JP2010168000A - Vehicle body tilting system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem that it is difficult to avoid the occurrence of a situation that, since a spring means and a damping means forming suspensions have properties which are remained fixed, deterioration occurs in ride comfort when setting is made to secure a response for leaning the movement of a vehicle body, whereby, when the setting is made to secure a favorable ride comfort for leaning the movement of a vehicle body, responsiveness cannot be secured. <P>SOLUTION: A vehicle body tilting system includes dampers 24 and springs 23 connected to suspension links 21, suspending wheels, and coaxially disposed away from a vehicle body 16. A transverse beam 19 has both ends arranged to rotate and tilt and connected to the springs 23. The vehicle body 16 is tilted by a vehicle-body tilting means 13 tilting the vehicle body 16 at a required tilting angle based on a calculation result of a control means 12 calculating a required vehicle-body tilting angle based on an on-travel vehicle condition. In this time, suspension properties of the suspension links 21 are altered in conjunction with the tilting movement of the vehicle-body tilting means 13 so that contraction resistance is increased during suspension movement. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle body tilting system that adjusts a tilt during traveling in a vehicle body in which wheels are suspended via a suspension device.

Conventionally, a “mechanism for automatically returning to the center” provided with an auxiliary tilt control system that controls the tilt angle when the tilt angle of the vehicle is not controlled by the main tilt control system (Patent Document 1) See).
This “mechanism for automatically returning to the center” has a so-called double wishbone type suspension link and a transverse beam that is rotatable with respect to the vehicle body and extends in the left-right direction of the vehicle. The suspension link and the lateral beam are arranged so as to be substantially parallel when viewed from the front of the vehicle, and the spring means constituting the suspension is arranged coaxially with the damping means. The movement of the horizontal beam is controlled based on the calculation results obtained by calculating various signals related to the current state of the vehicle by the horizontal beam driving means having the horizontal beam at the upper end and the lower end attached to the vehicle body. Thereby, the vehicle body can be tilted (lean) to a desired angle.

  According to the above configuration, since the spring means is not crushed during the lean operation of the vehicle body, the stroke of the suspension means (suspension) is not reduced, and thus the ride comfort during the lean operation of the vehicle body is not deteriorated.

JP 2006-315664 A

  However, in the conventional “mechanism to automatically return to the center”, the characteristics of the spring means (spring) and the damping means (shock absorber) constituting the suspension remain fixed, so that the response during the lean operation of the vehicle body is improved. When the setting is ensured, the ride comfort is lowered. On the other hand, if the setting is such that a comfortable ride comfort can be obtained during the lean operation of the vehicle body, it is inevitable that the responsiveness cannot be ensured. That is, it is impossible to ensure both responsiveness and comfortable riding comfort during lean operation of the vehicle body.

  The vehicle body tilting system of the present invention is characterized in that when the vehicle body is tilted by the vehicle body tilting means, the suspension characteristic of the suspension means is changed in conjunction with the tilting operation of the vehicle body tilting means.

  According to the present invention, when the vehicle body is tilted by the vehicle body tilting means, the suspension characteristics of the suspension means are changed in conjunction with the tilting operation of the vehicle body tilting means. It is possible to ensure comfort.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle body tilting system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of the vehicle by which the vehicle body tilting part of FIG. 1 is mounted. It is explanatory drawing which shows the mounting state of the vehicle body tilting part of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the connection state of a stabilizer connecting rod and a suspension link. It is explanatory drawing which shows functionally the vehicle body lean state at the time of mounting the stabilizer on the conventional vehicle. It is explanatory drawing of the twist in the joint shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing seen from the vehicle body front-back direction which shows the arrangement | positioning state of the stabilizer connecting rod of a vehicle body tilting system.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle body tilting system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle body tilting system 10 includes a vehicle state detecting unit 11, a control unit (control means) 12, a vehicle body tilting unit 13, and a characteristic variable suspension unit (characteristic variable suspension) 14. It adjusts the inclination at the time of running in the body.

  The vehicle state detection unit 11 detects the vehicle state, for example, the vehicle speed of the running vehicle, the lateral acceleration in the vehicle width direction, the turning angle of the wheels, the steering angle of the steering wheel, etc., and the detected value to the control unit 12. Output. The control unit 12 calculates a desired vehicle body tilt angle based on the detection value input from the vehicle state detection unit 11 and outputs the calculation result to the vehicle body tilt unit 13. The vehicle body tilting unit 13 tilts the vehicle body to a desired tilt angle based on the calculation result input from the control unit 12. The characteristic variable suspension part (suspension means) 14 is arranged between the vehicle body and the wheel to suspend the wheel. When the vehicle body is tilted by the vehicle body tilting part (vehicle body shape movement means) 13, the vehicle body tilting part 13 The suspension characteristics are changed in conjunction with the tilting motion.

  The control unit 12 has a storage device connected to a programmed main control unit (CPU) that performs overall control of the entire vehicle body tilting system 10. The CPU can control the vehicle body tilting system such as a control program and a body tilting process. 10 includes an internal memory for storing necessary data and a program defining various processing procedures, and various means in the vehicle body tilting system 10 are realized by these programs.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle on which the vehicle body tilting portion of FIG. 1 is mounted. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 15 on which the vehicle body tilting portion 13 is mounted has a front wheel 17 and a rear wheel 18 that are respectively suspended by a variable characteristic suspension portion 14 on the vehicle body 16. The vehicle body tilting portion 13 is attached to the variable characteristic suspension portion 14. It should be noted that the vehicle body tilting portion 13 is not limited to the rear wheel 18 but may be the front wheel 17 or both the front wheel 17 and the rear wheel 18. .

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a mounted state of the vehicle body tilting portion of FIG. In FIG. 3, one wheel side (in the figure, the left wheel is illustrated toward the front of the vehicle) is shown. As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle body tilting section 13 includes a lateral beam 19 and a lateral beam driving section (lateral beam driving means) 20 that rotationally drives the lateral beam 19. The lateral beam 19 is formed in a beam shape extending in the vehicle body width direction, and an operating end 19a, which is an open end on both sides, is connected to an upper end portion of the variable characteristic suspension portion 14 on each of the left and right wheels. A drive shaft (not shown) of the transverse beam drive unit 20 is integrally attached to the center in the width direction. That is, the transverse beam 19 is schematically shown schematically in the vehicle body 16 so that both the operating ends 19a can be rotated in the vertical direction with the substantially central portion in the vehicle body width direction length as the rotation center O. The same).

The vehicle body tilting section 13 drives the lateral beam driving section 20 to rotate the lateral beam 19, thereby applying a pressing force so that the lateral beam 19 is pushed into the characteristic variable suspension section 14. The vehicle body 16 is tilted.
The variable characteristic suspension part 14 includes a suspension link 21, an axle 22, a coil spring (spring part) 23, and a shock absorber (attenuation part) 24. The suspension link 21 that connects the vehicle body 16 and the wheels (rear wheel 18 is illustrated in the figure) is a so-called double that consists of two upper and lower arms (an upper arm 21a and a lower arm 21b) that are mounted substantially horizontally with respect to the road surface. The suspension link 21 has one end of the suspension link 21 on the vehicle body 16 and the other end on an axle 22 to which wheels (illustrated as rear wheels 18 in the figure) are mounted. It is attached to.

Here, the double wishbone type is exemplified as the suspension (suspension) structure, but the suspension (suspension) structure is not limited to the double wishbone type.
The coil spring 23 and the shock absorber 24 are integrally assembled in a coaxial arrangement. The coil spring 23 has an upper end connected to the working end 19a of the transverse beam 19 via a joint 25a, and the shock absorber 24 has a lower end connected to the operating end 19a. The suspension link 21 (lower arm 21b) is connected to the suspension link 21 (lower arm 21b) via a joint 25b so as to be swingable in the vertical direction. For the joints 25a and 25b, for example, an elastic body (for example, rubber bush) is used.

