Abstract: An emitting device emits parallel light beams which impinge on a road surface, forming marks. An imaging device takes an image of an image pickup object containing the marks to obtain a picked-up image. A longitudinal distance between mark images respectively corresponding to the marks is detected. A larger gradient can be obtained in the case where the distance is long than in the case where the distance is short. While the gradient of the road surface is obtained based on the distance as described above, a relative positional relationship between the two mark images is not changed as long as the gradient of the road surface is the same even when the height position of an over-spring member provided with the emitting device and the imaging device is changed. Accordingly, the gradient of the road surface can be obtained without consideration of the displacement of the over-spring member.

Abstract: An emitting device emits parallel light beams which impinge on a road surface, forming marks. An imaging device takes an image of an image pickup object containing the marks to obtain a picked-up image. A longitudinal distance between mark images respectively corresponding to the marks is detected. A larger gradient can be obtained in the case where the distance is long than in the case where the distance is short. While the gradient of the road surface is obtained based on the distance as described above, a relative positional relationship between the two mark images is not changed as long as the gradient of the road surface is the same even when the height position of an over-spring member provided with the emitting device and the imaging device is changed. Accordingly, the gradient of the road surface can be obtained without consideration of the displacement of the over-spring member.

Abstract: A colloidal damper disposed between two members for damping a relative movement of the two members, including: (I) a cylinder device including a housing and a piston which are connected to one and the other of the two members and which define a chamber; (II) a colloidal-solution sealed body accommodated in the chamber and including: (A) a colloidal solution in which are mixed a first working fluid and porous bodies each having pores; and (B) a hermetically sealed container which has flexibility and which hermetically seals the colloidal solution contained therein; and (III) a second working fluid contained in the chamber together with the colloidal-solution sealed body, wherein the colloidal damper is configured to damp the relative movement of the two members by the inflow and the outflow of the first working fluid into and out of the pores upon the relative movement of the two members.

Abstract: In designing a cylinder device serving as a colloidal damper, containing working liquid and a porous body having pores, and provided between two objects arranged in an up/down direction and movable relative to each other, a reference cracking pressure Pintr? that is an indication of a cracking pressure Pintr as an internal pressure in a chamber at the start of a flow of the working liquid into the pores is set according to the weight of an upper one of the two objects, and a reference pore diameter d?(=2·r?) that is an indication of a pore diameter d is determined based on the reference cracking pressure Pintr? and based on the following equation: Pintr==2·?·cos ?in/r (where ? is a surface tension of the working liquid, and ?in a contact angle of the working liquid upon its penetration).

Abstract: A colloidal damper disposed between two members for damping a relative movement of the two members, including: (I) a cylinder device including a housing and a piston which are connected to one and the other of the two members and which define a chamber; (II) a colloidal-solution sealed body accommodated in the chamber and including: (A) a colloidal solution in which are mixed a first working fluid and porous bodies each having pores; and (B) a hermetically sealed container which has flexibility and which hermetically seals the colloidal solution contained therein; and (III) a second working fluid contained in the chamber together with the colloidal-solution sealed body, wherein the colloidal damper is configured to damp the relative movement of the two members by the inflow and the outflow of the first working fluid into and out of the pores upon the relative movement of the two members.

Abstract: A suspension system including: (a) a suspension spring; (b) a shock absorber; and (c) a generator for generating a displacement force forcing sprung and unsprung members of a vehicle to be displaced toward or away from each other. The generator includes (c-1) an elastic body connected one of the sprung and unsprung members and (c-2) an actuator disposed between the elastic body and the other of the sprung and unsprung members. The actuator includes a motor, and is operable to generate an actuator force based on a motor force generated by the motor, such that the generated actuator force acts on the elastic body and such that the generated actuator force is transmitted to the sprung and unsprung members via the elastic body so as to act as the displacement force. The suspension system further includes (d) a controller for controlling operation of the motor so as to control the displacement force.

Abstract: In a suspension system for a vehicle, a suspension spring, an absorber for controllably changing the damping coefficient becoming the reference of amount of its own generating damping force, a displacement force generator for controllably generating a displacement force are arranged in parallel between sprung and unsprung members. A vibration damping control is executed based on a so-called skyhook damper theory by utilizing the displacement force. In execution of the vibration damping control, when a sign of sprung-member absolute velocity Vu and a sign of sprung/unsprung-members velocity difference ?V are the same to each other, a damping-coefficient increasing control is executed to set a target damping coefficient C* of the absorber to a coefficient value C2 that is larger than a coefficient value C1 to which the target damping coefficient C* is set when the sign of sprung-member absolute velocity Vu and the sign of sprung/unsprung-members velocity difference ?V are different from each other.

