WO2010035877A1 - Vehicle controller - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a vehicle controller which can prolong the lifetime of wheels by preventing partial abrasion of wheels.  The vehicle controller (100) can control a camber angle regulator (44) in such a manner that a ground camber angle, obtained by taking account of the roll angle of the vehicle (1) and a body camber angle, is decreased.  Since not only variations in body camber angle but also variations in ground camber angle incident to the variations in angle of inclination of the vehicle (1) with respect to the ground can be limited, partial abrasion of a wheel (2) caused by the vehicle (1) traveling in a state where the ground camber angle has changed is prevented, and the lifetime of the wheel (2) can be prolonged.  Furthermore, variations in ground camber angle can be limited individually for each wheel (2) because the ground camber angle of each of wheels (2) can be decreased.  Consequently, partial abrasion of each wheel (2) can be prevented properly, and the lifetime of the wheel (2) can be prolonged efficiently for one vehicle (1).

Description

Vehicle control device

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device used in a vehicle including a wheel and a camber angle adjusting device that adjusts the camber angle of the wheel, and in particular, prevents uneven wear of the wheel and extends the life of the wheel. The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that can be realized.

Conventionally, a technique for adjusting a camber angle of a wheel to a desired camber angle by a driving force of an actuator is known. With regard to this type of technology, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that suppresses a change in camber angle associated with a change in suspension stroke by adjusting the camber angle in accordance with the stroke amount of the suspension.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-178057

However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above, no consideration is given to the inclination of the vehicle body with respect to the road surface, and the camber angle of the wheel is adjusted only in accordance with the stroke amount of the suspension. Although the change can be suppressed, the change in camber angle (ground camber angle) with respect to the road surface cannot be suppressed, and as a result, the vehicle runs with the ground camber angle changed, causing uneven wear on the wheels. There was a problem that the life of the wheel was shortened.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that can prevent uneven wear of wheels and increase the life of the wheels. .

In order to achieve this object, a vehicle control device according to claim 1 includes a vehicle body, a plurality of wheels that support the vehicle body, and a camber angle adjusting device that independently adjusts camber angles of the plurality of wheels. A ground inclination angle obtaining means for obtaining a ground inclination angle with respect to a road surface that is an inclination angle around a longitudinal axis of the vehicle body, and a camber angle of the wheel that is an angle with respect to the vehicle body. The vehicle camber angle acquisition means for acquiring the vehicle camber angle independently for each of the plurality of wheels, and the vehicle camber angle and the ground inclination angle acquisition means acquired by the vehicle camber angle acquisition means. A pair of camber angles of the wheels, the ground camber angles with respect to the road surface being independently acquired for the plurality of wheels based on the ground inclination angle. A camber angle acquisition means, and a camber control means for the ground camber angle acquired in the ground camber angle acquisition means controls the camber angle adjustment device so as to reduce each of the plurality of wheels, a.

The vehicle control device according to claim 2 is the vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an absolute inclination angle acquisition means for acquiring an absolute inclination angle with respect to a horizontal plane that is an inclination angle around the longitudinal axis of the vehicle body, Road surface inclination angle acquisition means for acquiring the road surface inclination angle around the front-rear axis of the vehicle body, and the ground inclination angle acquisition means is acquired by the absolute inclination angle acquisition means. The ground inclination angle is acquired based on the absolute inclination angle and the road inclination angle acquired by the road inclination angle acquisition means.

The vehicle control device according to claim 3 is the vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle includes a suspension device that connects the vehicle body and a wheel, and the vehicle is connected to the vehicle via the wheel. The suspension device is configured to be extendable and retractable in order to reduce vibration transmitted to the vehicle body, and the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body changes as the suspension device expands and contracts, and the expansion amount of the suspension device is acquired. Expansion / contraction amount acquisition means; and storage means for storing the expansion / contraction amount of the suspension device in association with the anti-vehicle camber angle, wherein the anti-vehicle camber angle acquisition means is acquired by the expansion / contraction amount acquisition means The carbody camber angle corresponding to the amount of expansion / contraction of the suspension device is read from the storage means, and the carbody camber angle is obtained.

The vehicle control device according to claim 4 is the vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein the usage progress acquisition means for acquiring the usage progress of the vehicle and the usage acquired by the usage progress acquisition means. A camber angle correcting unit that corrects the camber angle to the vehicle acquired by the vehicle camber angle acquiring unit according to the degree of progress, and the ground camber angle acquiring unit is corrected by the camber angle correcting unit. The ground camber angle is acquired independently for each of the plurality of wheels based on the ground camber angle and the ground tilt angle acquired by the ground tilt angle acquisition means.

According to the vehicle control device of claim 1, the ground camber angle acquisition is performed based on the vehicle body camber angle acquired by the vehicle body camber angle acquisition means and the ground inclination angle of the vehicle body acquired by the ground inclination angle acquisition means. The ground camber angle is acquired by the means. That is, it is possible to obtain the camber angle (ground camber angle) of the wheel with respect to the road surface in consideration of the camber angle of the wheel with respect to the vehicle body (angle with respect to the vehicle body) and the inclination angle of the vehicle body with respect to the road surface (ground inclination angle).

Then, the camber angle adjusting device is controlled by the camber control means so that the ground camber angle acquired by the ground camber angle acquisition means decreases. That is, the wheel camber angle (ground camber angle) with respect to the road surface obtained by considering the wheel camber angle with respect to the vehicle body (with respect to the vehicle body camber angle) and the vehicle body inclination angle with respect to the road surface (ground inclination angle) is reduced. The camber angle adjusting device can be controlled.

Therefore, not only the change in the camber angle of the vehicle body but also the change in the camber angle of the ground caused by the change in the inclination angle of the vehicle body can suppress the uneven wear of the wheels caused by the vehicle traveling with the ground camber angle changed. It is possible to prevent the problem and to increase the service life of the wheel.

Furthermore, since the change of the ground camber angle can be suppressed, it is possible to prevent the ground contact area of the wheel from decreasing due to the change of the ground camber angle and to exhibit the grip performance of the wheel. .

According to the vehicle control device of the present invention, when the ground camber angle acquisition unit acquires the ground camber angle, the ground camber angle is acquired independently for each of the plurality of wheels, and the camber angle control unit acquires the camber angle. When controlling the angle adjustment device, the camber angle adjustment device is controlled so that the ground camber angle acquired by the ground camber angle acquisition means decreases at each of the plurality of wheels. Each can be suppressed individually. Therefore, there is an effect that uneven wear of each wheel can be appropriately prevented, and the life of the wheel for one vehicle can be efficiently increased.

According to the vehicle control device of the second aspect, in addition to the effect produced by the vehicle control device of the first aspect, the ground inclination angle acquisition means includes the absolute inclination angle of the vehicle body acquired by the absolute inclination angle acquisition means, and Based on the road surface inclination angle acquired by the road surface inclination angle acquisition means, the vehicle body inclination angle is acquired, that is, the inclination angle (absolute inclination angle) around the longitudinal axis of the vehicle body with respect to the horizontal plane and the front and back sides of the vehicle body on the road surface with respect to the horizontal plane Since the inclination angle of the vehicle body with respect to the road surface (ground inclination angle) can be obtained in consideration of the inclination angle around the axis (road surface inclination angle), there is an effect that the inclination angle of the vehicle body with respect to the ground can be easily obtained.

