TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology generally relates to an anti-roll bar link configured to selectively provide increased suspension articulation in vehicles having an anti-roll bar.

BACKGROUND

An anti-roll bar (or anti-sway bar) is a common component in automotive suspensions to help reduce the body roll of a vehicle during cornering and other dynamic events causing suspension articulation. In general, an anti-roll bar is connected between the suspension assemblies of the left and right side of a vehicle to transfer an amount of articulation between the sides. In some configurations, both front and rear anti-roll bars are used on a four-wheel vehicle. The anti-roll bar provides compensation to the suspension on one side of the vehicle when the suspension on the other opposing side is articulated, e.g. compressing the left rear wheel suspension when the right rear wheel suspension is compressed through vehicle cornering and/or traveling over road irregularities. In this regard, the anti-roll bar can work to compress or extend the suspension of the opposite side of the vehicle to maintain the left and right side at similar heights.

In such anti-roll bar configurations, when one side of the suspension articulates, the anti-roll bar system imparts a torsional force through the bar and links to the other side of the connected suspension components.FIG. 1shows a conventional anti-roll bar configuration having a bar1, a rigid link2connecting the bar1to an axle3, and a spring4providing counter-resistance to input compression forces. For clarity, other common components of the suspension and vehicle systems have been omitted. In these conventional configurations, the links connecting the anti-roll bar to the suspension components are generally rigid, such that the torsional forces of the bar are directly transferred to the suspension components during articulation. In some road configurations, such as rough or broken pavement, anti-roll bars can produce jarring side-to-side body motions (a “waddling” sensation), which increase in severity with the diameter and stiffness of the anti-roll bar. Further, excessive role stiffness, which is typically a result of overly aggressive anti-roll bar setups, can cause the inside wheels to lift off the ground during hard cornering and other suspension articulation maneuvering.

Disconnecting the anti-roll bars may be desirable in certain situations where high-articulation of the suspension is beneficial, such as off-road or when traversing rugged terrain. When the anti-roll bars are disconnected, the suspension at each corner of the vehicle can articulate to a larger extent since the forces acting on the wheel in any given corner of the vehicle are imparted into only the suspension components in that corner. During off-road use, such increased articulation may improve the ability of the vehicle to traverse rugged terrain; however, vehicles can become unstable with the anti-roll bars disconnected, and are typically only usable at very low vehicle speeds due to undamped side-to-side motion.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one embodiment of the present technology, an anti-roll bar link for a vehicle suspension is provided. The anti-roll bar link can be switched between different states, such as a locked state, an unlocked state, etc. In the locked state, the anti-roll bar link can function as a fixed-length link coupled to a suspension arm and an anti-roll bar. In the unlocked state, the anti-roll bar link can extend to increase suspension travel. For example, the anti-roll bar links can be in the locked state when traveling along paved roads and can be in the unlocked state when off-roading or traversing rugged terrain. The anti-roll bar links can include manually accessible control elements used to change the state of the links when the vehicle (e.g., truck, car, dune buggy, all-terrain vehicle, off-road vehicle, etc.) is stationary. This allows the front suspension to operate differently than the rear suspension. For example, front anti-roll bar links can be set to a first setting while rear anti-roll bar links can be set to a second setting, which may be different from the first setting. In other modes, each anti-roll bar link can be set to the same setting. In some embodiments, the anti-roll bar links can be in communication a controller (e.g., an electronic control unit, a suspension controller, etc.) programmed to change the state of one or more of the anti-roll bar links on the fly while seated in or otherwise operating the vehicle. The controller can also coordinate operation of the anti-roll bar links and the suspension system based on one or more sensor inputs (e.g., an adaptive suspension system, a semi-active suspension system, etc.).

In accordance with one embodiment of the present technology, an anti-roll bar link for a vehicle suspension is provided. The anti-roll bar link generally includes an elongate body having a proximal end portion and an inner chamber extending to the proximal end portion, a shaft configured to be received within the inner chamber and axially translate with respect to the body, and a piston coupled to an end of the shaft such that axial translation of the shaft causes the piston to travel along the inner chamber. The anti-roll bar link may further include a locking protrusion extending from the end of the shaft and away from the piston toward the proximal end portion of the body, the locking protrusion having a proximal tip and a locking aperture extending transversely through the proximal tip, wherein the locking aperture may be positioned to receive a locking pin and lock the axial position of the shaft with respect to the body.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present technology, an anti-roll bar link for a vehicle suspension is provided. The anti-roll bar link generally includes an elongate body having an inner chamber extending axially along the body and an enlarged chamber positioned near a proximal end portion of the body, the enlarged chamber having a sloped surface, a shaft configured to be received within the inner chamber and axially translate with respect to the body, and a retainer guide coupled to an end of the shaft and having a ball aperture. The anti-roll bar link may further include a locking ball radially movable in the ball aperture with respect to the retainer guide, wherein the locking ball may be configured to selectively engage with the sloped surface of the enlarged chamber in a parked position of the anti-roll bar link to lock the axial position of the shaft with respect to the body.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present technology, an anti-roll bar link for a vehicle suspension is provided. The anti-roll bar link generally includes an elongate body having an inner chamber extending axially along the body, a shaft assembly configured to be received within the inner chamber and to axially translate with respect to the body, the shaft assembly configured to slidably contact the elongate body such that a distal portion of the inner chamber contains pressurized fluid, and a cap assembly coupled to a proximal end of the elongate body. The cap assembly may have a locked configuration for fixedly holding the shaft assembly and unlocked configuration for allowing the shaft assembly to travel along the inner chamber such that the pressurized fluid provides dampening. The cap assembly may be spaced apart from an anti-roll bar mount region of the elongate body such that the cap assembly is manually accessible and reconfigurable between the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration when installed.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

