METHOD FOR OPERATING A TILTING RUNNING GEAR AND AN ACTIVE TILTING RUNNING GEAR FOR A NON-RAIL-BORNE VEHICLE

• US 20160059661A1
• Filed: 09/01/2015
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: SAEGER, Martin, SIMON, Marc, VALLURI, Advait
• Granted Patent: US 9,821,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 17/0164 mainly during accelerating or braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/45 Rolling frame vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0891 specially adapted for land vehicles

Abstract

A method of operating a tilting running gear for a non-rail-borne vehicle having at least one actuator is disclosed. The method includes calculating an angle of tilt of the vehicle around an axis of rotation based on prevailing values of centrifugal acceleration and gravitational acceleration as the vehicle enters a curve. Based on a comparison between an actual lateral acceleration of the vehicle and a desired lateral acceleration of the vehicle, the vehicle is accelerated or decelerated to achieve the calculated angle of tilt. When the calculated angle of tilt has been achieved, the actuator is deactivated. The actuator provides acceleration of the vehicle and a braking device provides deceleration of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of operating a tilting running gear for a non-rail-borne vehicle having at least one actuator, comprising:

calculating an angle of tilt of the vehicle around an axis of rotation based on prevailing values of centrifugal acceleration and gravitational acceleration as the vehicle enters a curve;

accelerating or decelerating the vehicle to achieve the calculated angle of tilt, wherein acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle is based at least in part on a comparison between an actual lateral acceleration of the vehicle and a desired lateral acceleration of the vehicle; and

deactivating the actuator when the calculated angle of tilt has been achieved,

wherein the actuator provides acceleration of the vehicle and a braking device provides deceleration of the vehicle.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator is an electric motor and further comprising converting kinetic energy available during deceleration to electrical energy with the electric motor.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the comparison between the actual lateral acceleration of the vehicle and the desired lateral acceleration of the vehicle is controlled by a ‘

feed-back’

closed loop control.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising calculating a new angle of tilt when a change in the centrifugal acceleration is determined.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising activating the actuator in order to generate an adjusting force to achieve the new angle of tilt.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising calculating a new angle of tilt based on a comparison between an ideal angle of tilt and a current angle of tilt.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the comparison between the ideal angle of tilt and the current angle of tilt is controlled by a ‘

feed-forward’

open loop control based on a predicted driving situation.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising activating the actuator in order to generate an adjusting force to achieve the new angle of tilt.

9. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising, when the calculated new angle of tilt exceeds a maximal possible angle of tilt, maintain the vehicle in the maximal possible angle of tilt.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising activating the actuator in order to generate an adjusting force to achieve the maximal possible angle of tilt.

11. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising locking the vehicle in an upright position until a change in the centrifugal acceleration that requires the vehicle to tilt is determined.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein than angle of tilt is zero when the vehicle is locked in its upright position with a value of zero for the angle of tilt.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein locking the vehicle in its upright position includes actuating a braking device.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising deactivating the actuator while the angle of tilt is locked.