Air suspension system
An air suspension system capable of raising both the vehicle front wheel side and the vehicle rear wheel side by using a single tank. The air suspension system ( 1 ) includes a front wheel-side air suspension ( 2 ) and a rear wheel-side air suspension ( 7 ) which are interposed between a vehicle body and associated axles to perform vehicle height adjustment in response to supply and discharge of air, a compressor ( 17 ) for compressing air, and a tank ( 27 ) for storing air compressed by the compressor. When the vehicle height is to be raised by the air suspensions, the front wheel-side air suspension is supplied with compressed air from the tank, and the rear wheel-side air suspension is supplied with compressed air from the tank after the compressed air has been pressurized by the compressor.
1. An air suspension system comprising:
a front wheel-side air suspension and a rear wheel-side air suspension which are interposed between a vehicle body and associated axles to perform vehicle height adjustment in response to supply and discharge of air;
a compressor configured to compress air; and
a tank configured to store air compressed by the compressor;
wherein, when a front wheel-side vehicle height and a rear wheel-side vehicle height are to be raised simultaneously with each other,
either one of the front wheel-side air suspension and the rear wheel-side air suspension is supplied with compressed air from the tank without passing through the compressor, and
the other of the front wheel-side air suspension and the rear wheel-side air suspension is supplied with compressed air from the tank after the compressed air has been pressurized by the compressor.
2. The air suspension system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a front wheel-side switching section configured to switch a communication state between the front wheel-side air suspension and the tank;
a rear wheel-side switching section configured to switch a communication state between the rear wheel-side air suspension and the compressor;
a vent passage configured to lead compressed air stored in the tank to a suction side of the compressor;
a first switching valve provided in the vent passage; and
a control unit configured to control supply and discharge of compressed air to and from the front wheel-side air suspension and the rear wheel-side air suspension by controlling the front wheel-side switching section, the rear wheel-side switching section, and the first switching valve;
wherein, when the vehicle height is to be raised by the front wheel-side air suspension and the rear wheel-side air suspension,
the front wheel-side switching section is switched to provide communication between the front wheel-side air suspension and the tank, thereby allowing compressed air in the tank to be supplied to the front wheel-side air suspension, and
the rear wheel-side switching section and the first switching valve is switched to provide communication between the rear wheel-side air suspension and the tank through the vent passage and the compressor, thereby allowing compressed air in the tank to be supplied to the rear wheel-side air suspension after the compressed air has been pressurized by the compressor.
3. The air suspension system of claim 2 , wherein the front wheel-side switching section is a 3-port, 2-position valve.