Automobile levelizer control unit

Claim 2

A vehicle leveling system comprising a load supporting device adapted to be connected between the sprung and unsprung masses of the vehicle for maintaining a predetermined height relationship therebetween; a pressurizable variable volume chamber in said load supporting device, pressurized fluid supply means for supplying pressure to said load supporting device for maintaining the predetermined height relationship, said fluid supply means having an inlet and an outlet, conduit means connecting the outlet to said chamber, a first solenoid operated valve connected between the fluid supply and the load supporting device maintained normally closed for holding a predetermined pressure within the load supporting device during its operation, a second solenoid operated valve connected in the outlet being maintained normally opened for diverting fluid from the outlet of the fluid supply back to the inlet thereof, first switch means operative to detect movement of the sprung mass of the vehicle toward the unsprung mass thereof to energize at least one of said solenoid operated valves for directing fluid from the pressure supply to the load supporting device to increase the pressure in the variable volume chamber thereof to return the sprung mass to its desired height relationship, second switch means operative when the sprung mass of the vehicle is a predetermined distance above the unsprung mass to energize at least another of said solenoid valves to connect the variable volume chamber of the load bearing device to direct fluid therefrom into the inlet of the fluid supply thereby reducing the pressure in the variable volume chamber for returning the sprung mass of the vehicle back to its desired predetermined height relationship.

Claim 3

A vehicle leveling system comprising: a load supporting device adapted to be connected between the sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle including a variable volume pressurizable chamber, said load supporting device being operative to maintain a predetermined height relationship between the sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle in accordance with the pressure in the variable volume chamber, a fluid supply system for directing pressurized fluid into the load supporting device, solenoid operated valve means connected between the fluid supply and the load supporting device for controlling flow of fluid pressure into the load supporting device and for controlling exhaust of pressurized fluid therefrom, height responsive switch means responsive to movement of the sprung mass of the vehicle toward and away from the unsprung mass thereof to condition said solenoid valve means to direct fluid to and from the load supporting device, means for energization of the solenoid valve means including a three terminal switching device and a relay operated switch, a coil for the relay operated switch, means for energizing said coil when the height responsive switch means are conditioned to control flow of pressurized fluid to and from the load supporting device, a time delay capacitor discharge circuit including a potentiometer and a normally closed relay operated switch controlled by said relay coil to charge the capacitor discharge circuit, means responsive to a predetermined charging of said circuit to direct a control voltage to the control terminal of said three terminal switching device to turn it on thereby to complete the solenoid energization circuit following the predetermined time delay.

Claim 4

A vehicle leveling system comprising: a load supporting device adapted to be connected between the sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle including a variable volume pressurizable chamber, said load supporting device being operative to maintain a predetermined height relationship between the sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle in accordance with the pressure in the variable volume chamber, a fluid supply system for directing pressurized fluid into the load supporting device, solenoid operated valve means connected between the fluid supply and the load supporting device for controlling flow of fluid pressure into the load supporting device and for controlling exhaust of pressurized fluid therefrom, height responsive switch means responsive to movement of the sprung mass of the vehicle toward and away from the unsprung mass thereof to condition said solenoid valve means to direct fluid to and from the load supporting device, means for energization of the solenoid valve means including a three terminal switching device and a relay operated switch, a coil for the relay operated switch, means for energizing said coil when the height responsive switch means are conditioned to control flow of pressurized fluid to and from the load supporting device, a time delay capacitor discharge circuit including a potentiometer and a normally closed relay operated switch controlled by said relay coil to charge the capacitor discharge circuit, means responsive to a predetermined charging of said circuit to direct a control voltage to the control terminal of said three terminal switching device to turn it on thereby to complete the solenoid energization circuit following the predetermined time delay.

Claim 5

A vehicle leveling system for maintaining a predetermined height relationship between the sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle comprising: a load supporting device having a variable volume pressurizable chamber for supporting the sprung mass of a vehicle a predetermined height relationship with respect to the unsprung mass of a vehicle, a fluid supply system for directing pressurized fluid to the variable volume chamber, said fluid supply system including an inlet and an outlet and conduit means for directing fluid into the load supporting device and for exhausting fluid therefrom, solenoid operated valve means in said conduit means for controlling communication between the fluid supply and the variable volume chamber of said load supporting device, a plurality of reed switches supported on one of the sprung masses of the vehicle, a magnet movable with respect to said plurality of reed switches for operating said switches in a sequential relationship, first switch means for conditioning said solenoid operated valve means to supply fluid from the supply to the load supporting device when the vehicle is loaded, said first switch means being conditioned upon a first predetermined movement between the bar magnet and said sequentially operated reed switch means to direct fluid from the supply to the load supporting device to compensate for an additional load, second switch means for conditioning said solenoid operated valve means to exhaust fluid from the load supporting device, said bar magnet and said reed switch means being located in a second predetermined relationship to condition said second switch means to condition said solenoid valve means to exhaust fluid from the load supporting device when the sprung mass of a vehicle is moved a predetermined height relationship above the unsprung mass thereof, and means for delaying operation of said first and second switch means upon movement of the bar magnet with respect to the reed switches produced by normal road movement between the sprung and unsprung mass of the vehicle.

