All-Terrain Vehicle and Its Suspension

Abstract

The invention relates to design of all-terrain vehicles. The vehicle comprises a gas line which is connected to all of the wheel tires simultaneously and is coupled to a system for inflating the tires. A suspension comprises a wheel springing system connected to the wheel tires, a pneumatic drive and a system for inflating the tires, wherein the wheel springing system is configured in the form of an gas line formed from the cavities of the pipes from which a frame is welded, or is configured outside the frame, forming a closed loop that is connected to each of the tires by means of pipes with closure members, and wherein the pneumatic drive and the system for inflating the tires are constituted by an engine exhaust system which is provided with a baffle and is coupled to the air line by means of a pipe with a closure member.

Claims

1. A vehicle suspension comprising: wheels, each wheel comprising a tire and a shaft, wherein the tires are in fluid communication with each other via a pipeline; bearing units, each bearing unit accommodating one of the shafts; and a suspension frame rigidly attached to the bearing units and rigidly attached to a vehicle body.

2. The suspension of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises the pipeline.

3. The suspension of claim 2, wherein the pipeline comprises at least one tube; and wherein the at least one tube forms at least a part of the frame.

4. The suspension of claim 3, wherein the pipeline comprises tubes; and wherein the tubes form the frame.

5. The suspension of claim 1, wherein the pipeline is a closed-circuit pipeline.

6. The suspension of claim 1, wherein the pipeline comprises at least one tube in fluid communication with one of the tires; wherein the at least one tube comprises a valve.

7. The suspension of claim 6, wherein the valve is connected to a vehicle control system.

8. The suspension of claim 1, wherein the pipeline is connected to a pressurized gas source.

9. The suspension of claim 8, wherein the gas source is a vehicle exhaust.

10. The suspension of claim 8, wherein the pipeline is connected to the pressurized gas source through a damper.

11. The suspension of claim 10, wherein the damper is connected to a vehicle control system.

12. The suspension of claim 1, further comprising an exhaust damper between the pipeline and the outside air.

13. The suspension of claim 12, wherein the exhaust damper is connected to a vehicle control system.

14. The suspension of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an all-terrain vehicle.

15. The suspension of claim 1, wherein the tires are low-pressure tires.

16. A vehicle comprising the vehicle suspension of claim 1.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the vehicle suspension is the only suspension system of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the vehicle is an all-terrain vehicle.

19. A vehicle comprising: a pipeline; wheels, each wheel comprising a tire and a shaft, wherein the tires are in fluid communication with each other via the pipeline; a vehicle body; and bearing units rigidly attached to the vehicle body, each bearing unit accommodating one of the shafts.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the pipeline is a closed-circuit pipeline.

21. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the pipeline comprises at least one tube in fluid communication with one of the tires; wherein the at least one tube comprises a valve.

22. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein the valve is connected to a vehicle control system.

23. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the pipeline is connected to a pressurized gas source.

24. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the gas source is a vehicle exhaust.

25. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the pipeline is connected to the pressurized gas source through a damper.

26. The vehicle of claim 25, wherein the damper is connected to a vehicle control system.

27. The vehicle of claim 19, further comprising an exhaust damper between the pipeline and the outside air.

28. The vehicle of claim 27, wherein the exhaust damper is connected to a vehicle control system.

29. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the vehicle is an all-terrain vehicle.

30. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the tires are low-pressure tires.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] A technical character of the invention is explained with a help of the following figures:

[0039] FIG. 1 is general view of an all-terrain vehicle;

[0040] FIG. 2 is layout of main assemblies of an all-terrain vehicle;

[0041] FIG. 3 is schematic layout of an all-terrain vehicle's suspension with an air line in the side members and the cross bars of a frame;

[0042] FIG. 4 is schematic layout of a suspension with an air line provided outside a frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The numbers on the above figures refer to: a cabin (1) with a side glazing (2) and a frontal glazing (3), a door (4), a passengers compartment (5); an engine (6); a transmission gearbox (7); a driveline shun (8); a steering gear (9) comprising the axle shafts (25) with the star wheels (26) interconnected by the chain-drives (27) with the star wheels (28), mounted on the axle shafts (12) connected with wheels (14); the final drives (10, 11); the axle shafts (12) fixed within the bearing units (13); the wheels (14) with the low pressure tires (15), mounted on the axle shafts (12); a suspension with an air line (16) configured inside a frame formed by the side members (17) and the cross bars (18); the pipelines (19) with the valve members, e.g. the stop valves (20) connecting an air line (16) with the tires (15); a tire inflation system in a form of a pipeline (21) with a valve member, e.g. a stop valve (22); a damper (23) connected to a pipeline (21) and an air line (16); an exhaust system (24) of an engine (6); an air line configured outside a frame in a form of a pipeline (29) with the manifolds (30) and the valve members such as the valves (31); a clutch (32).

[0044] The claimed all-terrain vehicle with its suspension operates in a following way. When an engine (6) is turned, the valve members (20) on the pipelines (19) of an air line (16) as well as a valve member (22) on a pipeline (21) are opened and a damper (23) in an exhaust system (24) is closed. In result of excessive pressure in an exhaust system (24) exhaust gases flow through an open valve (22) and a pipeline (16) into the tires (15). All tires (15) are pumped up simultaneously to the required level of pressure depending on the terrain on which an all-terrain vehicle will move. The pressure level in tires (15) is regulated by a pressure gauge installed on an all-terrain vehicle's control panel, i.e. a control system shown at (40) in FIGS. 3 and 4, and a fluid power drive shown at (41) in FIGS. 2-4.

[0045] After a valve (22) is closed automatically and a damper (23) is opened an all-terrain vehicle start to move. At the same time the pressure in tires (15) is maintained at the constant level because a valve (22) is closed and an air line with the wheels is disconnected from an exhaust system. The running torque is transferred from an engine (6) to a clutch (32), then to a transmission gearbox (7), and then, via driveline shun (8), to a steering gear that distributes it between right and left sides of an all-terrain vehicle changing from the full-stop position to a full-on position.

[0046] A steering gear operates in a following way. To make a turn, a driver must pull one of the levers. In this case a clutch from the relevant side is unlocked first and the brakes are locked after. The more one pushes a brake level, the more the brakes are locked. To stop an all-terrain vehicle a driver must put both levels into pull on position. With the lower pressure in tires (15), a damper (23) is closed manually or automatically, and a valve (22) for inflation of the tires with exhaust gases is opened. The operation herein can be performed both in manual and automatic modes.

[0047] To decrease the pressure in the tires (15), e.g. when one need to force a water course, the valve (22) is opened manually and an air from an air line (16) is released into the atmosphere through a damper (23) of an exhaust system (24).

[0048] In other embodiment of a suspension the air line is configured outside the frame as a pipeline (29) with manifolds (30) and valve members (31) (see FIG. 4). The operation of an all-terrain vehicle with a suspension according to this embodiment is performed in a similar way to the previous embodiment of the invention.

[0049] Hence, the claimed all-terrain vehicle and its suspension provide ride comfort, reduce the shock loads for a running gear during cross-country riding, ensure reliability eliminating flexural and resonant oscillations of the vehicle as a whole.

[0050] While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.