JP2008126813A - Vehicle height adjusting device and spare tire lifting structure for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle height adjusting device for surely reducing only vertical loads of desired wheels, and an inexpensive spare tire lifting structure for a vehicle with a simple constitution/structure. <P>SOLUTION: In a vehicle, when certain wheels are designated, a vehicle height adjusting device for independently driving and controlling suspension devices of each wheel drives the suspension devices of two wheels reversely opposed to the certain wheels to extend so that a difference between vertical loads between the two wheels becomes within a predetermined range at a predetermined timing, and drives and compresses the suspension devices of wheels opposed to the certain wheels. The vehicle height adjusting device has lift means for lifting a spare tire mounted in one's own vehicle relative to one's own vehicle body, and the lift means is configured to raise the spare tire upward by supplying compressed fluid discharged by the suspension devices by driving and compression of the suspension devices of the certain wheels. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention generally relates to a vehicle height adjustment device that independently drives and controls a suspension device for each wheel in a vehicle, and a vehicle spare tire lifting structure that lifts and lowers a spare tire mounted on the vehicle in the vehicle relative to the vehicle body. In particular, the present invention relates to a vehicle height adjusting device that reliably reduces only the contact load of a desired wheel, and a vehicle spare tire lifting structure that is simple and inexpensive in configuration and structure.

  Conventionally, in a vehicle, an air suspension capable of independently controlling the height of each of the four wheels is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In Patent Document 1, by utilizing the characteristics of the air suspension and the function of the stabilizer, only one desired tire is lifted off the ground, so that the tire can be replaced and the chain can be attached and detached without jack-up work. An air suspension control device is disclosed that enables it.

  Conventionally, in a vehicle, a spare tire carrier that holds a spare tire in a spare tire storage space provided in a trunk or the like is known (for example, see Patent Document 2).

Patent Document 2 discloses a spare tire configured to be lifted upward from the spare tire storage space together with the spare tire by using a spring spring or a torsion bar in order to facilitate the operation of taking out and storing the spare tire by the user. A carrier is disclosed.
JP 7-32836 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-74589

  However, the conventional device described in Patent Document 1 does not take into account the vehicle weight (mass) balance in an empty state, so that the ground contact load of a punctured tire cannot be sufficiently reduced, and jack-up is unnecessary. (Or the force required for jacking up can be reduced) may not be obtained.

  For example, if the punctured tire is the front wheel (rear wheel) and the vehicle weight balance in the empty state is biased toward the vehicle front (rear) side, the ground contact load of the punctured tire cannot be reduced sufficiently. there is a possibility.

  Further, in the conventional structure described in Patent Document 2, the structure and structure for realizing the lift-up of the spare tire carrier are complicated, resulting in an increase in cost and weight.

  The present invention is intended to solve such problems, and provides a vehicle height adjusting device that reliably reduces only the ground contact load of a desired wheel, and a vehicle spare tire lifting structure that is simple and inexpensive in configuration and structure. Is the main purpose.

  A first aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is a vehicle height adjusting device for independently driving and controlling a suspension device of each wheel in a vehicle, and when a specific wheel is designated, At the timing, the two-wheel suspension system opposite in diagonal to the specific wheel is driven to extend so that the difference in ground load between the two wheels is within a predetermined range, and the diagonal of the specific wheel is This is a vehicle height adjusting device that compresses and drives a wheel suspension device.

  In the first aspect, the specific ring is, for example, a punctured ring.

  In the first aspect, the specific wheel may be specified manually by a user, for example, or may be automatically specified by a device that monitors the tire pressure of each wheel.

  In the first aspect, the predetermined timing is, for example, a point in time when a command is input from the user to significantly reduce only the contact load on the specific wheel. It is desirable that the command from the user can be input when the user is not in the vehicle.

  In the first aspect, when the specific wheel is, for example, a right front wheel, the two diagonal wheels indicate a left front wheel and a right rear wheel, and the diagonal wheel indicates a left rear wheel.

  Furthermore, in the first aspect, from the viewpoint that the ground contact loads of the diagonal two wheels are preferably equal, the predetermined range is preferably a range including zero (zero), where zero is a median value. The range is more preferably, and the range having the median value of zero and the range length (range width) as short (narrow) as possible is even more preferable.

  According to the first aspect, when the ground load of the specific wheel is greatly reduced with the aim of greatly reducing the force required to jack up the specific wheel, the weight balance of the vehicle is reduced. In consideration of the above, the difference in contact load between the two opposite diagonal wheels for the specific wheel is limited to a predetermined range, eliminating the influence of the weight (mass) balance when the vehicle is empty Thus, the contact load of the specific wheel can be reliably reduced.

