Atsugi Motor Parts Company, Limited

Nissan Motor Company Limited

Tomoyoshi Sekiguchi

Masanori Kouda

Junkichi Konishi

Yukio Ikeda

Yasuhiro Shiraishi

Minoru Taniguchi

Minoru Suzuki

Masayuki Fujii

Hiroya Ishikawa

Kenichi Tsukada

A steering behavior dependent control system for controlling vehicular driving characteristics performs one or more control operations, such as anti-rolling suspension control, power assist control in a power steering system, rear wheel steering angle control in a four wheel steering system and so forth. The control system includes a steering angle sensor for monitoring steering angular displacement and produces a steering angle indicative signal. The control system is also provided a steering neutral position detector which detects steering at approximately a neutral position to produce an assumed steering neutral position indicative signal. A center value of a steering neutral range is projected on the basis of the steering angle indicative signal and the assumed steering neutral position indicative signal. Steering angle dependent control is thus performed by comparing the steering angle indicative signal value with the aforementioned center value to derive a magnitude of steering angular displacement. The control system further monitors an operating condition of the steering neutral position detector to detect a faulty condition thereof. When failure of the steering neutral position detector is detected, predetermined fail-safe operation takes place. In the fail-safe operation, the assumed center value of the steering neutral range is derived without utilizing the assumed steering neutral position indicative signal.

Fail-safe system for vehicular driving characteristics control system

A mounting structure of a vehicle height sensor employs a reference height indicative marking put on a sensor body to be rigidly fixed onto a vehicle body, which marking represents a position of a movable sensor component corresponding to a predetermined vehicular height indicative signal level. On the other hand, a target height indicative marking is put on the vehicle body. Alignment of the vehicle height sensor can be adjusted with reference to the reference height indicative marking and the target height indicative marking. Alignment of the vehicle height sensor is achieved by aligning the reference height indicative marking to the target height indicative marking.

Mounting structure for vehicle height sensor

An anti-squat suspension control system includes an anti-squat control disabling means for disabling anti-squat control for a period while an engine idling condition detector switch is held closed or a given period after the engine idling condition detector switch is switched from closed position to open position. The system also includes fail detector means for monitoring operation of the engine idling condition detector switch to detect failure of the switch. When the failure of the engine idling condition detector switch is detected, the anti-squat disabling means is disabled.

Anti-squat control system for automotive suspension system

An electric vehicle-level control device is provided for controlling an electrically operated fluid pressure control device for a pneumatic, hydraulic or hydro-pneumatic suspension unit such as a hydro-pneumatic suspension strut of a self-levelling suspension system for an automotive vehicle. The control device comprises a timing or delay circuit adapted to deliver an output signal at a predetermined retarded timing following generation of (1) a signal responsive to a vehicle level higher or lower than a predetermined value, or (2) a signal responsive to shutdown of a power plant such as an internal combustion engine of an automotive vehicle.

Electric control device for vehicle suspension system

A pneumatic self-levelling vehicle suspension system including an air compressor, an air reservoir communicating with the air compressor, an air dehumidifier unit intervening between the air compressor and reservoir, and a variable-length pneumatic suspension unit having an air inlet port communicable with the air reservoir across a two-position valve and an air discharge port through which an excess of air is to be discharged to the open air from the suspension unit, wherein arrangements are made so that the air discharge port of the suspension unit is made open to the atmosphere by way of the air dehumidifier unit for automatically regenerating the regenerative desiccative chemical composition contained in the air dehumidifier unit.

Air dehumidifying arrangement for pneumatic vehicle suspension system

A movable reaction member is provided which is normally prevented from being moved to have a dashpot delay movement of a piston with a levelling valve operating member and which, when it is desired to change the vehicle body level to an optional value, is quickly moved integrally with the piston to render the dashpot ineffective to satisfactorily reduce the time necessary for changing the vehicle body level.

Growing community of inventors

Atsugi, Japan

Tomoyoshi Sekiguchi