Damping adjusting/controlling system for wireless adjustment of shock-absorbers for vehicle

• US 7,533,890 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2006
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shui-Chuan Chiao
• Original Assignee: Shui-Chuan Chiao
• Inventors: Chiao, Shui-Chuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming; Faye M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Freedman; Laura
• Application Number:
  US11/520,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20070255466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 280/5.5, 280/5.504, 280/5.507, 280/5.508, 280/5.512, 280/5.515, 280/124.101, 280/124.102, 701/37, 701/38, 701/40
• US Class Current: 280/5.504
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0152 characterised by the action on a particular type of suspension unit B60G17/01941 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/06 Characteristics of dampers , e.g. mechanical dampersB60G17/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/71 Distributed control; Master - slave controllers; Remote control units

Abstract

A damping adjusting/controlling system is provided for a vehicle having two front shock-absorbers and two rear shock-absorbers. Each shock-absorber includes a piston rod having a central rod mounted therein. The damping adjusting/controlling system includes two front motors and two rear motors for driving the central rods of the front and rear shock-absorbers, respectively. Front and rear motor controller are mounted to front and rear portions of the vehicle and electrically connected to the front and rear motors, respectively. A main controller is operable to proceed with bidirectional information transmission/reception between a programmed chip of the main controller and programmed chips of the front and rear motor controllers to drive at least one of the front and rear motors, thereby adjusting a height of the central rod and a damping state of at least one of the front and rear shock-absorbers.

Claims

1. A damping adjusting/controlling system for a vehicle (10) including two front shock-absorbers (21 and 22) and two rear shock-absorbers (23 and 24), each of the front and rear shock-absorbers including a piston rod (25) having a central rod (27) mounted therein, the damping adjusting/controlling system comprising:

two front motors (31 and 32) and two rear motors (33 and 34) for driving the central rods (27) of the front and rear shock-absorbers (21-24), respectively;

a front motor controller (41) mounted to a front portion of the vehicle and electrically connected to the front motors, the front motor controller including a radio wave communication interface (43), a programmed chip (44), and a memory (45);

a rear motor controller (42) mounted to a rear portion of the vehicle and electrically connected to the rear motors, the rear motor controller including a radio wave communication interface (43), a programmed chip (44), and a memory (45); and

a main controller (50) including a radio wave communication interface (53), a programmed chip (54), and a memory (55), the main controller further including a keypad input device (57) and four liquid crystal displays (58) connected to the programmed chip (54) of the main controller;

wherein the main controller (50) is operable to proceed with bidirectional information transmission/reception between the programmed chip (54) of the main controller and the programmed chips (44) of the front and rear motor controllers to drive at least one of the front and rear motors (31-34), thereby adjusting a height of the central rod (27) and a damping state of at least one of the front and rear shock-absorbers (21-24).

2. The damping adjusting/controlling system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the front and rear motors (21-24) are step motors.

3. The damping adjusting/controlling system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the main controller (50) controls the front and rear motor controllers (41 and 42).

4. The damping adjusting/controlling system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the main controller (50) is operable to set a plurality of sets of data corresponding to different combinations of positions of the front and rear motors (31-34) through operation of the programmed chip (54) of the main controller (50), said plurality of sets of data being stored in the memory (55) of the main controller.

5. The damping adjusting/controlling system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the front and rear motors (31-34) has an output shaft (36), and the piston rod (26) of an associated one of the front and rear shock-absorbers (21-24) includes a central hole (26) into which the central rod is extended, the central hole including a threaded section (261) in an upper end thereof, the damping adjusting/controlling system further comprising:

a hollow coupling seat (60) mounted between each of the front and rear motors (31-34) and an associated one of the front and rear shock-absorbers (21-24), the hollow coupling seat including a first seat (61) to which an associated one of the front and rear motors is fixedly mounted, the coupling seat further including a second seat (62) threadedly engaged with the first seat to allow adjustment of a height of the associated one of the front and rear motors;

a threaded member (73) mounted in the threaded section (261) in the piston rod (25), the threaded member including a first end abutting against the central rod (27) and a second end having a polygonal groove (74);

a threaded seat (75) mounted in the threaded section (261) in the piston rod (25) and including a portion outside the piston rod, the threaded seat including a hole;

a connecting rod (70) extending through the hole of the threaded seat (75) and including a polygonal head (71) and a polygonal shank (72), the polygonal shank (72) of the connecting rod being engaged in the polygonal groove (74) of the threaded member (73); and

a coupler (37) coupled to the output shaft (36), the coupler including a socket (38) for coupling with the polygonal head (71) of the connecting rod (70), the associated one of the front and rear motors being drivable to drive the connecting rod (70) to turn on site while turning and moving the threaded member in a longitudinal direction, thereby adjusting the height of the central rod (27) and the damping state of the associated one of the shock-absorbers (21-24).