  The lateral beam 19 is provided with a stabilizer device for preventing a vehicle body roll, which is a torsion bar spring (torsion bar). The stabilizer device includes a stabilizer 26 (stabilizer body) fixed to the transverse beam 19, and a stabilizer connecting rod 28 that is swingably connected to the stabilizer 26 and the suspension link 21 via stabilizer joints (joints) 27a and 27b. Have.

  The stabilizer 26 includes a base portion 26a extending along the vehicle width direction, and arm portions 26b (only one is shown) extending in the vehicle front-rear direction from both ends of the base portion 26a and further extending outward along the vehicle width direction. The upper end of the stabilizer connecting rod 28 is connected to the open end of the arm portion 26b (the working end of the stabilizer 26) via a stabilizer joint 27a, and the lower end of the stabilizer connecting rod 28 is connected via the stabilizer joint 27b. It is connected to the lower arm 21b of the suspension link 21 (see FIG. 3).

That is, the stabilizer 26 is fixed to the lateral beam 19 and arranged along the vehicle body width direction, and connects the suspension link 21 that suspends both the left and right wheels.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a connected state of the stabilizer connecting rod and the suspension link. As shown in FIG. 4, the stabilizer 26 has a base portion 26 a extending along the vehicle width direction attached and fixed to the lateral beam 19 by a stabilizer clamp 29. In the stabilizer clamp 29, an elastic body (not shown) may be interposed between the base 26a (stabilizer 26) as in the normal stabilizer mounting state.

  As described above, when the stabilizer 26 is mounted, when the pressing force is applied so that the lateral beam 19 is pushed into the characteristic variable suspension part 14 and the vehicle body 16 is tilted by the reaction force, the characteristic variable suspension part 14 The quadrilateral formed by the suspension link 21 (upper arm 21a, lower arm 21b) and the quadrilateral formed by the lateral beam 19 and the stabilizer connecting rod 28 form a substantially parallelogram in front view of the vehicle. In addition, a configuration is realized in which the coil spring (spring part) 23 and the shock absorber (attenuation part) 24 are not compressed when the vehicle body is lean.

Thereby, it is possible to prevent the ride comfort when the vehicle body is lean from being deteriorated.
Further, the stabilizer 26 is attached and fixed to the transverse beam 19 by a stabilizer clamp 29. As a result, it is possible to prevent the ride comfort from being deteriorated when the vehicle body is lean and to ensure responsiveness during the vehicle body lean operation.
Here, an example of mounting a stabilizer on a normal vehicle will be described.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view functionally showing a lean state of the vehicle body when a stabilizer is mounted on a conventional vehicle. As shown in FIG. 5, normally, when the stabilizer S is mounted on a vehicle, the stabilizer S attaches the base S1 to the vehicle body B, and the arm S2 tip (working end) extending from both ends of the base S1 is connected to the stabilizer connecting rod C. Is attached to the suspension link L.
However, in a vehicle that performs a lean operation (see FIG. 5), when the stabilizer S is attached to the vehicle body B, the stabilizer S is greatly twisted by the lean operation of the vehicle body B, as in a normal vehicle. In the worst case, the stabilizer S may be damaged.

  That is, the length of the stabilizer connecting rod C to which the stabilizer S is connected does not change during the lean operation of the vehicle body B or during the lean operation. Therefore, during the lean operation, the connecting portion of the stabilizer S and the stabilizer connecting rod C is The position a other than the lean operation tries to move to the position b where the length of the stabilizer connecting rod C can be maintained. On the other hand, since the length of the arm portion S2 of the stabilizer S fixed to the vehicle body B is constant, when trying to obtain a large lean angle, the stabilizer S is excessively twisted, and the stabilizer S and the stabilizer connecting rod. The rocking angle of the joint connecting C will exceed the allowable value.

Hereinafter, mounting of the stabilizer 26 in the vehicle body tilting system 10 according to the present invention will be described.
As shown in FIG. 4, first, the stabilizer 26 is attached to the transverse beam 19.
The stabilizer 26 is disposed along the lateral beam 19 in the vehicle width direction, and is fixed to the lateral beam 19 by a stabilizer clamp 29. A stabilizer joint 27a is provided at the working end of the stabilizer 26 (the open end of the arm portion 26b). The upper end of the stabilizer connecting rod 28 is connected via a suspension link 21, and the suspension link 21 (the lower arm 21b is illustrated in the figure) is connected to the lower end of the stabilizer connecting rod 28 via a stabilizer joint 27b.

