An air suspension apparatus includes a compressor configured to compress air, a tank configured to store the air, a tank-side suction conduit configured to supply the compressed air in this tank to an intake side of the compressor, a tank conduit connecting a discharge side of the compressor and the tank, an air suspension connected to the discharge side of the compressor via an air drier, an intake electromagnetic valve provided in the tank-side suction conduit, a return electromagnetic valve provided in the tank conduit, and a discharge conduit provided so as to branch off from between the discharge side of the compressor and the air drier and configured to be connected to an atmosphere by opening a discharge electromagnetic valve.

An apparatus and a method for controlling vehicle suspension, which controls a variable damper in consideration of virtual tire damping, may include a variable damper which is installed between a vehicle body and a wheel, a first acceleration sensor which is installed at each corner of the vehicle body to measure a vehicle body corner vertical acceleration, a second acceleration sensor which is installed to each wheel to measure a wheel vertical acceleration, and a controller that estimates a road surface roughness based on the vehicle body corner vertical acceleration and the wheel vertical acceleration, determines a virtual tire damping required damping force based on the estimated road surface roughness, and adjusts a damping force of the variable damper based on the determined virtual tire damping required damping force.

A controller includes a target frequency determining unit, first and second acceleration sensors, and a predetermined variable calculator. The target frequency determining unit determines a target frequency from a vibration state of a vibration source. The first acceleration sensor obtains a first acceleration of a mass member. The second acceleration sensor obtains a second acceleration of a vibration controlled member. The predetermined variable calculator calculates a predetermined variable of a transfer function of the first acceleration with respect to the second acceleration at the target frequency. If the predetermined variable is a numeric value other than 0, the controller changes a magnetic force generated in an electromagnet.

In each of a first stabilizer device and a second stabilizer device, a stabilizer bar is supported by one or more cylinders, a communication passage via which two fluid chambers of each cylinder are connected is provided, and an opening-closing valve is disposed in the communication passage such that an inter-fluid-chamber communication state where the two fluid chambers communicate with each other and an inter-fluid-chamber shutoff state where the two fluid chambers are shut off from each other are selectively established. Hereby, a vehicle body roll restraining effect is achieved in the inter-fluid-chamber shutoff state while the vehicle body roll restraining effect is cancelled in the inter-fluid-chamber communication state. A linkage mechanism by which those two states of each of the stabilizer devices are changed in conjunction with each other is provided.

In a stabilizer device, a stabilizer bar having both ends connected to right and left wheel holding portions is supported at a pair of right and left supported portions of the stabilizer bar by a vehicle body via a pair of cylinders that can be extended and retracted based on vertical movement of wheels. The stabilizer device includes two communication passages, each of which allows one of two liquid chambers of one of the pair of cylinders and the other of two liquid chambers of the other cylinder to communicate with each other. The stabilizer device further includes an inter-passage communication passage that allows the two communication passages to communicate with each other, and an on-off valve that is opened and closed to open and close the inter-passage communication passage.

An apparatus includes an electric motor including a stator and a translator; a three-phase inverter electrically coupled to the electric motor; a power source electrically coupled to the three-phase inverter; and a controller communicatively coupled to the three-phase inverter. The controller is programmed to determine at least three measurements at different times of flux linkage from the electric motor, represent the measurements in Clarke coordinates, determine Clarke coordinates of a center of a circle defined by the Clarke coordinates of the measurements, and determine a position of the translator relative to the stator based on the Clarke coordinates of the center of the circle.

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.

A damper system for a vehicle is provided that includes a pressurized gas damper, electromagnetic actuator, and pressurized gas spring. The pressurized gas damper includes first and second working chambers that are fluidly connected by a flow control orifice. The electromagnetic actuator includes a stator assembly with a stator cavity and a magnetic rotor that is slidingly received in the stator cavity. The magnetic rotor is fixed to a damper tube that houses the second working chamber. The stator cavity and an end of the damper tube cooperate to define the first working chamber. The pressurized gas spring includes a bellows chamber that extends annularly about the damper tube. The damper tube includes an opening between the second working chamber and the bellows chamber.

In each of a first stabilizer device and a second stabilizer device, a stabilizer bar is supported by one or more cylinders, a communication passage via which two fluid chambers of each cylinder are connected is provided, and an opening-closing valve is disposed in the communication passage such that an inter-fluid-chamber communication state where the two fluid chambers communicate with each other and an inter-fluid-chamber shutoff state where the two fluid chambers are shut off from each other are selectively established. Hereby, a vehicle body roll restraining effect is achieved in the inter-fluid-chamber shutoff state while the vehicle body roll restraining effect is cancelled in the inter-fluid-chamber communication state. A linkage mechanism by which those two states of each of the stabilizer devices are changed in conjunction with each other is provided.

An inductive shock absorber for a motor vehicle is provided having a cylindrical damper tube and a damper rod. A related method for operating a shock absorber is also provided.