Recent Innovations in Vehicle Suspension Systems

Suspension system is one of the most important systems in a modern vehicle. It significantly contributes to the vehicle's availability and safety, keeps vehicle occupants comfortable and also protects the vehicle from damage and wear. Due to its importance in the vehicle structure, a massive amount of effort has been spent on enhancing the performances of suspension system, such as stability, controllability, and other capabilities. This paper briefly reviews recent innovations and some representative patents (since 2000) in this area and outlines the features and advantages of these inventions. The future trends of research in the suspension system design are also discussed.