Suspension control system
AssigneeTokico Ltd.
InventorNobuyuki Ichimaru
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A suspension control system includes a shock absorber adapted to be mounted between a vehicle body and a wheel axle and having a variable damping force, an actuator operatively connected to the shock absorber and adapted to adjust the damping force developed by the shock absorber, an accelerometer for detecting terrain conditions and outputting a corresponding terrain condition signal, and a controller including a detector for determining terrain conditions in response to the frequency of the terrain condition signal and adapted to control the actuator in response to the terrain conditions as determined. The controller is operable to increase the damping force by a predetermined amount over a predetermined period of time when the accelerometer determines that the terrain includes a bump.
Claims6
A suspension control system for use with a vehicle having a body, a wheel axle and a wheel on the wheel axle, said suspension control system comprising:
- a shock absorber adapted to be mounted between the vehicle body and the wheel axle, said shock absorber being operable to develop a variable damping force;
- an actuator operatively connected to said shock absorber and adapted to adjust the damping force;
- a vehicle speed sensor operable to detect a vehicle speed and develop a corresponding vehicle speed signal;
- and
- a controller operable to receive the vehicle speed signal from said vehicle speed sensor, said controller including means for determining terrain conditions, said means for determining terrain conditions being operable to determine that a steep bump is encountered when the vehicle speed as detected is less than a low vehicle speed threshold,
- wherein said controller is operable to activate said actuator to increase the damping force by a predetermined amount for a predetermined period of time when said means for determining terrain conditions determines that a steep bump is encountered.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.