Controlling apparatus for active suspension system for automotive vehicle

• US 5,033,770 A
• Filed: 09/22/1989
• Issued: 07/23/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Hiwatashi, Yutaka, Mine, Atsushi, Kamimura, Katsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, Charles A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tyson, Karin
• Application Number:
  US07/410,834
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 280/707, 280/DIG. 1, 280/840, 280/6.12, 280/702, 280/703, 364/424.05
• US Class Current: 280/5.507
• 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 2202/15 Fluid spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/80 Interactive suspensions; arrangement affecting more than one suspension unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/102 vertical
• 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 2400/252 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/50 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/70 Temperature of vehicle part or in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/30 Height or ground clearance
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/02 Retarders, delaying means, dead zones, threshold values, cut-off frequency, timer interruption
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/14 Differentiating means, i.e. differential control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/20 Manual control or setting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/604 low pass
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/012 Rolling condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/014 Pitch; Nose dive

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling an active suspension system for an automotive vehicle comprises hydraulic suspensions, control valves for independently controlling each of the suspensions and a controller for issuing a signal for controlling of opening/closing of the respective control valves. The apparatus includes a longitudinal g sensor for detecting a longitudinal acceleration of a vehicle body and a lateral g sensor for detecting a lateral acceleration of the vehicle. To calculate a control quantity relative to feeding of hydraulic fluid in and discharging of the hydraulic fluid from the respective suspensions required for suppressing pitching and rolling of the vehicle body, the apparatus further includes a control logic which in the controller. A control quantity derived from the circuits is added to another control quantity derived from a vertical g acceleration sensor and a vertical relative displacement sensor, and the resultant control quantity is delivered to the control valve for each suspension.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling an active suspension system for an automotive vehicle including a plurality of suspensions for supporting a vehicle body by pressure of hydraulic fluid, a plurality of control valves to feed the hydraulic fluid in and to discharge the hydraulic fluid from each suspension independently, vertical acceleration sensing means for sensing a vertical acceleration of the vehicle body, vertical relative displacement sensing means for sensing a vertical relative displacement between masses above and below each suspension, and first control quantity calculating means responsive to the vertical acceleration and the vertical relative displacement for calculating a first control quantity for the hydraulic fluid to be fed in and discharged from each suspension, comprising:

a longitudinal acceleration sensor for sensing a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle body;

a lateral acceleration sensor for sensing a lateral acceleration of the vehicle body;

longitudinal load displacement quantity calculating means responsive to said longitudinal acceleration and a predetermined vehicle height for calculating a longitudinal displacement quantity of the load of the vehicle body per each suspension;

first suspension reactive force increase calculating means responsive to said longitudinal displacement quantity for calculating a first increase value of a suspension reactive force for each suspension;

rolling moment calculating means responsive to said lateral acceleration and said predetermined vehicle height for calculating a rolling moment exerted on the vehicle body;

lateral displacement quantity calculating means responsive to said rolling moment for calculating a lateral displacement quantity of the load of the vehicle body per each suspension;

second suspension reactive force increase calculating means responsive to said lateral displacement quantity for calculating a second increase value of the suspension reactive force for each suspension;

second control quantity calculating means responsive to said first increase value and said second increase value for calculating a second control quantity for hydraulic fluid to be fed in and discharge from each suspension;

adding means for adding said first control quantity to said second control quantity to provide a total control quantity; and

controlling means responsive to said total control quantity for controlling corresponding control valve per each suspension, so as to decrease pitching and rolling of the vehicle body.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

changing means for changing the predetermined vehicle height.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said changing means is a vehicle height adjusting switch shiftable to one of plurality of vehicle height position.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first control quantity calculating means comprises:

differentiation means for differentiating the vehicle relative displacement to provide a first value;

means for calculating a difference between the vertical relative displacement and the predetermined vehicle height to provide a second value;

means for setting a third value in response to the magnitude of the vertical acceleration; and

summing means for summing the first, second and third values to provide the first control quantity.

5. A component of an apparatus for controlling an active suspension system for an automotive vehicle including a plurality of suspensions for supporting a vehicle body by pressure of hydraulic fluid, a plurality of control valves to feed the hydraulic fluid in and to discharge the hydraulic fluid from each suspension independently, comprising:

a longitudinal acceleration sensor for sensing a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle body;

a lateral acceleration sensor for sensing a lateral acceleration of the vehicle;

longitudinal load displacement quantity calculating means responsive to said longitudinal acceleration and a predetermined vehicle height for calculating a longitudinal displacement quantity of the load of the vehicle body per each suspension;

first suspension reactive force increase calculating means responsive to said longitudinal displacement quantity for calculating a first increase value of a suspension reactive force for each suspension;

rolling moment calculating means responsive to said lateral acceleration and said predetermined vehicle height for calculating a rolling moment exerted on the vehicle body;

lateral displacement quantity calculating means responsive to said rolling moment for calculating a lateral displacement quantity of the load of the vehicle body per each suspension;

second suspension reactive force increase calculating means responsive to said lateral displacement quantity for calculating a second increase value of the suspension reactive force for each suspension; and

control quantity calculating means responsive to said first increase value and said second increase value for calculating a control quantity for the hydraulic fluid to be fed in and discharged from each suspension.

6. The component of claim 5, in combination with controlling means responsive to said control quantity for controlling corresponding control valve per each suspension, so as to decrease pitching and rolling of the vehicle body.

7. A component of an apparatus for controlling an active suspension system for an automotive vehicle including a plurality of suspensions for supporting a vehicle body by pressure of hydraulic fluid, a plurality of control valves to feed the hydraulic fluid in and to discharge the hydraulic fluid from each suspension independently, comprising:

a lateral acceleration sensor for sensing a lateral acceleration of the vehicle;

rolling moment calculating means responsive to said lateral acceleration and said predetermined vehicle height for calculating a rolling moment exerted on the vehicle body;

lateral displacement quantity calculating means responsive to said rolling moment for calculating a lateral displacement quantity of the load of the vehicle body per each suspension;

suspension reactive force increase calculating means responsive to said lateral displacement quantity for calculating an increase value of the suspension reactive force for each suspension; and

control quantity calculating means responsive to said increase value for calculating a control quantity for the hydraulic fluid to be fed in and discharged from each suspension.