That is, the absolute inclination angle and the road surface inclination angle of the vehicle body are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-084072 such as a known device mounted on a vehicle (for example, a gyro sensor disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-227026). A navigation device or the like), the inclination angle of the vehicle body to the ground can be easily obtained using an existing device mounted on the vehicle.

In addition, since the vehicle body inclination angle is a relative inclination angle with respect to the road surface, it is difficult to detect the vehicle body inclination angle directly when the vehicle body inclination angle is directly detected. Since the absolute inclination angle and the road surface inclination angle are detected and the ground inclination angle of the vehicle body can be acquired based on the detection result, the inclination angle of the vehicle body can be easily obtained.

According to the vehicle control device of the third aspect, in addition to the effect produced by the vehicle control device according to the first or second aspect, the anti-vehicle camber angle acquisition means is the suspension device acquired by the expansion / contraction amount acquisition means. Since the anti-vehicle camber angle corresponding to the amount of expansion / contraction is read from the storage means and the anti-vehicle camber angle is acquired, the anti-vehicle camber angle can be easily acquired as compared with the case of directly detecting the anti-vehicle camber angle. There is an effect.

That is, when directly detecting the camber angle against the vehicle body, it is necessary to detect the angle. However, according to the present invention, the expansion / contraction amount (distance) of the suspension device is detected, and the camber camber against the vehicle body is detected based on the detection result. Since the angle can be acquired, it is not necessary to detect an angle that is more complicated and difficult than the distance detection, and the camber angle to the vehicle body can be easily obtained.

According to the vehicle control device of the fourth aspect, in addition to the effect produced by the vehicle control device of the third aspect, the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body according to the use progress degree of the vehicle acquired by the use progress acquisition means. Since the camber angle against the vehicle acquired by the acquisition means is corrected by the camber angle correction means, the correlation between the amount of expansion / contraction of the suspension caused by the progress of the usage period such as the vehicle usage period and the accumulated travel distance and the camber angle against the vehicle body The camber angle with respect to the vehicle body can be obtained in consideration of the deviation.

That is, as the degree of usage of the vehicle progresses, the correlation between the amount of expansion and contraction of the suspension system and the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body becomes distorted due to the aging of the suspension device. Deviation occurs from the camber angle. On the other hand, according to the present invention, since the camber angle correction means acquired by the camber angle acquisition means can be corrected by the camber angle correction means, such a deviation can be corrected.

The ground camber angle acquisition means acquires the ground camber angle based on the ground camber angle corrected by the camber angle correction means and the ground inclination angle of the vehicle body acquired by the ground inclination angle acquisition means. The ground camber angle can be obtained after correcting the deviation between the acquired camber angle and the actual camber angle.

Therefore, there is an effect that the ground camber angle can be obtained with high accuracy even when the vehicle usage progresses. As a result, there is an effect that uneven wear of the wheel can be prevented over a long period of time and the life of the wheel can be reliably increased.

It is the schematic diagram which showed typically the vehicle by which the vehicle control apparatus in 1st Embodiment of this invention is mounted. It is a front view of a suspension apparatus. It is the block diagram which showed the electric constitution of the control apparatus for vehicles. It is a flowchart which shows a camber control process. It is a flowchart which shows the camber control process in 2nd Embodiment. It is the block diagram which showed the electric constitution of the control apparatus for vehicles in 3rd Embodiment. (A) is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating the contents of a camber angle map, and (b) is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating the contents of a correction coefficient map. It is a flowchart which shows the camber control process in 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the camber control process in 4th Embodiment. It is a front view of the suspension apparatus in 5th Embodiment.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a vehicle 1 on which a vehicle control device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted. Note that arrows UD, LR, and FB in FIG. 1 indicate the up-down direction, left-right direction, and front-rear direction of the vehicle 1, respectively.

First, the schematic configuration of the vehicle 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 includes a vehicle body frame BF, a plurality of (four wheels in the present embodiment) wheels 2 that support the vehicle body frame BF, and some of the wheels 2 (this embodiment). In this embodiment, the wheel drive device 3 that rotationally drives the left and right front wheels 2FL, 2FR, the suspension device 4 that connects the wheel 2 and the vehicle body frame BF, and a part of each wheel 2 (in this embodiment) , And a steering device 5 for steering the left and right front wheels 2FL, 2FR), and suppressing the change of the camber angle of the wheel 2 with respect to the road surface (hereinafter referred to as “ground camber angle”), the wheel 2 Thus, it is possible to prevent the uneven wear of the wheel 2 and to increase the life of the wheel 2.

Next, the detailed configuration of each part will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the wheel 2 includes left and right front wheels 2FL and 2FR located on the front side (arrow F direction side) of the vehicle 1 and left and right rear wheels located on the rear side (arrow B direction side) of the vehicle 1. Wheels 2RL and 2RR are provided. The left and right front wheels 2FL and 2FR are configured as driving wheels that are rotationally driven by the rotational driving force applied from the wheel driving device 3, while the left and right rear wheels 2RL and 2RR are associated with the traveling of the vehicle 1. It is configured as a driven wheel to be driven.

As described above, the wheel driving device 3 is a device for rotationally driving the left and right front wheels 2FL and 2FR, and is configured by an electric motor 3a as described later (see FIG. 3). Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the electric motor 3 a is connected to the left and right front wheels 2 FL and 2 FR via a differential gear (not shown) and a pair of drive shafts 31.

When the driver operates the accelerator pedal 61, a rotational driving force is applied from the wheel drive device 3 to the left and right front wheels 2FL, 2FR, and the left and right front wheels 2FL, 2FR rotate according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal 61. Driven at speed. The difference in rotation between the left and right front wheels 2FL and 2FR is absorbed by the differential gear.

The suspension device 4 functions as a so-called suspension for mitigating vibration transmitted from the road surface to the vehicle body frame BF via the wheels 2, and is provided corresponding to each wheel 2 as shown in FIG. It has been. Further, the suspension device 4 in the present embodiment also has a function as a camber angle adjusting mechanism for adjusting the camber angle of the wheel 2.

Here, the detailed configuration of the suspension device 4 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of the suspension device 4. In addition, since the structure of each suspension apparatus 4 is respectively common, the suspension apparatus 4 corresponding to the right front wheel 2FR is illustrated in FIG. 2 as a representative example. However, in FIG. 2, illustration of the drive shaft 31 and the like is omitted for easy understanding.

As shown in FIG. 2, the suspension device 4 mainly includes a shock absorber 41, a lower arm 42, an axle carrier 43, and an FR actuator 44FR, and is configured as a strut suspension.

The shock absorber 41 attenuates vibration transmitted to the vehicle body frame BF by expanding and contracting, and is configured by a so-called damper. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper end (upper side in FIG. 2) is connected to the vehicle body frame BF. The lower end (lower side in FIG. 2) is connected to the vehicle body frame BF via the lower arm 42.

Further, the shock absorber 41 includes a connecting arm 41a as shown in FIG. The connecting arm 41a connects the axle carrier 43 to the shock absorber 41. One end (right side in FIG. 2) is fixed to the lower end side of the shock absorber 41, and the other end (left side in FIG. 2) connects the camber shaft 45. Via the axle carrier 43.

As described above, the lower arm 42 connects the lower end of the shock absorber 41 to the vehicle body frame BF. As shown in FIG. 2, one end (right side in FIG. 2) is connected to the vehicle body frame BF, and the other end (left side in FIG. 2). ) Are pivotally supported on the shock absorber 41 via rubber bushes (not shown).

