US 11,926,379 B1
Rollover prevention apparatus
Michael R. Schramm, Perry, UT (US)
Filed by Michael R. Schramm, Perry, UT (US)
Filed on Jan. 19, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/157,049.
Application 18/157,049 is a continuation of application No. 17/391,001, filed on Aug. 1, 2021, granted, now 11,565,747, issued on Jan. 31, 2023.
Application 17/391,001 is a continuation of application No. 16/384,506, filed on Apr. 15, 2019, granted, now 11,077,877, issued on Aug. 3, 2021.
Application 16/384,506 is a continuation of application No. 15/442,573, filed on Feb. 24, 2017, granted, now 10,259,494, issued on Apr. 16, 2019.
Application 15/442,573 is a continuation of application No. 14/733,042, filed on Jun. 8, 2015, granted, now 9,580,103, issued on Feb. 28, 2017.
Application 14/733,042 is a continuation of application No. 14/145,950, filed on Jan. 1, 2014, granted, now 9,050,997, issued on Jun. 9, 2015.
Application 14/145,950 is a continuation in part of application No. 13/222,157, filed on Aug. 31, 2011, granted, now 8,634,989, issued on Jan. 21, 2014.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/378,482, filed on Aug. 31, 2010.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/385,535, filed on Sep. 22, 2010.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B62D 5/00 (2006.01); B62D 1/16 (2006.01); B62D 6/00 (2006.01); B62D 15/02 (2006.01)
CPC B62D 6/002 (2013.01) [B62D 1/16 (2013.01); B62D 5/005 (2013.01); B62D 6/008 (2013.01); B62D 15/0215 (2013.01); B62D 15/025 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An anti-roll steering apparatus having:
a steering wheel, a steering column having a first end and a second end, a rack and pinion steering device, and a set of steerable guide wheels of an automobile, wherein said first end of said steering column is mechanically connected to said steering wheel and said second end of said steering column is mechanically connected to said rack and pinion steering device, and said rack and pinion steering device is in mechanically operative communication with said set of steerable guide wheels of said automobile such that said set of steerable guide wheels are mechanically slaved to said steering wheel such that a steering torque from said steering wheel is transmissible to said rack and pinion steering device and such that rotation of said steering wheel causes a corresponding change in an angular position of said steerable guide wheels relative to the body of said automobile,
at least one sensor adapted to sense the magnitude of at least one driving parameter comprising at least one of automobile speed, degree of steering turn, automobile center of gravity, automobile suspension stiffness, automobile wheelbase width, automobile loading, automobile tire pressure, traction between a road and automobile tires, and road bank angle,
at least one actuator operatively adapted to actuate upon receipt of an actuation signal, and
an electronic control unit adapted to send an actuation signal to said actuator when a sensed driving parameter exceeds a predetermined magnitude,
wherein said apparatus has a first mode such that for the duration of when said apparatus is in said first mode, always allows said automobile to be steered within a maximal non-rollover steering range of motion of said automobile but always prevents said automobile from being steered to a point of roll of said automobile at any rollover capable speed of said automobile regardless of an oversteer rotational load being applied to said steering wheel and regardless of the source of said oversteer rotational load and without locking said steering column such that all rotation movement of said steering column is prevented, and
wherein said apparatus has a second mode that allows said automobile to be steered within a maximal non-rollover steering range of motion of said automobile but does not prevent said automobile from being steered to a point of roll of said automobile, and
wherein said apparatus transitions from said first mode to said second mode in response to an application of a non-oversteer-rotational load to said steering wheel, and
wherein if said guide wheels are turned beyond an angular position point of a rollover threshold of said automobile, said automobile will roll over.