Vehicle suspension system and method

A suspension system for an associated vehicle having opposing vehicle sides, said suspension system comprising:

• a first gas spring supported on one of the opposing vehicle sides;
• a second gas spring supported on the other of the opposing vehicle sides;
• a gas transfer passage extending between said first and second gas springs;
• a valve assembly operatively disposed along said gas transfer passage;
• and,
• a control system in communication with said valve assembly, said control system including:
• a user input device operative to generate an input signal corresponding to an associated user input;
• a controller in communication with said user input device and operable to selectively actuate said valve assembly in response to said input signal thereby selectively effecting cross-flow operation of said suspension system;
• and
• first and second height sensors in communication with said controller, said first height sensor operatively associated with said first gas spring for determining a first height and said second height sensor operatively associated with said second gas spring for determining a second height;
• said controller being adapted to ignore an input signal from said user input device if said difference between said first and second heights is greater than a predetermined value.

A method of operating a suspension system of a vehicle that is capable of cross-flow operation, said method comprising:

• a) providing a suspension system including first and second gas springs, a gas transfer passage in communication with said first and second gas springs, a valve assembly operatively disposed along said gas transfer passage and capable of selectively controlling gas flow therethrough, and a control system including a user input device and a control unit in communication with said user input device and said valve assembly, said user input device operative to generate user-inputted signals for activating and de-activating cross-flow operation of said suspension system, and said control unit operative to receive said user-inputted signals and selectively control said valve assembly based at least in part on said user-inputted signals;
• b) receiving a first user-inputted signal from said user input device;
• c) placing said valve assembly into an open condition and thereby permitting gas flow along said gas passage between said first and second gas springs;
• receiving a second user-inputted signal from said user input device;
• d) receiving a second user-inputted signal from said user input device;
• e) determining whether the vehicle is undergoing a suspension articulation that exceeds a predetermined articulation threshold value;
• and,
• f) placing said valve assembly into a closed condition and thereby restricting gas flow along said gas passage between said first and second gas springs;
• whereby upon determining in e) that the suspension articulation is one of less than and approximately equal to said predetermined articulation threshold value, said method includes proceeding with performance of f);
• and,
• whereby upon determining in e) that the suspension articulation exceeds said predetermined articulation threshold value, one of ignoring said second user-inputted signal and delaying performance of f) until the suspension articulation is one of less than and approximately equal to said predetermined articulation threshold value.

A suspension system operatively disposed between an associated sprung mass and an associate unsprung mass of an associated vehicle that has left and right vehicle sides and front and rear vehicle ends, said suspension system comprising:

• a first gas spring operatively connected between the associated sprung and unsprung masses toward a left front corner of the associated vehicle;
• a second gas spring operatively connected between the associated sprung and unsprung masses toward a right front corner of the associated vehicle;
• a third gas spring operatively connected between the associated sprung and unsprung masses toward a left rear corner of the associated vehicle;
• a fourth gas spring operatively connected between the associated sprung and unsprung masses toward a right rear corner of the associated vehicle;
• a first gas transfer passage extending between said first and second gas springs;
• a second gas transfer passage extending between said third and fourth gas springs;
• a first gas control device fluidically connected along said first gas transfer passage and selectively operable to fluidically interconnect said first and second gas springs;
• a second gas control device fluidically connected along said second gas transfer passage and selectively operable to fluidically interconnect said third and fourth gas springs;
• and,
• a control system in communication with said first gas control device and operative to at least selectively operate said first gas control device in response to one or more signals generated in relation to an associated user input acting on a user input device, such that an associated user can thereby selectively permit fluid communication between said first and second gas springs by way of said first gas transfer passage;
• and,
• said control system in communication with said second gas control device and operative to at least selectively operate said second gas control device in response to said one or more signals generated in relation to the associated user input acting on said user input device, such that the associated user can thereby selectively permit fluid communication between said third and fourth gas springs by way of said second gas transfer passage.