JP2005254967A - Active lower absorber device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent reduction of running performance on a rough road while running at low speed and deterioration in fuel consumption while running at high speed. <P>SOLUTION: An active lower absorber 28 is stored in a lower part of a front bumper 12A. A bumper control ECU20 controls to operate a driving means 14 only when a car speed V is between a first predetermined speed V1 and a second predetermined speed V2 higher than the first predetermined speed V1, which makes the active lower absorber 28 move from the storing position inside a car body within an approach angle 12B of the car body 12 to a projecting position below the front bumper 12A. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an active lower absorber device, and more particularly to an active lower absorber device that is applied to a vehicle body such as an automobile and projects an active lower absorber in a predetermined direction under a predetermined condition.

Conventionally, in an active lower absorber device applied to a vehicle body such as an automobile, the lower part of a collision object to be protected during a collision moves below the front bumper without reducing the approach angle during normal driving. In order to prevent this, a configuration is known in which an active lower absorber protrudes below the front bumper only when a collision is predicted by the control means (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-165601

  However, in the active lower absorber device as in Patent Document 1, when the active lower absorber protrudes below the front bumper when the vehicle body such as an automobile is traveling on a rough road, the approach angle cannot be secured, and the rough road Running performance is reduced. On the other hand, if the active lower absorber protrudes below the front bumper while the vehicle body is traveling at high speed, the aerodynamic resistance of the vehicle body increases and fuel consumption deteriorates.

  In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to provide an active lower absorber device capable of preventing deterioration in rough road running performance at low speed running and deterioration in fuel consumption at high speed running.

The present invention according to claim 1 is an active lower absorber device that causes an active lower absorber provided at a storage position below a bumper to protrude from the storage position by a driving means,
Control means for causing the driving means to project the active lower absorber from the storage position only when the traveling speed of the vehicle body is between a first predetermined speed and a second predetermined speed higher than the first predetermined speed. It is characterized by having.

  Therefore, when the vehicle body is traveling on a rough road or the like and the traveling speed of the vehicle body is a low speed that has not reached the first predetermined speed, the control means uses an active lower absorber provided at the storage position below the bumper. Do not protrude from the storage position. As a result, the active lower absorber does not protrude from the approach angle, and the approach angle can be secured. For this reason, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the rough road running performance of the vehicle body. Further, even when the vehicle body is traveling at a high speed and the traveling speed of the vehicle body is higher than the second predetermined speed, the control means does not cause the active lower absorber provided at the storage position below the bumper to protrude from the storage position. As a result, the aerodynamic resistance of the vehicle body is not increased by the active lower absorber. For this reason, it is possible to prevent deterioration of fuel consumption when the vehicle body is traveling at high speed.

The present invention according to claim 2 is the active lower absorber device according to claim 1, wherein the active lower absorber detects a collision load when the active lower absorber collides with a collision body;
Drive means for returning the active lower absorber from the protruding position to the retracted position;
Have
The control means returns the active lower absorber from the protruding position to the retracted position by the driving means when the collision load detected by the load detecting means is a predetermined value or more.

  Therefore, in addition to the contents described in claim 1, when the projecting active lower absorber collides with the collision body, the control means causes the active lower to be activated by the driving means when the collision load detected by the load detection means is a predetermined value or more. Return the absorber from the protruding position to the retracted position. As a result, damage to the active lower absorber can be reduced when the active lower absorber collides with a collision body whose collision load that is not to be protected is a predetermined value or more.

  The present invention according to claim 1 is an active lower absorber device in which an active lower absorber provided at a storage position below a bumper is projected from a storage position by a driving means, wherein the traveling speed of the vehicle body is a first predetermined speed. Since there is a control means for causing the active lower absorber to protrude from the storage position by the drive means only when it is between the second predetermined speed higher than the first predetermined speed, the rough road running performance in low speed running is reduced. It has an excellent effect of preventing deterioration of fuel consumption at high speeds.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the active lower absorber apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein a load detecting means for detecting a collision load when the active lower absorber collides with a collision body, and a position where the active lower absorber is retracted from the protruding position. And a control means for returning the active lower absorber from the protruding position to the retracted position by the driving means when the collision load detected by the load detecting means is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. In addition to the effects described above, the present invention has an excellent effect that damage to the active lower absorber can be reduced.

  An embodiment of an active lower absorber device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In the figure, the arrow UP indicates the vehicle body upward direction, and the arrow FR in the figure indicates the vehicle body front direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the active lower absorber device 10 of the present embodiment is disposed on a vehicle body 12 (in the figure, the vehicle is a SUV vehicle having a high vehicle height, but the vehicle body 12 is not limited to an SUV vehicle). The active lower absorber device 10 includes a pair of left and right drive means 14. The left and right drive means 14 are respectively disposed on left and right front side members 16 disposed along the vehicle body front-rear direction inside the left and right front tires 15 in the vehicle width direction.

  The driving means 14 includes a cylinder 18, and the cylinder 18 is fixed to the front side member 16 directly or indirectly and integrally with a bracket or the like. The left and right drive means 14 may be fixed to a vehicle body structure other than the front side member 16.

  The left and right drive means 14 are electrically connected to a collision determination ECU 22 via a bumper control ECU 20 as a control means. The bumper control ECU 20 is also electrically connected to the vehicle speed sensor 23, and controls the left and right drive means 14 based on signals from the collision determination ECU 22 and the vehicle speed sensor 23. For example, a motor, a pump, The pressure (gas pressure, etc.) and the hydraulic pressure (hydraulic pressure, etc.) introduced into the left and right cylinders 18 by driving means such as a compressor are increased or decreased.

  The collision determination ECU 22 is connected to a front monitoring sensor 24 disposed in the front part of the vehicle body. The front monitoring sensor 24 emits a monitoring signal such as infrared rays, radio waves, and ultrasonic waves to the front side of the vehicle body and reflects after the emission. To receive the monitored signal. Further, the collision determination ECU 22 calculates a time until the monitoring signal emitted from the front monitoring sensor 24 is reflected and returns to the front monitoring sensor 24, and further, based on the calculation result, the distance to the reflection position of the monitoring signal. That is, the distance to a collision object such as an obstacle positioned substantially in front of the vehicle body or another vehicle body traveling ahead is calculated.

  On the other hand, the cylinder 18 is provided with a slider 26. The slider 26 is slidable relative to the cylinder 18 toward the vehicle body diagonally forward lower side and the vehicle body diagonally rear upper side that are in the axial direction of the cylinder 18. The slider 26 is configured to slide by increasing or decreasing the atmospheric pressure or hydraulic pressure in the cylinder 18 or by a spring biasing force.

  As shown in FIG. 2, an active lower absorber 28 is installed at the tip of the slider 26 of the left and right driving means 14 (only one driving means 14 is shown in FIG. 2). It extends along the substantial vehicle width direction.

  Accordingly, the active lower absorber 28 is housed below the front bumper 12A as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and as shown in FIG. 4, the inner side (upper side) of the vehicle body 12 from the approach angle 12B. 1, the left and right drive means 14 project downward from the front bumper 12A as shown in FIG. 1, and as shown in FIG. 2, the front bumper 12A is located outside the approach angle 12B (downward side) from the approach angle 12B. It contacts with the lower part K1 of the collision body K which contact | abutted.

  5 is stored in advance in the microcomputer of the bumper control ECU 20, and the movement of the active lower absorber 28 by the left and right driving means 14 is controlled based on this flowchart.

  That is, as shown in step S100 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 5, when the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 23 is a low speed equal to or lower than a first predetermined speed V1 (for example, 20 km / h), the process proceeds to step S102. The left and right driving means 14 are not operated, and the active lower absorber 28 is prevented from protruding.

