Suspension system.

The present invention relates to a suspension sys­tem having means for easily determining a change in the con­dition of a suspension which is caused by an external force applied to the suspension.

There has been proposed a vehicular suspension sys­tem including a shock absorber having a coil spring with a lower end coupled to a knuckle by which a road wheel is rot­atably supported and an upper end coupled to a vehicle body through a resilient member with an electrically conductive rubber layer mounted thereon as a strain detector (see Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 60-106807). While a motor vehicle equipped with such a suspension system is running, loads acting on the shock absorber and the resilient member are varied by irregularities on the road surface and swinging movement of the vehicle body, thus expanding and contracting the resilient member and the elec­trically conductive rubber member. Therefore, the road sur­face irregularities and the swinging movement of the vehicle body can be detected as changes in electric resistance which are brought about by the expansion and contraction of the rubber member.

Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 60-155610 discloses another vehicular suspension system including a shock absorber having a coil spring with a lower end coupled to a knuckle by which a road wheel is rotatably supported and an upper end coupled to a vehicle body through a resilient member. The upper end of the shock absorber and a load detector are fastened together to the vehicle body. The load detector comprises a piezoelectric element for pro­ducing an output signal indicative of a change in a load on the shock absorber.

Determination of a change in the condition of the suspension based on the detected value in the suspension assembly for controlling the attitude of the suspension lacks a desired degree of accuracy. Since the suspension system itself cannot detect a change in the height of the vehicle body from the ground as a change in the condition of the suspension which is induced by an external force applied, a separate vehicle height sensor is required. Because the load detector is mounted on the upper end of the shock absorber where a large load is concentrated, the sus­pension system is complex in structure, expensive to manufacture, and has a durability problem.

In view of the aforesaid shortcomings of the con­ventional suspension systems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a suspension system which is light­weight and of good space utility efficiency and has a sus­pension component interconnecting a road wheel and a vehicle body and including a resilient member or an elongate resil­iency member extending transversely of the vehicle body, and also has at least one simple strain detector mounted on the resilient member for detecting a strain produced in the resilient member in response to an external force applied thereto, so that changes in the condition of a suspension which are caused by the applied external force, i.e., loads applied to the road wheel in three directions, or vertical, longitudinal, and transverse directions with respect to the vehicle body, and an amount of displacement of the road wheel with respect to the vehicle body, can easily be determined.

According to the present invention, a suspension system in a motor vehicle has a suspension including at least a resilient member extending transversely of the motor vehicle and having one end coupled to a knuckle, the resil­ient member supporting a vehicle body of the motor vehicle, and detector means disposed on the resilient member for detecting at least one of a change in a load and a change in the height of the motor vehicle from the ground due to an external force applied to the suspension. The resilient member comprises at least a leaf spring, and the detector means is attached to the leaf spring for detecting a strain of the leaf spring due to flexing thereof. The suspension system also includes arithmetic means for calculating at least one of a vertical load applied to a road wheel coupled to the knuckle and a displacement of the road wheel with respect to the vehicle body based on a change in the strain detected by the detector means.

The resilient member may comprise an elongate resilient member extending between knuckles supporting two laterally spaced road wheels, respectively, of the motor vehicle, and having opposite ends coupled respectively to the knuckles, the suspension further including holder means coupled to the vehicle body and holding the elongate resil­ient member at two holding points which are swingable and slidable in the longitudinal direction of the elongate resilient member with respect to the vehicle body for bear­ing the load of the vehicle body.

The above and further objects, details and advan­tages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none"><li>FIG. 1 is a schematic front elevational view of a suspension system according to a first embodiment of the present invention for use with one road wheel, with a leaf spring employed as a lower arm;</li><li>FIG. 2 is a schematic front elevational view of a suspension system according to a second embodiment of the present invention for use with two road wheels with a leaf spring which extends between the road wheels being used as lower arms;</li><li>FIG. 3 is a schematic front elevational view of a suspension system according to a third embodiment of the present invention for use with one road wheel, with a leaf spring employed as a portion of a lower arm;</li><li>FIG. 4 is a schematic front elevational view of a suspension system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention for use with two road wheels with a leaf spring which extends between the road wheels being used as portions of lower arms;</li><li>FIG. 5 is a schematic front elevational view of a suspension system, showing the manner in which a change in a suspension is determined when only the weight of a motor vehicle is applied as an external force;</li><li>FIG. 6 is a schematic front elevational view of a suspension system, showing the manner in which a change in a suspension is determined when forces f_L, f_R, as well as the weight of a motor vehicle, are applied as external forces respectively to suspension components;</li><li>FIG. 7 is a schematic front elevational view of a suspension system, showing the manner in which a change in a suspension is determined when an unknown concentrated load F or distributed load W, as well as the weight of a motor vehicle, are applied as an external force to a leaf spring;</li><li>FIG. 8 is a schematic front elevational view of a suspension system, showing the manner in which a change in a suspension is determined when a known concentrated load F or distributed load W, as well as the weight of a motor vehicle, are applied as an external force to a leaf spring; and</li><li>FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an arrangement for determining a change in the condition of a suspension according to the present invention.</li></ul>

FIG. 1 schematically shows a suspension system according to a first embodiment of the present invention, for use with one road wheel only. The suspension system shown in FIG. 1 is in the form of a double-wishbone suspen­sion system comprising a road wheel 1, an axle 2, a knuckle 3, an upper arm 4, and a lower arm 11 comprising a leaf spring serving as an elongate resilient member and having resiliency in vertical directions and extending transversely of a motor vehicle. The leaf spring 11 has an outer end coupled at a supporting point A to a lower portion of the knuckle 3 and an inner end fixedly supporting a vehicle body 9 at a supporting point B. A damper comprising a shock absorber only is combined with the suspension system.

Since the lower arm comprises the leaf spring 11, the knuckle 3 that is coupled to the outer end of the leaf spring 11 at the supporting point A is normally urged downwardly under the resiliency of the leaf spring 11 with its inner end fixed to the vehicle body 9 at the supporting point B. With the leaf spring 11 doubling as the lower arm, therefore, the suspension system is reduced in weight and the damper in the form of a shock absorber only with no coil spring can be employed.

According to the present invention, a single strain detector 21, for example, is mounted on an intermediate por­tion of the leaf spring 11. The strain detector 21 com­prises a simple strain gage or the like for detecting a strain of the leaf spring 11 which is caused upon flexing thereof by an external force applied to the leaf spring 11.

A detected signal from the strain detector 21 is applied to a vehicle-mounted computer (not shown) which cal­culates changes in the condition of the suspension caused by the external force applied thereto, through arithmetic oper­ations or based on a data map. Specifically, loads applied to the road wheel in three directions, i.e., vertical, longitudinal, and transverse directions of the motor vehicle, and changes in the loads are determined from changes in the strain of the leaf spring 11. Moreover, a vertical displacement of the center of the road wheel (i.e., the axle 2) with respect to the vehicle body 9, for example, is determined to calculate the height of the vehicle body 9 from the ground.

A specific process of calculating the above values will be described later on with reference to FIGS. 5 through 9.

FIG. 2 shows a suspension system according to a second embodiment of the present invention in which an elon­gate leaf spring 12 extends transversely of a motor vehicle between suspensions supporting two laterally spaced road wheels. Knuckles 3 supporting road wheels 1, respectively, have lower portions coupled respectively to the opposite ends of the leaf spring 12 at supporting points A. The leaf spring 12 has an intermediate portion supported by two holder members 19 coupled to a vehicle body 9 at two later­ally spaced holding points C of the leaf spring 12 for bear­ing the weight of the vehicle body 9, the holding points C being held by the holder member 19 so as to be swingable with the leaf spring 12 and slidable therewith in the longi­tudinal direction of the leaf spring 12 with respect to the vehicle body 9. The leaf spring 12 doubles as lower arms of the suspensions. A suitable load means (not shown) is interposed between the vehicle body 9 and a center, for example, of the intermediate portion of the leaf spring 12 between the holding points C. Dampers comprising shock absorbers only are associated respectively with the suspensions.

Since the lower arms of the suspensions are consti­tuted by the opposite end portions of the common leaf spring 12, unlike the first embodiment, knuckles 3 coupled to the opposite ends of the leaf spring 12 at supporting points A are normally urged downwardly under the resiliency of the leaf spring 12. The common leaf spring 12 doubling as the lower arms provides a stabilizer function, allows the load means to be shared by both suspensions, and makes the sus­pension system lighter in weight. As with the first embodiment, dampers in the form of shock absorbers with no coil springs can be employed.

An upward bending stress is applied as indicated by the arrow F by the load means from below or above the leaf spring 12 to the center of the leaf spring 12 or a certain range thereof between the holding points C. Upon applica­tion of such an upward bending stress, the leaf spring 12 is elastically deformed to lift the intermediate portion thereof, thus lowering the wheel supporting points A about the holding points C. Since the knuckles 3 are lowered with respect to the vehicle body 9, the height of the vehicle body from the ground is increased. Conversely, when a down­ward bending stress is applied to the intermediate portion of the leaf spring 12, the height of the vehicle body above the ground is reduced.

The suspension system shown in FIG. 2 further includes two strain detectors 21, for example, mounted respectively on the leaf spring 12 at laterally spaced por­tions thereof, i.e., portions between the holding points C and the wheel supporting points A.

Changes in the condition of the suspensions caused by external force applied thereto are determined from detected signals from the strain detectors 21. Loads imposed on the road wheels 1 in three directions, i.e., vertical, longitudinal, and transverse directions of the motor vehicle, and changes in the loads are determined from changes in the strains of the laterally spaced portions of the leaf spring 12.

FIG. 3 illustrates a suspension system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. According to the third embodiment, a lower arm 5 is provided separately from a leaf spring 13, and an intermediate portion of the lower arm 5 is coupled to the outer end of the leaf spring 13 at a supporting point A. The lower arm 5 has an outer end coupled to a knuckle 3 supporting a road wheel 1 and an inner end fixedly supporting a vehicle body 9 at a support­ing point B. The suspension system of FIG. 3 offers sub­stantially the same advantages as those of the first embodiment except that the leaf spring does not double as the lower arm.

A single strain detector 21, for example, is mounted on an intermediate portion of the leaf spring 13 for detecting a strain of the leaf spring 13 to determine loads applied to the road wheel 1 in three directions, i.e., vertical, longitudinal, and transverse directions of the motor vehicle, and changes in the loads.

According to a fourth embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 4, an elongate leaf spring 14 extends transversely of a motor vehicle between suspensions supporting two laterally spaced road wheels. In addition, lower arms 5 are provided separately from the leaf spring 14. The leaf spring 14 has opposite ends coupled to inter­mediate portions, respectively, of the lower arms 5 at sup­porting points A. The leaf spring 14 also has an intermediate portion slidably and swingably held at two holding points C by holder members 19 coupled to a vehicle body 9. The suspension system of FIG. 4 also offers sub­stantially the same advantages of those of the first embodi­ment except that the leaf spring does not double as the lower arm.

The suspension system shown in FIG. 4 further includes two strain detectors 21, for example, mounted on the intermediate portion of the leaf spring 12 respectively at laterally spaced locations between the holding points C.

Changes in the condition of the suspensions caused by external forces applied thereto are determined from detected signals from the strain detectors 21. Loads imposed on the road wheels 1 in three directions, i.e., vertical, longitudinal, and transverse directions of the motor vehicle, and changes in the loads are determined from changes in the strains of the laterally spaced locations of the intermediate portion of the leaf spring 14.

The location and number of strain detectors 21 may be selected as desired in view of objectives in designing the suspension system and other factors. The strain detec­ tor or detectors may be mounted on the entire surface or a partial surface of, or disposed within, each of the leaf springs 11, 12, 13, 14.

Arithmetic processes which will be carried out based on the detected signals from the strain detectors will be described below.

The following calculations are based on a lateral leaf spring suspension system as shown in FIG. 2 which has a leaf spring employed as part of suspension arms. Various examples of calculations dependent on different types of external forces applied to suspensions will be given below.

EXAMPLE 1 :

Only the weight of a motor vehicle (W_L, W_R) is applied to a leaf spring shown in FIG. 5:

The condition of the leaf spring with no passenger and no cargo on the motor vehicle will be used as a reference. Strain detectors are mounted on the leaf spring at two positions, and changes in strain detected thereby are represented respectively by ε_L, ε_R. Assuming that loads applied to the road wheels (i.e., changes in loads from the loads applied to the road wheels under the reference condition, i.e., no passenger and no cargo on the motor vehicle) are indicated by F_L, F_R, the loads F_L, F_R are cal­culated as follows: F_L = k₁·ε_L + k₂·ε_R + K_L(ε_L,ε_R) F_R = k₃·ε_L + k₄·ε_R + K_R(ε_L,ε_R)

Similarly, changes H_L, H_R in the heights of lateral portions of the motor vehicle from the ground (relative ver­tical changes in the distances between the vehicle body and the centers of the road wheels) are calculated as follows: H_L = k′₁·ε_L + k′₂·ε_R + K′_L(ε_L,ε_R) H_R = k′₃·ε_L + k′₄·ε_R + K′_R(ε_L,ε_R)

In the above and following equations, k₁, k₂, k₃, ... kn, k′₁, k′₂, k′₃, ... k′n (n = 1, 2, 3, ...) represent coefficients determined dependent on strain detecting posi­tions and the like, and K_L, K_R, K′_L, K′_R, K_M, etc. represent corrective terms (i.e., functions of ε, f, F, W, etc.). These coefficients (k) and the corrective terms are used in the following examples, but have different values in the examples.

EXAMPLE 2:

Loads f_L, f_R, as well as the weight of a motor vehicle is applied to suspension components shown in FIG. 6:

Changes F_L, F_R in the loads applied to the road wheels are calculated by: F_L = k₁·ε_L + k₂·ε_R + k₃·f_L + K_L(ε_L,ε_R,f_L) F_R = k₄·ε_L + k₅·ε_R + k₆·f_R + K_R(ε_L,ε_R, f_R)

Changes H_L, H_R in the heights of the lateral por­tions of the motor vehicle are calculated by: H_L = k′₁·ε_L + k′₂·ε_R + k′₃·f_L + k′₄·f_R + K′_L(ε_L,ε_R,f_L,f_R) H_R = k′₅·ε_L + k′₆·ε_R + k′₇·f_L + k′₈·f_R + K′_R(ε_L,ε_R,f_R,f_L)

EXAMPLE 3:

A concentrated load F or distributed load W pro­duced by the load means, other than the motor vehicle weight (W_L, W_R), is applied to the leaf spring shown in FIGS. 7 and 8: <ul id="ul0002" list-style="none"><li>i) As shown in FIG. 7, where the concentrated load F or distributed load W is unknown, changes F_L, F_R in the loads imposed on the road wheels are given as follows: F_L = k₁·ε_L + k₂·ε_M + k₃·ε_R + K_L(ε_L,ε_M,ε_R) F_R = k₄·ε_L + k₅·ε_M + k₆·ε_R + K_R(ε_L,ε_M,ε_R) A load F is given by: F = k₇·ε_L + k₈·ε_M + k₉·ε_R + K_M(ε_L,ε_M,ε_R) Changes H_L, H_R in the heights of the lateral por­tions of the motor vehicle are calculated by: H_L = k′₁·ε_L + k′₂·ε_M + k′₃·ε_R + K′_L(ε_L,ε_R,ε_R) H_R = k′₄·ε_L + k′₅·ε_M + k′₆·ε_R + K′_R(ε_L,ε_M,ε_M)</li><li>ii) As shown in FIG. 8, where the concentrated load F or distributed load W is known, changes F_L, F_R in the loads imposed on the road wheels are given as follows: F_L = k₁·ε_L + k₂·ε_R + k₃·F + K_L(ε_L,ε_R,F) F_R = k₄·ε_L + k₅·ε_R + k₆·F + K_R(ε_L,ε_R,F) or F_L = k₇·ε_L + k₈·ε_R + k₉·W + K_L(ε_L,ε_R,W) F_R = k₁₀·ε_L + K₁₁·ε_R + k₁₂·W + KR(ε_L,ε_R,W) Changes H_L, H_R in the heights of the lateral por­tions of the motor vehicle are calculated by: H_L = k′₁·ε_L + k′₂·ε_R + k′₃·F + K′_L(ε_L,ε_R,F) H_R = k′₄·ε_L + k′₅·ε_R + k′₆·F + K′_R(ε_L,ε_R,F) or H_L = k′₇·ε_L + k′₈·ε_R + k′₉·W + K′_L(ε_L,ε_R,W) H_R = k′₁₀·ε_L + k′₁₁·ε_R + k′₁₂·W + K′_R(ε_L,ε_R,W)</li></ul>

As schematically shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the load means used herein comprises, for example, a bag 30 filled with a fluid 31 and disposed between the leaf spring 12 and a beam or a bag support member 40 supported by the holder members 19 and extending below the holder members 19. The bag 30 is prevented from being deformed downwardly by the beam or the bag support member 40. The amount of load applied to the leaf spring 12 can freely be adjusted by con­trolling the pressure of the fluid in the bag 30 with a pump or the like. The bag 30 is made of a flexible inexpansible material, and the filled fluid 31 comprises a gas as a com­pressible fluid. Conversely, the bag 30 may be made of an expansible material, and the fluid 31 may be an inexpansible fluid.

The present invention is based on the fact that an elongate resilient member (i.e., the leaf spring in the above embodiments) extending transversely of a motor vehicle as part of suspension components interconnecting road wheels and a motor vehicle body is subject to a strain dependent on an external force applied to the elongate resilient member. As schematically shown in FIG. 9, the amount of strain detected by at least one strain detector means mounted on the resilient member or leaf spring is processed by an arithmetic means to determine changes in the condition of a suspension which are caused by an external force imposed on the suspension, i.e., loads applied to the road wheels in the vertical, longitudinal, and transverse directions of the motor vehicle, displacements of the road wheels with respect to the vehicle body, and bending stresses applied to the leaf spring.

If there are two unknown (F_L, F_R or H_L, H_R and F, W, etc.), then at least two strain detectors are required, and if there are three unknown, at least three strain detectors are required. If no load is applied to the leaf spring by a load means (FIGS. 5 and 6), then the two strain detectors may be attached anywhere to the leaf spring. If a load is applied to the leaf spring by the load means (FIGS. 7 and 8), and the applied load is unknown, then at least two out of strain detectors mounted on the leaf spring must be located between the two holding points C in order to deter­mine the unknown load. If the load applied by the load means is known, at least one strain detector should prefera­bly be positioned between the holding points C.

While the arithmetic process has been described to determine changes in the condition of a suspension, changes in the condition of a suspension which are caused by strains of the leaf spring, and changes in the condition of a leaf spring which are caused by changes in the attitude of a motor vehicle and loads on the motor vehicle may be stored as a data map, and a suspension condition may be determined from the data map based on a detected strain. The changes H_L, H_R in the motor vehicle heights from the ground can be determined more accurately by taking into account amounts V_L, V_R of flexing of the ends of the leaf spring.

The leaf spring serving as the elongate resilient member may double as upper arms or may be connected to upper arms. The suspension or suspensions to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to double-wishbone suspensions, but may be strut suspensions. The height of a motor vehicle from the ground can be adjusted by using a leaf spring with its longitudinal axis extending longitudi­nally of the motor vehicle.

The strain detectors used are simple in structure as they are only required to detect any strain of the resil­ient member, and are good in space utility efficiency, and lightweight, but nevertheless produce signals which are employed to determine loads on road wheels in vertical, longitudinal, and transverse directions of a motor vehicle, and displacements of the road wheels with respect to the motor vehicle body. By using detected signals from the strain detectors and results of arithmetic operations on the detected signals, suspension control can easily be performed.

Although there have been described what are at pre­sent considered to be the preferred embodiments of the pre­sent invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodi­ments are therefore to be considered in all aspects as illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the inven­tion is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.