CN-114056023-B - Hydraulic suspension system and method for operating the same

CN114056023BCN 114056023 BCN114056023 BCN 114056023BCN-114056023-B

Abstract

Methods and systems for hydraulic vehicle suspensions are provided. In one example, a hydraulic suspension system includes a first manifold including, for each of a first hydraulic cylinder and a second hydraulic cylinder, a piston-side interface and a rod-side interface fluidly coupled to a piston chamber and a rod chamber, respectively. In the system, the first manifold includes a first electro-active valve, a first damping device, and a second damping device fluidly coupled to the piston-side interface, the first electro-active valve configured to lock and unlock vertical movement of the first and second hydraulic cylinders, and when the vertical movement of the first and second hydraulic cylinders is locked, the first electro-active valve allows fluid communication between the first and second hydraulic cylinders to allow free rolling movement in the hydraulic suspension system.

Inventors

A. Benewelli
S. Fasano
D. Dodi

Assignees

意大利德纳运动系统有限责任公司

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20210730
Priority Date: 20200730

Claims (15)

1. A hydraulic suspension system, the hydraulic suspension system comprising: A first manifold including, for each of the first and second hydraulic cylinders, a piston-side interface and a rod-side interface fluidly coupled to the piston chamber and the rod chamber, respectively; Wherein the first manifold comprises: a first electro-active valve, a first damping device, and a second damping device fluidly coupled to the piston-side interface; wherein the first electro-active valve is configured to lock and unlock vertical movement of the first and second hydraulic cylinders, and Wherein the first electro-active valve allows fluid communication between the first hydraulic cylinder and the second hydraulic cylinder to allow free rolling movement in the hydraulic suspension system when vertical movement of the first hydraulic cylinder and the second hydraulic cylinder is locked.
2. The hydraulic suspension system of claim 1, wherein energizing a first electro-active valve closes the first electro-active valve to lock the vertical motion and de-energizing the first electro-active valve opens the first electro-active valve to unlock the vertical motion.
3. The hydraulic suspension system of claim 2, wherein closing the first electro-active valve activates a bridge connection, and wherein the bridge connection fluidly couples piston chambers of the first and second hydraulic cylinders and restricts fluid flow from the piston chambers to the first and second damping devices.
4. The hydraulic suspension system of claim 3, wherein the bridge connection is configured to: Allowing free rolling movement in the suspension system independent of the plurality of check valves in the first manifold, and After a transient occurs between the piston chambers of the first and second hydraulic cylinders and a plurality of accumulators fluidly coupled to the first and second damping devices, the pressures in the piston chambers of the first and second hydraulic cylinders are stabilized.
5. The hydraulic suspension system of claim 1, wherein the first damping device is in fluid communication with the first hydraulic cylinder and the second damping device is in fluid communication with the second hydraulic cylinder when vertical movement in the first hydraulic cylinder and the second hydraulic cylinder is unlocked by the first electro-active valve.
6. The hydraulic suspension system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of pilot check valves fluidly coupled to the piston side interface and the rod side interface of the first manifold.
7. The hydraulic suspension system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of pilot check valves are fluidly coupled to a Load Sensing (LS) component via a second electro-active valve.
8. The hydraulic suspension system of claim 6 further comprising a leveling manifold fluidly coupled to the first manifold, wherein the plurality of pilot check valves unlock suspension rolling motions to balance cylinder leveling when leveling operations in the leveling manifold are activated, independent of a state of at least one electrically activated pilot control valve in the first manifold.
9. The hydraulic suspension system of claim 1, wherein the first hydraulic cylinder and the second hydraulic cylinder are fluidly coupled to separate front suspension assemblies.
10. The hydraulic suspension system of claim 1, further comprising: A controller configured to: In a first operating condition, locking the vertical movement of the first and second hydraulic cylinders by closing the first electro-active valve; Wherein fluid communication between the first hydraulic cylinder and the second hydraulic cylinder is permitted when vertical movement of the first hydraulic cylinder and the second hydraulic cylinder is locked.
11. The hydraulic suspension system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to: Vertical movement of the first and second hydraulic cylinders is unlocked by opening the first electro-active valve.
12. The hydraulic suspension system of claim 10, further comprising: a plurality of pilot check valves coupled to the piston chambers of the first and second hydraulic cylinders and the rod chambers of the first and second hydraulic cylinders; wherein the plurality of pilot check valves are coupled to a Load Sense (LS) line via a second electro-active valve, and Wherein the controller is configured to unlock the suspension rolling motion by closing the second electro-active valve.
13. The hydraulic suspension system of claim 10 wherein: when the first electro-active valve closes and locks the vertical movement of the first and second hydraulic cylinders, the first electro-active valve connects the first damping device to the second damping device via a bridge connection, and The bridge connection stabilizes pressure in the piston chambers of the first and second hydraulic cylinders after transients occur between the piston chambers of the first and second hydraulic cylinders and a plurality of accumulators fluidly coupled to the first and second damping devices.
14. The hydraulic suspension system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to: The suspension rolling motion is unlocked by closing a second electro-active valve coupled to a plurality of pilot check valves and a Load Sense (LS) line.
15. The hydraulic suspension system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to: opening a load sense line coupled into the first manifold to drain fluid from one or more accumulators in the hydraulic suspension system while closing the first electro-active valve; wherein the suspension rolling motion is unlocked in response to locking the vertical motion of the first and second hydraulic cylinders, or Wherein the suspension rolling motion is unlocked in response to initiating a leveling operation in a leveling manifold in fluid communication with the first manifold.

Description

Hydraulic suspension system and method for operating the same Technical Field The present disclosure relates generally to a hydraulic suspension system with a manifold and a method for operating the hydraulic suspension system. Background Some vehicles utilize a suspension arrangement, such as a separate front suspension, to achieve various drivability characteristics. Some suspension systems utilize double acting hydraulic cylinders that enable vehicle steering adjustments. In certain systems, attempts have been made to use double acting cylinders for suspension spring rate adjustment. US 7,059,127 B2 to Bauer (Bauer) discloses a hydro-pneumatic spring support arrangement in agricultural machinery. The spring support arrangement changes the spring rate of the device during ballast adjustment to conform the spring rate to dynamic vehicle ballast conditions. The inventors have recognized several disadvantages of pall's hydro-pneumatic suspension system and other vehicle suspension systems. The pall system requires that the vehicle suspension spring rate and ballast adjustment be implemented simultaneously. Furthermore, the system of pall may experience undesirable handling characteristics due to the elimination of control schemes that aim to avoid undesirable overlapping kinematic modes. Other vehicle hydraulic suspension systems attempt to deploy complex control circuits that are intended to circumvent certain steering characteristics. However, these systems can be complex and highly dependent on complex electronic hardware, which can be expensive and unreliable in the event of control circuit degradation due to reduced capabilities of the control logic. To overcome at least some of the above challenges, a hydraulic suspension system is provided. In one example, the hydraulic system includes a first manifold including a piston-side interface and a rod-side interface. The piston side interface and the rod side interface are fluidly coupled to a piston chamber and a rod chamber in each of the first hydraulic cylinder and the second hydraulic cylinder, respectively. In the system, the manifold includes a first electro-active valve fluidly coupled to piston-side ports of the first and second hydraulic cylinders. The manifold also includes a first damping device and a second damping device. Further in the system, the first electro-active valve is configured to lock and unlock vertical movement of the first hydraulic cylinder and the second hydraulic cylinder. In this system, when the vertical movement of the first hydraulic cylinder and the second hydraulic cylinder is locked, fluid communication between the first hydraulic cylinder and the second hydraulic cylinder is allowed via the first electro-active valve to allow free rolling movement in the hydraulic suspension system. In this way, the first electro-active valve arranged between the hydraulic cylinder and the damping device allows a suspension rolling movement to occur with the vertical movement of the two cylinders locked. In this way, a situation in which both the rolling motion and the vertical motion are locked can be avoided, if desired, which may reduce the drivability below a desired level. Further in one example, the hydraulic suspension system further includes a plurality of pilot check valves fluidly coupled to the piston-side interface and the rod-side interface. In such examples, a plurality of pilot check valves may be fluidly coupled to a Load Sensing (LS) component via a second electro-active valve. Arranging the pilot check valve in this manner allows locking and unlocking of suspension rolling motion during the desired period of system operation. For example, when the vertical movement of the first hydraulic cylinder and the second hydraulic cylinder is locked, the suspension type rolling movement may be allowed. Suspension rolling motion may also be allowed when leveling functions of the system (e.g., adjustment of cylinder position and/or pressure) are activated. In this way, fluid can flow to both cylinders during the leveling operation. Thus, if desired, the stiffness and position of the cylinders may be more balanced with respect to each other, which may allow the vehicle to achieve desired handling characteristics. It should be understood that the above summary is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. This is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the appended claims. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure. Drawings Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a vehicle comprising a first embodiment of a hydraulic suspension system with a first manifold and a second manifold. Fig. 2 shows a detailed view of a first manifold of the hydraulic suspension system depicted in fig