Lateral And Longitudinal Vehicle Attitude Control (e.g., Combinations Of Antidive, Antipitch, Antiroll, Antisquat, Antisway, Antiyaw, Riding, Or Suspension Height) Patents (Class 280/5.507)
  • Patent number: 11938773
    Abstract: An electrically powered suspension system includes: an electromagnetic actuator provided between a vehicle body and a wheel of a vehicle and configured to generate a damping force for damping vibration of the vehicle body; a wheel speed sensor that detects a wheel speed of the wheel; a wheel speed variation amount calculation part that calculates a wheel speed variation amount on the basis of wheel speed detection values detected by the wheel speed sensor; a 3D gyro sensor that detects sprung state amounts including a sprung pitching action of the vehicle; and a wheel speed variation amount correction part that estimates a variation component in the wheel speed variation amount on the basis of a sprung pitch amount and corrects the wheel speed variation amount so as to reduce the estimated variation component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ryoma Kanda
  • Patent number: 11897554
    Abstract: A turning control system includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to perform: a steering operation amount calculating process of calculating a steering operation amount; an angle command value calculating process of calculating an angle command value; an angle operation amount calculating process of calculating an angle operation amount; an operation process of operating a drive circuit of an electric motor; an adjustment process of adjusting a magnitude of a value obtained by subtracting the angle operation amount which is reflected in the operation process from the angle operation amount; and a correction process of correcting a magnitude of an input when the angle command value is calculated in the angle command value calculating process to be less when the magnitude of the subtracted value is great than when the magnitude of the subtracted value is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Terutaka Tamaizumi
  • Patent number: 11833876
    Abstract: A rough road detection system is disclosed. The system includes a sensor data receiver to receive sensor data from one or more sensors monitoring a vehicle. A sensor data evaluator to: identify a repeating pattern in the sensor data, the repeating pattern indicative of a terrain type being traversed by the vehicle, determine a value of the repeating pattern, obtain a present set of operational values for at least one damping characteristic of an active valve damper coupled with the vehicle, and modify the present set of operational values for the at least one damping characteristic of the active valve damper based on the value of the repeating pattern to develop a modified set of operational values for the at least one damping characteristic of the active valve damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventors: Everet Owen Ericksen, Andrew Diao, Mike Fraguglia, Evan Peterson, James T. Pickett
  • Patent number: 11787253
    Abstract: A fluid tank for storing a compressible fluid may have a translucent wall is disclosed. A light emitting diode (LED) may be configured to illuminate the wall. The fluid tank may comprise a tube and two end caps. The tube may be coupled to the end caps. Connecting rods disposed in the tube may be coupled to the end caps to squeeze the end caps onto the opposed ends of the tube. The LED may be disposed between one of the end portions of the tube and the end cap attached to that end portion of the tube. When the LED is illuminated, light is projected into the tube so that the tank now has a color to it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Universal Air, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuzuru Oishi, Daniel Ratcliff
  • Patent number: 11654739
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension control apparatus includes a mode determination device that determines a mode of a shock absorber for a vehicle, corresponding to an identified speed bump, when the speed bump is identified in front of the vehicle, a suspension control amount calculation device that calculates an amount of suspension control for passing over the speed bump, based on the determined mode of the shock absorber, and a controller that controls a suspension of the vehicle based on the calculated amount of suspension control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Hyung Jin Kim, Byung Joo Kim, Jong Hoon Choi, Young Jae Kim, In Yong Jung, Yoon Kab Noh
  • Patent number: 11584185
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a suspension system having a first damper, a second damper, valves and a controller. Each of the first damper and the second damper include a housing and a piston sealingly interfaced with an inner diameter of the housing, dividing the damper into a first and second chamber. Each valve controls flow rate of fluid entering or exiting at least one of the first and second chamber of at least one of the first damper and the second damper. The controller controls the valves to control extension or compression of at least one of the first damper and the second damper based on at least one of a degree of roll of the vehicle during a turn of the vehicle and a degree of pitch of the vehicle during acceleration of the vehicle or a degree of pitch of the vehicle during deceleration of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
