Vehicle Height Control via Pneumatic Valves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle height adjustment systems using air springs often require users to exit the vehicle, are prone to damage, and lack control over excessive inflation, which can compromise safety and damage undercarriages, especially in commercial trucking when navigating obstacles or inclined surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle height control system that includes a pressurized fluid supply system, air springs, and a control assembly with a piston unit and valves, allowing user-controlled adjustment of vehicle height from within the vehicle, preventing excessive inflation through a controller and valve system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If mechanical linkages are used for height adjustment, then the system can be operated from within the vehicle, but the components are prone to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical linkages with a pneumatic control system using a control valve and pressurized fluid supply. The control valve directs pressurized fluid to the air spring, enabling height adjustment without mechanical linkages that extend outside the vehicle, thus improving reliability while maintaining ease of operation from within the vehicle.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If pressurized fluid is continuously supplied to increase vehicle height, then the undercarriage is protected from damage, but the air springs may become excessively inflated and damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a feedback mechanism where the control valve monitors the inflation state of the air spring and automatically regulates the pressurized fluid supply. When the air spring reaches the appropriate inflation level for increased vehicle height, the control valve stops or reduces fluid supply, preventing excessive inflation and potential damage to the air spring while maintaining undercarriage protection.
3Ease of operation
If the vehicle height control system allows user control from within the operation area, then user convenience is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical control linkages with a simpler pneumatic control system. The control valve, actuated by the user from within the operation area, directly controls the pressurized fluid supply to the air spring, eliminating the need for extensive mechanical linkages and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining user accessibility.
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
Enables safe and durable adjustment of vehicle height from within the vehicle, preventing damage to undercarriages and improving operational safety by allowing precise control of air spring inflation.
Implementation Method 1
supplying pressurized fluid to the air springs of a pressurized fluid suspension system to cause them to overinflate
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of air springs provided to elastically support at least one section of a vehicle body
Implementation Method 3
The piston unit is configured to extend and retract in response to the supply and discharge of the pressurized fluid supplied by the pressurized fluid supply system
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle height control system and method of increasing a vehicle height of a vehicle having a vehicle body and at least one axle assembly. The vehicle height control system includes a pressurized fluid, and a plurality of air springs provided to support at least one section of the body of the vehicle above at least one axle of the vehicle and configured to adjust the height the vehicle relative to the ground in response to the supply and discharge of the fluid. A control assembly of the vehicle height control system configured to receive user input indicative of a vehicle height adjustment operation desired by a user has a piston unit fluidically interconnected with the pressurized fluid supply system via a first control valve and is operable to adjust the vehicle height by adjusting a second control valve interposed between the pressurized fluid supply system and the air springs.