Suspension system

The present Application claims the benefit of priority as a continuation under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/068,513, titled “Suspension System” filed on Feb. 28, 2005, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Suspension systems in which a shock absorber on the right side of the vehicle is coupled or cross-linked to a corresponding shock absorber on the left side of the vehicle are known. Such cross-linking of the shock absorbers on the left and right sides of the vehicle (e.g., coupling the upper chamber of each shock absorber to the lower chamber of the corresponding shock absorber on the other side of the vehicle) generally provides greater roll resistance than standard suspension systems that utilize an anti-roll bar in combination with right and left side shock absorbers that are not coupled to one another and that operate independently of one another. However, in such cross-linked suspension systems, the operation of the shock absorber on the left side of the vehicle is affected by the operation of the shock absorber on the right side of the vehicle. Accordingly, the ability of the wheel on the right side of the vehicle (which corresponds to the shock absorber on the right side of the vehicle) to travel up and down relative to the wheel on the left side of the vehicle (which corresponds to the shock absorber on the left side of the vehicle) is limited. Thus, while the cross-linked configuration may be beneficial in some situations, such as when the vehicle is turning a corner on the highway or on a relatively smooth surface, it may be detrimental in other situations, such as when the vehicle is traveling off-road or is otherwise traveling over rough or bumpy terrain. On relatively smooth road surfaces, the independent movement of the right and left wheels has less effect on ride quality because the magnitude of the relative up and down movement between the left and right wheels is likely to be small. When the vehicle is traveling off road or on rough or bumpy terrain, the magnitude of the relative up and down movement between the left and right wheels is likely to be relatively large. In such a situation, it is more desirable to allow the right and left side shock absorbers to operate independently of one another, so that each shock absorber is able to expand or contract to the extent needed to accommodate the unique bumps, dips, etc. that may be encountered by the left wheel and by the right wheel.

Some of the suspension systems that utilize cross-linked shock absorbers are configured so that the suspension system can be alternated between a cross-linked configuration and a straight configuration (e.g., where the upper chamber of each shock absorber is coupled to its own lower chamber rather than the lower chamber of the shock absorber on the opposite side of the vehicle). Many of these systems utilize some type of acceleration sensor that actuates the system between the straight configuration and the cross-linked configuration based on the lateral acceleration experienced by the vehicle. Although these suspension systems avoid some of the problems of a suspension system that is either always in the straight configuration or always in the cross-linked configuration, they introduce other potential problems. For example, many of the systems utilizing acceleration sensors do not give the occupant any control over when the system is in a cross-linked configuration or a straight configuration. Moreover, with these systems, the sensor may cause the suspension system to convert to the cross-linked configuration when it may not be desirable to do so, such as when the vehicle accelerates laterally as a result of one wheel hitting a bump, for example. Once the system converts to the cross-linked configuration (such as when the vehicle is traveling over the bump), the ability of the wheels to move independently is significantly reduced, which affects ride quality.

Before providing the description of the exemplary and alternative embodiments of the suspension system, it should be noted that references to “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” “front,” and “rear” in this description are merely used to identify the various elements as they are oriented in the figures. These terms are not meant to limit the element which they describe, as the various elements may be oriented or arranged differently in various suspension systems.

For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” means the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or moveable in nature and/or such joining may allow for the flow of fluids, electricity, electrical signals, or other types of signals or communication between the two members. Such joining may be achieved with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being attached to one another. Such joining may be permanent in nature or alternatively may be removable or releasable in nature.