Air suspension and electronically controlled suspension system
The present invention relates to an air suspension and an electronically controlled suspension system. An electronically controlled suspension system of the present invention comprises an air suspension including a volume expander connected to a pressure acting volume of an air spring to expand the pressure acting volume, and a volume control valve for opening or closing the connection between the pressure acting volume and the volume expander; a mode-changing switch for applying a mode-setting key signal according to a driver's button operation; an electronic control unit for outputting a valve control signal for use in exhibiting a suspension characteristic of the vehicle in response to the mode-setting key signal from the mode-changing switch; and an air spring volume adjustor for controlling a spring rate of the air spring through adjustment of the pressure acting volume of the air spring by opening or closing the volume control valve in response to the valve control signal from the electronic control valve, thereby forcibly setting the suspension characteristic of the vehicle. The present invention is to control a spring rate of an air spring employed in an air suspension to a range of damping force characteristics of a relevant mode by selectively controlling a pressure acting volume of the air spring using a fast response valve in response to a signal corresponding to a driver's mode-changing operation. Thus, during sudden braking, rapid acceleration or cornering, a driver can conveniently change characteristics of a vehicle mounted with the air suspension by operating a button within the vehicle, resulting in maximization of consumers' satisfaction.
1 . An air suspension, comprising:
a damper installed between a vehicle body and an axle of a vehicle to absorb a vibration or shock that the axle receives from a road when the vehicle travels;
an air piston installed outside the damper;
a rubber tube coupled to the air piston to function as an air spring;
a cap coupled to an upper portion of the rubber tube and coupled to an upper end of a piston rod of the damper;
a volume expander connected to the outside of the cap and connected to the inside of the rubber tube to expand a pressure acting volume of the rubber tube; and
a volume control valve for opening or closing the connection between the inside of the rubber tube and the volume expander to determine the pressure acting volume of the air spring.
2 . An air suspension, comprising:
a damper installed between a vehicle body and an axle of a vehicle to absorb a vibration or shock that the axle receives from a road when the vehicle travels;
an air piston installed separately from the damper, between the vehicle body and the axle;
a rubber tube coupled to the air piston to function as an air spring;
a cap coupled to an upper portion of the rubber tube;
a volume expander connected to the outside of the cap and connected to the inside of the rubber tube to expand a pressure acting volume of the rubber tube; and
a volume control valve for opening or closing the connection between the inside of the rubber tube and the volume expander to determine the pressure acting volume of the air spring.
3 . The air suspension as claimed in claim 1 or 2 , wherein the volume expander is mounted outside the air piston.
4 . An electronically controlled suspension system, comprising:
an air suspension including a volume expander connected to a pressure acting volume of an air spring to expand the pressure acting volume, and a volume control valve for opening or closing the connection between the pressure acting volume and the volume expander;
a mode-changing switch for applying a mode-setting key signal according to a driver's button operation;
an electronic control unit for outputting a valve control signal for use in exhibiting a suspension characteristic of the vehicle in response to the mode-setting key signal from the mode-changing switch; and
an air spring volume adjustor for controlling a spring rate of the air spring through adjustment of the pressure acting volume of the air spring by opening or closing the volume control valve in response to the valve control signal from the electronic control valve, thereby forcibly setting the suspension characteristic of the vehicle.
5 . The system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the valve control signal is a hard mode characteristic control signal corresponding to a hard mode-setting key signal from the mode-changing switch.
6 . The system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the hard mode characteristic control signal increases the spring rate of the air spring by closing the volume control valve.
7 . The system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the valve control signal is a soft mode characteristic control signal corresponding to a soft mode-setting key signal from the mode-changing switch.
8 . The system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the soft mode characteristic control signal decreases the spring rate of the air spring by opening the volume control valve.