JP2009023624A - Suspension system for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a solenoid type suspension system with high practicality. <P>SOLUTION: The suspension system is provided with a function for determining that one of four front and rear and left and right suspension devices is abnormal by obtaining (a) a power generation electrical quantity Q<SB>G</SB>of a solenoid type motor possessed by respective shock absorbers and (b) a deviation ΔL of an action amount of the respective shock absorbers relative to approaching-leaving action amount of respective sprung parts and respective unsprung parts, comparing the obtained four power generation electrical quantities of the absorbers (S31-S34) and comparing the deviation of the obtained four absorbers (S35-S42) when the vehicle travels for a certain period of time. The deviation regarding the power generation electrical quantity of the motor and the action amount of the absorber is an index regarding the operation state of the absorber, and determination of abnormality of the suspension device can be easily performed based on such an index. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle suspension system that includes an electromagnetic shock absorber.

In recent years, as described in the following patent documents, as a vehicle suspension system, a system in which a suspension device provided for each wheel is provided with an electromagnetic shock absorber, a so-called electromagnetic suspension system has been studied. Yes. The electromagnetic shock absorber generates a damping force that depends on the force of the electromagnetic motor, and the electromagnetic suspension system has a high performance because it can easily realize vibration damping characteristics based on the so-called skyhook theory. It is expected as a secure system.
JP 2006-168400 A JP 2006-168399 A JP 2005-254940 A JP 2005-254941 A

  The electromagnetic suspension system is under development, and improving the reliability of the system leads to improving the practicality of the system. Therefore, in the electromagnetic suspension system described in the above patent document, the system abnormality is recognized based on various indices. Establishing a new abnormality recognition method will contribute to further improvement of the reliability of the electromagnetic suspension system and will lead to further improvement of practicality. This invention is made | formed in view of such a situation, and makes it a subject to provide an electromagnetic suspension system with high practicality.

  In order to solve the above problems, a vehicle suspension system according to the present invention is a system in which each of four suspension devices provided on front, rear, left and right wheels is equipped with an electromagnetic shock absorber, and the vehicle travels for a certain period of time. (A) an index about the power generation amount of the electromagnetic motor included in the shock absorber of each suspension device, and (b) the amount of operation of the shock absorber of each suspension device and the spring top where each suspension device is provided. An abnormality of any one of the four suspension devices is identified based on at least one of an indicator for a movement amount difference that is a difference between an approaching / separating movement amount with respect to the unsprung portion.

  The index for the power generation amount and the index for the difference in operating amount are both indicators for the operating state of the electromagnetic shock absorber, and based on these indicators, it is possible to easily recognize the abnormality of the suspension device. It is. Therefore, the vehicle suspension system of the present invention is a highly practical system.

Aspects of the Invention

  In the following, some aspects of the invention that can be claimed in the present application (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “claimable invention”) will be exemplified and described. As with the claims, each aspect is divided into sections, each section is numbered, and is described in a form that cites the numbers of other sections as necessary. This is merely for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the claimable inventions, and is not intended to limit the combinations of the constituent elements constituting those inventions to those described in the following sections. In other words, the claimable invention should be construed in consideration of the description accompanying each section, the description of the embodiments, etc., and as long as the interpretation is followed, another aspect is added to the form of each section. In addition, an aspect in which some constituent elements are deleted from the aspect of each item can be an aspect of the claimable invention.

  The combination of the following items (1) and (21) corresponds to claim 1, and the combination of each of items (8) to (11) with item (21) is claimed. The combination of each of the items (12) to (16) and the item (21) corresponds to claims 6 to 10, respectively.

(1) Provided corresponding to the front, rear, left, and right wheels, each of which includes (A) a suspension spring that elastically connects the spring upper part and the spring lower part, and (B) a spring upper unit connected to the spring upper part. An unsprung unit connected to the unsprung portion and capable of moving relative to the unsprung unit as the unsprung and unsprung portions move toward and away from each other, and the unsprung unit and the unsprung unit. An electromagnetic motor that operates in accordance with relative movement, and generates a force for relative movement between the unsprung unit and the unsprung unit based on the force generated by the electromagnetic motor. Four suspension devices including a shock absorber;
A control device for controlling the force generated by the shock absorber of each of the four suspension devices during the traveling of the vehicle by controlling the operation of the electromagnetic motor based on a predetermined control rule;
A vehicle suspension system comprising: an abnormality recognition device that recognizes an abnormality in any of the four suspension devices based on an operation state index that indicates an operation state of the shock absorber when the vehicle travels for a certain period of time.

  In brief, the suspension system according to this aspect includes an absorber based on an operating state of an electromagnetic shock absorber (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “absorber”) when the vehicle has traveled for a certain period of time. It is designed to certify the abnormality of the suspension system composed of The absorber does not require any special operation for the suspension device abnormality recognition, and the suspension device abnormality can be recognized in a normal traveling state. Reliability can be improved

  As the “suspension spring” in the aspect of this section, various springs such as a coil spring and a leaf spring can be adopted, and a fluid spring such as an air spring can also be adopted. The specific configuration of the electromagnetic “shock absorber” is not particularly limited, and various electromagnetic shock absorbers that have already been studied can be widely used. The force generated by the absorber is a force with respect to the relative motion between the unsprung unit and the unsprung unit. This force includes not only a resistance force with respect to the relative motion but also a propulsive force with respect to the relative motion. The “electromagnetic motor” of the absorber is not particularly limited, and various motors including a DC brushless motor can be employed. Further, the electromagnetic motor may generate electric power by being operated and generate a force depending on the electric power generation. The electromagnetic motor may be a rotary motor or a linear motor. Incidentally, the “spring top” referred to in this section is simply a part of the vehicle body suspended by the suspension device. Specifically, for example, a mount portion to which an absorber, suspension spring, etc. is attached is a spring top. It corresponds to. In addition, “sprung portion” simply means a vehicle component that moves relative to the vehicle body together with the wheels. Specifically, for example, a suspension arm, an axle carrier, and the like correspond to the unsprung portion.

  The “control rule” during traveling of the electromagnetic absorber in the vehicle includes, for example, a rule relating to control for the purpose of vibration damping, which is the main function of the absorber. Specifically, for example, there are rules for executing control based on the sprung absolute speed, that is, control based on the so-called skyhook damper theory. In addition to vibration damping control, roll restraint control for restraining the roll of the vehicle body caused by turning of the vehicle, pitch restraint control for restraining the pitch of the vehicle body caused by acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle, and an upper part and an unsprung part. May be a rule for adjusting the distance to the distance (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “the distance between the sprung and unsprung”), that is, so-called vehicle height adjustment control or the like in parallel.

  As the “operating state index” which is the basis for the abnormality determination of the suspension device, various types can be adopted including a power generation amount index and an operation amount difference index which will be described in detail later. Specifically, the relative speed and relative amount of movement between the unsprung and unsprung units of the absorber, the amount of electricity supplied from the power source to the electromagnetic motor, the amount of power, and the current flowing through the armature of the electromagnetic motor Various things such as the flow rate, the force generated by the absorber or electromagnetic motor, the torque, and the amount of work performed by the absorber can be adopted. Further, the abnormality recognition based on the operating state index may be an approval based on the average value, intermediate value, maximum value, minimum value, etc. of the operating state index when the vehicle has traveled for a certain time, and the operation at that time The authorization may be based on the total value, total value, integral value, etc. of the state index. In addition, “a certain time” of “when a vehicle travels for a certain time” referred to in this section is, for example, a set time, a time when a vehicle travels a set distance, and until the vehicle starts traveling and ends traveling It means a specific or unspecified time such as

  The “abnormality recognition device” in this section can be configured mainly by a computer, for example. The abnormality recognition device may perform abnormality recognition for each of the four suspension devices independently of the other suspension devices, and any of the four suspension devices may be determined by comparing the four suspension devices. It is also possible to perform an abnormal certification. Specifically, for example, by comparing an operating state index for an absorber included in each suspension device with a reference value that is not related to an operating state index for an absorber included in another suspension device, The abnormality may be recognized, and the operation state indicators of the absorbers of the four suspension devices are compared with each other, or the operation state indicators of the absorbers of the suspension devices are compared with each other suspension device. By comparing with a reference value that depends on the operating condition index of the absorber that has the absorber, one of the four suspension devices may be certified.

  (2) The electromagnetic motor is a rotary motor, and the shock absorber converts a relative operation between the sprung unit and the unsprung unit and a rotating operation of the electromagnetic motor to each other. The vehicle suspension system according to item (1).

  The mode described in this section is a mode in which a limitation relating to the structure of the electromagnetic shock absorber is added. The specific structure of the motion conversion mechanism is not particularly limited, and a wide variety of motion conversion mechanisms that can be employed by the electromagnetic absorbers currently under study can be used.

  (3) The vehicle suspension system according to the item (2), wherein the motion conversion mechanism is configured mainly with a screw mechanism.

  According to the aspect of this section, an absorber having a simple structure can be realized. The screw mechanism desirably has a small friction, and in that sense, it is desirable to employ a ball screw mechanism.

(4) Each of the four suspension devices is
The one portion provided between the one portion which is one of the sprung portion and the unsprung portion, and the one portion side unit which is one of the sprung portion side unit and the unsprung portion unit connected to the one portion. Any of (1) to (3), comprising a connection spring that elastically connects the part and the one-side unit, and has a connection mechanism that connects the one part and the one-side unit. The vehicle suspension system according to claim 1.

  Simply speaking, the aspect of this section is an aspect in which one of the upper and lower parts of the spring and the absorber are connected via a spring. According to the aspect of this section, for example, even when a high-frequency vibration that cannot be controlled by the absorber is input to the lower part of the spring due to an appropriate spring constant of the coupling spring or the like, Transmission of vibration to the sprung portion can be effectively suppressed. It is also possible to protect the absorber from an impact applied to the unsprung portion.

