Hydraulic circuit for a stabilizer bar

• US 7,475,895 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2005
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BWI Company Limited SA (Shougang Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mc Clelland, Jason A., Pichon, Vincent G., Stacey, Scott A., Hilton, Mike W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; John Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECK, KAREN JANE AMORES
• Application Number:
  US11/152,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20050280237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 280/124.16, 280/124.161, 280/124.157, 280/124.106, 280/124.107, 280/124.162
• US Class Current: 280/124.16
• 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 21/0555 including an actuator inducing vehicle roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 21/067 between wheels on different axles on the same side of the vehicle, i.e. the left or the right side
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/1224 End mounts of stabiliser on wheel suspension
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/422 Links for mounting suspension elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/1116 Actively adjustable during driving

Abstract

A hydraulic system for use in a motorized vehicle including a pressure source, a valve fluidly coupled to the pressure source, and an actuator fluidly coupled to the valve. The actuator includes an outer casing and a piston slidably received in the outer casing such that the piston defines a piston chamber and a rod chamber in the outer casing. The actuator includes a rod coupled to the piston on a side of the piston facing the rod chamber. The valve is configured such that when the valve is in an open position the valve provides fluid communication to the rod chamber and provides fluid communication to the piston chamber. Fluid flowing through the valve to the rod chamber passes through a restricted orifice having cross sectional area that is smaller than the cross sectional area of any orifice that would be passed through by fluid flowing through the valve to the piston chamber.

Claims

1. A hydraulic system for use in a motorized vehicle comprising:

a pressure source;

a valve fluidly coupled to the pressure source; and

an actuator fluidly coupled to the valve and including an outer casing and a piston slidably received in the outer casing such that the piston defines a piston chamber and a rod chamber in the outer casing, the actuator including a rod coupled to the piston on a side of the piston facing the rod chamber, wherein the valve is configured such that when the valve is in an open position the valve provides fluid communication to the rod chamber and provides fluid communication to the piston chamber, wherein fluid flowing through the valve to the rod chamber passes through a restricted orifice having cross sectional area that is smaller than the cross sectional area of any orifice that would be passed through by fluid flowing through the valve to the piston chamber, wherein the valve includes a piston chamber port and a rod chamber port, and wherein the valve is configured such that when the valve is in the open position the pressure source is in fluid communication with the piston chamber via the piston chamber port and the valve provides fluid communication with the rod chamber via the rod chamber port, wherein when the rod chamber port has a smaller cross sectional area than the piston chamber port to provide said restricted orifice.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the valve is configured such that when the valve is in the open position the valve provides fluid communication between the pressure source and the rod chamber.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the valve is configured such that when the valve is in the open position the valve provides fluid communication between the pressure source and the piston chamber.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the piston chamber port and the rod chamber port are in fluid communication with each other inside the valve.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the piston chamber port and rod chamber port are fluidly isolated from each other in the valve.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the valve is movable between the open position and a closed position wherein rod chamber port and the piston chamber port are fluidly isolated from the pressure source.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the valve is biased into the closed position in the absence of any electromagnetic forces.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the valve includes a spool movably mounted in a valve casing, the spool having an outer body with an inner cavity formed therein, wherein the piston chamber port and the restricted orifice are openings defined in the body and communicating with the inner cavity.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising an auxiliary actuator including an auxiliary outer casing and an auxiliary piston slidably received in the auxiliary outer casing such that the auxiliary piston defines an auxiliary piston chamber and an auxiliary rod chamber in the auxiliary outer casing, wherein the valve is configured such that when the valve is in the open position the valve provides fluid communication to the auxiliary rod chamber and provides fluid communication to the auxiliary piston chamber.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said piston chamber of said actuator is in fluid communication with said auxiliary piston chamber, and wherein said rod chamber of said actuator is in fluid communication with said auxiliary rod chamber, and wherein the restricted orifice has cross sectional area that is smaller than the cross sectional area of any orifice that would be passed through by fluid flowing from the piston chamber to the auxiliary piston chamber, or from the rod chamber to the auxiliary rod chamber.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the piston is operatively coupled to a stabilizer bar associated with the front or rear of a vehicle, and wherein the auxiliary piston is operatively coupled to a stabilizer bar associated with the other of the front or rear of the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising a return line in fluid communication with an inlet of the pressure source, wherein the system further includes an auxiliary valve having a piston chamber port and a rod chamber port configured such that when the auxiliary valve is in an open position the auxiliary valve provides fluid communication between the pressure source and the rod chamber and provides fluid communication between the return line and the piston chamber.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising an auxiliary actuator including an auxiliary outer casing and an auxiliary piston slidably received in the auxiliary outer casing such that the auxiliary piston defines an auxiliary piston chamber and an auxiliary rod chamber in the auxiliary outer casing, wherein the auxiliary valve is configured such that when the auxiliary valve is in the open position the auxiliary valve provides fluid communication between the pressure source and the auxiliary rod chamber and provides fluid communication between the return line and the auxiliary piston chamber.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising a pressure control valve operatively coupled to the pressure source, wherein the pressure control valve is operable to control the pressure of fluid provided to the valve.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the pressure source includes a pump.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the restricted orifice has cross sectional area that is less than one half the cross sectional area of the smallest orifice passed through by fluid flowing to the piston chamber via the valve.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the restricted orifice has a cross sectional area of less than 5 mm².

