Land vehicles – Suspension modification enacted during travel – Riding or suspension height
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-20
2001-10-30
Culbreth, Eric (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Suspension modification enacted during travel
Riding or suspension height
C280S006150, C280S006157, C280S006159, C280S124100, C280S124160
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308963
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a levelling valve actuating apparatus for use in air suspension of a vehicle, particularly to a levelling valve actuating apparatus which is constructed between a levelling valve body and the suspension and is controlled by means of vehicular height displacement varied depending upon road conditions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, an air spring used in air suspension system supports weight of the vehicles, absorbs vibration and shock resulting from the road, and reduces or attenuates irregular vibration transmitted from road wheel by means of air cushion. Thus, safe and comfortable driving is accomplished.
Such an air spring is connected to an air tank through a levelling valve. Compressed air within the air tank is introduced into the air spring through an intake port of the levelling valve or is discharged through the exhaust port of the valve.
As shown in
FIG. 6
, the conventional levelling valve is constructed in a manner that a rotating plate (not shown) for switching hydraulic fluid passage inside the valve body
51
is connected to one end of a lever
52
for adjusting vehicular height located outside the valve body
51
, the other end of the lever
52
is disposed in a perpendicular direction to the rotating plate and hinged to an end of a rod
53
for adjusting vehicular height, and the other end of the rod
53
is connected to the suspension member
54
through a ball joint
55
.
The rod
53
and the lever
52
change a vertical displacement into an angular displacement in response to vehicular height of the front/rear wheel-side varied on vehicle weight change, drive the rotating plate (not shown) within the levelling valve
56
to rotate, and control the opening/closing of intake/exhaust ports. Thus, the levelling valve
56
is actuated to maintain stable vehicular height by supplying or discharging the compressed air into or from the front/rear air springs.
However, as mentioned above, the lengths of the rod and the lever used as an apparatus for actuating the levelling valve are determined to be constant. Thus, in the case that the road condition is extremely poor and maximum displacement of the vehicular height has occurred, there is a problem that the rotating plate in the levelling valve moves beyond its rotational region, and consequently the levelling valve is erroneously actuated.
Further, another problem is that the levelling valve which may variably adjust the response of air springs depending upon the road condition cannot obtain the desired levelling due to the constant length of the rod and the lever.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention was implemented to solve the above problems.
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved levelling valve actuating apparatus which not only prevents erroneous actuation of the levelling valve but also improves the response characteristics of air springs depending upon road conditions, and thus improves vehicular stability and comfortability by variably changing connection positions between the rod and the lever of the levelling valve in response to the vehicular height depending road conditions.
To accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a levelling valve actuating apparatus for converting a linear displacement resulting from a vehicular height change into a rotational displacement and controlling operation of the the levelling valve. The apparatus is constructed to be disposed beween wheel-side suspension and the levelling valve. The valve is supplied with operating air from an air tank and adjusts the air supply to an air spring by means of actuation of a rotary plate for intermittently interrupting a hydraulic fluid passage disposed within a valve body. The apparatus further comprises a lever for adjusting vehicular height of which an end is connected to the rotating plate of the levelling valve outside the valve body, a connecting hole being formed at another end of the lever in a longitudinal direction, a rack being formed on an inner portion of the connecting hole along the longitudinal direction; a rod for adjusting vehicular height having an arcuate external shape, an end of the rod being mounted to a side of the suspension through a ball joint, a slot of similar arcuate shape being formed at a central portion of the rod; and a variable connection means for adjusting connection positions between the rod and the lever depending upon road conditions, the means being mounted such that it can pass through the connecting hole and the slot.
The variable connection means further comprises a stepping motor which can be reversibly driven in accordance with road conditions; a pinion which is mounted at a rotational shaft of the motor and is engaged with the rack disposed at a side of the connecting hole and thus generates a horizontal displacement in response to the actuation of the stepping motor; and a magnetic clutch which is integrally formed to be mounted with a rear portion of the motor through the slot of the rod.
Furthermore, it is characterized in that the magnetic clutch is constructed to include first and second clutch plates between which the rod is disposed, and an operating shaft is connected at one side to an operating portion of the clutch and is mounted at the other side to the second clutch plate with the shaft penetrating the first clutch plate and extending through the slot of the rod.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3659870 (1972-05-01), Okuyama
patent: 3858902 (1975-01-01), Howells et al.
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Culbreth Eric
Hyundai Motor Company
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