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US5174598A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Active suspension system

Assignee: Nissan Motor Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1991-11-27
•
Granted: 1992-12-29
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Expires: 2011-11-27
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Abstract

Abstract An active suspension system for an automotive vehicle is arranged to regulate the attitude of a vehicle body in a flat or balanced state by controlling hydraulic cylinders respectively disposed between a vehicle body and a road wheel, in response to an attitude change of the vehicle body. The active suspension system comprises electromagnetically operated variable vibration attenuation valves, each of which is fluidly connected with each hydraulic cylinder and is followed by an accumulator. Each variable vibration attenuation valve is adapted to be variable in its attenuation constant in response to a vertical acceleration experienced by the road wheel. The variable vibration attenuation valve takes on a low attenuation constant to maintain a high riding quality of the vehicle under a normal cruising condition, and a high attenuation constant to suppress the response of the road wheel under a rough road cruising condition.

Inventors

  • 👤 Masaharu Sato
  • 👤 Naoto Fukushima
  • 👤 Yosuke Akatsu
  • 👤 Itaru Fujimura
  • 👤 Kensuke Fukuyama

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 04:01
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60G; B60G17/00; B60G17/015; B60G17/018; B60G2400/00; B60G2400/10; B60G2400/102; B60G2400/20; B60G2400/206; B60G2400/25; B60G2500/00; B60G2500/10; B60G2600/00; B60G2600/16; B60G2600/18; B60G2600/182

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 176 words
An active suspension system for a vehicle having a vehicle body side member and a road wheel side member, said suspension system, comprising: a fluid-operated cylinder disposed between and connecting the vehicle body side member and the road wheel side member; a control valve, for controlling an operating fluid to be supplied to said fluid-operated cylinder in accordance with a first command value; means for detecting a change in attitude of the body of the vehicle and generating an attitude change detection value representative of said attitude change; means for calculating said first command value in accordance with said attitude change detection value; means for detecting a vertical acceleration of a movable member functionally connected to said fluid-operated cylinder and for generating a vertical acceleration detection value representative of said vertical acceleration, said movable member being vertically movable during cruising of the vehicle; means for changing a damping force of said fluid-operated cylinder in accordance with a second command value; and means for calculating said second command value in accordance with said vertical acceleration detection value.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 176 words
An active suspension system for a vehicle having a vehicle body side member and a road wheel side member, said suspension system, comprising: a fluid-operated cylinder disposed between and connecting the vehicle body side member and the road wheel side member; a control valve, for controlling an operating fluid to be supplied to said fluid-operated cylinder in accordance with a first command value; means for detecting a change in attitude of the body of the vehicle and generating an attitude change detection value representative of said attitude change; means for calculating said first command value in accordance with said attitude change detection value; means for detecting a vertical acceleration of a movable member functionally connected to said fluid-operated cylinder and for generating a vertical acceleration detection value representative of said vertical acceleration, said movable member being vertically movable during cruising of the vehicle; means for changing a damping force of said fluid-operated cylinder in accordance with a second command value; and means for calculating said second command value in accordance with said vertical acceleration detection value.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 29 words
The active suspension system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said vertical acceleration detecting means includes means for detecting a vertical acceleration of an unsprung mass of the vehicle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 29 words
The active suspension system as claimed in claim 2, wherein: said vertical acceleration detecting means includes means for detecting a vertical acceleration of a road wheel of the vehicle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 37 words
The active suspension system as claimed in claim 2, wherein: said damping force changing means includes at least one variable vibration attenuation valve having an attenuation constant that is variable in accordance with said second command value.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 49 words
The active suspension system as claimed in claim 4, wherein: said at least one variable attenuation valve includes a first variable attenuation valve fluidly connected between said fluid-operated cylinder and a fluid accumulator, and a second variable attenuation valve fluidly disposed between said control valve and said fluid-operated cylinder.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 29 words
The active suspension system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said vertical acceleration detecting means includes means for detecting a vertical acceleration of a spring mass of the vehicle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 26 words
The active suspension system as claimed in claim 6, wherein: said vertical acceleration detecting means includes means for detecting a vertical acceleration of the vehicle body.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 51 words
The active suspension system as claimed in claim 6, wherein: said damping force changing means includes a variable vibration attenuation valve having an attenuation constant that is variable in accordance with said second command value, said variable vibration attenuation valve being fluidly disposed between said fluid-operated cylinder and said control valve.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 17 words
The active suspension system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said fluid-operated cylinder is a hydraulic cylinder.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 27 words
The active suspension system as claimed in claim 9, wherein: said control valve is adapted to control a hydraulic pressure to be supplied to said hydraulic cylinder.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4154461A Cited
US4907154A Cited
US4905152A Cited
US4954957A Cited
JPH01116813U Cited
US5013067A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-12-29 1996-06-29 1996-12-29 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-12-29 2000-06-29 2000-12-29 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2003-12-29 2004-06-29 2004-12-29 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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