Patent ID: 6164665
Filing Date: 2000-12-26
Classification: B60G

Abstract:
A vehicle suspension system comprising adjustable air springs and electronically controlled, continuously variable shock absorbers, said suspension system supporting a body on axles of said vehicle, said system adjusting said air springs in response to outputs of sensors which each periodically sense a distance between a point on said body of said vehicle and a corresponding point on one of said axles of said vehicle,wherein said system adjusts each said air spring to maintain said distances at predetermined desired values, each said air spring being connected through a first valve to a compressed air source and through a second valve to an air sink, said system increasing said distance at said air spring by opening said first valve to allow air to enter said air spring from said compressed air source, said system decreasing said distance by bleeding air from said air spring through said second valves to said air sink,wherein said system varies said shock absorbers to a total shock-absorption requirement,wherein said total shock-absorption requirement depends on a body shock-absorption requirement which said system computes from said distances,wherein said total shock-absorption requirement also depends on a body acceleration which depends on second derivatives with respect to time of said distances,wherein said total shock-absorption requirement also depends on changes in said body acceleration with time,wherein said total shock-absorption requirement depends on a bad-road parameter which depends on said body acceleration and said change of said body acceleration evaluation at two or successive times separated by a fixed time increment,wherein said total shock-absorption requirement at each said shock absorber is computed in two or more ranges,wherein said ranges are divided into low, medium and high ranges of said body shock-absorption requirement by a lower limit and an upper limit of said medium range.