  For example, an elastic body (for example, rubber bush) or a so-called pillow ball is used for the stabilizer joint 27a and the stabilizer joint 27b, and the arm portion 26b of the stabilizer 26 and the stabilizer connecting rod 28 can swing with respect to the stabilizer joint 27a. The stabilizer connecting rod 28 and the suspension link 21 are swingably connected to the stabilizer joint 27b.

  That is, when the stabilizer 26 is attached to the vehicle body, the relative displacement with respect to the suspension link 21 increases, and the swing angle of the stabilizer joint 27a and the stabilizer joint 27b exceeds the allowable value depending on the set value of the vehicle body lean angle. Therefore, the stabilizer 26 is attached to the transverse beam 19. As a result, the relative displacement between the stabilizer 26 and the suspension link 21 can be reduced, and the swing angle of the stabilizer joint 27a and the stabilizer joint 27b can be prevented from exceeding an allowable value.

Next, the arrangement of the stabilizer joint 27a and the stabilizer joint 27b is devised.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of torsion in the stabilizer joint shown in FIG.
As described above, in the vehicle during the lean operation, the stabilizer joint 27a and the stabilizer joint 27b are largely swung only by the lean operation. That is, it rotates in the vertical direction on the longitudinal section h1 along the vehicle body width direction (see arrow A in FIG. 6).

  By the way, the joint generally has a large allowable swing angle around the axis, but is small in a direction perpendicular to the axis. Therefore, in the vehicle body tilting system 10, the stabilizer joint 27a and the stabilizer joint are set so that the axes O1 and O2 of the stabilizer joint 27a and the stabilizer joint 27b are substantially parallel to the axis of the rotation center O of the lateral beam 19. 27b is arranged (see FIG. 4).

  Thereby, the stabilizer joint 27a and the stabilizer joint 27b are rotated at a large swing angle A by the vehicle body lean operation, that is, in the vertical rotation direction (see FIGS. 4 and 6) on the longitudinal section h1 along the vehicle body width direction. Rotation B with a relatively small swing angle due to swinging of the suspension link 21 (bounce / rebound of the vehicle), that is, both rotations in the vertical rotation direction on the longitudinal section h2 along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body are input simultaneously. Even if it does, it will not cause the durability fall by an excessive twist, and the damage which arises as a result of a durability fall will not come.

Furthermore, a mounting method for preventing unnecessary twisting when mounting the stabilizer 26 will be described.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, showing an arrangement state of the stabilizer connecting rod of the vehicle body tilting system. As shown in FIG.
If the stabilizer 26 acts unnecessarily during leaning of the vehicle body, the ride comfort will be reduced. Therefore, in order to prevent an unnecessary action of the stabilizer 26 when the vehicle body is leaning, in the vehicle body tilting system 10, the stabilizer joints 27 a and 27 b at the upper and lower ends of the stabilizer connecting rod 28, the upper and lower sides of the coil spring 23 and the damping means 24. A quadrilateral connecting the four ends of the end joints 25a and 25b is configured to be a parallelogram.

That is, the shape connecting the joints 27a and 27b located at the connecting end of the stabilizer connecting rod 28, the connecting portion of the suspension link 21 and the damping portion 24, and the connecting portion of the lateral beam 19 and the spring portion 23, as viewed from the vehicle longitudinal direction. Form a parallelogram.
As a result, even when the vehicle body 16 is in a lean state, the quadrilateral connecting the joints 27a, 27b, 25a, and 25b is maintained in a parallelogram, so that unnecessary twisting of the stabilizer 26 does not occur when the vehicle body is lean. , Does not worsen the ride comfort.

