A concurrent leveling system includes a pressurized air source. A manifold block, having a body defining an air feed inlet, is disposed between air springs and the pressurized air source. The body includes front and rear suspension valves. Each of the suspension valves defines a suspension valve orifice having a first predetermined diameter. The body includes at least one restrictor valve parallel to and in fluid communication with the front suspension valves. The at least one restrictor valve includes a first check valve and a first blocker valve orifice defining a first orifice diameter. The first check valve and the first blocker valve orifice are disposed parallel to one another and in series with the front suspension valves and in fluid communication with the air feed inlet and the front suspension valves for reducing fluid back flow to allow the vehicle to be lowered in nominal loading conditions.

A system and methods are provided for a suspension system of an off-road vehicle that allows the springs to be mounted remotely, in any location on the vehicle, enabling the use of spring sizes, spring rates, motion ratios, and damping profiles that would be impractical with traditional suspensions. The suspension system includes a hydraulic cylinder coupled between the wheel and the chassis, in lieu of a conventional spring. This cylinder is in fluid communication with another cylinder by way of a hydraulic hose. This second cylinder includes a piston that presses against a suspension spring that is in contact with a fixed spring stop, thus transferring spring forces to the wheel. Alternatively, the spring stop may comprise a control actuator that moves according to signals from an onboard computer control system, enabling active control over spring load and chassis attitude.

To provide a solenoid, a solenoid valve, and a damper in which when the amount of current supplied to the solenoid is small, the thrust of the solenoid to bias an object in one direction can be made small, and at the same time, even when the solenoid is not energized, the object can be biased in the same direction as that of the thrust. The solenoid includes a coil, a first movable iron core and a second movable iron core that are attracted in a direction away from each other by energizing the coil, a coil spring that biases the first movable iron core toward the second movable iron core, and a leaf spring that restricts the approach of the first movable iron core and the second movable iron core.

A damper device that suppresses arc discharge between electrodes generated by bubbles in an electro-rheological fluid, includes an inner tube housed in an outer tube forming an outer shell of a damper device. An electrode tube is arranged between the outer tube and the inner tube. An electro-rheological fluid is sealed in the outer tube. The inner tube and the electrode tube constitute a cathode and an anode, respectively, and apply a voltage to the electro-rheological fluid located between the inner tube and the electrode tube. An insulating layer is provided on a surface of the electrode tube on a side facing the inner tube or on a surface of the inner tube on a side facing the electrode tube. When a maximum voltage applied to the electro-rheological fluid is Vmax (V), a thickness t (m) of the insulating layer is set to satisfy Formula (1).

This lift axle device comprises: a first air spring which corresponds to a first axle; a second air spring which corresponds to a second axle that reciprocates between a down position and lift position; an air bellows; a pneumatic circuit which has a solenoid valve; and a control circuit. The control circuit controls the supply of electric power to the solenoid valve. If the pressure transitions to less than a first pressure, the second axle is placed in the lift position. If the pressure transitions to at least a second pressure, the second axle is placed in the down position. If the pressure transitions to at least the first pressure and less than the second pressure, the second axle is caused to maintain the position thereof.

An electrically powered suspension system includes: an electromagnetic actuator; an information acquisition unit configured to acquire time-series information related to stroke position of the electromagnetic actuator, information on stroke velocity, and an amount of change in stroke of the electromagnetic actuator and information on a stroke direction based on the time-series information; a damping force calculation unit configured to calculate target damping force based on the information on the stroke velocity; and a drive control unit configured to control driving of the electromagnetic actuator using target driving force obtained based on the target damping force. The damping force calculation unit calculates equivalent friction compensation force based on the amount of change in the stroke and the information on the stroke direction, and corrects the target damping force based on the calculated equivalent friction compensation force. The equivalent friction compensation force has elastic force component and dynamic friction force component.

Electrorheological fluid is loaded in a shock absorber 1 as hydraulic fluid 2. The shock absorber 1 controls a generated damping force by producing a potential difference in an electrode passage 19 to thus change viscosity of electrorheological fluid flowing in the electrode passage 19. A plurality of partition walls 20 is provided in the electrode passage 19 formed between an inner tube 3 and an electrode tube 18. Due to this configuration, a plurality of helical flow passages 24 is formed in the electrode passage 19. In this case, the flow passages 24 are each provided with a flow passage cross-sectional area change portion that allows the flow passage 24 to have a larger cross-sectional area on one side spaced apart from an entrance 24A1 side (an intermediate region F) at least compared to the entrance 24A1 side of the extension-side flow passage 24 (an inflow region E).

A damper interface device (DID) includes a microcontroller including a memory and a processor, at least one algorithm stored to the memory, and a DID connector configured to connect the microcontroller to a vehicle network without having to modify the wiring system of the vehicle. The algorithm is configured to receive network messages from the vehicle network via the DID connector, where the network messages include an input message directed to a suspension controller. The algorithm is executed by the processor to identify the input message as directed to the suspension controller, parse the input message for response requirements, determine contents of a response to the input message, where the contents of the response emulate a response of the suspension controller, and generate a response message including the contents of the response. The microcontroller is configured to output the response message to the vehicle network via the DID connector.

A vehicle includes a high voltage component such as an electric actuator, an electric suspension control ECU, a battery, a signal line which transmits, to the electric suspension control ECU, a detection signal of a sensor disposed in the electric actuator, a high voltage line which supplies a high voltage from the battery to the electric actuator, and a fixing member which fixes the signal line and the high voltage line to a vehicle body, a length of the signal line from the fixing member to the electric actuator is shorter than a length of the high voltage line from the fixing member to the electric actuator, and the electric suspension control ECU suppresses the supply of the high voltage to the electric actuator, in a case where abnormality occurs in the signal line.

A voltage converter of a high voltage driver generates a high voltage applied to an electrorheological damper. The voltage converter and the electrorheological damper are electrically connected together through a connecting portion. The connecting portion comprises an electrode pin that connects the voltage converter and an electrode cylinder of the electrorheological damper; a ground pin that connects an external cylinder of the electrorheological damper and ground, and a ground detection pin disposed separately from the ground pin and connected to the ground through the external cylinder and the ground pin. When the ground detection pin and the ground are disconnected, the voltage converter discontinues the voltage generation with or without a command (control signal) of a sub-controller.