An air path topology device for an air suspension system, a control method, an automotive and computer-readable storage medium.

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of automotive suspension technology, specifically to an air circuit topology device, control method, automotive, and computer-readable storage medium for an air suspension system. In this device, each air spring is connected to a pneumatic pipeline via a pneumatic solenoid valve. A height sensor for monitoring suspension height is located under the vehicle frame. The pneumatic solenoid valve includes an inlet, an outlet, and an airflow channel. The inlet is equipped with a first valve body, and the outlet with a second valve body. One side of the airflow channel is connected to the inlet, and the other side is connected to the outlet. One end of the airflow channel is connected to an air spring, and the other end is designated as a balance port. The balance port is connected to the balance ports of other pneumatic solenoid valves via a balance air circuit. The pneumatic solenoid valve is connected to a controller, which controls the opening states of the inlet, outlet, and balance port according to the air circuit topology. This air circuit topology device is compatible with various vehicles and has the advantages of uniform air circuit, easy installation, and low cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive suspension technology, and more specifically to an air circuit topology device, control method, automotive and computer-readable storage medium for an air suspension system. Background Technology

[0002] The air circuit topology of an air suspension system is a structural design of the entire vehicle's air circuit, facilitating the design and installation of wiring harnesses and other components. Different vehicle models have different chassis structures, controller locations, and manufacturer requirements. To maintain the uniformity of air suspension inflation and deflation, separate wiring harnesses and air circuit topologies need to be designed for each vehicle model. This results in almost every model requiring a separate wiring harness and vehicle topology design, leading to high design, assembly, and maintenance costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One of the objectives of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing an air circuit topology device for an air suspension system. This air circuit topology device is compatible with various vehicle models and has the advantages of uniform air circuit, easy installation, and low cost.

[0004] The second objective of this invention is to provide a method for controlling the air path topology of an air suspension system.

[0005] To achieve one of the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0006] An improved air circuit topology device for an air suspension system includes a pneumatic pipeline and four air springs located under the vehicle frame: a first air spring at the front right position, a second air spring at the front left position, a third air spring at the rear right position, and a fourth air spring at the rear left position. Each air spring is connected to the pneumatic pipeline via a pneumatic solenoid valve. A height sensor for monitoring the suspension height is located under the vehicle frame. The pneumatic solenoid valve includes an air inlet, an air outlet, and an airflow channel. The air inlet is equipped with a first valve body, and the air outlet is equipped with a second valve body. One side of the airflow channel is connected to the air inlet, and the other side is connected to the air outlet. One end of the airflow channel is connected to an air spring, and the other end is set as a balance air port. The balance air port is connected to the balance air ports of other pneumatic solenoid valves through a balance air circuit.

[0007] The pneumatic solenoid valve is connected to a controller, which controls the opening status of the air inlet, air outlet and balance air inlet according to the air circuit topology.

[0008] In some embodiments, the pneumatic pipeline is connected to an air storage tank, and an overflow valve and a filter are connected in sequence on the pneumatic pipeline.

[0009] In some embodiments, both the first valve body and the second valve body are coil valve bodies, and an electrical terminal in the first valve body is shorted to an electrical terminal in the second valve body to form a high-side switch or a low-side switch.

[0010] The beneficial effects of the air path topology device for an air suspension system of the present invention are as follows:

[0011] (1) The air circuit topology device of the air suspension system of the present invention is equipped with pneumatic solenoid valves on each air spring and a balance air port is provided on the pneumatic solenoid valve. When the height sensor monitors the same area of ​​the vehicle frame at the same time, multiple air springs are connected through the balance air port without redesigning the air circuit topology. At this time, the height sensor still accurately monitors each air spring, which improves the compatibility and comfort of the air circuit topology device.

[0012] (2) The air circuit topology device of the air suspension system of the present invention can close the balance air port as needed, and the pneumatic solenoid valve can still make each air spring operate independently, thus ensuring the compatibility of the air circuit topology.

[0013] (3) The air path topology device of the air suspension system of the present invention is connected to the air spring through the balance air port, so that each air path is filled with air evenly.

[0014] To achieve the second objective mentioned above, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0015] A control method for the air circuit topology of an air suspension system is provided, employing the aforementioned air circuit topology device for an air suspension system, comprising the following steps:

[0016] Based on the vehicle configuration budget, the number of height sensors and their installation positions, if the same height sensor is shared on the same side of the frame, the air springs on the same side of the frame are connected by a balance air circuit to connect their balance air ports; otherwise, each air spring uses its corresponding pneumatic solenoid valve independently.

[0017] In some embodiments, the control method for the pneumatic solenoid valve includes: the controller monitoring the height of the air suspension via a height sensor to control inflation or deflation.

[0018] When it is necessary to inflate the air spring, open the first valve body and close the second valve body to allow gas to fill the air spring. If it is necessary to balance another air spring, connect the balancing air port at the same time.

[0019] When it is necessary to release air from the air spring, open the second valve body and close the first valve body to allow the air inside the air spring to be released.

[0020] While maintaining the air volume of the air spring, the first valve body and the second valve body are closed simultaneously to lock the air in the air spring.

[0021] In some implementations, the vehicle configuration includes left-hand drive type, side-knee requirement, and axle type, with the left-hand drive indicator set to HandDrive=-1 and the right-hand drive indicator set to HandDrive=1.

[0022] The requirement for a side-kneeling function is Knee=1, and the requirement for a side-kneeling function is Knee=0;

[0023] IndAxis = 1 indicates that only the rear axle has independent suspension; IndAxis = 2 indicates that only the front axle has independent suspension; and IndAxis = 3 indicates that both the front and rear axles have independent suspension.

[0024] When Knee=0 and IndAxis=0, and the estimated number of height sensors is 2, then one sensor is installed on each of the front and rear axles, so that the balance ports of the first air spring and the second air spring are connected, and the balance ports of the third air spring and the fourth air spring are connected.

[0025] When Knee=0 and IndAxis=1, and the estimated number of height sensors is 3, then 1 sensor is installed on the front axle and 2 sensors are installed on the rear axle, so that the balance air ports of the first air spring and the second air spring are connected, and the third air spring and the fourth air spring use their pneumatic solenoid valves independently.

[0026] When IndAxis = 2 and the number of height sensors is 3, then 2 sensors are installed on the front axle and 1 sensor is installed on the rear axle, so that the first air spring and the second air spring use their pneumatic solenoid valves independently, and the balance ports of the third air spring and the fourth air spring are connected.

[0027] Otherwise, block the balance ports of each pneumatic solenoid valve.

[0028] In some embodiments, the balancing port is a valve port, and the pneumatic solenoid valve blocks the balancing port through the valve body.

[0029] In some embodiments, the gas quantity of the air spring satisfies the following formula:

[0030] q m _AirSpring=q m _in-q m _out-q m _balanced,

[0031] q m _AirSpring represents the amount of gas in the air spring;

[0032] q m The air intake volume at the _in air inlet;

[0033] qm The air volume output from the _out outlet;

[0034] q m The balanced air volume of the _balanced air inlet.

[0035] The beneficial effects of the air path topology control method of the air suspension system of the present invention are as follows:

[0036] The air circuit topology control method of the air suspension system of the present invention controls the balance air port according to the vehicle configuration and the number of height sensors, which can achieve cost minimization and efficiency maximization.

[0037] A vehicle is also provided, including the air path topology device of the air suspension system described above.

[0038] A computer-readable storage medium is also provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program.

[0039] The computer program is read and executed by the processor to implement the control method of the air circuit topology of the air suspension system described above. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit connection of the air circuit topology device of the air suspension system in an embodiment.

[0041] Figure 2 This is an air path topology diagram of the air suspension system in an embodiment.

[0042] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the pneumatic solenoid valve in the embodiment.

[0043] Figure 4 This is a circuit connection diagram of the pneumatic solenoid valve in an embodiment.

[0044] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the control method of the air circuit topology of the air suspension system in this embodiment.

[0045] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the pneumatic solenoid valve in an embodiment.

[0046] Figure Labels

[0047] 1. Pneumatic pipeline; 2. First air spring; 3. Second air spring; 4. Third air spring; 5. Fourth air spring; 6. Height sensor; 7. Pneumatic solenoid valve; 71. Air inlet; 72. Air outlet; 73. Airflow channel; 74. First valve body; 75. Second valve body; 76. Balance air port; 77. Airbag interface; 8. Balance air path; 9. Controller; 10. Air tank; 11. Electrical terminal. Detailed Implementation

[0048] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the invention will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0049] The terminology used in this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The singular forms “a” and “the” as used in this invention and the appended claims are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0050] It should be understood that although the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., may be used in this invention to describe various information, this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this invention, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Thus, features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0051] Example 1

[0052] This embodiment discloses an air path topology device for an air suspension system. Figures 1-4 As shown, the system includes a pneumatic pipeline 1, and four air springs connected to the pneumatic pipeline 1, located at the front right position (first air spring 2), front left position (second air spring 3), rear right position (third air spring 4), and rear left position (fourth air spring 5) under the vehicle frame. Each air spring is connected to the pneumatic pipeline 1 via a pneumatic solenoid valve 7. A height sensor 6 for monitoring suspension height is located under the vehicle frame. The pneumatic solenoid valve 7 includes an air inlet 71, an air outlet 72, and an airflow channel 73. The air inlet 71 is equipped with a first valve body 74, and the air outlet 72... Equipped with a second valve body 75, one side of the airflow channel 73 is connected to the air inlet 71, and the other side is connected to the air outlet 72. One end of the airflow channel 73 is an airbag interface 77, which is connected to an air spring, and the other end is set as a balance air port 76. The balance air port 76 is connected to the balance air port 76 of other pneumatic solenoid valves 7 through a balance air passage 8. The pneumatic solenoid valve 7 is connected to a controller 9, which controls the opening state of the air inlet 71, the air outlet 72 and the balance air port 76 according to the air passage topology.

[0053] The height sensor 6 is a commercially available height measurement sensor, such as a laser rangefinder sensor.

[0054] The aforementioned air suspension system's air path topology includes pneumatic solenoid valves 7 on each air spring. Each solenoid valve 7 has a balance port 76. When the height sensor 6 simultaneously monitors the same area of ​​the vehicle frame, multiple air springs are connected via the balance port 76, eliminating the need to redesign the air path topology. In this state, the height sensor 6 continues to accurately monitor each air spring, improving the compatibility and comfort of the air path topology. The balance port 76 can be closed as needed, allowing each air spring to operate independently, ensuring the compatibility and comfort of the air path topology.

[0055] In this embodiment, Figure 2 As shown, the pneumatic pipeline 1 is connected to an air storage tank 10, and an overflow valve and a filter are connected in sequence on the pneumatic pipeline 1.

[0056] The relief valve is used to control pressure, while the filter is used to filter impurities.

[0057] In this embodiment, Figure 3 As shown, both the first valve body 74 and the second valve body 75 are coil valve bodies. One electrical terminal 11 of the first valve body 74 is shorted to one electrical terminal 11 of the second valve body 75 to form a high-side switch or a low-side switch.

[0058] Example 2

[0059] The air suspension system air path topology control method disclosed in this embodiment adopts the air path topology device of the air suspension system described in Embodiment 1. Figures 5-6 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0060] Based on the vehicle configuration budget for the number of height sensors 6 and the installation position of the height sensors 6, if the same height sensor 6 is shared on the same side of the frame, then the air springs on the same side of the frame are connected to their balance air ports 76 through the balance air passage 8; otherwise, each air spring uses its corresponding pneumatic solenoid valve 7 independently.

[0061] The control method of the air circuit topology of the air suspension system described above controls the balance air ports 76 based on the vehicle configuration and the number of height sensors, which can achieve the lowest cost and the highest efficiency.

[0062] In this embodiment, the control method of the pneumatic solenoid valve 7 includes: the controller 9 monitors the height of the air suspension through the height sensor 6 to control inflation or deflation; when it is necessary to inflate the air spring, the first valve body 74 is opened and the second valve body 75 is closed, allowing gas to fill the air spring; if it is necessary to balance another air spring, the balancing air port 76 is simultaneously connected; when

[0063] When it is necessary to release air from the air spring, open the second valve body 75 and close the first valve body 74 to allow the air inside the air spring to be released; when maintaining the air volume of the air spring, close the first valve body 74 and the second valve body 75 at the same time to lock the air in the air spring.

[0064] The control method of the pneumatic solenoid valve 7 described above can control the inflation or deflation of air simply by controlling the valve body through the controller 9.

[0065] In this embodiment, the vehicle configuration includes left and right drive type, side-kneeling requirement and axle type, and the left drive flag is set as HandDrive=-1 and the right drive flag is set as HandDrive=1;

[0066] The requirement for a side-kneeling function is Knee=1, and the requirement for a side-kneeling function is Knee=0;

[0067] IndAxis = 1 indicates that only the rear axle has independent suspension; IndAxis = 2 indicates that only the front axle has independent suspension; and IndAxis = 3 indicates that both the front and rear axles have independent suspension.

[0068] When Knee = 0 and IndAxis = 0, and the estimated number of height sensors 6 is 2, then 1 sensor is installed on each of the front and rear axles, so that the balance air ports 76 of the first air spring 2 and the second air spring 3 are connected, and the balance air ports 76 of the third air spring 4 and the fourth air spring 5 are connected.

[0069] When Knee=0 and IndAxis=1, and the number of height sensors 6 is 3, then 1 sensor is installed on the front axle and 2 sensors are installed on the rear axle, so that the balance air port 76 of the first air spring 2 and the second air spring 3 are connected, and the third air spring 4 and the fourth air spring 5 use their pneumatic solenoid valves 7 independently.

[0070] When IndAxis = 2 and the number of height sensors 6 is 3, then 2 sensors are installed on the front axle and 1 sensor is installed on the rear axle, so that the first air spring 2 and the second air spring 3 can use their pneumatic solenoid valves 7 independently, and the balance air ports 76 of the third air spring 4 and the fourth air spring 5 can be connected; otherwise, the balance air ports 76 of each pneumatic solenoid valve 7 are blocked.

[0071] The above solution can effectively allocate the topology air path according to the vehicle configuration without changing the entire topology system, which is convenient to operate.

[0072] In this embodiment, the balancing air port 76 is a valve port, and the pneumatic solenoid valve 7 blocks the balancing air port 76 through the valve body. This balancing air port 76 can also be controlled simply by the controller 9 controlling the pneumatic solenoid valve 7, offering advantages such as ease of operation and high flexibility.

[0073] In this embodiment, the gas quantity of the air spring satisfies the following formula:

[0074] q m _AirSpring=q m _in-q m _out-q m _balanced,

[0075] q m _AirSpring represents the amount of gas in the air spring;

[0076] q m The intake volume of _in intake port 71;

[0077] q m The air output of _out outlet 72;

[0078] q m The balanced air volume of _balanced air inlet 76.

[0079] Example 3

[0080] The automobile disclosed in this embodiment includes the air path topology device of the air suspension system of Embodiment 1.

[0081] Example 4

[0082] The computer-readable storage medium disclosed in this embodiment stores a computer program. When the computer program is read and executed by a processor, it implements the air circuit topology control method of the air suspension system described in Embodiment 2.

[0083] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps described in these embodiments do not limit the scope of this application. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following drawings denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0084] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is usually based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this application; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0085] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0086] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore cannot be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application.

[0087] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air circuit topology device for an air suspension system, comprising a pneumatic pipeline, and a first air spring located at the front right position, a second air spring located at the front left position, a third air spring located at the rear right position, and a fourth air spring located at the rear left position, all connected to the pneumatic pipeline and respectively distributed under the vehicle frame. Each air spring is connected to the pneumatic pipeline via a pneumatic solenoid valve. A height sensor for monitoring the suspension height is provided under the vehicle frame. The device is characterized by: The pneumatic solenoid valve includes an air inlet, an air outlet, and an airflow channel. The air inlet is equipped with a first valve body, and the air outlet is equipped with a second valve body. One side of the airflow channel is connected to the air inlet, and the other side is connected to the air outlet. One end of the airflow channel is connected to an air spring, and the other end is set as a balance air port. The balance air port is connected to the balance air port of other pneumatic solenoid valves through a balance air circuit. The pneumatic solenoid valve is connected to a controller, which controls the opening state of the air inlet, air outlet and balance air inlet according to the air circuit topology. Based on the vehicle configuration budget, the number of height sensors, and their installation locations, if the same height sensor is shared on the same side of the frame, the air springs on the same side of the frame are connected by a balance air path to connect their balance ports; otherwise, each air spring uses its corresponding pneumatic solenoid valve independently. The control method for the pneumatic solenoid valve includes: the controller monitors the height of the air suspension through the height sensor to control inflation or deflation. When it is necessary to inflate the air spring, open the first valve body and close the second valve body to allow gas to fill the air spring. If it is necessary to balance another air spring, connect the balancing air port at the same time. When it is necessary to release air from the air spring, open the second valve body and close the first valve body to allow the air inside the air spring to be released. While maintaining the air volume of the air spring, the first valve body and the second valve body are closed simultaneously to lock the air in the air spring.

2. The air path topology device for the air suspension system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pneumatic pipeline is connected to an air storage tank, and an overflow valve and a filter are connected in sequence on the pneumatic pipeline.

3. The air path topology device for the air suspension system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the first valve body and the second valve body are coil valve bodies. An electrical terminal in the first valve body is shorted to an electrical terminal in the second valve body to form a high-side switch or a low-side switch.

4. A control method for the air circuit topology of an air suspension system, characterized in that: The air path topology device of the air suspension system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 includes the following steps: Based on the vehicle configuration budget, the number of height sensors and their installation positions, if the same height sensor is shared on the same side of the frame, the air springs on the same side of the frame are connected by a balance air circuit to connect their balance air ports; otherwise, each air spring uses its corresponding pneumatic solenoid valve independently.

5. The control method for the air circuit topology of the air suspension system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The control method for the pneumatic solenoid valve includes: the controller monitors the height of the air suspension via a height sensor to control inflation or deflation. When it is necessary to inflate the air spring, open the first valve body and close the second valve body to allow gas to fill the air spring. If it is necessary to balance another air spring, connect the balancing air port at the same time. When it is necessary to release air from the air spring, open the second valve body and close the first valve body to allow the air inside the air spring to be released. While maintaining the air volume of the air spring, the first valve body and the second valve body are closed simultaneously to lock the air in the air spring.

6. The control method for the air circuit topology of the air suspension system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The vehicle configuration includes left and right drive type, side-kneeling requirement and axle type, with the left drive indicator set as HandDrive=-1 and the right drive indicator set as HandDrive=1. The requirement for having a side-kneeling function is Knee=1, and the requirement for not having a side-kneeling function is Knee=0; The sign that there is no independent suspension on either the front or rear axle is IndAxis=0, the sign that there is independent suspension only on the rear axle is IndAxis=1, the sign that there is independent suspension only on the front axle is IndAxis=2, and the sign that there is independent suspension on both the front and rear axles is IndAxis=3. When Knee=0 and IndAxis=0, and the estimated number of height sensors is 2, then one sensor is installed on each of the front and rear axles, so that the balance air ports of the first air spring and the second air spring are connected, and the balance air ports of the third air spring and the fourth air spring are connected. When Knee=0 and IndAxis=1, and the estimated number of height sensors is 3, then 1 sensor is installed on the front axle and 2 sensors are installed on the rear axle, so that the balance air ports of the first air spring and the second air spring are connected, and the third air spring and the fourth air spring use their pneumatic solenoid valves independently. When IndAxis=2 and the number of height sensors is 3, then 2 sensors are installed on the front axle and 1 sensor is installed on the rear axle, so that the first air spring and the second air spring use their pneumatic solenoid valves independently, and the balance air ports of the third air spring and the fourth air spring are connected. Otherwise, block the balance ports of each pneumatic solenoid valve.

7. The control method for the air circuit topology of the air suspension system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The balancing air port is a valve port, and the pneumatic solenoid valve blocks the balancing air port through the valve body.

8. The control method for the air circuit topology of the air suspension system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The gas quantity of the air spring satisfies the following formula: q m _AirSpring= q m _in - q m _out - q m _balanced, q m _AirSpring represents the amount of gas in the air spring; q m The air intake volume at the _in air inlet; q m The air volume output from the _out outlet; q m The balanced air volume of the _balanced air inlet.

9. A type of automobile, characterized by: The air path topology device of the air suspension system according to any one of claims 1-3.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program. The computer program is read and executed by the processor to implement the air circuit topology control method of the air suspension system described in any one of 4-8.

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