Vehicle suspension control
First Claim
1. A vehicle suspension control for a vehicle in which each wheel is supported from the chassis of the vehicle through a fluid operated extension element which can control a degree of relative displacement between the wheel and the chassis, the extension element enabling the resilient relative movement between the vehicle and chassis said control comprising:
- a controller;
a plurality of sensors associated with each wheel of the vehicle;
a fluid flow controller comprising a fluid flow delivery means and a fluid exhaust means associated with each extension element;
a first sensor adapted to sense the relative position between the wheel and the chassis and provide a first output tot the controller;
a second sensor adapted to sense the pressure of the fluid in each extension element and provide a second output to the controller;
the controller adapted to receive the output from each of the sensors at each wheel, process the outputs and provide a wheel output to the fluid flow controller for each wheel to control the delivery of fluid or the exhaustion of fluid from respective extension element whereby the fluid pressure within each extension element is varied in order that the force applied by the extension elements between the chassis and wheels will maintain the attitude of the chassis substantially constant relative to a plane.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle suspension control for a vehicle having each wheel (11) supported from the chassis of the vehicle trough a fluid operated extension element (13, 19), the control comprising a controller (27), a plurality of sensors (21, 23, 25, 27, 30, 32), a fluid flow controller (29), a first sensor (21) adapted to sense the relative position between the wheel (11) and the chassis and provide a first output to the controller, a second sensor (23) adapted to sense the pressure of the fluid in each extension element (13, 19) and provide a second output to the controller (27) adapted to receive the output from each of the sensors (21, 23) at each wheel, process the outputs and provide a wheel output to the fluid flow controller (29) for each wheel, the force applied by the extension elements (13, 19) between the chassis and wheels will maintain the attitude of the chassis substantially constant relative to a plane.
65 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A vehicle suspension control for a vehicle in which each wheel is supported from the chassis of the vehicle through a fluid operated extension element which can control a degree of relative displacement between the wheel and the chassis, the extension element enabling the resilient relative movement between the vehicle and chassis said control comprising:
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a controller;
a plurality of sensors associated with each wheel of the vehicle;
a fluid flow controller comprising a fluid flow delivery means and a fluid exhaust means associated with each extension element;
a first sensor adapted to sense the relative position between the wheel and the chassis and provide a first output tot the controller;
a second sensor adapted to sense the pressure of the fluid in each extension element and provide a second output to the controller;
the controller adapted to receive the output from each of the sensors at each wheel, process the outputs and provide a wheel output to the fluid flow controller for each wheel to control the delivery of fluid or the exhaustion of fluid from respective extension element whereby the fluid pressure within each extension element is varied in order that the force applied by the extension elements between the chassis and wheels will maintain the attitude of the chassis substantially constant relative to a plane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 38)
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10. (canceled)
- 21. (canceled)
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22. A damping control for a vehicle comprising a fluid operated damper between each wheel and the chassis each damper being capable of providing a variable degree of damping, each damper being controlled by a damper control, the control comprising a set of first sensors which provide a first output indicative of the relative position between the wheels and the chassis and a set of third sensors adapted to provide a third output indicative of the relative motion between the wheels and the chassis, the control further comprising a second control which receives the signal from the first and third sensors for each wheel, said second control providing a damping output to the damper control of each damper to vary the degree of damping applied by the damper in proportion to the third output wherein the signal from the third sensor is allowed or inhibited by the relative motion output of the first sensors.
- 24. (canceled)
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26. A suspension system for a vehicle comprising a chassis and at least front and rear axles supporting wheels for rotational movement of the wheels wherein said suspension system comprises resilient support members to provide resilient support for each of said wheels from said chassis, said resilient support members being controllable by a controller to vary relative displacement between each said wheel and said chassis and wherein said controller receives control signals from sensors operatively associated with said suspension system to provide signals indicative of relative displacement between each said wheel and said chassis and wherein in response to said signals said controller provides a control signal to each said resilient support member to thereby control said relative displacement between each said wheel and said chassis so as to maintain the attitude of said chassis substantially parallel with a plane of average axle articulation wherein said plane of average axle articulation comprises a plane bisecting an included angle formed between first and second planes wherein said first plane is a plane passing through said front axle of said vehicle and said second plane is a plane passing through said rear axle of said vehicle.
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28. (canceled)
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34. (canceled)
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37. (canceled)
Specification