Monroe Auto Equipment Company

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Sachs Automotive of America

Ray A Sackett

Joseph M Raad

Ronald J Collins

Charles E Tyrrell

Steven J Reimers

Keith Weston

Gary W Groves

Rolf Wengenroth

Fahrey M Hammoud

William H Clarke

David L Perry

Matthias Raulf

James Gerard Cullen

David S Athanas

Christine L Gordon

A system for setting front axle load restoration for a load distributing trailer hitch that is used to hitch a trailer to a motor vehicle may include at least one sensor associated with a wheel of the motor vehicle. The system may further include at least one controller configured to receive signals from the at least one sensor to estimate one or more corner weights of the motor vehicle based on the signals. The at least one controller may be configured to calculate a load restoration that is required at a front axle of the motor vehicle to achieve a recommended load restoration based on the one or more estimated corner weights.

Systems and methods for setting front axle load restoration

A method for preventing undesirable lowering of an air suspension system for a motor vehicle includes the steps of sensing vehicle speed of the motor vehicle, determining whether the sensed vehicle speed is equal to a predetermined speed, venting air from the air suspension system to lower a vehicle body of the motor vehicle if the sensed vehicle speed is equal to the predetermined speed, sensing height of corners of the vehicle body, calculating a height rate for the corners of the vehicle body based on the sensed height, determining whether a height rate of a corner of the vehicle body is greater than a predetermined rate, and disabling or halting venting of the air suspension system if the height rate of a corner of the vehicle body is greater than the predetermined rate.

Method for preventing undesirable lowering of an air suspension system

A method for allowing enhanced driver selection of suspension damping and steering efforts for a motor vehicle includes the steps of presenting to a driver of the motor vehicle a plurality of suspension damping modes and steering efforts modes for the motor vehicle, allowing the driver to select only predetermined combinations of the suspension damping modes and steering efforts modes, and adjusting the suspension damping and steering efforts of the motor vehicle based on the predetermined combination selected by the driver, and automatically adjusting the modes based on predetermined conditions.

Method for allowing enhanced driver selection of suspension damping and

A hydraulic shock absorber having discrete damping levels in the rebound direction includes a piston that reciprocates within a pressure tube and divides the pressure tube into rebound and pressure chambers. A passage extends through the piston for establishing fluid communication between the rebound and pressure chambers. A one-way, pressure responsive valve normally closing the passage opens in response to fluid pressure of a predetermined magnitude in the rebound chamber when the piston moves in the rebound direction. The side wall of the pressure tube has bleed holes that lead to a bypass channel that is controlled by an electronically controlled or actuated solenoid valve that opens and closes the outlet of the bypass channel to change the damping characteristics in the rebound and jounce directions in response to suspension conditions. The piston carries a slide valve that closes the bleed holes to the bypass channel mechanically in the rebound direction in response to rapid changes in suspension conditions that the solenoid valve cannot react to quick enough.

Hydraulic shock absorber

An apparatus for measuring the temperature and pressure of air in a pneumatic tire. The apparatus comprises a circuit for sensing the temperature and pressure of air in the pneumatic tire. The apparatus further comprises a circuit for transmitting a signal indicative of the temperature and pressure of air in the pneumatic tire as sensed by the circuit for sensing. The apparatus also comprises a circuit for receiving the signal from the circuit for transmitting. The signal could be used to control a vehicle suspension system.

Telemetry system for tire pressure and temperature sensing

A shock absorber comprises a piston and piston rod assembly mounted for reciprocation in a cylinder, the piston dividing the cylinder into upper and lower chambers, a floating disk valve slidably disposed in a fluid reserve chamber of the piston for movement between first and second positions to selectively open and close fluid passages associated with the assembly to vary the resistance to damping fluid moving through the assembly and between the chambers, and a solenoid-plunger for regulating the flow of damping fluid between the chambers. The disk valve movement is controlled by the solenoid-plunger and when the disk is in a first position augments flow between the upper and lower chambers to provide 'soft' compression and rebound strokes and when the disk is in a second position restricts flow between the upper and lower chambers to provide 'firm' compression and rebound strokes.

Adjustable shock absorber assembly

An apparatus for damping the movement of the body of an automobile. The apparatus includes a shock absorber having a pressure cylinder which forms a working chamber having first and second portions operable to store damping fluid. The apparatus further includes a piston assembly disposed in the pressure cylinder and having a valve body forming first and second flow passage for providing fluid communication between the first and second portions of the working chamber. The valve body forming first and second annular recesses adjacent the first and second portions, respectively, of the working chamber. The apparatus further including a first unloader disposed within the first annular recess and which is operable for controlling the flow of damping fluid through the first flow passage from the second portion to the first portion of the working chamber during compression. The first unloader is adapted to regulate the flow of fluid through the first flow passage in response to pressure acting on a first valve member within the first recess. In addition, a second unloader is provided for controlling the flow of damping fluid thorugh the second flow passage from the first portion to the second portion of the working chamber during rebound. The second unloader is disposed in the second annular recess and is operable for regulating the flow of damping fluid through the second flow passage in response to pressure of the damping fluid acting on a second valve member within the second annular recess. A first flow path fluidly interconnects the first and second annular recesses. An electrically controlled solenoid is disposed within the first flow path and is operable for regulating the flow of damping fluid therein between the first and second annular recesses. The solenoid includes a plunger moveable between a first and second position for generating firm damping during compression and rebound by inhibiting the flow of fluid through the first flow path when the plunger is in the first position.

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Monroe, MI, United States of America

Ray A Sackett