  Further, as shown in step S104 of the flowchart, when the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than a second predetermined speed V2 (for example, 60 km / h) higher than the first predetermined speed V1, the process proceeds to step S102 and the left and right drive means 14 is not operated, and the active lower absorber 28 is not protruded.

  That is, only when the vehicle speed V is between the first predetermined speed V1 and the second predetermined speed V2, as shown in step S106 of the flowchart, the driving means 14 is operated and the active lower absorber 28 protrudes from the storage position. It is designed to project into position.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a load detection sensor 30 as a load detection means is disposed in the cylinder 18 of one or both of the left and right drive means 14, and when the active lower absorber 28 collides with the collision body K. The collision load is detected.

  The load detection sensor 30 is electrically connected to the bumper control ECU 20, and the bumper control ECU 20 detects that the collision load F detected by the load detection sensor 30 in step S200 is a predetermined value F1 as shown in the flowchart of FIG. In the above case, the process proceeds to step S202, the driving means 14 is operated, and the active lower absorber 28 is returned from the protruding position to the retracted position. If the collision load F detected by the load detection sensor 30 in step S200 is not equal to or greater than the predetermined value F1, the process proceeds to step S204, the driving means 14 is not operated, and the active lower absorber 28 remains in the protruding position. It is like that.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

  In the vehicle body 12 equipped with the active lower absorber device 10 of the present embodiment, monitoring signals such as infrared rays, radio waves, and ultrasonic waves are emitted from the front monitoring sensor 24 to the front side of the vehicle body during traveling. The light is reflected by the collision body substantially on the front side of the vehicle body and returns to the front monitoring sensor 24.

  The collision determination ECU 22 calculates the time from when the monitoring signal is emitted from the front monitoring sensor 24 until returning, and further calculates the distance from the vehicle body 12 to the collision body based on the calculation result.

  Next, based on the calculation result, when the distance from the vehicle body 12 to the collision object becomes less than a predetermined value, the bumper control ECU 20 operates driving means such as a motor, a pump, a compressor, etc. Supply gas and liquid inside. When gas or liquid is supplied to the left and right cylinders 18 and the internal pressure of the left and right cylinders 18 rises, the sliders 26 housed in the left and right cylinders 18 are pushed out, and the active lower absorber 28 is moved to the front bumper. 12A moves from the lower storage position (position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) to the front lower side of the vehicle body (in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2) and protrudes from the approach angle 12B outside the vehicle body (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). Move to (position).

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the protruding active lower absorber 28 comes into contact with the lower part K1 of the collision body K which comes into contact with the front bumper 12A on the outer side of the vehicle body from the approach angle 12B. Therefore, the active lower absorber 28 can prevent the lower part K1 of the collision body K from moving below the front bumper 12A.

  By the way, as described above, the active lower absorber 28 moves from the approach angle 12B to the protruding position outside the vehicle body (the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) when the distance from the vehicle body 12 to the collision body is less than a predetermined value. Be made. However, in this state, the active lower absorber 28 does not necessarily contact the collision body, and it is conceivable that the occupant of the vehicle body 12 avoids the collision body by a steering operation.

  In this way, when the active lower absorber 28 protrudes, but the collision body does not contact the active lower absorber 28, for example, when the vehicle body 12 is traveling on a rough road, the vehicle body is approached from the approach angle 12B of the vehicle body 12. When the active lower absorber 28 protruding to the outer protruding position comes into contact with the road surface, the rough road running performance is deteriorated. When the vehicle body 12 is traveling at high speed, the aerodynamic resistance of the vehicle body 12 is increased by the active lower absorber 28, and the fuel consumption of the vehicle body 12 is deteriorated.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, the protrusion of the active lower absorber 28 is controlled based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 stored in advance in the microcomputer of the bumper control ECU 20.

  That is, as shown in step S100 of the flowchart of FIG. 5, when the vehicle speed V is equal to or lower than the first predetermined speed V1 (for example, 20 km / h), the process moves to step S102 and the left and right driving means 14 are not operated. The active lower absorber 28 is prevented from protruding.