The axle carrier 43 supports the wheel 2 in a rotatable manner, and is connected to the shock absorber 41 via a connecting arm 41a and an FR actuator 44FR as shown in FIG.

The FR actuator 44FR is a device for connecting the axle carrier 43 to the shock absorber 41 and adjusting the distance between the axle carrier 43 and the shock absorber 41, and is constituted by a hydraulic cylinder. As shown in FIG. 2, the FR actuator 44FR has a main body portion (right side in FIG. 2) pivotally supported by the shock absorber 41 and a rod portion (left side in FIG. 2) connected to the axle carrier 43 via a ball joint. ing.

According to the suspension device 4 configured as described above, when the FR actuator 44FR is driven to extend and contract, the wheel 2 is driven to swing around the camber shaft 45, and a predetermined camber angle is imparted to the wheel 2. .

Further, for example, when a person gets on the vehicle 1 or loads are loaded and the suspension device 4 (shock absorber 41) strokes, the wheel 2 swings around the camber shaft 45 as a central axis, and the wheel 2 with respect to the vehicle body frame BF. Camber angle (hereinafter referred to as “versus-vehicle camber angle”) changes.

Referring back to FIG. The steering device 5 is a device for transmitting the operation of the steering 63 by the driver to the left and right front wheels 2FL, 2FR to perform a steering operation, and is configured as a so-called rack and pinion type steering gear.

According to the steering device 5, the operation (rotation) of the steering 63 by the driver is first transmitted to the universal joint 52 via the steering column 51, and the pinion 53 a of the steering box 53 is changed while the angle is changed by the universal joint 52. Is transmitted as rotational motion. Then, the rotational motion transmitted to the pinion 53a is converted into a linear motion of the rack 53b, and the tie rod 54 connected to both ends of the rack 53b moves by the linear motion of the rack 53b. As a result, the tie rod 54 pushes and pulls the knuckle 55, so that a predetermined steering angle is given to the wheel 2.

The accelerator pedal 61 and the brake pedal 62 are operated by the driver, and the traveling speed and braking force of the vehicle 1 are determined in accordance with the operation state of each pedal 61, 62 (stepping amount, stepping speed, etc.). Then, drive control of the wheel drive device 3 is performed. The steering 63 is operated by the driver, and the steering operation of the wheel 2 by the steering device 5 is performed according to the operation state (rotation angle, rotation speed, etc.).

The navigation device 82 is a device for acquiring the current position of the vehicle 1 using GPS and acquiring information on the road surface at the current position of the vehicle 1, and as the road surface information, at least the inclination of the road surface with respect to the horizontal plane The angle of the vehicle body frame BF around the front-rear axis (hereinafter referred to as “road surface inclination angle”) can be acquired.

The vehicle control device 100 is a device for controlling each part of the vehicle 1 configured as described above. For example, the operation state of the pedals 61 and 62 is detected, and a wheel drive device is detected according to the detection result. The wheel 3 is rotationally driven by drivingly controlling the wheel 3.

Also, the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is calculated, and the camber angle adjusting device 44 (see FIG. 3) is driven and controlled according to the calculation result, thereby suppressing the change in the ground camber angle of each wheel 2. Here, with reference to FIG. 3, the detailed structure of the control apparatus 100 for vehicles is demonstrated.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the vehicle control device 100. As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle control device 100 includes a CPU 71, a ROM 72, and a RAM 73, which are connected to an input / output port 75 via a bus line 74. A plurality of devices such as the wheel driving device 3 are connected to the input / output port 75.

The CPU 71 is an arithmetic unit that controls each unit connected by the bus line 74. The ROM 72 is a non-rewritable nonvolatile memory storing a control program executed by the CPU 71, fixed value data, and the like, and the RAM 73 is a memory for storing various data in a rewritable manner when the control program is executed. . The ROM 72 stores a program of the flowchart (camber control process) illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5.

As described above, the wheel drive device 3 is a device for rotationally driving the left and right front wheels 2FL, 2FR (see FIG. 1), and an electric motor 3a that applies a rotational driving force to the left and right front wheels 2FL, 2FR. A drive control circuit (not shown) for driving and controlling the electric motor 3a based on a command from the CPU 71 is mainly provided. However, the wheel drive device 3 is not limited to the electric motor 3a, and other drive sources can naturally be adopted. Examples of other drive sources include a hydraulic motor and an engine.

The camber angle adjusting device 44 is a device for adjusting the camber angle of each wheel 2, and as described above, a total of four FL to RR actuators 44 FL to 44 RR for imparting a camber angle to each wheel 2, The actuator 44FL to 44RR is mainly provided with a drive control circuit (not shown) that controls the drive based on a command from the CPU 71.

As described above, the FL to RR actuators 44FL to 44RR are constituted by hydraulic cylinders, and a hydraulic pump (not shown) that supplies oil (hydraulic pressure) to each hydraulic cylinder, and from the hydraulic pump to each hydraulic cylinder. An electromagnetic valve (not shown) for switching the supply direction of supplied oil is mainly provided.

When the drive control circuit of the camber angle adjusting device 44 controls the hydraulic pump based on an instruction from the CPU 71, the hydraulic cylinders (FL to RR actuators 44FL to 44RR) are expanded and contracted by the oil supplied from the hydraulic pump. The When the solenoid valve is turned on / off, the drive direction (extension or contraction) of each hydraulic cylinder (FL to RR actuators 44FL to 44RR) is switched.

The CPU 71 detects the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body of each wheel 2 by the camber angle sensor device 80 and sends an instruction to the drive control circuit of the camber angle adjusting device 44 until the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body of each wheel 2 reaches the target value. .

The camber angle sensor device 80 is a device for detecting the camber angle of each wheel 2 with respect to the vehicle body and outputting the detection result to the CPU 71. The camber angle sensor device 80 detects the camber angle of each wheel 2 with respect to the vehicle body in the generation direction (positive direction or negative direction). A total of four FL to RR camber angle sensors 80FL to 80RR that are detected in association with each other, and a processing circuit (not shown) that processes the detection results of the camber angle sensors 80FL to 80RR and outputs them to the CPU 71. And.

In the present embodiment, each camber angle sensor 80FL to 80RR is configured as a millimeter wave radar that measures the angle of an object using millimeter waves. These camber angle sensors 80FL to 80RR are disposed on the vehicle body frame BF (see FIG. 1), and transmit the millimeter wave toward each wheel 2 to measure the angle of the axle carrier 43. A camber angle with respect to the vehicle body can be obtained. However, each of the camber angle sensors 80FL to 80RR is not limited to the millimeter wave radar, and other types of radars can naturally be employed. Examples of other types of radar include an infrared radar and an ultrasonic radar.

The gyro sensor device 81 is a device for detecting the roll angle of the vehicle 1 and outputting the detection result to the CPU 71. The gyro sensor device 81 detects the rotation angular velocity around the front and rear axes of the body frame BF in association with the rotation direction. A sensor 81a, a roll angle calculation unit (not shown) that calculates the roll angle of the vehicle 1 in association with the roll direction by differentiating the detection result of the roll sensor 81a, and the calculation result of the roll angle calculation unit. And a processing circuit (not shown) for processing and outputting to the CPU 71.

In the present embodiment, the roll sensor 81a is composed of an optical gyro sensor that detects the rotational angular velocity by the Sagnac effect. However, it is naturally possible to employ other types of gyro sensors. Examples of other types of gyro sensors include mechanical and fluid gyro sensors.

