Adaptive Vehicle Suspension Modes for Safe Loading and Leveling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional vehicle suspension systems are inefficient in adapting to different types of activities and environmental conditions, potentially causing damage by lowering the vehicle to a position that may contact obstructions or uneven terrain, and may not optimize the vehicle's position for specific tasks like loading and unloading cargo.
Innovation Solution
A dynamically controllable suspension system that adjusts individual wheel positions based on user input and sensor data, allowing modes such as dump, ramp, and level to optimize vehicle position for various activities, preventing contact with obstructions, and ensuring safe operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the vehicle suspension is lowered to a fixed position to optimize for cargo loading, then the ease of operation for loading/unloading is improved, but the reliability decreases due to potential contact with obstructions or uneven terrain
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system transitions from a fixed position to a dynamically adjustable position. The system includes a controller that receives sensor data about terrain and obstructions, then dynamically adjusts the suspension height and wheel positions in real-time to optimize both loading ease and damage prevention. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the system flexible rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors that detect terrain conditions, obstructions, and vehicle position, feeding this information back to the controller. The controller processes this feedback and adjusts suspension parameters accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the system to respond to changing conditions, preventing damage while maintaining optimal loading positions when safe.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the suspension system is made adaptable to different activities and environments, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system is divided into independently controllable portions, with each wheel or suspension component able to be adjusted separately based on sensor feedback. This segmentation allows the system to achieve complex adaptive behaviors through coordinated control of simpler individual components, managing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The suspension system is designed to perform multiple functions: it can optimize for cargo loading, prevent damage from obstructions, level the vehicle on uneven terrain, and adapt to different environmental conditions. By creating a universal system that handles various scenarios through a single integrated control architecture, the patent avoids the complexity of having separate specialized systems for each function.
3Productivity
If the vehicle position is optimized for specific tasks like loading, then the productivity is improved, but the object-affected harmful factors increase due to contact with obstructions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of the environment using sensors before positioning the vehicle for loading operations. By detecting obstructions and terrain conditions in advance, the system can pre-adjust suspension parameters to avoid damage while still achieving optimal loading positions, thus maintaining productivity without exposing the vehicle to harmful factors.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for dynamically managing individual suspension settings for a vehicle based on a determined suspension mode is provided. Based on the user input and obtained sensor input, the system can then determine a suspension mode for a plurality of individually controllable components by specifying values or commands for each controllable component. A first mode may correspond to a lowering of the plurality of controllable. A second mode may correspond to lowering two controllable components corresponding to the rear wheels of the vehicle and raising two controllable components corresponding to front wheels of the vehicle. A third mode may correspond to a lowering of the plurality of controllable components to effectively drop the height of the vehicle to a threshold point. The system may further implement various validation processes that can validate the determined suspension mode and make further adjustment to individual controllable portions based on load or ground measurements.