SUSPENSION APPARATUS
First Claim
1. A suspension apparatus for a vehicle comprising an actuator disposed between a sprung member of the vehicle and an unsprung member connected to a wheel and adapted to change the distance between the sprung member and the unsprung member through expansion and contraction thereof;
- an undulation information acquisition apparatus which acquires undulation information of a road surface ahead of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling; and
an actuator control apparatus which controls the actuator on the basis of the undulation information acquired by the undulation information acquisition apparatus, whereinthe actuator control apparatus includes a convex portion ride-on control section for controlling the actuator when the undulation information acquisition apparatus acquires undulation information regarding a convex portion of the road surface; and
the convex portion ride-on control section controls the actuator during a predetermined period of time between a point at which the undulation information acquisition apparatus acquires the undulation information regarding the convex portion and a point immediately before the wheel rides on the convex portion, such that ascending velocity of the sprung member increases as a result of expansion of the actuator during the predetermined period of time, and reaches a predetermined ascending velocity before the wheel rides on the convex portion.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
When a preview sensor acquires undulation information regarding a convex portion of a road surface, an electric actuator expands during a predetermined period of time between that point and a point immediately before the wheel rides on the convex portion, whereby ascending velocity of a sprung member increase. Therefore, when the wheel rides on the convex portion, the sprung member reaches estimated unsprung ascending velocity as a result of the expansion of the electric actuator up to that point. Accordingly, in the case where the wheel rides on the convex portion and an unsprung member is pushed up, a change in the sprung vertical velocity caused by application of the pushing up force to the sprung member is reduced because the sprung member ascends at the estimated unsprung ascending velocity. Therefore, riding quality is improved.
44 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A suspension apparatus for a vehicle comprising an actuator disposed between a sprung member of the vehicle and an unsprung member connected to a wheel and adapted to change the distance between the sprung member and the unsprung member through expansion and contraction thereof;
- an undulation information acquisition apparatus which acquires undulation information of a road surface ahead of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling; and
an actuator control apparatus which controls the actuator on the basis of the undulation information acquired by the undulation information acquisition apparatus, whereinthe actuator control apparatus includes a convex portion ride-on control section for controlling the actuator when the undulation information acquisition apparatus acquires undulation information regarding a convex portion of the road surface; and the convex portion ride-on control section controls the actuator during a predetermined period of time between a point at which the undulation information acquisition apparatus acquires the undulation information regarding the convex portion and a point immediately before the wheel rides on the convex portion, such that ascending velocity of the sprung member increases as a result of expansion of the actuator during the predetermined period of time, and reaches a predetermined ascending velocity before the wheel rides on the convex portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- an undulation information acquisition apparatus which acquires undulation information of a road surface ahead of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling; and
Specification