  In this way, the vehicle body tilting system 10 is connected to the suspension link (suspension means) 21 that is swingably attached to the vehicle body 16 and suspends the wheels, and the damping unit 24 that is coaxially disposed between the vehicle body 16 and the suspension unit. The spring 23, the vehicle state detection means 11 for detecting the vehicle state at the time of traveling, the control means 12 for calculating a desired vehicle body tilt angle based on the detection value of the vehicle state detection means 11, and the vehicle width direction center part are rotated. The vehicle body tilting means for tilting the lateral beam 19 having both ends pivoting and tilting up and down on both sides in the vehicle body width direction as the shaft center to the spring portion 23 based on the calculation result of the control means 12 and tilting the vehicle body 16 to a desired tilt angle. 13, the suspension characteristic of the suspension link 21 is changed in conjunction with the tilting operation of the vehicle body tilting means 13 when the vehicle body tilting means 13 tilts the vehicle body 16. This change in suspension characteristics increases resistance to suspension operation, that is, increases resistance to swing displacement of the suspension link 21.

  The adjustment of the resistance against the swinging displacement of the suspension link 21 is realized by changing the damping generated by the shock absorber (attenuating unit) 24. Here, a method of changing the attenuation will be described. In the case of a general shock absorber, it is composed of a cylinder, a piston inserted into the cylinder, a rod connected to the piston, and a hydraulic fluid such as oil filled in the cylinder. A damping force is generated by amplifying a fluid resistance (viscosity resistance due to the viscosity of the hydraulic fluid) generated by the flow of the hydraulic fluid generated with relative displacement by an orifice or the like opened in the piston. In such a general shock absorber, a technique for adjusting the damping force by changing the opening area of the orifice is conventionally known. In this embodiment, a conventionally known method for adjusting the damping force may be applied.

  That is, in the vehicle body tilting system 10, the control unit 12 calculates a desired vehicle body tilt angle based on the detection value input from the vehicle state detection unit 11, and outputs the calculation result to the vehicle body tilting unit 13. Based on the calculation result input from the control unit 12, the vehicle body is tilted to a desired tilt angle. When the vehicle body is tilted by the vehicle body tilting part (vehicle body moving means) 13, the characteristic variable suspension part (suspension means) 14 is linked to the tilting operation of the vehicle body tilting part 13 and the suspension means (suspension link 21). Change the characteristics to increase the resistance to suspension action. As a result, it is possible to achieve both riding comfort performance during normal driving and responsiveness during lean vehicle body.

  Further, in the vehicle body tilting system 10, the vehicle body tilting means 13 is disposed coaxially with the suspension link 21, the lateral beam 19, the damping unit 24 that is swingably connected to the suspension link 21, and the damping unit 24. A spring portion 23 that is swingably connected to the lateral beam 19, lateral beam driving means 20 that pivots and tilts the lateral beam 19 and tilts the vehicle body 16, and is fixed to the lateral beam 19 and disposed along the vehicle body width direction. And a stabilizer device 26 that connects the suspension link 21 that suspends both the left and right wheels.

That is, by providing the lateral beam 19 with the stabilizer device 26, it is possible to prevent an excessive twist from being input to the stabilizer device 26 when the vehicle body is lean.
In the vehicle body tilting system 10, the stabilizer device 26 swings to the stabilizer main body (base portion 26 a) fixed to the lateral beam 19, and to the base portion 26 a and the suspension link 21 via joints (stabilizer connecting rod joints 27 a and 27 b), respectively. A stabilizer connecting rod 28 that can be connected is provided, and the swinging shafts of the joints 27 a and 27 b are arranged in parallel with the rotation shaft of the transverse beam 19.

That is, joints 27 a and 27 b are provided at both ends of the stabilizer connecting rod 28 provided between the base portion 26 a and the suspension link 21, and the swing axis center lines of the joints 27 a and 27 b are oriented in parallel to the rotation center line of the lateral beam 19. Therefore, the allowable angle of the joints 27a and 27b is not exceeded when swinging.
Further, in the vehicle body tilting system 10, the joints 27 a and 27 b positioned at the connecting end of the stabilizer connecting rod 28, the connecting portion between the suspension link 21 and the damping portion 24, and the lateral beam 19 and the spring portion 23 as viewed from the vehicle longitudinal direction. The shape connecting the connecting portions forms a parallelogram.

