A body structure includes at least one aluminum side rail, which allows the assembly of an aluminum cradle of a vehicle by an aluminum casting including an upper surface attached under the side rail, one or more lower portions attached to the cradle, and an opening allowing the passage of an drive shaft. The casting can also incorporate suspension interfaces.

An induction heating device according to one embodiment includes a first coil portion and a second coil portion. A bar-shaped workpiece is placed between the first coil portion and the second coil portion. The first coil portion includes a pair of first narrow pitch portions formed in respective end portions thereof, a first wide pitch portion formed between the first narrow pitch portions, and a first medium pitch portion formed in the center. The second coil portion includes a pair of second narrow pitch portions formed in respective end portions, a second wide pitch portion formed between the second narrow pitch portions, and a second medium pitch portion formed in the center.

Automatic tilting vehicle is provided that includes left and right front wheels supported by knuckles, a rear wheel steered by a steering actuator, a vehicle tilting device, and a control unit. The control unit calculates a target tilt angle of the vehicle and a target steered angle of the rear wheel based on a steering angle and a vehicle speed, controls the vehicle tilting device so that a tilt angle of the vehicle becomes the target tilt angle, and controls the steering actuator so that a steered angle of the rear wheel becomes the target steered angle. When the vehicle is turning and decelerating, a steered angle of the rear wheel is controlled not to be the target steered angle but to zero, and a tilt angle of the vehicle is reduced by a gyro moment of the rear wheel.

A suspension device (rear suspension (10)) for vehicles is provided which includes a damper (40), a shaft (50) pivotably supporting an end of the damper (40), and a bush (60) including a cylindrical elastic member fitted onto the outer circumference of the shaft (50). The axis (C2) of the bush (60) is disposed along a line of intersection between an imaginary first plane (S1) and an imaginary second plane (S2), or along a line parallel to the line of intersection. The first plane (S1) is orthogonal to the axis (C1) of the damper (40) when a stroke position of a wheel (24) is a first position relative to the vehicle body (80) in the vertical direction of a vehicle body (80). The second plane (S2) is orthogonal to the axis (C1) of the damper (40) when the stroke position of the wheel (24) is a second position.

A suspension interconnection assembly for a vehicle adapted to move along a surface of the ground includes an axle housing and a spring seat. The spring seat includes a pocket defined by a U-shaped saddle having a bottom wall that extends between a first leg and a second leg. The first and second legs include claw portions that are adapted to engage an upper portion of the axle housing. Welds secure the first and second claw portions to the axle housing so that areas of the axle housing adjacent the welds are in a state of residual tensile stress based on forming. The position of the welds provides a stress cancelling effect upon application of the load to the axle housing in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the ground.

A method for operating a motor vehicle with a chassis arrangement having at least two vibration dampers. A body control is carried out at least partially with the vibration dampers. The chassis arrangement further has at least one stabilizer. During transverse accelerations below a threshold acceleration the stabilizer contributes to the body control less than the vibration dampers and contributes more than the vibration dampers from the threshold acceleration upward.

An electric vehicle includes a frame module carrying an electric motor unit and a suspension including, for each wheel, upper and lower oscillating arms connected to a wheel support by swivel joints which define a steering axis of the wheel. The suspension includes two shock absorber devices arranged in horizontal positions and along directions transversal with respect to a vehicle longitudinal direction, which is carried by the frame module centrally on the vehicle. Each shock absorber cylinder is operatively connected to a respective oscillating arm by an oscillating linkage member. Brake discs are arranged at remote positions with respect to the wheels, on two output shafts at two opposite sides of the motor unit, which, in one example, includes two electric motors and two respective gear reducer units from which project the output shafts carrying the brake discs; the latter connected to wheel hubs by respective drive shafts.

An electric vehicle includes a suspension and powertrain unit having a vehicle frame module, an electric motor unit carried by the frame module centrally between two wheels and a suspension including, for each wheel, an upper oscillating arm and a lower oscillating arm carrying a respective wheel support. Each wheel support rotatably supports a respective wheel hub connected to the electric motor unit by a respective drive shaft. Brake discs are mounted on two output shafts of the electric motor unit, at a distance from the respective wheels, and are connected by drive shafts to the hubs of the two wheels. Thanks to the absence of brake discs adjacent to the wheel hubs, swivel joints connecting each wheel support to the respective upper and lower arms can be arranged so as to define a steering axis passing through a respective wheel center and thereby having a substantially zero kingpin offset.

A pneumatic suspension system for a vehicle, in which the pneumatic suspension system includes a supply tank, a first set of air springs positioned on a first side of the vehicle; a second set of air springs positioned on a second side of the vehicle, and a dual-action dynamic valve positioned between the first set of air springs and the second set of air springs. The dual-action dynamic valve is connected to the supply tank, the first set of air springs, and the second set of air springs by a series of air hoses. The dual-action dynamic valve is adapted to supply air to either one of the first set of air springs or the second set of air springs while simultaneously exhausting air from the other one of the first set of air springs or the second set of air springs.

A mechanical leg comprises a frame, a retractable member, a wheel, an extension and retraction driving member, a travel driving member, an auxiliary leg, and an auxiliary wheel. The extension and retraction driving member is located on a side of the frame. The retractable member is connected to the extension and retraction driving member. The wheel is connected to the retractable member. The wheel is further connected to the travel driving member. A first end of the auxiliary leg is connected to the auxiliary wheel, and a second end of the auxiliary leg is located on the frame. The retractable member extends under the driving of the extension and retraction driving member to drive the wheel to jump. The wheel is driven by the travel driving member to move. When the auxiliary wheel contacts the ground, the mechanical leg moves with the rolling of the wheel and the auxiliary wheel.