    Inventors: Kai P. Schubart, Christopher J. Rukas, Erik S. Ellifson, Aaron J. Rositch
  • Patent number: 11554626
    Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting a height of a vehicle including a vehicle height adjustment unit configured to adjust a height of the vehicle; a hydraulic pressure supply unit configured to supply a hydraulic pressure supplied to a caliper from a braking device for braking of the vehicle to the vehicle height adjustment unit; and a control unit configured to control a hydraulic pressure supplied to the vehicle height adjustment unit from the braking device, by controlling the hydraulic pressure supply unit depending on whether a predetermined vehicle height adjustment condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun Sung Park
  • Patent number: 11529836
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a suspension system having a first damper, a second damper, and a controller. The dampers include housings and pistons sealingly interfaced with an inner diameter of the housing, dividing the damper into a first and second chamber. The suspension system includes proportional variable relief valves which control pressure of fluid entering or exiting one of the first and second chamber of one of the first and second damper. The controller controls the valves to control extension or compression of the first damper and extension or compression of the second damper based on a degree of roll of the vehicle during a turn of the vehicle or a degree of pitch of the vehicle during acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle. The first and second damper control a roll and pitch of the vehicle. The valves control a damping rate of one of the first and second damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
    Inventors: Kai P. Schubart, Christopher J. Rukas, Erik S. Ellifson, Aaron J. Rositch
  • Patent number: 11254353
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention allows for application of an assist torque or reaction torque which causes a driver to feel less discomfort. An ECU (600) includes a control variable calculating section (611) configured to calculate a control variable for controlling a magnitude of the assist torque or reaction torque, with reference to a steering torque applied to a steering member (410); and a control variable correcting section (612) configured to correct the control variable calculated by the control variable calculating section, with reference to a roll rate of a vehicle body, a steering angle of the steering member, and a steering angle speed of the steering member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: SHOWA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ken Isshiki, Eishi Ishimaru
  • Patent number: 11192421
    Abstract: A method and device utilizing pressure and/or height measurements across an axle of a vehicle to detect when the vehicle turns and, when a turn is detected, a control action is taken to avoid pneumatic pressure loss by inhibiting active leveling via the height adjustable suspension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
    Inventors: Chad M. Walkowiak, Christopher G. Pollack, Daniel Sepasi
  • Patent number: 11124035
    Abstract: A suspension actuator includes an upper mount, a lower mount, a first actuator mechanism, and a second actuator mechanism. The upper mount is connectable to a sprung mass of a vehicle. The lower mount is connectable to an unsprung mass of the vehicle. The first actuator mechanism forms a first load path between the upper mount and the lower mount. The first actuator mechanism is one of an electromagnetic linear actuator mechanism or a ball screw actuator mechanism. The second actuator mechanism forms a second load path in parallel with the first load path between the upper mount and the lower mount. The second actuator mechanism is one of a mechanical linear actuator mechanism, an air spring actuator mechanism, or a hydraulic actuator mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan L. Hall, Troy A. Carter, Paul J. Keas
  • Patent number: 11090997
    Abstract: A suspension actuator includes an upper mount, a lower mount, a first actuator mechanism, and a second actuator mechanism. The upper mount is connectable to a sprung mass of a vehicle. The lower mount is connectable to an unsprung mass of the vehicle. The first actuator mechanism forms a first load path between the upper mount and the lower mount. The first actuator mechanism is one of an electromagnetic linear actuator mechanism or a ball screw actuator mechanism. The second actuator mechanism forms a second load path in parallel with the first load path between the upper mount and the lower mount. The second actuator mechanism is one of a mechanical linear actuator mechanism, an air spring actuator mechanism, or a hydraulic actuator mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan L. Hall, Troy A. Carter, Paul J. Keas
  • Patent number: 11052719
    Abstract: A vehicle height adjustment device includes: vehicle height adjustment actuators provided to at least a pair of front wheels or a pair of rear wheels of a vehicle, and configured to adjust a vehicle height defined by a distance between the wheels and a vehicle body; an actuator control device configured to control the vehicle height adjustment actuators such that the vehicle height approximates to a target vehicle height; and a detection device configured to detect a physical quantity which varies as upward or downward movement of the vehicle body is restricted due to contact with an external contacted object. The actuator control device stops upward or downward movement of the vehicle body, and switches to movement in an opposite direction based on a detected value of the detection device, when the determination that the movement of the vehicle body is restricted is made by the detection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryusuke Hirao, Nobuyuki Ichimaru
  • Patent number: 10940735
    Abstract: Provided are a vehicle control apparatus and a vehicle control method, including: a sensor configured to sense a vehicle speed value, operation information of an actuator for generating a torque in a stabilizer bar of an active roller stabilizer (ARS), and operation information of the stabilizer bar; and a controller configured to calculate a target torque value that is to be generated in the stabilizer bar on the basis of the sensed vehicle speed value, the sensed operation information of the actuator, and the sensed operation information of the stabilizer bar, and to determine whether the sensed vehicle speed value is a target vehicle speed value that is set to perform an ARS control mode, and in response to the sensed vehicle speed value determined to be the target vehicle speed value, and determine a deadband period in which a torque of the actuator is not transmitted, using a change value of a torque value and a change state of the torque value while the torque value is tracing the calculated target torq
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sa-Rang Cha
  • Patent number: 10899383
    Abstract: The disclosure concerns a tilting vehicle with at least one multi-wheel axle, a vehicle structure and a control unit that is arranged to detect a lateral acceleration acting on the tilting vehicle and actively adjust a tilt angle of the structure of the vehicle about the longitudinal axis thereof. In order to optimize adjustment of the tilt angle in a tilting vehicle, the control unit is arranged to adjust the tilt angle so that in a direction of a lateral axis of the structure of the vehicle, a Y component of the lateral acceleration is partially compensated by a Y component of acceleration due to gravity according to a specified compensation proportion. The compensation proportion increases as a function of the lateral acceleration to a global maximum value at a first acceleration, and decreases above the first acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Marc Simon, Lucian Lippok
  • Patent number: 10857995
    Abstract: The vehicle attitude control device generates target yaw moment on the basis of the deviation between a standard yaw rate and an actual yaw rate and is applied to a vehicle driven with the target yaw moment. The vehicle attitude control device is provided with a detection speed processor that performs a process such that a vehicle speed gently changes, a limit yaw rate calculator that determines a limit yaw rate by dividing lateral acceleration by the processed vehicle speed, and a standard yaw rate corrector that corrects the standard yaw rate using the limit yaw rate when the standard yaw rate is higher than the limit yaw rate. A target yaw moment calculator generates target yaw moment on the basis of the deviation between the standard yaw rate corrected by the standard yaw rate corrector and the actual yaw rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomohiro Sugai
  • Patent number: 10850586
    Abstract: A system for controlling a suspension of a vehicle includes a plurality of sensors, an anti-roll moment module configured to determine a front-to-total anti-roll moment distribution based on at least a first operating parameter of the vehicle, at least one suspension actuator, and a suspension control module configured to control the at least one suspension actuator based on the determined front-to-total anti-roll moment distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Aldo Sorniotti, Marco Ricco, Miguel Dhaens, Christophe Lauwerys, Bert Vandersmissen
  • Patent number: 10820468
    Abstract: In one aspect, a system for determining soil roughness of a field across which an agricultural implement is being moved may include a tool configured to perform a tillage operation on soil within the field as the agricultural implement is moved across the field. The system may also include a sensor configured to detect a parameter associated with an acceleration of the tool. Furthermore, the system may include a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, with the controller configured to determine a soil roughness characteristic of the soil based on measurement signals received from the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: James W. Henry
  • Patent number: 10814688
    Abstract: Various embodiments related to hydraulic actuators and active suspension systems as well as their methods of use are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: ClearMotion, Inc.
