Acting seating

• US 20060200287A1
• Filed: 05/03/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ClearMotion Acquisition I LLC
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: O'Day, Richard F., Breen, Christopher J., Parison, James A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/37
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/501 actively controlled suspension, e.g. electronic control
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/502 attached to the base of the seat B60N2/504 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/505 Adjustable suspension including height adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/507 Parallelogram-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/508 Scissors-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/509 Seat guided by slides or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/525 using gas
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/544 Compression or tension springs B60N2/542 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/0212 the seat or seat part turning about or moving along a longitudinal axis

Abstract

A method for actively suspending a real plant in a vehicle includes modifying a control signal on the basis of a difference between a property of the real plant, as indicated by the response of the real plant to the control signal, and a property of a nominal plant.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a force bias element coupled to a plant in a vehicle, the force bias element having a low bandwidth, and

an active suspension including a linear electromagnetic actuator located within an interior of the force bias element, the linear electromagnetic actuator having a high bandwidth and being coupled to the plant.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the low bandwidth is substantially separated from the high bandwidth by a crossover frequency.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the crossover frequency is ⅓

Hz.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the high bandwidth includes a frequency at which a portion of the plant experiences resonances.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the high bandwidth includes a frequency range of 2 to 20 Hz.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the active suspension also includes sensors located within the interior of the force bias element.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the active suspension also includes power electronics located within the interior of the force bias element.

8. In a vehicle having a plant, an apparatus comprising:

a force bias eliminator having a low bandwidth coupled to the plant;

an active suspension including an electromagnetic actuator coupled to the plant and having a high bandwidth, the electromagnetic actuator providing an actuation force, and a motion of the electromagnetic actuator being within a 45 degree phase angle with a motion of a center of gravity of the plant.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the high bandwidth includes a frequency range of 2 to 20 Hz.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the actuation force is provided substantially through the center of gravity of the plant.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the electromagnetic actuator includes two force-producing devices, each force-producing device supplying a force to the plant along a respective axis.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, in which one of the axes does not pass substantially through the center of gravity of the plant.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the actuation force is vertically oriented.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the active suspension system also includes a suspension linkage.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, in which the electromagnetic actuator is substantially coupled to the center of gravity of the plant.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, in which the electromagnetic actuator is substantially coupled to the center of gravity of the plant by a pivot structure constraining a height from a floor to the plant when the electromagnetic actuator operates at a top stroke to be less than 15 inches.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, in which the electromagnetic actuator is substantially coupled to the center of gravity of the plant by a gimbal pivot.

18. In a vehicle with a plant, a method comprising:

causing a low bandwidth force bias element coupled to the plant to operate at a low-frequency range;

causing a high bandwidth electromagnetic actuator coupled to the plant to operate at a high-frequency range such that a motion of the electromagnetic actuator is within 45 degree phase angle with a motion of a center of gravity of the plant.

19. The method of claim 18, in which the high-frequency range is substantially separated from a low-frequency range by a crossover frequency.

20. The method of claim 19 in which the crossover frequency includes ⅓

Hz.

21. The method of claim 18 in which causing the actuator to operate includes causing the actuator to provide a force substantially through the center of gravity of the plant.