  A second aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is a vehicle height adjusting device according to the first aspect, wherein the elevating means elevates and lowers a spare tire mounted on the own vehicle relative to the vehicle body. And the lifting means is configured to lift the spare tire upward by being supplied with the compressed fluid discharged by the suspension device by the compression drive of the suspension device of the specific wheel. It is an adjustment device.

  In the second aspect, the compressed fluid is, for example, pressurized air or oil.

  According to the second aspect, the diagonal ring suspension device is configured such that the compressed fluid discharged from the diagonal ring suspension device is supplied directly to the elevating means while the pressurized state is maintained. The spare tire can be lifted up with respect to the vehicle body immediately and efficiently by the above-described compression drive as a trigger.

  A third aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is a vehicle height adjusting device according to the first aspect or the second aspect, further comprising an active stabilizer that makes the roll rigidity of the host vehicle body variable. And a vehicle height adjusting device that controls the active stabilizer in a reverse phase for the diagonal wheel when the suspension device for the diagonal wheel of the specific wheel is compressed and driven.

  According to the said 3rd aspect, the suspension apparatus of the diagonal ring of the said specific ring can be rapidly compressed.

  A fourth aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is a vehicle spare tire lifting structure for lifting a spare tire mounted on a host vehicle relative to the host vehicle body. A spare tire lifting structure for a vehicle configured to receive supply of a compressed fluid used for high adjustment and drive the compressed fluid as a working fluid.

  In the fourth aspect, the compressed fluid is, for example, pressurized air or oil.

  According to the fourth aspect, since the lifting and lowering of the spare tire with respect to the vehicle body is realized by the working fluid common to the vehicle height adjustment control, a simple and inexpensive structure can be achieved.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the vehicle height adjustment apparatus which reduces only the ground contact load of a desired wheel reliably, and the spare tire raising / lowering structure for vehicles with a simple and low structure and structure can be provided.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  In the embodiment described below, as an example, a case in which the vehicle height adjusting device according to the present invention is mounted and adapted to a vehicle that employs a suspension controlled using air pressure (so-called air suspension) will be described. To do.

  Hereinafter, a vehicle height adjusting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a state in which a vehicle height adjusting device 100 according to the present embodiment is mounted on an air suspension type vehicle V.

The vehicle height adjusting device 100 includes an air spring 101 that is an independent suspension device provided for each wheel. More specifically, the air spring _{101 FR} to the right front wheel _{W FR} is, the air spring _{101 RR} on the right rear wheel _{W RR} is, the air spring _{101 FL} is the left front wheel _{W FL} is, the left rear wheels _{W RL} is Air springs 101 _RL are respectively provided.

  The vehicle height adjusting device 100 further includes a communication tube 102 through which pressurized compressed air passes, and communicates with an air spring 101 provided in each wheel. One or more valves (not shown) are provided on the communication tube 102 for the sake of convenience, and are configured so that the air springs 101 of the respective wheels can be controlled independently.

  The vehicle height adjusting device 100 further supplies compressed air to the air springs 101 of the respective wheels through the communication pipes 102 to extend and drive the air springs 101 of the respective wheels, and the air springs of the respective wheels through the communication pipes 102. And an exhaust valve 104 that discharges compressed air from the vehicle 101 to the outside of the vehicle and compresses and drives the air springs 101 of the respective wheels.

  In the present embodiment, the vehicle height adjusting device 100 can independently drive the air springs 101 provided on the respective wheels to extend or compress to an arbitrary length by such a configuration. Such a configuration / control is known to those skilled in the art, and detailed description and illustration thereof are omitted.

  The vehicle height adjusting device 100 further includes a spare tire lifting / lowering drive unit 106 provided in a spare tire storage space 105 formed in the vehicle body. In FIG. 1, the spare tire is not shown for convenience. In FIG. 1, as an example, the spare tire storage space 105 is illustrated as being located at the rear of the vehicle V. However, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the place where the spare tire storage space 105 is formed is as follows. Can be arbitrarily selected.

  The state of the raising / lowering drive of the spare tire raising / lowering drive part 106 is demonstrated using FIG.

Although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 for the sake of convenience, the spare tire lifting / lowering drive unit 106 has a spare tire W on its upper surface so that the spare tire does not move even when the vehicle V runs or the spare tire lifting / lowering driving unit 106 moves up and down. _It is assumed that a structure and / or mechanism for holding _S firmly is provided.

  In the present embodiment, the spare tire lifting / lowering drive unit 106 is lifting / lowering means that drives the compressed air as a working fluid. Further, the communication pipe 102 is connected to the spare tire lifting / lowering drive unit 106, so that compressed air, which is a working fluid used for expanding and compressing the air spring 101, is also used in the spare tire lifting / lowering driving unit 106 in common. Configured. Various mechanisms and structures have been proposed for the mechanism for driving expansion / contraction (lifting / lowering) using compressed fluid supplied from the outside as a working fluid. Omitted. In this embodiment, any mechanism known to those skilled in the art can be employed.