  (5) The vehicle according to (4), wherein the coupling mechanism includes a damper that is arranged in parallel with the coupling spring and generates a damping force for a relative operation between the one part and the one unit. Suspension system.

  In the aspect of this section, the damper can effectively damp the relative vibration of one of the upper and lower springs connected by the connecting mechanism and the absorber. Therefore, according to the aspect of this section, for example, by appropriately adjusting the damping coefficient of the damper, the suspension in which the transmission of the vibration at the unsprung resonance frequency and the frequency in the vicinity thereof from the unsprung portion to the unsprung portion is effectively suppressed. It is also possible to construct a device.

  (6) The vehicle coupling device according to (4) or (5), wherein the coupling mechanism is provided between the unsprung part as the one part and the unsprung part unit as the one part side unit. Suspension system.

  In this aspect, a coupling mechanism is disposed between the unsprung part and the unsprung unit, and according to the present aspect, the vibration input from the unsprung part to the absorber is effectively absorbed. Therefore, a suspension device that is advantageous in terms of protecting the absorber is realized.

  (7) The shock absorber is configured such that the electromagnetic motor generates power by relative operation of the unsprung unit and the unsprung unit, and the force depending on the power generation is applied to the unsprung unit and the unsprung unit. The vehicle suspension system according to any one of items (1) to (6), wherein the suspension system is configured to generate a resistance force against relative motion with the vehicle.

  The mode of this section is a mode in which the electromagnetic motor of the absorber is used as a so-called generator. If the electric power generated by the electromagnetic motor is regenerated to the power source, the system is excellent in terms of power saving.

  The electromagnetic absorber can also generate a propulsive force with respect to the relative movement between the unsprung unit and the unsprung unit. By utilizing this propulsive force, vibration damping control of the sprung portion based on the so-called skyhook damper theory becomes possible. Incidentally, in the state where the propulsive force is generated, the electromagnetic motor operates exclusively in a state where power is supplied from the power source. Furthermore, even if the absorber is in a state in which a resistance force is generated against the relative operation of the unsprung side unit and the unsprung side unit, the resistance force is a resistance force that exceeds the short-circuit characteristics described in detail later. In some cases, the electromagnetic motor operates in a state where power is supplied from the power source. The aspect of this section does not exclude that the electromagnetic motor operates in a state where the supply of power from the power source mentioned here is received.

  (8) The operation state index includes a power generation amount index for indicating the power generation amount of the electromagnetic motor, and the abnormality recognition device determines an abnormality in any of the four suspension devices based on the power generation amount index. The vehicle suspension system according to any one of items (1) to (7), further including a power generation amount certification unit to be certified.

  As explained above, the electromagnetic absorber generates power from the electromagnetic motor according to the relative motion between the sprung unit and the sprung unit, and generates a force that depends on the power generation as a resistance force to the relative motion. It is possible to make it. In this case, the power generation amount depends on the relative operation of the unsprung unit and the unsprung unit. Specifically, an electromotive force is generated according to the speed of the relative operation, and power generation based on the electromotive force is performed. On the other hand, in the electromagnetic absorber, in addition to the power generation of the electromagnetic motor, there is a factor that generates a resistance force relative to the relative operation between the unsprung unit and the unsprung unit. Specifically, friction and the like existing in various parts of the absorber are typical factors. If the factor, that is, the resistance force due to a resistance factor other than power generation increases, the power generation efficiency of the electromagnetic motor with respect to the relative operation decreases.

  The aspect of this section is an aspect in which the abnormality recognition device recognizes abnormality of the suspension device based on the power generation amount of the electromagnetic motor of the absorber. From this point of view, it is possible to recognize an abnormality in the suspension device in which a phenomenon such as a decrease in power generation efficiency occurs. Note that the electromagnetic motor may not function as a generator even in the event of a disconnection in the electromagnetic motor or between the power supply and the power supply, an abnormality in the drive circuit of the electromagnetic motor, etc. For example, it is possible to recognize an abnormality of the suspension device in which the electromagnetic motor cannot function as a generator.

  The “power generation amount” in the aspect of this section means, for example, the amount of generated power, the amount of generated power, and the like. The “generated power amount index” may be a generated power amount or a generated power amount itself, or may be a generated current, an electromotive force generated in an electromagnetic motor during power generation, or the like. The generated electricity, generated power, generated current, electromotive force, etc. may be average values, maximum values, etc. when the vehicle has traveled for a certain period of time. There may be.

(9) The electromagnetic motor is a rotary motor, and the shock absorber converts a relative operation between the unsprung unit and the unsprung unit and a rotational operation of the electromagnetic motor to each other. Have
The vehicle suspension system according to the item (8), wherein the power generation amount dependence recognition unit can recognize an abnormality in the smoothness of operation of the motion conversion mechanism.

  The aspect of this term is the aspect which limited the object of abnormality recognition based on the electric power generation amount parameter | index. That the operation | movement of the said operation | movement conversion mechanism is not smooth becomes a resistance factor with respect to the relative movement of the unsprung side unit and the unsprung side unit. Therefore, as described above, when an abnormality has occurred where the operation of the motion conversion mechanism is not smooth, the power generation efficiency is reduced and the power generation amount is not reduced. That is, according to the power generation amount index, it is possible to easily recognize an abnormality regarding the smoothness of operation of the motion conversion mechanism. In addition, as an abnormality that the operation of the motion conversion mechanism is not smooth, for example, when the motion conversion mechanism is a screw mechanism, a male screw or a female screw is damaged, a male screw member is bent or bent, and the screw mechanism is a ball screw mechanism. The bearing ball can be damaged.

(10) The power generation amount-recognized certification section
When the power generation amount index of any of the four suspension devices is a value indicating that the power generation amount of the electromagnetic motor is smaller than a reference amount, it is recognized that one of them is abnormal. The vehicle suspension system according to (8) or (9).

  The aspect of this section is an aspect in which a limitation relating to a specific method of abnormality determination of the suspension device is added. As described above, when there is a resistance factor with respect to the relative movement between the sprung side unit and the unsprung side unit, the power generation efficiency decreases and the power generation amount decreases. Further, in the case of disconnection of the electromagnetic motor, the electromagnetic motor does not generate electricity. Therefore, as in the aspect of this section, the abnormality of the suspension device can be easily recognized by comparing the power generation amount index with the reference value.

  The “reference amount” referred to in this section may be individually determined for the suspension device to be certified, or based on the average value of the power generation index of other suspension devices. It may be determined depending on the power generation amount index of another suspension device. The latter aspect in which the reference amount is adopted is one aspect in which which suspension device is abnormal by comparing the power generation amount indexes of four suspension devices described later.

  (11) The power generation amount dependency recognition unit compares the power generation amount index of the four suspension devices and determines which of the four suspension devices is abnormal (8) Item 10. The vehicle suspension system according to any one of items 1 to (10).

  When the vehicle has traveled for a certain period of time, the four suspension devices are generally under equivalent conditions in terms of the operating environment of the absorber. Therefore, according to the aspect of this section, for example, when the power generation amount index of one suspension device is far from the power generation amount indexes of the other three suspension devices, that one suspension device is abnormal. Can be certified.

  (12) The operation state index indicates an operation amount difference which is a difference between a relative operation amount between the unsprung unit and the unsprung unit and an approach / separation operation amount between the unsprung portion and the unsprung portion. Item (1) to (11) including an operation amount difference index, and the abnormality recognition device includes an operation amount difference dependency recognition unit that recognizes an abnormality in any of the four suspension devices based on the operation amount difference index. The suspension system for a vehicle according to any one of items 1).

  In the absorber, the unsprung unit is connected to the unsprung portion, and the unsprung unit is connected to the unsprung portion. Accordingly, the approach / separation operation amount between the sprung portion and the unsprung portion (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “approach / separation operation amount”), that is, the amount of change in the distance between the sprung sprung, In principle, the relative operation amount with the lower unit (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “absorber operation amount”) should match. On the other hand, an elastic coupling structure in which a buffer rubber or the like is interposed in at least one of the coupling portion between the sprung portion and the sprung-side unit and the coupling portion between the unsprung portion and the unsprung-side unit is adopted. There are many. When the connection portion of the suspension device has such an elastic connection structure, the approach / separation operation amount and the absorber operation amount do not necessarily match at the time point. This is more remarkable when the connection is performed through the connection mechanism described above. From the above, the difference between the approach / separation operation amount and the absorber operation amount, that is, if the above-mentioned operation amount difference is appropriate, the connecting portion between the sprung portion and the sprung unit and the unsprung portion and the unsprung unit It is possible to certify that there is an abnormality in any of the connecting parts if the connecting parts are healthy and are not appropriate.

  In short, the aspect of this section is for certifying the abnormality of the suspension device based on the above-mentioned difference in the operation amount. According to the aspect of this section, the upper part of the spring and the upper part of the unsprung part are It is possible to easily recognize an abnormality in the connection structure of the above or the connection structure of the unsprung part and the unsprung side unit.

  The “movement amount difference” in the aspect of this section can be considered as a difference between the theoretical absorber length corresponding to the sprung unsprung distance at the time point and the actual absorber length at the time point. To put it simply, it is the amount of deviation from the theoretical length of the absorber length at the time. The “motion amount difference index” for indexing such a motion amount difference may be the motion amount difference itself, and when one of the approach / separation motion amount and the absorber motion amount is known or can be estimated, Only the other of them may be used. In the case where the absorber length, that is, the amount of operation of the absorber corresponds to the amount of operation of the motor, the amount of operation of the motor or the difference in the amount of operation based on it can also be an operation amount index. The motion amount difference index may be an indicator of an average motion amount difference when a vehicle travels for a certain period of time, a total motion amount difference, or the like. It is also possible to indicate an operation amount difference at a certain point in time.

(13) Each of the four suspension devices is
The one portion provided between the one portion which is one of the sprung portion and the unsprung portion, and the one portion side unit which is one of the sprung portion side unit and the unsprung portion unit connected to the one portion. A connection spring that elastically connects the part and the one-side unit, and has a connection mechanism that connects the one part and the one-side unit,
The suspension system for a vehicle according to item (12), wherein the operation amount dependence certification unit authorizes abnormality of the coupling mechanism.

  The aspect of this section is an aspect which limited the object of abnormality recognition based on an operation amount difference index. When an abnormality occurs in the connecting mechanism as described above, the operation amount difference is not appropriate. Specifically, when the connecting spring is broken or the like, the operation amount difference becomes large. On the other hand, when the connecting spring is not elastically deformed, the operation amount difference is extremely small. In addition, when the coupling mechanism is provided with the above-described damper, if the damper is a fluid damper and the fluid leaks out, the damper does not exist. Equally, the movement amount difference becomes large. On the other hand, when the piston is fixed to the housing or the like, the operation amount difference becomes extremely small. According to the aspect of this section, the abnormality of the coupling mechanism of the suspension device including the coupling mechanism can be easily recognized.

(14) The movement amount difference authorization unit
When the movement amount difference index of any one of the four suspension devices is a value indicating that the movement amount difference is larger than a reference value, one of them is recognized as abnormal. The vehicle suspension system according to any one of (12) and (13).

(15) The motion amount difference reliance certification unit
When the movement amount difference index of any of the four suspension devices is a value indicating that the movement amount difference is smaller than a reference value, one of them is recognized as abnormal. The vehicle suspension system according to any one of (12) to (14).

  The above-mentioned two aspects are aspects in which a limitation relating to a specific method of abnormality determination of the suspension device is added. According to the former aspect, for example, an abnormality in which the connection is not firmly established in any one of the connection portion between the sprung portion and the unsprung side unit and the connection portion between the unsprung portion and the unsprung side unit. It is possible to recognize an abnormality or the like in which the elastic deformation becomes too large in the case where any one of the structures allows elastic deformation. In addition, according to the latter aspect, for example, abnormalities such as the connection between the sprung portion and the sprung-side unit and the connection portion between the unsprung portion and the unsprung-side unit being too tight, In the case where any of the connecting portions has a structure that allows elastic deformation, it is possible to recognize an abnormality or the like in which elastic deformation is prohibited.

  The “reference value” referred to in the above two aspects may be individually determined for the suspension device to be certified, and the average value of the operation amount difference index of other suspension devices. It may be determined depending on an operation amount difference index of another suspension device. A mode in which a reference value that depends on an operation amount difference index of another suspension device is adopted is one of modes in which an operation amount difference index of four suspension devices described later is compared to identify which suspension device is abnormal. It becomes an aspect. Incidentally, in the suspension system corresponding to both of the above two aspects, it is desirable that the reference amount in the former aspect is larger than the reference value in the latter aspect in view of the purpose of certification.

  (16) The operation amount difference reliance recognition unit compares the operation amount difference indexes of the four suspension devices to determine which of the four suspension devices is abnormal. Item 15. The vehicle suspension system according to any one of Items (15) to (15).

  When the vehicle has traveled for a certain period of time, the four suspension devices are generally under equivalent conditions in terms of the operating environment of the absorber. Therefore, according to the aspect of this section, for example, when the operation amount difference index of one suspension device is far from the operation amount difference indexes of the other three suspension devices, the one suspension device is abnormal. It can be recognized that there is.

  (17) The abnormality determining device compares the operation state indicators of the four suspension devices and determines which of the four suspension devices is abnormal. The suspension system for a vehicle according to any one of (16).

  As described above, when the vehicle has traveled for a certain period of time, for example, the state of vibration input from the road surface can be regarded as equivalent to the four suspension devices, and the absorber of each of the four suspension devices has The operating environment is generally equivalent. Therefore, when the operating condition index of the absorber possessed by one suspension device is far from the operating condition index of the absorber possessed by each of the other three suspension apparatuses, an abnormality has occurred in that one suspension apparatus. It is possible to consider that The aspect of this section is based on such a viewpoint, and according to the aspect of this section, any suspension apparatus can be simply and simply compared by comparing the operating condition indicators of the absorbers of the four suspension apparatuses. It becomes possible to recognize whether it is abnormal.

(18) The abnormality recognition device is
When the value of the operating condition index for one of the four suspension devices is different from the value of the operating condition index for the other three, exceeding a reference limit; The vehicle suspension system according to item (17), wherein one of the four suspension devices is recognized as abnormal.

  The mode in this section is a mode in which a specific method in abnormality recognition performed by comparing the operation state indexes of the four suspension devices is limited. The “reference limit” in the aspect of this section indicates that the operation status index of one suspension device is the operation of the other three suspension devices to the extent that one suspension device can be recognized as abnormal according to the structure of the suspension device. It is desirable to set a value that can be determined to be far from the state index. In addition, the aspect which compares and certifies the electric power generation amount parameter | index of four suspension apparatuses demonstrated previously, and the aspect which compares and certifies the operation amount difference parameter | index can be considered as the low-order concept of the aspect of this term.

  (19) The abnormality recognition device includes a record storage unit that records and stores at least one of the operating state index of the shock absorber included in each of the four suspension devices and the result of the authentication by the abnormality recognition device ( The vehicle suspension system according to any one of items 1) to (18).

  (20) When the abnormality recognition device recognizes that any of the four suspension devices is abnormal, a control restriction that restricts control by the control device of the force generated by the shock absorber included in any of the four suspension devices The vehicle suspension system according to any one of (1) to (19), which includes a portion.

  The above-mentioned two aspects are aspects in which limitations relating to the use of the result of the suspension device abnormality recognition are added. If the certification result or operating condition index is recorded and stored in a specific memory, the inspector, etc., identifies the cause of the abnormality from the state of abnormality of the suspension system during vehicle inspection and maintenance. In addition, it is possible to appropriately repair the suspension device having the abnormality. Further, if the control of the suspension device in which an abnormality has occurred is restricted, it is possible to avoid further system abnormalities that may cause the abnormality. Although the specific method of control restriction is not particularly limited, for example, the suspension of the suspension device having the abnormality may be prevented from functioning at all without being controlled at all, or there may be an abnormality. You may make it restrict | limit the force which the absorber generate | occur | produces only when the absorber of a suspension apparatus has to generate the force more than a certain amount. When restricting the force of the absorber, the control of only the absorber of the suspension device in which an abnormality has occurred may be restricted, and the control of the absorber of one or more other suspension devices in which no abnormality has occurred is also restricted at the same time. May be.

(21) The abnormality recognition device is
In the case where the operating state index includes a power generation amount index that indicates the power generation amount of the electromagnetic motor, a power generation amount certifying unit that recognizes an abnormality in any of the four suspension devices based on the power generation amount index. When,
An operation amount difference index for indicating an operation amount difference in which the operation state index is a difference between a relative operation amount between the spring upper unit and the unsprung unit and an approach / separation operation amount between the sprung portion and the unsprung portion. Including at least one of a motion amount difference reliance recognition unit that recognizes an abnormality in any of the four suspension devices based on the motion amount difference index of any of (1) to (20) The vehicle suspension system according to claim 1.

  Simply speaking, the aspect of this section is an aspect that enables at least one of the abnormality recognition based on the power generation amount index described above and the abnormality recognition based on the operation amount difference index. The technical features described in the various aspects related to the respective aspects can be added to the aspects of this section.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the claimable invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition to the following examples, the claimable invention is implemented in various modes including various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, including the mode described in the above [Mode of Invention]. can do.

<Configuration of suspension system>
FIG. 1 schematically shows the overall configuration of a vehicle suspension system 10 that is an embodiment of the claimable invention. The suspension system 10 includes four independent suspension type suspension devices corresponding to the front, rear, left and right wheels 12, each of which is a spring in which a suspension spring and a shock absorber are integrated.・ Has an absorber assembly 20. The wheel 12 and the spring absorber assembly 20 are generic names, and when it is necessary to clarify which of the four wheels corresponds, as shown in FIG. In some cases, FL, FR, RL, and RR are attached to the front wheel, the right front wheel, the left rear wheel, and the right rear wheel.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the spring absorber assembly 20 is connected to an axle carrier that holds the wheel 12 and constitutes a suspension lower arm 22 that constitutes a part of the unsprung part, and a mount part that is provided on the vehicle body and constitutes a part of the unsprung part. 24 is arranged so as to connect them. The spring absorber assembly 20 can be roughly divided into an actuator 30 as an electromagnetic shock absorber, a connection mechanism 32 for connecting the actuator 30 and the lower arm 22, and an air spring 34 as a suspension spring. These are included as constituent elements, and they are integrated.

  The actuator 30 includes a ball screw mechanism including a screw rod 42 as a male screw portion in which a thread groove is formed, and a nut 44 as a female screw portion that holds the bearing ball and is screwed with the screw rod 42; An electromagnetic motor 46 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “motor 46”) as a power source and a casing 48 that houses the motor 46 are provided. The casing 48 rotatably holds the screw rod 42 and is connected to the mount portion 24 at the outer peripheral portion. The motor 46 has a hollow motor shaft 50, and the screw rod 42 is fixed to the motor shaft 50 through the inside thereof at the upper end. That is, the motor 46 applies a rotational force to the screw rod 42.