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the restricted orifice has cross sectional area that is smaller than the cross sectional area of the smallest orifice passed through by fluid flowing from the valve to the piston chamber.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the piston is operatively coupled to a stabilizer bar.

20. A hydraulic system for use in a motorized vehicle comprising:

a pressure source;

a valve fluidly coupled to the pressure source; and

an actuator fluidly coupled to the valve and including an outer casing and a piston slidably received in the outer casing such that the piston defines a piston chamber and a rod chamber in the outer casing, the actuator including a rod coupled to the piston on a side of the piston facing the rod chamber, wherein the valve is configured such that when the valve is in an open position the valve provides fluid communication to the rod chamber and provides fluid communication to the piston chamber, wherein fluid flowing through the valve to the rod chamber passes through a restricted orifice having cross sectional area that is smaller than the cross sectional area of any orifice that would be passed through by fluid flowing through the valve to the piston chamber wherein the piston is operatively coupled to a stabilizer bar.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the piston is operatively coupled to the stabilizer bar such that movement of the piston causes the stabilizer bar to exert upward or downward forces upon a wheel of a vehicle.

22. A hydraulic system for use in a motorized vehicle comprising:

a pressure source;

a valve fluidly coupled to the pressure source; and

an actuator fluidly coupled to the valve and including an outer casing and a piston slidably received in the outer casing such that the piston defines a piston chamber and a rod chamber in the outer casing, the actuator including a rod coupled to the piston on a side of the piston facing the rod chamber, wherein the valve is configured such that when the valve is in an open position the valve provides fluid communication to the rod chamber and provides fluid communication to the piston chamber, wherein fluid flowing through the valve to the rod chamber passes through a restricted orifice having cross sectional area that is smaller than the cross sectional area of any orifice that would be passed through by fluid flowing through the valve to the piston chamber, the system further comprising a first pressure control valve and a second pressure control valve arranged in series and configured to control the pressure of fluid provided to the valve.

23. A hydraulic system for use in a motorized vehicle comprising:

a pressure source;

a valve coupled to the pressure source, the valve including a piston chamber port and a rod chamber port;

an outer casing; and

a piston slidably received in the outer casing such that the piston defines a piston chamber and a rod chamber in the outer casing, wherein the valve is configured such that when the valve is in an open position the pressure source is in fluid communication with the piston chamber via the piston chamber port and the valve provides fluid communication with the rod chamber via the rod chamber port, wherein when the valve includes a restricted orifice such that when the valve is in the open position fluid flowing to the rod chamber passes through the restricted orifice having a smaller cross sectional area than any orifice passed through by fluid flowing to the piston chamber.

