IP Library Granted Patent US 11,052,719
Granted Patent B2
US 11,052,719 · App. 16/087,335 · Granted Jul 6, 2021

Vehicle height adjustment device

Inventors: Ryusuke Hirao (Kamagaya, JP); Nobuyuki Ichimaru (Yokohama, JP)
Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
B60G17/018B60G17/019B60G2400/252B60G2400/823B60G2500/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,052,719
App. No.
16/087,335
Granted
Jul 6, 2021
Kind
B2
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.

Claims (16)

1. A vehicle height adjustment device comprising:

vehicle height adjustment actuators provided to at least a pair of front wheels or a pair of rear wheels out of a plurality of 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, wherein

the actuator control device is configured to stop the upward or downward movement of the vehicle body, and switch 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,

each of the vehicle height adjustment actuators is a fluid pressure device configured to adjust the vehicle height by a fluid pressure,

the detection device includes a vehicle height detection device, and a pressure detection device configured to detect a fluid pressure acting on the fluid pressure device,

the actuator control device is configured to determine whether or not the upward or downward movement of the vehicle body is restricted, based on a pressure variation rate, which is acquired from detected values detected by the pressure detection device, and a vehicle height variation rate, which is acquired from detected values detected by the vehicle height detection device,

the detection device includes a vehicle height detection device, and a pressure detection device, and

the actuator control device is configured to determine whether or not the upward or downward movement of the vehicle body is restricted, based on a value obtained by dividing the pressure variation rate by the vehicle height variation rate.

2. The vehicle height adjustment device according to claim 1 , wherein

the actuator control device is configured to determine whether or not the upward or downward movement of the vehicle body is restricted using a threshold for the pressure variation rate, which is acquired based on a detected value detected by the pressure detection device and a detected value detected by the vehicle height detection device, and a threshold for the vehicle height variation rate, which is acquired based on a detected value detected by the pressure detection device and a detected value detected by the vehicle height detection device.

3. The vehicle height adjustment device according to claim 1 , wherein

the actuator control device is configured to determine whether or not the upward or downward movement of the vehicle body is restricted using a threshold for the pressure variation rate, which is acquired from the pressure variation rate obtained by a past detection, and a threshold for the vehicle height variation rate, which is acquired from the vehicle height variation rate obtained by a past detection.

4. The vehicle height adjustment device according to claim 1 , wherein

the vehicle height adjustment device is configured to successively set a determination threshold for the value obtained by dividing the pressure variation rate by the vehicle height variation rate, based on a vehicle height variation amount and a pressure variation amount which are actually measured.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 8, 2021
From: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
To: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
Reel/Frame 057434/0478 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 26, 2021
From: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
To: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
Reel/Frame 057265/0951 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2018
From: HIRAO, RYUSUKE; ICHIMARU, NOBUYUKI
To: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 046939/0541 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2016-065467 · Mar 29, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
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