Hydraulic Chassis Leveling With Accumulator Feedback Against Pressure Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle chassis level adjustment systems, particularly hydraulic ones, face challenges in maintaining the raised position under dynamic loads and leaks, leading to instability and potential impairment of vehicle functionality due to high costs and weight considerations.
Innovation Solution
Integration of a spring-piston accumulator with piston-position transmitters linked to a control unit, allowing for parallel pressurization of hydraulic adjusters and automatic repressurization, which maintains the raised position by detecting piston position and controlling the motor-pump unit, thus compensating for leaks and ensuring reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of stationary object
If a common hydraulic aggregate pressurizes all four hydraulic adjusters in parallel, then cost and weight are reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to inability to compensate for leaks and maintain raised position under dynamic loads
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic system is segmented into four independent circuits, with each hydraulic adjuster having its own dedicated motor-pump unit. This segmentation allows each wheel suspension to be independently controlled and compensated, ensuring that a leak or failure in one circuit does not affect the other three circuits, thereby maintaining reliability while using a centralized control architecture
Solution Approach 2:
Each hydraulic circuit is equipped with a piston-position transmitter that continuously monitors the position of the adjuster piston and feeds this information back to the control unit. The control unit uses this feedback to detect when the raised position is no longer maintained (indicating a leak or dynamic load) and automatically activates the corresponding motor-pump unit to repressurize the circuit, ensuring continuous reliability
2Ease of manufacture
If inexpensive hydraulic components with large fabrication tolerances are used, then cost is reduced, but manufacturing precision of the raised position deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs piston-position transmitters on each hydraulic adjuster that automatically detect when the raised position is compromised and trigger the corresponding motor-pump unit to compensate. This self-service mechanism allows the use of inexpensive components with large fabrication tolerances, as the system automatically corrects position deviations without requiring high-precision manufacturing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical precision requirements with an active hydraulic control system. Instead of relying on mechanically precise components to maintain position, the system uses hydraulic pressure control with feedback from piston-position transmitters, allowing inexpensive components to achieve precise position maintenance through active compensation
3Adaptability or versatility
If the chassis is raised to increase ground clearance, then adaptability to uneven terrain is improved, but air resistance increases and fuel consumption worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic level adjustment system enables dynamic adaptation of the chassis position based on real-time driving conditions. The chassis can be raised when approaching uneven terrain or obstacles and lowered during normal cruising to reduce air resistance, allowing the vehicle to optimally balance adaptability and energy efficiency throughout the journey
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables periodic adjustment of chassis level in response to varying road conditions. The chassis alternates between raised and lowered positions depending on whether the vehicle is traversing uneven terrain or traveling on smooth roads, creating a periodic adaptation pattern that optimizes both adaptability and fuel consumption over time
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 ensures reliable maintenance of the raised position under dynamic loads and leak conditions, suppressing 'diving' or 'squatting' and maintaining driving safety, while allowing the use of inexpensive hydraulic components with large fabrication tolerances.
Implementation Method 1
the hydraulic working chambers of the at least two hydraulic adjusters pressurized by a common hydraulic aggregate communicate hydraulically with the accumulator chamber of a spring-piston accumulator
Implementation Method 2
spring-piston accumulator, which has at least one piston-position transmitter linked by signal transmission to the control unit
Implementation Method 3
a common hydraulic aggregate comprising a tank and a motor-pump unit
Implementation Method 4
pressurization of the respective (single) hydraulic working chamber of the adjuster by the hydraulic aggregate brings about raising of the base structure
Implementation Method 5
at least one piston-position transmitter linked by signal transmission to the control unit, which detects the position of the piston
Data Source
AI summary
A motor vehicle chassis is provided having a base structure that can be hydraulically adjusted in level between a raised and a lowered position. A hydraulic adjuster is assigned to one of the two foot points of the corresponding suspension spring in each of the four wheel suspensions. At least two of the adjusters can be pressurized in parallel by a common hydraulic aggregate comprising a tank and a motor-pump unit and activated by a control unit. The at least two hydraulic adjusters that can be pressurized by the common hydraulic aggregate communicate hydraulically with the accumulator chamber of a spring-piston accumulator, which has at least one piston-position transmitter linked by signal transmission to the control unit.