Stabilizer control unit

• US 20060249919A1
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Taneda, Akiya, Suzuki, Katsumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,354,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/5.511
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0162 mainly during a motion involving steering operation, e.g. cornering, overtaking B60G17/0164 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 21/0555 including an actuator inducing vehicle roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 21/0558 including means varying the stiffness of the stabiliser B60G21/0556 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/42 Electric actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/012 Rolling condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/0122 Roll rigidity ratio; Warping

Abstract

A stabilizer control apparatus operating to contort stabilizer bars ensures the stability of a vehicle, even in the event that one of the front and rear stabilizer bars of the vehicle is stuck in a contorted state.

The stabilizer control apparatus includes frontward and rearward stabilizer bars 25 and 35, frontward and rearward stabilizer actuators 20, 30 that can be driven to contort the stabilizer bars 25 and 35 between their two ends, a lateral G sensor 42 or the like for detecting rolling of the vehicle and furthermore an ECU 50 that outputs to the stabilizer actuators 20 and 30 a driving signal to cause a resisting rolling moment countering rolling of the vehicle and that moreover, in the event that the irregularity is detected that one of the frontward and rearward stabilizer bars 25 and 35 is stuck in a contorted state, outputs to the stabilizer actuators 20 and 30 a driving signal to contort the other one of the frontward and rearward stabilizer bars 25 and 35 in the direction compensating that rolling moment.

Claims

1. A stabilizer control apparatus, comprising:

a first stabilizer bar disposed at either the front wheels or the rear wheels of a vehicle;

a second stabilizer bar disposed at the other of the front wheels and the rear wheels;

a first driving means, disposed between the two ends of the first stabilizer bar, that can be driven so as to contort the first stabilizer bar between its two ends;

a second driving means, disposed between the two ends of the second stabilizer bar, that can be driven so as to contort the second stabilizer bar between its two ends;

a roll detecting means for detecting rolling of the vehicle;

a first control means, which, in the event that the roll detecting means has detected rolling of the vehicle, outputs to at least one of the first driving means and the second driving means a driving signal contorting at least one of the first stabilizer bar and the second stabilizer bar, so that a resisting rolling moment that counters the rolling acts on the vehicle; and

a second control means, which, in the event that an irregularity is detected that one of the first stabilizer bar and the second stabilizer bar is stuck in a contorted state such that a rolling moment to one side acts on the vehicle, outputs a driving signal contorting the other of the first stabilizer bar and the second stabilizer bar in a direction where the rolling moment to the one side is compensated, to the first driving means or the second driving means that drives the that other stabilizer bar.

3. The stabilizer control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, in the event that the irregularity has been detected, the second control means outputs a driving signal of an amount that corresponds to the driving amount of the first driving means or the second driving means that drives the first stabilizer bar or the second stabilizer bar where the irregularity was detected, to the first driving means or the second driving means driving the other of the first stabilizer bar and the second stabilizer bar.

4. The stabilizer control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

further comprising contortion detecting means for detecting the degree of contortion of the first stabilizer bar and the second stabilizer bar;

wherein the second control means detects the irregularity of the first stabilizer bar from a set contortion value of the first stabilizer bar in accordance with the driving signal of the first control means and from the detection result of the contortion detection means, and detects the irregularity of the second stabilizer bar from a set contortion value of the second stabilizer bar in accordance with the driving signal of the first control means and from the detection result of the contortion detection means.

8. The stabilizer control apparatus according to claim 1,

further comprising an alarm device;

wherein the second control means outputs a signal for issuing an alarm to the alarm device in the event that an irregularity is detected.

2. A stabilizer control apparatus, comprising:

a first stabilizer bar disposed at either the front wheels or the rear wheels of a vehicle;

a second stabilizer bar disposed at the other of the front wheels and the rear wheels;

a first driving means, disposed between the two ends of the first stabilizer bar, that can be driven so as to contort the first stabilizer bar between its two ends;

a second driving means, disposed between the two ends of the second stabilizer bar, that can be driven so as to contort the second stabilizer bar between its two ends;

a roll detecting means for detecting rolling of the vehicle;

a first control means, which, in the event that the roll detecting means has detected rolling of the vehicle, outputs to at least one of the first driving means and the second driving means a driving signal contorting at least one of the first stabilizer bar and the second stabilizer bar, so that a resisting rolling moment that counters the rolling acts on the vehicle; and

a second control means, which, in the event that an irregularity is detected that one of the first stabilizer bar and the second stabilizer bar is stuck in a contorted state, outputs a driving signal contorting the other of the first stabilizer bar and the second stabilizer bar such that tilting of the chassis of the vehicle is suppressed, to the first driving means or the second driving means that drives the that other stabilizer bar.

