Method for operating a motor vehicle, computer software product, chassis arrangement and motor vehicle

• US 9,908,380 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2016
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Reul, Marcus-Andre, Molitor, Mathias
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US15/007,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20160214455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/016 characterised by their responsiveness, when the vehicle is travelling, to specific motion, a specific condition, or driver input B60G17/017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/018 characterised by the use of a specific signal treatment or control method
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/08 Characteristics of fluid dampers adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/106 longitudinal with regard to vehicle, e.g. braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/208 of wheel rotation
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/60 Load
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/02 Retarders, delaying means, dead zones, threshold values, cut-off frequency, timer interruption
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/20 Manual control or setting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/115 by electric means details of the electric drive components, e.g. motors, shafts, ball joints B60Q1/076

Abstract

A method for operating a motor vehicle having at least a first axle and at least a second axle, wherein the motor vehicle has a chassis that can be adjusted by the user, and which is operable at least in a first mode and at least in a second mode, which is more comfortable than the first mode. When the user activates the more comfortable second mode, a loading state of the motor vehicle is checked. The chassis is not shifted from the first mode into the second mode for at least axle, or is changed from the second mode into the first mode of the chassis if a limit load is exceeded.

Claims

1. A chassis arrangement for a motor vehicle comprising:

a first axle having a first adjustable chassis component operable at a first mode and a second mode that is more comfortable than the first mode;

a second axle having a second adjustable chassis component opera east in the first mode and the second mode that is more comfortable than the first mode;

a load sensor configured to detecting a loading state of the first and second axles;

a chassis mode selector switch operable to switch between the first mode and the second mode; and

a controller connected to the chassis mode selector switch, the load sensor, the first adjustable chassis component and the second adjustable chassis component, wherein the controller is configured to prevent an activation of the second mode of at least the second adjustable chassis component when a load greater than a limit load is detected by the load sensor.

2. The chassis arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the load sensor includes an acceleration sensor.

3. The chassis arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the load sensor comprises a component of an automatic headlight range adjustment system.

4. The chassis arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first adjustable chassis component and the second adjustable chassis component comprises shock absorbers.

5. The chassis arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the shock absorbers are each switchable between at least two damping characteristic curves.

6. The chassis arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the shock absorbers comprise electrically adjustable shock absorbers.

7. The chassis arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the shock absorbers comprise passive shock absorbers.

8. The chassis arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises an inhibitor circuit to prevent activation of the second mode.