Land vehicles – Skates – Ball type roller skates
Patent
1992-12-22
1994-09-06
Focarino, Margaret A.
Land vehicles
Skates
Ball type roller skates
280 612, 280708, B60S 900
Patent
active
053441893
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle height adjusting device, and more particularly to a vehicle equipped with an air suspension system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A bus, which is used herein to represent a conventional air suspension equipped vehicle, as depicted in FIG. 16, has a bus body 1 supported by a frame 1a around a front suspension, a front axle 2a, and air springs 3a which are interposed between the front frame 1a and the front axle 2a; and a frame 1b around a rear suspension, a rear axle 2b which includes an axle case and an air-spring support beam that is fixed to the axle case, and air springs 3b which are interposed between the rear frame 2b and the rear axle 2b.
Such an air suspension equipped vehicle generally has an air suspension circuit such as shown in FIG. 17. In the illustration, reference numeral 4 denotes an air compressor that is mounted, for example, on an engine (not shown); reference numeral 5 denotes a main tank that stores compressed air supplied by the compressor 4 via an air pipe 6a, which has an air filter 15, a pressure regulating valve 14 and a check valve 16 arranged therein; reference numerals 6, 6c and 6d denote air pipes that carry the compressed air from the main tank 5 to air equipments (not shown) and form the suspension air circuit; and reference numerals 7a and 7b denote well-known leveling valves which are fixed to the bus body and whose respective components include levers 7a1 and 7b1, the ends of which are rotatably supported by the body 1 while the other ends of which are linked to the axles 2a and 2b, respectively. When the pivotal movement of the levers 7a1 and 7b1 detects that the relative positions of the axles 2a and 2b are nearer than their reference positions (i.e., the vehicle body sinks), the leveling valves 7a and 7b permit air to flow from the main tank 5 through the air pipes 6, 6c and 6d to the air springs 3a and 3b. Conversely, when the relative positions of the axles 2a and 2b are farther than their reference positions (i.e., the vehicle body floats), the leveling valves 7a and 7b cut off the air flow from the main tank 5, and exhaust the air within the air springs 3a and 3b to lower the body 1. It should be noted that the leveling valves 7a and 7b operate independently for the front and rear parts of the body, and that they are closed to inhibit the flow of air through the air pipes 6, 6c and 6d so that the air springs 3a and 3b may perform as simple springs for small vibrations encountered under normal running conditions.
This bus suspension system, as shown in FIG. 16, is controlled to maintain a constant vehicle height by using the leveling valves 7a and 7b and therefore an approach angle .alpha., a departure angle .beta., and a road clearance m are ensured to prevent the vehicle body from touching a road surface while running. On the other hand, the lower the step heights 1 and 1' in FIG. 16 the more convenient for passengers when getting on and off, and time required therefor will be reduced. The reduction of the step heights 1 and 1', however, conflicts with ensuring sufficient values of .alpha., .beta., and m.
To resolve this problem of conflicting requirements, a function called kneeling has been studied, and many kneeling systems have been proposed. As one example of these systems, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. Sho 48-5423, as shown in FIG. 18, has additional solenoid (or manual) three-way switching valves 8a and 8b which are disposed between the leveling valves 7a and 7b and the air springs 3a and 3b, respectively.
This arrangement, under normal conditions, makes the solenoid valve 8a and 8b inactive, thereby communicating the air springs 3a and 3b with the respective leveling valves 7a and 7b to maintain a constant vehicle height. When the vehicle height is lowered, the solenoid valves 8a and 8b are made active (or are manually switched over), and their valve positions are switched over to cut off the air flow between the air springs 3a and 3b a
REFERENCES:
patent: 2974946 (1961-03-01), Tuczek
patent: 3008729 (1961-11-01), Muller et al.
patent: 3836166 (1974-09-01), Bainbridge et al.
patent: 5098119 (1992-03-01), Williams et al.
Shima Takashi
Tanaka Koji
Dickson Paul
Focarino Margaret A.
Isuzu Motors Limited
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