Tire receiving force sensing apparatus

• US 20090049929A1
• Filed: 08/20/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Inventors: Tominaga, Motonori, Ueda, Yusuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,770,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/862.41
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/144 with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/11 Mounting of sensors thereon
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/113 Tyre related sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/143 on the vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/41 Elastic mounts, e.g. bushings
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/4302 for fixing suspension arm on the vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/0114 Independent suspensions on subframes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/258 longitudinal with regard to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/34 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/39 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/64 Wheel forces, e.g. on hub, spindle or bearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/14 Photo or light sensitive means, e.g. Infrared
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/17 Magnetic/Electromagnetic
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/70 Computer memory; Data storage, e.g. maps for adaptive control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/92 ABS - Brake Control
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/161 using variations in ohmic resistance
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/166 using photoelectric means
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/20 for measuring wheel side-thrust
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/027 using light, e.g. infrared, ultraviolet or holographic techniques

Abstract

Each of a plurality of distance sensors is provided adjacent to a corresponding one of a plurality of displaceable portions that are displaced upon application of at least one of a brake force and a drive force to a tire. Each distance sensor measures an amount of displacement of the corresponding displaceable portion upon the application of the at least one of the brake force and the drive force to the tire. An ECU computes a target tire receiving force component based on the amounts of displacement, which are measured with the plurality of displacement measurement sensors, respectively, while eliminating an unnecessary tire receiving force component.

Claims

1. A tire receiving force sensing apparatus that senses a tire receiving force, which is applied to a tire of a vehicle, the tire receiving force sensing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of displacement measurement sensors, each of which is provided adjacent to a corresponding one of a plurality of displaceable portions that are displaced upon application of at least one of a brake force and a drive force to the tire, wherein each of the plurality of displacement measurement sensors measures an amount of displacement of the corresponding one of the plurality of displaceable portions upon the application of the at least one of the brake force and the drive force to the tire; and

a computing means for computing a target tire receiving force component based on the amounts of displacement, which are measured with the plurality of displacement measurement sensors, respectively, while eliminating an unnecessary tire receiving force component.

2. The tire receiving force sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of displaceable portions is a plurality of connections, each of which connects between a corresponding portion of a vehicle body and a corresponding portion of a suspension device; and

each of the plurality of displacement measurement sensors measures the amount of displacement of the corresponding one of the plurality of connections as the amount of displacement of the corresponding one of the plurality of displaceable portions.

3. The tire receiving force sensing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of displacement measurement sensors is provided to the vehicle body, which is other than the suspension device, at a corresponding location that is adjacent to the corresponding one of the plurality of connections.

4. The tire receiving force sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of displacement measurement sensors is placed on a first side of an imaginary plane, which is opposite from a second side of the imaginary plane where the rest of the plurality of displacement measurement sensors is placed, and the imaginary plane includes two of three right angled axes that serve as three reference axes for six tire force components.

5. The tire receiving force sensing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the imaginary plane is a horizontal plane, which includes an axis of an axel of the vehicle connected to the tire and a front-rear axis of the vehicle, and the at least one of the plurality of displacement measurement sensors is placed on the first side of the horizontal plane, which is opposite from the second side of the horizontal plane where the rest of the plurality of displacement measurement sensors is placed.

6. The tire receiving force sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the computing means eliminates a rotational moment as the unnecessary tire receiving force component and computes an axial force component as the target tire receiving force component based on the amounts of displacement, which are measured with the plurality of displacement measurement sensors.

7. The tire receiving force sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the computing means eliminates an axial force component as the unnecessary tire receiving force component and computes a rotational moment as the target tire receiving force component based on the amounts of displacement, which are measured with the plurality of displacement measurement sensors.