  The actuator 30 has an outer tube 60 whose upper end is fixed to the casing 48 with the threaded rod 42 inserted therethrough, and is fitted into the outer tube 60 and protrudes downward from the lower end of the outer tube 60. A stepped inner tube 62 is included. The upper end portion of the inner tube 62 has a large diameter, and the nut 44 is fixed inside the upper end portion in a state of being screwed with the screw rod 42. The outer tube 60 is provided with a pair of guide grooves 64 on its inner wall surface so as to extend in the direction in which the axis of the actuator 30 extends (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “axial direction”). In each of the guide grooves 64, a corresponding one of a pair of keys 66 attached to the upper end portion of the inner tube 62 is fitted, and the outer tube 60 is supported by the guide grooves 64 and the keys 66. And the inner tube 62 are capable of relative movement in the axial direction in a state where relative rotation is impossible. And the inner tube 62 is supported by the connection mechanism 32 in the lower end part.

  The coupling mechanism 32 has a hydraulic damper 68. Although the detailed description of the damper 68 is omitted, the damper 68 has a structure similar to a twin tube type hydraulic shock absorber. The damper 68 includes a piston rod 74 connected to a piston disposed in the housing 70, and a housing 70 containing hydraulic fluid is connected to the lower arm 22 via a bush 72 provided at a lower end thereof. However, it extends from above the housing 70 and is connected to the lower end portion of the inner tube 62 at the upper end portion thereof. With such a structure, the inner tube 62 is connected to the lower arm 22 via the damper 68. Incidentally, the damper 68 generates a damping force with respect to the relative movement between the lower arm 22 and the inner tube 62.

  An annular lower retainer 90 is fixed to the outer periphery of the housing 70 of the damper 68. A carver tube 92 that houses the inner tube 62, the lower portion of the outer tube 60, and the upper portion of the damper 68 is fixed to the lower retainer 90 at the lower end portion thereof. A floating member 94 is fixed to the connecting portion between the inner tube 62 and the piston rod 74. The floating member 94 includes a compression coil spring 96 disposed between the floating member 94 and the lower retainer 90, and a floating member. 94 and a compression coil spring 100 which is formed inside the cover tube 92 and is disposed between a projecting portion 98 which functions as an upper retainer. That is, the inner tube 62 and the piston rod 74 are connected via the floating member 94. The two springs 96 and 100 are juxtaposed with the damper 68 and are components of the coupling mechanism 32. The springs 96 and 100 function as a connection spring that elastically connects the inner tube 62 and the lower arm 22 together.

  The air spring 34 includes a chamber shell 120 fixed to the mount portion 24, a cover tube 92 that functions as an air piston cylinder, and a diaphragm 124 that connects them. The lid 126 of the chamber shell 120 is connected to the casing 48 of the actuator 30 via a spring support 128 having vibration-proof rubber. The lid 126 is connected to the mount 24 via an upper support 130 having vibration-proof rubber. One end of the diaphragm 124 is fixed to the lower end of the chamber shell 120 and the other end is fixed to the upper end of the cover tube 92. The pressure chamber 132 is formed by the chamber shell 120, the cover tube 92, and the diaphragm 124. A compartment is formed. The pressure chamber 132 is filled with compressed air as a fluid. From such a structure, the lower arm 22 and the mount portion 24, that is, the spring lower portion and the spring upper portion are elastically connected by the pressure of the compressed air of the air spring 34. Incidentally, the spring constant when the compression coil springs 96 and 100 described above are assumed to be one spring is set larger than the spring constant of the air spring 34.

  Due to the above-described structure, the actuator 30 includes a sprung unit on the side including the screw rod 42, the motor 46, the casing 48, the outer tube 60, etc., and the nut 44, the inner tube 62, and the like. And a lower part unit connected to the lower arm 22. The coupling mechanism 32 includes an unsprung side unit as one side unit that is one of the unsprung side unit and the unsprung side unit, and an unsprung portion and a unsprung portion that are coupled to the unsprung side unit. It is arrange | positioned in the connection part with the unsprung part as one part which is one of these, and shall connect them.

  The actuator 30 allows the screw rod 42 and the nut 44 to move relative to each other in the axial direction when the sprung portion and the unsprung portion approach or separate from each other, that is, the sprung unit and the unsprung unit can move relative to each other. The screw rod 42 rotates with respect to the nut 44 with the relative movement. As a result, the motor shaft 50 also rotates. That is, the ball screw mechanism configured to include the screw rod 44 and the nut 44 is an operation conversion mechanism that mutually converts the relative operation of the unsprung unit and the unsprung unit and the rotational operation of the motor 46. Function. On the other hand, the motor 46 is capable of applying a rotational torque to the screw rod 42, and a resistance force in a direction that prevents the relative movement between the unsprung unit and the unsprung unit by the rotational torque. Can be generated. By making this resistance force act as a damping force with respect to the relative movement between the unsprung unit and the unsprung unit, and thus with respect to the approach / separation between the unsprung portion and the unsprung portion, the actuator 30 serves as a so-called shock absorber. It is supposed to function. The actuator 30 is also capable of generating a driving force for relative movement between the unsprung side unit and the unsprung side unit. Control based on the so-called skyhook damper theory, pseudo groundhook theory, or the like. It is possible to execute. Further, the rotational torque of the motor 46 can maintain the separation distance between the sprung portion and the unsprung portion, that is, the distance between the sprung spring and the unsprung portion, at an arbitrary distance. It is possible to effectively suppress the pitch of the vehicle body at the time of deceleration, adjust the vehicle height, so-called vehicle height, and the like.

  Focusing on the vibration damping function of the actuator 30, the actuator 30 smoothly follows the vibration with a relatively low frequency of 5 Hz or less, and effective vibration with respect to such a low frequency vibration. Attenuation is possible. However, effective vibration damping is difficult for vibrations having a high frequency exceeding 10 Hz because of its followability. In this spring absorber 20, the actuator 30 and the lower arm 22 are connected by the connecting mechanism 32 described above, and even if high-frequency vibration exceeding 10 Hz is generated by the connecting mechanism 32, the spring starts from the lower part of the vibration. Transmission of high-frequency vibrations to the upper part is effectively suppressed.

  The coupling mechanism 32 has a structure in which the springs 96 and 100 and the damper 68 are arranged side by side. When the actuator 30 exerts a force between the spring upper part and the spring lower part, the coupling mechanism 32 is interposed. Power will act. Therefore, the elastic deformation amount of the springs 96 and 100 of the coupling mechanism 32 is changed by the force. The length of the actuator 30 that expands and contracts, that is, the actuator length should theoretically be a length corresponding to the distance between the sprung and unsprung portions. This length, that is, the theoretical actuator length can be defined, for example, in a state where the vehicle is stationary on a flat road surface and no actuator force is generated. The lengths of the springs 96 and 100, the spring constant, etc. It depends on However, when the actuator 30 exerts a force between the sprung portion and the unsprung portion, the amount of elastic deformation of the springs 96 and 100 changes due to the action of the actuator force. The length does not correspond completely to the distance. That is, when the actuator 30 generates a force against vibration input from the unsprung part, the roll of the vehicle body, the pitch, etc., the theoretical actuator length obtained from the unsprung unsprung distance and the actual actuator length at the time are Will not necessarily match. In other words, between the amount of movement of the approaching / separating operation between the sprung portion and the unsprung portion, that is, the amount of approaching / separating operation, and the amount of relative movement between the sprung unit and the unsprung unit of the actuator 30, There is some difference, that is, a difference in motion amount. In other words, an operation amount difference is generated between the approach / separation operation amount of the spring upper portion and the unsprung portion and the expansion / contraction operation amount of the actuator 30.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the suspension system 10 is a fluid inflow / outflow device for inflowing / outflowing air (air) as a fluid with respect to an air spring 34 included in each spring / absorber assembly 20. An air supply / discharge device 140 is connected to the pressure chamber 132 of the spring 34, supplies air to the pressure chamber 132, and discharges air from the pressure chamber 132. Although detailed description is omitted, the suspension system 10 is capable of adjusting the amount of air in the pressure chamber 132 of each air spring 34 by the air supply / discharge device 140. The spring length of the air spring 34 can be changed to change the distance between the sprung springs for each wheel 12. Specifically, it is possible to increase the amount of air in the pressure chamber 132 to increase the distance between the sprung springs and decrease the amount of air to decrease the distance between the sprung springs. That is, the system 10 is capable of so-called vehicle height adjustment.

  In the suspension system 10, the operation of the spring absorber assembly 20, that is, the actuator 30 and the air spring 34 are controlled by a suspension electronic control unit 200 (hereinafter also referred to as “ECU 200”) as a control device. The ECU 200 is mainly configured by a computer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. The ECU 200 is provided corresponding to a driver [DRV] 202 serving as a drive circuit for the air supply / discharge device 140 and the motor 46 included in each actuator 30, and each functions as a drive circuit for the corresponding motor 46. Four inverters [INV] 204 are connected. The driver 202 and the inverter 204 are connected to the battery [BAT] 208 via the converter [CONV] 206, and each control valve, pump motor, etc. of the air supply / discharge device 140 and the motor 46 of each actuator 30 are connected. Is supplied with power from a power source including the converter 206 and the battery 208. The inverter 204 has a structure that can regenerate the power generated by the motor 46 by the electromotive force as a power source. The motor 46 is not only a motor force that depends on the supply current, but also a motor that depends on the electromotive force. Force can be generated. That is, the motor 46 can function as a generator and generate motor force. The inverter 204 controls the motor force by adjusting the current flowing through the motor 46, that is, the energization current of the motor 46, regardless of whether the current is supplied from the power source or the generated current caused by the electromotive force. It is said that. The energization current is adjusted by changing the ratio (duty ratio) between the pulse-on time and the pulse-off time by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) for each inverter 204.

