System and method for operating a vehicle having an active roll control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10179493-B2
Application number	US-201715411712-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2017
Priority date	Jan 22, 2016
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

A system and method for operating a motor vehicle having an active roll control system and an air suspension system including operating the air suspension system in a normal mode, according to a normal air spring setting. Upon determining a fault or malfunction of the active roll control system operating the air suspension in a fallback mode, according to a fallback air spring setting, wherein the fallback mode is different from the normal mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating a motor vehicle comprising:
providing an active roll control system;
providing an air suspension system;
operating the air suspension system in a normal operating mode according to a normal air spring setting;
checking for a malfunction of the active roll control system;
if a malfunction of the active roll control system is detected, operating the air suspension in a fallback operating mode according to a fallback air spring setting different from the normal air spring setting; and
wherein a spring constant of a front air spring of the air suspension system of the motor vehicle is higher according to the fallback air spring setting than according to the normal air spring setting and a spring constant of a rear air spring of the air suspension system of the motor vehicle is lower according to the fallback air spring setting than according to the normal air spring setting.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a level of the motor vehicle is lower according to the fallback air spring setting than according to the normal air spring setting.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a passage between a left hand front air spring of the air suspension system of the motor vehicle and a right hand front air spring of the air suspension system of the motor vehicle is smaller according to the fallback air spring setting than according to the normal air spring setting.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a passage between a left hand rear air spring of the air suspension system of the motor vehicle and a right hand rear air spring of the air suspension system of the motor vehicle is larger according to the fallback air spring setting than according to the normal air spring setting.

5. A method for operating a motor vehicle comprising:
providing an active roll control system;
providing an air suspension system;
operating the air suspension system in a normal operating mode according to a normal air spring setting;
checking for a malfunction of the active roll control system; and
if a malfunction of the active roll control system is detected, operating the air suspension in a fallback operating mode according to a fallback air spring setting different from the normal air spring setting wherein the level of the motor vehicle according to the fallback air spring setting is reduced to an extent that a wheel suspension system of the motor vehicle rests on a stop buffer of a vehicle body of the motor vehicle.

6. A system for operating a motor vehicle comprising:
an active roll control system;
an air suspension system;
a controller connected to said roll control system and the air suspension system, said controller receiving a signal from said active roll control system and detecting existence of a fault in said active roll control system, generating a signal based on said fault and sending said signal to said air suspension system to operate the air suspension system in a fallback mode, said fallback mode different from a normal mode;
wherein the air suspension system includes first and second front air springs, a passageway between said first and second front air springs, and a valve on said passageway between said first and second front air springs;
first and second front spring pressure vessels, a passageway between said first and second front air springs and said first and second front spring pressure vessels, and a valve on said passageway between said respective first and second front spring pressure vessels and said first and second front air springs;
first and second rear air springs and a passageway between said first and second rear air springs and a valve on said passageway between said first and second rear air springs;
first and second rear spring pressure vessels, a passageway between said first and second front air springs and said first and second rear spring pressure vessels, and a valve on said passageway between said respective first and second rear spring pressure vessels and said first and second front air springs;
a controller operating said valves to change the setting of the first and second front air springs and the first and second rear springs to the fallback operating mode wherein the level of the motor vehicle is lower than the level at the normal operating mode; and
wherein a spring constant of one of said first and second rear air springs is lower in said fallback mode than in said normal mode.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said valve between the first and second front air springs controls the size of said passage between said first and second front air springs; and
said passage between said first and second front air springs being smaller in said fallback mode than in said normal mode.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said valve between the first and second rear air springs controls the size of said passage between said first and second rear air springs; and
said passage between said first and second rear air springs is larger in said fallback mode than in said normal mode.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein a spring constant of one of said first and second front springs is higher in said fallback mode than in said normal mode.

10. A system for operating a motor vehicle comprising:
an active roll control system;
an air suspension system; and
a controller connected to said roll control system and the air suspension system, said controller receiving a signal from said active roll control system and detecting existence of a fault in said active roll control system, generating a signal based on said fault and sending said signal to said air suspension system to operate the air suspension system in a fallback mode, said fallback mode different from a normal mode;
said air suspension system includes first and second front air springs, a passageway between said first and second front air springs, and a valve on said passageway between said first and second front air springs;
first and second front spring pressure vessels, a passageway between said first and second front air springs and said first and second front spring pressure vessels, and a valve on said passageway between said respective first and second front spring pressure vessels and said first and second front air springs;
first and second rear air springs and a passageway between said first and second rear air springs and a valve on said passageway between said first and second rear air springs;
first and second rear spring pressure vessels, a passageway between said first and second front air springs and said first and second rear spring pressure vessels, and a valve on said passageway between said respective first and second rear spring pressure vessels and said first and second front air springs;
a controller operating said valves to change the setting of the first and second front air springs and the first and second rear springs to the fallback operating mode wherein the level of the motor vehicle is lower than the level at the normal operating mode wherein the level of the motor vehicle in the fallback operating mode is lowered such that a wheel suspension system of the motor vehicle rests on a stop buffer of a vehicle body of the motor vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Saeger Martin
• Baales Simon
• Seemann Michael

Classifications

• B60G21/0555

  including an actuator inducing vehicle roll · CPC title

• B60G11/27

  wherein the fluid is a gas · CPC title

• B60G2600/08

  Failure or malfunction detecting means · CPC title

• B60G17/0528

  Pressure regulating or air filling valves · CPC title

• B60G2202/152

  Pneumatic spring · CPC title