Actively controlled automotive suspension system with improved cornering characteristics

Claim 2

A suspension system for an automotive vehicle comprising: a damper assemblies disposed between a vehicle body and a plurality of suspension members which supporting respectively associated roas wheels, each of said damper assemblies including hydraulic means adjustable of hydraulic pressure; a hydraulic circuit connected to said hydraulic means for supplying pressurised working fluid thereto; sensor means for monitoring predetermined vehicle driving condition indicative parameters to produce a driving condition indicative sensor signal; and a controller responsive to said driving condition indicative sensor signal to derive a load distribution at respective road wheels, said controller producing pressure control signals for respective said hydraulic means to cause change of hydraulic pressure in each damper assembly to cause offset of gravity center of the vehicle body at a controlled magnitude and controlled direction to obtain derived load distribution for desired optimum vehicle driving characteristics.

Claim 3

A suspension system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sensor means includes means for monitoring vehicular speed damand indicative parameter to produce a vehicular speed indicative sensor signal, and said controller responsive to said vehicular speed demand indicative sensor signal to derive load distribution coefficient based on which said load destribution is derived.

Claim 4

A suspension system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said load distribution coefficient defines load distribution between front road wheels and rear road wheels.

Claim 5

A suspension system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said hydraulic means comprises a hydraulic cylinder disposed therein a reciprocating piston which defines a fluid chamber within said hydraulic cylinder and responsive to the hydraulic pressure within said fluid chamber, and a valve means interposed between said hydraulic circuit and said fluid chamber for supplying and draining pressurized working fluid to and from said fluid chamber for adjusting fluid pressure in said fluid chamber according to said pressure control signal.

Claim 6

A suspension system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said pressure control valve includes a valve body and an electrically operable actuator for shifting said valve body for adjusting fluid pressure in said fluid chamber according to said pressure control signal.

Claim 7

A suspension system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sensor means includes means for monitoring lateral force exerteing on the vehicle for producing a lateral force indicative signal and means for monitoring vehicular speed damand indicative parameter to produce a vehicular speed indicative sensor signal, and said controller responsive to said lateral force indicative signal and vehicular speed demand indicative sensor signal to derive load distribution coefficient based on which said load destribution is derived.

Claim 8

A suspension system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said controller is responsive to vehicular speed demand indicative parameter having a value greater than a predetermined value to change a vehicular steering characteristics to over-steer characteristics.

Claim 9

A suspension system for an automotive vehicle for allowing increased speed cornering and/or allowing application of higher driving torque during cornering comprising: a damper assemblies disposed between a vehicle body and a plurality of suspension members which supporting respectively associated roas wheels, each of said damper assemblies including hydraulic means adjustable of hydraulic pressure; a hydraulic circuit connected to said hydraulic means for supplying pressurised working fluid thereto: sensor means for monitoring predetermined vehicle driving condition indicative parameters to produce a driving condition indicative sensor signal; and a controller responsive to said driving condition indicative sensor signal to derive a load distribution at respective road wheels, said controller producing pressure control signals for respective said hydraulic means to cause change of hydraulic pressure in each damper assembly to cause offset of gravity center of the vehicle body at a controlled magnitude and controlled direction to obtain derived load distribution for desired optimum vehicle conering characteristics.

Claim 10

A suspension system for an automotive vehicle for allowing increased speed cornering and/or allowing application of higher driving torque during cornering comprising: a damper assemblies disposed between a vehicle body and a plurality of suspension members which supporting respectively associated roas wheels, each of said damper assemblies including hydraulic means adjustable of hydraulic pressure; a hydraulic circuit connected to said hydraulic means for supplying pressurised working fluid thereto: sensor means for monitoring predetermined vehicle driving condition indicative parameters to produce a driving condition indicative sensor signal; and a controller responsive to said driving condition indicative sensor signal to derive a load distribution at respective road wheels, said controller producing pressure control signals for respective said hydraulic means to cause change of hydraulic pressure in each damper assembly to cause offset of gravity center of the vehicle body at a controlled magnitude and controlled direction to obtain derived load distribution for desired optimum vehicle conering characteristics.

Claim 11

A suspension system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said sensor means includes means for monitoring vehicular speed damand indicative parameter to produce a vehicular speed indicative sensor signal, and said controller responsive to said vehicular speed demand indicative sensor signal to derive load distribution coefficient based on which said load destribution is derived.

Claim 12

A suspension system as set forth in claim 9, wherein said load distribution coefficient defines load distribution between front road wheels and rear road wheels.