    Inventors: Marco Giovanardi, Clive Tucker, Ross J. Wendell, Zackary Martin Anderson, Colin Patrick O'Shea, Vladimir Gorelik, Tyson David Sawyer, Jonathan R. Leehey, Johannes Schneider, Robert Driscoll, Patrick W. Neil, Shakeel Avadhany
  • Patent number: 10730360
    Abstract: A method for controlling a hydropneumatic suspension of a mobile crane having at least four wheels that are each allocated a spring cylinder, having at least four spring circuits in which at least one spring cylinder is incorporated in each case, each spring circuit being allocated a pressure measurement sensor and a path measurement sensor, in which signals of the pressure measurement sensors and of the path measurement sensors are processed by a control unit, and the spring cylinders are actuated. To optimize control of a hydropneumatic suspension for road travel operation of the mobile crane the mobile crane is levelled using preset suspension height set values of the spring circuits, then, in the control unit, on the basis of pressures detected by pressure sensors, pressure set values are calculated per spring circuit and pressures in the spring circuits are readjusted with the aid of pressure set values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Terex Global GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Rathke, Mathieu Ragot
  • Patent number: 10625558
    Abstract: A damping force control apparatus for a suspension is applied to a damper whose damping force can be set based on a damping force control value and controls the damping force control value. The damper is attached to a support portion with a buffer member interposed between the support portion of a vehicle body and a cylinder of the damper. The apparatus includes: a displacement related quantity estimation device estimating relative displacement of a vehicle wheel and a relative speed of the vehicle wheel with respect to the vehicle body as estimated relative displacement and an estimated relative speed; and a damping force control value calculation device determining the damping force control value so as to suppress vibration of the vehicle body based on state variables provided from the vehicle body and the estimated relative speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihito Yamamoto, Wataru Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10434518
    Abstract: A method and a system for supporting a frame of a mineral material crusher on a body of a crushing plant and a mineral material processing plant. The crusher frame is supported by first support devices in place in relation to the body of the crushing plant at first support points and by at least two second support devices at second support points. The second support device has an adjusting member between the crusher frame and the body of the crushing plant, and at least one second support device is configured to move the frame of the crusher vertically in relation to the body of the crushing plant. The adjusting member has a cylinder and a piston inside the cylinder which define an adjusting volume therebetween. A pressure is formed from a load above the adjusting member and is arranged to form into the adjusting volumes of the adjusting members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Metso Minerals, Inc.
    Inventor: Jari Jonkka
  • Patent number: 10414453
    Abstract: A headlamp aiming method for a vehicle includes measuring, by a height measurement instrument, at least two reference heights of at least two reference areas along a body of the vehicle. The height measurement instrument is positioned external of the vehicle, and one of the at least two reference heights is indicative of a height of a headlamp of the vehicle. The method further includes determining a vehicle pitch and a headlamp height variation of the vehicle based on the measured reference heights, calculating a modified headlamp position based on the vehicle pitch, the headlamp height variation, and a standard headlamp position, and aiming a headlamp of the vehicle based on the modified headlamp position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Joshua Magill, Matt Roosen, Albert Ekladyous
  • Patent number: 10407288
    Abstract: A lift device includes a chassis, a rear leveling assembly coupled to a rear end of the chassis, and a front leveling assembly coupled to a front end of the chassis. The rear leveling assembly includes a first rear actuator and a second rear actuator. The first rear actuator and the second rear actuator are selectively engageable to facilitate providing active control of a rear pitch adjustment and a rear roll adjustment of the rear leveling assembly. The front leveling assembly includes a first front actuator and a second front actuator. The first front actuator and the second front actuator are (i) selectively fluidly couplable to facilitate providing passive control of a front pitch adjustment and a front roll adjustment of the front leveling assembly and (ii) selectively fluidly decouplable to facilitate providing active control of the front pitch adjustment and the front roll adjustment of the front leveling assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
    Inventors: JiHong Hao, Ignacy Puszkiewicz
  • Patent number: 10023192
    Abstract: A vibration damping control device that controls drive output of a vehicle so as to suppress pitch/bounce vibration of the vehicle includes a vibration damping control unit that controls driving torque of the vehicle so as to reduce an amplitude of the pitch/bounce vibration, based on wheel torque applied to wheels of the vehicle and generated at a location where the wheels contact with a road surface, and a compensation component adjusting unit that reduces an amplitude of a compensation component that corrects the wheel torque calculated by the vibration damping control unit so as to suppress the pitch/bounce vibration, as the magnitude of the steering angle velocity of the vehicle increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masashi Igarashi