  The vehicle includes an ignition switch [I / G] 220, a vehicle speed sensor [v] 222 for detecting a vehicle traveling speed (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as “vehicle speed”), and a sprung unsprung state for each wheel 12. Four height sensors [h] 224 for detecting the distance, vehicle height change switch [HSw] 226 operated by the driver for the vehicle height change instruction, an operation angle sensor [δ for detecting the operation angle of the steering wheel 228, a longitudinal acceleration sensor [Gx] 230 that detects actual longitudinal acceleration that is the longitudinal acceleration actually generated in the vehicle body, and a lateral acceleration sensor [Gy] 232 that detects actual lateral acceleration that is the lateral acceleration actually generated in the vehicle body , Four sprung vertical acceleration sensors [Gzs] 234 for detecting the vertical acceleration (vertical acceleration) of each mount portion 24 of the vehicle body corresponding to each wheel 12, each wheel 1 4 unsprung longitudinal acceleration sensors [Gzg] 236 for detecting the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle, throttle sensors [Sr] 238 for detecting the opening of the accelerator throttle, brake pressure sensors [Br] 240 for detecting the master cylinder pressure of the brake, Four resolvers [θ] 242 (see FIG. 2), which are rotation angle sensors for detecting the rotation angle of the motor 46, are provided, and these are connected to the computer of the ECU 200. The ECU 200 controls the operation of the spring absorber assembly 20 based on signals from these switches and sensors. Incidentally, the character [] is a symbol used when the above-mentioned switch, sensor, etc. are shown in the drawing. In addition, the ROM included in the computer of the ECU 200 stores a program related to the control of the actuator 30, various data, and the like.

<Basic control of suspension system>
i) Overview of Actuator Control In this suspension system 10, each of the four spring absorber assemblies 20 can be controlled independently. In each of the spring absorbers Assy 20, the actuator force of the actuator 30 is controlled independently to control the vibration of the vehicle body and the wheel 12, that is, the control for damping the sprung vibration and the unsprung vibration (hereinafter referred to as “vibration damping”). May be referred to as “control”). In addition, control for suppressing the roll of the vehicle body caused by turning of the vehicle (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “roll suppression control”), control for suppressing the pitch of the vehicle body caused by acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as “roll control”). (Sometimes referred to as “pitch suppression control”).

  The vibration damping control, roll suppression control, and pitch suppression control are comprehensively performed. As a premise thereof, a necessary actuator force is obtained for each control according to a rule determined for each control. These actuator forces are made into a vibration damping component, a roll suppression component, and a pitch suppression component, respectively, and they are added together, and the actuator 30 has a comprehensive action to be applied between the spring top and the spring bottom. The force, that is, the target actuator force is determined. The actuator 30 is controlled to generate the target actuator force, and as a result, the vibration damping control, roll suppression control, and pitch suppression control are comprehensively executed. In the following description, the actuator force and its component are positive values corresponding to the force in the direction (rebound direction) separating the sprung portion and the unsprung portion, and the direction causing the sprung portion and the unsprung portion to approach each other. It is assumed that the one corresponding to the force in the (bound direction) is a negative value.

ii) Vibration damping control In the vibration damping control, a vibration damping component F _V of the actuator force is determined so as to generate an actuator force having a magnitude corresponding to the speed of the vibration in order to attenuate the vibration of the vehicle body and the wheel 12. . In other words, this control is a combination of control based on the so-called skyhook damper theory and control based on the pseudo groundhook theory. Specifically, the vertical movement speed of the mount 24 of the vehicle body obtained from the sprung vertical acceleration sensor 234 provided on the mount 24 of the vehicle body, so-called absolute sprung speed Vs Based on the vertical speed of the wheel 12 obtained from the unsprung longitudinal acceleration detected by the unsprung longitudinal acceleration sensor 236 provided on the lower arm 22, the so-called unsprung absolute speed Vg, vibration damping is performed according to the following equation: The component F _V is calculated.
F _V = Cs · Vs−Cg · Vg
Here, Cs is a gain for generating a damping force in accordance with the vertical operation speed of the mount 24 of the vehicle body, and Cg generates a damping force in accordance with the vertical operation speed of the wheel 12. For gain. That is, Cs and Cg can be considered as damping coefficients for so-called sprung and unsprung absolute vibrations.

iii) Roll restraint control When the vehicle is turning, the roll moment resulting from the turn causes the spring upper part and the unsprung part on the turning inner ring side to be separated from each other, and the spring upper part and the unsprung part on the turning outer ring side are brought closer to each other. It is done. In the roll suppression control, in order to suppress the separation on the turning inner ring side and the approach on the turning outer ring side, the actuator force in the bounce direction is applied to the actuator 30 on the turning inner ring side, and the actuator force in the rebound direction is applied to the actuator 30 on the turning outer ring side. Each is generated as a roll restraining force. Specifically, first, as a lateral acceleration indicating a roll moment received by the vehicle body, an estimated lateral acceleration Gyc estimated based on the steering angle δ of the steering wheel and the vehicle speed v, and a lateral acceleration sensor 232 were measured. Based on the actual lateral acceleration Gyr, a control-dependent lateral acceleration Gy ^* that is a lateral acceleration used for control is determined according to the following equation.
Gy ^* = K ₁ · Gyc + K ₂ · Gyr (K ₁ , K ₂ : gain)
Based on the thus determined control target relied lateral acceleration Gy ^*, the roll restrain component F _R is determined according to the following equation.
F _R = K ₃ · Gy ^* (K ₃ : Gain)

iv) Pitch suppression control When a vehicle nose dive occurs during deceleration, such as when the vehicle is braked, the front wheel side spring top and spring bottom are brought closer to each other by the pitch moment that causes the nose dive. The sprung part on the ring side and the unsprung part are separated from each other. In addition, when squat of the vehicle body is generated during acceleration of the vehicle, the sprung moment that generates the squat separates the front wheel spring top and the spring bottom, and the rear wheel spring top and spring bottom. Is approached. In the pitch suppression control, the actuator force is generated as the pitch suppression force in order to suppress fluctuations in the distance between the sprung springs in those cases. Specifically, as longitudinal acceleration indicative of the pitch moment acting on the vehicle body, is employed the actual longitudinal acceleration Gx that is actually measured by the longitudinal acceleration sensor 230, and based on the actual longitudinal acceleration Gx, the pitch restrain component F _P has the following formula Determined according to.
F _P = K ₄ · Gx (K ₄ : Gain)
Note that the pitch suppression control is executed when the throttle opening detected by the throttle sensor 238 or the master cylinder pressure detected by the brake pressure sensor 240 exceeds a set threshold.

v) Target Actuator Force and Motor Operation Control The actuator 30 is controlled based on a target actuator force that is an actuator force that should be generated. In detail, as described above, the vibration damping component F _V of the actuator force, a roll restrain component F _R, the pitch restrain component F _P is determined on the basis of their target actuator is a control target value in accordance with the following equation The force F ^* is determined.
F ^* = F _V + F _R + F _P
Then, the inverter 204 performs operation control of the motor 46 for generating the target actuator force F ^* determined as described above. More specifically, a target duty ratio is determined based on the target actuator force F ^* determined as described above, and a command based on the duty ratio is transmitted to the inverter 204. Under the appropriate duty ratio, the inverter 204 controls the opening and closing of the switching element included in the inverter 204 and operates the motor 46 so as to generate the target actuator force F ^* . That is, the actuator force generated by the actuator 30 is controlled by controlling the operation of the motor 46 based on the control rule determined as described above.

vi) Actuator force and power supply / regeneration Actuator 30 relies on the force of motor 46 to generate a force relative to the relative movement of the unsprung unit and unsprung unit. A force is applied to the approach / separation operation. As described above, in the vibration damping control of the system 10, the actuator force is determined based on the skyhook damper theory or the like. Therefore, the actuator force is applied not only as a resistance force against the relative movement between the sprung unit and the unsprung unit but also as a propulsive force.

  The torque generated by the motor 46 and the actuator force are in a proportional relationship, and it is considered that the relative operation of the unsprung unit and the unsprung unit coincides with the approach and separation between the unsprung portion and the unsprung portion. be able to. Therefore, if the torque or actuator force is on the vertical axis and the speed of the relative motion or approaching / separating operation is on the horizontal axis, the short circuit characteristic of the motor 46 is shown in FIG. The first quadrant in the figure is a region in which the sprung portion and the sprung portion move in the rebound direction, and the actuator force acts in the rebound direction. Similarly, the second quadrant has a rebound direction in the rebound direction. The region where the actuator force acts, the third quadrant is the region where the actuator force in the bound direction acts on the motion in the bound direction, and the fourth quadrant is the region where the actuator force in the bound direction acts on the motion in the rebound direction It is. That is, the first and third quadrants are areas where the actuator force acts as a propulsive force, and the second and fourth quadrants are areas where the actuator force acts as a resistance force. The short-circuit characteristic line shown in the figure is a line indicating the force generated by the motor 46 based on the electromotive force when the terminals of the motor 46 are short-circuited.

