Air suspension system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10967697-B2
Application number	US-201716086429-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2017
Priority date	Mar 29, 2016
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

An air suspension system capable of raising both the vehicle front wheel side and the vehicle rear wheel side by using a single tank. The air suspension system (1) includes a front wheel-side air suspension (2) and a rear wheel-side air suspension (7) which are interposed between a vehicle body and associated axles to perform vehicle height adjustment in response to supply and discharge of air, a compressor (17) for compressing air, and a tank (27) for storing air compressed by the compressor. When the vehicle height is to be raised by the air suspensions, the front wheel-side air suspension is supplied with compressed air from the tank, and the rear wheel-side air suspension is supplied with compressed air from the tank after the compressed air has been pressurized by the compressor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air suspension system comprising:
a front wheel-side air suspension and a rear wheel-side air suspension which are interposed between a vehicle body and associated axles to perform vehicle height adjustment in response to supply and discharge of air;
a compressor configured to compress air; and
a tank configured to store air compressed by the compressor;
wherein, when a front wheel-side vehicle height and a rear wheel-side vehicle height are to be raised simultaneously with each other,
either one of the front wheel-side air suspension and the rear wheel-side air suspension is supplied with compressed air from the tank without passing through the compressor, and
the other of the front wheel-side air suspension and the rear wheel-side air suspension is supplied with compressed air from the tank after the compressed air has been pressurized by the compressor.

2. The air suspension system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a front wheel-side switching section configured to switch a communication state between the front wheel-side air suspension and the tank;
a rear wheel-side switching section configured to switch a communication state between the rear wheel-side air suspension and the compressor;
a vent passage configured to lead compressed air stored in the tank to a suction side of the compressor;
a first switching valve provided in the vent passage; and
a control unit configured to control supply and discharge of compressed air to and from the front wheel-side air suspension and the rear wheel-side air suspension by controlling the front wheel-side switching section, the rear wheel-side switching section, and the first switching valve;
wherein, when the vehicle height is to be raised by the front wheel-side air suspension and the rear wheel-side air suspension,
the front wheel-side switching section is switched to provide communication between the front wheel-side air suspension and the tank, thereby allowing compressed air in the tank to be supplied to the front wheel-side air suspension, and
the rear wheel-side switching section and the first switching valve is switched to provide communication between the rear wheel-side air suspension and the tank through the vent passage and the compressor, thereby allowing compressed air in the tank to be supplied to the rear wheel-side air suspension after the compressed air has been pressurized by the compressor.

3. The air suspension system of claim 2 , wherein the front wheel-side switching section is a 3-port, 2-position valve.

Assignees

• Hitachi Automotive Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Yoshida Yuki
• Kobayashi Kan

Classifications

• B60G17/052 Primary

  Pneumatic spring characteristics (B60G17/048 takes precedence {; valves per se F16K}) · CPC title

• 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

• B60G17/0525

  Height adjusting or levelling valves · CPC title

• B60G17/0565

  Height adjusting valves · CPC title

• B60G2500/02

  Supply or exhaust flow rates; Pump operation · CPC title