Apparatus for controlling vehicle spring firmness
AssigneeRobert Bosch GmbH
InventorKonrad Eckert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for controlling the spring firmness of road vehicles is proposed, which is combined with a control of the shock absorber firmness. Both controls are performed using a single control valve. Trigger signals for the control valve are ascertained by means of an electronic device, which receives its signals from sensors, disposed on the vehicle, for spring travel, acceleration, vehicle speed and steering angle or the like, and in particular for the travel sensor, which picks up the shock absorber compression and emits it as a signal to the electronic device, with the goal of bringing about a change in the spring stiffness.
Claims13
An apparatus for controlling a spring-type firmness of a road vehicle, comprising a hydraulic load bearing element provided with two work chambers separated by a piston, a hydraulic control valve arranged to simultaneously communicate with a connection from each of said two work chambers and adapted to control fluid flow to and from each of said work chambers, each of said two work chambers being connected simultaneously to a hydropneumatic reservoir, said hydropneumatic reservoir and said hydraulic load bearing element adapted to serve as a hydropneumatic spring, said hydraulic load bearing element being connected at least to said hydropneumatic reservoir, a one-way check valve in a by-pass line between said reservoir and each of said work chambers that by-pass said hydraulic control valve, said hydraulic control valve being adapted to provide control of shock absorber firmness and level control for a suspension in said road vehicle, and means for operating said control valve at a frequency that is several times higher than inherent frequencies occurring in the overall vehicle suspension.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.