Here, the roll angle of the vehicle 1 detected by the gyro sensor device 81 is an inclination angle around the front-rear axis of the body frame BF and means an absolute inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane. It is defined separately.

As described above, the navigation device 82 is a device for acquiring the current position of the vehicle 1 using GPS and acquiring the road surface inclination angle at the current position of the vehicle 1 and receiving radio waves from GPS satellites. A current position acquisition unit (not shown) for acquiring the current position of the vehicle 1, a road surface information storage unit (not shown) for storing road surface information including the road surface inclination angle in association with map data, etc., and It mainly includes a processing circuit (not shown) that processes the current position of the vehicle 1 acquired by the current position acquisition unit and the road surface information stored in the road surface information storage unit and outputs the processed information to the CPU 71.

The CPU 71 can obtain the road surface inclination angle at the current position of the vehicle 1 in association with the inclination direction based on the current position and road surface information of the vehicle 1 input from the navigation device 82.

The navigation device 82 in the present embodiment includes a road surface information storage unit that stores road surface information in association with map data or the like, but instead of the road surface information storage unit, a road surface including a road surface inclination angle. A road surface information reading unit that reads road surface information from a storage medium in which information on the road surface is stored in association with map data or the like may be provided, and the road surface information read by the road surface information reading unit may be output to the CPU 71. good.

Also in this case, the CPU 71 can obtain the road surface inclination angle at the current position of the vehicle 1 based on the current position and road surface information of the vehicle 1 input from the navigation device 82.

The vehicle speed sensor device 83 is a device for detecting the ground speed (absolute value and traveling direction) of the vehicle 1 with respect to the road surface and outputting the detection result to the CPU 71, and detects the rotation speed of each wheel 2. A total of four rotational speed sensors (not shown) and a processing circuit (not shown) for processing the detection results of the respective rotational speed sensors and outputting them to the CPU 71 are provided.

The CPU 71 calculates the rotational speed of each wheel 2 based on the detection result of each rotational speed sensor input from the vehicle speed sensor device 83, and obtains the ground speed by the average value of the calculated rotational speed of each wheel 2. be able to.

The accelerator pedal sensor device 61a is a device for detecting the operation state of the accelerator pedal 61 and outputting the detection result to the CPU 71. An angle sensor (not shown) for detecting the depression amount of the accelerator pedal 61; A processing circuit (not shown) that processes the detection result of the angle sensor and outputs the result to the CPU 71 is provided.

The brake pedal sensor device 62a is a device for detecting the operation state of the brake pedal 62 and outputting the detection result to the CPU 71. An angle sensor (not shown) for detecting the depression amount of the brake pedal 62; A processing circuit (not shown) that processes the detection result of the angle sensor and outputs the result to the CPU 71 is provided.

The steering sensor device 63a is a device for detecting the operation state of the steering 63 and outputting the detection result to the CPU 71, and an angle sensor (not shown) for detecting the operation amount (rotation angle) of the steering 63. And a processing circuit (not shown) that processes the detection result of the angle sensor and outputs the result to the CPU 71.

In the present embodiment, each angle sensor is configured as a contact type potentiometer using electrical resistance. The CPU 71 obtains the depression amounts of the pedals 61 and 62 and the rotation angle of the steering 63 from the detection results of the angle sensors input from the sensor devices 61a, 62a and 63a, and time-differentiates the detection results. The depression speed of each pedal 61, 62 and the rotation speed of the steering 63 can be obtained.

Other input / output devices 84 shown in FIG. 3 include, for example, a road surface inclination angle sensor that detects the road surface inclination angle in a non-contact manner, and a wheel that detects the amount of wear of each wheel 2 by dividing it in the width direction of the wheel 2. An example is a wear sensor.

Next, camber control processing will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing camber control processing. This camber control process is a process that is repeatedly executed by the CPU 71 (for example, at intervals of 0.2 ms) while the power of the vehicle control device 100 is turned on, and by suppressing the change in the ground camber angle, The uneven wear of the wheel 2 is prevented and the life of the wheel 2 is extended.

Regarding the camber control process, the CPU 71 first acquires the road surface inclination angle at the current position of the vehicle 1 (S1), detects the roll angle of the vehicle 1 (S2), and sets the camber angle of each wheel 2 with respect to the vehicle body. Detect (S3). These processes are performed using the navigation device 82, the gyro sensor device 81, and the camber angle sensor device 80 (all of which are shown in FIG. 3) as described above.

Next, based on the road surface inclination angle at the current position of the vehicle 1 acquired in the process of S1 and the roll angle of the vehicle 1 detected in the process of S2, the inclination angle with respect to the road surface is an inclination angle around the longitudinal axis of the body frame BF. An angle (hereinafter referred to as “the inclination angle of the vehicle 1 with respect to the ground”) is calculated in association with the inclination direction (S4).

Specifically, when the road surface inclination direction at the current position of the vehicle 1 and the roll direction of the vehicle 1 are the same direction, the road surface inclination angle at the current position of the vehicle 1 and the roll angle of the vehicle 1 are subtracted. Thus, the ground inclination angle of the vehicle 1 is calculated.

On the other hand, when the road surface inclination direction at the current position of the vehicle 1 and the roll direction of the vehicle 1 are different directions, the road surface inclination angle at the current position of the vehicle 1 and the roll angle of the vehicle 1 are added, and the vehicle The ground inclination angle of 1 is calculated.

The road surface inclination direction and the vehicle 1 roll direction at the current position of the vehicle 1 are determined using the navigation device 82 and the gyro sensor device 81 as described above.

According to the process of S4, the ground inclination angle of the vehicle 1 can be obtained in consideration of the road surface inclination angle at the current position of the vehicle 1 and the roll angle of the vehicle 1, so that an existing device mounted on the vehicle 1 can be installed. The ground inclination angle of the vehicle 1 can be easily obtained by using this.

After calculating the ground inclination angle of the vehicle 1 in the process of S4, the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is generated based on the calculated ground inclination angle of the vehicle 1 and the camber angle of the vehicle body detected in the process of S3. Each is calculated in association with the direction (S5).

Specifically, when the inclination direction of the vehicle 1 with respect to the road surface and the generation direction of the camber angle to the vehicle body are the same direction, the ground camber angle is calculated by adding the ground inclination angle of the vehicle 1 and the camber angle to the vehicle body. Is calculated.

On the other hand, when the inclination direction with respect to the road surface of the vehicle 1 is different from the generation direction of the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body, the ground camber angle is calculated by subtracting the ground inclination angle with respect to the vehicle body camber angle with respect to the vehicle body. .

The direction in which the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body is generated is determined using the camber angle sensor device 80 as described above.

After calculating the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 in the process of S5, it is determined whether the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is 0 ° (S6). That is, it is determined whether or not there is a wheel 2 whose ground camber angle is not 0 °.

As a result, when it is determined that the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is 0 ° (S6: Yes), that is, the ground camber angles of all the wheels 2 (left and right front and rear wheels 2FL to 2RR) are 0 °. When it is determined that there is no wheel 2 having a ground camber angle of 0 °, each wheel 2 is grounded at a right angle to the road surface, and it is determined that there is no uneven wear of the wheel 2. , S7 and S8 are skipped, and the camber control process is terminated.