  • Patent number: 10017023
    Abstract: A method for controlling the level of an air-suspended motor vehicle includes determining, by a sensor system, at least one of the speed of travel or the actuation state of a parking brake, measuring, if at least one of the speed of travel has undershot a minimum speed of travelor the parking brake has been actuated, the actual level in the region of each air spring bellows, comparing the measured values for the actual level with the predetermined setpoint level, determining an actual level value of an air spring bellows having the greatest deviation from the setpoint level, and expanding, for the air spring bellows having an actual level having the greatest deviation from the setpoint level, the tolerance band by at least one of increasing the upper tolerance limit thereof to a corrected upper tolerance limit or lowering the lower tolerance limit thereof to a corrected lower tolerance limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: WABCO GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen Albers, Siegfried Bartel, Reinhard Gocz, Ingo Jovers, Uwe Lentz
  • Patent number: 9994239
    Abstract: The invention relates to a shock absorber with a housing, an inner pipe arranged in the housing, a piston rod, a piston which is arranged at that end of the piston rod, and which piston divides the interior of the inner pipe into a lower chamber and an upper chamber, a first valve arrangement which is arranged on the piston, and a third valve arrangement which is arranged at the lower end of the inner pipe and by means of which the working medium which is held in the interior of the housing, serving as a tank, can flow out of the interior of the housing, only into the lower chamber when the piston moves in the inner pipe. The shock absorber is distinguished by the fact that a hydraulic pump drive is arranged between a first connection element of the lower chamber of the inner pipe and a second connection element at the upper chamber of the inner pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: GRAMMER AG
    Inventor: Erwin Haller
  • Patent number: 9987916
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method of controlling a motor are provided for reducing vibration of an electric vehicle that maximize regenerative energy by limiting a vibration reduction torque at a maximum regenerative braking torque region of a motor. The method includes comparing a battery state of charge (SOC) with a predetermined SOC when a regenerative braking of the electric vehicle is required and calculating a size of vibration component of the electric vehicle when the battery SOC is less than the predetermined SOC. Further, the size of vibration component is compared with a first predetermined value and a vibration reduction torque of a driving direction is limited when the size of vibration component is less than the first predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Woocheol Cho
  • Patent number: 9927682
    Abstract: Embodiments discussed herein provide improved control of an unmanned aerial vehicle camera gimbal. In some embodiments, a linear control circuit is described that uses an operational amplifier that allows the system to retain its passive isolation of high frequency disturbances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: VANTAGE ROBOTICS, LLC
    Inventors: Tobin Fisher, Johannes Becker Van Niekerk, Craig Janik
  • Patent number: 9912276
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a control circuit for a linear vibration motor may be configured to drive the linear vibration motor to vibrate using a closed loop run mode followed by an open loop run mode, and may be configured to control the linear vibration motor to stop vibrating using an anti-drive signal wherein the frequency is adjusted to be near to an estimated value of the natural frequency of the linear vibration motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Tsutomu Murata
  • Patent number: 9868333
    Abstract: In a method of operating an active suspension of a motor vehicle, power is added to at least one active control element of the active suspension, arranged between a wheel and a body, for damping a movement of the motor vehicle in a vertical direction when negotiating a terrain to thereby influence at least one control variable of the suspension, which control variable is oriented in the vertical direction. A first signal of a velocity of the body in the vertical direction and a second signal of the at least one control variable are determined. After ascertaining a phase shift between the first and second signals, a value of the phase shift is compared with a predefined threshold value. The presence of excitation is identified for the vertical body movement, when the value of the phase shift deviates from the threshold value at least by a tolerance value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Christoph Göhrle, Andreas Unger
  • Patent number: 9746005
    Abstract: A hydraulic drive system for an actuator uses a pair of pressure compensated hydraulic machines to control flow to and from the drive chambers of the actuator. The capacity of one of the machines is limited in a motoring mode to determine a maximum rate of efflux from one of the chambers. The pressure of fluid supplied to the other of said chambers is maintained at a predetermined level to provide motive force. The machines are mechanically coupled to permit energy recovery and charge an accumulator to store surplus energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Concentric Rockford Inc.