  Further, as shown in step S104 of the flowchart, when the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than the second predetermined speed V2 (for example, 60 km / h) higher than the first predetermined speed V1, the process proceeds to step S102 and the driving means 14 is operated. The active lower absorber 28 is not projected.

  That is, the bumper control ECU 20 moves the active lower absorber 28 to the storage position by the driving means 14 only when the vehicle speed V is between the first predetermined speed V1 and the second predetermined speed V2, as shown in step S106 of the flowchart. Project from the projecting position.

  As a result, in the present embodiment, when the vehicle body 12 is traveling on a rough road or the like and the vehicle travel V is lower than the first predetermined speed V1, the approach angle 12B of the vehicle body 12 can be secured, and the vehicle body 12 It is possible to prevent the road running performance from being deteriorated and to increase the aerodynamic resistance of the vehicle body 12 by the active lower absorber 28 even when the vehicle body 12 is traveling at a high speed and the vehicle speed V is higher than the second predetermined speed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent deterioration of fuel consumption when the vehicle body 12 is traveling at high speed.

  Further, in the present embodiment, when the active lower absorber 28 collides with the collision body K, the collision load F is detected by the load detection sensor 30 disposed in the driving means 14, and the bumper control ECU 20 is shown in FIG. As shown in the flowchart, when the collision load F detected by the load detection sensor 30 in step S200 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value F1, the process proceeds to step S202, and the driving means 14 moves the active lower absorber 28 from the protruding position to the storage position. return. If the collision load F detected by the load detection sensor 30 in step S200 is not equal to or greater than the predetermined value F1, the process proceeds to step S204, the driving means 14 is not operated, and the active lower absorber 28 remains in the protruding position. .

  As a result, it is possible to reduce damage to the active lower absorber 28 when the active lower absorber 28 collides with a collision object, for example, a rock, whose collision load that is not to be protected is a predetermined value or more.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, in the above embodiment, the front monitoring sensor 24 disposed in the front part of the vehicle body is connected to the collision determination ECU 22, but the position of the front monitoring sensor 24 is the inner mirror as shown in FIGS. It may be arranged in other parts such as 50, and a plurality of front monitoring sensors 24 may be arranged.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the load detection sensor 30 as the load detection means is provided in the cylinder 18 of the drive means 14, but the position of the load detection sensor 30 as the load detection means is the cylinder of the drive means 14. It is not limited to 18 and may be other parts such as the slider 26 and the active lower absorber 28.

1 is a schematic perspective view of an active lower absorber showing a vehicle body employing an active lower absorber device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a composite view of a schematic system diagram. It is a side view in which the active lower absorber which shows the active lower absorber apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention exists in a protrusion position. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an active lower absorber showing a vehicle body employing an active lower absorber device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a composite view of a schematic system diagram. It is a side view in which the active lower absorber which shows the active lower absorber apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention exists in a storing position. It is a flowchart which shows the principal part of control of the active lower absorber apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows a part of control of the active lower absorber apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Active lower absorber apparatus 12 Vehicle body 12A Front bumper 12B Approach angle 14 Drive means 16 Front side member 18 Cylinder 20 Bumper control ECU (control means)
22 Collision judgment ECU
23 Vehicle speed sensor 26 Slider 28 Active lower absorber 30 Load detection sensor (load detection means)

Claims (2)

An active lower absorber device for causing an active lower absorber provided at a storage position below the bumper to protrude from the storage position by a driving means,
Control means for causing the driving means to project the active lower absorber from the storage position only when the traveling speed of the vehicle body is between a first predetermined speed and a second predetermined speed higher than the first predetermined speed. An active lower absorber device comprising: Load detecting means for detecting a collision load when the active lower absorber collides with a collision object;
Drive means for returning the active lower absorber from the protruding position to the retracted position;
Have
2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein when the collision load detected by the load detection unit is a predetermined value or more, the drive unit returns the active lower absorber from the protruding position to the storage position. Active lower absorber device as described.

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