Claim 6

A vehicle leveling system for maintaining a predetermined height relationship between the sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle comprising: a load supporting device having a variable volume pressurizable chamber for supporting the sprung mass of a vehicle a predetermined height relationship with respect to the unsprung mass of a vehicle, a fluid supply system for directing pressurized fluid to the variable volume chamber, said fluid supply system including an inlet and an outlet and conduit means for directing fluid into the load supporting device and for exhausting fluid therefrom, solenoid operated valve means in said conduit means for controlling communication between the fluid supply and the variable volume chamber of said load supporting device, a plurality of reed switches supported on one of the sprung masses of the vehicle, a magnet movable with respect to said plurality of reed switches for operating said switches in a sequential relationship, first switch means for conditioning said solenoid operated valve means to supply fluid from the supply to the load supporting device when the vehicle is loaded, said first switch means being conditioned upon a first predetermined movement between the bar magnet and said sequentially operated reed switch means to direct fluid from the supply to the load supporting device to compensate for an additional load, second switch means for conditioning said solenoid operated valve means to exhaust fluid from the load supporting device, said bar magnet and said reed switch means being located in a second predetermined relationship to condition said second switch means to condition said solenoid valve means to exhaust fluid from the load supporting device when the sprung mass of a vehicle is moved a predetermined height relationship above the unsprung mass thereof, and means for delaying operation of said first and second switch means upon movement of the bar magnet with respect to the reed switches produced by normal road movement between the sprung and unsprung mass of the vehicle.

Claim 7

A vehicle leveling system for maintaining a predetermined Height relationship between the sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle comprising: a load support device having a variable volume pressurizable chamber, said load support device having a first portion connected to the sprung mass of a vehicle and a second portion connected to the unsprung portion of a vehicle, said first and second portions extending and retracting with respect to one another upon changes in the volume of the pressurizable chamber, a fluid supply for directing pressurized fluid to the variable volume chamber, means including first and second solenoid operated valves for directing pressurized fluid from the supply to the variable volume chamber during a leveling operation and for exhausting fluid from the variable volume chamber during an exhaust phase of operation, a plurality of reed switches located in spaced relationship to produce a step-by-step sequence of control operations, an elongated bar magnet movable with respect to the reed switches upon relative movement between the sprung and unsprung masses of a vehicle for sequentially opening and closing the reed switches, means for energizing said valves including a bias switch for each of said solenoid valves, first and second of said reed switches being operated by said bar magnet to condition said bias switches to a first position upon a first predetermined movement of the sprung mass toward the unsprung mass, a control switch in each of said solenoid coil energization circuits, time delay circuit means for operating each of said control switches following a predetermined time delay, means including a third one of said reed switches operative when the first and second of said reed switches have been operated by said bar magnet to condition said time delay means to initiate the time delay period of operation, said time delay circuit means being operative to delay energization of said control switches in response to ordinary road movements between the sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle and operative to produce a signal following the time delay, means responsive to said signal to condition said control switches to operate said solenoid valves to direct pressurized fluid to said load supporting device to raise the vehicle, means for operating said solenoid valves to exhaust fluid from the variable volume chamber of the load supporting device including a separate pair of reed switches operated independently of the other reed switches in response to movement of the bar magnet when the sprung mass moves upwardly from the unsprung mass above a predetermined height relationship, one of said pair of reed switches operating one of said bias switches for said valves while the other bias switch is maintained opened, the other of said pair of reed switches conditioning said time delay means for controlling the conductivity of said control switches following a predetermined time delay to cause only one of said control switches to operate one of said valves whereby fluid is exhausted from the variable volume chamber to reduce the load support and lower the vehicle to a predetermined height relationship between the sprung and unsprung mass thereof.

Claim 8

A vehicle leveling system for maintaining a predetermined Height relationship between the sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle comprising: a load support device having a variable volume pressurizable chamber, said load support device having a first portion connected to the sprung mass of a vehicle and a second portion connected to the unsprung portion of a vehicle, said first and second portions extending and retracting with respect to one another upon changes in the volume of the pressurizable chamber, a fluid supply for directing pressurized fluid to the variable volume chamber, means including first and second solenoid operated valves for directing pressurized fluid from the supply to the variable volume chamber during a leveling operation and for exhausting fluid from the variable volume chamber during an exhaust phase of operation, a plurality of reed switches located in spaced relationship to produce a step-by-step sequence of control operations, an elongated bar magnet movable with respect to the reed switches upon relative movement between the sprung and unsprung masses of a vehicle for sequentially opening and closing the reed switches, means for energizing said valves including a bias switch for each of said solenoid valves, first and second of said reed switches being operated by said bar magnet to condition said bias switches to a first position upon a first predetermined movement of the sprung mass toward the unsprung mass, a control switch in each of said solenoid coil energization circuits, time delay circuit means for operating each of said control switches following a predetermined time delay, means including a third one of said reed switches operative when the first and second of said reed switches have been operated by said bar magnet to condition said time delay means to initiate the time delay period of operation, said time delay circuit means being operative to delay energization of said control switches in response to ordinary road movements between the sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle and operative to produce a signal following the time delay, means responsive to said signal to condition said control switches to operate said solenoid valves to direct pressurized fluid to said load supporting device to raise the vehicle, means for operating said solenoid valves to exhaust fluid from the variable volume chamber of the load supporting device including a separate pair of reed switches operated independently of the other reed switches in response to movement of the bar magnet when the sprung mass moves upwardly from the unsprung mass above a predetermined height relationship, one of said pair of reed switches operating one of said bias switches for said valves while the other bias switch is maintained opened, the other of said pair of reed switches conditioning said time delay means for controlling the conductivity of said control switches following a predetermined time delay to cause only one of said control switches to operate one of said valves whereby fluid is exhausted from the variable volume chamber to reduce the load support and lower the vehicle to a predetermined height relationship between the sprung and unsprung mass thereof.