Further, in FIG. 2, FIG. 2 (a), the most compressed spare tire lift drive unit 106, the spare tire W _S is lowered to the most downward "spare tire storage state" shows schematically, schematically cage, FIG. 2 (b), the most stretched spare tire lift drive unit 106, the spare tire W _S indicates "spare tire is taken out state" lifted uppermost with respect to the vehicle body schematically, schematically Yes.

In particular, when the spare tire storage space 105 is provided in the trunk, the spare tire W _{S is used} in the spare tire storage state shown in FIG. Is preferably configured to be completely accommodated in the spare tire storage space 105. In the spare tire storage state, a lid that covers the opening of the spare tire storage space 105 may be provided.

From the point of view of the user convenience, it in the spare tire is taken out state shown in FIG. 2 (b), the spare tire W _S is to be configured so that it can be removed easily from the spare tire lift drive unit 106 by a simple user operation Is preferred. The same applies to the case that houses a spare tire W _S again after use.

Then, the vehicle height adjustment device 100 having such a configuration, any of the tire is punctured, a description is given of the flow of when replacing the tires with the spare tire W _S.

  When the user recognizes that one of the tires is punctured, for example, through visual observation, a tactile sensation through the steering wheel, or an alarm from a tire pressure monitoring sensor, the user punctures, for example, by performing a predetermined user operation. The designation of the tire and entering into the tire exchange mode are input to the vehicle height adjusting device 100.

  As described below, in the tire replacement mode, only the contact load of the punctured tire is significantly reduced, that is, the vehicle body is likely to tilt from a substantially horizontal state. The user operation instructing the adjustment device 100 can be performed in a state where the user gets off, that is, from outside the vehicle, for example, through an operation button installed on the outside of the vehicle or a remote operation using a communication terminal. It is preferable.

  It is preferable that designation of a punctured tire, in other words, a tire that the user intends to replace with a spare tire, can be designated from outside the vehicle as well. However, when a tire pressure monitoring sensor is provided, a tire determined to be punctured by the sensor may be automatically designated.

  In this way, when the designation of the punctured tire and the input of the user command to enter the tire replacement mode are performed, the vehicle height adjusting device 100 has the opposite diagonal to the designated punctured wheel. These two air springs 101 are driven to extend to the maximum extent, and the air springs 101 of the designated punk wheel diagonal wheels are driven to the maximum compression.

Here, 1) when the designated puncture wheel is the right front wheel _WFR , the two diagonal wheels are the left front wheel _WFL and the right rear wheel _WRR , and the diagonal wheel is the left rear wheel _WRL. Point to. Similarly, 2) when the designated puncture wheel is the right rear wheel W _RR , the two diagonal wheels refer to the right front wheel W _FR and the left rear wheel W _RL , and the diagonal wheel refers to the left front wheel W _FL 3) When the designated puncture wheel is the left front wheel _WFL , the two diagonal wheels are the right front wheel _WFR and the left rear wheel _WRL , and the diagonal wheel is the right rear wheel _WRR. the points, 4) if the specified puncture wheel is the left rear wheel W _RL, and motorcycles of the diagonal points to the right rear wheel W _RR and a left front wheel W _FL, a right front wheel and the diagonally wheels W _FR Point to.

  By extending and compressing the air spring 101 of the non-punctured wheel in this way, the ground load of the designated punk wheel is greatly reduced, and a vehicle state is formed in which only the punctured wheel is lifted.

  Further, in the present embodiment, when the two diagonal wheels opposite to the punctured wheels are extended and driven to the maximum extent, the air springs 101 of the diagonal two wheels are not equal in length, and the vehicle V is in an empty state. In consideration of the weight (mass) balance of the two wheels, it is driven to extend to the maximum so that the difference in the ground load between the two diagonal wheels is limited within a predetermined range.

  Here, limiting to within the above-mentioned predetermined range means that the ground contact loads of the two diagonal wheels are preferably equal, but are not intended to be limited to the case where they are completely equal. In other words, the control means that the difference in ground load between the two wheels opposite to the puncture wheel is controlled to be within the range of the value 0 ± allowable error.

  Therefore, the predetermined range is preferably a range including the value 0, more preferably a range having the value 0 as the median, and the value 0 as the median and the range length (range width) as much as possible. A short (narrow) range is even more preferable.

  Further, in the vehicle height adjusting device 100, when such extension / compression drive of the air spring 101 is performed, the compressed air discharged from the air spring 101 of the diagonal ring of the puncture ring is discharged from the exhaust valve 104 to the outside of the vehicle. The spare tire lifting / lowering drive unit 106 is configured to be supplied without being discharged.

