US 4,787,650 A · Active suspension apparatus

Abstract

An active suspension apparatus using hydropneumatic springs is disclosed to control damping characteristics in accordance with the vibration state of the passenger compartment of a vehicle during travel. An absolute acceleration of the floor of the passenger's compartment is detected and is compared with a reference value to discriminate the actual vibration state of the passenger compartment. The openings of restrictors arranged between hydropneumatic spring chambers and actuators are controlled in accordance with the discrimination result. In order to accurately detect the vibration state, specific vibration components are extracted by band-pass filters from the absolute acceleration signal.

Drawings

Claims19

Dependent claims

An active suspension apparatus using hydropneumatic springs for suspending a body of a vehicle on wheels by utilizing fluid and gas pressures, comprising:

hydropneumatic suspension means including an actuator supported by a trailing arm connected to a wheel of the vehicle, said actuator including a piston, a hydropneumatic spring and means connecting said hydropneumatic spring and said actuator and including a restrictor;
acceleration detecting means, located at a floor of a passenger compartment where passengers are located, for detecting an absolute acceleration of said passenger compartment, said acceleration detecting means comprising an acceleration meter arranged on the floor of the passenger compartment to detect vertical acceleration of said floor;
a controller for comparing an output signal generated from said acceleration detecting means with a reference value and generating a travel state signal;
and
driving means for controlling opening of said restrictor in accordance with a signal from said controller, whereby damping force characteristics are controlled by controlling the opening of the restrictor in accordance with a vibration state of the passenger compartment during travel of the vehicle.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description4,940 words

Summary1,678 words

#I. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to an active suspension apparatus using hydropneumatic springs for suspending a vehicle body, i.e., the sprung mass on wheels, by utilizing fluid and gas pressures.

#II. Statement of the Prior Art

Brief description of the drawings6 figures

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic arrangement of an active suspension apparatus according to the present invention;

#FIGS. 2 and 3 are respectively graphs for explaining the principle of control according to the second aspect of the present invention;

#FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the system of a first embodiment of the present invention;

Detailed description3,151 words

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic common arrangement of the active suspension apparatuses of the following embodiments of the present invention.

#The active suspension apparatus comprises an acceleration detecting means I arranged inside the passenger compartment of a vehicle, a controller II for processing an acceleration signal Z detected by the acceleration detecting means I, a driver III for amplifying an output signal generated from the controller II, and a driving means IV for controlling the opening of a restrictor arranged between each hydropneumatic spring chamber of a hydropneumatic suspension V and a corresponding actuator in accordance with an output signal generated from the driver III.

#FIG. 4 shows the detailed arrangement of an active suspension apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Facts

Application

06/735,830Filed 20 May 1985

Priority

JP 59-10223521 May 1984

Granted

29 Nov 1988

Term ended

29 Nov 2005

Estimated · how

Pre-1995 term; greater of 17 years from grant or 20 years from filing when eligible. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification3 codes

B60G 17/018
The regulating means comprising electric or electronic elements: characterised by the use of a specific signal treatment or control method
B60G 2600/182
Automatic control means: active control means
B60G
Vehicle suspension arrangements

Active suspension apparatus

Life of this patent

Active suspension apparatus

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims19

Description4,940 words

Drawings

Classification3 codes

Life of this patent

Description4,940 words