Suspension system with on-demand full damper capacity
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsSteven Thompson, Tom Sawarynski, Adam Busack, Jason Michener, Matthew Titus
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A suspension control system for a vehicle may include a plurality of adjustable dampers associated with suspension of respective ones of a plurality of wheels of the vehicle, a controller operably coupled to the adjustable dampers to selectively adjust a damping force of one or more of the adjustable dampers responsive to an activation signal, and a driver interface disposed at a steering wheel assembly of the vehicle. The driver interface may be actuated by a driver of the vehicle to apply the activation signal while the driver interface is actuated.
Claims20
A suspension control system for a vehicle, the system comprising:
- a plurality of adjustable dampers associated with suspension of respective ones of a plurality of wheels of the vehicle;
- a controller operably coupled to the adjustable dampers to selectively adjust a damping force of one or more of the adjustable dampers responsive to an activation signal;
- and
- a driver interface disposed at a steering wheel assembly of the vehicle, the driver interface being actuated by a driver of the vehicle to apply the activation signal while the driver interface is actuated,
- wherein the driver interface comprises a first actuator disposed at a first portion of the steering wheel assembly, and a second actuator disposed at a second portion of the steering wheel assembly,
- wherein the activation signal is applied responsive to both the first and second actuators being simultaneously actuated, and
- wherein the first and second actuators each have a different primary function from applying the activation signal related to a different vehicle subsystem when either of the first actuator and second actuator is actuated individually.
A method of applying damping force adjustment for a suspension system of a vehicle, the method comprising:
- receiving a trigger event from a multiple function driver interface of the vehicle;
- generating an activation signal responsive to the trigger event for communication to a plurality of adjustable dampers associated with suspension of respective ones of a plurality of wheels of the vehicle;
- and
- adjusting a damping force of one or more of the adjustable dampers responsive to the activation signal while the driver interface is actuated,
- wherein the driver interface comprises a first actuator disposed at a first portion of the steering wheel assembly, and a second actuator disposed at a second portion of the steering wheel assembly,
- wherein the activation signal is generated only while both the first and second actuators are simultaneously actuated,
- wherein a primary function of the first and second actuators comprises shifting a transmission of the vehicle responsive to individual actuation of the first or second actuators and
- wherein the generating the activation signal is performed as a secondary function responsive to actuation of both the first and second actuators.
A suspension control system for a vehicle, the system comprising:
- a plurality of adjustable dampers associated with suspension of respective ones of a plurality of wheels of the vehicle;
- a controller operably coupled to the adjustable dampers to selectively adjust a damping force of one or more of the adjustable dampers responsive to an activation signal;
- and
- a driver interface disposed at a steering wheel assembly of the vehicle, the driver interface being actuated by a driver of the vehicle to apply the activation signal while the driver interface is actuated,
- wherein a time delay is inserted between provision of the activation signal and adjusting the damping force of one or more of the adjustable dampers, and
- wherein a duration of the time delay is vehicle speed dependent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.