System for vehicle height adjustment with loading deviation correction

Claim 2

For a vehicle comprising a body and a plurality of wheels upon which said vehicle runs. a vehicle height adjustment system, comprising: (a) a plurality of actuator assemblies, one provided corresponding to each one of said vehicle wheels and resiliently suspending said one of said vehicle wheels from the vehicle body, said actuator assemblies comprising pressure chambers and each increasing and decreasing vehicle height at a location corresponding to its corresponding vehicle wheel as respective results of supply of working fluid to and discharge of working fluid from its said pressure chamber; (b) a plurality of working fluid supplying and discharging means, which are provided corresponding to said actuator assemblies, for supplying working fluid to said pressure chambers and for discharging working fluid from said pressure chambers; (c) a plurality of loading detection means, which are provided corresponding to said vehicle wheels, for sensing parameters representative of the loadings imposed by the vehicle body on said vehicle wheels; (d) a plurality of vehicle height detection means, which are provided corresponding to said vehicle wheels, for sensing parameters representative of the heights of the vehicle body over said vehicle wheels; and: (e) a computing and control means for controlling said working fluid supplying and discharging means based on the deviations of the actual wheel heights as detected by said vehicle height detection means from standard wheel heights, and carrying out control adjustment of said actual wheel heights to said standard wheel heights, by carrying out a correction to the adjustment control of said working fluid supplying and discharging mcans, based upon the deviations of the actual wheel loadings as detected by said loading detection means from standard wheel loadings, by an amount appropriate substantially to eliminate said loading deviations.

Claim 3

A vehicle height adjustment system according to claim 1, wherein said loading detection means, for each said working fluid supplying and discharging means, is a pressure detecting means which detects the pressure within said pressure chamber of said working fluid supplying and discharging means as the fluctuation corresponding to the loading of the corresponding vehicle wheel.

Claim 4

For a vehicle comprising a body and a plurality of wheels upon which said vehicle runs, a vehicle height adjustment system, comprising: (a) a plurality of actuator assemblies, one provided corresponding to each one of said vehicle wheels and resiliently suspending said one of said vehicle wheels from the vehicle body, said actuator assemblies comprising pressure chambers and each increasing and decreasing vehicle height at a location corresponding to its corresponding vehicle wheel as respective results of supply of working fluid to and discharge of working fluid from its said pressure chamber; (b) a plurality of working fluid supplying and discharging means, which are provided corresponding to said actuator assemblies, for supplying working fluid to said pressure chambers and for discharging working fluid from said pressure chambers; (c) a plurality of loading detection means, which are provided corresponding to said vehicle wheels, for sensing parameters representative of the loadings imposed by the vehicle body on said vehicle wheels; (d) a plurality of vehicle height detection means, which arc provided corresponding to said vehicle wheels, for sensing parameters representative of the heights of the vehicle body over said vehicle wheels; and: (e) a computing and control means for controlling said working fluid supplying and discharging means based on the deviations of the actual wheel heights as detected by said vehicle height detection means from standard wheel heights, and carrying out control adjustment of said actual wheel heights to said standard wheel heights, by carrying out a correction to the adjustment control of said working fluid supplying and discharging means: when the road speed of said vehicle is less than a determinate value, based upon the deviations of the actual wheel loadings as detected by said loading detection means from standard wheel loadings, by an amount appropriate substantially to eliminate said loading deviations; and, when the road speed of said vehicle is greater than said determinate value, based upon a loading signal obtained by passing through high band pass filters signals indicating the actual wheel loadings as detected by said loading detection means, by an amount appropriate substantially to eliminate the deviations of the actual wheel loadings as detected by said loading detection means from standard wheel loadings.

Claim 5

For a vehicle comprising a body and a plurality of wheels upon which said vehicle runs, a vehicle height adjustment system, comprising: (a) a plurality of actuator assemblies, one provided corresponding to each one of said vehicle wheels and resiliently suspending said one of said vehicle wheels from the vehicle body, said actuator assemblies comprising pressure chambers and each increasing and decreasing vehicle height at a location corresponding to its corresponding vehicle wheel as respective results of supply of working fluid to and discharge of working fluid from its said pressure chamber; (b) a plurality of working fluid supplying and discharging means, which are provided corresponding to said actuator assemblies, for supplying working fluid to said pressure chambers and for discharging working fluid from said pressure chambers; (c) a plurality of loading detection means, which are provided corresponding to said vehicle wheels, for sensing parameters representative of the loadings imposed by the vehicle body on said vehicle wheels; (d) a plurality of vehicle height detection means, which arc provided corresponding to said vehicle wheels, for sensing parameters representative of the heights of the vehicle body over said vehicle wheels; and: (e) a computing and control means for controlling said working fluid supplying and discharging means based on the deviations of the actual wheel heights as detected by said vehicle height detection means from standard wheel heights, and carrying out control adjustment of said actual wheel heights to said standard wheel heights, by carrying out a correction to the adjustment control of said working fluid supplying and discharging means: when the road speed of said vehicle is less than a determinate value, based upon the deviations of the actual wheel loadings as detected by said loading detection means from standard wheel loadings, by an amount appropriate substantially to eliminate said loading deviations; and, when the road speed of said vehicle is greater than said determinate value, based upon a loading signal obtained by passing through high band pass filters signals indicating the actual wheel loadings as detected by said loading detection means, by an amount appropriate substantially to eliminate the deviations of the actual wheel loadings as detected by said loading detection means from standard wheel loadings.