On the other hand, when it is determined as a result of the processing of S6 that the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is not 0 ° (S6: No), that is, any of the wheels 2 (left and right front and rear wheels 2FL to 2RR). 2, if it is determined that there is a wheel 2 having a ground camber angle that is not 0 °, the wheel 2 having a ground camber angle that is not 0 ° is identified and the ground camber angle is set to 0 °. The corrected camber angle to be decreased to is calculated (S7).

Then, the corrected camber angle calculated in the process of S7 is given to the wheel 2 whose ground camber angle is not 0 ° (S8), and this camber control process is terminated. As a result, not only the change in the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body but also the change in the camber angle with respect to the ground due to the change in the inclination angle of the vehicle 1 can be suppressed. The uneven wear of 2 can be prevented and the life of the wheel 2 can be extended.

Furthermore, since the change of the ground camber angle can be suppressed, the ground contact area of the wheel 2 to the road surface can be prevented from decreasing due to the change of the ground camber angle, and the grip performance of the wheel 2 can be exhibited.

Also, since the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is decreased, the change of the ground camber angle can be individually suppressed for each wheel 2. Therefore, uneven wear of each wheel 2 can be appropriately prevented, and the life of the wheel 2 with respect to one vehicle 1 can be efficiently increased.

In the flowchart (camber control process) shown in FIG. 4, the process of S4 is performed as the ground inclination angle acquisition unit according to claim 1, and the process of S3 is performed as the ground camber angle acquisition unit as the ground camber angle acquisition unit. The process of S5 corresponds to the process of S8 as the camber control means, the process of S2 as the absolute inclination angle acquisition means according to claim 2, and the process of S1 as the road surface inclination angle acquisition means.

Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing camber control processing in the second embodiment.

In the first embodiment, the case where a camber angle is given to each wheel 2 so as to reduce the ground camber angle has been described. However, in the second embodiment, each wheel 2 is assigned such that the camber angle against the vehicle body is reduced. It is comprised so that a camber angle may be provided. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part same as 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

Referring to the camber control process in the second embodiment, the CPU 71 first detects the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body of each wheel 2 (S201). This process is performed using the camber angle sensor device 80 (see FIG. 3) as described above.

Next, it is determined whether the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body 2 detected in the process of S201 is 0 ° (S202). That is, it is determined whether or not there is a wheel 2 whose camber angle with respect to the vehicle body is not 0 °.

As a result, when it is determined that the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body of each wheel 2 is 0 ° (S202: Yes), that is, the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body of all the wheels 2 (left and right front and rear wheels 2FL to 2RR) is 0 °. When it is determined that there is no wheel 2 with a camber angle other than 0 °, the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is not so large, and it is determined that uneven wear of the wheels 2 is unlikely to occur. The process of S203 and S204 is skipped, and this camber control process is terminated.

On the other hand, when it is determined as a result of the processing of S202 that the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is not 0 ° (S202: No), that is, any of the wheels 2 (left and right front and rear wheels 2FL to 2RR). 2, when it is determined that there is a wheel 2 whose camber angle is not 0 °, the wheel 2 whose camber angle is not 0 ° is specified, and the camber camber angle is determined. A corrected camber angle for reducing the angle to 0 ° is calculated (S203).

Then, the corrected camber angle calculated in the process of S203 is given to the wheel 2 whose carbody camber angle is not 0 ° (S204), and this camber control process is ended. As a result, since the change in the ground camber angle can be suppressed by suppressing the change in the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body, the partial wear of the wheel 2 can be prevented and the life of the wheel 2 can be increased.

Further, since the camber angle is given to the wheel 2 so as to reduce the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body instead of the ground camber angle, the calculation of the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is not required, and the control can be simplified.

In the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 (camber control process), the process of S201 corresponds to the camber angle acquisition means for vehicle body according to claim 1, and the process of S204 corresponds to the camber control means.

Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the vehicle control device 300 according to the third embodiment.

In the first embodiment, the case where the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body is detected using the camber angle sensor device 80 (see FIG. 3) has been described, but in the third embodiment, the suspension stroke sensor device 385 and the camber angle map 372a. Is used to detect the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part same as 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

The vehicle control device 300 according to the third embodiment includes a ROM 372 as shown in FIG. The ROM 372 is a non-rewritable nonvolatile memory that stores a control program executed by the CPU 71, fixed value data, and the like. The ROM 372 stores a program of the flowchart (camber control process) illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the ROM 372 is provided with a camber angle map 372a and a correction coefficient map 372b. Here, the camber angle map 372a and the correction coefficient map 372b will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7A is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating the contents of the camber angle map 372a, and FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating the contents of the correction coefficient map 372b.

The camber angle map 372a is a map that stores the relationship between the suspension stroke and the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body, and stores actual measurement values obtained by measuring the vehicle 1. In the present embodiment, a total of four maps corresponding to each wheel 2 are stored in the camber angle map 372a.

Here, the suspension stroke is a stroke amount (extension / contraction amount) of the suspension device 4 (shock absorber 41), and a stroke amount in an empty state where no person is on the vehicle 1 and no luggage is loaded thereon. Is set to 0. The camber angle with respect to the vehicle body is the camber angle of the wheel 2 with respect to the vehicle body frame BF, as described above, and the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body in a neutral state where no camber angle is generated is zero.

When acquiring the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body, the CPU 71 first detects the suspension stroke of each suspension device 4 (the stroke amount of each shock absorber 41), and determines the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body corresponding to the detected suspension stroke. By reading from the map 372a, the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body of each wheel 2 can be obtained.

In FIG. 7A, the suspension stroke shown on the horizontal axis is the extension direction of the suspension device 4 on the right side of FIG. 7A from 0, and the contraction direction of the suspension device 4 on the left side of FIG. The camber angle with respect to the vehicle body shown on the vertical axis represents the positive direction on the upper side of FIG. 7 (a) from 0, and the negative direction on the lower side of FIG. 7 (a) from 0, respectively. .

According to the camber angle map 372a, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the suspension stroke is 0 (that is, the vehicle 1 is empty), the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body is defined as 0. When the suspension stroke increases from 0, the camber angle of the wheel 2 gradually changes in the positive direction along with the increase, so that the anti-vehicle camber increases in the positive direction in proportion to the suspension stroke.

Further, in the structure of the vehicle 1, when the maximum limit value Lmax at which the suspension stroke can be increased is reached, the maximum value θpmax at which the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body can increase in the positive direction is defined.

On the other hand, when the suspension stroke decreases from 0, the camber angle of the wheel 2 gradually changes in the negative direction along with the decrease, so that the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body increases in the negative direction in proportion to the suspension stroke. ing.

Further, in the structure of the vehicle 1, when the limit value Lmin at which the suspension stroke can be reduced is reached, the maximum value θnmax at which the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body can be increased in the negative direction is defined.

The correction coefficient map 372b is a map that stores the relationship between the accumulated travel distance and the camber angle correction coefficient, and stores an actual measurement value measured by performing an endurance test on the vehicle 1. In the present embodiment, a total of four maps corresponding to each wheel 2 are stored in the correction coefficient map 372b.

Here, the cumulative travel distance is the cumulative travel distance traveled from the completion of the vehicle 1 to the present. The camber angle correction coefficient is a coefficient for correcting the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body acquired from the camber angle map 372a in accordance with the degree of use of the vehicle 1 (accumulated travel distance in the present embodiment).

