End stop damping control systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12109864-B2
Application number	US-202318172611-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2023
Priority date	Feb 22, 2023
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

A damping control system includes: a damping chamber connected to one of (a) a body of a vehicle and (b) a wheel of the vehicle; a piston that is slidably disposed within the damping chamber and that includes: a piston rod that is connected to the other one of (a) the body of the vehicle and (b) the wheel of the vehicle; and a plunger that is connected to the piston rod and that divides the damping chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber; a first valve that regulates hydraulic fluid flow out of the first chamber; and a valve control module configured to selectively close the first valve when a position of the plunger is between (a) a first reference position within the first chamber and (b) a first end stop of the damping chamber that defines a boundary of the first chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A damping control system comprising:
a damping chamber connected to one of (a) a body of a vehicle and (b) a wheel of the vehicle;
a piston that is slidably disposed within the damping chamber and that includes:
a piston rod that is connected to the other one of (a) the body of the vehicle and (b) the wheel of the vehicle; and
a plunger that is connected to the piston rod and that divides the damping chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber;

a first valve that regulates hydraulic fluid flow out of the first chamber; and
a valve control module configured to selectively close the first valve when a position of the plunger is between (a) a first reference position within the first chamber and (b) a first end stop of the damping chamber that defines a boundary of the first chamber.

2. The damping control system of claim 1 further comprising:
a second valve that regulates hydraulic fluid flow out of the second chamber,
wherein the valve control module is configured to selectively close the second valve when the position of the plunger is between (a) a second reference position within the second chamber and (b) a second end stop of the damping chamber that defines a boundary of the second chamber.

3. The damping control system of claim 2 wherein the valve control module is further configured to maintain the second valve fully open when the position is not between (a) the second reference position within the second chamber and (b) the second end stop of the damping chamber that defines a boundary of the second chamber.

4. The damping control system of claim 1 wherein the valve control module is further configured to maintain the first valve fully open when the position is not between (a) the first reference position within the first chamber and (b) the first end stop of the damping chamber.

5. The damping control system of claim 1 wherein the valve control module is further configured to, when the position is between (a) the first reference position within the first chamber and (b) the first end stop of the damping chamber:
determine a command for closing of the first valve based on the position; and
selectively close the first valve based on the command.

6. The damping control system of claim 5 wherein the valve control module is configured to determine the command based on the position and the first reference position.

7. The damping control system of claim 5 wherein the valve control module is configured to determine the command further based on a mode of operation of a suspension system of the vehicle.

8. The damping control system of claim 1 further comprising:
a second valve that regulates hydraulic fluid flow out of the second chamber,
wherein the valve control module is configured to:
selectively close the second valve when the position of the plunger is between (a) a second reference position within the second chamber and (b) a second end stop of the damping chamber that defines a boundary of the second chamber;
determine a command for closing of the first valve based on a difference between the position and the second reference position; and
selectively close the first valve based on the command.

9. The damping control system of claim 8 wherein the valve control module is configured to determine the command further based on a mode of operation of a suspension system of the vehicle.

10. The damping control system of claim 8 wherein the valve control module is configured to determine the command further based on a vehicle speed.

11. The damping control system of claim 8 wherein the valve control module is configured to determine the command further based on a rate limit for decreases in the command.

12. The damping control system of claim 11 wherein the valve control module is configured to determine the rate limit based on a vehicle speed and a mode of operation of a suspension system of the vehicle.

13. The damping control system of claim 11 wherein the valve control module is configured to not rate limit increases in the command.

14. The damping control system of claim 1 wherein the valve control module is configured to increasingly close the first valve as the position of the plunger moves toward (b) the first end stop of the damping chamber and away from (a) the first reference position within the first chamber.

15. A damping control method comprising:
selectively closing a first valve when a position of a plunger is between (a) a first reference position within a first chamber and (b) a first end stop of a damping chamber that defines a boundary of the first chamber;
the damping chamber connected to one of (a) a body of a vehicle and (b) a wheel of the vehicle;
a piston being slidably disposed within the damping chamber and including:
a piston rod that is connected to the other one of (a) the body of the vehicle and (b) the wheel of the vehicle; and
the plunger, the plunger connected to the piston rod and dividing the damping chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber; and

the first valve regulating hydraulic fluid flow out of the first chamber; and
selectively closing a second valve when the position of the plunger is between (a) a second reference position within the second chamber and (b) a second end stop of the damping chamber that defines a boundary of the second chamber,
the second valve regulating hydraulic fluid flow out of the second chamber.

16. The damping control method of claim 15 further comprising maintaining the second valve fully open when the position is not between (a) the second reference position within the second chamber and (b) the second end stop of the damping chamber that defines a boundary of the second chamber.

17. The damping control method of claim 15 further comprising maintaining the first valve fully open when the position is not between (a) the first reference position within the first chamber and (b) the first end stop of the damping chamber.

18. The damping control method of claim 15 further comprising, when the position is between (a) the first reference position within the first chamber and (b) the first end stop of the damping chamber:
determining a command for closing of the first valve based on the position; and
selectively closing the first valve based on the command.

19. The damping control method of claim 18 further comprising the command based on the position and the first reference position.

20. A damping control method comprising:
selectively closing a first valve when a position of a plunger is between (a) a first reference position within a first chamber and (b) a first end stop of a damping chamber that defines a boundary of the first chamber;
the damping chamber connected to one of (a) a body of a vehicle and (b) a wheel of the vehicle;
a piston being slidably disposed within the damping chamber and including:
a piston rod that is connected to the other one of (a) the body of the vehicle and (b) the wheel of the vehicle; and
the plunger, the plunger connected to the piston rod and dividing the damping chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber; and

the first valve regulating hydraulic fluid flow out of the first chamber; and
when the position is between (a) the first reference position within the first chamber and (b) the first end stop of the damping chamber:
determining a command for closing of the first valve based on the position; and
selectively closing the first valve based on the command.

Assignees

• Driv Automotive Inc

Inventors

• VANDERSMISSEN Bert
• Heylands Thom
• Calchand Nandish
• Borgers Tom

Classifications

• B60G2202/24

  Fluid damper · CPC title

• B60G17/015

  the regulating means comprising electric or electronic elements ({B60G17/002}, B60G17/005 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60G17/08 Primary

  Characteristics of fluid dampers (adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53) · CPC title

• B60G2600/182

  Active control means · CPC title

• B60G2500/11

  Damping valves · CPC title