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.

On an end portion of a hollow rod, which is a material of a hollow coil spring, a terminal sealed portion is formed. The terminal sealed portion has a rotationally symmetric shape in which an axis passing through the center of the rod is a symmetric axis. The terminal sealed portion includes an end wall portion, and a distal-end-center closure portion formed on the axis. In the distal-end-center closure portion, a distal end opening portion of the spin-formed rod is joined together and formed as an integral part. On the axis at the inner surface of the end wall portion, a recess having a rotationally symmetric shape in which the axis is the symmetric axis is formed. A thickness of the recess of the end wall portion is reduced toward the axis.

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.

A high speed actuation system for protracting and retracting a retractable wheel and/or track drive assembly of an amphibian includes an actuator, at least one retractable wheel and/or track drive assembly comprising at least one wheel and/or track drive supported directly or indirectly by a suspension assembly and movable between a protracted and retracted positions, an energy source for providing power to the actuator, and a controller that controls in amount the power provided by the energy source to the actuator such that the time of actuation to retract the at least one retractable wheel and/or track drive assembly from a protracted position to a retracted position, or to protract the at least one retractable wheel and/or track drive assembly from a retracted position to a protracted position, is less than 5 seconds.

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.

A tubular spring, such as a coil spring, a torsion-rod spring, and/or a stabilizer for a motor vehicle, may include at least one metal tube element having a tube internal cross section, a tube internal diameter, a tube external diameter, a tube internal wall, and a tube wall thickness. At least one metal foam may be disposed in the tube internal cross section of the at least one metal tube element of the tubular spring in at least one part-region. In particular, the metal foam may be connected in an at least partially materially integral manner to the tube internal wall of the metal tube element. The at least one metal tube element may have an at least partially martensitic structure.

A roll stabilizer, e.g., for a multitrack motor vehicle, with a divided torsion bar, between the mutually facing ends of which an actuator is arranged for transmission of a torsion moment. The actuator may have a housing which is connected to the one torsion bar part and houses a motor and a planetary gear mechanism connected to the motor, the gear output of which is connected to the other torsion bar part. and the planet wheels of which intermesh with a mating gear. A multistage planetary gear mechanism is provided, whose final planetary gear stage on the gear output side is equipped with planet wheels, wherein at least one of said planet wheels is divided into two axially adjacent spur gears which are rotatable relative to each other and between which a torsion spring is actively arranged. The divided planet wheel may be in play-free engagement with the mating gear.

A vehicle behavior control apparatus comprises first to fourth suspensions provided on first to fourth wheels of a vehicle, respectively. The first to fourth suspensions include first to fourth actuators that apply vertical control forces to the first to fourth wheels, respectively. When a failure occurs in the fourth actuator other than the i-th actuator (i=1 to 3) among the first to fourth actuators, the vehicle behavior control apparatus executes the following first to third process. The first process is calculating a required value of a behavior parameter representing a behavior of the vehicle. The second process is converting the required value into an i-th required control force for the i-th actuator. The third process is controlling the behavior of the vehicle by controlling the i-th actuator based on the i-th required control force.

A torsion device comprising: a first part comprising a first resilient torsion member including: a first support end; a first free end spaced from the first support end; and a first engagement region; a second part comprising a second resilient torsion member including: a second support end; a second free end spaced from the second support end; and a second engagement region; wherein the second part is rotatable relative to the first part about an axis of rotation (A) between a first angular position and a second angular position, and the first and second torsion members are configured to urge the first and second engagement regions together to cause flexure of at least one of the first and second resilient torsion members as the second part rotates relative to the first part from the first angular position to the second angular position.

A vehicle-height control system of an independent corner module, includes a suspension link connected to a wheel and configured to be rotated according to upward-downward displace of the wheel, a gear unit connected to a vehicle body and a rotational center portion of the suspension link and configured to receive a rotation force from the suspension link, a control torsion bar, a first end portion thereof being connected to the gear unit and the second end portion thereof being connected to a torsion variation unit, the torsion variation unit applying a drive force to adjust a height of the control torsion bar and to maintain the adjusted height, and a controller connected to the torsion variation unit and adjusting the height of the control torsion bar.