  In the areas [A], [B], [D], and [E] in FIG. 3, the actuator force is generated while the motor 46 is supplied with electric power from the battery 208. On the other hand, in the area [C], [F], that is, the shaded area, the motor 46 functions as a generator, and the electric power generated by the motor 46 is generated while the actuator force is generated. It is regenerated.

vii) Vehicle Height Change Control In the suspension system 10, the vehicle is driven by the air spring 34 based on the driver's intention for the purpose of dealing with traveling on a road with a large road surface and improving the driving stability of the vehicle. Control for changing the vehicle height (hereinafter also referred to as “vehicle height change control”) is also executed. Briefly, the vehicle height change control is executed when the target set vehicle height, which is the set vehicle height to be realized by the operation of the vehicle height change switch 166 based on the driver's intention, is changed. A sprung unsprung distance as a target for each wheel 12 is set according to each of the target set vehicle heights, and a sprung spring for each wheel 12 is set based on a detection value of the height sensor 224. The operation of the air supply / exhaust device 140 is controlled so that the lower distance becomes the target distance, and the unsprung distance between the springs of each wheel 12 is changed to a distance corresponding to the target set vehicle height. Further, in this vehicle height change control, so-called auto leveling control is also performed for the purpose of dealing with changes in vehicle height due to, for example, changes in the number of passengers and changes in the load capacity of luggage.

<Suspension device abnormality recognition and countermeasures>
As described above, the suspension system 10 includes four suspension devices each including the spring absorber assembly 20. The system 10 has a function for recognizing any abnormality and dealing with the abnormality when any abnormality occurs in any of the suspension devices. Incidentally, the abnormality of the suspension device is recognized based on an operation state index that indicates the operation state of the actuator 30 that constitutes the spring absorber assembly 20, and each of the four suspension devices during the vehicle travel for a certain time. The suspension having the actuator 30 when the operating state index of the actuator 30 is compared and the operating state index of any of the actuators 30 differs from the operating state index value of the remaining actuators 30 by exceeding a reference limit. The device is certified as abnormal. The ECU 200 performs processing for abnormality recognition of the suspension device (hereinafter, also referred to as “abnormality recognition processing”) and processing for handling the abnormality (hereinafter also referred to as “abnormality processing”). Executed.

i) Abnormalities to be treated In this suspension system 10, the abnormality of the ball screw mechanism of the actuator 30 and the abnormality of the coupling mechanism 32 included in each spring absorber assembly 20 are subject to certification. Speaking specifically about the abnormality of the ball screw mechanism, for example, due to damage of the screw rod 42 or nut 44, damage of the bearing ball, etc., excessive friction occurred in the mechanism, and the operation of the mechanism lost smoothness. Such abnormalities are targeted. More specifically, regarding the abnormality of the coupling mechanism 32, for example, an abnormality such that the springs 96 and 100 are broken and the actuator 30 cannot be elastically supported with respect to the lower arm 22, or the hydraulic fluid of the damper 68 is discharged. It is targeted for abnormalities such as leakage that makes it impossible to generate a damping force, or the piston is fixed to or close to the housing 70 and the damper 68 does not operate smoothly. In the present system 10, it is assumed that an abnormality has occurred in one suspension device, assuming that no abnormality occurs in two or more of the four suspension devices at the same time.

ii) Accreditation of abnormality of the ball screw mechanism When the abnormality of the ball screw mechanism as described above occurs, the operation of the ball screw mechanism loses its smoothness, and the expansion / contraction operation of the actuator 30, that is, the unsprung side unit thereof Resistance to relative movement with the unsprung side unit is increased. When the actuator 30 tries to generate an actuator force as a resistance force against the approaching / separating operation between the sprung portion and the unsprung portion, the actuator force assists the actuator force. However, in such a case, when the actuator 46 is generated by the electric power generated by the motor 46, the efficiency of the electric power generation is reduced. On the other hand, when the actuator force is generated as a driving force for the approaching / separating operation between the sprung portion and the unsprung portion, sufficient force cannot be applied between the sprung portion and the unsprung portion.

  In view of the above, in the present suspension system 10, the abnormality of the ball screw mechanism is authorized based on the amount of power generated by the motor 46. More specifically, the amount of electricity generated when the vehicle has traveled for a certain period of time is used as a power generation amount index for indicating the amount of power generation, and the amount of electricity generated by the motor 46 of each actuator 30 of the four suspension devices is compared. Thus, it is determined which of the actuators 30 has an abnormality in the ball screw mechanism. More specifically, when the amount of electricity generated by one of the motors 46 is somewhat smaller than the amount of electricity generated by the other three motors 46, it is considered that the power generation efficiency of the actuator 30 having that motor 46 has decreased. Then, it is recognized that an abnormality has occurred in the ball screw mechanism of the actuator 30. When the vehicle is running, the four suspension devices are usually considered to be placed under the same conditions such as vibrations input from the road surface, so the amount of electricity generated by each motor 46 of the suspension devices is compared. By doing so, abnormality recognition is performed simply.

Specifically, in a state where the vehicle can be regarded as traveling, that is, in a state where the vehicle speed v detected by the vehicle speed sensor 222 exceeds a set threshold vehicle speed v ₀ (for example, 5 km / h), when the generated current I _G in the case that power generation was measured every short time interval, the measured power generation current I _G, the above conditions set time t ₀ (e.g., several minutes to several tens of minutes) has elapsed The amount of electricity generated Q _G of the motor 46 is obtained by integrating the power generation time within the set time t ₀ . In the suspension system 10, an ammeter [I] 244 is provided between each inverter 204 and the converter 206 (see FIG. 1), and the generated current I _G is a value measured by the ammeter 244. Is used. Then, with the identifying the minimum quantity of electricity generated Q _G · _MIN smaller the least value among the quantity of electricity generated Q _G of the four motors 46, the average of the quantity of electricity generated Q _G of the other three motors 46 standard determine the quantity of electricity generated Q _G · _ST, the minus the tolerance amount Q _G · _T with from the standard quantity of electricity generated Q _G · _ST as a reference quantity or reference limits, according to the following equation, minimum quantity of electricity generated Q _G When _MIN is less than the reference amount, it is recognized that the ball screw mechanism of the actuator 30 having the motor 46 having the minimum generated electricity amount Q _G · _MIN is abnormal.
Q _G・_MIN <Q _G・_ST −Q _G・_T

Note that the structure of the suspension device, and the configuration of the actuator 30 and the coupling mechanism of the suspension device differ depending on whether the suspension device corresponds to the front, rear, left, or right wheels 12, and the four suspension devices. Abnormal recognition by comparison of is not simple. However, for simplification of explanation, the present suspension system 10 treats the suspension device as having the same structure and configuration regardless of which wheel the suspension device corresponds to, and the shared vehicle load of each suspension device is also mutually different. We will treat them as equivalent. Actually, a value obtained by conversion for comparison may be adopted as the amount of generated electricity Q _G of each motor 46 in accordance with the structure, configuration, shared vehicle load, and the like for each suspension device. Incidentally, the explanation regarding the abnormality recognition based on the presence of the above-described structure, configuration, shared vehicle load, etc. for each suspension device also applies to the abnormality recognition of the coupling mechanism described below.

iii) Recognition of abnormality of the coupling mechanism When the springs 96 and 100 of the coupling mechanism 32 are broken or an abnormality occurs such that the hydraulic fluid of the damper 68 leaks, the supporting force of the springs 96 and 100 is reduced. As a result, the force generated by 68 is reduced. As a result, there is a large deviation between the approach / separation operation amount between the sprung portion and the unsprung portion and the relative operation amount between the sprung unit and the unsprung unit of the actuator 30, that is, the expansion / contraction operation amount of the actuator 30. Will occur. In other words, a large difference is generated between the above-described theoretical actuator length that theoretically corresponds to the distance between the sprung springs and the actual actuator length that is the actual actuator length. On the other hand, when an abnormality occurs in which the housing 70 and the piston of the damper 68 are fixed or close to each other, the difference in the operation amount between the approach / separation operation amount and the relative operation amount is extremely large. Get smaller. In other words, a state in which there is not much deviation between the theoretical actuator length and the actual actuator length continues.

  In view of the above, in the present suspension system 10, an abnormality of the coupling mechanism 32 is recognized based on the above-described difference in operation amount. More specifically, an actuator length deviation, which is a deviation of the actual actuator length from the theoretical actuator length when the vehicle has traveled for a certain period of time, is adopted as the operation amount difference index for indicating the operation amount difference. By comparing the appearance states of the actuator length deviations of the respective actuators 30, it is determined which abnormality has occurred in the coupling mechanism 32 of each actuator 30. More specifically, when the actuator length deviation of one of the actuators 30 is somewhat larger or somewhat smaller than the actuator length deviations of the other three actuators 30, an abnormality occurs in the coupling mechanism 32 of the actuator 30. It is recognized that When the vehicle is running, the four suspension devices are usually considered to be subjected to vibrations and the like input from the road surface under the same conditions. Therefore, fluctuations in actuator length deviations of the actuators 30 of the suspension devices. By comparing the states of the above, abnormality recognition is easily performed.

Specifically, as in the above-described abnormality recognition of the ball screw mechanism, the height for measuring the unsprung unsprung distance at short time intervals in a state where the vehicle speed v exceeds the set threshold vehicle speed v _0. The theoretical actuator length Lt is obtained based on the detection value of the sensor 224, the actual actuator length Lr is obtained based on the detection value of the resolver 242 for measuring the rotation angle of the motor 46, and the obtained theoretical actuator length Lt. And the actual actuator length Lr, an actuator length deviation ΔL (absolute value) is calculated based on the following equation.
ΔL = | Lt−Lr |
The theoretical actuator length Lt is derived from the sprung unsprung distance on the basis of the standard sprung unsprung distance in a state where the vehicle can be considered to be stationary on a flat, horizontal road surface. However, the standard distance between the unsprung springs varies depending on factors such as the number of passengers and the set vehicle height adjusted by the above-described vehicle height adjustment, and the theoretical actuator length Lt also varies depending on these factors. . Although detailed explanation is omitted, in the present suspension system 10, a standard sprung unsprung distance is measured at any time, and a value in consideration of fluctuation due to the above factors is obtained. In addition, since the actual actuator length Lr corresponds to the cumulative rotation angle from a certain reference rotation angle position of the motor 46, the system 10 does not include a sensor for actually measuring the length of the actuator 30. Thus, the actual actuator length Lr is easily obtained from the rotation angle of the motor 46.

