Vehicle Suspension Damping Control for Turning Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing suspension controlling apparatuses for vehicles face challenges in maintaining stability during turning, as the target damping force is often determined by skyhook control rather than roll control, leading to difficulties in raising vehicle stability on varying road surfaces.

Innovation Solution

A suspension controlling apparatus with a variably settable suspension and a control unit that executes skyhook control based on target damping forces, utilizing a roll angle sensor, suspension state detection, and target damping force limit values to enhance stability by adjusting damping forces according to roll angle and suspension states.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If skyhook control determines the target damping force, then vibration suppression is improved, but rolling stability during turning deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovevibrationVSAvoidrolling stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of target damping force limit values based on suspension state (compressed or decompressed) and roll angle. By dynamically adjusting these limit values, the system modifies the damping force characteristics to maintain both vibration suppression and rolling stability during turning maneuvers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the target damping force limit values in real-time based on the suspension state and roll angle conditions. This dynamic adjustment allows the control system to adapt to changing vehicle states during turning, ensuring both vibration suppression and rolling stability are maintained under varying conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Stability of the object's composition

If the target damping force limit value on the decompression side increases as roll angle increases, then rolling stability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverolling stabilityVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a control method that changes the target damping force limit values based on measurable parameters (suspension state and roll angle). This approach achieves improved rolling stability through parameter adjustment rather than hardware modification, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity to software/control logic only.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3100880B1Suspension controlling apparatus for vehicle
Publication Date: 2019.06.26 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP3100880B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3100880B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3100880B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

To raise, in a suspension controlling apparatus for a vehicle which includes a suspension whose damping force is variably settable and a control unit capable of executing skyhook control on the basis of target damping force for skyhook control to control the damping force of the suspension, the vehicle stability upon skyhook control during turning of the vehicle. [Solving Means] Target damping force limit value determination means 64 provided in a control unit determines target damping force limit values for skyhook control such that a value obtained by subtracting, from the target damping force limit value on the decompression side when the suspension is in a decompressed state, the target damping force limit value on the compression side when the suspension is in a compressed state increases as a roll angle detected by a roll angle sensor 29 increases. The control unit limits the target damping forces with the target damping force limit value.