System and method for reducing risk of vehicle rollover

• US 20020149161A1
• Filed: 04/11/2001
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Donald Wayne Smith
• Original Assignee: Donald Wayne Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Donald Wayne
• Application Number:
  US09/832,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20020149161A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/5.507
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/016 characterised by their responsiveness, when the vehicle is travelling, to specific motion, a specific condition, or driver input B60G17/017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/30 Height or ground clearance
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/012 Rolling condition

Abstract

A system and method for reducing vehicle rollover risk by automatically adjusting or tilting, in response to sensed driving conditions, the position of a vehicle body relative to a vehicle chassis (14) so as to shift the vehicle'"'"'s COG and thereby compensate for or counteract dangerous centrifugal forces acting on the vehicle due, for example, to cornering or high-speed maneuvering. The system broadly comprises a computer (20); a plurality of sensors (22); front and rear controllers (24,25); and four or more height adjusters (26). The computer (20), in response to input from the sensors (22), commands the front and rear controllers (24,25) to cause the hydraulic or pneumatic height adjusters (26) to adjust the vehicle body'"'"'s position so as to counteract rollover-inducing forces. The sensors (22) include steering (30), sway (32), speed (34), and angle-measuring (36) sensors.

Claims

1. A system for reducing rollover risk in a vehicle having a vehicle body and a vehicle chassis, the system comprising:

a computer operable to receive input and to generate a first output in response thereto;

a plurality of sensors operable to provide input regarding a plurality of operating conditions of the vehicle;

a controller operable to receive the first output and to generate a second output in response thereto; and

a height adjuster coupled at a first portion with the vehicle body and at a second portion to the vehicle chassis, and operable in response to the second output to tilt the vehicle body relative to the vehicle chassis so as to counteract a rollover-inducing force.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors include:

a steering sensor operable to measure a steering angle condition of the vehicle;

a sway sensor operable to measure a sway condition of the vehicle; and

a speed sensor operable to measure a speed condition of the vehicle.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors includes an angle-measuring sensor operable to measure an angular orientation of the vehicle body relative to the vehicle chassis, and to provide such measurement to the computer.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the height adjusters are hydraulic in nature.

5. The system as set forth in claim 4, wherein the vehicle includes an engine and the engine provides energy for generating hydraulic pressure for use by the height adjusters in tilting the vehicle body.

6. The system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the hydraulic pressure is provided by a power steering pump.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the height adjusters are pneumatic in nature.

8. The system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the vehicle includes an engine and the engine provides energy for generating pneumatic pressure for use by the height adjusters in tilting the vehicle body.

9. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the height adjusters are selected from the group consisting of the following:

hydraulically adjustable shock absorbers, pneumatically adjustable shock absorbers, hydraulic rams, pneumatic rams, hydraulic pistons, pneumatic pistons.

10. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the vehicle has four wheels and the system comprises four height adjusters, with each height adjuster being operatively associated with a respective wheel.

11. A system for reducing rollover risk in a vehicle having a vehicle body and a vehicle chassis, the system comprising:

a computer operable to receive input and to generate a first output in response thereto;

a steering sensor operable to measure a steering angle condition of the vehicle and to provide such measurement in the form of input to the computer;

a sway sensor operable to measure a sway condition of the vehicle and to provide such measurement in the form of input to the computer;

a speed sensor operable to measure a speed condition of the vehicle and to provide such measurement in the form of input to the computer;

an angle-measuring sensor operable to measure an angular orientation of the vehicle body relative to the vehicle chassis and to provide such measurement in the form of input to the computer;

a controller operable to receive the first output and to generate a second output in response thereto; and

an adjustable shock absorber coupled at a first portion with the vehicle body and at a second portion to the vehicle chassis, and operable in response to the second output to tilt the vehicle body relative to the vehicle chassis so as to counteract a rollover-inducing force.

12. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the vehicle includes an engine and the engine provides energy for generating a hydraulic pressure for use by the adjustable shock absorbers in tilting the vehicle body.

13. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the hydraulic pressure is provided by a power steering pump.

14. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the adjustable shock absorbers are pneumatic in nature.

15. The system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the vehicle includes an engine and the engine provides energy for generating pneumatic pressure for use by the adjustable shock absorbers in tilting the vehicle body.

16. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the vehicle has four wheels and the system comprises four adjustable shock absorbers, with each adjustable shock absorber being operatively associated with a respective wheel.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein step (c) is accomplished by increasing hydraulic pressure on the first side of the vehicle body and decreasing hydraulic pressure on the second side.

19. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein step (c) is accomplished by transferring hydraulic pressure to the first side of the vehicle body from the second side.

20. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein step (c) is accomplished by increasing pneumatic pressure on the first side of the vehicle body and decreasing pneumatic pressure on the second side.

17. A method of reducing rollover risk in a vehicle by tilting a vehicle body relative to a vehicle chassis so as to counteract a rollover-inducing force, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating sensor data related to operating conditions of the vehicle, the operating conditions including, steering angle, sway, and speed;

(b) determining an appropriate response based upon the sensor data, where the appropriate response includes tilting the vehicle body relative to the vehicle chassis; and

(c) affecting the appropriate response by raising a first side of the vehicle body and lowering a second side of the vehicle body.