9. The stabilizer control apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein, in the event that the irregularity has been detected, the second control means outputs a driving signal of an amount that corresponds to the driving amount of the first driving means or the second driving means that drives the first stabilizer bar or the second stabilizer bar where the irregularity was detected, to the first driving means or the second driving means driving the other of the first stabilizer bar and the second stabilizer bar.

10. The stabilizer control apparatus according to claim 2,

further comprising contortion detecting means for detecting the degree of contortion of the first stabilizer bar and the second stabilizer bar;

wherein the second control means detects the irregularity of the first stabilizer bar from a set contortion value of the first stabilizer bar in accordance with the driving signal of the first control means and from the detection result of the contortion detection means, and detects the irregularity of the second stabilizer bar from a set contortion value of the second stabilizer bar in accordance with the driving signal of the first control means and from the detection result of the contortion detection means.

12. The stabilizer control apparatus according to claim 2,

further comprising an alarm device;

wherein the second control means outputs a signal for issuing an alarm to the alarm device in the event that an irregularity is detected.

5. A stabilizer control apparatus, comprising:

a first stabilizer bar disposed at either the front wheels or the rear wheels of a vehicle;

a second stabilizer bar disposed at the other of the front wheels and the rear wheels;

a first driving means, disposed between the two ends of the first stabilizer bar, that can be driven so as to contort the first stabilizer bar between its two ends;

a second driving means, disposed between the two ends of the second stabilizer bar, that can be driven so as to contort the second stabilizer bar between its two ends;

a roll detecting means for detecting rolling of the vehicle;

a first control means, which, in the event that the roll detecting means has detected rolling of the vehicle, outputs to the first driving means and the second driving means a driving signal contorting the first stabilizer bar and the second stabilizer bar, so that a resisting rolling moment that counters the rolling acts on the vehicle; and

a second control means, which, in the event that an irregularity is detected that the first stabilizer bar is stuck in a contorted state such that a rolling moment in one direction acts on the vehicle, outputs to the second driving means a driving signal contorting the second stabilizer bar such that a rolling moment in the other direction countering the rolling moment in the one direction acts on the vehicle.

7. The stabilizer control apparatus according to claim 5,

further comprising a contortion detection means for detecting the degree of contortion of the first stabilizer bar,

wherein the second control means detects the irregularity from a set contortion value of the first stabilizer bar in accordance with the driving signal of the first control means and from the detection result of the contortion detection means.

13. The stabilizer control apparatus according to claim 5,

further comprising an alarm device;

wherein the second control means outputs a signal for issuing an alarm to the alarm device in the event that an irregularity is detected.

6. A stabilizer control apparatus, comprising:

a first stabilizer bar disposed at either the front wheels or the rear wheels of a vehicle;

a second stabilizer bar disposed at the other of the front wheels and the rear wheels;

a first driving means, disposed between the two ends of the first stabilizer bar, that can be driven so as to contort the first stabilizer bar between its two ends;

a second driving means, disposed between the two ends of the second stabilizer bar, that can be driven so as to contort the second stabilizer bar between its two ends;

a roll detecting means for detecting rolling of the vehicle;

a first control means, which, in the event that the roll detecting means has detected rolling of the vehicle, outputs to the first driving means and the second driving means a driving signal contorting the first stabilizer bar and the second stabilizer bar, so that a resisting rolling moment that counters the rolling acts on the vehicle; and

a second control means, which, in the event that an irregularity is detected that the first stabilizer bar is stuck in a contorted state, outputs to the second driving means a driving signal contorting the second stabilizer bar such that tilting of the chassis of the vehicle is suppressed.

11. The stabilizer control apparatus according to claim 6,

further comprising a contortion detection means for detecting the degree of contortion of the first stabilizer bar,

wherein the second control means detects the irregularity from a set contortion value of the first stabilizer bar in accordance with the driving signal of the first control means and from the detection result of the contortion detection means.

14. The stabilizer control apparatus according to claim 6,

further comprising an alarm device;

wherein the second control means outputs a signal for issuing an alarm to the alarm device in the event that an irregularity is detected.