    Inventors: George Kadlicko, John Gregorio, Tobin Gimber, Jeffrey Maney
  • Patent number: 9415659
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a variable-damping-force shock absorber, a sprung mass vibration damping control, an unsprung mass vibration damping control device, and a damping force control device configured to calculate a damping force control amount on the basis of a sprung-mass vibration damping control amount when the sprung-mass vibration damping amount is greater than an unsprung-mass vibration damping control amount, calculating a damping force control amount on the basis of the unsprung-mass vibration damping amount so as to maintain the damping force distribution factor when the sprung-mass vibration damping amount is equal to or less than the unsprung-mass vibration damping amount, and controlling the damping force of the variable-damping-force shock absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hironobu Kikuchi, Katsuhiko Hirayama
  • Patent number: 9409478
    Abstract: A wobble determination device 1 appropriately determines the wobble of a vehicle and does not cause inconvenience for a driver. The wobble determination device 1 includes a steering determination unit 41 that determines whether the driver of a vehicle performs sudden steering after a non-steering state of the driver is maintained for a predetermined period of time and performs sudden return steering over a steering position in the non-steering state in a direction opposite to a direction of the sudden steering after the sudden steering and a wobble determination unit 42 that determines that the vehicle wobbles when the steering determination unit 41 determines that the steering of the driver is the sudden return steering which is performed over the steering position in the non-steering state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuji Okuda, Shinya Kawamata
  • Patent number: 9365089
    Abstract: A suspension assembly between a sprung element and an unsprung element includes an active suspension system having a controllable load-carrying spring element arranged with a negative stiffness element between the sprung element and the unsprung element. The negative stiffness element has a negative stiffness constant that opposes a positive spring rate of the active suspension system to achieve a zero total spring stiffness of the suspension assembly under static conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Avshalom Suissa
  • Patent number: 9283959
    Abstract: In order to control a behavior generated on a body as a result of a travel of a vehicle, an electronic control unit controls rotation of each of in-wheel motors, thereby generating a predetermined braking force or driving force approximately the same in magnitude on each wheel. Meanwhile, the electronic control unit uses respective pipelines and a direction control circuit depending on the behavior generated on the body to connect fluid pressure cylinders on a fluid pressure supplying side and fluid pressure cylinders on a fluid pressure supplied side to each other for communication. As a result, the fluid pressure cylinders convert vertical forces of the body acting as component forces of a predetermined braking/driving force into hydraulic pressures and supply the fluid pressure cylinders with the hydraulic pressures, and the fluid pressure cylinders convert the supplied hydraulic pressures into vertical forces, thereby exerting the vertical forces on the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masatoshi Nakatsu
  • Publication number: 20150130145
    Abstract: Herein provided is a suspension assembly that can constantly maintain a frictional force between the ground contact surface of a rear wheel and the road surface when a vehicle goes around a curve. The suspension assembly includes a suspension mechanism and a linkage mechanism. The suspension mechanism is configured to allow a center-of-rotation shaft of the rear wheel to be displaced with respect to a vehicle body in the vertical direction. The linkage mechanism is configured to link the suspension mechanism and the center-of-rotation shaft such that an axis of roll of the vehicle body is constantly located in the vicinity of the contact ground surface and movement of the center-of-rotation shaft with respect to the suspension mechanism is allowed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventor: Shigeki MIYAMORI
  • Publication number: 20150108726
    Abstract: A suspension apparatus for a vehicle includes a bar operatively connectable to driver-side and passenger-side suspension corner assemblies to extend therebetween and rotatably mountable to the vehicle body between the suspension corner assemblies. The suspension apparatus also includes a body load reaction component that is operatively connectable to at least one of the body and the bar. The body load reaction component is engaged to provide reaction force on the body to manage vertical displacement of the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Mosher, Scott A. Kolp, Robert G. Izak
  • Patent number: 8991539
    Abstract: The invention relates to a suspension assembly (1) for suspending a cabin (2) of a truck or the like vehicle. The assembly comprises a plurality of spring members (4a-d) arranged between the cabin (2) and a chassis of the vehicle, and a torsion bar (5) extending between at least two of said spring members (4a-d) so as to increase the roll stiffness of the assembly. The assembly further comprises an actuator (6) with which a torsion angle of the torsion bar (5) can be adjusted allowing active roll stabilization of the cabin (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO
    Inventors: Albertus Clemens Maria Van der Knaap, Robert M. A. Frank Verschuren, Jeroen Vandenhoudt, Raymond B. C. Tinsel, Ronny Maria Theophilus Wouters
  • Publication number: 20150084289
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are described for providing, among other things, a stand-up wheel chair having automatic stability control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Stephen L. Malaska, Clarence T. Tegreene
  • Patent number: 8954233
    Abstract: A vehicle body drifting suppression device including a steering torque detection unit which detects a steering torque of a vehicle, wherein a vehicle body drifting suppression is performed according to a vehicle body drifting suppression control-amount, and the vehicle body drifting suppression control-amount is adjusted according to a temporal sustention status of the steering torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Nakamura, Norio Yamazaki, Shigenori Takimoto, Yoshimichi Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20140319787
    Abstract: A wheel suspension for a two-track motor vehicle includes a multi-link assembly having control arms that are articulated on a vehicle body and on a wheel carrier, a rotary actuator for an active suspension control system, with a motor-gear-unit constructed to transfer torques as actuating forces to the multi-link assembly via a torsion rod, and at least one reinforcing brace independent of the multi-link assembly and disposed on a side of the vehicle body and extending below the multi-link assembly, as viewed in a vertical direction of the vehicle body. The reinforcing brace delimits downwardly in the vehicle's vertical direction a free space, in which the rotary actuator is at least partially arranged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Andreas Schindler, Dominik Mohrlock, Joachim Schmitt
  • Patent number: 8870191
    Abstract: An active roll control device utilizes driving torque to move a suspension arm side connection point of a stabilizer link connecting both sides of a stabilizer bar with a suspension arm along a sliding unit to actively control vehicle roll. The sliding unit may include slide rails, a load surface on an upper surface and a lower surface, and a guide surface on an inner side surface, a connector is connected to a pushrod of a drive shaft of the operating source and a lower end portion of the stabilizer link through a double ball joint, a plurality of load rollers rotatably disposed on an upper surface and a lower surface of the connector through a roller pin and contacts the load surface of the sliding rail, and guide rollers rotatably on the connector through a roller pin and contacts the guide surface of the sliding rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Un Koo Lee, Sung Bae Jang, Pil Young Jeong
  • Patent number: 8827287
    Abstract: An axle control element of a motor vehicle has a torsion spring system connected to a wheel control element via a rotary spring arm and fixedly supported on the vehicle body via a controllable actuator. The torsion spring system has a torsion spring rod nested inside a torsion spring tube. An actuator unit is spaced apart from the torsion spring system and is fixed on the vehicle body and a pivotally controllable drive lever is connected to the actuator unit. The drive lever is connected to a torsion spring tube, and an output lever is connected to a torsion spring rod and directly or indirectly via a coupling to the wheel control element. Alternatively, the drive lever is connected to a torsion spring rod, and the output lever is connected to a torsion spring tube and directly or indirectly via a coupling to the wheel control element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventor: Wilfried Michel
  • Patent number: 8820456
