Continental Teves, Ag and Company Ohg

Continental Aktiengesellschaft

Continental Automotive Systems US, Inc.

Continental Aktienesellschaft

Heike Ilias

Uwe Folchert

Dierk Hein

Thomas Sprengel

Marc Nettelmann

Christian Witala

Dirk Hein

A level control system for a vehicle includes a pressure generator () for generating a pressure difference between a reservoir () containing a pressurized medium and at least one pressure-controlled actuating mechanism () in order to adjust a predefined vehicle chassis level (d), and a valve unit () for performing an overflow process between the reservoir () containing the pressurized medium and the at least one pressure-controlled actuating mechanism (). An evaluation unit () decides whether and to what extent the predefined vehicle chassis level (d) can be adjusted by exclusively actuating the valve unit () based on a vehicle chassis level (d) that is to be expected in case the overflow process is performed.

Level control system for a vehicle, and method for operating a level control system for a vehicle

A method for controlling the regeneration cycles for an air dryer in a closed ride height control system for vehicles. Compressed air chambers and a compressed air storage reservoir are charged with compressed air and ventilated via a compressed air line, or are charged via a compressed air intake line connected to the compressor and ventilated via the compressed air line. Compressed air quantity delivered through the dryer by the compressor, and temperature and/or the humidity of the air sucked in from the atmosphere are measured. The dryer is considered saturated under the assumption that air sucked in by the compressor and delivered through the air dryer is at the highest possible ambient temperature and humidity. Regeneration air quantity required for the compressed air quantity for the dryer to attain the desired dew point is determined as a function of the ambient temperature and/or the humidity of the intake air.

Method for controlling the regeneration cycles for an air dryer in a closed ride control system for vehicles

According to a method for controlling the air volume in a closed pneumatic spring system of a vehicle, an air-powered pump supplies at least two pneumatic springs and/or a compressed air reservoir with a specific air volume as needed such that the air pressure prevailing in the respective pneumatic spring and/or the compressed air reservoir is at a level which causes a vehicle body resting on the pneumatic spring to be positioned at a desired distance from the roadway or the vehicle axle. In order to obtain largely constant control velocities at different load conditions of the vehicle while using a smaller compressed air reservoir than in previously known systems, the pneumatic spring pressure (P) is measured in at least two of the pneumatic springs, the distance (HN, NN, TN) of the vehicle body to the roadway or the vehicle axle is determined, the axle load (AL) of at least one vehicle axle is determined from the pneumatic spring pressure (P) and the distance (HN, NN, TN) of the vehicle body to the roadway or the vehicle axle, a target system air volume (PV_SOLL) is determined in accordance with the respective axle load (AL), and the actual system air volume is adjusted to said target system air volume by actuating the air-powered pump or a relief valve.

Method for load-dependent air quality control in a pneumatic spring system

In order to simplify air flow control in a self-contained air supply system, an average control speed is calculated on the basis of a defined movement of the air springs () and compared with an optimum control speed. The result of the comparison of the control speeds is used to determine the need for or the excess of an amount of compressed air. There are at least three possibilities for calculating the average control speed.

Growing community of inventors

Wedemark, Germany

Heike Ilias