ACTIVE SUSPENDING
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for controlling an actively suspended plant comprising:
- an electromagnetic actuator coupled to the plant;
a sensor for providing information indicative of a state of the plant,a controller for receiving the information indicative of the state of the plant and outputting a signal to the electromagnetic actuator to cause the electromagnetic actuator to exert a force on the suspended plant, the controller provided with a fail-safe system controlled by a failure detector, anda selectively actuated damper separate from the electromagnetic actuator and coupled to the plant,wherein, under normal circumstances the damper is deactivated and generates little or no damping force, and when the failure detector determines that the plant is in an abnormal state, the fail safe system is caused to actuate the selectively actuated damper such that the selectively actuated damper provides a damping force that resists motion of the plant.
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Abstract
In an active suspension system for actively suspending a plant, a fail-safe system controlled by a failure-detector has a selectively-activated damper coupled to the plant. The damper may be a separate element from the actuator. Under normal circumstances, the damper is deactivated and therefore generates no damping force. However, if the failure detector detects an abnormal state in the system, it activates the damper, thereby causing a damping force that resists motion of the plant.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling an actively suspended plant comprising:
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an electromagnetic actuator coupled to the plant; a sensor for providing information indicative of a state of the plant, a controller for receiving the information indicative of the state of the plant and outputting a signal to the electromagnetic actuator to cause the electromagnetic actuator to exert a force on the suspended plant, the controller provided with a fail-safe system controlled by a failure detector, and a selectively actuated damper separate from the electromagnetic actuator and coupled to the plant, wherein, under normal circumstances the damper is deactivated and generates little or no damping force, and when the failure detector determines that the plant is in an abnormal state, the fail safe system is caused to actuate the selectively actuated damper such that the selectively actuated damper provides a damping force that resists motion of the plant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus for controlling an actively suspended plant comprising:
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an active suspension system comprising; an electromagnetic actuator coupled to the plant; a power amplifier for providing current to the electromagnetic actuator; a power supply; a sensor for providing information indicative of a state of the plant, an apparatus for providing information indicative of a state of a component of the active suspension system, a controller for receiving the information indicative of the state of the plant and outputting a signal to the power amplifier to provide a current to the electromagnetic actuator to cause the electromagnetic actuator to exert a force on the suspended plant, the controller provided with a fail-safe system controlled by a failure detector, and a selectively actuated damper separate from the electromagnetic actuator and coupled to the plant, wherein when the failure detector determines that either the plant is in an abnormal state or a component of the active suspension system is in an abnormal state, the fail safe system is caused to actuate the selectively actuated damper such that the selectively actuated damper provides a damping force that resists motion of the plant. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification