Air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11584271-B2
Application number	US-202117357634-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2021
Priority date	Nov 24, 2020
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

An air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats includes an air shutter connected to a supply port of a control valve configured to supply air so as to adjust the opening degree of an inner air channel through which air supplied to the control valve passes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats, comprising:
an upper guide and a lower guide mounted under a seat of a vehicle and on a vehicle body provided below the seat, respectively;
an X-link mounted to couple respective link elements of the X-link slidably to the upper guide and the lower guide, and configured to support the upper guide to vertically move the upper guide with respect to the lower guide;
an air spring installed between one of the upper guide or the lower guide and the X-link, the air spring filled with air to absorb impact applied to the seat to support the seat;
a control valve connected to the air spring through an air tube to supply air to the air spring, and configured to control a movement direction of air to selectively enter and exit the air spring;
an air shutter installed on a supply path of air from an air tank to the control valve, and configured to adjust an opening degree of an inner air channel of the air shutter to pass air;
a driving information detector configured to detect vehicle driving information, the driving information comprising a current vehicle speed, road condition information representing a road on which the vehicle is currently driving, and information on whether or not the vehicle is stopped or is driving; and
a controller configured to control the air shutter to adjust the opening degree of the inner air channel based on the vehicle driving information, the opening degree of the inner air channel being a size of a flow cross-sectional area of the inner air channel of the air shutter, and the air shutter being configured to adjust the size of the flow cross-sectional area of the inner air channel in response to a control signal output from the controller.

2. The air suspension apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an interface configured to allow a driver to select one of turning-on or turning-off of a seat suspension control function,
wherein, when the turning-on of the seat suspension control function is selected, the controller is configured to control the air shutter to adjust the opening degree of the inner air channel based on the vehicle driving information.

3. The air suspension apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the driving information detector further comprises:
a vehicle speed detector configured to detect the current vehicle speed; and
a road information provider configured to provide the road condition information.

4. The air suspension apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to:
control the air shutter so that the opening degree of the inner air channel reaches a first predetermined opening degree when the vehicle is in a low-speed driving state in which the detected current vehicle speed is equal to or less than a predetermined speed; and
control the air shutter so that the opening degree of the inner air channel reaches a second predetermined opening degree set to a value less than the first predetermined opening degree when the vehicle is in a medium or high-speed driving state in which the detected current vehicle speed exceeds the predetermined speed.

5. The air suspension apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:
the road condition information includes information representing a type of the road on which the vehicle is currently driving, wherein the type of the road includes a flat road and a rough road; and
the road information provider includes a navigation system.

6. The air suspension apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to:
control the air shutter so that the opening degree of the inner air channel of the air shutter reaches the first predetermined opening degree when it is determined that the road on which the vehicle is currently driving is a flat road; and
control the air shutter so that the opening degree of the inner air channel of the air shutter reaches the second predetermined opening degree set to the value less than the first predetermined opening degree when it is determined that the road on which the vehicle is currently driving is a rough road.

7. The air suspension apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:
the road condition information includes information representing a distance from a preceding vehicle; and
the road information provider includes a front detector configured to detect the distance from the preceding vehicle.

8. The air suspension apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to:
control the air shutter so that the opening degree of the inner air channel of the air shutter reaches a first predetermined opening degree when the distance from the preceding vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined distance; and
control the air shutter so that the opening degree of the inner air channel of the air shutter reaches a second predetermined opening degree set to a value less than the first predetermined opening degree when the distance from the preceding vehicle exceeds the predetermined distance.

9. The air suspension apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the air shutter further comprises:
a motor, wherein the controller is configured to control a driving and a rotation direction of the motor;
a stationary body installed on the supply path of air from the air tank to the control valve and configured to pass air;
a reducer installed on the stationary body and configured to reduce rotary force of the motor and to transmit the reduced rotary force;
a rotary plate rotatably installed on the stationary body to be rotated by the reduced rotary force; and
a plurality of blades rotatably installed in the stationary body to form an air channel within the stationary body, and configured to adjust an opening degree of the air channel by simultaneously rotating the rotary plate.

10. The air suspension apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the stationary body further comprises:
an inlet-side body; and
an outlet-side body combined integrally with the inlet-side body by a connection bracket,
wherein the reducer, the rotary plate, and the blades are disposed between the inlet-side body and the outlet-side body,
wherein an inlet port is connected to the air tube and is configured to supply air from the air tank to the air tube, the inlet port provided in the inlet-side body, and
wherein an outlet port is connected to a supply port of the control valve, the outlet port provided in the outlet-side body.

11. The air suspension apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the reducer comprises:
an outer gear mounted on a drive shaft of the motor; and
a gear device configured to:
receive the rotary force of the motor through the outer gear;
reduce the rotary force; and
output the reduced rotary force.

12. The air suspension apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
when the blades are arranged in a circular shape in a circumferential direction on an inner surface of the stationary body, the air channel is formed at a center of circular arrangement of the blades;
the respective blades are rotatably combined with the inner surface of the stationary body;
connection pins formed on the respective blades are inserted into slot holes formed in the rotary plate; and
when the rotary plate is rotated, the connection pins of the respective blades are guided along the corresponding slot holes, and the blades are simultaneously rotated towards the center of the circular arrangement of the blades or simultaneously rotated in an opposite direction depending on a rotation direction of the rotary plate to adjust the opening degree of the air channel.

13. The air suspension apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising: air passage holes formed in the rotary plate and configured to pass through the air chan

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Kim Byung Moon

Classifications

• B60N2/506

  Seat guided by rods · CPC title

• B60W40/105

  Speed · CPC title

• B60N2/525 Primary

  using gas · CPC title

• B60N2/501 Primary

  actively controlled suspension, e.g. electronic control · CPC title

• B60N2/502

  attached to the base of the seat (B60N2/504 takes precedence) · CPC title