Claim 6

A vehicle height adjustment system according to claim 3, wherein said computing and control means is for: when the road speed of said vehicle is less than a determinate value, or when the road speed of said vehicle is less than a determinate value and also the vehicle is substantially travelling along a straight line, carrying out a correction to the adjustment control of said working fluid supplying and discharging means based upon the deviations of the actual wheel loadings as detected by said loading detection means from standard wheel loadings, by an amount appropriate substantially to eliminate said loading deviations; and, when the road speed of said vehicle is greater than said determinate value and also the vehicle is substantially travelling along a curve, carrying out a correction to the adjustment control of said working fluid supplying and discharging means based upon a loading signal obtained by passing through high band pass filters signals indicating the actual wheel loadings as detected by said loading detection means, by an amount appropriate substantially to eliminate the deviations of the actual wheel loadings as detected by said loading detection means from standard wheel loadings.

Claim 7

A vehicle height adjustment system according to claim 3, said vehicle having tires, wherein said computing and control means is for: when the road speed of said vehicle is greater than said determinate value, deriving a value representing the flexion amounts of said tires based on signals indicating the deviations of the actual wheel loadings as detected by said loading detection means from standard wheel loadings, fixing as new standard wheel heights the sums of the previous standard wheel heights and said values representing the flexion amounts of said tires, and carrying out a correction to the adjustment control of said working fluid supplying and discharging means based upon a loading signal obtained by passing through high band pass filters signals indicating the actual wheel loadings as detected by said loading detection means, and based upon a signal indicating an amount appropriate to compensate for said tire flexion.

Claim 8

A vehicle height adjustment system according to claim 3, said vehicle having tires, wherein said computing and control means is for: when the road speed of said vehicle is less than said determinate value, or when the road speed of said vehicle is less than a determinate value and also the vehicle is substantially travelling along a straight line, carrying out a correction to the adjustment control of said working fluid supplying and discharging means based upon the deviations of the actual wheel loadings as detected by said loading detection means from standard wheel loadings, by an amount appropriate substantially to eliminate said loading deviations; and, when the road speed of said vehicle is greater than said determinate value and also the vehicle is substantially travelling along a Curve, deriving a value representing the flexion amounts of said tires based on signals indicating the deviations of the actual wheel loadings as detected by said loading detection means from standard wheel loadings, fixing as new standard wheel heights the sums of the previous standard wheel heights and said values representing the flexion amounts of said tires, and carrying out a correction to the adjustment control of said working fluid supplying and discharging means based upon a loading signal obtained by passing through high band pass filters signals indicating the actual wheel loadings as detected by said loading detection means, and based upon a signal indicating an amount appropriate to compensate for said tire flexion.

Claim 9

A vehicle height adjustment system according to any of claims 3 through 6, wherein said loading detection means, for each said working fluid supplying and discharging means, is a pressure detecting means which detects the pressure within said pressure chamber of said working fluid supplying and discharging means as the fluctuation corresponding to the loading of the corresponding vehicle wheel.

Claim 10

For a vehicle comprising a body and a plurality of wheels upon which said vehicle runs, a vehicle height adjustment system, comprising: (a) a plurality of actuator assemblies, one provided corresponding to each one of said vehicle wheels and resiliently suspending said one of said vehicle wheels from the vehicle body, said actuator assemblies comprising pressure chambers and each increasing and decreasing vehicle height at a location corresponding to its corresponding vehicle wheel as respective results of supply of working fluid to and discharge of working fluid from its said pressure chamber; (b) a plurality of working fluid supplying and discharging means, which are provided corresponding to said actuator assemblies, for supplying working fluid to said pressure chambers and for discharging working fluid from said pressure chambers; (c) a means for detecting the differential pressure between the pressure chambers of at least one left and right pair of said actuator assemblies; (d) a plurality of vehicle height detection means, which are provided corresponding to said vehicle wheels, for sensing parameters representative of the heights of the vehicle body over said vehicle wheels; and: (e) a computing and control means for controlling said working fluid supplying and discharging means based on the deviations of the actual wheel heights as detected by said vehicle height detection means from standard wheel heights, and carrying out control adjustment of said actual wheel heights to said standard wheel heights, and: when the road speed of said vehicle is less than a determinate value, carrying out a correction to the adjustment control of said working fluid supplying and discharging means based upon the differential pressure as detected by said differential pressure detection means, by an amount appropriate substantially to eliminate said differential pressure; and, when the road speed of said vehicle is greater than said determinate value, carrying out a correction to the adjustment control of said working fluid supplying and discharging means based upon a differential pressure signal obtained by passing through a high band pass filter a signal indicating the actual differential pressure as detected by said differential pressure detection means, by an amount appropriate substantially to eliminate said differential pressure.