That is, when the air spring 101 of the opposite diagonal to the puncture wheel is extended and the air spring 101 of the diagonal wheel of the puncture wheel is compressed, the spare tire lifting / lowering drive unit 106 is compressed as a working fluid. air is supplied through the communication pipe 102, by expanding the spare tire lift drive unit 106 upward, the spare tire W _S is lifted upward relative to the vehicle body B.

Thus, according to the present embodiment, when replacing a punctured tire with a spare tire, the user designates the packed tire and instructs the vehicle height adjusting device 100 to enter the tire replacement mode. Accordingly, it is possible to the vehicle state force required to only vertical load will jack up the puncture wheel is greatly reduced is greatly reduced for the specified puncture wheels, spare tire W _S spare Since it is lifted upward from the tire storage space 105 to be easily taken out, user convenience is improved.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, when only the ground contact load of the puncture wheel is significantly reduced with the aim of greatly reducing the force required to jack up the puncture wheel as described above, Considering the weight balance, the difference in contact load between the two wheels opposite to the puncture wheel is limited within a predetermined range, so that the influence of the weight balance when the vehicle V is empty is eliminated. The ground contact load of the puncture ring can be reliably reduced.

  In the above embodiment, as an example, a vehicle employing a pneumatic suspension system has been described as an example. However, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the present invention is limited to such an embodiment. However, the present invention can also be applied to a vehicle employing a hydraulic suspension system in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment. In this case, as a matter of course, the spare tire lifting / lowering drive unit is also hydraulically driven.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, as an example, the air springs of the opposite diagonal wheels of the designated puncture wheel are extended and driven, and the diagonal springs of the designated punk wheel are compressed and driven. In this case, the compressed working fluid discharged from the air springs of the diagonal wheels is automatically supplied to the spare tire lifting drive unit. It is not limited to the embodiment. For example, when a user operation different from the user operation for significantly reducing only the contact load of a designated puncture wheel is performed separately, the compressed working fluid is supplied from the compressor to the spare tire lifting drive unit, and the spare tire It is also possible to configure so as to be lifted. In this case, the user can lift the spare tire so that it can be easily taken out regardless of whether the tire to be replaced is designated. Such an independent spare tire lifting and lowering drive device using a working fluid common to the suspension system is also within the scope of the present invention.

  Furthermore, when the vehicle equipped with the vehicle height adjusting device according to the present invention includes an active stabilizer that makes the roll rigidity of the vehicle body variable, when the air spring of the diagonal wheel of the designated puncture wheel is compressed and driven, By controlling the active stabilizer in the opposite phase for the diagonal wheel, the speed at which the compressed working fluid is discharged from the air spring of the diagonal wheel can be increased, and the compression drive of the air spring can be completed more quickly. become able to.

  The present invention can be used for a vehicle height adjusting device. The power source type, fuel type, appearance design, weight, size, running performance, etc. of the vehicle to be mounted are all unquestioned.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle height adjusting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the mode of the raising / lowering of the spare tire raising / lowering drive part of the vehicle height adjustment apparatus which concerns on one Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

100 vehicle height adjustment device 101 the air springs 102 communicating tube 103 compressor 104 exhaust valve 105 the spare tire storage space 106 spare tire elevation drive unit V vehicle _{W FR, W RR, W FL} , W RL tire W _S spare tire B vehicle

Claims (6)

In a vehicle, a vehicle height adjusting device for independently driving and controlling the suspension device of each wheel,
When a specific wheel is specified, at a predetermined timing, a two-wheel suspension system opposite to the specific wheel is extended so that the difference in grounding load between these two wheels is within a predetermined range. A vehicle height adjusting device characterized in that it is driven and the suspension device for the diagonal wheel of the specific wheel is compressed. The vehicle height adjusting device according to claim 1,
The vehicle height adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined range is a range including zero. The vehicle height adjusting device according to claim 2,
The vehicle height adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined range is a range in which zero is a median value. The vehicle height adjusting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Elevating means for elevating and lowering a spare tire mounted on the own vehicle relative to the own vehicle body,
The elevating means is configured to lift a spare tire upward by being supplied with a compressed fluid discharged by the suspension device by a compression drive of the suspension device of the specific wheel. High adjustment device. The vehicle height adjusting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
It further has an active stabilizer that makes the roll rigidity of the vehicle body variable,
When the suspension device for the diagonal wheel of the specific wheel is compressed and driven, the active stabilizer is controlled in the opposite phase with respect to the diagonal wheel. In the vehicle, a vehicle spare tire lifting structure for lifting and lowering a spare tire mounted on the host vehicle relative to the host vehicle body,
A spare tire lifting structure for a vehicle, which is configured to receive supply of a compressed fluid used for vehicle height adjustment in the host vehicle and to drive the compressed fluid as a working fluid.

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