US5060969A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Suspension apparatus of a vehicle
Assignee: Mazda Motor Corp
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Filing: 1990-01-19
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Granted: 1991-10-29
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Expires: 2010-01-19
Abstract
Abstract A suspension apparatus of a vehicle has a cylinder unit interposed between a sprang weight and an unsprung weight, which changes a ride height of the vehicle body by supplying or discharging an operating liquid through a supply/discharge control valve. The supply/discharge control value is controlled on the basis of a predetermined condition so as to control a posture of the vehicle body. There are further provided a bump detecting sensor for detecting a bump of each of the wheels, which occurs further from a state in which the wheel is bumped, and a pressure detecting sensor for detecting a pressure in the cylinder unit. When it is sensed by the bump detecting sensor that the bump occurs further from the bumping state, if the pressure detected by the pressure detecting sensor is continued in a lowering state for a given period of time, it is judged that the supply/discharge control valve is in trouble.
Inventors
- 👤 Shoichi Kamimura
- 👤 Takeshi Edahiro
- 👤 Shin Takehara
- 👤 Toshiki Morita
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 19:44
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60G; B60G17/00; B60G17/015; B60G2400/00; B60G2400/10; B60G2400/102; B60G2400/20; B60G2400/204; B60G2400/25; B60G2400/252; B60G2400/30; B60G2400/40; B60G2400/41; B60G2400/44; B60G2600/00; B60G2600/02; B60G2600/04; B60G2600/044; B60G2600/08; B60G2600/68; B60G2800/00; B60G2800/01; B60G2800/012; B60G2800/019; B60G2800/0194; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S280/00; Y10S280/01
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
168 words
A suspension apparatus of a vehicle, comprising: a cylinder unit interposed between a sprung weight and an upsprung weight for changing a ride height by supplying or discharging an operating liquid; a supply/discharge control valve for supplying to or discharging from the cylinder unit; a supply/discharge control means for controlling supply of the operating liquid to or discharge of the operating liquid from the cylinder unit by controlling the supply/discharge control valve on the basis of a predetermined condition; a bump detecting means for detecting a bump of a wheel and for detecting further bumping of the wheel after an initial bump of the wheel is detected; a pressure detecting means for detecting a pressure in the cylinder unit; and a trouble detecting means for detecting that the supply/discharge control valve is operating outside of predetermined normal values when the pressure detected by the pressure detecting means continues in a reduced state for a given period of time when the bump is detected by the bump detecting means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
168 words
A suspension apparatus of a vehicle, comprising: a cylinder unit interposed between a sprung weight and an upsprung weight for changing a ride height by supplying or discharging an operating liquid; a supply/discharge control valve for supplying to or discharging from the cylinder unit; a supply/discharge control means for controlling supply of the operating liquid to or discharge of the operating liquid from the cylinder unit by controlling the supply/discharge control valve on the basis of a predetermined condition; a bump detecting means for detecting a bump of a wheel and for detecting further bumping of the wheel after an initial bump of the wheel is detected; a pressure detecting means for detecting a pressure in the cylinder unit; and a trouble detecting means for detecting that the supply/discharge control valve is operating outside of predetermined normal values when the pressure detected by the pressure detecting means continues in a reduced state for a given period of time when the bump is detected by the bump detecting means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a gas spring is connected to the cylinder unit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein a plurality of the gas springs are connected in parallel to each other to one cylinder unit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein an orifice is interposed between the cylinder unit and each of the gas springs.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein a variable orifice is interposed between the cylinder unit and a portion of the gas springs, the variable orifice being controlled so as to make an effective opening area smaller during cornering than during straight driving.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein an orifice is interposed between the cylinder unit and the gas spring.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein a variable orifice is interposed between the cylinder unit and the gas spring so as to be controllable on the basis of a predetermined condition.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
101 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a reservoir tank for storing the operating liquid; a supply passage connecting the reservoir tank to a supply control valve of the supply/discharge control valve; a relief passage connecting the reservoir tank to a discharge control valve of the supply/discharge control valve; a pump connected to the supply passage for pumping up the operating liquid from the reservoir tank and supplying the operating liquid to the supply passage; and a main accumulator connected to the supply passage for storing the operating liquid of a high pressure pumped up by the pump.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
57 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein a bypass bypassing the discharge control valve and communicating the cylinder unit with the reservoir tank; and a relief valve is connected to the bypass, the relief valve being arranged so as to be opened when the pressure in the cylinder unit reaches a given value or higher.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a safety valve for releasing a pressure in the main accumulator to the reservoir tank.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the safety valve is connected to the relief passage.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein a sub-accumulator is connected to the relief passage.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
56 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein a blocking means is interposed between the supply control valve and the cylinder unit for blocking a communication of the supply control valve with the cylinder unit by delaying from reduction in a pressure of the main accumulator when the pressure of the main accumulator is reduced.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
