Damper control device

• US 10,035,398 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2015
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYB Corp.
• Original Assignee: KYB Corp.
• Inventors: Kurita, Norihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, Mcdieunel
• Application Number:
  US15/125,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20170072762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 701 37
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/015 the regulating means comprising electric or electronic elements B60G17/002, B60G17/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/018 characterised by the use of a specific signal treatment or control method
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/08 Characteristics of fluid dampers adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/24 Fluid damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/414 using electrohydraulic valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/20 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/50 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/11 Damping valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/14 Differentiating means, i.e. differential control
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/46 allowing control from a distance , i.e. location of means for control input being remote from site of valves, e.g. on damper external wall attachment of valve units to cylinders F16F9/325
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/512 Means responsive to load action, i.e. static load on the damper or dynamic fluid pressure changes in the damper, e.g. due to changes in velocity F16F9/504, F16F9/516 take precedence; non-automatic damper adjustment from a distance using servo control, the servo pressure being created by the flow of damping fluid F16F9/465; self-pumping fluid springs in vehicle suspensions B60G17/044

Abstract

A damper control device feeds back a pressure within an extension-side chamber to control an extension-side solenoid valve that adjusts the pressure within the extension-side chamber, and feeds back a pressure within a compression-side chamber to control a compression-side solenoid valve that adjusts the pressure within the compression-side chamber. The damper control device performs a compression-side reduction correction which reduces a compression-side current supplied to the compression-side solenoid valve during extension of a damper, and performs an extension-side reduction correction which reduces an extension-side current supplied to the extension-side solenoid valve during contraction of the damper.

Claims

1. A damper control device for controlling a damping force of a damper having an extension-side chamber and a compression-side chamber which are filled with a working fluid, wherein

the damper control device is configured to feed back a pressure within the extension-side chamber to control an extension-side solenoid valve that adjusts the pressure within the extension-side chamber, and feeds back a pressure within the compression-side chamber to control a compression-side solenoid valve that adjusts the pressure within the compression-side chamber,

the damper control device is configured to perform a calculation to reduce a compression-side current supplied to the compression-side solenoid valve during extension of the damper for a compression-side reduction correction, and

the damper control device is configured to perform a calculation to reduce an extension-side current supplied to the extension-side solenoid valve during contraction of the damper for an extension-side reduction correction.

2. The damper control device according to claim 1, wherein

the extension-side reduction correction is a correction that subtracts an extension-side reduction amount calculated based on an extension/contraction speed of the damper from the extension-side current, and

the compression-side reduction correction is a correction that subtracts a compression-side reduction amount calculated based on the extension/contraction speed of the damper from the compression-side current.

3. The damper control device according to claim 2, wherein

the extension-side reduction correction is not performed if an absolute value of the extension/contraction speed of the damper is less than an absolute value of a predetermined extension-side speed threshold value, and

the compression-side reduction correction is not performed if the absolute value of the extension/contraction speed of the damper is less than an absolute value of a predetermined compression-side speed threshold value.

4. The damper control device according to claim 1, wherein

the compression-side reduction correction is a correction that replaces the compression-side current with the extension-side current, and

the extension-side reduction correction is a correction that replaces the extension-side current with the compression-side current.

5. The damper control device according to claim 4, wherein

the extension-side reduction correction is performed when the extension-side current is at or above a first extension-side current threshold value and the pressure within the extension-side chamber is at or below an extension-side pressure threshold value, and

the compression-side reduction correction is performed when the compression-side current is at or above a first compression-side current threshold value and the pressure within the compression-side chamber is at or below a compression-side pressure threshold value.

6. The damper control device according to claim 4, wherein

the extension-side reduction correction is performed when the extension-side current is at or above a first extension-side current threshold value, the pressure within the extension-side chamber is at or below an extension-side pressure threshold value, and the compression-side current is at or below a second compression-side current threshold value, and

the compression-side reduction correction is performed when the compression-side current is at or above a first compression-side current threshold value, the pressure within the compression-side chamber is at or below a compression-side pressure threshold value, and the extension-side current is at or below a second extension-side current threshold value.