ACTIVE WHEEL DAMPING
First Claim
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1. A vehicle suspension for controlling motion of a sprung and unsprung mass comprising:
- a force source which is capable of applying a force in response to a control signal and without a physical stimulus, the force source coupling a vehicle unsprung mass and a vehicle sprung mass;
a sensor for detecting vertical motion of the sprung mass or a quantity from which vertical motion of the sprung mass can be derived;
an unsprung mass sensor for detecting vertical motion of the unsprung mass or a quantity from which vertical motion of the unsprung mass can be derived; and
control circuitry;
responsive to the sprung mass sensor for determining a force to reduce the vertical motion of the sprung mass in a first frequency range; and
responsive to the unsprung mass sensor for determining a force to reduce the vertical motion of the unsprung mass in a second frequency range;
wherein the first frequency range includes frequencies above and below the second frequency range and wherein the first frequency range does not include the second frequency range.
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Abstract
An active wheel damper. An active suspension damps vertical displacement of an unsprung mass in a frequency range and reduces vertical displacement of a sprung mass in another frequency range.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A vehicle suspension for controlling motion of a sprung and unsprung mass comprising:
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a force source which is capable of applying a force in response to a control signal and without a physical stimulus, the force source coupling a vehicle unsprung mass and a vehicle sprung mass; a sensor for detecting vertical motion of the sprung mass or a quantity from which vertical motion of the sprung mass can be derived; an unsprung mass sensor for detecting vertical motion of the unsprung mass or a quantity from which vertical motion of the unsprung mass can be derived; and control circuitry; responsive to the sprung mass sensor for determining a force to reduce the vertical motion of the sprung mass in a first frequency range; and responsive to the unsprung mass sensor for determining a force to reduce the vertical motion of the unsprung mass in a second frequency range; wherein the first frequency range includes frequencies above and below the second frequency range and wherein the first frequency range does not include the second frequency range. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for controlling motion of a sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle, where the unsprung mass incorporates a wheel with a tire and the unsprung mass resonates with a compliance of the tire at a resonance frequency, comprising:
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a first detecting, of vertical motion of an unsprung mass of a vehicle or a quantity from which vertical motion of the unsprung mass of the vehicle can be derived or both; in a first frequency band and responsive to the first detecting, determining a force to reduce the vertical motion of the unsprung mass; a second detecting, of vertical motion of a sprung mass or a quantity from which vertical motion of the sprung mass can be derived or both; in a second frequency band not including the resonance frequency of the unsprung mass, and responsive to the second detecting, determining a force to reduce the vertical motion of the sprung mass; applying, in the first frequency range, by a force source which is capable of exerting a force in response to a control signal and without a physical stimulus and which couples the sprung mass and the unsprung mass, the force to reduce the vertical motion of the unsprung mass; and applying, in the second frequency range, by the force source, the a force to reduce vertical motion of the sprung mass. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. Apparatus, comprising:
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a wheel hop damper, comprising a sensor to detect vertical motion of an unsprung mass of a vehicle in a first frequency range; a controller to determine a force for the force source to apply to reduce the vertical motion of the unsprung mass in the first frequency range; and a force source which is capable of exerting a force between a sprung mass and an unsprung mass in response to a control signal and without a physical stimulus wherein the wheel hop damper is free of a damping mass. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification