Vehicle height adjusting system

Abstract

A first rotor (24; 124) and a second rotor (25; 125) are arranged in a coaxial and mutually rotatable relationship and are provided with a first driven gear (41; 141) and a second driven gear (42; 142), respectively. A drive shaft (31; 131) is also provided with a first drive gear (43; 143) and a second drive gear (44; 144) which are commonly connected to an output shaft of an electric motor (32; 132), and mesh with the first and second driven gears, respectively, at slightly different gear ratios. The first and second rotors are connected via a thread feed mechanism (36; 136) that converts a relative rotation between the first and second rotors into an axial linear movement between the first and second rotors that is used for changing a distance between a vehicle body part and a corresponding end of a suspension spring in a vehicle height adjusting system (9; 109). Owing to a differential rotation of a high gear ratio between the first and second rotors, a significant torque amplification is possible with a compact arrangement. The use of spur gears instead of a worm gear mechanism minimizes torque loss.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Now the present invention is described in the following with reference to the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a front wheel suspension system to which the first embodiment of the present invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a part of FIG. 1 indicated by II;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the drive control unit for the vehicle height adjusting system of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the meshing relationship between the drive shaft and the first and second rotors;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of a rear wheel suspension system to which the sixth embodiment of the present invention is applied;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a part of FIG. 10 indicated by XI;

FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view showing the meshing relationship between the various gears in a single plane;

FIG. 13 is a partly broken away perspective view showing the radial support mechanism;

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the essential components of the radial support mechanism; FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the slider showing the back side of the slider;

FIG. 16 is a cross sectional view showing the mode of operation of the radial support mechanism;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the modified embodiment of the slider; and

FIG. 18 is a view similar to FIG. 11 showing the mode of operation of the vehicle height adjusting system of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle height adjusting system for a wheel suspension system that is configured to be interposed between one of a vehicle end member and a wheel end member, and an opposing end of a suspension spring, the vehicle height adjusting system comprising: a housing (21; 121) connected to said one of the vehicle end member and wheel end member;a spring seat retainer (28; 128) connected to said opposing end of the suspension spring;a first rotor (24; 124) rotatably supported by the housing and provided with a first driven gear (41; 141) along an outer periphery thereof;a second rotor (25; 125) rotatably supported by the spring seat retainer and provided with a second driven gear (42; 142) along an outer periphery thereof, the second rotor being coaxially disposed in relation with the first rotor around a common axial line and joined with the first rotor via a threading coupling (36; 136) that converts a relative rotation around the common axial line into a relative linear movement of the first and second rotors towards and away from each other along the common axial line;a drive shaft (31; 131) rotatably supported by the housing and provided with a first drive gear (43; 143) meshing with the first driven gear and a second drive gear (43; 43) meshing with the second driven gear; anda drive mechanism (32; 132) mounted on the housing for turning the drive shaft;a gear ratio between the first drive gear and first driven gear being different from a gear ratio between the second drive gear and second driven gear.

2. The vehicle height adjusting system according to claim 1, wherein the second drive gear is provided with such a width as to ensure meshing with the second driven gear over an entire linear axial travel of the second rotor relative to the first rotor.

3. The vehicle height adjusting system according to claim 2, wherein the drive shaft comprises a drive pinion formed with the first and second drive gears in a coaxial relationship.

4. The vehicle height adjusting system according to claim 3, wherein the first rotor is provided with a first disk (24b) around which :the first driven gear is formed, and a central shaft (24a) integrally extending axially from the disk in a coaxial relationship and formed with a male thread (24c) for the threading coupling on an outer periphery thereof, and the second rotor is provided with a second disk (25b) around which the second driven gear is formed, the second rotor being provided with a central bore formed with a female thread (25c) that engages the male thread of the first rotor.

5. The vehicle height adjusting system according to claim 1, wherein the first rotor is provided with a central bore for passing a damper rod (12) of a damper (6) therethrough.

6. The vehicle height adjusting system according to claim 5, wherein the first rotor is rotatably supported by the damper rod via a radial bearing (26a).

7. The vehicle height adjusting system according to claim 2, wherein the drive shaft comprises a cylindrical member and the first and second drive gears are formed on an inner periphery of the cylindrical member as internal gears.

8. The vehicle height adjusting system according to claim 7, further comprising a radial force supporting mechanism (138) provided between an inner periphery of the drive shaft and an outer periphery of the second rotor at a location that diagonally oppose a location at which the second drive gear meshes with the second driven gear, the radial force supporting member including a guide plate (161) supported by the housing and a slider (162) guided by the guide plate in an axially slidable but rotationally fast manner, the slider engaging the second rotor in an axially fast but circumferentially slidable manner.

9. The vehicle height adjusting system according to claim 8, wherein the guide plate is made of resilient material so as to resiliently urge the slider against an opposing surface of the second rotor.

10. The vehicle height adjusting system according to claim 7, wherein a bearing (152) is interposed between an inner circumferential surface of the housing and an opposing outer circumferential surface of the second rotor.

11. The vehicle height adjusting system according to claim 7, wherein the spring seat retainer comprises a cylindrical extension (127a) depending from a lower end of a central part thereof and the housing comprises a cylindrical extension (121c) depending from a lower end of a central part thereof and received in the cylindrical extension of the spring seat retainer, a bearing (151) being interposed between an inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical extension of the spring seat retainer and an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical extension of the housing.

12. The vehicle height adjusting system according to claim 7, wherein the first rotor is provided with a first disk (124b) around which the first driven gear is formed, and a central shaft (124a) integrally extending axially from the disk in a coaxial relationship and formed with a male thread (124c) for the threading coupling on an outer periphery thereof, and the second rotor is provided with a second disk (125b) around which the second driven gear is formed, the upper end of the first disk being formed with a recess (146) coaxial with the first driven gear in which a boss (145) depending from the opposing wall of the housing is rotatably received.