That is, when the usage progress of the vehicle 1 progresses (when the accumulated travel distance increases), the correlation between the suspension stroke and the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body is distorted due to the aging of the suspension device 4, and thus obtained from the camber angle map 372a. Deviation occurs between the camber angle against the vehicle body and the actual camber angle against the vehicle body. The camber angle correction coefficient is obtained by associating a coefficient necessary for correcting this deviation with the degree of use (integrated travel distance) of the vehicle 1.

When correcting the camber angle to the vehicle body acquired from the camber angle map 372a, the CPU 71 first acquires the accumulated travel distance and reads the camber angle correction coefficient corresponding to the acquired accumulated travel distance from the correction coefficient map 372b. Then, by multiplying the read camber angle correction coefficient by the camber angle to the vehicle body acquired from the camber angle map 372a, the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body can be corrected according to the degree of use of the vehicle 1 (integrated travel distance). .

In addition, in FIG.7 (b), as for the integrated travel distance shown on a horizontal axis, the right side of FIG.7 (b) represents the increase direction of travel distance rather than zero.

According to the correction coefficient map 372b, as shown in FIG. 7B, the camber angle correction coefficient is defined as 1 when the cumulative travel distance is 0. That is, when the vehicle 1 is new, the suspension device 4 is not deteriorated and it is considered that the correlation between the suspension stroke and the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body is not out of order, so the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body acquired from the camber angle map 372a is Do not correct.

In addition, when the cumulative travel distance increases, the suspension device 4 deteriorates with the increase, so that the correlation between the suspension stroke and the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body gradually increases. Therefore, the camber angle correction coefficient is proportional to the cumulative travel distance. It is stipulated to increase.

And, when the accumulated travel distance reaches a predetermined value T, the camber angle correction coefficient is specified to be the maximum value Rmax. Note that even if the cumulative travel distance further increases from the predetermined value T, the aging deterioration of the suspension device 4 is considered to gradually converge, so the camber angle correction coefficient is constant at the maximum value Rmax.

Referring back to FIG. The suspension stroke sensor device 385 is a device for detecting the stroke amount of the suspension device 4 (shock absorber 41) and outputting the detection result to the CPU 71. The suspension stroke sensor device 385 detects the stroke amount of each suspension device 4 in total 4 Each of the FL to RR suspension sensors 385FL to 385RR and a processing circuit (not shown) for processing the detection results of the respective suspension sensors 385FL to 385RR and outputting them to the CPU 71 are provided.

The cumulative travel distance detection device 386 is a device for detecting the cumulative travel distance and outputting the detection result to the CPU 71. The cumulative travel distance detection device 386 stores the cumulative travel distance traveled from the completion of the vehicle 1 to the present. A distance storage unit (not shown) and a processing circuit (not shown) that processes the contents stored in the travel distance storage unit and outputs the processed contents to the CPU 71 are provided.

However, in the present embodiment, the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle 1 is detected by the cumulative travel distance detection device 386, but instead of the cumulative travel distance detection device 386, each rotational speed sensor input from the vehicle speed sensor device 83 is used. A memory for storing the detection result (the number of rotations of each wheel 2) may be provided, and the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle 1 may be calculated based on the contents stored in the memory.

In the present embodiment, the cumulative travel distance is the degree of use of the vehicle 1, but instead of the cumulative distance, the use period (the cumulative period that has elapsed since the vehicle 1 was completed) is detected. For example, a device may be provided so that the usage period detected by using the device is set as the usage progress of the vehicle 1.

Next, camber control processing in the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing camber control processing in the third embodiment.

Regarding the camber control process in the third embodiment, the CPU 71 first acquires the road surface inclination angle at the current position of the vehicle 1 (S301), detects the roll angle of the vehicle 1 (S302), and each suspension device 4 Are detected (S303). Note that these processes are performed using the navigation device 82, the gyro sensor device 81, and the suspension stroke sensor device 385 (all refer to FIG. 6), as described above.

Next, the camber angle to the vehicle body corresponding to the suspension stroke detected in the process of S303 is acquired from the camber angle map 372a (S304). For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the suspension stroke is La, the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body is read as θa.

After acquiring the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body in the process of S304, the accumulated travel distance is detected (S305). This process is performed using the integrated travel distance detection device 386 (see FIG. 6) as described above.

Next, a camber angle correction coefficient corresponding to the accumulated travel distance detected in the process of S305 is acquired from the correction coefficient map 372b (S306). For example, as shown in FIG. 7B, if the cumulative travel distance is Ta, the camber angle correction coefficient is read as Ra.

Next, the camber angle correction coefficient acquired in the process of S306 is multiplied by the camber angle for the vehicle body acquired in the process of S304 to correct the camber angle for the vehicle body of each wheel 2 (S307).

After correcting the camber angle of each wheel 2 with respect to the vehicle body in the process of S307, based on the road surface inclination angle at the current position of the vehicle 1 acquired in the process of S301 and the roll angle of the vehicle 1 detected in the process of S302. Then, the ground inclination angle of the vehicle 1 is calculated in association with the inclination direction (S308).

After calculating the ground inclination angle of the vehicle 1 in the process of S308, the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is generated based on the calculated ground inclination angle of the vehicle 1 and the camber angle of the vehicle body corrected in the process of S307. Each is calculated in association with the direction (S309).

After calculating the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 in the process of S309, it is determined whether the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is 0 ° (S310). That is, it is determined whether or not there is a wheel 2 whose ground camber angle is not 0 °.

As a result, when it is determined that the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is 0 ° (S310: Yes), that is, the ground camber angles of all the wheels 2 (left and right front and rear wheels 2FL to 2RR) are 0 °. When it is determined that there are no wheels 2 having a ground camber angle other than 0 °, each wheel 2 is grounded at a right angle to the road surface, and it is determined that uneven wear of the wheels 2 does not occur. , S311 and S312 are skipped, and the camber control process is terminated.

On the other hand, if it is determined as a result of the processing of S310 that the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is not 0 ° (S310: No), that is, any of the wheels 2 (left and right front and rear wheels 2FL to 2RR). 2, if it is determined that there is a wheel 2 having a ground camber angle that is not 0 °, the wheel 2 having a ground camber angle that is not 0 ° is identified and the ground camber angle is set to 0 °. The corrected camber angle to be decreased to is calculated (S311).

Then, the corrected camber angle calculated in the process of S311 is given to the wheel 2 whose ground camber angle is not 0 ° (S312), and this camber control process is ended. As a result, not only the change in the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body but also the change in the camber angle with respect to the ground due to the change in the inclination angle with respect to the vehicle 1 can be suppressed. Life can be extended.

Also, instead of directly detecting the camber angle against the vehicle body, the camber angle corresponding to the detected suspension stroke is read from the camber angle map 372a to obtain the camber angle against the vehicle body, so the camber angle against the vehicle body is directly detected. Compared to the case, the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body can be easily obtained.

That is, when directly detecting the camber angle against the vehicle body, it is necessary to detect the angle. However, according to the present embodiment, the suspension stroke (distance) is detected, and the camber angle against the vehicle body based on the detection result. Therefore, it is not necessary to detect an angle that is more complicated and difficult than the detection of the distance, and the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body can be easily obtained.

Further, since the acquired camber angle with respect to the vehicle body is corrected according to the accumulated travel distance, the suspension stroke and the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body caused by the progress of the degree of use of the vehicle 1 (increase in the accumulated travel distance in the present embodiment). The camber angle with respect to the vehicle body and the camber angle with respect to the ground can be obtained in consideration of the correlation error.

