Vehicle having suspension with continuous damping control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11970036-B2
Application number	US-202217850401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2022
Priority date	Nov 7, 2012
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

A damping control system for a vehicle having a suspension located between a plurality of ground engaging members and a vehicle frame includes at least one adjustable shock absorber having an adjustable damping characteristic. The system also includes a controller coupled to each adjustable shock absorber to adjust the damping characteristic of each adjustable shock absorber, and a user interface coupled to the controller and accessible to a driver of the vehicle. The user interface includes at least one user input to permit manual adjustment of the damping characteristic of the at least one adjustable shock absorber during operation of the vehicle. Vehicle sensors are also be coupled to the controller to adjust the damping characteristic of the at least one adjustable shock absorber based vehicle conditions determined by sensor output signals.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A damping control method for a vehicle having a suspension located between a plurality of ground engaging members and a vehicle frame, a controller, a plurality of vehicle condition sensors, and a user interface, the suspension including a plurality of adjustable shock absorbers including a front right shock absorber, a front left shock absorber, and at least one rear shock absorber and the suspension further including a stabilizer bar linkage coupled between a first portion of the suspension and the vehicle frame, the damping control method comprising:
receiving with the controller a user input from the user interface to provide a user selected mode of damping operation for the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers during operation of the vehicle;
receiving with the controller a plurality of inputs from the plurality of vehicle condition sensors including a z-axis acceleration sensor;
determining with the controller when the vehicle is in an airborne event, the airborne event being determined when the input from the z-axis acceleration sensor indicates z-acceleration of less than a first threshold that is sustained for a time greater than a second threshold to identify the airborne event;
operating the damping control according to an airborne condition when the airborne event is determined, wherein in the airborne condition the controller defines damping characteristics of the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers based on condition modifiers including the user selected mode and z-axis acceleration;
operating the damping control according to the airborne condition, wherein in the airborne condition the controller increases compression damping as a function of detected duration of the airborne event; and
operating the stabilizer bar linkage based on at least one of (i) the user selected mode and (ii) at least one of the plurality of inputs from the plurality of vehicle condition sensors to adjust a stiffness of the stabilizer bar linkage.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the airborne condition the controller increases compression damping on the front right shock absorber, front left shock absorber, and at least one rear shock absorber.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controller maintains the damping increase of the airborne condition for a predetermined duration after conclusion of the airborne event giving rise to the airborne condition.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting positive vertical acceleration via the input from the z-axis acceleration sensor;
determining with the controller when the vehicle is in a landing condition, the landing condition being determined when the input from the z-axis acceleration sensor indicates z-acceleration of greater than a third threshold that is sustained for a time greater than a fourth threshold;
operating the damping control according to the landing condition when a landing condition is determined, wherein in the landing condition the controller defines damping characteristics of the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers based on condition modifiers including the user selected mode and z-axis acceleration; and
operating the damping control according to the landing condition, wherein in the landing condition the controller increases rebound damping.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the fourth threshold is a dynamic threshold that is inversely correlated to the magnitude of the determined positive z-axis acceleration.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the z-axis acceleration sensor is coupled to the vehicle frame.

7. The method of claim 1 , further including:
determining with the controller when the vehicle is not in the airborne event; and
determining when the vehicle experiences at least one of: 1) an absolute value of a steering position is greater than a fifth threshold; and 2) an absolute value of a steering rate is greater than a sixth threshold.

8. The method of claim 7 , further including operating in a brake condition upon:
determining that the vehicle is not experiencing at least one of: 1) an absolute value of a steering position is greater than a fifth threshold; and 2) an absolute value of a steering rate is greater than a sixth threshold; and
determining when the brakes are activated and x-axis acceleration is greater than a seventh threshold.

9. The damping method of claim 1 , wherein the step of operating the stabilizer bar linkage based on at least one of (i) the user selected mode and (ii) at least one of the plurality of inputs from the plurality of vehicle condition sensors to adjust a stiffness of the stabilizer bar linkage includes operating the stabilizer bar linkage based on the user selected mode.

10. The damping method of claim 9 , wherein the stabilizer bar linkage may be operated to be stiffer in a first user selected mode than a second user selected mode.

11. The damping method of claim 10 , wherein the stabilizer bar linkage may be toggled between a locked condition and an unlocked condition, the locked condition being stiffer than the unlocked condition.

12. The damping method of claim 1 , wherein the step of operating the stabilizer bar linkage based on at least one of (i) the user selected mode and (ii) at least one of the plurality of inputs from the plurality of vehicle condition sensors to adjust a stiffness of the stabilizer bar linkage includes operating the stabilizer bar linkage based on the at least one of the plurality of inputs from the plurality of vehicle condition sensors.

13. The damping method of claim 12 , wherein the stabilizer bar linkage may be operated to be stiffer based on a sensed vehicle movement characteristic.

14. The damping method of claim 13 , wherein the sensed vehicle movement characteristic is a vehicle speed.

15. The damping method of claim 13 , wherein the stabilizer bar linkage may be toggled between a locked condition and an unlocked condition, the locked condition being stiffer than the unlocked condition.

16. A vehicle having:
a frame;
a suspension located between a plurality of ground engaging members and the frame, the suspension including a plurality of adjustable shock absorbers including a front right shock absorber, a front left shock absorber, and at least one rear shock absorber and further including a stabilizer bar linkage coupled between a first portion of the suspension and the frame;
a plurality of vehicle condition sensors,
a user interface,
a controller operable to control operation of the suspension, the controller including instructions thereon that when interpreted by the controller cause the controller to:
receive a user input from the user interface to provide a user selected mode of damping operation for the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers during operation of the vehicle;
receive a plurality of inputs from the plurality of vehicle condition sensors including a z-axis acceleration sensor;
determine when the vehicle is in an airborne event, the airborne event being determined when the input from the z-axis acceleration sensor indicates z-acceleration of less than a first threshold that is sustained for a time greater than a second threshold;
operate the suspension according to an airborne condition when the airborne event is determined, wherein in the airborne condition the controller defines damping characteristics of the plurality of adjustable shock absorbers based on condition modifiers including the user selected mode and z-axis acceleration;
operate the damping control according to the airborne condition, wherein in the airborne condition the controller increases com

Assignees

• Polaris Inc

Inventors

• Brady Louis J
• Scheuerell Alex R
• Franker Steven R
• Nysse Aaron J

Classifications

• B60G17/0164 Primary

  mainly during accelerating or braking · CPC title

• B60G17/016

  characterised by their responsiveness, when the vehicle is travelling, to specific motion, a specific condition, or driver input {(B60G17/017 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60G17/0162

  mainly during a motion involving steering operation, e.g. cornering, overtaking (B60G17/0164 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60G17/0165

  to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind · CPC title

• B60G17/018

  characterised by the use of a specific signal treatment or control method · CPC title