Suspension control system having damping coefficient discretely varied responsive to road conditions
First Claim
1. A suspension control system for controlling a suspension having a shock absorber provided for a wheel of a vehicle, said suspension control system comprising:
- damping force change rate detecting means for detecting a damping coefficient change rate indicating a rate of change of a damping force of said shock absorber;
damping coefficient controlling means, coupled to said shock absorber and said damping force change rate detecting means, for setting a damping coefficient of said shock absorber to a first level from a second level less than the first level when the damping force change rate has exceeded an adjustment reference value;
damping coefficient alteration holding means, coupled to said shock absorber and said damping coefficient controlling means, for continuously maintaining the setting of the damping coefficient at the first level for a holding period after said damping coefficient controlling means alters the setting of the damping coefficient from the second level to said first level, said holding period being a first period starting from a time when said adjustment reference value becomes greater than said damping force change rate after said damping coefficient controlling means alters the setting of the damping coefficient from the second level to the first level;
road surface condition judgement means for judging whether or not a road surface on which said vehicle has traveled for said holding period is rough; and
holding period correction means, coupled to said damping coefficient alteration holding means and said road surface condition judgement means, for elongating said holding period so that said holding period is a second period which is longer than said first period and which starts from said time when said adjustment reference value becomes greater than said damping force change rate after said damping coefficient controlling means alters the setting of the damping coefficient from the second level to the first level.
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Abstract
A suspension control system for controlling a suspension having a shock absorber provided for a wheel of a vehicle includes a damping force change rate detector which detects a damping force change rate indicating a rate of change of a damping force of the shock absorber, and a damping coefficient controller which alters the setting of the damping coefficient on the basis of a relationship between the damping force change rate and an adjustment reference value. The system also includes a damping coefficient alteration holding unit which continuously maintains the setting of the damping coefficient at a first level for a holding period after the damping coefficient controller alters the setting of the damping coefficient from a second level to the first level less than the second level, and a road surface condition judgement unit which judges whether or not a road surface on which the vehicle has traveled for the holding period is rough. Further, the system includes a holding period correction unit which elongates the holding period which is to be supplied to the damping coefficient alteration holding unit when the road surface condition judgment unit determines that the road surface is rough.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A suspension control system for controlling a suspension having a shock absorber provided for a wheel of a vehicle, said suspension control system comprising:
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damping force change rate detecting means for detecting a damping coefficient change rate indicating a rate of change of a damping force of said shock absorber; damping coefficient controlling means, coupled to said shock absorber and said damping force change rate detecting means, for setting a damping coefficient of said shock absorber to a first level from a second level less than the first level when the damping force change rate has exceeded an adjustment reference value; damping coefficient alteration holding means, coupled to said shock absorber and said damping coefficient controlling means, for continuously maintaining the setting of the damping coefficient at the first level for a holding period after said damping coefficient controlling means alters the setting of the damping coefficient from the second level to said first level, said holding period being a first period starting from a time when said adjustment reference value becomes greater than said damping force change rate after said damping coefficient controlling means alters the setting of the damping coefficient from the second level to the first level; road surface condition judgement means for judging whether or not a road surface on which said vehicle has traveled for said holding period is rough; and holding period correction means, coupled to said damping coefficient alteration holding means and said road surface condition judgement means, for elongating said holding period so that said holding period is a second period which is longer than said first period and which starts from said time when said adjustment reference value becomes greater than said damping force change rate after said damping coefficient controlling means alters the setting of the damping coefficient from the second level to the first level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A suspension control system for controlling a suspension having a shock absorber provided for a wheel of a vehicle, said suspension control system comprising:
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damping coefficient change rate detecting means for detecting a damping force change rate indicating a rate of change of a damping force of said shock absorber; damping coefficient alteration means, coupled to said shock absorber and said damping coefficient change rate detecting means, for determining whether or not said damping force change rate is outside a first range and for setting said damping force to a first level from a second level greater than said first level when it is determined that said damping force change rate is outside said first range; and damping coefficient restoration means, coupled to said damping force change rate detecting means, said damping coefficient alteration means and said shock absorber, for determining whether or not said damping force change rate is continuously within a second range, which is narrower than said first range and within said first range during at least a predetermined period after said damping coefficient alteration means alters the setting of the damping coefficient from said second level to said first level and for restoring the setting of the damping coefficient from said first level to said second level when it is determined that said damping force change rate is continuously within said second range for said predetermined period. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A suspension control system for controlling a suspension having a shock absorber provided for a wheel of a vehicle, said suspension control system comprising:
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damping force change rate detecting means for detecting a damping force change rate indicating a rate of change of a damping force of said shock absorber; damping coefficient alteration means, coupled to said shock absorber and said damping force change rate detecting means, for determining whether or not said damping force change rate is outside a first range and for setting said damping coefficient to a first level from a second level greater than said first level when it is determined that said damping force change rate is outside said first range; first damping coefficient restoration means, coupled to said damping force change rate detecting means, said damping coefficient alteration means and said shock absorber, for determining whether or not said damping force change rate is continuously within a second range, which is narrower than said first range and within said first range during at least a first period after said damping coefficient alteration means alters the setting of the damping coefficient from said second level to said first level and for restoring the setting of the damping coefficient from said first level to said second level when it is determined that said damping force change rate is continuously within said second range for said predetermined period; holding period calculation means, coupled to said damping coefficient alteration means and said first damping coefficient restoration means, for calculating a holding period from a time when the setting of the damping coefficient is altered to the first level by said damping coefficient alteration means to a time when the setting of said damping coefficient is restored to said second level by said first damping coefficient restoration means; and second damping coefficient restoration means, coupled to said holding period calculation means and said shock absorber, for determining whether or not said holding period becomes longer than a second period and for restoring the setting of the damping coefficient from said first level to said second level when it is determined that said holding period has become longer than said second period. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification