Vehicle height adjustment device

Abstract

To reduce output of an inclination changing device.SOLUTION: A vehicle height adjustment device according to the present invention includes: a main spring and an auxiliary spring that are provided in parallel with each other between a wheel-side member and a vehicle body-side member; and an inclination changing device that changes an inclination of the auxiliary spring. The inclination changing device changes vehicle height by changing an inclination of the auxiliary spring, thereby changing a rate of load assigned by the auxiliary spring. The inclination changing device changes the inclination of the auxiliary spring, therefore output of an actuator of the inclination changing device can be made smaller than in the case of changing inclinations of a shock absorber and the main spring.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle height adjusting device for adjusting a vehicle height. [Background technology]

[0002] The vehicle height adjusting device described in Patent Document 1 is attached to a suspension including a suspension arm, and a shock absorber and main spring arranged in parallel between the suspension arm and the vehicle body. The shock absorber body is attached to the suspension arm, the piston rod is attached to the vehicle body, and the main spring is held between a lower retainer attached to the shock absorber body and an upper retainer attached to the vehicle body.

[0003] The vehicle height adjustment device described in Patent Document 1 includes an inclination change device that changes the inclination of the shock absorber and the main spring. The inclination change device changes the position of the lower end of the shock absorber (the mounting position relative to the suspension arm) to change the inclination of the shock absorber and the main spring. The inclination change device includes an actuator and a generally L-shaped drive member. The drive member is rotatably mounted to the suspension arm at its middle, connected to the lower end of the shock absorber at one end, and connected to the actuator at the other end. The actuator rotates the drive member, moving one end of the drive member between a first position and a second position that is inward and lower than the first position on the vehicle. This moves the lower end of the shock absorber between the first position and the second position, changing the inclination of the shock absorber and the main spring and thereby changing the vehicle height. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-238225 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to improve a vehicle height adjusting device, for example, by reducing the output of an inclination changing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle height adjusting device according to the present invention includes a main spring and an auxiliary spring arranged in parallel between a wheel-side member and a vehicle body-side member, and a tilt change device that changes the tilt of the auxiliary spring. The tilt change device changes the tilt of the auxiliary spring, thereby changing the load distribution of the auxiliary spring and adjusting the vehicle height. Because the tilt change device changes the tilt of the auxiliary spring, the output of the tilt change device can be smaller than when the tilt of the shock absorber and the main spring is changed.

[0007] The tilt change device may include a housing, an actuator held by the housing, and a second arm. One end of the second arm is held by a rotation shaft that is an output shaft of the actuator so as to be rotatable around a second axis that is the axis of the rotation shaft, and the other end is connected to one end of the secondary spring. The connecting bar is held by the vehicle body member so as to be rotatable around a first axis that is the axis of the connecting bar, while one end of the connecting bar holds a first arm that can engage with the wheel-side member so as to be rotatable around the first axis, and the other end is attached to the housing of the tilt change device. In this way, since the housing is held by the connecting bar so as to be rotatable around the first axis, relative rotation of the second arm with respect to the connecting bar about the second axis is permitted, and integral rotation of the tilt change device and the connecting bar about the first axis is permitted.

[0008] In this vehicle height adjustment device, the tilt of the secondary spring is changed by rotating the second arm about the second axis using the actuator, and the moment of the connecting bar about the first axis generated by the secondary spring is changed. This adjusts the force acting on the wheel-side member via the first arm, thereby adjusting the vehicle height. The force acting on the wheel-side member corresponds to the load of the secondary spring. For example, when the load applied to the wheel is the same, if the load on the secondary spring is large, the load share of the secondary spring increases and the load share of the main spring decreases. This increases the vehicle height. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view conceptually showing a vehicle height control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 10A and 10B are perspective and front views of the vehicle height control device, respectively, when the rotation angle γ is 0°. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are perspective and front views, respectively, of the vehicle height control device when the rotation angle γ is 90°. [Figure 4] 1A is a front view for explaining the operation of the vehicle height adjusting device, FIG. 1B is a plan view of FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1C is a side view of FIG. [Figure 5] 11 is a diagram showing changes in elastic force of a secondary sprig in the vehicle height control device and the vehicle height control device shown in FIG. [Figure 6] 11 is a diagram showing changes in moment generated around an axis in the vehicle height control device and the vehicle height control device shown in FIG. 10. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view conceptually showing a vehicle height adjusting device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 1A is a perspective view of the vehicle height control device when the rotation angle γ is 0°, and FIG. [Figure 9] 1A is a perspective view of the vehicle height control device when the rotation angle is 90°, and FIG. [Figure 10]1 is a perspective view conceptually showing a vehicle height control device in which the central axis of an actuator coincides with a set orthogonal line; [Figure 11] 1A is a plan view of the vehicle height control device when the rotation angle is 0°, and FIG. [Figure 12] 1A is a plan view of the vehicle height control device when the rotation angle is 90°, and FIG. Embodiments of the invention

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A vehicle height adjusting device according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1-4 , the present vehicle height adjustment device can be installed between a wheel-side member 6 including a suspension arm, such as a strut-type or double-wishbone-type suspension, and a vehicle body member 8. The suspension includes a lower arm 10, an upper arm (not shown), and a main spring 14. One end of the lower arm 10 is connected to a wheel support member (not shown) of the wheel 12 via a connecting portion, and the other end is connected to the vehicle body member 8 so as to be swingable about an axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The main spring 14 is installed in parallel with a shock absorber (not shown) installed between the wheel-side member 6 and the vehicle body member 8. The main spring 14 is installed with its axis extending generally in the vertical direction. The wheel-side member 6 is composed of the lower arm 10 and the wheel support member (not shown). In the state shown in FIG. 1 , the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is defined as the x-direction, the width direction as the y-direction, and the up-down direction as the z-direction. The x-direction, y-direction, and z-direction are perpendicular to each other. Example 1

[0011] The vehicle height adjusting device includes the main spring 14, the secondary spring 16, the first arm 20, the connecting bar 22, the tilt changing device 24, and the like. The secondary spring 16 is a compression coil spring provided in parallel with the primary spring 14 between the wheel side member 6 and the vehicle body side member 8 . The first arm 20 is engageable with the lower arm 10 via an engaging member 30. The connecting bar 22 extends generally in the front-to-rear direction (x direction) of the vehicle, and is held by the vehicle body member 8 via a bearing 32 or the like so as to be rotatable about a first axis L, which is the axis of the connecting bar 22. The first arm 20 is held at one end of the connecting bar 22 so as to be rotatable integrally with the first axis L, and an inclination change device 24 is attached to the other end of the connecting bar 22.

[0012] The inclination change device 24 changes the inclination of the secondary spring 16 and includes a housing 34, an actuator 38, a second arm 40, etc. One end of the second arm 40 is held rotatably integrally with a rotation shaft 38r, which is the output shaft of the actuator 38. The second arm 40 is rotated in conjunction with the rotation of the rotation shaft 38r of the actuator 38.

[0013] The housing 34 holds the actuator 38. The housing 34 is generally frame-shaped, and the connecting bar 22 is attached to one of a pair of opposing side surfaces of the housing 34, and the retaining bar 46 is attached to the other of the pair of side surfaces. The retaining bar 46 extends coaxially with the first axis L, and is held by the vehicle body member 8 via bearings 48 and the like so as to be rotatable about the first axis L. In this way, the housing 34 is held by the vehicle body member 8 by the connecting bar 22 and the retaining bar 46 so as to be rotatable about the first axis L.

[0014] The secondary spring 16 is held by a pair of retainers 16b, 16c provided on a retaining shaft 16a. The retaining shaft 16a is of a telescopic type and is extendable and contractible. The retainers 16b, 16c are provided at one end and the other end of the retaining shaft 16a, respectively. One end 42 of the secondary spring 16 is rotatably connected to the other end of the second arm 40 via a connecting portion. The other end 44 of the secondary spring 16 is rotatably held via a connecting portion at a portion 8b of the vehicle body side member 8 on a set orthogonal line Lb that is orthogonal to the first axis L of the connecting bar 22. The set orthogonal line Lb extends generally in the y direction.

[0015] The actuator 38 rotates the second arm 40 to change the inclination of the secondary spring 16. The actuator 38 may be an electric motor, or may include an electric motor and a reducer that reduces the rotational speed of the electric motor. A main body 38h of the actuator 38 is fixedly held in the housing 34, and a rotating shaft 38r is rotatably held in the housing 34 via a pair of bearings 34a, 34b. The rotating shaft 38r has a second axis La, which is its rotation axis, that extends intersecting with the first axis L of the connecting bar 22. A holding portion 38s is provided in an intermediate portion of the rotating shaft 38r, and one end of the second arm 40 is held by the holding portion 38s so as to be rotatable integrally therewith.

[0016] Rotation of the rotation shaft 38r by the actuator 38 rotates the second arm 40 about the second axis La, thereby moving one end 42 of the secondary spring 16 and changing the inclination of the secondary spring 16. The inclination of the secondary spring 16 can be expressed, for example, by the rotation angle γ of the rotation shaft 38r by the actuator 38 (hereinafter, may be abbreviated as the rotation angle γ of the actuator 38 or the rotation angle γ, etc.).

[0017] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the rotation angle γ of the actuator 38 is 0°, the second axis La is inclined at an angle θ in the vertical direction with respect to the set orthogonal line Lb, with the intersection Q of the first axis L and the set orthogonal line Lb as the center. The second axis La is inclined with respect to a plane P (an xy plane, a horizontal plane) that includes the set orthogonal line Lb and the first axis L, such that the main body of the actuator 38 is positioned below the plane P (the set orthogonal line Lb). When the rotation angle γ of the actuator 38 is 0°, the angle θ formed between the second axis La of the actuator 38 and the set orthogonal line Lb is, as described below, the rotation angle of the inclination change device 24 around the first axis L when the rotation angle γ of the actuator 38 is 90° (the difference between the phase of the connecting bar 22 or the inclination change device 24 when the rotation angle γ of the actuator 38 is 0° and the phase of the connecting bar 22 or the inclination change device 24 when the rotation angle γ of the actuator 38 is 90°).

[0018] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2(a), when the rotation angle γ of the actuator 38 is 0°, the second arm 40 is positioned on the same axis as the first axis L. That is, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the second arm 40, the holding portion 38s provided on the rotation shaft 38r, and one end 42 of the secondary spring 16 are positioned on the first axis L. Meanwhile, the second arm 40 rotates around the second axis La. Therefore, the one end 42 of the secondary spring 16 is rotated around the second axis La, centered on the intersection of the first axis L and the second axis La.

[0019] In other words, in this embodiment, the set orthogonal line Lb passes through the intersection Q of the first axis L and the second axis La. The set orthogonal line Lb is provided so that the first axis L, through which one end 42 of the secondary spring 16 passes, and the set orthogonal line Lb, through which the other end 44 of the secondary spring 16 passes, intersect at the rotation center point Q of the one end 42. When the rotation angle of the rotation axis of the actuator is 0°, one end 42 of the secondary spring 16 is positioned on the first axis L, and the actuator 38 is arranged around the intersection Q between the first axis L and the set orthogonal line Lb with the second axis La inclined relative to the set orthogonal line Lb.

[0020] In this embodiment, the connecting bar 22 is attached to the housing 34 that holds the actuator 38. , th Second axis L of the second arm 40 aRelative rotation about the first axis L is permitted. Furthermore, integral rotation of the inclination change device 24 and the connecting bar 22 about the first axis L is permitted. For this reason, it can be considered that the housing 34 of the inclination change device 24 and the like constitute a connecting mechanism. In this embodiment, the connecting mechanism can be considered to be a component of the inclination change device 24.

[0021] Furthermore, the other end 44 of the secondary spring 16 is held by the vehicle body side member 8b, and one end 42 is engaged with the lower arm 10 via the second arm 40, the actuator 38, the housing 34, the connecting bar 22, the first arm 20, and the engaging member 30. In this way, the secondary spring 16 is provided between the wheel side member 6 and the vehicle body side member 8.

[0022] In the vehicle height adjusting device configured as described above, the rotation angle γ is changed by the actuator 38, thereby changing the inclination of the secondary spring 16 and changing the load distribution of the secondary spring 16, thereby adjusting the vehicle height. In this vehicle height adjusting device, the inclination of the secondary spring 16 is changed, rather than the inclination of the main spring 14. As a result, the output of the inclination changing device 24 (the output of the actuator 38) can be made smaller than when the inclination of the main spring 14 is changed.

[0023] Additionally, a moment M is generated around the connecting bar 22 due to the elastic force Fk of the secondary spring 16. This causes the connecting bar 22 to rotate around the first axis L, and the inclination change device 24 to rotate around the first axis L. The moment M can be expressed as in the following equation (1). M = Fk * cosα * A * sinγ (1) In the above equation (1), Fk is the elastic force of the secondary spring 16, which acts in the direction in which the secondary spring 16 extends. α is the angle between the secondary spring 16 and the set orthogonal line Lb, as shown in FIG. 4(b), and (Fk*cosα) is the component of the elastic force Fk of the secondary spring 16 in the direction perpendicular to the second arm 40. A is the length of the second arm 40, and (A*sinγ) is the length of the perpendicular line (moment arm) drawn from one end 42 of the secondary spring 16 to the connecting bar 22, as shown in FIG. 4(c).

[0024] The moment M causes the first arm 20 to rotate around the connecting bar 22, and a force Fs is applied to the lower arm 10 via the engaging member 30. Meanwhile, a reaction force Fd is applied to the first arm 20 from the lower arm 10, which generates a moment M' around the connecting bar 22 as expressed in the following equation (2). M´=Fd*B (2) In the above formula (2), B is the length of the first arm 20. The vehicle height is then determined so that moment M and moment M' are balanced. M=M´

[0025] In this embodiment, the reaction force Fd applied to the first arm 20 (the force Fs acting on the lower arm 10) corresponds to the load received by the secondary spring 16. When the load applied to the wheel 12 is the same, if the load on the secondary spring 16 is large, the load share of the secondary spring 16 increases and the load share of the main spring 14 decreases. This increases the vehicle height.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, when the rotation angle γ is 0°, the length of the moment arm is 0, and therefore the moment M generated around the connecting bar 22 by the secondary spring 16 is 0. The vehicle height is at a preset standard height or low height.

[0027] Rotation of the rotary shaft 38r by the actuator 38 rotates the second arm 40 along a circle perpendicular to the second axis La. As the rotation angle γ increases, the length of the moment arm (A sin γ) increases, and the moment M generated around the connecting bar 22 by the secondary spring 16 increases. The moment M is determined based on the rotation angle γ, and once the moment M is determined, the load received by the secondary spring 16 is determined, and thus the vehicle height is determined. In this embodiment, the vehicle height is controlled by controlling the rotation angle γ through control of the actuator 38. Furthermore, moment M is maximum when rotation angle γ is 90°, and the target value of the moment for the vehicle height to reach the target vehicle height when rotation angle γ is 90° is target moment Mt (=Fk*cosα*A). If the moment when rotation angle γ of actuator 38 is 90° is target moment Mt, it is possible to raise the vehicle height to the target vehicle height.

[0028] Meanwhile, in this vehicle height adjusting device, the inclination change device 24 rotates about the first axis L due to a moment M generated around the first axis L of the connecting bar 22. The rotation angle φ increases as the moment M increases. In other words, as the rotation angle γ by the actuator 38 increases, the moment M increases and the rotation angle φ about the first axis L increases. This rotation of the inclination change device 24 about the first axis L stretches the secondary spring 16.

[0029] 10-12 show an example of a vehicle height control device in which the actuator 238 is provided in a state in which the rotational axis (central axis) La of the actuator 238 coincides with a set orthogonal line Lb that is perpendicular to the first axis L of the connecting bar 222 when the rotational angle γ of the actuator 238 is 0°. In this vehicle height control device, the actions and functions of each of the components are the same as those of the vehicle height control device shown in FIG. 1, so a description thereof will be omitted. In this vehicle height control device, the components are distinguished by adding 2 to the beginning of their reference numerals.

[0030] In this vehicle height adjusting device, the other end 244 of the secondary spring 216 is located on the set orthogonal line Lb (second axis La). In addition, the rotation center point Q of the one end 242 of the secondary spring 216 is a point where the first axis L, the second axis La, and the set orthogonal line Lb pass through. Similarly, in this vehicle height adjusting device, rotation of the rotary shaft 238r by the actuator 238 generates a moment M about the first axis L. In this case, if it is assumed that the inclination change device 224 does not rotate about the first axis L due to the moment M, the one end 242 of the secondary spring 216 is moved along a locus Kb shown by the dashed line in a plan view. The one end 242 of the secondary spring 216 is moved along the outer periphery of the bottom surface of a cone whose apex is the other end 244. Therefore, if it is assumed that the inclination change device 224 does not rotate about the first axis L, the length of the secondary spring 216 is constant, and the elastic force Fk is constant.

[0031] However, because the inclination change device 224 is rotated about the first axis L, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, as the rotation angle γ increases, one end 242 of the secondary spring 216 is moved along the locus Ka indicated by the dashed line in a plan view. Therefore, the secondary spring 216 is stretched from its initial length (the length when the rotation angle γ is 0°), and the elastic force Fk decreases. The stretch of the secondary spring 216 increases as the rotation angle γ of the actuator 238 increases. Therefore, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 5, the elastic force Fk of the secondary spring 216 decreases as the rotation angle γ increases.

[0032] Furthermore, as the rotation angle γ of the actuator 38 increases, (A sin γ) increases, but the rotation angle φ of the tilt change device 24 around the first axis L also increases. Therefore, the tilt φ of the second arm 40 with respect to the vertical axis (z) increases, and the length of the moment arm (A sin γ cos φ) increases as the rotation angle γ increases, but decreases as the rotation angle φ increases. As a result, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 6, the moment M generated by the elastic force Fk of the secondary spring 16 reaches a maximum before the rotation angle γ of the actuator 38 reaches 90° and then decreases. Therefore, it becomes difficult to obtain the target moment Mt when the rotation angle γ reaches 90°.

[0033] Therefore, in the vehicle height control device shown in FIGS. 10-12, the secondary spring 216 is made large in size in order to suppress the lack of moment when the rotation angle γ of the actuator 38 is 90°.

[0034] In contrast, in the vehicle height control device according to this embodiment, the second axis La of the actuator 38 is inclined at an angle θ with respect to the set orthogonal line Lb. Therefore, assuming that the inclination change device 24 does not rotate about the first axis L, the one end 42 of the secondary spring 16 moves along an arc perpendicular to the second axis La. As shown in FIG. 4(b), in a plan view, the one end 42 of the secondary spring 16 moves along a locus Kb indicated by the dashed line. In this way, assuming that the inclination change device 24 does not rotate about the first axis L, the length of the secondary spring 16 becomes shorter than its initial length.

[0035] On the other hand, when the tilt change device 24 rotates around the first axis L due to moment M, the one end 42 of the secondary spring 16 moves substantially along the locus Ka indicated by the dashed line. The other end 44 of the secondary spring 16 is held on the set orthogonal line Lb. Therefore, the one end 42 of the secondary spring 16 moves substantially along the outer periphery of the base of a cone whose apex is the other end 44, and the length of the secondary spring 16 remains substantially constant. As indicated by the solid line in Figure 5, even if the rotation angle γ changes and the tilt of the secondary spring 16 changes, the elastic force Fk of the secondary spring 16 can be kept substantially constant.

[0036] Furthermore, because the one end 42 of the secondary spring 16 is moved along the locus Ka, the moment arm increases as the rotation angle γ increases, as shown in Figures 4(a) and (c), and becomes A when the rotation angle γ is 90°. Therefore, as shown by the solid line in Figure 6, the moment M increases as the rotation angle γ increases, and reaches the target moment Mt(Fk*cosα*A) when the rotation angle γ is 90°.

[0037] In this way, in this embodiment, the actuator 38 is provided at an angle θ with respect to the set orthogonal line Lb, As a result, the elastic force of the secondary spring 16 can be maintained substantially constant during vehicle height adjustment. Furthermore, when the rotation angle γ of the moment M generated around the connecting bar 22 reaches 90°, the target moment Mt is obtained. As a result, it is possible to improve the control accuracy of the vehicle height adjustment by controlling the actuator while avoiding an increase in the size of the secondary spring. Furthermore, moment M is uniquely determined based on the rotation angle γ of actuator 38, and the target moment can be obtained when rotation angle γ is 90°. As a result, by controlling actuator 38, it becomes possible to effectively control the vehicle height, and the vehicle height can be raised to the target vehicle height. Example 2

[0038] In the first embodiment, the actuator 38 is inclined at an angle θ in the vertical direction relative to the set orthogonal line Lb, but in the second embodiment shown in Figures 7-9, the actuator 138 is inclined at an angle θ in the longitudinal direction relative to the set orthogonal line Lb. In this vehicle height control device, the actions and functions of each of the components are the same as those of the components in the vehicle height control device described in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted. In this vehicle height control device, the components are distinguished by adding 1 to the beginning of their reference numerals.

[0039] 7-9, in this vehicle height control device, as in the vehicle height control device according to the first embodiment, the actuator 138 is provided such that the second axis La is inclined with respect to the set orthogonal line Lb around the intersection Q of the first axis L and the set orthogonal line Lb when the rotation angle γ of the actuator 138 is 0°. In this embodiment, the actuator 138 is provided in a state in which the second axis La is inclined at an angle θ around the intersection Q within a plane P (a plane extending in the horizontal direction) that includes the first axis L and the set orthogonal line Lb.

