Vehicle having suspension with continuous damping control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10005335-B2
Application number	US-201615377640-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2016
Priority date	Nov 7, 2012
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

A damping control system for a vehicle having a suspension located between a plurality of ground engaging members and a vehicle frame includes at least one adjustable shock absorber having an adjustable damping characteristic. The system also includes a controller coupled to each adjustable shock absorber to adjust the damping characteristic of each adjustable shock absorber, and a user interface coupled to the controller and accessible to a driver of the vehicle. The user interface includes at least one user input to permit manual adjustment of the damping characteristic of the at least one adjustable shock absorber during operation of the vehicle. Vehicle sensors are also be coupled to the controller to adjust the damping characteristic of the at least one adjustable shock absorber based vehicle conditions determined by sensor output signals.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A damping control method for a vehicle having a suspension located between a plurality of ground engaging members and a vehicle frame, a controller, a plurality of vehicle condition sensors, and a user interface, the suspension including a plurality of adjustable shock absorbers including a front right shock absorber, a front left shock absorber, and at least one rear shock absorber, the damping control method comprising:
receiving with the controller a user input from the user interface to provide a user selected mode of damping operation for the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers during operation of the vehicle;
receiving with the controller a plurality of inputs from the plurality of vehicle condition sensors including a z-axis acceleration sensor;
determining with the controller when the vehicle is in an airborne event, the airborne event being determined when the input from the z-axis acceleration sensor indicates a z-acceleration of less than a first threshold that is sustained for a time greater than a second threshold to identify the airborne event;
operating the damping control according to an airborne condition when the airborne event is determined, wherein in the airborne condition the controller defines damping characteristics of the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers based on condition modifiers including the user selected mode and the z-axis acceleration; and
operating the damping control according to the airborne condition, wherein in the airborne condition the controller increases a compression damping for the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers as a function of a detected duration of the airborne event.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the airborne condition the controller increases the compression damping on the front right shock absorber, the front left shock absorber, and the at least one rear shock absorber.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controller maintains the damping increase of the airborne condition for a predetermined duration after a conclusion of the airborne event giving rise to the airborne condition.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting a positive vertical acceleration via the input from the z-axis acceleration sensor;
determining with the controller when the vehicle is in a landing condition, the landing condition being determined when the input from the z-axis acceleration sensor indicates z-acceleration of greater than a third threshold that is sustained for a time greater than a fourth threshold;
operating the damping control according to the landing condition when the landing condition is determined, wherein in the landing condition the controller defines damping characteristics of the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers based on condition modifiers including the user selected mode and the z-axis acceleration; and
operating the damping control according to the landing condition, wherein in the landing condition the controller increases a rebound damping for the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the fourth threshold is a dynamic threshold that is inversely correlated to a magnitude of the determined positive z-axis acceleration.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the z-axis acceleration sensor is coupled to the vehicle frame.

7. The method of claim 1 , further including:
determining with the controller when the vehicle is not in the airborne event; and
determining when the vehicle experiences at least one of: 1) an absolute value of a steering position of a steering control of the vehicle is greater than a fifth threshold; and 2) an absolute value of a steering rate of the steering control of the vehicle is greater than a sixth threshold.

8. The method of claim 7 , further including operating in a brake condition upon:
determining that the vehicle is not experiencing at least one of: 1) the absolute value of the steering position is greater than the fifth threshold; and 2) the absolute value of the steering rate is greater than the sixth threshold; and
determining when a brakes are activated and an x-axis acceleration is greater than a seventh threshold.

9. A vehicle comprising:
a frame;
a suspension located between a plurality of ground engaging members and the frame, the suspension including a plurality of adjustable shock absorbers including a front right shock absorber, a front left shock absorber, and at least one rear shock absorber
a plurality of vehicle condition sensors,
a user interface,
a controller operable to control operation of the suspension, the controller including instructions thereon that when interpreted by the controller cause the controller to:
receive a user input from the user interface to provide a user selected mode of damping operation for the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers during operation of the vehicle;
receive a plurality of inputs from the plurality of vehicle condition sensors including a z-axis acceleration sensor;
determine when the vehicle is in an airborne event, the airborne event being determined when the input from the z-axis acceleration sensor indicates a z-axis acceleration of less than a first threshold that is sustained for a time greater than a second threshold;
operate the suspension according to an airborne condition when the airborne event is determined, wherein in the airborne condition the controller defines damping characteristics of the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers based on condition modifiers including the user selected mode and the z-axis acceleration; and
operate the damping control according to the airborne condition, wherein in the airborne condition the controller increases a compression damping of the plurality of shock absorbers as a function of a detected duration of the airborne event.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein in the airborne condition the controller increases the compression damping on the front right shock absorber, the front left shock absorber, and the at least one rear shock absorber.

11. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the controller to maintain the damping increase of the airborne condition for a predetermined duration after a conclusion of the airborne event giving rise to the airborne condition.

12. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the controller to:
detect a positive vertical acceleration via the input from the z-axis acceleration sensor;
determine when the vehicle is in a landing condition, the landing condition being determined when the input from the z-axis acceleration sensor indicates z-acceleration of greater than a third threshold that is sustained for a time greater than a fourth threshold;
operate the damping control according to the landing condition when a landing condition is determined, wherein in the landing condition the controller defines damping characteristics of the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers based on condition modifiers including the user selected mode and the z-axis acceleration; and
operate the damping control according to the landing condition, wherein in the landing condition the controller increases rebound damping for the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the fourth threshold is a dynamic threshold that is inversely correlated to a magnitude of the determined positive z-axis acceleration.

14. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the z-axis acceleration sensor is coupled to the frame.

15. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the controller to:
determine with the

Assignees

• Polaris Inc

Inventors

• Brady Louis J
• Scheuerell Alex R
• Franker Steven R
• Nysse Aaron J

Classifications

• B60G17/0162

  mainly during a motion involving steering operation, e.g. cornering, overtaking (B60G17/0164 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60G17/01908

  Acceleration or inclination sensors (characterised by the use of gyroscopes B60G21/08) · CPC title

• B60G17/0164 Primary

  mainly during accelerating or braking · CPC title

• B60G2500/10

  Damping action or damper · CPC title

• B60G17/06

  Characteristics of dampers {, e.g. mechanical dampers}(B60G17/015 takes precedence) · CPC title