69 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the blocking means comprises a pilot valve and an orifice; the pilot valve being interposed between the supply control valve and the cylinder unit for operating opening or closing the blocking means using a pressure of the main accumulator as a pilot pressure; and the orifice being connected to a pilot passage leading the pilot pressure to the pilot valve.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein there is provided with a trouble control means for opening the safety valve when the trouble detecting means detects that the supply/discharge control valve is operating outside of said predetermined normal values.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the trouble control means is controlled so as to open all supply/discharge control valves.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
44 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the trouble control means is controlled so as to open all the supply/discharge control valves for a given period of time and to close all of them after elapse of the given period of time.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
41 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rebound detecting means comprises a ride height detecting means for detecting a ride height of a vehicle body, or a stroke position of the wheel with respect to the vehicle body.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
103 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising: a safety valve for releasing a pressure in the accumulator to the reservoir tank; a blocking means interposed between the supply control valve and the cylinder unit for blocking communication of the supply control valve with the cylinder unit by delaying reduction in pressure of the main accumulator when the pressure of the main accumulator is reduced; a trouble control means for opening the safety valve and for opening all of the supply/discharge valves when the trouble detecting means detects that the supply/discharge control valve is operating outside of said predetermined normal values.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
44 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the trouble control means is controlled so as to open all the supply/discharge control valves for a given period of time and to close all of them after elapse of the given period of time.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
102 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a ride height detecting means for detecting a ride height of a vehicle body, or a stroke position of the wheel with respect to the vehicle body; wherein the supply/discharge control means controls the supply/discharge control valve in such a manner that a mode-corresponding posture corresponding to each of three modes of a posture of the vehicle, three modes being a bounce mode, a pitch mode and a roll mode, obtainable on the basis of output from the ride height detecting means is located so as to comply with a predetermined condition.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
48 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 21, further comprising an acceleration sensor for detecting a vertical acceleration of the vehicle body; wherein the supply/discharge control means controls the supply/discharge control valve so as to regulate the vertical acceleration of the vehicle body detected by the acceleration sensor.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
63 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein: at least three acceleration sensors are mounted so as to detect the vertical acceleration corresponding to each of the three modes; and the supply/discharge control means controls the supply/discharge control valve so as to regulate the vertical acceleration corresponding to the three modes, obtainable on the basis of at least the three acceleration sensors.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
35 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the supply/discharge control means is a flow amount control valve; and a control value of the supply/discharge control means is determined as a flow amount signal.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
43 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the supply/discharge control valve is provided with a pressure-differential adjusting function of adjusting a pressure differential between a pressure on an upstream side and a pressure on a downstream side to a constant value.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
218 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 24, further comprising: a ride height detecting means for detecting a ride height of a vehicle body, or a stroke position of the wheel with respect to the vehicle body; and an acceleration sensor for detecting a vertical acceleration of the vehicle body; wherein the supply/discharge control means comprises a first control means, a second control means and a third control means; wherein the first control means determines a control value for the supply/discharge control valve so as to control the supply/discharge control valve in such a manner that a mode-corresponding posture corresponding to each of three modes of a posture of the vehicle, three modes being a bounce mode, a pitch mode and a roll mode, obtainable on the basis of output from the ride height detecting means is located so as to comply with a predetermined condition; the second control means determines a control value for the supply/discharge control valve so as to regulate the vertical acceleration of the vehicle body detected by the acceleration sensor; and the third control means determines a control value for the supply/discharge control valve so as to regulate a warp between a front portion and a rear portion of the vehicle body obtained on the basis of output from the pressure detecting means.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
36 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein the sum of the control values determined by the first, second and third control means is determined as a final control value for the supply/discharge control means.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
23 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 27, wherein a gas spring is connected to the cylinder unit.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
21 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein an orifice is interposed between the cylinder unit and the gas spring.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
36 words
A suspension apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 29, further comprising an alarm operable when trouble detecting means detects that the supply/discharge control valve is operating outside of said predetermined normal values.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-10-28 | 1995-04-29 | 1995-10-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-10-28 | 1999-04-29 | 1999-10-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-10-28 | 2003-04-29 | 2003-10-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |