Central Control Unit for Commercial Vehicle Air Suspension

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current commercial vehicle air suspension systems require separate control units for chassis and cabin systems, leading to suboptimal control and regulation due to independent operation, which can result in instability and increased vibrations being propagated from the chassis to the cabin, and communication delays between control units impairing regulation quality.

Innovation Solution

A single multifunctional control unit coordinates the control and regulation of both chassis and cabin air suspension systems, integrating control logic for both systems to consider them as an overall vibration system, allowing for mutual influence and coordinated intervention to improve regulation quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate control units are used for chassis and cabin air suspension systems, then each system can be controlled independently, but control precision deteriorates due to lack of coordination and vibrations are propagated from chassis to cabin

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveindependent control capabilityVSAvoidcontrol precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines separate control units for chassis and cabin air suspension systems into a single integrated control unit. This merging enables coordinated control of both systems, improving control precision by considering them as an overall vibration system while maintaining the ability to independently regulate each subsystem through integrated control algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit is designed with multi-functionality to handle both chassis air suspension control and cabin air suspension control within a single device. This universal control approach allows the system to perform multiple functions (chassis level control, cabin level control, vibration reduction) while eliminating communication delays between separate control units.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Manufacturing precision

If a single multifunctional control unit is used to coordinate both chassis and cabin air suspension systems, then control precision is improved through coordinated intervention, but device complexity increases due to integration of multiple control functions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol precisionVSAvoidcontrol unit complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit integrates multiple control functions for both chassis and cabin air suspension systems into a single device. This multi-functional design improves control precision through coordinated intervention while managing complexity through unified control architecture that eliminates the need for multiple separate control units and their inter-communication interfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the control functions for chassis air suspension and cabin air suspension into a single control unit. This combination reduces the overall system complexity by eliminating duplicate components and communication channels, while the integrated control logic maintains the ability to independently manage each subsystem's specific requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If separate control units are used for chassis and cabin air suspension systems, then each system can be controlled independently, but the number of components and assembly effort increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveindependent control capabilityVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges separate control units for chassis and cabin air suspension systems into a single integrated control unit. This reduces the total number of components and simplifies assembly efforts while maintaining independent control capability for each subsystem through integrated control algorithms that can independently regulate chassis and cabin air suspension as needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit is designed with universal multi-functionality to handle both chassis air suspension control and cabin air suspension control within a single device. This eliminates the need for multiple separate control units, reducing component count and assembly complexity while preserving the ability to independently control each air suspension system when required.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2965930B1Control device for a pressurised air assembly of a commercial vehicle
Publication Date: 2018.11.21 HALDEX BRAKE PROD AB
  • EP2965930B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2965930B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2965930B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a compressed air system (1) for a commercial vehicle, which has a chassis air suspension system (2) and a cabin air suspension system (3). The control or regulation of both the chassis air suspension system (2) and the cabin air suspension system (3) is carried out by a single central control unit (30), wherein the control or regulation of the chassis air suspension system (2) and the cabin air suspension system (3) are coordinated and synchronized with each other. This allows the speed of the control or regulation to be increased and greater control or regulation quality to be achieved.