Apparatus and method for controlling damping force characteristic of vehicular shock absorber
First Claim
1. A method for controlling a damping force characteristic for a vehicular shock absorber, the shock absorber being so arranged and constructed as to take a first mode of operation such as to provide a relatively high damping force characteristic for a damping force characteristic in an extension phase while providing a relatively low damping force characteristic in a compression phase, a second mode of operation such as to provide the relatively high damping force characteristic for the damping force characteristic in the compression phase while providing the relatively low damping force characteristic for the damping force characteristic in the extension phase, a third mode of operation such as to provide the relatively low damping force characteristics for the damping force characteristics in both of the extension and compression phases, and a fourth mode of operation such as to provide the relatively high damping force characteristics in both of the extension and compression phases, the method comprising the steps of determining a vertical behavior of the sprung mass of a vehicle body;
- determining a direction of the determined vertical behavior of the vehicle body;
switching a present mode of operation of the shock absorber into the first mode of operation when the direction of the determined vertical behavior is upward;
switching the present mode of operation into the second mode when the direction of the determined vertical behavior is downward; and
switching the present mode of operation into the third mode when the direction of the determined vertical behavior is neither upward nor downward;
determining whether a predetermined condition on a vehicular behavior is satisfied; and
switching the present mode of operation of the shock absorber into the fourth mode of operation when the predetermined condition is satisfied.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A damping force characteristic variable type shock absorber which takes a mode of operation into a first mode, a second mode, a third mode, and a fourth mode is connected to a damping force characteristic basic mode switching block and a damping force characteristic special mode switching block. This first mode is such that when the vehicular vertical direction determined by the vehicular vertical behavior determinator is upward, an extension phase provides a relatively high damping force characteristic and a compression phase provides a relatively low damping force characteristic. The second mode is such that when the vehicular vertical direction determined by the vehicular vertical behavior determinator is downward, the extension phase provides a relatively low damping force characteristic and the compression phase provides a relatively highly damping force characteristic. The third mode is such that when the vehicular vertical behavior determinator is neither upward nor downward, both of extension and compression phases provide the relatively low damping force characteristics. The fourth mode is such that when a predetermined condition of a vehicular motion is satisfied, the damping force characteristics in both extension and compression phases are relatively high.
114 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for controlling a damping force characteristic for a vehicular shock absorber, the shock absorber being so arranged and constructed as to take a first mode of operation such as to provide a relatively high damping force characteristic for a damping force characteristic in an extension phase while providing a relatively low damping force characteristic in a compression phase, a second mode of operation such as to provide the relatively high damping force characteristic for the damping force characteristic in the compression phase while providing the relatively low damping force characteristic for the damping force characteristic in the extension phase, a third mode of operation such as to provide the relatively low damping force characteristics for the damping force characteristics in both of the extension and compression phases, and a fourth mode of operation such as to provide the relatively high damping force characteristics in both of the extension and compression phases, the method comprising the steps of determining a vertical behavior of the sprung mass of a vehicle body;
- determining a direction of the determined vertical behavior of the vehicle body;
switching a present mode of operation of the shock absorber into the first mode of operation when the direction of the determined vertical behavior is upward;
switching the present mode of operation into the second mode when the direction of the determined vertical behavior is downward; and
switching the present mode of operation into the third mode when the direction of the determined vertical behavior is neither upward nor downward;
determining whether a predetermined condition on a vehicular behavior is satisfied; and
switching the present mode of operation of the shock absorber into the fourth mode of operation when the predetermined condition is satisfied.
- determining a direction of the determined vertical behavior of the vehicle body;
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2. An apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising:
- a plurality of at least one shock absorber, each shock absorber being intervened between a sprung mass of a vehicle body and a corresponding one of front left and right road wheels and rear left and right road wheels of the vehicle and so arranged and constructed as to take a first mode of operation such as to provide a relatively high damping force characteristic for a damping force characteristic in an extension phase thereof while providing a relatively low damping force characteristic in a compression phase thereof, a second mode of operation such as to provide the relatively high damping force characteristic for the damping force characteristic in the compression phase while providing the relatively low damping force characteristic for the damping force characteristic in the extension phase, a third mode of operation such as to provide the relatively low damping force characteristics for the damping force characteristics in both of the extension and compression phases, and a fourth mode of operation such as to provide the relatively high damping force characteristics in both of the extension and compression phases;
a vehicular vertical behavior determinator for determining a vertical behavior of the sprung mass of the vehicle body; a damping force characteristic basic mode switching block for determining a direction of the determined vertical behavior of the vehicle body, for switching a present mode of operation of the shock absorber into the first mode of operation when the direction of the determined vertical behavior is upward, for switching the present mode of operation of the shock absorber into the second mode when the direction of the determined vertical behavior is downward, and for switching the present mode of operation into the third mode when the direction of the determined vertical behavior is neither upward nor downward; and a damping force characteristic special mode switching block for switching the present mode of operation of the shock absorber into the fourth mode of operation when a predetermined condition on a vehicular behavior is satisfied.
- a plurality of at least one shock absorber, each shock absorber being intervened between a sprung mass of a vehicle body and a corresponding one of front left and right road wheels and rear left and right road wheels of the vehicle and so arranged and constructed as to take a first mode of operation such as to provide a relatively high damping force characteristic for a damping force characteristic in an extension phase thereof while providing a relatively low damping force characteristic in a compression phase thereof, a second mode of operation such as to provide the relatively high damping force characteristic for the damping force characteristic in the compression phase while providing the relatively low damping force characteristic for the damping force characteristic in the extension phase, a third mode of operation such as to provide the relatively low damping force characteristics for the damping force characteristics in both of the extension and compression phases, and a fourth mode of operation such as to provide the relatively high damping force characteristics in both of the extension and compression phases;
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3. An apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising:
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at least one shock absorber intervened between a sprung mass of a vehicle body and an unsprung mass of a corresponding road wheel and so arranged and constructed as to take a first mode of operation such as to provide a relatively high damping force characteristic for a damping force characteristic in an extension phase thereof while providing a relatively low damping force characteristic in a compression phase thereof, a second mode of operation such as to provide the relatively high damping force characteristic for the damping force characteristic in the compression phase while providing the relatively low damping force characteristic for the damping force characteristic in the extension phase, a third mode of operation such as to provide the relatively low damping force characteristics for the damping force characteristics in both of the extension and compression phases, and a fourth mode of operation such as to provide the relatively high damping force characteristics in both of the extension and compression phases; a vehicular vertical behavior determinator for determining a vertical behavior of the sprung mass of the vehicle body; a damping force characteristic basic mode switching block for determining a direction of the determined vertical behavior of the vehicle body, for switching a present mode of operation of the shock absorber into the first mode of operation when the direction of the determined vertical behavior is upward, for switching the present mode of operation of the shock absorber into the second mode when the direction of the determined vertical behavior is downward, and for switching the present mode of operation into the third mode when the direction of the determined vertical behavior is neither upward nor downward; and a damping force characteristic special mode switching block for switching the present mode of operation of the shock absorber into the fourth mode of operation when a predetermined condition of a vehicular behavior is satisfied. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification