Automobile suspension including control of variable damping coefficient shock absorber

A suspension system for automobiles, said suspension system comprising:

• a shock absorber of multi-degree variable-damping-coefficient type which is disposed between a sprung element and an unsprung element;
• means for determining a sprung vertical displacement velocity of said sprung element;
• means for determining an unsprung vertical displacement velocity of said unsprung element;
• damping force detection means which detects an actual damping force generated by said shock absorber;
• and
• control means which is supplied with a signal from said damping force detection means and then changes and controls a damping coefficient of said shock absorber to set the damping force generated by said shock absorber equal to a target damping force;
• whereby the target damping force, Fa is obtained by the following formula, as a function of the sprung vertical displacement velocity, Xs and the unsprung vertical displacement velocity, Xu:
• Fa=-Xs.multidot.gs-Xu.multidot.gu,
• wherein both gs and gu are coefficients and gs>0 and gu.gtoreq.0.