Patent ID: 8335610

Claim:
A self-contained ride level control system for raising and lowering a motor vehicle self-contained ride level control system comprising: a compressor ( 6 ), a compressed air accumulator ( 4 ) operable for being filled with air from the atmosphere and emptying air into the atmosphere at least one air spring ( 2 a - 2 d ), the air spring ( 2 a - 2 d ) being connected to the compressed air accumulator ( 4 ) via the compressor ( 6 ) for transferring compressed air into the compressed air accumulator ( 4 ) from the air spring ( 2 a - 2 d ), and for exhausting the compressed air from the compressed air accumulator into the air spring ( 2 a - 2 d ), and a control unit; wherein the control unit is programmed to perform an accumulator pressure control as follows: the current accumulator pressure is determined, at least one ride level, for raising or lowering the motor vehicle to, is predefined, the quantity of air which is required to raise or lower the motor vehicle from the current ride level to the predefined ride level is determined, the later accumulator pressure by which the current accumulator pressure would be lowered if the motor vehicle were to be raised from the current ride level to the predefined ride level is determined or the later accumulator pressure to which the current accumulator pressure would rise if the motor vehicle were lowered from the current ride level into the predefined ride level is determined, and prior to flowing air into or out of the at least one air spring, the compressed air accumulator ( 4 ) is filled with compressed air if the later accumulator pressure would be below a lower limiting value, and the compressed air accumulator ( 4 ) is emptied if the later accumulator pressure would be above an upper limiting value.