Adjustable vehicle suspension system
First Claim
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1. A method of controlling a damping characteristic of an adjustable shock absorber of a vehicle being operated by a driver, the driver steering the vehicle by holding a steering device with the hands of the driver, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) electronically controlling with at least one controller the damping characteristic of the adjustable shock absorber based on a plurality of inputs from a plurality of sensors supported by the vehicle at a first time;
(b) receiving at a second time subsequent to the first time a driver initiated request to alter the damping characteristic of the adjustable shock absorber through a driver actuatable input;
(c) altering with the at least one controller, at a third time subsequent to the second time, the damping characteristic of the adjustable shock absorber based on the received driver initiated request; and
(d) automatically altering with the at least one controller, at a fourth time subsequent to the third time, the damping characteristic of the adjustable shock absorber based on the plurality of inputs from the plurality of sensors,wherein step (c) includes the steps of;
deviating a stiffness of the damping characteristic of the at least one adjustable shock absorber relative to the stiffness of the damping characteristic of the at least one adjustable shock absorber at the first time; and
at a fifth time between the third time and the fourth time, altering the stiffness of the damping characteristic of the at least one adjustable shock absorber, wherein the fifth time is a predetermined time delay period from the third time.
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Abstract
A damping control system for a vehicle having a suspension located between a plurality of ground engaging members and a vehicle frame includes at least one adjustable shock absorber having an adjustable damping profile and a driver actuatable input. The driver actuatable input may be positioned to be actuatable by the driver in the absence of requiring a removal of either of the hands of the driver from a steering device of the vehicle.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a damping characteristic of an adjustable shock absorber of a vehicle being operated by a driver, the driver steering the vehicle by holding a steering device with the hands of the driver, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) electronically controlling with at least one controller the damping characteristic of the adjustable shock absorber based on a plurality of inputs from a plurality of sensors supported by the vehicle at a first time; (b) receiving at a second time subsequent to the first time a driver initiated request to alter the damping characteristic of the adjustable shock absorber through a driver actuatable input; (c) altering with the at least one controller, at a third time subsequent to the second time, the damping characteristic of the adjustable shock absorber based on the received driver initiated request; and (d) automatically altering with the at least one controller, at a fourth time subsequent to the third time, the damping characteristic of the adjustable shock absorber based on the plurality of inputs from the plurality of sensors, wherein step (c) includes the steps of; deviating a stiffness of the damping characteristic of the at least one adjustable shock absorber relative to the stiffness of the damping characteristic of the at least one adjustable shock absorber at the first time; and at a fifth time between the third time and the fourth time, altering the stiffness of the damping characteristic of the at least one adjustable shock absorber, wherein the fifth time is a predetermined time delay period from the third time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A vehicle for operation by a driver, comprising:
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a plurality of ground engaging members; a plurality of suspensions supported by the plurality of ground engaging members, the plurality of suspensions including a plurality of adjustable shock absorbers; a frame coupled to the plurality of ground engaging members through the plurality of suspensions, a first ground engaging member of the plurality of ground engaging members being coupled to the frame through a first suspension, the first suspension including a first adjustable shock absorber of the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers, a second ground engaging member of the plurality of ground engaging members being coupled to the frame through a second suspension, the second suspension including a second adjustable shock absorber of the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers, and a third ground engaging member of the plurality of ground engaging members being coupled to the frame through a third suspension, the third suspension including a third adjustable shock absorber of the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers; a steering system supported by the frame and including a steering device operatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of ground engaging members to steer the vehicle; a driver actuatable input which is positioned to be actuatable by the driver; a driver seat supported by the frame and having a seating surface positioned rearward of the steering device, the first adjustable shock absorber and the second adjustable shock absorber being positioned forward of the steering device and the third adjustable shock absorber being positioned rearward of the steering device; a plurality of sensors supported by the plurality of ground engaging members; and at least one controller operatively coupled to the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers and the plurality of sensors, the at least one controller configured to; (a) determine a damping characteristic of at least one of plurality of adjustable shock absorbers based on a plurality of inputs from the plurality of sensors; (b) receive a driver initiated request to alter the damping characteristic of the at least one of the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers from the driver actuatable input; (c) alter the damping characteristic of the at least one of the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers in response to the received driver initiated request for a first period of time, and (d) subsequent to (c), automatically alter the damping characteristic of the at least one of the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers again based on the plurality of inputs from the plurality of sensors at an expiration of the first period of time, and wherein the at least one controller in (c) deviates a stiffness of the damping characteristic of the at least one adjustable shock absorber of the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers for a first portion of the first time period and subsequently alters the stiffness of the damping characteristic of the at least one adjustable shock absorber of the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers for a second portion of the first time period. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of controlling a damping characteristic of an adjustable shock absorber of a vehicle being operated by a driver, the driver steering the vehicle by holding a steering device with the hands of the driver, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) electronically controlling with at least one controller the damping characteristic of the adjustable shock absorber based on a plurality of inputs from a plurality of sensors supported by the vehicle at a first time; (b) receiving at a second time subsequent to the first time a driver initiated request to alter the damping characteristic of the adjustable shock absorber through a driver actuatable input; (c) altering with the at least one controller, at a third time subsequent to the second time, the damping characteristic of the adjustable shock absorber based on the received driver initiated request; and (d) automatically altering with the at least one controller, at a fourth time subsequent to the third time, the damping characteristic of the adjustable shock absorber based on the plurality of inputs from the plurality of sensors, wherein step (c) includes the steps of; deviating a stiffness of the damping characteristic of the adjustable shock absorber relative to the stiffness of the damping characteristic of the adjustable shock absorber at the first time; and at a fifth time between the third time and the fourth time, altering the stiffness of the damping characteristic of the adjustable shock absorber towards a current determined damping characteristic of the adjustable shock absorber based on the plurality of inputs from the plurality of sensors. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification