System and operating method for level regulation of a driver's cab of a commercial vehicle relative to the chassis of the vehicle

• US 9,975,582 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MAN Truck and Bus SE (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: MAN Truck & Bus AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Rausch, Ludwig, Gunzert, Urs, Fleischhacker, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Heinle, Courtney D
• Application Number:
  US14/278,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20140358380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0155 pneumatic unit
• 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 17/0165 to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0523 Regulating distributors or valves for pneumatic springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/152 Pneumatic spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/162 Cabins, e.g. for trucks, tractors
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/02 Trucks; Load vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/14 Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/104 lateral or transversal with regard to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/106 longitudinal with regard to vehicle, e.g. braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/204 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/252 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/412 of steering wheel or column
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/821 Uneven, rough road sensing affecting vehicle body vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/16 GPS track data
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/204 Pressure regulating valves for air-springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/02 Retarders, delaying means, dead zones, threshold values, cut-off frequency, timer interruption
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/162 Reducing road induced vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/914 Height Control System
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/0608 pneumatic or hydraulic suspension
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/073 : characterised by special adaptations of vehicle control devices

Abstract

A system for level regulation of a driver'"'"'s cab of a commercial vehicle relative to a chassis of the vehicle includes a spring-loaded bearing in order to support the driver'"'"'s cab in a sprung manner on the chassis of the vehicle; a distance sensor device arranged to record relative movements and/or a distance between the driver'"'"'s cab and the chassis of the vehicle; and a control device that is arranged for variable control of the spring-loaded bearing, wherein signals of the distance sensor device are used to control the spring-loaded bearing. The spring-loaded bearing can be adjusted to a first height position (h1), so that the distance between the driver'"'"'s cab and the chassis of the vehicle is controlled by the control device to a first target distance. The spring-loaded bearing can be adjusted to at least one second height position (h2), so that the distance between the driver'"'"'s cab and the chassis of the vehicle is controlled by the control means to a second target distance. The control means device adjusts the spring-loaded bearing to the first height position (h1) or to the at least one second height position (h2) depending at least on a parameter relating to a driving route and/or a vehicle state.

Claims

1. A system for regulating a level of a driver'"'"'s cab of a commercial vehicle relative to a vehicle chassis, comprising:

a spring-loaded bearing for supporting the driver'"'"'s cab on the vehicle chassis, the spring-loaded bearing comprising a plurality of spring elements including pneumatic or hydraulic spring elements, each of the spring elements having a valve for variable supply of the each of the spring elements with a pressure-generating medium, and a supply unit supplying the pressure-generating medium for the spring elements;

a distance sensor configured to record at least one of relative movements and a distance between the driver'"'"'s cab and the vehicle chassis;

a distributed control device with regulators disposed on the valves of the spring elements, each of the regulators independently controlling a respective one of the valves of the spring-loaded bearing based on a signal received from the distance sensor;

wherein the spring-loaded bearing is adjustable to a first height position, where a distance between the driver'"'"'s cab and the vehicle chassis is controlled by the distributed control device to a first target distance, and a second height position, where a distance between the driver'"'"'s cab and the vehicle chassis is controlled by the distributed control device to a second target distance that is different from the first target distance,

wherein each of the regulators of the distributed control device receives a signal indicating a measurement value of at least one parameter relating to a driving route of the commercial vehicle and adjusts the respective one of the valves to position the spring-loaded bearing to the first height position or the second height position in response to the measurement value of the at least one parameter, and

wherein, if one of the spring elements is not compressed to the adjusted target distance, one of the regulators corresponding to the one of the spring elements controls the level of the pressure medium of the one of the spring elements by the valve disposed on the one of the regulators such that the one of the spring elements is again compressed to the adjusted target distance.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter includes at least a speed of travel.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the distributed control device regulates the distance between the driver'"'"'s cab and the vehicle chassis from the first target distance to the second target distance when the speed of travel exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and the second target distance is smaller than the first target distance and a spring travel of the spring-loaded bearing in the second height position corresponding to the second target distance is smaller than the spring travel in the first height position corresponding to the first target distance.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter includes at least one of a steering activity, a lateral acceleration, a longitudinal acceleration of the commercial vehicle, and a movement of the driver'"'"'s cab.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the distance sensor comprises three displacement transducers and the spring-loaded bearing comprises four spring struts operated by compressed air, each one of the three displacement transducers is disposed on a respective one of the spring struts for distance measurement.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter includes a steering activity.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter includes the type of road.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the type of road is determined based on GPS-data.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first target distance of the first height position is greater than the second target distance of the second height position, and a spring travel of the spring-loaded bearing in the first height position is greater than the spring travel in the second height position.

10. A commercial vehicle comprising the system according to claim 1.

11. An operating method for regulating a driver'"'"'s cab of a commercial vehicle relative to a vehicle chassis, comprising the steps:

recording at least one of a relative movement and a distance between the driver'"'"'s cab and the vehicle chassis;

adjusting a spring-loaded bearing that supports the driver'"'"'s cab in a sprung manner on the vehicle chassis based on the recorded at least one of a relative movement and a distance between the driver'"'"'s cab and the vehicle chassis, the spring-loaded bearing comprising a plurality of spring elements including pneumatic or hydraulic spring elements, each of the spring elements having a valve for variable supply of the each of the spring elements with a pressure-generating medium, and a supply unit supplying the pressure-generating medium for the spring elements,

wherein the spring-loaded bearing is adjustable to a first height position, where a distance between the driver'"'"'s cab and the vehicle chassis is controlled by a distributed control device to a first target distance, and a second height position, where a distance between the driver'"'"'s cab and the vehicle chassis is controlled by the distributed control device to a second target distance that is different from the first target distance; and

adjusting the spring-loaded bearing to the first height position or the second height position in response to a measured value of at least one parameter relating to a driving route of the commercial vehicle, the distributed control device including regulators disposed on the valves of the spring elements, each of the regulators independently controlling a respective one of the valves, the each of the regulators receiving a signal indicating the measured value of at least one parameter relating to a driving route of the commercial vehicle and adjusting the respective one of the valves to position the spring-loaded bearing to the first height position or the second height position in response to the measured value, and

wherein, if one of the spring elements is not compressed to the adjusted target distance, one of the regulators corresponding to the one of the spring elements controls the level of the pressure medium of the one of the spring elements by the valve disposed on the one of the regulators such that the one of the spring elements is again compressed to the adjusted target distance.