    Abstract: A tractor cab suspension system has a single support unit which mounts one end of the cab from a chassis of a tractor. The single support unit acts as a noise isolator and does not allow significant vertical oscillation of the cab relative to the chassis but allows the cab to pivot relative to the chassis in pitch and roll modes. A cab support is provided at the other end of the cab which supports the cab from the chassis and damps pitching of the cab about the single support. A roll damper is also provided to damp rolling of the cab about the single support, and a control bar extends between the cab and chassis which controls transverse movement of the cab relative to the chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Voltra Oy Ab
    Inventors: Totte Virtanen, Simo Sinkko
  • Patent number: 8818700
    Abstract: The motor vehicle of the invention is provided with at least three wheels and includes a driving cab capable of accommodating a single person in the width direction. The motor vehicle comprises a bend-balancing means that acts by the inclination of at least the portion of the chassis that bears the driving cab. According to the invention, the vehicle is also provided with speed, acceleration and/or inclination sensors, and the balancing means are automatically controlled when the information supplied by the sensors is lower than a main predetermined threshold. The invention also provides that the automatic control of the balancing means is deactivated when the information provided by the sensors is higher than said main threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Inventors: Daniel Moulene, Thierry Moulene
  • Patent number: 8814178
    Abstract: A suspension system for a vehicle includes a damper and a jack assembly. The damper includes a first tube defining a first cavity and having a longitudinal axis, a second tube disposed within the first cavity and defining a second cavity, wherein the second tube is spaced apart from the first tube to define a reservoir chamber, and a piston translatable within the second cavity along the axis, wherein the piston abuts the second tube to define a rebound chamber and a compression chamber. The system includes a jack assembly attached to the damper and configured for raising and lowering the body with respect to the wheel. The assembly includes a jack piston abutting the first tube, and a jack cylinder also abutting the first tube and translatable with respect to the jack piston to thereby raise and lower the body. A vehicle including the suspension system is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Joseph K. Moore, Liviu Serbu, Anthony L. Lyscio, Terry W. Ostan
  • Patent number: 8798869
    Abstract: A vehicle motion control system for a vehicle having a single front wheel, a right wheel and a left wheel. The control system includes (a) a rollover-probability judging portion configured to judge whether or not a vehicle-body acceleration falls in a high rollover-probability region; and (b) a rollover-prevention control executing portion configured, when the acceleration falls in the high rollover-probability region, to execute a rollover prevention control for controlling motion of the vehicle so as to reduce the probability of rollover of the vehicle. The rollover-probability judging portion is configured to obtain a direction and a magnitude of the acceleration by composing a component of the acceleration in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a component of the vehicle-body acceleration in a width direction of the vehicle. The high rollover-probability region is defined by a threshold whose amount varies depending on the direction of the vehicle-body acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yutaka Ohnuma, Yasuaki Tsurumi
  • Patent number: 8761999
    Abstract: A level control system for a vehicle includes a pressure generator (10) for generating a pressure difference between a reservoir (11) containing a pressurized medium and at least one pressure-controlled actuating mechanism (12i) in order to adjust a predefined vehicle chassis level (di,soll), and a valve unit (13) for performing an overflow process between the reservoir (11) containing the pressurized medium and the at least one pressure-controlled actuating mechanism (12i). An evaluation unit (24) decides whether and to what extent the predefined vehicle chassis level (di, soll) can be adjusted by exclusively actuating the valve unit (13) based on a vehicle chassis level (di,erw) that is to be expected in case the overflow process is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Continental Aktienesellschaft
    Inventors: Heike Ilias, Marc Nettelmann, Thomas Sprengel
  • Patent number: 8755971
    Abstract: A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a variance determination module and a fault detection module. The variance determination module determines a variance of samples generated from a ride height signal. The ride height signal is output by a ride height sensor that detects a ride height of a vehicle. The fault detection module detects a fault in the ride height sensor based on the variance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Inventors: Brian A. MacFarlane, John F. Larsen, Steven A. Opiteck