Abstract: A stabilizer system for a vehicle includes a stabilizer bar and an actuator and that executes a control actively changing stiffness of the stabilizer bar in accordance with roll moment acting on a body of the vehicle. Each of a situation in which the vehicle is running straightforward and a situation in which a torque generating direction of a motor of the actuator changes in opposite direction plural times is identified as a specific situation. In the specific situation, a control of changing an operation mode of the motor such that presence or absence of occurrence of resistance of the actuator against its operation by external input force is changeable, and a control of limiting a supply current to the motor such that the torque generating direction of the motor is inhibited from coinciding with a direction away from a neutral position are executed.

Abstract: A vehicle stabilizer system including: (a) a stabilizer bar (28) including (a-1) a torsion bar portion (90), and (a-2) an arm portion (92) that extends from the torsion bar portion in a direction not parallel to the torsion bar portion; (b) an actuator (32) configured to rotate the stabilizer bar about an axis of the torsion bar portion; and (c) a link rod (34) interconnecting the suspension arm (78) and one of opposite ends of the arm portion that is remote from the torsion bar portion. The stabilizer bar generates a stabilizing force which is dependent on a reaction that is generated as a result of torsion of the torsion bar portion, and which forces the wheel (12) and the body in a selected one of a direction toward each other and a direction away from each other. The actuator allows the stabilizer bar to generate the stabilizing force whose magnitude is changeable by operation of the actuator.

Abstract: A stabilizer system for a vehicle, including: (a) a stabilizer bar (28) including (a-1) a torsion bar portion (90), and (a-2) an arm portion (92) that extends from the torsion bar portion toward a wheel (12) of the vehicle; and (b) an actuator (32) including (b-1) a motor (40), and (b-2) a speed reducer (42) that reduces a speed of the motor while transmitting a force of the motor to the torsion bar portion of the stabilizer bar. The stabilizer bar generates a stabilizing force which is dependent on a reaction generated as a result of torsion of the torsion bar portion, and which forces the wheel and the vehicle body in a direction toward each other or a direction away from each other. The actuator allows the stabilizer bar to generate the stabilizing force whose magnitude is dependent on a magnitude of the motor force and is changeable depending on an amount of rotation of the torsion bar portion.

Abstract: An adjuster device includes (a) a shaft held by a vehicle body; (b) an arm extending from the shaft in a direction intersecting an axial direction of the shaft; (c) an actuator causing one of rotation of the shaft and axial movement of the shaft in the axial direction; and (d) a motion converter converting the one of the rotation of the shaft and the axial movement of the shaft, into the other of the rotation of the shaft and the axial movement of the shaft. The arm is connected at a distal end portion thereof to one of at least one suspension arm, so as to enable the rotation of the shaft to cause change in a vertical distance between a wheel and the vehicle body. The shaft is connected to one of the at least one suspension arm or to an axle carrier, so as to enable the axial movement of the shaft to cause change in an alignment of the wheel. Also disclosed is an adjusting system including the adjuster device.

Abstract: A vehicle stabilizer system including: (a) a stabilizer bar (28) including (a-1) a torsion bar portion (90), and (a-2) an arm portion (92) that extends from the torsion bar portion in a direction not parallel to the torsion bar portion; (b) an actuator (32) configured to rotate the stabilizer bar about an axis of the torsion bar portion; and (c) a link rod (34) interconnecting the suspension arm (78) and one of opposite ends of the arm portion that is remote from the torsion bar portion. The stabilizer bar generates a stabilizing force which is dependent on a reaction that is generated as a result of torsion of the torsion bar portion, and which forces the wheel (12) and the body in a selected one of a direction toward each other and a direction away from each other. The actuator allows the stabilizer bar to generate the stabilizing force whose magnitude is changeable by operation of the actuator.

Abstract: In a stabilizer control apparatus for controlling a torsional rigidity of a stabilizer of a vehicle, an actual lateral acceleration and a calculated lateral acceleration are obtained. Then, influence amount caused by the calculated lateral acceleration is set to be greater than influence amount caused by the actual lateral acceleration, when the vehicle is moving straight, whereas the influence amount caused by the actual lateral acceleration is set to be increased, with the turning operation of the vehicle being increased, to actively control the rolling motion of the vehicle body.