An actuator length deviation ΔL is calculated for each short time interval, and an average deviation ΔL _AVE that is an average of the actuator length deviation ΔL at the set time t ₀ when the set time t ₀ has elapsed is obtained. Of the average deviations ΔL _AVE for the actuators 30 of the four suspension devices, the largest value is specified as the maximum average deviation ΔL _AVE · _MAX , and the smallest value is specified as the minimum average deviation ΔL _AVE · _MIN. The Furthermore, the three average deviations ΔL _AVE excluding the maximum average deviation ΔL _AVE · _MAX are averaged, and the maximum average average deviation Δ _{ST / MAX} is averaged over the three average deviations ΔL _AVE excluding the minimum average deviation ΔL _AVE · _MIN. Thus, the minimum standard average deviation Δ _{ST / MIN} is obtained. Then, the standard deviation as the reference amount and the reference limit is obtained by adding the allowable deviation ΔL _{T / MAX} to the maximum standard average deviation Δ _{ST / MAX} , and the maximum average deviation ΔL _AVE · _MAX is the standard deviation according to the following formula: If it is larger, the suspension mechanism coupling mechanism 32 having the actuator 30 exhibiting the maximum average deviation ΔL _AVE · _MAX is certified to be abnormal.
ΔL _AVE・_MAX > Δ _{ST / MAX} + ΔL _{T / MAX}
Similarly, the value obtained by subtracting the permissible deviation ΔL _{T / MIN} from the minimum standard average deviation Δ _{ST / MIN} is used as another reference deviation as a reference amount, and the minimum average deviation ΔL _AVE · _MIN is calculated as the reference according to the following formula: When the deviation is less than the deviation, the suspension mechanism coupling mechanism 32 having the actuator 30 exhibiting the minimum average deviation ΔL _AVE · _MIN is recognized as abnormal.
ΔL _AVE・_MIN <Δ _{ST / MIN} −ΔL _{T / MIN}

iv) Dealing with Abnormalities If any of the suspension devices is found to be abnormal, the suspension system 10 indicates that an abnormality has occurred by using an indicator [Ind] 246 (see FIG. 1) provided in the passenger compartment. Via the driver. In addition, not only the actuator 30 included in the suspension device that has been recognized as abnormal, but also the actuator 30 that each of the other three suspension devices includes, the actuator force that is generated is limited. More specifically, execution of the above-described vibration damping control, roll suppression control, and pitch suppression control is prohibited, and a state in which none of the four actuators 30 is controlled is realized. As a result, it is avoided that the behavior of the vehicle body, more specifically, the behavior of the sprung portion becomes a behavior in which the balance is lost in the front, rear, left and right of the vehicle due to an abnormality of one suspension device.

In addition, the amount of electricity generated Q _G and the average deviation ΔL _AVE of each actuator 30 obtained in the suspension device abnormality recognition process are recorded in a non-volatile memory [Mem] 248 (see FIG. 1) of the ECU 200. Is done. If any suspension device is certified as abnormal, the fact, the suspension device certified as abnormal, and the content of the certified abnormality are recorded in the memory 248. Specifically, it is recorded which suspension device is abnormal, and whether the abnormality recognition is for the ball screw mechanism or the coupling mechanism 32. That is, the operating state index amount obtained in the abnormality recognition process of the actuator 30 and the result of the abnormality recognition are recorded and stored in the memory 248. The recorded and stored operating state index amounts and abnormality certification results can be taken into account and analyzed by vehicle mechanics during vehicle repairs and inspections. Based on the index amount and the abnormality recognition result, appropriate repairs can be performed when an abnormality has occurred, and appropriate inspections can be performed regardless of whether an abnormality has occurred.

<Control program>
The actuator 30 included in each of the four suspension devices of the suspension system 10 is controlled by the ECU 200 executing an actuator control program whose flowchart is shown in FIG. This actuator control program is repeatedly executed at a short time pitch (for example, several milliseconds to several tens of milliseconds). The flow of control by this program will be briefly described below.

  In the processing by the actuator control program, an abnormality flag FD indicating that there is an abnormality in one of the suspension devices is adopted, and the flag value of the flag FD is 0 when there is no abnormality. Is set to 1 by a process described later. In the processing according to this program, first, in step 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as “S1”, the same applies to other steps), the flag value of the abnormality flag FD is confirmed. The flag value is set to 0 as an initial value. However, if an abnormality has occurred in any of the suspension devices, the flag value is set to 1, and the processing of other steps in this program is performed thereafter. Not executed.

  If it is confirmed in S1 that there is no abnormality, a process for controlling the actuator force of each actuator 30 is executed in S2. This actuator force control process is performed by executing an actuator force control subroutine whose flowchart is shown in FIG. Although only a flow relating to the control of the actuator force of one actuator 30 is shown in the drawing, the actuator forces of the four actuators 30 are actually controlled in the same manner according to this flow. Here, for simplification of description, only processing related to control of the actuator force of one actuator 30 will be described.

In the actuator force control process, in S11, the damping force component F _V for performing vibration damping control is the roll suppression component F _R for performing roll suppression control in S12, and the pitch suppression control is performed in S13. component F _P of pitch control, respectively, is determined by the method described above. In S14, the components F _V , F _R and _FP are added together to determine the target actuator force F ^* . In S15, the motor 46 is controlled based on the target actuator force F ^* . A duty ratio is determined, and a command based on the duty ratio is transmitted to inverter 204. By controlling the operation of the motor 46 of each actuator 30 by the processing of this subroutine, each actuator 30 generates the required actuator force.

Subsequently, in S3, as described above, it is determined whether or not it can be considered that the vehicle is traveling. If the vehicle is traveling, the processing after S4 is executed. First, in S4, the time counter is counted up. This counter is used to determine whether or not the vehicle has traveled continuously for the set time t _{0. In} later S 6, the counter value C corresponding to the set time t ₀ is the count value C of this counter. ₀ is compared. If it is determined that the vehicle is not traveling, the count value C is reset in S8, and the generated electric energy Q _G and the average deviation ΔL _AVE described later are reset in S9 and S10, respectively. The

  While the vehicle is traveling, the process of S5, that is, the operation state index acquisition process described above is executed. This process is performed by executing an operating state index acquisition subroutine whose flowchart is shown in FIG. Although only the flow related to the operation state index acquisition processing of one actuator 30 is shown in the figure, this processing is performed in the same manner for each of the four actuators 30. Here, for simplification of description, only the operation state index acquisition process for one actuator 30 will be described.

In the operation state index acquisition process, first, in S21, it is determined whether or not the motor 46 included in the actuator 30 is in a power generation state. Whether or not it is in the power generation state is determined by the direction of the current measured by the ammeter 244 provided between the inverter 204 and the converter 206. If it is not in the power generation state, the subsequent processes in S22 and S23 are skipped. Is done. If it is in the power generation state, the generated current I _G is acquired from the measured value of the ammeter 244 in S22, and in S23, the product of the generated current I _G and the program execution pitch ΔT is accumulated, and the set time The amount of electricity generated Q _G from the start of the measurement of t ₀ to the present time is calculated. In S24, the theoretical actuator length Lt is acquired based on the detection value of the height sensor 224. In S25, the actual actuator length Lr is acquired based on the detection value of the resolver 242 provided in the motor 46. In the next S25, the actuator length deviation ΔL is calculated. In S26, the average deviation ΔL _AVE from the start of measurement of the set time t ₀ to the present time is calculated based on the calculated actuator length deviation ΔL and the count value C. Calculated.

After the operating state index acquisition process, it is determined in S6 whether or not the operating state index acquisition process has been performed continuously for the set time t ₀ depending on whether or not the count value C has reached the counter threshold value C ₀ . When the operation state index acquisition process is not performed continuously for the set time t ₀ , one execution of this program is terminated. If the set time t ₀ has been made continuously, abnormality recognition / handling processing is executed in S7. This process is performed by executing the abnormality recognition / handling process subroutine shown in the flowchart of FIG.

In the abnormality recognition / handling process, first, in S31, among the electric power generation amounts Q _G of the motors 46 possessed by the accumulated actuators 30, the smallest value is the minimum electric power generation amount Q _G · _MIN. In step S32, the standard power generation amount Q _G · _ST is calculated by averaging the power generation amounts Q _G of the three motors 46 other than the motor having the minimum power generation amount Q _G · _MIN . Then, in S33, it is determined whether or not the minimum power generation amount Q _G · _MIN is less than the reference amount obtained by subtracting the allowable range amount Q _G · _T from the standard power generation amount Q _G · _ST . If the minimum amount of generated electricity Q _G · _MIN is not less than the reference amount, the process of S34 is skipped, and if the minimum amount of generated electricity Q _G · _MIN is less than the reference amount, the minimum amount of generated electricity Q is determined in S34. _The actuator 30 having the motor 46 that is assumed to be _G · _MIN is recognized as abnormal in its ball screw mechanism, and the flag value of the abnormality flag FD described above is set to 1.

