Vehicle-height control system and pressure source device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10449820-B2
Application number	US-201715436390-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2017
Priority date	Mar 22, 2016
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle-height control system includes: a fluid supply and discharge device including a compressor device and a tank storing fluid pressurized by the compressor device; a vehicle-height control actuator corresponding to a wheel and connected to the fluid supply and discharge device; a vehicle height controller that controls a vehicle height for the wheel by controlling the fluid supply and discharge device to control supply and discharge of fluid to and from the vehicle-height control actuator; a tank pressure controller that controls a tank pressure; and a fluid supply controller that supplies the fluid to a low pressure portion by controlling the fluid supply and discharge device at start and/or termination of at least one of control executed by the vehicle height controller and control executed by the tank pressure controller. The low pressure portion is at least a portion of the fluid supply and discharge device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle-height control system, comprising:
a fluid supply and discharge device including:
a compressor device having a compressor and an electric motor configured to drive the compressor,
a tank configured to store fluid pressurized by the compressor device;
an intake passage connected to an intake-side portion of the compressor,
a discharge passage connected to a discharge-side portion of the compressor, and
a first communication interrupter provided between the intake passage and the discharge passage and configured to establish communication and isolation between the intake passage and discharge passage;

a vehicle-height control actuator provided so as to correspond to a wheel and connected to the fluid supply and discharge device;
a vehicle height controller configured to control a vehicle height for the wheel by controlling the fluid supply and discharge device to control supply and discharge of fluid to and from the vehicle-height control actuator;
a tank pressure controller configured to control a tank pressure which is a pressure of fluid stored in the tank; and
a fluid supply controller configured to supply the fluid to a low pressure portion by controlling the fluid supply and discharge device at a start or termination of at least one control operation that is executed by the vehicle height controller and executed by the tank pressure controller, wherein:
the low pressure portion is at least a portion of the fluid supply and discharge device including the intake passage, and
the fluid supply controller comprises a closed circuit former configured to control the first communication interrupter at a start or termination of the at least one control operation to form a closed circuit having the compressor, the intake passage, and the discharge passage.

2. The vehicle-height control system according to claim 1 , wherein the closed circuit comprises a connecting portion connected to the tank.

3. The vehicle-height control system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the closed circuit former comprises a termination closed circuit former configured to form the closed circuit when the compressor device is in an operating state at the termination of the at least one control, and
wherein the vehicle-height control system further comprises a motor stopper configured to turn off the electric motor after the closed circuit is formed by the termination closed circuit former.

4. The vehicle-height control system according to claim 3 ,
wherein the fluid supply and discharge device comprises a second communication interrupter provided between the tank and each of the intake passage and the discharge passage and configured to establish communication and isolation between the tank and each of the intake passage and the discharge passage, and
wherein the fluid supply controller comprises a first tank communication controller configured to isolate the tank from the discharge passage and establish communication between the tank and the intake passage by controlling the second communication interrupter after the electric motor is turned off by the motor stopper.

5. The vehicle-height control system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the closed circuit former comprises an actuation closed circuit former configured to form the closed circuit when an actuation instruction for actuating the compressor device is output at the start of the at least one control, and
wherein the vehicle-height control system comprises a motor actuator configured to turn on the electric motor according to the actuation instruction after the closed circuit is formed by the actuation closed circuit former.

6. The vehicle-height control system according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid supply controller comprises a second tank communication controller configured to control the fluid supply and discharge device to establish communication between the low pressure portion and the tank when the compressor device is in a non-operating state at the termination of the at least one control.

7. The vehicle-height control system according to claim 6 ,
wherein the fluid supply and discharge device comprises:
an intake passage connected to an intake-side portion of the compressor;
a discharge passage connected to a discharge-side portion of the compressor; and
a second communication interrupter provided between the tank and each of the intake passage and the discharge passage and configured to establish communication and isolation between the tank and each of the intake passage and the discharge passage,

wherein the low pressure portion comprises at least a portion of the intake passage, and
wherein the second tank communication controller comprises an intake passage communication controller configured to control the second communication interrupter at the termination of the at least one control to isolate the tank from the discharge passage and establish communication between the tank and the intake passage.

8. The vehicle-height control system according to claim 1 , wherein the closed circuit former is configured to selectively form one of a high-pressure closed circuit and a low-pressure closed circuit based on a state of a power source configured to supply electric power to the fluid supply and discharge device, wherein the high-pressure closed circuit is a closed circuit comprising the intake passage, the discharge passage, and a connecting portion connected to the tank, and wherein the low-pressure closed circuit is a closed circuit comprising the intake passage and the discharge passage and not comprising the connecting portion connected to the tank.

9. A pressure source device, comprising:
a tank configured to store a pressure medium;
a compressor device comprising a compressor and an electric motor configured to drive the compressor;
an intake passage connected to an intake-side portion of the compressor;
a discharge passage connected to a discharge-side portion of the compressor;
a second communication interrupter provided between the tank and each of the intake passage and the discharge passage and configured to establish communication and isolation between the tank and each of the intake passage and the discharge passage;
a tank pressure controller configured to control a tank pressure such that the tank pressure falls within a set range, the tank pressure being a pressure of the pressure medium stored in the tank; and
a tank communication controller configured to control the second communication interrupter to isolate the tank from the discharge passage and establish communication between the tank and the intake passage in a state in which the electric motor is off after completion of control of the tank pressure controller.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd
• Aisin Seiki

Inventors

• Iyoda Ikuhide
• Tachi Takayuki
• Ohashi Hideki
• Sano Katsuyuki
• Tokumitsu Jun
• Kanda Ryo
• Tanaka Shogo
• Ikeya Masao
• Oishi Masaaki

Classifications

• B60G17/056

  Regulating distributors or valves {for hydropneumatic systems}(B60G17/044 - B60G17/048, {B60G17/0416} take precedence; {Fluid interconnection systems to control vehicle inclination B60G21/06, B60G21/10}; valves per se F16K) · CPC title

• B60G2500/30

  Height or ground clearance · CPC title

• F04B41/02

  having reservoirs · CPC title

• B60G17/0155 Primary

  pneumatic unit · CPC title

• F15B11/16

  with two or more servomotors · CPC title