Patent ID: 6491307
Filing Date: 2002-12-10
Classification: B60G

Abstract:
Axle assembly with a level control for a pneumatic suspension for a vehicle, comprising:controllable pneumatic-suspension assemblies which are arranged separately on each vehicle side, the controllable pneumatic-suspension assemblies being connectable separately to at least one of a compressor and an outlet to atmosphere via a control valve arrangement, and sensors arranged separately for each said vehicle side for sensing at least one of a level of a vehicle body and a distance between a vehicle body part and a wheel carrier of the axle assembly, wherein a change on both of said sides in the level of the vehicle body takes place incrementally and with continuous alternation between the vehicle sides via a closed-loop or an open-loop control unit which controls the control valve arrangement to directly connect the pneumatic-suspension assembly of the one vehicle side and the pneumatic-suspension assembly of the other vehicle side to the compressor in an alternating fashion to provide successive incremental lifting movements for each of the vehicle sides in an alternating fashion, and when the level of the vehicle body is to be lowered on both of said each sides, said closed-loop or open loop control unit connects the pneumatic-suspension assemblies to the atmosphere in an alternating fashion to carry out successive incremental lowering movements for each of the vehicle sides in an alternating fashion, and wherein during the respective lifting or lowering movement of a respectively active pneumatic-suspension assembly by the control unit, the level of the vehicle body at the respective vehicle side is set to be higher or lower by a specific amount than the level of the vehicle body at a corresponding pneumatic-suspension assembly on the respective other vehicle side.