Anti-rolling controlling system for automotive active suspension system with road friction dependent variable control characteristics

• US 5,114,177 A
• Filed: 06/12/1989
• Issued: 05/19/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Company Limited 2 Takara-Cho Kanagawa-Ku Yokohama-Shi Kanagawa-Ken Japan
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujimura, Itaru, Fukushima, Naoto, Fukunaga, Yukio, Satoh, Masaharu, Akatsu, Yohsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, Charles A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tyson, Karin
• Application Number:
  US07/365,468
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 280/707, 280/612, 280/772, 280/DIG. 1, 280/689, 364/424.05
• US Class Current: 280/5.506
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/102 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/104 lateral or transversal with regard to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/106 longitudinal with regard to vehicle, e.g. braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/208 of wheel rotation
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/252 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/82 Ground surface
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/822 Road friction coefficient determination affecting wheel traction
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/40 Steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/26 Electromagnets; Solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/012 Rolling condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/014 Pitch; Nose dive
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/21 Traction, slip, skid or slide control

Abstract

An anti-rolling suspension control system generally derives anti-rolling control signals for controlling suspension characteristics of respective suspension systems in order to suppress vehicular rolling motion. The system is further provided means for monitoring road friction condition. The system derives distribution of rolling moment distribution ratio between front suspension systems and rear suspension systems based on the monitored road friction condition so that the derived distribution may be adapted to the road surface frictional condition.

Claims

1. An anti-rolling control system for an automotive suspension system comprising:

a front suspension system disposed between a vehicular body and a suspension member rotatably supporting a front wheel, said front suspension system defining a working chamber filled with a working fluid having a variable fluid pressure within said working chamber for adjusting suspension characteristics;

a rear suspension system disposed between a vehicular body and a suspension member rotatably supporting a rear wheel, said suspension system defining a working chamber filled with a working fluid having a variable fluid pressure within said working chamber for adjusting suspension characteristics;

first pressure control valve means associated with said working chamber of said front suspension system for controlling introduction and draining of working fluid into and from said working chamber for adjusting the fluid pressure therein;

second pressure control valve means associated with said working chamber of said rear suspension system for controlling introduction and draining of working fluid into and from said working chamber for adjusting the fluid pressure therein;

means for monitoring vehicular rolling magnitude for producing a rolling magnitude indicative signal;

means for deriving first and second control signals on the basis of said rolling magnitude indicative signal in order to control said first and second pressure control valve means for suppressing vehicular rolling, said control signal deriving means deriving said second control signal in such a manner that a smaller lateral load shift is provided at the rear suspension system than at said front suspension system, said control signal deriving means providing the second control signal variation characteristics for varying said control signal at a smaller rate than said first control signal when said road friction representative data indicates a low road friction condition; and

means for detecting a road friction representative factor for producing road friction representative data, and said control signal deriving means being responsive to said road friction representative data for varying variation characteristics of said second control signal depending on the value of said road friction representative data.

2. An anti-rolling suspension control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rolling magnitude monitoring means comprises a lateral acceleration sensor.

3. An anti-rolling suspension control system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said road friction detecting means comprises said lateral acceleration sensor.

4. An anti-rolling suspension control system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said control signal deriving means includes a first amplifier for amplifying said rolling magnitude indicative signal with a first gain and a second amplifier for amplifying said rolling magnitude indicative signal with a second gain which is smaller than said first gain.

5. An anti-rolling suspension control system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said second amplifier has said second gain variable in non-linear fashion depending upon said road friction representative data value.

6. An anti-rolling suspension control system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said road friction detecting means comprises a first wheel speed sensor for monitoring rotation speed of a driven wheel which is driven by an engine driving torque, a second wheel speed sensor for monitoring rotation speed of a non-driven wheel which is free from said engine driving torque, and means for deriving wheel slippage on the basis of outputs of said first and second wheel speed sensors.

7. An anti-rolling suspension control system as wet forth in claim 6, which further comprises a coefficient generating means receiving said rolling magnitude indicative data and the output of said wheel slippage derivation means for deriving a road friction dependent coefficient for modifying said rolling magnitude indicative date.

8. An anti-rolling control system for an automotive suspension system comprising:

a front suspension system disposed between a vehicular body and a suspension member rotatably supporting a front wheel, said front suspension system defining a working chamber filled with a working fluid having a variable fluid pressure within said working chamber for adjusting suspension characteristics;

a rear suspension system disposed between a vehicular body and a suspension member rotatably supporting a rear wheel, said suspension system defining a working chamber filled with a working fluid having a variable fluid pressure within aid working chamber for adjusting suspension characteristics;

first pressure control valve means associated with said working chamber of said front suspension system for controlling introduction and draining of working fluid into and from said working chamber for adjusting the fluid pressure therein;

second pressure control valve means associated with said working chamber of said rear suspension system for controlling introdution and draining of working fluid into and from said working chamber for adjusting the fluid pressure therein;

means for monitoring vehicular rolling magnitude for producing a rolling magnitude indicative signal;

means for deriving first and second control signals on the basis of said rolling magnitude indicative signal in order to control said first and second pressure control valve means for suppressing vehicular rolling, said control signal deriving means defining a variation range of said second control signal which is a smaller range than that of said first control signal, and providing a smaller gradient of variation for said second control signal than that of said first control signal.

9. An anti-rolling suspension control system as set forth in claim 8, which further comprises means for detecting road friction representative factor for producing a road friction representative data, and said control signal generating means being responsive to said road friction representative data for varying variation characteristics of said second control signal depending upon the value of said road friction representative data.

10. An anti-rolling suspension control system as set forth in claim 9, wherein said rolling magnitude monitoring means comprises a lateral acceleration sensor.

11. An anti-rolling suspension control system as set forth in claim 10, wherein said road friction detecting means comprises said lateral acceleration sensor.

12. An anti-rolling suspension control system as set forth in claim 11, wherein said control signal deriving means includes first amplifier for amplifying said rolling magnitude indicative signal with a first gain and a second amplifier amplifying said rolling magnitude indicative signal with a second gain which is smaller than said first gain.

13. An anti-rolling suspension control system as set forth in claim 10, wherein said road friction monitoring means comprises a first wheel speed sensor for monitoring rotation speed of a driven wheel which is driven by an engine driving torque, a second wheel speed sensor for monitoring rotation speed of a non-driven wheel which is free from said engine driving torque, and means for deriving wheel slippage on the basis of outputs of said first and second wheel speed sensors.

14. An anti-rolling suspension control system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said second amplifier has said second gain variable in non-linear fashion depending upon said road friction representative data value.

15. An anti-rolling suspension control system as set forth in claim 13, which further comprises a coefficient generating means receiving said rolling magnitude indicative data and the output of said wheel slippage derivation means for deriving a road friction dependent coefficient for modifying said rolling magnitude indicative data.

16. An anti-rolling control system for an automotive suspension system comprising:

a front suspension system disposed between a vehicular body and a suspension member rotatably supporting a front wheel, said front suspension system defining a working chamber filled with a working fluid having a variable fluid pressure within said working chamber for adjusting suspension characteristics;

a rear suspension system disposed between a vehicular body and a suspension member rotatably supporting a rear wheel, said suspension system defining a working chamber filled with a working fluid having a variable fluid pressure within said working chamber for adjusting suspension characteristics;

a rear suspension system disposed between a vehicular body and a suspension member rotatably supporting a rear wheel, said suspension system defining a working chamber filled with a working fluid having a variable fluid pressure within said working chamber for adjusting suspension characteristics;

first pressure control valve means associated with said working chamber of said front suspension system for controlling introduction and draining of working fluid into and from aid working chamber for adjusting the fluid pressure therein;

second pressure control valve means associated with said working chamber of said rear suspension system for controlling introduction and draining of working fluid into and from aid working chamber for adjusting the fluid pressure therein;

means for monitoring vehicular rolling magnitude for producing a rolling magnitude indicative signal;

means for monitoring road friction condition to produce a road friction data;

means for deriving first and second control signals on the basis of said rolling magnitude indicative signal in order to control said first and second pressure control valve means for suppressing vehicular rolling, said control signal deriving means defining a variation range of said second control signal which is a smaller range than that of said first control signal, and providing a smaller gradient of variation for said second control signal than that of said first control signal, which gradient of variation of said second control signal is variable depending upon said road friction data.

17. An anti-rolling suspension control system as set forth in claim 16, wherein said rolling magnitude monitoring means comprises a lateral acceleration sensor.

18. An anti-rolling suspension control system as set forth in claim 17, wherein said road friction monitoring means comprises said lateral acceleration sensor.

19. An anti-rolling suspension control system as set forth in claim 18, wherein said control signal deriving means includes first amplifier for amplifying said rolling magnitude indicative signal with a first gain and a second amplifier amplifying said rolling magnitude indicative signal with a second gain which is smaller than said first gain.

20. An anti-rolling suspension control system as set forth in claim 19, wherein said second amplifier has said second gain variable in non-linear fashion depending upon said road friction representative data value.

21. An anti-rolling suspension system as set forth in claim 18, which further comprises a coefficient generating means receiving said rolling magnitude indicative data and the output of said wheel slippage derivation means for deriving a road friction dependent coefficient for modifying said rolling magnitude indicative data.

22. An anti-rolling suspension control system as set forth in claim 17, wherein said road friction monitoring means comprises a first wheel speed sensor for monitoring rotation speed of a driven wheel which is driven by an engine driving torque, a second wheel speed sensor for monitoring rotation speed of a non-driven wheel which is free from said engine driving torque, and means for deriving wheel slippage on the basis of outputs of said first and second wheel speed sensors.