Harry J. Venema

Active shock absorbing system for a vehicle

A horizontally moving vehicle body may b stabilized and held at a constant vertical level, as its wheels move up and down in response to disturbing forces, by utilizing the kinetic energy of the rotating wheels to create counter forces on the vehicle body in the direction opposite to the disturbing forces to counterbalance the disturbances. As a disturbing force moves a wheel downward (assume the wheel falls into a hole in the road), a vertical force is imparted toward (against) the vehicle body to effectively push the wheel downward and away from the body, the body thereby remaining at its normal level and not following the wheel. On the other hand, when a wheel moves upward (assume it rides over a bump in the road), the kinetic energy of the wheel is converted to a vertical force in the direction away from the vehicle body to lift the wheel upward and force it toward the body, as a result of which the body remains undisturbed at its normal level and will not follow the upward movement of the wheel.