A protruding portion includes a fitting portion to which an outer periphery of a cylinder is fitted. When the cylinder and a closing member are assembled into an outer cylinder, a length from a contact portion to one end side end portion of the outer cylinder is longer than a length from the other end side end portion of the cylinder to one end side end portion on an outer peripheral side of the closing member. A length from one end side end surface of the protruding portion to the contact portion is longer than a difference between the length from the contact portion of a bottom portion to one end side end portion of the outer cylinder and the length from the other end side end portion of the cylinder to one end side end portion on the outer peripheral side of the closing member.

The present invention provides a shock absorber serving as a cylinder device capable of securing a clearance between an outer tube and a peripheral member and improving bending rigidity of the outer tube. An outer tube 104 housing an inner tube 103 is provided with a pair of knuckle bracket fastening plates 110a and 110b protruding in one direction from an outer surface of the outer tube 104. The pair of knuckle bracket fastening plates 10a and 110b has wide surfaces facing each other, and the wide surfaces are provided along an axial direction of the outer tube 104. When the inside of a vehicle is defined as a virtual region I 192 and the outside of the vehicle is defined as a virtual region II 193 with a virtual line 191, which passes through a stroke center line 71 and matches the inside and outside of the vehicle, as a boundary in an orthogonal cross section at an arbitrary axial position of the outer tube 104 orthogonal to the stroke center line 71 of a piston rod 102, a cross-sectional area A.sub.i1 of the outer tube 104 in the virtual region I 192 is made larger than a cross-sectional area A.sub.o1 of the outer tube 104 in the virtual region II 193.

Vehicle platforms, and systems, subsystems, and components thereof are described. A self-contained vehicle platform or chassis incorporating substantially all of the functional systems, subsystems and components (e.g., mechanical, electrical, structural, etc.) necessary for an operative vehicle. Functional components may include at least energy storage/conversion, propulsion, suspension and wheels, steering, crash protection, and braking systems. Functional components are standardized such that vehicle platforms may be interconnected with a variety of vehicle body designs (also referred to in the art as “top hats”) with minimal or no modification to the functional linkages (e.g., mechanical, structural, electrical, etc.) therebetween. Configurations of functional components are incorporated within the vehicle platform such that there is minimal or no physical overlap between the functional components and the area defined by the vehicle body. Specific functional components of such vehicle platforms, and the relative placement of the various functional components, to allow for implementation of a self-contained vehicle platform are also provided.

A coupling structure of suspension may include an assist knuckle, a RevoKnuckle rotatably engaged with the assist knuckle, rotated independently from the assist knuckle, and performing steering of a wheel located at an outermost periphery, a steering input portion fixed to a vehicle body and applying a steering force to the RevoKnuckle during steering, a rotation transfer unit located between and coupled between the RevoKnuckle and the steering input portion and absorbing angular displacement formed between the steering input portion and the RevoKnuckle, a first link unit having one end located on one side surface of the assist knuckle and the other end located at a lower end of the RevoKnuckle, and a second link unit having one end located on the other side surface of the assist knuckle and the other end located adjacent to the other end of the first link unit at the lower end of the RevoKnuckle.

A wheel carrier assembly for a front axle or rear axle of a motor vehicle, with a wheel carrier part on which a link for a control arm assembly, a fixing device for a damper strut and a recess for a wheel bearing are provided. The wheel carrier part includes an air guide device for supplying air to a disk brake assembly, which as brake parts has at least a brake disk and a brake caliper. The wheel carrier part has a circumferentially hollow wheel carrier housing part. The air guide device includes at least one air inlet opening and at least one air outlet opening directed onto a brake part.

A wheel suspension includes an axle limb which supports a wheel. The axle limb includes a first steering axle which provides a first steering angle in a specified range for the wheel, and components for connecting the axle limb to a support structure. At least one of the components includes a second steering axle which provides a second steering angle which is different than the first steering angle provided by the first steering axle. The second steering axle is selectively releasable. The components for connecting the axle limb to the support structure form a double transverse link axle which includes an upper traverse link and a lower traverse link. A support tube is arranged at a chassis-side end portion of each of the upper traverse link and the lower traverse link of the double transverse link axle. The support tube is pivotable about the second steering axle.

In a riding mower having a frame supported on front and rear wheels, a mower deck supported beneath the frame, a chair on said frame and a source of motive power also supported on said frame and including an improved suspension system with an articulating front axle that substantially isolates the front wheels from the frame of the lawnmower to thereby dampen vibrations transmitted to the operator as the vehicle traverses the ground.

A strut mount and bearing assembly includes a strut mount having upper and lower ends, a central bore for receiving a shock absorber end and an annular upper race surface between the upper and lower ends and extending circumferentially about the bore. The upper end is fixedly connectable with a vehicle body and has a flat attachment surface disposeable against a vehicle surface of the vehicle body. A first bearing race is disposed on the mount and a spring seat having a second bearing race is movably coupled with the strut mount. The seat also has a lower end with spring engagement surface and a second bearing race is disposed on the seat spaced axially from the first bearing race. Rolling elements are disposed between the first and second bearing races to form a bearing. The various components are formed and sized to make an axially compact assembly.

A suspension device for vehicles (a front suspension (10)) is disclosed in which, of connecting portions (23, 24) of a lower arm (20) and a tie rod (6) for connection to a knuckle (35), one of the connecting portions (24) which is close to the rear of the vehicle is offset inward in the vehicle width direction with respect to the other connecting portion (23) which is close to the front of the vehicle, in the steering neutral state. The center (P2) of a lower end portion of a coil spring (60) is offset outward in the vehicle width direction and rearward in the vehicle's longitudinal direction with respect to the center (P1) of an upper end portion of the coil spring (60).

Vehicle platforms, and systems, subsystems, and components thereof are described. A self-contained vehicle platform or chassis incorporating substantially all of the functional systems, subsystems and components (e.g., mechanical, electrical, structural, etc.) necessary for an operative vehicle. Functional components may include at least energy storage/conversion, propulsion, suspension and wheels, steering, crash protection, and braking systems. Functional components are standardized such that vehicle platforms may be interconnected with a variety of vehicle body designs (also referred to in the art as “top hats”) with minimal or no modification to the functional linkages (e.g., mechanical, structural, electrical, etc.) therebetween. Configurations of functional components are incorporated within the vehicle platform such that there is minimal or no physical overlap between the functional components and the area defined by the vehicle body. Specific functional components of such vehicle platforms, and the relative placement of the various functional components, to allow for implementation of a self-contained vehicle platform are also provided.