A spring device (1A, 1B) for a motor vehicle (2), comprising a spring unit (3) and a stiffness adjusting unit (15) configured to stiffen the spring unit (3) so as to dynamically vary the spring constant (k, k′) of the spring device (1A, 1B).

An autonomous vehicle and a suspension for the autonomous vehicle are provided. The suspension may include first and second support legs pivotally coupled to a body of the autonomous vehicle at respective pivot points, and extending in opposing directions to contact a surface upon which the autonomous vehicle moves. A biasing element biases the support legs towards the surface. A coupler couples the support legs to cause pivotal movement of one of the support legs to be mirrored in the other support leg. The coupler may cause the support legs to maintain a centerline, which extends equidistantly between the pivot points and through a sensor mounted to an underside of the body, perpendicular to the surface as the support legs pivot during movement of the autonomous vehicle.

A stabilizer comprises a main bar that is elastically deformable, a pair of connecting plates respectively configured to be connected to a pair of left and right suspension apparatuses, and transition sections connecting both end portions of the main bar and the pair of connecting plates, a size of one transition section of the transition sections in a plate thickness direction of one connecting plate of the connecting plates gradually decreasing from the main bar toward the connecting plate, wherein the minimum value of the Vickers hardness of the transition section is 200 HV or more.

A cap is provided for covering the threaded end of a removable spindle, having a cover with thread engaging tabs extending from a reservoir basin. The tabs include surface projections for retaining the cap to the spindle threads. The tabs are formed to fit within available slots of a slotted hex nut connected to the spindle. The cap includes a separately formed skirt or guard to make flexible surface contact with the torsion arm or spindle supporting structure. The skirt can include a sacrificial anode region to provide cathodic protection for the spindle threads and spindle retention nut. The skirt is removable from the cap so that the cap can be reused with a new skirt. The cap is formed to be used with existing spindle assemblies and to be reusable.

A selectively switchable dual rate vehicle suspension system comprising a pushrod actuated inboard spring configuration, conventionally oriented between the unsprung mass and the sprung mass of one corner of the vehicle, comprising a torsion bar spring of a first predetermined rate, K1, and a coil spring of a second predetermined rate, K2, arranged in series so as to provide a total combined spring rate KT. A lockout actuator is arranged in parallel with the coil spring and configured so that in a first mode it allows the coil spring to move freely and in a second mode prevents motion of the coil spring such that when the lockout actuator is in a first, unlocked, mode the overall vehicle suspension spring rate is defined by the series equation 1/KT=1/K1+1/K2, and when the lockout actuator is in a second, locked, mode the overall vehicle suspension spring rate is substantially higher as defined by KT=K1, thus selectively providing both a low rate, optimal ride comfort setting and a high rate, optimal handling setting.

Provided is a robotic device including: a body; an electronic computing device housed within the body; and at least two wheel suspension systems coupled with the body including: a first suspension system including: a frame; a rotating arm pivotally coupled to the frame on a first end and coupled to a wheel on a second end; and an extension spring coupled with the rotating arm on a third end and the frame on a fourth end, wherein the extension spring is extended when the wheel is retracted; and a second suspension system including: a base slidingly coupled with the frame; a plurality of vertically positioned extension springs coupled with the frame on a fifth end and the base on a sixth end; at least one set of paired magnets, with at least one magnet affixed to the frame and paired to at least one magnet affixed to the base.

There is provided an end plate that includes a through hole that causes an outer wall portion and an inner wall portion to communicate with each other, into which an intruding portion provided in a wheel-side member can intrude, a first press-formed portion formed by depressing in a peripheral edge of the through hole in the inner wall portion. The end plate includes a second press-formed portion arranged in a part of a peripheral edge on the side of a peripheral end of the inner wall portion, which is a remnant of a portion where the first press-formed portion is arranged in the inner wall portion, and formed therein with a protruding portion by protruding a part of the peripheral edge, and a screw hole formed by penetrating through the protruding portion in the second press-formed portion between the outer wall portion and the inner wall portion.

An inerter device for a wheel suspension of a vehicle, having an inerter mass and a mechanical inerter drive which is operatively connected to the inerter mass via a coupling device. The coupling device has a control disk connected to the inerter mass and a contour disk connected to the inerter drive. The control disk and contour disk are frictionally in contact with each other via coupling surfaces. The inerter mass is reversibly movable relative to the inerter drive from an operating position into a securing position. The control disk has a contact element which, during the movement of the inerter mass into the securing position, interacts with a mating contact element of the contour disk and therefore reversibly moves the control disk from a coupling position relative to the contour disk into a release position in which the coupling surfaces are separated.

Robotic devices are presented including: a body; an electronic computing device housed within the body; and at least two wheeled suspension systems coupled with the body, each wheeled suspension system including, a first suspension system including: a frame, a rotating arm pivotally coupled to the frame on a first end and coupled to a wheel on a second end, and an extension spring coupled with the rotating arm on a third end and the frame on a fourth end, where the extension spring is extended when the wheel is retracted, a second suspension system including: a base slidingly coupled with the frame, and a number of vertically positioned extension springs coupled with the frame on a fifth end and the base on a sixth end.

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a torsion beam, the method comprising: a planarization step, in which a protruding portion of an upper mold presses the opposite end portions in the width direction of the blank to be plastically deformed to be flat while the opposite end portions in the width direction of the blank are supported by a side cam to face each other; a welding and bonding step for bonding the planarized opposite end portions in the width direction of the blank via welding; and a quenching step for heating the welded and bonded blank within a range of 900 to 970? C. for a retaining time within a range of 1 to 20 minutes and for cooling down the blank in a treatment liquid including at least one of water and oil in a range of 20 to 90? C.