Therefore, even when the usage progress of the vehicle 1 progresses, the ground camber angle can be obtained with high accuracy. As a result, uneven wear of the wheel 2 can be prevented over a long period of time, and the life of the wheel 2 can be reliably increased.

In the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 (camber control processing), the processing at S308 is performed as the ground inclination angle acquisition unit according to claim 1, and the processing at S304 is performed as the ground camber angle acquisition unit as the ground camber angle acquisition unit. The processing of S309, the processing of S312 as the camber control means, the processing of S302 as the absolute inclination angle acquisition means according to claim 2, and the processing of S301 as the road surface inclination angle acquisition means according to claim 3. The processing of S303 corresponds to the expansion / contraction amount acquisition means, the processing of S305 corresponds to the usage progress acquisition means according to claim 4, and the processing of S307 corresponds to the camber angle correction means.

Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing camber control processing in the fourth embodiment.

In the third embodiment, the case where the camber angle is given to each wheel 2 so as to reduce the ground camber angle has been described. However, in the fourth embodiment, each wheel 2 is assigned such that the camber angle against the vehicle body is reduced. It is comprised so that a camber angle may be provided. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part same as 3rd Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

CPU71 first detects the suspension stroke of each suspension apparatus 4 regarding the camber control process in 4th Embodiment (S401). This process is performed using the suspension stroke sensor device 385 (see FIG. 6) as described above.

Next, the camber angle to the vehicle body corresponding to the suspension stroke detected in the process of S401 is acquired from the camber angle map 372a (S402).

After acquiring the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body in the process of S402, the accumulated travel distance is detected (S403). This process is performed using the integrated travel distance detection device 386 (see FIG. 6) as described above.

Next, a camber angle correction coefficient corresponding to the accumulated travel distance detected in the process of S403 is acquired from the correction coefficient map 372b (S404), and the acquired camber angle correction coefficient is set to the camber angle to the vehicle body acquired in the process of S402. Multiply and correct the camber angle of each wheel with respect to the vehicle body (S405).

Next, it is determined whether or not the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body 2 corrected in the process of S405 is 0 ° (S406). That is, it is determined whether or not there is a wheel 2 whose camber angle with respect to the vehicle body is not 0 °.

As a result, when it is determined that the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body of each wheel 2 is 0 ° (S406: Yes), that is, the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body of all the wheels 2 (left and right front and rear wheels 2FL to 2RR) is 0 °. When it is determined that there is no wheel 2 with a camber angle other than 0 °, the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is not so large, and it is determined that uneven wear of the wheels 2 is unlikely to occur. The process of S407 and S408 is skipped, and this camber control process is terminated.

On the other hand, if it is determined as a result of the processing of S406 that the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is not 0 ° (S406: No), that is, any of the wheels 2 (left and right front and rear wheels 2FL to 2RR). 2, when it is determined that there is a wheel 2 whose camber angle is not 0 °, the wheel 2 whose camber angle is not 0 ° is specified, and the camber camber angle is determined. A corrected camber angle for reducing the angle to 0 ° is calculated (S407).

Then, the corrected camber angle calculated in the process of S407 is given to the wheel 2 whose carbody camber angle is not 0 ° (S408), and this camber control process is ended. As a result, since the change in the ground camber angle can be suppressed by suppressing the change in the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body, the partial wear of the wheel 2 can be prevented and the life of the wheel 2 can be increased.

Further, since the camber angle is given to the wheel 2 so as to reduce the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body instead of the ground camber angle, the calculation of the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is not required, and the control can be simplified.

In addition, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 9 (camber control process), the process of S402 is performed as the camber angle acquisition means for vehicle body according to claim 1, the process of S408 is performed as the camber control means, and the expansion / contraction amount acquisition according to claim 3 As a means, the process of S401 corresponds, the process of S403 as the usage progress acquisition means according to claim 4, and the process of S405 as the camber angle correction means.

Next, a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a front view of the suspension device 504 according to the fifth embodiment. In addition, since the structure of each suspension apparatus 504 provided independently corresponding to each wheel 2 is common, the suspension apparatus 504 corresponding to the right front wheel 2FR is illustrated in FIG. 10 as a representative example. However, in FIG. 10, illustration of the drive shaft 31 and the like is omitted for easy understanding.

In the first embodiment, the case where the suspension device 4 is configured as a strut suspension has been described, but in the fifth embodiment, the suspension device 504 is configured as a double wishbone suspension. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part same as 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

As shown in FIG. 10, the suspension device 504 according to the fifth embodiment mainly includes a shock absorber 41, a lower arm 42 and an upper arm 546, a link arm 547, an axle carrier 43, and an FR actuator 44FR. It is configured as a double wishbone suspension.

The lower arm 42 and the upper arm 546 connect the link arm 547 to the vehicle body frame BF. As shown in FIG. 10, one end (right side in FIG. 10) is linked to the vehicle body frame BF, and the other end (left side in FIG. 10) is linked. Each arm 547 is pivotally supported via a rubber bush (not shown).

The link arm 547 has an upper end (upper side in FIG. 10) connected to the upper arm 546, and a lower end (lower side in FIG. 10) connected to the lower arm 42, and includes a connection arm 547a as shown in FIG. The connecting arm 547a connects the axle carrier 43 to the link arm 547. One end (right side in FIG. 10) is fixed to the lower end side of the link arm 547, and the other end (left side in FIG. 10) connects the camber shaft 45. Via the axle carrier 43.

In the suspension device 504 according to the present embodiment, the axle carrier 43 is connected to the link arm 547 via the connection arm 547a and the FR actuator 44FR as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the FR actuator 44FR has a main body portion (right side in FIG. 10) pivotally supported by the link arm 547 and a rod portion (left side in FIG. 10) connected to the axle carrier 43 via a ball joint. Has been.

According to the suspension device 504 configured as described above, like the suspension device 4 in the first embodiment, when the FR actuator 44FR is driven to extend and contract, the wheel 2 is driven to swing around the camber shaft 45 as a central axis. Then, a predetermined camber angle is given to the wheel 2.

Further, for example, when a person gets on the vehicle 1 or loads are loaded and the suspension device 504 (shock absorber 41) strokes, the wheel 2 swings around the camber shaft 45 and the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body changes. To do.

The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It can be easily guessed.

For example, the numerical values given in the above embodiments are merely examples, and other numerical values can naturally be adopted.

In each of the above embodiments, in the camber control process, a corrected camber angle for reducing the ground camber angle or the vehicle body camber angle to 0 ° is calculated, and the calculated camber angle or the vehicle camber angle is 0. Although the case where it is applied to the wheel 2 that is not ° has been described, it is not necessarily limited to this, and the ground camber angle or the car camber angle to the vehicle body is reduced to a predetermined angle (for example, within 1 °) even if it is not 0 °. The correction camber angle to be calculated may be calculated, and the calculated correction camber angle may be applied to the wheel 2 whose ground camber angle or vehicle camber angle is not 0 °. Also in this case, the change in the ground camber angle can be suppressed as in the case of the above embodiments.

