Self-Contained Ride Level Control System for a Motor Vehicle
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a self-contained ride level control system for a motor vehicle, the accumulator pressure is controlled as follows: determination of the current pressure Ps(current) of the compressed air accumulator (4); definition of at least one level whereto the vehicle can be lifted or lowered; determination os the air volume required for lifting or lowering the motor vehicle from the current level and bringing it to a given level; determination of the subsequent accumulator pressure Ps(later) for reducing the current accumulator pressure Ps(current) if the motor vehicle is lifted from its current level up to the given level or determination of the subsequent accumulator pressure Ps(later) for increasing the current accumulator pressure Ps(current) if the motor vehicle has been lowered from the current level to the given level; filling the compressed air accumulator (4) with compressed air if the subsequent pressure Ps(later) is below a lower threshold value Ps (U) and emptying the compressed air accumulator if the subsequent pressure Ps(later) is higher than an upper threshold value (0).
16 Citations
17 Claims
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1-8. -8. (canceled)
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9. A self-contained ride level control system for a motor vehicle, with which a current ride level of the motor vehicle can be raised and lowered and which contains the following components:
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a compressor (6), a compressed air accumulator (4) which can be filled with air from the atmosphere and which can be emptied into the atmosphere, at least one air spring (2a-2d), the air spring (2a-2d) being connected to the compressed air accumulator (4) via the compressor (6) in such a way that compressed air can be transferred into the compressed air accumulator (4) from the air spring (2a-2d), and in the opposite direction, and a control unit; wherein the control unit is programmed to perform an accumulator pressure control as follows; the current accumulator pressure is determined, at least one ride level to which the motor vehicle can be raised or lowered is predefined, the quantity of air which is required to raise or lower the motor vehicle from the current ride level to the predefined ride level is determined, the later accumulator pressure by which the current accumulator pressure would be lowered if the motor vehicle were to be raised from the current ride level to the predefined ride level is determined or the later accumulator pressure to which the current accumulator pressure would rise if the motor vehicle were lowered from the current ride level into the predefined ride level is determined, the compressed air accumulator (4) is filled with compressed air if the later accumulator pressure would be below a lower limiting value, and the compressed air accumulator (4) is emptied if the later accumulator pressure would be above an upper limiting value. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for controlling a self-contained ride level control system for a motor vehicle, with which a current ride level of the motor vehicle can be raised and lowered and which system contains the following components:
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a compressor (6), a compressed air accumulator (4) which can be filled with air from the atmosphere and which can be emptied into the atmosphere, at least one air spring (2a-2d), the air spring (2a-2d) being connected to the compressed air accumulator (4) via the compressor (6) in such a way that compressed air can be transferred into the compressed air accumulator (4) from the air spring (2a-2d), and in the opposite direction, and a control unit; wherein the method comprises the following steps; determining a current accumulator pressure, determining the quantity of air which is required to raise or lower the motor vehicle from the current ride level to a predefined ride level, determining a later accumulator pressure to which the current accumulator pressure would change if the motor vehicle were to be raised or lowered from the current ride level to the predefined ride level filling the compressed air accumulator (4) with compressed air if the later accumulator pressure would be below a lower limiting value, and emptying the compressed air accumulator (4) if the later accumulator pressure would be above an upper limiting value.
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Specification