US 5,337,864 A · Suspension system with improved resonance damping and a method for regulating the suspension system

Abstract

A suspension system for motor vehicles is disposed between body (1) and wheel (2) and is provided with a damper (4) with integrated resonance dampers (40, 48) for improved insulation of transmission of road unevenness to the body. The resonance damper is formed in that the casing (40) of the damper (4) forms a moving mass m.sub.40 between the body (1) and the wheel (2), the casing being connected to the wheel via a spring (48) harmonized with the mass m.sub.40. The pistons (41, 42) of the damper are connected via piston rods (43, 44, respectively) to the body (1) and the wheel (2), respectively. By a fixed adaptively regulated flow between the chambers (5--7) formed in the damper (4) in response to parameters dependent upon the oscillation cycle, there will be obtained improved insulation primarily in those resonance ranges which are typical for suspension systems for motor vehicles,

Claims39

Dependent claims

A suspension system which is disposed between a first sprung mass and a second unsprung mass for reducing transfer of disturbing impulses from the second unsprung mass to the first sprung mass, the suspension system comprising:

first spring means for resiliently interconnecting the first and second masses in a force transmitting relationship;
a damping cylinder having a casing connected in parallel with the first spring means between the first and second masses;
second spring means for resiliently interconnecting the casing of the damping cylinder with the second unsprung mass;
the cylinder including first and second pistons having respective piston rods for connecting the first and second pistons to the first and second masses, respectively, the first and second pistons dividing the damping cylinder into first, second and third chambers, each of which accommodates damping fluid;
and
flow actuating means for controlling replenishment and evacuation of damping fluid in each of the first, second and third chambers.

3 more elements

A method for regulating a suspension system which is disposed between a first sprung mass and a second unsprung mass to reduce transfer of disturbing impulses from the second unsprung mass to the first sprung mass, the suspension system including first spring means for resiliently interconnecting the first and second masses in a force transmitting relationship, a damping cylinder having a casing connected in parallel with the first spring means between the first and second masses, the cylinder being divided into a plurality of chambers accommodating damping fluid, and flow actuating means for controlling replenishment and evacuation of damping fluid in each of the plurality of chambers, the method comprising:

providing first and second pistons in the damping cylinder for transmitting the movement of the first sprung mass and the second unsprung mass to the damping cylinder;
and
controlling the motion of the casing as a function of the motion of the second unsprung mass in such a way that the mass of the casing is used as a resonance mass in a resonance system harmonically adjusted to the unsprung mass in order to resonantly damping motion of the unsprung mass independently of said first spring means.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Suspension system with improved resonance damping and a method for regulating the suspension system

Life of this patent

Suspension system with improved resonance damping and a method for regulating the suspension system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims39