A wheel suspension system for mounting a wheel on a vehicle body, such as a flying car, the system comprising: an upright assembly for mounting the wheel; a lower arm assembly comprising: a lower control arm; and a storage arm; a mounting structure connecting the lower arm assembly to the upright assembly; an upper control arm; and an adjustable suspension assembly pivotally connected to the upright assembly or lower control arm assembly and pivotally connected to the body; wherein one end of the lower control arm is pivotally connected to the body, and the other end of the lower control arm is connected to the mounting structure to be pivotable about a first axis; the mounting structure is connected to the upright assembly to be pivotable about a second axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first axis; the storage arm is pivotally connected to the lower control arm at one end, and is moveably connected to the body under control of an actuator at the other end; and the upper control arm having a pivot connection to an upper part of the upright assembly at one and, and a pivot connection to the body at the other end; and wherein the lateral position of the upright assembly with respect to the body is adjustable by movement of the actuator of the storage arm with respect to the body, and the vertical position of the upright assembly with respect to the body is adjustable by operation of the adjustable suspension assembly.

The invention disclosed herein comprises a vehicle having improved suspension systems for wheels, motorized wheels and the seat of the user. The wheel suspension system includes a sleeve housing a non-round core snugly surrounded by an elastomeric shock-absorption material. Since both ends of the sleeve have downstanding arms forming the forks supporting a caster axle, irregularities in the terrain encountered by the caster exert torsion upon the core; embedding the core in elastomeric material dampens the shock. The suspension system for the wheel assembly (including any motorized drive shaft) essentially includes pivot-mounting the wheel assembly (wheel-motor) beneath the chassis frame, so that irregularities in the terrain encountered by the drive wheel cause the wheel assembly to flex inwardly (for bumps) or outwardly (for holes); in the resting position there is an elastomeric bumper or compression spring horizontally mounted adjacent to a stop-plate on the pivoting cradle carrying the wheel assembly (or wheel-motor), so that further inward flexion is dampened. The seat suspension system includes elastomeric bumpers essentially acting as fulcrums, to dampen shock by absorbing it directly and by cantilevering the seat for further shock absorption.

A dual-axle vehicle corner assembly which may include a sub-frame, a first arm connected to the sub-frame and rotatable with respect to the sub-frame about a first arm axis, the first arm having a first axle axis about which a first wheel rotates when connected to the first arm, a second arm connected to the sub-frame and rotatable with respect to the sub-frame about a second arm axis, the second arm having a second axle axis about which a second wheel rotates when connected to the second arm, and a suspension system comprising a piston assembly interconnecting the first arm and the second arm, the piston assembly is to controllably increase and decrease a length of the piston assembly to control a distance between the first axle axis and the second axle axis.

An electric vehicle includes a modular support structure having a central frame module and front and rear frame modules in the form of a lattice framework, having two upper longitudinal beams and two lower longitudinal beams connected to each other by uprights and cross-members. The front frame module carries a front suspension with wheel supports carried by upper and lower oscillating arms, and a front electric motor unit including two electric motors, having respective motor axes coincident with each other and arranged along a transverse direction with respect to a vehicle longitudinal direction. The motors are positioned spaced apart from each other, and are symmetrical with respect to a vehicle median line. Two gear reducing units are arranged centrally between the two electric motors, with housings having lateral walls from which output shafts project, which are connected by drive shafts to wheel hubs rotatably mounted on the wheel supports.

A steerable vehicle suspension can include an axle, at least one retractor having a length that decreases in response to a pressure increase applied to the retractor, and at least one wheel spindle. Resistance to rotation of the wheel spindle relative to the axle increases in response to the pressure increase applied to the retractor. A method of operating a steerable vehicle suspension of a vehicle can include allowing steering knuckles rotatably mounted at opposite ends of an axle to rotate relative to the axle while the vehicle moves forward, and applying an inwardly directed force simultaneously to each of the steering knuckles. Another steerable vehicle suspension can include two rotatably mounted steering knuckles, and two retractors connected to the steering knuckles. An inwardly directed force is applied by each retractor to a respective one of the steering knuckles in response to pressure applied to the retractors.

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 vehicle suspension unit includes a frame module and two wheel supports each connected to the frame module by upper and lower oscillating arms, each arm having a first end portion swivelly connected to the respective wheel support by a first swivel joint and a second end portion swivelly connected to the frame module by a second swivel joint. A suspension spring arrangement includes a single leaf spring, constituting a separate element with respect to the upper and lower arms and arranged transversely relative to a vehicle longitudinal direction, in a symmetrical position relative to a vehicle vertical median plane. The leaf spring has a central portion connected to the frame module and end portions connected to the upper arms. In one version, the central portion is connected to the frame module by a device for adjustment of a position in height of said central portion relative to the frame module.

An electric vehicle includes a modular support structure having a central frame module and front and rear frame modules in the form of a lattice framework, having two upper longitudinal beams and two lower longitudinal beams connected to each other by uprights and cross-members. The front frame module carries a front suspension with wheel supports carried by upper and lower oscillating arms, and a front electric motor unit including two electric motors, having respective motor axes coincident with each other and arranged along a transverse direction with respect to a vehicle longitudinal direction. The motors are positioned spaced apart from each other, and are symmetrical with respect to a vehicle median line. Two gear reducing units are arranged centrally between the two electric motors, with housings having lateral walls from which output shafts project, which are connected by drive shafts to wheel hubs rotatably mounted on the wheel supports.

A wheel suspension arrangement is provided for a vehicle having a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction and a vertical direction. The wheel suspension arrangement includes a wheel holder for supporting a vehicle wheel. A first vertical end region of the wheel holder is pivotally attached to a vehicle support structure by a rigid control arm and a second vertical end region of the wheel holder is attached to the vehicle support structure by a leaf spring. A longitudinal direction of the leaf spring is arranged substantially in the transverse direction of the vehicle. The leaf spring is pivotally attached to the vehicle support structure at a transverse center region of the vehicle, and a center of the leaf spring in the transverse direction is located vertically offset from a pivotal attachment location of the leaf spring. The pivotal attachment location of the leaf spring is vertically offset towards the side of the rigid control arm.