Abstract:
A trailer including a plurality of rearwardly-extending frame arms located on opposite sides of said main frame, each of which includes a tandem with a plurality of wheels mounted thereto; a U-shaped cross member for maintaining said main frame level from side to side; at least one length-adjustable member operatively connected to said main frame and at least one of said plurality of frame arms; selective movement of said length-adjustable member causing said distal end of at least one of said plurality of frame arms to move up or down; and an automatic leveling system for moving each said length-adjustable members and each said corresponding frame arm such that said main frame is maintained in a relatively level orientation when said trailer encounters uneven terrain.
Abstract:
In some embodiments, a memory cell includes a transistor gate spaced from a channel region by gate dielectric; a source region on one side of the channel region; and a drain region on an opposing side of the channel region from the source region. The channel region has phase change material adjacent the drain region. In some embodiments, the phase change material may be adjacent both the source region and the drain region. Some embodiments include methods of programming a memory cell that has phase change material adjacent a drain region. An inversion layer is formed within the channel region adjacent the gate dielectric, with the inversion layer having a pinch-off region within the phase change material adjacent the drain region. Hot carriers (for instance, electrons) within the pinch-off region are utilized to change a phase within the phase change material.
Abstract:
In some embodiments, a memory cell includes a transistor gate spaced from a channel region by gate dielectric; a source region on one side of the channel region; and a drain region on an opposing side of the channel region from the source region. The channel region has phase change material adjacent the drain region. In some embodiments, the phase change material may be adjacent both the source region and the drain region. Some embodiments include methods of programming a memory cell that has phase change material adjacent a drain region. An inversion layer is formed within the channel region adjacent the gate dielectric, with the inversion layer having a pinch-off region within the phase change material adjacent the drain region. Hot carriers (for instance, electrons) within the pinch-off region are utilized to change a phase within the phase change material.
Abstract:
An air suspension system for a multi-axle vehicle having air bags (4,5; 6,7; 8,9; 10,11; 44 to 49) supporting either side of the axles (2,3; 41 to 43), including separate air lines (18 to 25; 50 to 55) respectively connecting each air bag to a level control valve (16,17; 56,57) via manifolds (26,27; M) and air lines (28,29; 54,55) to independently control air supply to the bags on either side, the separate air lines being of the same size and length to ensure that substantially the same volume of air is supplied to each bag to improve the responsiveness and stability of the system.
Abstract:
A roll stability control system (18) for an automotive vehicle (10) includes an active anti-roll bar system (62) and a rollover sensor (40) that generates a roll attitude signal indicative of a pending rollover of the vehicle. A controller (26) controls the active anti-roll bar system (62) to prevent the vehicle from rolling over in response to the roll attitude signal. The controller (26) may also control a brake system (60). The brake system may be used in addition to the active anti-roll bar system to prevent rollover of the vehicle.
Abstract:
In a suspension system (20) for use in a vehicle including a body, left and right front wheels (10), and left and right rear wheels (12), a front-wheel-associated cylinder device (52) which controls a relative displacement of the left and right front wheels, and a rear-wheel-associated cylinder device (62) which controls a relative displacement of the left and right rear wheels are associated with each other with a working fluid. A first-chamber-associated valve (190) is provided in a first-chamber-associated passage (90) which connects between respective first chambers (74) of the front-wheel-associated cylinder device and the rear-wheel-associated cylinder device, such that the first-chamber-associated valve is located between the first chamber of the front-wheel-associated cylinder device and a first fluid accommodating device (200).
Abstract:
The object of this invention is to detect an abnormality of a roll-motion restricting device including a hydraulic circuit. It is possible to determine that a fluid leakage takes place if actual fluid pressure in fluid passages 72, 74 connecting the corresponding fluid chambers of front-wheel-side hydraulic cylinder 30 and rear-wheel-side hydraulic cylinder 60 is lower than a value determined by a lateral acceleration value of a vehicle. On the basis of a relationship between a state of rolling of the vehicle and the fluid pressure, the hydraulic circuit can be diagnosed for any abnormality. In the event of detection of an abnormality, solenoid-operated shut-off valves 100, 102 are closed to isolate the two hydraulic cylinders 30, 60 from each other, and isolate one of the hydraulic cylinders or a portion of the fluid passage, which suffers from the fluid leakage, from the other hydraulic cylinder, so that this other hydraulic cylinder can generate a fluid pressure difference depending upon the rolling state of the vehicle, enabling a stabilizer bar to generate a resilient force, whereby the deterioration of a roll-motion restricting effect can be made smaller, than in the case where the two hydraulic cylinders are disabled to normally function.
Abstract:
An axle assembly for a suspension system of a vehicle includes an elongate axle member adapted to rotatably receive wheels of a vehicle, a first arm member operatively associated with the axle member and flexibly connected, in use, to a chassis of the vehicle, a second arm member operatively associated with the axle member and flexibly connected, in use, to the chassis, and a first ram operatively associated with the first arm member and the axle member. The axle assembly is incorporated, in use, into a suspension system as a roll control component of the suspension system. The arrangement is such that when expansion or contraction of the ram is restricted, rotation of the axle member relative to the first arm member is restricted and roll of the vehicle is resisted, and when expansion or contraction of the ram is permitted, rotation of the axle member relative to the first arm member is permitted and articulation of the axle member is permitted.
Abstract:
A vehicle suspension control system that allows substantially vertical motion of each wheel relative to the vehicle body includes front and rear resilient support means for supporting the body, a front roll stabilization assembly interconnecting at least one forward pair of wheels and a rear roll stabilization assembly interconnecting at least one rearward pair of wheels. Each roll stabilization assembly includes at least one lateral torsion bar (2) and a double-acting hydraulic actuator (3) interconnected to the at least one lateral torsion bar (2), the front and rear hydraulic actuators (3) being interconnected by first and second fluid conduits (5). Roll moments applied to the vehicle body generate pressure within the fluid conduits (5) thereby transmitting the roll moment into each lateral torsion bar (2). Warp motions of the wheels generate flow along the fluid conduits (5) resulting in a displacement of one hydraulic actuator (3) in a proportional and opposite direction to the other hydraulic actuator (3). The front and rear roll stabilization assemblies provide roll stiffness during both roll and warp motions while at the same time providing substantially zero warp stiffness. The system includes an hydraulic fluid supply means (12) and fluid conduit valve means (13) for selectively communicating the fluid conduits (5) with the hydraulic fluid supply means (12) to regulate the average pressure in both fluid conduits (5).
Abstract:
A vehicle suspension system comprising a hydraulic roll control actuator 4 controlled by a hydraulic circuit 10. The circuit 10 includes a valve block having a pressure line 18a supplied by a pump 12 and a return line 20a, and a pressure control valve 22 for controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid from the pressure line 18a to the return line 20 to control the hydraulic pressure drop between them. Two actuation control valves 24, 26 allow connection of the actuators between the pressure and return lines to control the actuating force produced by the actuators. A control unit 30 is arranged to connect the actuators 4 only when the desired actuating force is greater than a minimum value corresponding to a minimum pressure drop which can be produced by the pressure control valve 22, and to determine the minimum pressure drop from measurement of the temperature of a part of the hydraulic system.