Air source device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017158018-A1
Application number	US-201615361200-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 25, 2016
Priority date	Dec 4, 2015
Publication date	Jun 8, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An air source device includes: a tank; a compressor; an intake valve; and an ECU configured to acquire an intake amount, which is an amount of air sucked from an outside and supplied to the tank by the compressor, based on an increasing amount of a tank pressure, which is a pressure of the air accommodated in the tank, the increasing amount being an increasing amount from a time point when the intake valve is estimated to be changed from a closed state to an opened state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An air source device comprising:
a tank in which air is accommodated; a compressor; an intake valve provided between a suction-side portion, which is a part on a suction side of the compressor, and an outside of the air source device, the intake valve being configured such that, when a pressure of the air in the suction-side portion is not less than an atmospheric pressure, which is a pressure of the outside, the intake valve is in a closed state, but when the pressure of the air in the suction-side portion becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure, the intake valve is changed to an opened state; and an ECU configured such that the ECU controls an amount of the air sucked from the outside and supplied to the tank by an operation of the compressor, the ECU estimates whether or not the intake valve is changed from the closed state to the opened state, based on a pressure of the air in the air source device, and the ECU acquires an intake amount, which is an amount of the air sucked from the outside and supplied to the tank by the compressor, based on an increasing amount of a tank pressure, which is a pressure of the air accommodated in the tank, the increasing amount being an increasing amount from a time point when the intake valve is estimated to be changed from the closed state to the opened state.

2 . The air source device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a tank pressure sensor configured to detect the tank pressure as the pressure of the air in the air source device, the tank pressure being a pressure of the air accommodated in the tank, wherein the ECU estimates whether or not the intake valve is changed from the closed state to the opened state, based on an increasing state of the tank pressure.

3 . The air source device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a passage pressure sensor configured to detect, as the pressure of the air in the air source device, a pressure of the air in a discharge passage connected to a discharge side of the compressor, wherein the ECU estimates whether or not the intake valve is changed from the closed state to the opened state, based on a change state of the pressure of the air in the discharge passage.

4 . The air source device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a tank pressure sensor configured to detect the tank pressure as the pressure of the air in the air source device, the tank pressure being a pressure of the air accommodated in the tank; and a passage pressure sensor configured to detect, as the pressure of the air in the air source device, the pressure of the air in the discharge passage connected to a discharge side of the compressor, wherein the ECU estimates whether or not the intake valve is changed from the closed state to the opened state, based on a difference between the tank pressure and the pressure of the air in the discharge passage.

5 . The air source device according to claim 1 , wherein:
an actuator operated by the air is connected to the air source device; and the ECU controls the compressor to be operated in a state where inflows of the air to the suction-side portion from the tank and the actuator are both prevented.

6 . The air source device according to claim 1 , wherein
the ECU controls the compressor to be operated in a state where a discharge passage connected to the discharge side of the compressor communicates with the tank, and the discharge passage is blocked from the actuator.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohashi Hideki
• Kanda Ryo
• Tokumitsu Jun
• Tanaka Shogo
• Okimura Kohtaroh

Classifications

• G01N7/00

  Analysing materials by measuring the pressure or volume of a gas or vapour · CPC title

• F04B49/06

  Control using electricity (regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04) · CPC title

• B60G2500/30

  Height or ground clearance · CPC title

• B60G17/0523 Primary

  Regulating distributors or valves for pneumatic springs · CPC title

• B60G2202/152

  Pneumatic spring · CPC title