  That is, the quadrangle connecting the joints 27a and 27b at the upper and lower ends of the stabilizer connecting rod 28 and the bushes (joints 25a and 25b) at the upper and lower ends of the damping portion 24 is formed into a parallelogram. Since the parallelogram is maintained, there is no unnecessary twist of the stabilizer 26 when the vehicle body is lean, and the riding comfort is not deteriorated.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Car body tilting system 11 Vehicle state detection part 12 Control part 13 Car body tilting part 14 Characteristic variable suspension part 15 Vehicle 16 Car body 17 Front wheel 18 Rear wheel 19 Lateral beam 19a Beam both ends 19b Lateral beam rotating shaft 20 Lateral beam drive part 21 Suspension link 21a Upper arm 21b Lower arm 22 Axle 23 Coil spring 24 Shock absorber 25a, 25b Joint 26 Stabilizer 26a Base 26b Arm 27a, 27b Stabilizer joint 28 Stabilizer connecting rod 29 Stabilizer clamp B Body C Stabilizer connecting rod S Suspension link S Suspension link S Center of rotation O1, O2 axis

Claims (9)

Suspension means arranged between the vehicle body and the wheels;
Vehicle state detection means for detecting the vehicle state during travel;
Control means for calculating a desired vehicle body tilt angle based on a detection value of the vehicle state detection means;
Vehicle body tilting means for tilting the vehicle body to a desired tilt angle based on the calculation result of the control means,
A vehicle body tilting system, wherein when the vehicle body is tilted by the vehicle body tilting device, a suspension characteristic of the suspension device is changed in conjunction with a tilting operation of the vehicle body tilting device. A suspension link that is swingably attached to the vehicle body and suspends the wheels;
Vehicle state detection means for detecting the vehicle state during travel;
Control means for calculating a desired vehicle body tilt angle based on a detection value of the vehicle state detection means;
A lateral beam that pivots up and down on both sides in the width direction of the vehicle with the central portion in the width direction of the vehicle body as a pivot axis and the suspension link are connected via a damping portion and a spring portion, and the calculation result of the control means is obtained. Vehicle body tilting means for tilting the lateral beam based on the vehicle body and tilting the vehicle body to a desired tilt angle,
A vehicle body tilting system, wherein when the vehicle body is tilted by the vehicle body tilting means, a suspension characteristic of the suspension link is changed in conjunction with a tilting operation of the vehicle body tilting means. The vehicle body tilting means is
The suspension link;
The transverse beam;
The damping part connected to the suspension link in a swingable manner, and the spring part arranged coaxially with the damping part and connected in a swingable manner to the transverse beam;
Lateral beam driving means for rotating and tilting the lateral beam to tilt the vehicle body;
The vehicle body tilting system according to claim 2, further comprising: a stabilizer device connected to the lateral beam and arranged along a vehicle body width direction, and connecting the suspension links of both left and right wheels. The stabilizer device is:
A stabilizer main body coupled to the transverse beam, and a stabilizer connecting rod coupled to the stabilizer main body and the suspension link via a joint so as to be swingable; The vehicle body tilting system according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle body tilting system is arranged in parallel with the rotation axis.   As seen from the vehicle front-rear direction, each joint located at the connection end of the stabilizer connecting rod, the connection portion of the suspension link and the attenuation portion, and the shape connecting the connection portion of the transverse beam and the spring portion are parallel four sides. 5. The vehicle body tilting system according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle body tilting system forms a shape.   The vehicle body tilting system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the change of the suspension characteristic increases resistance to the suspension operation.   The vehicle body tilting system according to claim 6, wherein the suspension characteristic is changed by increasing resistance to the suspension operation as the vehicle body tilting by the vehicle body tilting unit increases.   The vehicle body tilting system according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the suspension characteristic is changed by changing a reaction force generated by the damping section.   The vehicle body tilting system according to claim 8, wherein the damping of the damping unit is increased as the tilting of the vehicle body by the vehicle body tilting unit increases.

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