24. The system of claim 23 further comprising a first pressure control valve and a second pressure control valve arranged in series and configured to control the pressure of fluid provided to the valve.

25. A motorized vehicle comprising:

a vehicle frame;

at least two wheels connected to the frame upon a common axle;

a stabilizer bar for vertically moving at least one of the two wheels; and

a hydraulic system operatively coupled to the stabilizer bar to control movement thereof, the hydraulic system including a pressure source, a valve fluidly coupled to the pressure source, and an actuator fluidly coupled to the valve and including an outer casing and a piston slidably received in the outer casing such that the piston defines a piston chamber and a rod chamber in the outer casing, the actuator including a rod coupled to the piston on a side of the piston facing the rod chamber and operatively coupled to the stabilizer bar, wherein the valve is configured such that when the valve is in an open position the valve provides fluid communication between the rod chamber and the pressure source and provides fluid communication to the piston chamber, wherein fluid flowing through the valve to the rod chamber passes through a restricted orifice having cross sectional area that is smaller than the cross sectional area of any orifice passed through by fluid flowing through the valve to the piston chamber, wherein the restricted orifice has cross sectional area that is less than one half the cross sectional area of the smallest orifice passed through by fluid flowing to the piston chamber via the valve.

26. The system of claim 25 further comprising a first pressure control valve and a second pressure control valve arranged in series and configured to control the pressure of fluid provided to the valve.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the restricted orifice is positioned in said valve.

28. A hydraulic system for use in a motorized vehicle comprising:

a fluid supply;

a pressure source through which fluid is conveyed from the fluid supply;

a pair of direction control valves, each direction control valve including a rod chamber port and a piston chamber port, the rod chamber ports of the direction control valves being in fluid communication with each other and the piston chamber ports of the direction control valves being in fluid communication with each other;

a pressure control valve having an inlet that is in fluid communication with an inlet of the each of the direction control valves;

a pair of outer casings; and

a piston slidably received in each outer casing, wherein each piston defines a piston chamber and a rod chamber in the associated outer casing, wherein when one of the direction control valves is open the pressure source is in fluid communication with the rod cavities via the rod chamber port of the one of the direction control valves and the pressure source is in fluid communication with the piston cavities via the piston chamber port of the one of the direction control valves, wherein the fluid communication between the fluid supply and the outer casings via the one of the direction control valves is more restricted than the fluid communication between the piston chambers and between the rod chambers.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said one of the direction control valves includes a restricted orifice therein such that the fluid communication between the fluid supply and the outer casings via the one of the direction control valves is more restricted than the fluid communication between the piston chambers and between the rod chambers.

30. A hydraulic system for use in a motorized vehicle comprising:

a fluid supply;

a pressure source through which fluid is conveyed from the fluid supply;

a first and a second pressure control valve, the first pressure control valve having an inlet in fluid communication with the pressure source and an outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of the second pressure control valve, wherein said first and second pressure control valves are variable valves that are directly controllable by a controller to set a desired backpressure;

a direction control valve in fluid communication with the outlet of the first pressure control valve and including a rod chamber port and a piston chamber port;

a pair of outer casings; and

a piston slidably received in each outer casing, wherein each piston defines a piston chamber and a rod chamber in the associated outer casing, wherein when the direction control valve is open the pressure source is in fluid communication with the rod cavities via the rod chamber port and the inlet of the second pressure control valve is in fluid communication with the piston cavities via the piston chamber port, wherein the fluid communication between the fluid supply and the outer casings is more restricted than the fluid communication between the outer casings.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the direction control valve includes a restricted orifice therein such that fluid communication between the fluid supply and the outer casings is more restricted than the fluid communication between the outer casings.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein said first and second pressure control valves are arranged in series and configured to control the pressure of fluid provided to the valve.