Claim 13

A suspension system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said hydraulic means comprises a hydraulic cylinder disposed therein a reciprocating piston which defines a fluid chamber within said hydraulic cylinder and responsive to the hydraulic pressure within said fluid chamber, and a valve means interposed between said hydraulic circuit and said fluid chamber for supplying and draining pressurized working fluid to and from said fluid chamber for adjusting fluid pressure in said fluid chamber according to said pressure control signal.

Claim 14

A suspension system as set forth in claim 11, wherein said pressure control valve includes a valve body and an electrically operable actuator for shifting said valve body for adjusting fluid pressure in said fluid chamber according to said pressure control signal.

Claim 15

A suspension system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said sensor means includes means for monitoring lateral force exerteing on the vehicle for producing a lateral force indicative signal and means for monitoring vehicular speed damand indicative parameter to produce a vehicular speed indicative sensor signal, and said controller responsive to said lateral force indicative signal and vehicular speed demand indicative sensor signal to derive load distribution coefficient based on which said load destribution is derived.

Claim 16

A suspension system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said controller is responsive to vehicular speed demand indicative parameter having a value greater than a predetermined value to change a vehicular steering characteristics to over-steer characteristics.

Claim 17

A suspension control system for providing an optimum cornering characteristics with increased cornering speed, comprising: suspension systems provided for respective road wheels for producing damping force against vertically exerted forces, each suspension system including means for adjusting damping characteristics thereof: first sensor for detecting vehicular driving speed demand in excess of a predetermined value to produce a first sensor signal; second sensor for detecting vehicular steering condition at a corner to produce a second sensor signal; a controller responsive to said first and second sensor signals for deriving suspension control signals for controlling said damping characteristics adjusting means in order to adjust stiffness of respective suspension systems for adjusting load distribution at respective wheels for obtaining optimum corning characteristics of the vehicle.

Claim 18

A suspension control system for providing an optimum cornering characteristics with increased cornering speed, comprising: suspension systems provided for respective road wheels for producing damping force against vertically exerted forces, each suspension system including means for adjusting damping characteristics thereof: first sensor for detecting vehicular driving speed demand in excess of a predetermined value to produce a first sensor signal; second sensor for detecting vehicular steering condition at a corner to produce a second sensor signal; a controller responsive to said first and second sensor signals for deriving suspension control signals for controlling said damping characteristics adjusting means in order to adjust stiffness of respective suspension systems for adjusting load distribution at respective wheels for obtaining optimum corning characteristics of the vehicle.

Claim 19

A suspension control system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said controller is responsive to said first sensor signal and said second sensor signal to adjust stiffness of respective suspension system so that cornering force at rear wheels is decreased to provide over-steer characteristics of the vehicle.

Claim 20

A suspension control system as set forth in claim 16, wherein said controller stiffen suspension systems for wheels located remode from the center of the corner and soften suspension systems for wheels located close to said center for suppressing vehicular rolling in order for assuring traction at respective wheels.

Claim 21

A suspension control system for providing an optimum cornering characteristics with increased cornering speed, comprising: suspension systems provided for respective road wheels for producing damping force against vertically exerted forces, each suspension system including means for adjusting damping characteristics thereof; first sensor for detecting vehicular driving speed demand to produce a first sensor signal indicative thereof; second sensor for detecting vehicular steering condition to produce a second sensor signal indicative thereof; and a controller responsive to said first and second sensor signals for detecting vehicle driving condition on the basis thereof and deriving suspension control signals for controlling said damping characteristics adjusting means in order to adjust stiffness of respective suspension systems for adjusting load distribution at respective wheels for obtaining optimum corning characteristics of the vehicle, said controller responsive to said first sensor signal value greater than a given value to adjust stiffness of respective suspension system so that cornering force at rear wheels is decreased to provide over-steer characteristics of the vehicle.

Claim 22

A suspension control system for providing an optimum cornering characteristics with increased cornering speed, comprising: suspension systems provided for respective road wheels for producing damping force against vertically exerted forces, each suspension system including means for adjusting damping characteristics thereof; first sensor for detecting vehicular driving speed demand to produce a first sensor signal indicative thereof; second sensor for detecting vehicular steering condition to produce a second sensor signal indicative thereof; and a controller responsive to said first and second sensor signals for detecting vehicle driving condition on the basis thereof and deriving suspension control signals for controlling said damping characteristics adjusting means in order to adjust stiffness of respective suspension systems for adjusting load distribution at respective wheels for obtaining optimum corning characteristics of the vehicle, said controller responsive to said first sensor signal value greater than a given value to adjust stiffness of respective suspension system so that cornering force at rear wheels is decreased to provide over-steer characteristics of the vehicle.

Claim 23

A suspension control system as set forth in claim 18, wherein said controller stiffen suspension systems for wheels located remode from the center of the corner and soften suspension systems for wheels located close to said center for suppressing vehicular rolling in order for assuring traction at respective wheels.