Claim 11

For a vehicle comprising a body and a plurality of wheels upon which said vehicle runs, a vehicle height adjustment system, comprising: (a) a plurality of actuator assemblies, one provided corresponding to each one of said vehicle wheels and resiliently suspending said one of said vehicle wheels from the vehicle body, said actuator assemblies comprising pressure chambers and each increasing and decreasing vehicle height at a location corresponding to its corresponding vehicle wheel as respective results of supply of working fluid to and discharge of working fluid from its said pressure chamber; (b) a plurality of working fluid supplying and discharging means, which are provided corresponding to said actuator assemblies, for supplying working fluid to said pressure chambers and for discharging working fluid from said pressure chambers; (c) a means for detecting the differential pressure between the pressure chambers of at least one left and right pair of said actuator assemblies; (d) a plurality of vehicle height detection means, which are provided corresponding to said vehicle wheels, for sensing parameters representative of the heights of the vehicle body over said vehicle wheels; and: (e) a computing and control means for controlling said working fluid supplying and discharging means based on the deviations of the actual wheel heights as detected by said vehicle height detection means from standard wheel heights, and carrying out control adjustment of said actual wheel heights to said standard wheel heights, and: when the road speed of said vehicle is less than a determinate value, carrying out a correction to the adjustment control of said working fluid supplying and discharging means based upon the differential pressure as detected by said differential pressure detection means, by an amount appropriate substantially to eliminate said differential pressure; and, when the road speed of said vehicle is greater than said determinate value, carrying out a correction to the adjustment control of said working fluid supplying and discharging means based upon a differential pressure signal obtained by passing through a high band pass filter a signal indicating the actual differential pressure as detected by said differential pressure detection means, by an amount appropriate substantially to eliminate said differential pressure.

Claim 12

A vehicle height adjustment system according to claim 8, wherein said computing and control means is for: when the road speed of said vehicle is less than a determinate value, or when the road speed of said vehicle is less than a determinate value and also the vehicle is substantially travelling along a straight line, carrying out a correction to the adjustment control of said working fluid supplying and discharging means based upon the differential pressure as detected by said differential pressure detection means, by an amount appropriate substantially to eliminate said differential pressure; and, when the road speed of said vehicle is greater than said determinate value and also the vehicle is substantially travelling along a curve, carrying out a correction to the adjustment control of said working fluid supplying and discharging means based upon a differential pressure signal obtained by passing through a high band pass filter a signal indicating the actual differential pressure as detected by said differential pressure detection means, by an amount appropriate substantially to eliminate said differential pressure.

Claim 13

A vehicle height adjustment system according to claim 8, said vehicle having tires, wherein said computing and control means is for: when the road speed of said vehicle is greater than said determinate value, deriving a value representing the flexion amounts of said tires based on a signal indicating the differential pressure as detected by said differential pressure detection means, fixing as new standard wheel heights the sums of the previous standard wheel heights and said values representing the flexion amounts of said tires, and carrying out a correction to the adjustment control of said working fluid supplying and discharging means based upon a differential pressure signal obtained by passing through a high band pass filter a signal indicating the actual differential pressure as detected by said differential pressure detection means, and based upon a signal indicating an amount appropriate to compensate for said tire flcxion.

Claim 14

A vehicle height adjustment system according to claim 8, said vehicle having tires, wherein said computing and control means is for: when the road speed of said vehicle is less than said determinate value, or when the road speed of said vehicle is less than a determinate value and also the vehicle is substantially travelling along a straight line, carrying out a correction to the adjustment control of said working fluid supplying and discharging means based upon the differential pressure as detected by said differential pressure detection means, by an amount appropriate substantially to eliminate said differential pressure; and, when the road speed of said vehicle is greater than said determinate value and also the vehicle is aubstantially travelling along a curve, deriving values representing the flexion amounts of said tires based on a signal indicating the differential pressure as detected by said differential pressure detection means, fixing as new standard wheel heights the sums of the previous standard wheel heights and said values representing the flexion amounts of said tires, and carrying out a correction to the adjustment control of said working fluid supplying and discharging means based upon a differential pressure signal obtained by passing through a high band pass filter a signals indicating the actual differential pressure as detected by said differential pressure detection means, and based upon a signal indicating an amount appropriate to compensate for said tire flexion.

Claim 15

A vehicle height adjustment system according to any of claims 8 through 11, further comprising a conduit communicating together said pressure chambers of said left and right pair of said actuator assemblies, wherein said differential pressure detection means is provided at an intermediate point of said conduit.