Vehicle-height control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10286747-B2
Application number	US-201715465115-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2017
Priority date	Mar 22, 2016
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle-height control system includes: a fluid supply and discharge device including a compressor configured to suck fluid, and a tank configured to supply the fluid; an actuator-side passage connected to the fluid supply and discharge device; a vehicle-height control actuator provided for a wheel and connected to the actuator-side passage via a vehicle-height control valve; and a vehicle height controller configured to control a vehicle height for the wheel by controlling the fluid supply and discharge device and the vehicle-height control valve to control supply and discharge of the fluid in the vehicle-height control actuator. The vehicle height controller includes a start controller configured to open the vehicle-height control valve after establishing communication between the actuator-side passage and at least one of the tank and the compressor in a state in which the vehicle-height control valve is closed at a start of control of the vehicle height.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle-height control system, comprising:
a fluid supply and discharge device comprising a compressor configured to suck fluid, and a tank configured to supply the fluid;
an actuator-side passage connected to the fluid supply and discharge device;
a vehicle-height control actuator provided for a wheel and connected to the actuator-side passage via a vehicle-height control valve; and
a vehicle height controller configured to control a vehicle height for the wheel by controlling the fluid supply and discharge device and the vehicle-height control valve to control supply and discharge of the fluid in the vehicle-height control actuator,
wherein the fluid supply and discharge device further comprises:
a tank-pressure supply passage connecting the tank and the actuator-side passage to each other,
an intake passage connecting an intake-side portion of the compressor and the actuator-side passage to each other, a portion of the intake passage being parallel to a portion of the tank-pressure supply passage,
a tank-pressure supply valve provided on the portion of the tank-pressure supply passage which is parallel to the portion of the intake passage, and
an intake-side electromagnetic valve provided on the portion of the intake passage which is parallel to the portion of the tank-pressure supply passage, and

wherein the vehicle height controller is configured to
close the vehicle-height control valve and open one of the tank-pressure supply valve or the intake-side electromagnetic valve to establish communication between the actuator-side passage and at least one of the tank and the compressor at a start of control of the vehicle height,
open the vehicle-height control valve, which is in a state in which the vehicle-height control valve is closed, after the actuator-side passage and the at least one of the tank and the compressor have communicated with each other for a set length of time, and
close the vehicle-height control valve and close the one of the tank-pressure supply valve or the intake-side electromagnetic valve when a terminating condition of control of the vehicle height is satisfied.

2. The vehicle-height control system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the vehicle height controller is configured to execute up control for increasing the vehicle height,
wherein the vehicle height controller is configured to open the tank-pressure supply valve and establish communication between the actuator-side passage and the tank, and close the vehicle-height control valve at a start of the up control.

3. The vehicle-height control system according to claim 2 , further comprising a passage pressure sensor provided on the actuator-side passage and configured to detect a passage pressure that is a pressure of the fluid in the actuator-side passage,
wherein the vehicle height controller is configured to open the vehicle-height control valve when the passage pressure detected by the passage pressure sensor becomes greater than an up-start set pressure in the state in which the vehicle-height control valve is closed, and the tank-pressure supply valve is open.

4. The vehicle-height control system according to claim 2 , further comprising a tank pressure sensor configured to detect a tank pressure that is a pressure of the fluid stored in the tank,
wherein the vehicle height controller is configured to open the vehicle-height control valve when an amount of reduction of the tank pressure detected by the tank pressure sensor becomes greater than a set reduction amount in the state in which the vehicle-height control valve is closed, and the tank-pressure supply valve is open.

5. The vehicle-height control system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the vehicle height controller is configured to execute down control for lowering the vehicle height,
wherein the vehicle height controller is configured to open the intake-side electromagnetic valve and actuate the compressor, and close the vehicle-height control valve at a start of the down control.

6. The vehicle-height control system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the fluid supply and discharge device further comprises a discharge passage connecting the tank and a discharge-side portion of the compressor to each other,
and a discharge-side electromagnetic valve provided on the discharge passage, and
wherein the vehicle height controller is configured to close the vehicle-height control valve, open the intake-side electromagnetic valve and the discharge-side electromagnetic valve, and actuate the compressor at the start of the down control.

7. The vehicle-height control system according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a passage pressure sensor provided on the actuator-side passage and configured to detect a passage pressure that is a pressure of the fluid in the actuator-side passage; and
a tank pressure sensor configured to detect a tank pressure that is a pressure of the fluid stored in the tank,
wherein the vehicle height controller is configured to open the vehicle-height control valve in at least one of (i) a case where the passage pressure detected by the passage pressure sensor becomes less than a down-start set pressure in a state in which the vehicle-height control valve is closed, the intake-side electromagnetic valve and the discharge-side electromagnetic valve are open, and the compressor is being operated, and (ii) a case where an amount of increase in the tank pressure detected by the tank pressure sensor becomes greater than a set increase amount in the state in which the vehicle-height control valve is closed, the intake-side electromagnetic valve and the discharge-side electromagnetic valve are open, and the compressor is being operated.

8. The vehicle-height control system according to claim 6 , wherein the discharge passage includes the portion of the tank-pressure supply passage which is parallel to the portion of the intake passage.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd
• Aisin Seiki

Inventors

• Tanaka Shogo
• Ohashi Hideki
• Tokumitsu Jun
• Kanda Ryo
• Shiozaki Hirokazu
• Nakamura Tomoyuki

Classifications

• B60G17/0525 Primary

  Height adjusting or levelling valves · CPC title

• F15B2211/426

  electrically or electronically · CPC title

• B60G2202/42

  Electric actuator · CPC title

• B60G2202/412

  Pneumatic actuator · CPC title

• B60G2500/30

  Height or ground clearance · CPC title