Cab Suspension Height Control for Commercial Vehicle Trade-offs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing commercial vehicle cab suspension systems face a trade-off between ride comfort and fuel efficiency, as long spring travel for damping comfort increases structural height and drag coefficient, leading to higher fuel consumption, and existing self-levelling systems consume excessive air and lack adaptability to varying driving conditions.
Innovation Solution
A system with a spring-loaded bearing and distance sensors that adjusts the cab's height position based on driving parameters like road type and speed, using control means to maintain optimal suspension comfort and aerodynamics, reducing air input and discharge, and allowing flexible adjustment between comfort and aerodynamic positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a long spring travel is used to achieve high damping comfort, then the damping effect and ride comfort are improved, but the gap between the driver's cab and chassis increases and the structural height increases, degrading the drag coefficient and increasing fuel consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The spring strut is made height-adjustable through a telescopic tube mechanism with locking pins, allowing the system to dynamically change its configuration between a first height position (for comfort) and a second height position (for aerodynamics). This enables the system to adapt to different driving conditions and resolve the contradiction between damping comfort and fuel consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameter of spring strut height between two discrete positions. By adjusting the height parameter, the system can optimize the balance between spring travel (affecting comfort) and gap distance (affecting drag coefficient and fuel consumption) based on actual driving conditions.
2Reliability
If air is continuously discharged or pumped into the spring strut to maintain fixed distance, then the level regulation function is achieved, but high air consumption occurs
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous air input and discharge, the system uses periodic action only when needed for height adjustment between the two positions. The locking mechanism maintains the selected position without continuous air flow, significantly reducing air consumption while preserving level regulation capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the spring-loaded bearing is adjusted to different height positions, then adaptability to driving conditions is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring strut is segmented into telescopic sections with discrete locking positions. This segmentation allows for simplified control - the system only needs to select between two predefined height positions rather than controlling continuous adjustment, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining adaptability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively balances suspension comfort and fuel efficiency by adapting the cab's height in real-time to driving conditions, minimizing air consumption and maintaining target distances, thereby improving the vehicle's drag coefficient and overall performance.
Implementation Method 1
spring-loaded bearing in order to support the driver's cab in a sprung manner on the chassis of the vehicle
Implementation Method 2
Spring or damping mechanisms are known from the prior art for sprung mounting of the driver's cab of a commercial vehicle on the chassis of the vehicle
Implementation Method 3
distance sensor means that is arranged to record relative movements and/or a distance between the driver's cab and the chassis of the vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
A system for level regulation of a driver's cab of a commercial vehicle relative to a chassis of the vehicle includes a spring-loaded bearing in order to support the driver's cab in a sprung manner on the chassis of the vehicle; a distance sensor device arranged to record relative movements and/or a distance between the driver's cab and the chassis of the vehicle; and a control device that is arranged for variable control of the spring-loaded bearing, wherein signals of the distance sensor device are used to control the spring-loaded bearing. The spring-loaded bearing can be adjusted to a first height position (h1), so that the distance between the driver's cab and the chassis of the vehicle is controlled by the control device to a first target distance. The spring-loaded bearing can be adjusted to at least one second height position (h2), so that the distance between the driver's cab and the chassis of the vehicle is controlled by the control means to a second target distance. The control means device adjusts the spring-loaded bearing to the first height position (h1) or to the at least one second height position (h2) depending at least on a parameter relating to a driving route and/or a vehicle state.