Suspension cylinder control system for motor vehicles

• US 5,016,910 A
• Filed: 05/29/1990
• Issued: 05/21/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
• Inventors: Nagai, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertsch, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tyson, Karin
• Application Number:
  US07/469,470
• Time in Patent Office: 357 Days
• Field of Search: 280/707, 280/840, 280/6.12, 280/689, 280/772, 364/424.05
• US Class Current: 280/5.507
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/016 characterised by their responsiveness, when the vehicle is travelling, to specific motion, a specific condition, or driver input B60G17/017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/08 Characteristics of fluid dampers adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/204 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/41 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/51 in suspension unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/28 Temporary fluctuations
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/012 Rolling condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/014 Pitch; Nose dive
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/22 Braking, stopping
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/46 allowing control from a distance , i.e. location of means for control input being remote from site of valves, e.g. on damper external wall attachment of valve units to cylinders F16F9/325

Abstract

A suspension cylinder control system for motor vehicles for preventing a body roll occurring when a vehicle is rounding a curve at a high speed, a nose dive on braking, and a nose up occurring when a dumping body is raised in an unloading position, and also for acquiring the optimum suspension characteristics in accordance with a vehicle load and speed. The control system comprises suspension cylinders 4 mounted between a vehicle body 1 and right and left front and rear wheels 2, 3; a pressure sensor 6 which detects the inside pressure of these suspension cylinders; a steering angle sensor 7 of a steering wheel 5; a brake sensor 8; a vehicle speed sensor 9; a dump lever position sensor 14; and a controller 10 which receives signals from these sensors and outputs a damping force changeover signal to an air solenoid valve device 11 which controls a damping force changeover actuator 12 of the suspension cylinders in accordance with the input signal.

Claims

1. A suspension cylinder control system for motor vehicles comprising suspension cylinders mounted between a vehicle body and right and left front wheels and between the vehicle body and right and left rear wheels;

a pressure sensor which detects an inside oil pressure of each of said suspension cylinders;

a steering angle sensor which detects the steering angle of a vehicle steering wheel; and

a controller which receives detection signals from said sensors, and outputs a signal to increase the damping force of said suspension cylinders in accordance with the steering angular velocity from said steering angle sensor until an oil pressure difference of said right and left suspension cylinders of the front and left wheels decreases below a fixed value.

2. A suspension cylinder control system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an air solenoid valve means which, receiving a damping force changeover signal from said controller, drives a damping force changeover means provided on said suspension cylinders.

3. A suspension cylinder control system as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises a vehicle speed sensor which detects a vehicle speed;

a brake sensor which detects brake application to the vehicle; and

a dump lever position sensor which detects the raised condition of the dumping body; and

in which signals from these sensors are inputted to the controller said controller further controlling the damping force of said cylinders as a function of said speed, brake, and dump lever position sensor signals.

4. A suspension cylinder control system as claimed in claim 3 further comprising an air solenoid valve means which drives said damping force changeover means provided on said suspension cylinders by the use of the damping force changeover signal outputted from said controller.