Device for roll stabilization of a motor vehicle

• US 6,039,326 A
• Filed: 04/06/1998
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Luk Fahrzeug-Hydraulik GmbH & Co. KG (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Luk Fahrzeug-Hydraulik GmbH & Co. KG (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Agner, Ivo
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/043,048
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 280/5.506, 280/5.507, 280/5.502
• US Class Current: 280/5.506
• 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 17/056 Regulating distributors or valves for hydropneumatic systemsB60G17/044 - B60G17/048, B60G17/0416 take precedence; Fluid interconnection systems to control vehicle inclination B60G21/06, B60G21/10; valves per se F16K
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 21/0553 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 21/073 between wheels on the same axle but on different sides of the vehicle, i.e. the left and right wheel suspensions being interconnected
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 21/10 not permanently interconnected, e.g. operative only on acceleration, only on deceleration or only at off-straight position of steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/413 Hydraulic actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/012 Rolling condition
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/7054 Having equal piston areas

Abstract

The invention proposes a device for reducing the rolling tendency of a motor vehicle with at least one axle that carries at least two wheels, wherein said axle is provided with a roll stabilizer that includes two stabilizer sections which can be turned relative to one another with the aid of a hydraulic device controlled by an electronic control device, with at least one pump that supplies the hydraulic device, and with a valve unit that cooperates with the hydraulic device and influences the turning direction as well as the coupling of the stabilizer sections. The valve unit contains a changeover valve and a safety valve that can be activated independently of the changeover valve.

Claims

1. A device for reducing the rolling tendency of a motor vehicle with at least one axle that carries at least two wheels, wherein said axle is provided with a roll stabilizer that includes two stabilizer sections which can be turned relative to one another with the aid of a hydraulic device controlled by an electronic control device, with at least one pump that supplies the hydraulic device, and with a valve unit that cooperates with the hydraulic device and influences the turning direction as well as the coupling of the stabilizer sections, and wherein the valve unit contains a changeover valve and a safety valve that can be activated independently of the changeover valve.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the changeover valve comprises a 4/2 directional control valve.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein the safety valve connects the hydraulic device to the pump in a first functional position, and wherein the safety valve causes a rigid or damped coupling of the stabilizer sections or a decoupling of the stabilizer sections in a second functional position.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the safety valve represents the last functional element in the hydraulic supply of the hydraulic device.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein the changeover valve and the safety valve can be electromagnetically activated.

6. A device according claim 5 wherein the changeover valve and the safety valve has a preferred position.

7. A device for reducing the rolling tendency of a motor vehicle with at least two axles that respectively carry at least two wheels, wherein each axle is provided with a roll stabilizer that includes two stabilizer sections which can be turned relative to one another with the aid of first and second hydraulic devices controlled by an electronic control device, with at least one pump that supplies the hydraulic devices, and with a valve unit that cooperates with the hydraulic devices and influences the turning direction as well as the coupling of the stabilizer sections, wherein the valve unit contains a changeover valve and a safety valve that can be activated independently of the changeover valve.

8. A device according to claim 7 wherein the changeover valve comprises a 4/2 directional control valve.

9. A device according to claim 7 wherein the safety valve connects the hydraulic device to the pump in a first functional position, and the safety valve causes a rigid or dampened coupling of the stabilizer sections or a decoupling of the stabilizer sections in a second functional position.

10. A device according to claim 7 wherein the safety valve represents the last functional element in the hydraulic supply of the hydraulic device.

11. A device according to claim 7 wherein, the changeover valve and the safety valve can be electromagnetically activated.

12. A device according to claim 7, wherein the changeover valve and the safety valve has a preferred position.

13. A device according to claim 7 wherein a hydraulic line connects the pressure levels generated for the hydraulic devices with a valve unit for producing a hydraulic connection if the pressure acting on the first hydraulic device is lower than the pressure acting on the second hydraulic device.

14. A device according to claim 7, said device including a flow divider for influencing the hydraulic flow that is delivered to the hydraulic devices assigned to the axles by means of the pump, wherein the pump is in the form of a pump with limited volume flow.

15. A device according to claim 7 wherein a flow divider contains a flow regulator that connects the first hydraulic device to the pump in a first functional position wherein a flow regulator connects the second hydraulic device assigned to the to the pump in a second functional position, and wherein the flow regulator supplies the first hydraulic device with a nearly constant oil flow.

16. A device according to claim 7 wherein a flow divider contains a flow regulator that connects the first hydraulic device to the pump in a first functional position, and the flow regulator connects the second hydraulic device to the pump in a second functional position, and wherein the flow regulator supplies the respective hydraulic devices with an oil flow, wherein the ratio of the oil flows is nearly constant.

17. A device according to claim 7 wherein a first pressure regulator is provided in the flow path assigned to the first hydraulic device, and a second pressure regulator is provided in the flow path assigned to the second hydraulic device, and the pressure regulators are coupled together.

18. A device according to claim 7 wherein a hydraulic line connects the pressure levels generated for the hydraulic devices to a valve unit that produces a hydraulic connection if the pressure acting on the first hydraulic device is lower than the pressure acting on the second hydraulic device.

19. A device according to claim 7 wherein the valve unit comprises a spring that presses a ball into a valve seat.

20. A device according to claim 7 wherein throttle devices are assigned to the hydraulic lines.

21. A device according to claim 20 wherein the division ratio can be adjusted as a function of the cross-sectional surface of the throttle devices.

22. A device according to claim 20 wherein the throttle devices convey more fluid to the front axle than the rear axle.

23. A device according to claim 7 wherein the flow regulator comprises a one-sided flow divider with only one control edge.

24. A device according to claim 17 wherein the first pressure regulator and the second pressure regulator are coupled via the flow regulator that is provided with a preferably mechanical pressure pilot that acts as a pressure relief valve.

25. A device according to claim 7 including a pressure regulator that is connected to the first hydraulic line as well as the second hydraulic line includes a control slide, wherein the surfaces of the control slide which are charged with pressure have a different size.

26. A device according to claim 25 wherein the pressure regulator is arranged between the second hydraulic line of the rear axle and the tank in such a way that it fulfills the function of the pressure regulator.

27. A device according to claim 7 wherein a position detector is provided for detecting the position of at least one control piston of at lease one of the changeover valves, the safety valves and a slide.

28. A device according to claim 7 wherein at least two pressure switches are provided in the respective hydraulic lines or control lines.