Vehicle suspension apparatus
First Claim
1. A vehicle suspension apparatus comprising:
- fluid spring chambers arranged for respective wheels of a vehicle and interposed between the respective wheels and vehicle body members;
fluid supply means for supplying a fluid to said fluid spring chambers through supply control valves, respectively;
fluid exhaust means for exhausting the fluid from said fluid spring chambers through exhaust control valves, respectively;
communicating means for enabling and disabling communication between right and left fluid spring chambers of the vehicle;
velocity detecting means for detecting a velocity of the vehicle;
steering angle detecting means for detecting a steering angle;
communciation control means for producing a disabling control signal for disabling said communicating means when conditions are satisfied that the velocity detected by said velocity detecting means exceeds a preset velocity and the steering angle detected by said steering angle detecting means exceeds a preset steering angle and for producing an enabling control signal when said conditions are not satisfied; and
roll control means for producing a control command signal for opening desired ones of said supply and exhaust control valves for a preset control time in order to supply a preset amount of fluid to contracted fluid spring chambers along a roll direction and for exhausting a preset amount of fluid from stretched fluid spring chambers when said conditions are satisfied,wherein the preset velocity as one of said conditions determined by said communication control means is set to have a first value when said communicating means is enabled and to have a second value larger than the first value when said communicating means is disabled.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a vehicle suspension apparatus comprising communication control means for producing a disabling control signal for disabling the communicating solenoid valves when conditions are satisfied that the velocity detected by the velocity sensor exceeds a preset velocity and the steering angle detected by the steering sensor exceeds a preset steering angle and for producing an enabling control signal when the conditions are not satisfied, and roll control means for producing a control command signal for opening desired ones of the supply and exhaust control valves for a preset control time in order to supply a preset amount of fluid to contracted fluid spring chambers along a roll direction and for exhausting a preset amount of fluid from stretched fluid spring chambers when the conditions are satisfied, the preset velocity as one of the conditions determined by the communication control means is set to have a first value when the communicating solenoid valves are enabled and to have a second value larger than the first value when the communicating solenoid valves are disabled. With this apparatus, passengers experience uniform centrifugal force sensations when roll control is started and cancelled. Discomfort experienced by passengers during and after roll control is reduced to a minimum.
28 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A vehicle suspension apparatus comprising:
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fluid spring chambers arranged for respective wheels of a vehicle and interposed between the respective wheels and vehicle body members; fluid supply means for supplying a fluid to said fluid spring chambers through supply control valves, respectively; fluid exhaust means for exhausting the fluid from said fluid spring chambers through exhaust control valves, respectively; communicating means for enabling and disabling communication between right and left fluid spring chambers of the vehicle; velocity detecting means for detecting a velocity of the vehicle; steering angle detecting means for detecting a steering angle; communciation control means for producing a disabling control signal for disabling said communicating means when conditions are satisfied that the velocity detected by said velocity detecting means exceeds a preset velocity and the steering angle detected by said steering angle detecting means exceeds a preset steering angle and for producing an enabling control signal when said conditions are not satisfied; and roll control means for producing a control command signal for opening desired ones of said supply and exhaust control valves for a preset control time in order to supply a preset amount of fluid to contracted fluid spring chambers along a roll direction and for exhausting a preset amount of fluid from stretched fluid spring chambers when said conditions are satisfied, wherein the preset velocity as one of said conditions determined by said communication control means is set to have a first value when said communicating means is enabled and to have a second value larger than the first value when said communicating means is disabled. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A vehicle suspension apparatus comprising:
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air spring chambers arranged for respective wheels of a vehicle and interposed between the respective wheels and vehicle body members; air supply means for supplying air to said air spring chambers through supply control valves, respectively; air exhaust means for exhausting the air from said air spring chambers through exhaust control valves, respectively; communicating means for enabling and disabling communication between right and left air spring chambers of the vehicle; velocity detecting means for detecting a velocity of the vehicle; steering angle detecting means for detecting a steering angle; communication control means for producing a disabling control signal for disabling said communicating means when conditions are satisfied that the velocity detected by said velocity detecting means exceeds a preset velocity and the steering angle detected by said steering angle detecting means exceeds a preset steering angle and for producing an enabling control signal when said conditions are not satisfied; and roll control means for producing a control command signal for opening desired ones of said supply and exhaust control valves for a preset control time in order to supply a preset amount of air to contracted air spring chambers along a roll direction and for exhausting a preset amount of air from stretched air spring chambers when said conditions are satisfied, wherein the preset velocity as one of said conditions determined by said communication control means is set to have a first value when said communicating means is enabled and to have a second value larger than the first value when said communicating means is disabled. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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Specification