Adjustable shock absorber for a motor vehicle
AssigneeContinental Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsAlexander Stiller, Jorg Kock, Christian Treder, Stefan Zoufal
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Abstract
An adjustable shock absorber (8) includes a damping force changing device (16) which continuously adjusts the damping force characteristic of the shock absorber in response to input control signals. A first signal is generated by a first sensor which represents the damping force movement. At least a second signal is generated by at least a second device (10a . . . ) which represents the vertical bodywork speed (VA, 12) and/or the vehicle longitudinal speed (20). Based on this, a control signal (18) for adjusting the damping force characteristic is computed in accordance with a control law in the manner that the change of the desired current can be limited over time.
Claims4
A method for controlling the damping force for a shock absorber of a vehicle wheel suspension arranged between a wheel of the vehicle and the vehicle body, the shock absorber having a damping force characteristic, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a damping force change unit which responds to first and second signals to continuously adjust said damping force characteristic;
- generating said first signal utilizing means which represents the speed of said shock absorber;
- generating said second signal utilizing means which represents the vertical bodywork speed of the suspended mass of said bodywork;
- computing a control signal based on said first and second signals in accordance with the skyhook method for adjusting said damping force characteristic;
- and,
- limiting at least one of the time-dependent change of the damping force and the time-dependent change of the shock absorber current when said shock absorber speed and said vertical bodywork speed have different signs.
A shock absorber arrangement for a motor vehicle, the shock absorber arrangement comprising:
- a shock absorber having a damping force characteristic;
- a damping force changing unit;
- first means for generating a first signal representing the speed of the shock absorber;
- second means for generating a second signal representing the vertical bodywork speed of the suspended mass of the bodywork of the motor vehicle;
- a damping force changing unit including an electric control apparatus having a limiter for generating an electrical signal having a shock absorber current change which can be limited;
- said shock absorber having a current adjusting member for controlling the desired damping force with the aid of said control signal;
- said control signal being computable in accordance with the skyhook method based on said first and second signals;
- and,
- means for limiting the time-dependent change of the damping force and/or the current of said shock absorber when said shock absorber speed and said vertical bodywork speed have different signs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.