[0040] Furthermore, when the rotation angle γ of the actuator 138 is 0°, the second arm 140 is positioned on the first axis L, and the one end 142 of the secondary spring 116 and the holding portion 138s are also positioned on the first axis L. Furthermore, the second axis La passes through the intersection Q, which is the rotation center point of the second arm 140 and the one end 142 of the secondary spring 116.

[0041] In the vehicle height control device according to the second embodiment, when the rotation angle γ is 0°, the intersection (foot) S of a perpendicular line drawn from one end 142 of the secondary spring 16 to the second axis La of the actuator 138 is located closer to the other end 144 of the secondary spring 116 than the first axis L. In other words, the second arm 140 is provided inclined with respect to the second axis La.

[0042] Assuming that the tilt change device 124 does not rotate about the first axis L due to the moment M about the first axis L, the one end 142 of the secondary spring 116 is moved along an arc of a circle that is perpendicular to the second axis La of the actuator 138. In a plan view, the one end 142 of the secondary spring 116 is moved along a trajectory Kb indicated by the dashed line in FIG. On the other hand, when the tilt change device 124 rotates around the first axis L due to the moment M, the one end 142 of the secondary spring 116 is moved along the locus Ka shown in the dashed line in Figure 8 in a plan view. As a result, the secondary spring 116 is moved along the outer periphery of the base of a cone with the other end 144 of the secondary spring 116 as the apex, and even if the rotation angle γ changes, the length of the secondary spring 116 can be kept approximately constant, and the elastic force Fk can be kept approximately constant.

[0043] Furthermore, because the one end 142 of the secondary spring 116 is moved along the locus Ka, the moment arm increases as the rotation angle γ of the actuator 138 increases. When the rotation angle γ of the actuator 138 is 90°, the one end 142 of the secondary spring 116 reaches position R. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the moment M generated about the first axis L compared to the case of the vehicle height control device shown in FIGS. 10-12. The moment M generated when the rotation angle γ of the actuator 138 is 90° can be made larger compared to the case of the vehicle height control device shown in FIGS. 10-12, and the actually generated moment M can be made closer to the target moment Mt.

[0044] The structure of the vehicle height adjusting device is not limited to the above embodiment, and may be any other structure, such as providing the actuator on the outer side of the vehicle relative to the connecting bar. The connecting mechanism may be, for example, a universal joint. For example, in the universal joint, one of a pair of yokes may hold the actuator and be connected to the second arm, and the other yoke may be connected to a connecting bar.

[0045] Furthermore, it is not essential to tilt the actuator by the angle θ with respect to the set orthogonal line Lb. Even if the angle formed by the set orthogonal line Lb and the second axis La is smaller than θ, a decrease in the elastic force of the secondary spring can be suppressed. Furthermore, it is not essential that the second arm be provided on the first axis L, but it can be provided parallel to the first axis L but spaced apart from the first axis L. Similarly, in this embodiment, the actuator can be provided with the second axis La around the intersection Q of the first axis L and the set orthogonal line Lb, in an attitude inclined with respect to the set orthogonal line Lb.

[0046] Furthermore, in the vehicle height control device, it is not essential to incline the second axis of the actuator. For example, the vehicle height adjustable device may have a structure shown in FIGS. 10-12. In this vehicle height adjustable device, the second axis La of the actuator 128 is not inclined with respect to the set orthogonal line Lb, but the connecting bar 222 is attached to the housing 234 of the inclination change device 224. As a result, the inclination change device 224 and the connecting bar 222 can be connected in a state where the second arm 240 of the inclination change device 224 is allowed to rotate relative to the connecting bar 222 about the second axis La and the inclination change device 224 and the connecting bar 222 are allowed to rotate integrally about the first axis L. This also makes it possible to adjust the vehicle height by changing the inclination of the secondary spring 216 with the actuator 238, and the output of the actuator 238 can be reduced compared to when the actuator changes the inclination of the main spring and shock absorber.

[0047] Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented in various forms with various modifications and improvements made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 6: Wheel side member 8: Vehicle body side member 14: Main spring 16, 116: Sub-spring 20, 120: First arm 22, 122: Connecting bar 24, 124: Tilt change device 30: Engagement member 34, 134: Housing 38, 138: Actuator 40, 140: Second arm Patentable invention

[0049] (1) a main spring and an auxiliary spring provided in parallel with each other between the wheel-side member and the vehicle-body-side member; a first arm engageable with the wheel-side member; a connecting bar that is held by the vehicle body side member so as to be rotatable about a first axis line that is an axis line of the connecting bar itself, and that holds the first arm so as to be rotatable about the first axis line; an inclination change device including an actuator and a second arm rotatably held at one end on a rotation shaft that is an output shaft of the actuator and connected at the other end to one end of the secondary spring, the inclination change device changing the inclination of the secondary spring by rotation of the second arm by the actuator; a connecting mechanism that connects the inclination change device and the connecting bar in a state that allows relative rotation of the second arm with respect to the connecting bar about a second axis that is the axis of the rotation shaft, and allows integral rotation of the inclination change device and the connecting bar about the first axis; a vehicle height adjusting device that adjusts a vehicle height by changing the inclination of the secondary spring with the inclination change device and changing the magnitude of the moment around the first axis of the connecting bar generated by the secondary spring, thereby adjusting the force acting on the wheel-side member via the first arm, The other end of the auxiliary spring is held on a set orthogonal line that is a straight line perpendicular to the first axis of the vehicle body side member, A vehicle height control device in which the actuator is provided with the second axis inclined relative to the set orthogonal line.

[0050] When the force acting on the wheel-side member by the secondary spring is large, the load share of the secondary spring is larger than when the force is small. Also, when the load share of the secondary spring is large, the load share of the main spring is smaller, and the vehicle height increases.

[0051] (2) the second arm is held rotatably around the second axis by a holding portion of the rotation shaft of the actuator, The vehicle height adjusting device according to item (1), wherein the set orthogonal line intersects with the second axis at the holding portion.

[0052] The second arm is provided in an inclined position relative to the rotation axis.

[0053] (3) A vehicle height control device as described in (1) or (2), in which, when the rotation angle of the rotation shaft of the actuator around the second axis is 0°, the second arm is held on the rotation shaft in a position parallel to the first axis.

[0054] (4) When the rotation angle of the rotation shaft of the actuator is 0°, A vehicle height control device as described in any one of items (1) to (3), wherein the actuator is provided with the second axis inclined with respect to the set orthogonal line around the intersection of the first axis and the set orthogonal line.

[0055] (5) The second arm is held by the rotation shaft in a state where one end of the secondary spring is positioned on the first axis line, The vehicle height adjusting device according to item (4), wherein the intersection passes through a portion of the second axis where the second arm is rotatably held.

[0056] One end of the secondary spring moves along the outer periphery of the base of a cone whose apex is approximately at the other end.

[0057] (6) A vehicle height control device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the actuator is disposed in a plane including the first axis and the set orthogonal line and is inclined with respect to the set orthogonal line.

[0058] (7) The vehicle height control device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the actuator is provided at an angle intersecting with a plane including the first axis and the set orthogonal line.

[0059] When the plane including the first axis and the set orthogonal line is a horizontal plane that extends horizontally, the actuator may be inclined within the horizontal plane with respect to the set orthogonal line, or may be inclined with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0060] (8) A vehicle height control device according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the actuator is tilted such that the intersection of a perpendicular line drawn from one end of the secondary spring to the second axis of the actuator is located closer to the other end of the secondary spring than the one end of the second arm.

[0061] (9) A vehicle height control device according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the actuator is disposed at an angle such that the arc of a circle that is perpendicular to the second axis and that passes through one end of the secondary spring passes through a portion of the secondary spring that is closer to the other end of the secondary spring than the one end of the second arm.

[0062] (10) A vehicle height control device according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the actuator is tilted while one end of the secondary spring moves along the outer periphery of the bottom surface of a cone whose apex is the other end of the secondary spring.

[0063] The moment around the first axis caused by the elastic force of the secondary spring causes the tilt change device to move along the outer periphery of the bottom surface of the cone, thereby suppressing changes in the length of the secondary spring and keeping the elastic force almost constant.

[0064] (11) A vehicle height control device according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein the angle formed between the second axis of the actuator and the set orthogonal line is an angle determined based on the rotation angle of the tilt change device around the first axis.

[0065] The angle between the second axis of the actuator and the set orthogonal line can be set to the maximum rotation angle of the tilt change device, for example, when the rotation angle γ of the rotation axis of the actuator is 90°.

[0066] (12) The tilt change device includes a housing that holds the actuator, The vehicle height adjusting device according to any one of (1) to (11), wherein the connecting bar is attached to the housing so as to be integrally rotatable.

[0067] The tilt change device is held by the vehicle body member so as to be rotatable about a first axis. The tilt change device rotates about the first axis together with the connecting bar due to a moment generated about the first axis of the connecting bar, and the second arm is rotatable about the rotation axis of the actuator relative to the connecting bar.

[0068] (13) The vehicle height control device according to any one of (1) to (12), further comprising an actuator control unit that adjusts the vehicle height by controlling the rotation angle of the actuator.

[0069] (14) a main spring and an auxiliary spring provided in parallel with each other between the wheel-side member and the vehicle-body-side member; a first arm engageable with the wheel-side member; a connecting bar that is held by the vehicle body side member so as to be rotatable about a first axis line that is an axis line of the connecting bar itself, and that holds the first arm so as to be rotatable about the first axis line; an inclination change device including an actuator and a second arm rotatably held at one end on a rotation shaft that is an output shaft of the actuator and connected at the other end to one end of the secondary spring, the inclination change device changing the inclination of the secondary spring by rotation of the second arm by the actuator; a connecting mechanism that connects the inclination change device and the connecting bar in a state that allows relative rotation of the second arm with respect to the connecting bar about a second axis that is the axis of the rotation shaft, and allows integral rotation of the inclination change device and the connecting bar about the first axis; a vehicle height adjusting device that adjusts a vehicle height by changing the inclination of the secondary spring with the inclination change device and changing the magnitude of the moment around the first axis of the connecting bar generated by the secondary spring, thereby adjusting the force acting on the wheel-side member via the first arm, the tilt change device includes a housing that holds the actuator; The vehicle height adjusting device has the connecting bar integrally and rotatably attached to the housing.

[0070] The vehicle height adjusting device described in this paragraph may employ any one of the technical features (1) to (13). The second arm may be located inside the housing or outside the housing.

Claims

1. a main spring and an auxiliary spring provided in parallel with each other between the wheel-side member and the vehicle-body-side member; a first arm engageable with the wheel-side member; a connecting bar that is held by the vehicle body member so as to be rotatable about a first axis line that is an axis line of the connecting bar itself, and that holds the first arm so as to be rotatable about the first axis line; an actuator having a second axis, which is the axis of a rotation axis that is the output axis of the actuator, extending in a direction intersecting the first axis; and a second arm, which is rotatably held at one end by the rotation axis of the actuator and has one end of the secondary spring connected at the other end, and which changes the tilt of the secondary spring by rotating the second arm around the second axis by the actuator; a coupling mechanism that couples the inclination change device and the connecting bar in a state that allows relative rotation of the second arm about the second axis and allows integral rotation of the inclination change device and the connecting bar about the first axis, wherein the inclination of the secondary spring is changed by the inclination change device, and a magnitude of a moment about the first axis of the connecting bar generated by the secondary spring is changed, thereby adjusting a force acting on the wheel-side member via the first arm, thereby adjusting a vehicle height, the other end of the auxiliary spring is held on a set orthogonal line that is a straight line perpendicular to the first axis of the vehicle body side member, A vehicle height control device in which the actuator is provided with the second axis inclined relative to the set orthogonal line.

2. When the rotation angle of the rotation shaft of the actuator is 0°, 2. The vehicle height adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is provided with the second axis inclined with respect to the set orthogonal line around an intersection of the first axis and the set orthogonal line.

3. 3. The vehicle height control device according to claim 1, wherein the angle formed between the second axis of the actuator and the set orthogonal line is determined based on a rotation angle of the tilt change device around the first axis.

4. a main spring and an auxiliary spring provided in parallel with each other between the wheel-side member and the vehicle-body-side member; a first arm engageable with the wheel-side member; a connecting bar that is held by the vehicle body member so as to be rotatable about a first axis line that is an axis line of the connecting bar itself, and that holds the first arm so as to be rotatable about the first axis line; an inclination change device including: a housing to which the connecting bar is attached so as to be rotatable integrally around the first axis; an actuator having a rotation shaft, which is its output shaft, held in the housing so as to be relatively rotatable; and a second arm, which is held at one end by the rotation shaft of the actuator so as to be rotatable around a second axis, which is the axis of the rotation shaft, and has the other end connected to one end of the secondary spring, and which changes the inclination of the secondary spring by rotation of the second arm about the second axis by the actuator; a tilt change device that changes the tilt of the secondary spring and changes the magnitude of the moment around the first axis of the connecting bar generated by the secondary spring, thereby adjusting the force acting on the wheel-side member via the first arm and adjusting the vehicle height.

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