In subsequent S35, from among the mean deviation [Delta] L _AVE sought for the four actuators 30, the largest value is identified as the maximum mean deviation [Delta] L _AVE · _MAX, in S36, and a maximum average deviation [Delta] L _AVE · _MAX The average deviation ΔL _AVE of the three actuators 30 excluding the actuator 30 is averaged to calculate the maximum standard average deviation Δ _{ST / MAX} . Then, in S37, the maximum average deviation [Delta] L _AVE · _MAX is, whether greater than a reference deviation plus tolerance [Delta] L T _{/ MAX} paired maximum standard mean deviation delta _{ST / MAX} is determined. If the maximum mean deviation [Delta] L _AVE · _MAX is not greater than the reference deviation, the processing of step S38 is skipped, the maximum when the average deviation [Delta] L _AVE · _MAX is greater than the reference deviation, in S38, the maximum average deviation [Delta] L _AVE · _MAX The suspension mechanism coupling mechanism 32 having the actuator 30 is recognized as abnormal, and the flag value of the abnormality flag FD is set to 1.

Further, in the next S39, from among the mean deviation [Delta] L _AVE sought for the four actuators 30, the smallest value is identified as the minimum mean deviation [Delta] L _AVE · _MIN, in S40, the minimum mean deviation [Delta] L _AVE · _MIN The average deviation ΔL _AVE of the three actuators 30 excluding the actuator 30 that is the above is averaged to calculate the minimum standard average deviation Δ _{ST / MIN} . Then, in S41, it is determined whether or not the minimum average deviation ΔL _AVE · _MIN is less than a reference deviation obtained by subtracting the allowable deviation ΔL _{T / MIN} from the minimum standard average deviation Δ _{ST / MIN} . If the minimum average deviation ΔL _AVE · _MIN is not less than the reference deviation, the process of S42 is skipped, and if the minimum average deviation ΔL _AVE · _MIN is less than the reference deviation, in S42, the minimum average deviation ΔL _AVE · _MIN is less than the reference deviation. _The suspension mechanism coupling mechanism 32 having the _MIN actuator 30 is recognized as abnormal, and the flag value of the abnormality flag FD is set to 1.

After the above authorization process, when the flag value of the abnormality flag FD is confirmed in S43 and the flag value is set to 1, a countermeasure process for the abnormality is performed in S44. Specifically, the fact that an abnormality has occurred is notified to the driver via an indicator 246, and the amount of electricity generated Q _G , the average deviation ΔL _AVE of each actuator 30 as an operating state index, and the fact of abnormality recognition or abnormality The certified suspension device and the content of abnormality certification are recorded in the memory 248 of the ECU 200. Even if the flag value of the abnormality flag FD remains 0, the amount of electricity generated Q _G and the average deviation ΔL _{AVE of} each actuator 30 obtained in the abnormality recognition processing are stored in S45 as a type of abnormality handling processing in S45. 248.

After the above abnormality recognition / handling processing, the count value C is reset in S8, and the generated electric energy Q _G and the average deviation ΔL _AVE described above are reset in S9 and S10, respectively. That is, a state in which the next operation state index acquisition processing and abnormality recognition / handling processing can be started is realized. In the process according to this control program, once the flag value of the abnormality flag FD is set to 1, the S7 that is the process for the actuator force control is skipped by the determination of S1, so that the four actuators 30 In other words, all four actuators 30 are not controlled.

<Functional configuration of control device>
The ECU 200 that is a control device of the suspension system 10 executes various processes as described above by executing the actuator control program. By executing these various processes, the ECU 200 can be considered to have a functional unit as shown in FIG. As a basic functional unit, the ECU 200 includes a functional unit that executes processing according to the actuator force control subroutine, that is, an actuator force control unit 260. The actuator force control unit 260 controls the actuator force generated by each actuator 30 of the four suspension devices, and the vibration damping control, roll suppression control, and pitch suppression control described above are executed.

  The ECU 200 includes a power generation amount dependency recognition unit 262, an operation amount difference dependency determination unit 264, a control restriction unit 266, and a record storage unit 268 as functional units related to recognition and handling of abnormalities in the four suspension devices. . More specifically, the power generation amount authorization unit 262 is a functional unit that authorizes any one of the four suspension devices based on the power generation index, and includes S21 to S23 and the abnormality in the operating state index acquisition subroutine. The part which performs the process of S31-S34 in a recognition and countermeasure process subroutine corresponds. Further, the operation amount difference recognizing unit 264 is a functional unit that recognizes an abnormality in any of the four suspension devices based on the operation amount difference index, and includes S24 to S27 in the operation state index acquisition subroutine and the abnormality determination / This corresponds to the part of executing the processing of S35 to S42 in the countermeasure processing subroutine. Furthermore, the control limiting unit 266 is a functional unit that prohibits execution of actuator force control when an abnormality occurs in any of the suspension devices, and includes a portion that executes the process of S1. The recording storage unit 268 includes a process for recording the operation state index and the result of abnormality recognition, that is, a part for executing the processes of S44 and S45, and a memory 248 as a recording medium. The ECU 200 includes an abnormality recognition device 270 configured to include the power generation amount dependency recognition unit 262, the operation amount difference dependency determination unit 264, the control restriction unit 266, and the record storage unit 268.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a vehicle suspension system that is an embodiment of the claimable invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a spring absorber assembly provided in each of four suspension devices in the suspension system of FIG. 1. 3 is a graph for explaining the relationship between the actuator force of an actuator that constitutes a part of the spring absorber assembly of FIG. 2, the supply of electric power to the electromagnetic motor of the actuator, and the regeneration of electric power from the electromagnetic motor. . 2 is a flowchart showing an actuator control program executed in a suspension electronic control unit which is a control device of the suspension system of FIG. 1. It is a flowchart which shows the actuator force control subroutine which is a part of actuator control program of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the operating condition parameter | index acquisition subroutine which is a part of actuator control program of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the abnormality recognition and countermeasure processing subroutine which is a part of actuator control program of FIG. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the function structure of the suspension electronic control unit which is a control apparatus of the suspension system of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

10: Vehicle suspension system 20: Spring absorber assembly 22: Suspension lower arm (lower part of spring) 24: Mount part (upper part of spring) 30: Actuator (electromagnetic shock absorber) 32: Connection mechanism 34: Air spring (suspension spring) 42 : Screw rod (screw mechanism) 44: Nut (screw mechanism) 46: Electromagnetic motor 68: Hydraulic damper 96, 100: Compression coil spring (connection spring) 200: Suspension electronic control unit (control device) 204: Inverter 206: Converter 208: Battery (power source) 222: Vehicle speed sensor 224: Height sensor 242: Resolver 244: Ammeter 246: Indicator 248: Memory 260: Actuator force control unit 262: Power generation amount certification unit 264: Operation amount difference reliance recognition unit 266: Control restriction unit 268: Record storage unit 270: Abnormality recognition device

Claims (10)

These are provided corresponding to the front, rear, left and right wheels, respectively, (A) a suspension spring that elastically connects the spring top and the spring bottom, (B) a spring top unit that is connected to the spring top, and the spring bottom. Connected to the unsprung portion and the unsprung portion, and can move relative to the unsprung unit, and the unsprung unit and unsprung unit can move relative to each other. An electromagnetic motor that operates in response to the electromagnetic shock absorber that generates a force for relative movement between the unsprung unit and the unsprung unit on the basis of a force generated by the electromagnetic motor; Four suspension devices configured to include:
A control device for controlling the force generated by the shock absorber of each of the four suspension devices during the traveling of the vehicle by controlling the operation of the electromagnetic motor based on a predetermined control rule;
(a) based on a power generation amount index that indicates a power generation amount of the electromagnetic motor when the vehicle has traveled for a certain period of time, a power generation amount-based recognition unit that recognizes an abnormality in any of the four suspension devices; ) When the vehicle travels for a certain period of time, the difference in the operation amount, which is the difference between the relative operation amount of the upper spring unit and the unsprung unit, and the approach / separation operation amount of the upper and lower parts of the spring is indicated. A vehicle suspension system comprising: an abnormality recognition device having at least one of an operation amount difference dependence recognition unit that recognizes an abnormality of any of the four suspension devices based on an operation amount difference index.   The vehicle suspension system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality recognition device includes at least the power generation amount dependency recognition unit. The electromagnetic motor is a rotary motor, and the shock absorber has an operation conversion mechanism that mutually converts a relative operation between the unsprung unit and the unsprung unit and a rotating operation of the electromagnetic motor. ,
The suspension system for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the power generation amount dependence recognition unit can recognize an abnormality in the smoothness of operation of the motion conversion mechanism. The power generation amount certification section
When the power generation amount index of any of the four suspension devices is a value indicating that the power generation amount of the electromagnetic motor is smaller than a reference amount, it is recognized that one of them is abnormal. The vehicle suspension system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the vehicle suspension system is a vehicle suspension system.   The power generation amount dependency recognition unit compares the power generation amount indexes of the four suspension devices to determine which of the four suspension devices is abnormal. The vehicle suspension system according to claim 4.   The vehicle suspension system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the abnormality recognition device includes at least the movement amount difference dependency recognition unit. Each of the four suspension devices is
The one portion provided between the one portion which is one of the sprung portion and the unsprung portion, and the one portion side unit which is one of the sprung portion side unit and the unsprung portion unit connected to the one portion. A connection spring that elastically connects the part and the one-side unit, and has a connection mechanism that connects the one part and the one-side unit,
The suspension system for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the operation amount dependency recognition unit recognizes an abnormality of the coupling mechanism. The movement amount difference certification section
When the movement amount difference index of any one of the four suspension devices is a value indicating that the movement amount difference is larger than a reference value, one of them is recognized as abnormal. The vehicle suspension system according to claim 6 or 7. The movement amount difference certification section
When the movement amount difference index of any of the four suspension devices is a value indicating that the movement amount difference is smaller than a reference value, one of them is recognized as abnormal. The vehicle suspension system according to any one of claims 6 to 8. 6. The operation amount difference reliance recognition unit compares the operation amount difference indexes of the four suspension devices to determine which of the four suspension devices is abnormal. The vehicle suspension system according to any one of claims 9 to 9.

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