Abstract: In a suspension system for a vehicle, a suspension spring, an absorber for controllably changing the damping coefficient becoming the reference of amount of its own generating damping force, a displacement force generator for controllably generating a displacement force are arranged in parallel between sprung and unsprung members. A vibration damping control is executed based on a so-called skyhook damper theory by utilizing the displacement force. In execution of the vibration damping control, when a sign of sprung-member absolute velocity Vu and a sign of sprung/unsprung-members velocity difference ?V are the same to each other, a damping-coefficient increasing control is executed to set a target damping coefficient C* of the absorber to a coefficient value C2 that is larger than a coefficient value C1 to which the target damping coefficient C* is set when the sign of sprung-member absolute velocity Vu and the sign of sprung/unsprung-members velocity difference ?V are different from each other.

Abstract: A stabilizer system for a vehicle includes a stabilizer bar and an actuator and that executes a control actively changing stiffness of the stabilizer bar in accordance with roll moment acting on a body of the vehicle. Each of a situation in which the vehicle is running straightforward and a situation in which a torque generating direction of a motor of the actuator changes in opposite direction plural times is identified as a specific situation. In the specific situation, a control of changing an operation mode of the motor such that presence or absence of occurrence of resistance of the actuator against its operation by external input force is changeable, and a control of limiting a supply current to the motor such that the torque generating direction of the motor is inhibited from coinciding with a direction away from a neutral position are executed.

Abstract: A stabilizer system for a vehicle including: a stabilizer bar connected to left and right wheels at respective opposite ends thereof; an actuator which has an electric motor and which changes elastic force to be exhibited by the stabilizer bar, as a result of control of an operation of the electric motor; and a control device which controls the operation of the electric motor, wherein the control device includes an operation-mode changing portion which changes an operation mode of the electric motor that depends on a motor-phase-connecting formation and a power-supply status of the electric motor, on the basis of at least one of a vehicle running state and road surface condition.

Abstract: A stabilizer system for a vehicle, including: (a) a stabilizer bar (28) including (a-1) a torsion bar portion (90), and (a-2) an arm portion (92) that extends from the torsion bar portion toward a wheel (12) of the vehicle; and (b) an actuator (32) including (b-1) a motor (40), and (b-2) a speed reducer (42) that reduces a speed of the motor while transmitting a force of the motor to the torsion bar portion of the stabilizer bar. The stabilizer bar generates a stabilizing force which is dependent on a reaction generated as a result of torsion of the torsion bar portion, and which forces the wheel and the vehicle body in a direction toward each other or a direction away from each other The actuator allows the stabilizer bar to generate the stabilizing force whose magnitude is dependent on a magnitude of the motor force and is changeable depending on an amount of rotation of the torsion bar portion.

Abstract: In a stabilizer control apparatus for a vehicle, a stabilizer includes a pair of stabilizer bars disposed between a right wheel and a left wheel of the vehicle, and an actuator having an electric motor disposed between the stabilizer bars. A turning determination device is provided for determining a turning operation of the vehicle. And, a controller is provided for controlling the electric motor in response to the result determined by the turning determination device. The electric motor is substantially prohibited from being fed with electric current, when the turning operation of the vehicle is being decreased.

Abstract: A suspension system including: (a) a suspension spring; (b) a shock absorber; and (c) a generator for generating a displacement force forcing sprung and unsprung members of a vehicle to be displaced toward or away from each other. The generator includes (c-1) an elastic body connected one of the sprung and unsprung members and (c-2) an actuator disposed between the elastic body and the other of the sprung and unsprung members. The actuator includes a motor, and is operable to generate an actuator force based on a motor force generated by the motor, such that the generated actuator force acts on the elastic body and such that the generated actuator force is transmitted to the sprung and unsprung members via the elastic body so as to act as the displacement force. The suspension system further includes (d) a controller for controlling operation of the motor so as to control the displacement force.

Abstract: In a stabilizer control apparatus for a vehicle, a stabilizer includes a pair of stabilizer bars disposed between a right wheel and a left wheel of the vehicle, and an actuator having an electric motor and a speed reducing mechanism disposed between the stabilizer bars. A turning determination device is provided for determining change in turning operation of the vehicle. And, a controller is provided for changing a control parameter of the electric motor in response to the result determined by the turning determination device, to control a torsional rigidity of the stabilizer. As for control parameters of the electric motor, may be employed a desired value of electric current for actuating the electric motor, for example.