Air suspension system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9931900-B2
Application number	US-201715605486-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2017
Priority date	May 31, 2016
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

An air suspension system includes a controller that controls opening/closing of normally-closed electromagnetic switching valves constituting a control valve, a first supply/discharge switching valve, a second supply/discharge switching valve, a first tank switching valve, and a second tank switching valve. The controller controls opening/closing of the electromagnetic switching valves in an order of first control, second control, and third control. In the first control, the control valve is opened. In the second control, the first supply/discharge switching valve and the second supply/discharge switching valve are opened in an opened state of the control valve. In the third control, the control valve, the first supply/discharge switching valve, and the second supply/discharge switching valve are closed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air suspension system comprising:
an air spring device that is attached to each wheel of a vehicle and has an air chamber;
a compressor that has a discharge port and a back-pressure introduction port, compresses air, and discharges the compressed air from the discharge port;
a pressure accumulator tank that accumulates the air;
a control valve that is disposed in a supply/discharge path through which the discharge port of the compressor communicates with the air chamber;
a first tank switching valve that is disposed in a supply/discharge path between the pressure accumulator tank and the discharge port of the compressor;
a first supply/discharge switching valve that is disposed in a supply/discharge path between the first tank switching valve and the control valve;
a second supply/discharge switching valve that is disposed in a supply/discharge path between the control valve and the pressure accumulator tank;
a second tank switching valve that is disposed in a supply/discharge path between the second supply/discharge switching valve and the pressure accumulator tank;
a circulation path through which a portion between the second supply/discharge switching valve and the second tank switching valve communicates with the back-pressure introduction port of the compressor; and
a controller that controls opening/closing of normally-closed electromagnetic switching valves that constitute the control valve, the first supply/discharge switching valve, the second supply/discharge switching valve, the first tank switching valve, and the second tank switching valve, wherein
the air suspension system adjusts vehicle height by controlling a supply/discharge of the air to/from the air spring device, and
the controller controls opening/closing of each of the electromagnetic switching valves in an order of first control, second control, and third control, in the first control, the control valve being opened such that pressure in a supply/discharge path between the control valve and each of the first supply/discharge switching valve and the second supply/discharge switching valve equals pressure in the air chamber, in the second control, the first supply/discharge switching valve and the second supply/discharge switching valve being opened in an opened state of the control valve such that pressure before each of the first supply/discharge switching valve and the second supply/discharge switching valve equals pressure after each thereof, and in the third control, the control valve, the first supply/discharge switching valve, and the second supply/discharge switching valve being closed.

2. The air suspension system according to claim 1 , wherein
the air spring device has: a front-wheel side air chamber that is attached to each of the wheels in a front portion of the vehicle; a rear-wheel side air chamber that is attached to each of the wheels in a rear portion of the vehicle; a front-wheel side supply/discharge path that communicates with each of the front-wheel side air chambers; and a rear-wheel side supply/discharge path that communicates with each of the rear-wheel side air chambers,
the control valve has: a front-wheel side control valve that is attached to each of the front-wheel side supply/discharge paths; and a rear-wheel side control valve that communicates with each of the rear-wheel side supply/discharge paths, and
the first control by the controller is configured by including: rear-wheel side control in which the rear-wheel side control valve is opened such that the pressure in the supply/discharge path between the rear-wheel side control valve and each of the first supply/discharge switching valve and the second supply/discharge switching valve equals pressure in the rear-wheel side air chamber; and front-wheel side control in which the front-wheel side control valve is opened after the rear-wheel side control valve is closed such that the pressure in the supply/discharge path between the front-wheel side control valve and each of the first supply/discharge switching valve and the second supply/discharge switching valve equals pressure in the front-wheel side air chamber.

3. The air suspension system according to claim 1 further comprising:
a first measurement section that measures an elapsed period after a stop of the vehicle;
a second measurement section that measures pressure in the pressure accumulator tank; and
a third measurement section that measures pressure in the supply/discharge path, wherein the controller executes the first to third control when specified number of days or longer has elapsed since the stop of the vehicle, the pressure in the pressure accumulator tank exceeds specified tank pressure, and the pressure in the supply/discharge path is lower than specified path pressure at least on the basis of measurement results of the first to third measurement sections.

4. The air suspension system according to claim 3 further comprising:
a fourth measurement section that measures a voltage for driving the electromagnetic switching valves, wherein the controller executes the first to third control when the specified number of days or longer has elapsed since the stop of the vehicle, the pressure in the pressure accumulator tank exceeds the specified tank pressure, the pressure in the supply/discharge path is lower than the specified path pressure, and the voltage for driving the electromagnetic switching valves is lower than a specified voltage on the basis of measurement results of the first to fourth measurement sections.

5. The air suspension system according to claim 4 further comprising:
a fifth measurement section that measures temperatures around the electromagnetic switching valves, wherein the controller sets the specified voltage in accordance with a measurement result of the fifth measurement section.

Assignees

• Aisin Seiki
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Oishi Masaaki
• Ohashi Hideki
• Tokumitsu Jun
• Kanda Ryo

Classifications

• B60G2204/30

  In-wheel mountings · CPC title

• B60G2500/205

  Air-compressor operation · CPC title

• B60G11/30 Primary

  having pressure fluid accumulator therefor, e.g. accumulator arranged in vehicle frame {(dampers accumulating utilisable energy B60G13/14)} · CPC title

• B60G11/27 Primary

  wherein the fluid is a gas · CPC title

• B60G17/052 Primary

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