US-20260124871-A1 - SUSPENSION SYSTEM INCLUDING A SUSPENSION DAMPER HAVING A MECHANICALLY ADJUSTABLE MOTION RATIO

US20260124871A1US 20260124871 A1US20260124871 A1US 20260124871A1US-20260124871-A1

Abstract

A vehicle includes a body and a suspension member including a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion extending between the first end and the second end. A guide element extends along the suspension member between the first end and the second end. A suspension damper module including a suspension damper is connected between the body and the suspension member, the suspension damper including a first damper member connected to the guide element and a second damper member connected to the body. An actuator member is operatively attached to the first damper member. The actuator member selectively shifts the first damper member along the guide element between the first end and the second end to adjust an effective damping characteristic of the suspension member.

Inventors

Steven Baumbach

Assignees

GM Global Technolgy Operations LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241101

Claims (14)

1 . A vehicle comprising: a body; a suspension member including a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion extending between the first end and the second end, the second end of the suspension member being pivotally mounted to the body; a guide element extending along the suspension member between the first end and the second end; a suspension damper module including a suspension damper connected between the body and the suspension member, the suspension damper including a first damper member connected to the guide element and a second damper member connected to the body; an actuator member operatively attached to the first damper member, the actuator member selectively shifting the first damper member along the guide element between the first end and the second end to adjust an effective damping characteristic of the suspension member; a suspension sensor configured to detect a ride characteristic of the vehicle; and a suspension controller operatively connected to the actuator member and the suspension sensor, the suspension controller including a non-transient memory module having stored therein a plurality of positions for the actuator member; and a manual activation control operatively connected to the suspension controller, wherein the suspension controller is configured to activate the actuator member to adjust a position of the first damper member on the guide element to one of the plurality of positions input into the non-transient memory module, through the manual activation control, to establish a selected damping characteristic of the suspension member.
2 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the first end of the suspension member is configured to translate relative to the body a first distance and the second damper member is configured to translate relative to the suspension member a second distance, the damping characteristic being a motion ratio of the first distance relative to the second distance.
3 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the guide element includes a slot that extends along the intermediate portion of the suspension member between the first end and the second end.
4 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the suspension member is a suspension arm.
5 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a coil spring disposed about the suspension damper, the suspension damper module being a suspension spring and damper module.
6 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator member comprises a linear actuator.
7 . (canceled)
8 . A vehicle comprising: a body; a suspension member including a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion extending between the first end and the second end, the second end being pivotally mounted to the body; a guide element extending along the suspension member between the first end and the second end; a suspension damper module including a suspension damper connected between the body and the suspension member, the suspension damper including a first damper member connected to the suspension member and a second damper member connected to the body; a dampening characteristic control mechanism configured to adjust a dampening characteristic of the vehicle without adjusting damping characteristics of the suspension damper; a suspension sensor configured to detect a ride characteristic of the vehicle; and a suspension controller operatively connected to the dampening characteristic control mechanism and the suspension sensor, the suspension controller including a non-transient memory module having stored therein a plurality of positions for the first damper member; and a manual activation control operatively connected to the suspension controller, wherein the suspension controller is configured to activate the dampening characteristic control mechanism to adjust a position of the first damper member on the guide element to one of the plurality of positions input into the non-transient memory module, through the manual activation control, to establish a selected damping characteristic of the suspension member.
9 . The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the first damper member being is operatively connected to the guide element.
10 . The vehicle according to claim 9 , further comprising an actuator member operatively attached to the first damper member, the actuator member selectively shifting the first damper member along the guide element between the first end and the second end to adjust the dampening characteristic of the suspension member.
11 . The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the first end of the suspension member is configured to translate relative to the body a first distance and the second damper member is configured to translate relative to the suspension member a second distance, the dampening characteristic being a motion ratio of the first distance relative to the second distance.
12 . The vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the guide element includes a slot that extends along the intermediate portion of the suspension member between the first end and the second end.
13 . The vehicle according to claim 9 , further comprising a coil spring disposed about the suspension damper, the suspension damper module being a suspension spring and damper module.
14 - 20 . (canceled)

Description

INTRODUCTION The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure. The present disclosure relates to vehicle suspension systems and, more particularly, to a vehicle suspension system having a mechanically adjustable suspension damper. Vehicles include suspension components that connect a vehicle body to vehicle wheels. The suspension system isolates the vehicle body from forces input through the wheels. The suspension components include springs and dampers that work in unison to maintain desirable vehicle trim height and isolate the vehicle body from forces input through the wheels. The amount of damping provided by the damper is tied to total vehicle body mass. Total vehicle body mass includes mass of components that form the vehicle body as well as an anticipated mass of passengers and loads supported by the vehicle body. Typically, the spring and damper characteristics are selected to provide a desired trim height at a specific total vehicle body mass and an appropriate amount of spring and damper control for a specific range of total vehicle body mass. SUMMARY A vehicle, in accordance with the present disclosure, includes a body, a suspension member including a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion extending between the first end and the second end. The second end of the suspension member is pivotally mounted to the body. A guide element extends along the suspension member between the first end and the second end. A suspension damper module including a suspension damper is connected between the body and the suspension member. The suspension damper including a first damper member connected to the guide element and a second damper member connected to the body. An actuator member is operatively attached to the first damper member. The actuator member selectively shifts the first damper member along the guide element between the first end and the second end to adjust an effective damping characteristic of the suspension member. In other features, the first end of the suspension member is configured to translate relative to the body a first distance and the second damper member is configured to translate relative to the suspension member a second distance, the damping characteristic being a motion ratio of the first distance relative to the second distance. In other features, the guide element includes a slot that extends along the intermediate portion of the suspension member between the first end and the second end. In other features, the suspension member is a suspension arm. In other features, a coil spring is disposed about the suspension damper forming a suspension module. In other features, the actuator member comprises a linear actuator. In other features, a suspension controller, the suspension controller is configured to detect a suspension condition of the body and adjust a position of the first damper member on the guide element to establish a selected damping characteristic of the suspension member. A vehicle, in accordance with the present disclosure, includes a body and a suspension member including a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion extending between the first end and the second end. The second end of the suspension member being pivotally mounted to the body. A suspension damper module including a suspension damper is connected between the body and the suspension member. The suspension damper includes a first damper member connected to the suspension member and a second damper member connected to the body. A dampening characteristic control mechanism is configured to adjust a dampening characteristic of the vehicle without adjusting damping characteristics of the suspension damper. In other features, the suspension member includes a guide element extending between the first end and the second end, the first damper member being operatively connected to the guide element. In other features, an actuator member is operatively attached to the first damper member, the actuator member selectively shifting the first damper member along the guide element between the first end and the second end to adjust the dampening characteristic of the suspension member. In other features, the first end of the suspension member is configured to translate relative to the body a first distance and the second damper member is configured to translate relative to the suspension member a second distance, the dampening characteristic being a motion ratio of the first distance relative to the second distance. In other features, the guide element includes a slot that extends along the intermediate portion of the suspension member between the first end a