Abstract: A motor vehicle has two steerable righthand and lefthand front wheels and two steerable righthand and lefthand rear wheels, a front wheel steering device for steering the front wheels according to the angle through which a steering wheel is turned, a rear wheel steering device for steering the rear wheels, an actuator for actuating said rear wheel steering device, and a control device for controlling the operation of the actuator to steer the rear wheels in a direction which is selectively the same as or opposite to the direction in which the front wheels are turned. The steering of the rear wheels is controlled by determining the speeds of rotation of the four front and rear wheels with respect to the ground, and controlling the operation of the actuator with the control device so that any difference between the speeds of rotation of the front and rear wheels with respect to the ground will be reduced substantially to zero.

Abstract: A steering system for a vehicle with a front wheel and a rear wheel, in which the rear wheel is steerable in relation to a steering operation of the front wheel, such that a ratio control of a steered angle ratio of the rear wheel to the front wheel is effected to be variable in accordance with a travelling speed of the vehicle. The steering system is provided with a mode selecting unit adapted to be manually operable for exclusively setting an arbitrary one of a plurality of control modes of the ratio control. The steering system may be further provided with a time-delay unit for gradually effecting the ratio control, when changing one of the control modes to another thereof.

Abstract: A steering system for vehicles in which the steered angle ratio of a rear wheel to a front wheel is controllable in accordance with the vehicle speed. The steering system is provided with a manual switch device for selecting to set an arbitrary one of a plurality of predetermined steered angle ratios. The steering system may be further provided with a switch lock device for locking the switch state of the manual switch device. The switch lock device may be actuated when the vehicle speed is higher than a predetermined reference vehicle speed. Further, the switch lock device may be actuated when a reduction gear is shifted to a shift position having a relatively low reduction ratio. The switch lock device may also be actuated when the steered angle of the front wheel is larger than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A steering mechanism in a motor vehicle having front and rear wheels steerable in response to steering operation of a steering wheel. An input shaft rotatable about its own axis in response to steering operation of the steering wheel has an eccentric shaft mounted on a rear end of the input shaft. A tubular member is rotatably fitted over the eccentric shaft and has an integral pinion and an integral eccentric cam. An internal gear disposed in fixed relationship to a vehicle body of the motor vehicle is held in meshing engagement with the pinion. A pair of tie rods supporting the rear wheels, respectively, is interconnected by a joint member rotatably mounted on the eccentric cam.

Abstract: A steering system for vehicles, in which the steered angle ratio of a rear wheel (20) to a front wheel (7) is controlled to be variable in accordance with the vehicle speed.The steered angle ratio is set stepwise with respect to the vehicle speed.

Abstract: A steering apparatus for a vehicle having steerable front and rear wheels includes a front wheel steering system for steering the front wheels, a rear wheel steering system for steering the rear wheels, a linkage member for coupling the front and rear wheel steering systems to each other. The rear wheel steering system comprises a housing adapted to be mounted on the vehicle, an input shaft angularly movably supported by the housing and having a front end coupled to the connecting means and an eccentric shaft on a rear end thereof, a joint member supported by the housing so as to be movable transversely of the vehicle, a pair of tie rods connected at ends to the joint member and at opposite ends to the rear wheels, and a slide member held in slidable engagement with the joint member and operatively coupled to the eccentric shaft for movement in response to angular movement of the input shaft.

Abstract: A steering system for front and rear wheels of a motor vehicle wherein the steering ratio of the rear wheels to the front wheels is variable dependent on the speed of the motor vehicle. The steering system includes a steering wheel, front wheels, a first assembly for steering the front wheels, rear wheels, a second assembly for steering the rear wheels, and a third assembly which transmits the direction and extent of steering of the front wheels to the second assembly, a fourth assembly controls the steering ratio between the front and rear wheels in response to a signal indicative of the speed of the motor vehicle or a signal related to the speed of the motor vehicle. Each of the rear wheels has a kingpin having a central line which has an extension which is positioned rearwardly of a point where a vertical line passing through the center of an axle of the rear wheel intersects the ground on which the motor vehicle is placed.