Provided are an electronic control suspension apparatus and a damping force controlling method thereof, which are capable of changing a damping force of a damper by just manipulating a multistep switch even during driving. The electronic control suspension apparatus for controlling a damping force of a damper installed at each of a front wheel and a rear wheel includes: a multistep switch disposed in a vehicle and configured to change the damping force of the damper in a multistep manner between a hard step and a soft step; and an electronic control unit configured to control the damping force of the damper according to a current amount corresponding to a step selected from the multistep switch, the current amount to be applied to a solenoid valve being preset for each step of the multistep switch.

A damping control system for a vehicle having a suspension located between a plurality of ground engaging members and a vehicle frame includes at least one adjustable shock absorber having an adjustable damping characteristic. The system also includes a controller coupled to each adjustable shock absorber to adjust the damping characteristic of each adjustable shock absorber, and a user interface coupled to the controller and accessible to a driver of the vehicle. The user interface includes at least one user input to permit manual adjustment of the damping characteristic of the at least one adjustable shock absorber during operation of the vehicle. Vehicle sensors are also be coupled to the controller to adjust the damping characteristic of the at least one adjustable shock absorber based vehicle conditions determined by sensor output signals.

A damping control system for a vehicle having a suspension located between a plurality of ground engaging members and a vehicle frame includes at least one adjustable shock absorber having an adjustable damping profile and a driver actuatable input. The driver actuatable input may be positioned to be actuatable by the driver in the absence of requiring a removal of either of the hands of the driver from a steering device of the vehicle.

A method of automatically applying damping force interventions for dynamic weight balancing in a suspension system of a vehicle may include receiving ride height information associated with respective individual wheels of the vehicle and vehicle attitude information from vehicle sensors, determining, based on the ride height information and the vehicle attitude information, whether a trigger event has occurred, and generating a first damping intervention signal to change a damping force applied by a first selected adjustable damper responsive to determining that the trigger event has occurred. The first selected damper may be one of a plurality of adjustable dampers associated with respective ones of the individual wheels of the vehicle. The first selected adjustable damper may be associated with only one of a pair of rear wheels of the vehicle.

A vehicle includes an outside sensor configured to acquire information on an outside circumstance of the vehicle, a vehicle height adjusting device configured to adjust a vehicle height, and a control device configured to control the vehicle. The control device is configured to control the vehicle height adjusting device such that the vehicle height becomes a vehicle height corresponding to a platform condition at a predetermined stop position when the vehicle stops at the predetermined stop position. The control device is configured to control the vehicle height adjusting device based on a height of an obstacle such that the obstacle does not interfere with the vehicle when the obstacle is detected at the predetermined stop position by the outside sensor.

A vehicle suspension damper is described. The vehicle suspension damper includes: a pilot valve assembly; a primary valve; and an adjuster, wherein the pilot valve assembly meters fluid to the primary valve, and the adjuster moves the primary valve.

A damper for use with an automotive coil over shock absorber. An outer damping sleeve is retained over the exterior surface of an inner body and includes a plurality of bypass ports to alternately align and unalign with bypass ports of the inner body to regulate a bypass flow of damping oil between an interior volume and an outer passage, thereby allowing variable damping control of the damper. The outer damping sleeve is connected to an internal floating piston (IFP) which rides inside the inner body. A control spring is retained for applying a force to the IFP to limit the free movement of the IFP and thereby control a damping force of the damper during the damping event. Increased pressure in the hydraulic damping oil causes the IFP to move, causing the bypass ports to open and close depending on the forces subject to the damper.

A method for controlling vehicle motion is described. The method includes accessing a set of control signals including a measured vehicle speed value associated with a movement of a vehicle. A control signal associated with user-induced input is also accessed. The method compares the measured vehicle speed value with a predetermined vehicle speed threshold value to achieve a speed value threshold approach status, and then compares the set of values to achieve a user-induced input threshold value approach status. The method monitors a state of a valve within the vehicle suspension damper, and determines a control mode for the vehicle suspension damper. The method also regulates damping forces within the vehicle suspension damper.

Disclosed herein is a sway bar system comprising a damping link that couples a first end of a sway bar to a first location on a vehicle. The damping link is comprised of a body comprising a damping chamber and a reservoir. There is also a through shaft coupled to a piston, where the piston divides the chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber. A high-pressure line is fluidly coupled with the chamber and the reservoir and allows fluid to flow from the first chamber and the second chamber to the reservoir. A low-pressure line is fluidly coupled with the chamber and the reservoir and allows fluid to flow from the reservoir to the first chamber and the second chamber. The high-pressure line and the low-pressure line assist in self-centering the sway bar.

Disclosed are methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable memory for dynamic control of suspension systems of vehicles. For instance, a method may include: obtaining a suspension control feature map; determining an initial location of a vehicle; determining a region of the suspension control feature map that corresponds to the initial location of the vehicle; determining a set of suspension control trigger conditions based on the region of the suspension control feature map; determining a current location of the vehicle; determining whether a first suspension control trigger condition of the set of suspension control trigger conditions is satisfied based on the current location; and in response to determining the first suspension control trigger condition is satisfied, instructing an adjustable suspension of the vehicle to transition from a first adjustable suspension setting to a second adjustable suspension setting.