In the first and third embodiments, in the camber control process, the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is calculated based on the road surface inclination angle at the current position of the vehicle 1, the roll angle of the vehicle 1, and the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body. Although the case where the corrected camber angle for reducing the calculated ground camber angle is given to each wheel 2 has been described, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the road surface inclination angle at the current position of the vehicle 1 and the anti-vehicle camber The ground camber angle of each wheel 2 may be estimated based only on the angle, and a camber angle that reduces the estimated ground camber angle may be provided to each wheel 2 or the roll angle of the vehicle 1 The ground camber angle of each wheel 2 is estimated based only on the vehicle body camber angle and the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body, and a camber angle that decreases the estimated ground camber angle is given to each wheel 2. It may be configured. Also in this case, the change in the ground camber angle can be suppressed as in the case of the above embodiments.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where it is determined whether the ground camber angle or the vehicle body camber angle is 0 ° in the camber control process has been described. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. Even if the camber angle is not 0 °, it may be determined whether the camber angle is within a predetermined angle (for example, within 1 °). Also in this case, a change in ground camber angle can be suppressed as in the above embodiments.

In the first and third embodiments, the case where the road surface inclination angle at the current position of the vehicle 1 is acquired using the navigation device 82 is described. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. You may comprise so that the road surface inclination angle in the present position of the vehicle 1 may be detected using the road surface inclination angle sensor illustrated as the apparatus 84. FIG. In this case, by directly detecting the road surface inclination angle, the road surface inclination angle can be obtained with high accuracy, and the navigation device 82 is not required, and the structure of the vehicle 1 can be simplified.

Further, such road surface inclination angle sensors are provided corresponding to the respective wheels 2 to detect the road surface inclination angle in the vicinity of the ground contact surface of each wheel 2 and to the ground camber of each wheel 2 based on the detected road surface inclination angle. You may comprise so that an angle | corner may be calculated, respectively. In this case, since the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 can be calculated with higher accuracy, a change in the ground camber angle can be more reliably suppressed.

Although the description is omitted in the first and third embodiments, the road surface inclination angle stored in the road surface information storage unit of the navigation device 82 is divided into a plurality of pieces in the width direction of the road surface and stored. When the camber angle is calculated, the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 may be calculated based on the road surface inclination angle of the road surface portion where the wheel 2 is estimated to be grounded. For example, when the road surface inclination angle stored in the road surface information storage unit is divided into two in the width direction of the road surface and stored, the ground camber angle of the left front and rear wheels 2FL and 2RL is calculated, and the ground of the right front and rear wheels 2FR and 2RR Different road surface inclination angles are used for calculating the camber angle. In this case, since the ground camber angle of each wheel 2 can be calculated with higher accuracy, a change in the ground camber angle can be more reliably suppressed.

In each of the above embodiments, in the camber control process, a corrected camber angle for reducing the ground camber angle or the vehicle body camber angle to 0 ° is calculated, and the calculated camber angle or the vehicle camber angle is 0. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the ground camber angle or the vehicle body camber angle is 0 ° using a wheel wear sensor exemplified as another input / output device 84. The amount of wear of the non-wheel 2 is detected, the degree of uneven wear of the wheel 2 is acquired based on the detected amount of wear, and the tread surface of the wheel 2 is evenly worn based on the obtained degree of uneven wear. The camber angle is calculated, the corrected camber angle is corrected based on the calculated camber angle, and the corrected camber angle is corrected to the ground key. Nba angle or car body side camber angle may be configured so as to apply to the wheel 2 is not a 0 °.

That is, even if the camber control processing in each of the above embodiments is executed, uneven wear occurs on the wheels 2 due to the time lag of the control or the turning of the vehicle 1. Therefore, in a state where uneven wear has occurred on the wheel 2, the service life of the wheel 2 can be increased by correcting the correction camber angle applied to the wheel 2 so that the tread surface is evenly worn.

Further, instead of detecting the wear amount of the wheel 2 by the wheel wear sensor, a memory for storing a log of the camber angle given to each wheel 2 by the camber angle adjusting device 44 is provided and stored in the memory. Based on the content, the degree of uneven wear of the wheel 2 with the ground camber angle or the vehicle body camber angle not 0 ° is estimated, and the camber angle that evenly wears the tread surface of the wheel 2 is calculated based on the estimated uneven wear degree. In addition, the corrected camber angle may be corrected based on the calculated camber angle, and the corrected camber angle may be applied to the wheel 2 whose ground camber angle or vehicle camber angle is not 0 °. Also in this case, the life of the wheel 2 can be increased as in the case described above.

100, 300 Vehicle control device 1 Vehicle 2 Wheel 2FL Left front wheel (part of the wheel)
2FR Right front wheel (part of the wheel)
2RL Left rear wheel (part of wheel)
2RR Right rear wheel (part of the wheel)
4,504 Suspension device 41 Shock absorber (part of suspension device)
44 Camber angle adjusting device 44FL FL actuator (part of camber angle adjusting device)
44FR FR actuator (part of camber angle adjusting device)
44RL RL actuator (part of camber angle adjustment device)
44RR RR actuator (part of camber angle adjustment device)
372a Camber angle map (storage means)
BF body frame (body)

Claims (4)

In a vehicle control device used in a vehicle including a vehicle body, a plurality of wheels that support the vehicle body, and a camber angle adjusting device that independently adjusts camber angles of the plurality of wheels,
A ground inclination angle acquisition means for acquiring a ground inclination angle with respect to a road surface, which is an inclination angle around the longitudinal axis of the vehicle body;
A camber angle of the wheel and a camber angle acquisition means for acquiring the camber angle with respect to the vehicle body independently for the plurality of wheels;
Based on the camber angle to the vehicle body acquired by the camber angle acquisition unit and the ground inclination angle acquired by the ground inclination angle acquisition unit, the camber angle of the wheel and the ground camber angle with respect to the road surface is obtained. Ground camber angle acquisition means for acquiring independently for each of the plurality of wheels;
And a camber control means for controlling the camber angle adjusting device so that the ground camber angle obtained by the ground camber angle obtaining means decreases at each of the plurality of wheels. apparatus. An absolute inclination angle obtaining means for obtaining an absolute inclination angle with respect to a horizontal plane, which is an inclination angle around the longitudinal axis of the vehicle body;
Road surface inclination angle acquisition means for acquiring the road surface inclination angle around the longitudinal axis of the vehicle body, which is an inclination angle of the road surface with respect to a horizontal plane,
The ground inclination angle acquisition means acquires the ground inclination angle based on the absolute inclination angle acquired by the absolute inclination angle acquisition means and the road surface inclination angle acquired by the road surface inclination angle acquisition means. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle includes a suspension device that connects the vehicle body and a wheel, and the suspension device is configured to be extendable and retractable in order to reduce vibration transmitted from the road surface to the vehicle body via the wheel. The camber angle with respect to the vehicle body changes by expanding and contracting,
Expansion / contraction amount acquisition means for acquiring the expansion / contraction amount of the suspension device;
Storage means for storing the amount of expansion and contraction of the suspension device in association with the camber angle to the vehicle body,
The anti-vehicle camber angle acquisition means reads out the anti-vehicle camber angle corresponding to the expansion / contraction amount of the suspension device acquired by the expansion / contraction amount acquisition means from the storage means, and acquires the anti-vehicle camber angle. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is a vehicle control device. A usage progress acquisition means for acquiring a usage progress of the vehicle;
Camber angle correcting means for correcting the anti-vehicle camber angle acquired by the anti-vehicle camber angle acquiring means in accordance with the usage progress degree acquired by the usage elapsed degree acquiring means,
The ground camber angle obtaining means converts the ground camber angle to the plurality of wheels based on the ground camber angle corrected by the camber angle correcting means and the ground slope angle obtained by the ground slope angle obtaining means. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle control devices are acquired independently of each other.

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