Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha

Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Kariya and Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Toshio Oonuma

Shuuichi Buma

Kaoru Ohashi

Kunihito Sato

Toshio Aburaya

Tetsuji Kozaki

Takashi Yonekawa

Toshiaki Hamada

Hiroyuki Ikemoto

Mamoru Shimamoto

Masaki Kawanishi

Shinichi Tagawa

Kouichi Kokubo

Yutaka Tanaka

In a hydraulic suspension system, a plurality of actuators having working fluid chambers are provided. Each actuator is adapted to increase and decrease vehicle height as the results of the supply and the discharge of working fluid to and from its working fluid chamber, respectively. Working fluid supply passages supply working fluid at supply pressure to the working fluid chambers and working fluid discharge passages discharge working fluid from the working fluid chambers. Cut-off valves and pressure control devices are provided in the supply passages and the discharge passages. Each cut-off valve is adapted to remain in its closed position whenever the supply pressure is not more than a predetermined value. Each pressure control device is adapted to control the supply of the working fluid to and the discharge from the associated working fluid chamber to adjust the pressure within the chamber. The system further comprises devices for detecting the pressures within the working fluid chambers and a device for determining the supply pressure. The pressure control devices are controlled so that their controlling pressures may substantially be equal to the pressures within the associated working fluid chambers determined by the pressure determining devices at least until the cut-off valves are opened.

Hydraulic suspension system for a vehicle with less abrupt change in

A control apparatus for controlling the twisting amount of a stabilizer provided between left and right wheels of a vehicle in accordance with the vehicle running state. The control apparatus includes a hydraulic cylinder unit coupled between one end portion of the twistable stabilizer and one of the wheels and the cylinder unit has a cylinder body and a piston slidable therein to be expandable and contractable in accordance with movements of the piston. Also included in the apparatus is a hydraulic actuator comprising control valves and coupled to the cylinder unit to control a position of the piston, the position thereof corresponding to the twisting amount of the stabilizer and being detectable by a position sensor. A control unit determines a predetermined stable condition of the vehicle on the basis of a steering angle of a steering wheel, which is detectable by a steering sensor, and obtains a neutral position of the piston taken under the condition that the vehicle is in the predetermined stable condition. Further, the control unit determines a turning state of the vehicle on the basis of the steering angle and to determine a target piston position with respect to the neutral position in accordance with the degree of the vehicle turning state, then outputting a control signal to the actuator so that the piston assumes the target piston position.

Stabilizer control apparatus for use in motor vehicles

An impact energy absorbing apparatus having two cylinders coupled for telescopic movement under impact axially applied thereto. In addition to rigid balls press-fitted between the cylinders, the apparatus has idle rigid balls snugly fitted therebetween which are to be conducted for rolling movement along respective guide grooves of certain length formed on the cylinder. The characteristic of load-stroke relationship is thereby improved to provide optimum efficiency of impact absorption.

Impact energy absorbing apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Susono, Japan

Toshio Oonuma