Vehicle suspension

• US 7,962,261 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2007
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ClearMotion Acquisition I LLC
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Ummethala, Upendra V., Bushko, Dariusz Antoni, Brown, Steven N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanglaud; Gertrude Arthur
• Application Number:
  US11/938,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20090121444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/37, 701/38, 280/5.5, 280/5.507, 280/5.514, 280/5.513, 280/5.515, 280/6.157
• US Class Current: 701/37
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0157 non-fluid unit, e.g. electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0165 to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/021 the mechanical spring being a coil spring B60G17/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 21/0555 including an actuator inducing vehicle roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/41 Fluid actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/42 Electric actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/422 Linear motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/442 Rotary actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/419 Gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/10 Acceleration; Deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/20 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/206 Body oscillation speed; Body vibration frequency
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/252 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/32 Torque on propulsion shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/71 of suspension unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/73 of other part than suspension unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/82 Ground surface
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/842 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/91 Frequency
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/21 Laser
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/20 : Spring action or springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/30 : Height or ground clearance
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/182 : Active control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/162 : Reducing road induced vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/9122 : ARS - Anti-Roll System Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/9123 : Active Body Control [ABC]

Abstract

There is provided a vehicle suspension. More specifically, in one or more embodiments, there is provided an apparatus including an actuator system having a combination of actuators including a linear electromagnetic actuator and a rotary electromagnetic actuator, wherein the actuator system provides force between the sprung mass and an unsprung mass of a vehicle.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an actuator system comprising a combination of actuators including a linear electromagnetic actuator and a rotary electromagnetic actuator, wherein each actuator of the actuator system provides active controlled force between the sprung mass and a first unsprung mass of a vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rotary electromagnetic actuator is configured as a position source.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein a position command provided to the rotary actuator is a function of the relative power efficiency of the combination of actuators.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein a position command provided to the rotary actuator is a function of a low pass filtered version of the suspension displacement of the vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises a force apportionment system, for providing force commands to the actuator system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the actuator system apportions force commands among the combination of actuators based on a first set of parameters when the vehicle is operating under a first set of operating conditions, and apportions force among the combination of actuators based on a second set of parameters when the vehicle is operating under a second set of operating conditions.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the actuator system apportions force commands among the combination of actuators as a function of frequency.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the actuator system provides lower frequency force commands to the rotary actuator, and higher frequency force commands to the linear actuator.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein frequency range of force commands provided to at least two of the combination of actuators have a degree of overlap in frequency.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the actuator system provides force commands with frequency components below a crossover frequency to a first actuator and force commands with frequency components above a crossover frequency to a second actuator.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the crossover frequency can vary based on operating conditions of the vehicle.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the crossover frequency is in the range of 1 to 2 Hz.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first actuator is a rotary actuator and the second actuator is a linear actuator.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 configured to apportion force commands among the combination of actuators based on parameters associated with physical components of the system.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 configured to apportion force commands among the actuators based on parameters associated with operation of the vehicle.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the actuator system further comprises a pneumatic actuator.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rotary actuator acts through a spring.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the spring comprises a torsion spring.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the spring is divided into two sections and the rotary actuator is connected to a common point between the first and second sections.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the combination of actuators is coupled to multiple unsprung masses.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the at least one actuator comprises a rotary actuator.

22. A method comprising:

apportioning active controlled forces provided between a sprung and a first unsprung mass of a vehicle by first and second electromagnetic actuators based on either or both of static parameters associated with physical components of the vehicle or dynamic parameters associated with operation of the vehicle.

23. The method of claim 22 in which the first electromagnetic actuator comprises a linear actuator and the second electromagnetic actuator comprises a rotary actuator.