Tunable pneumatic suspension

• US 8,585,062 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2009
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Indigo Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nucleus Scientific, Incorporated
• Inventors: Hunter, Ian W.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROCCA, JOSEPH M
• Application Number:
  US12/590,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20110109051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 280/5.5, 280/5.514, 280/5.515, 280/6.1, 280/6.157, 280/124.157, 280/124.161, 280/5.507, 280/5.508, 280/5.509, 280/5.513, 280/6.15, 280/6.159
• US Class Current: 280/5.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/052 Pneumatic spring characteristics B60G17/048 takes precedence ; valves per se F16K
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/412 Pneumatic actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/126 Mounting of pneumatic springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/18 Mounting of vehicle engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/30 In-wheel mountings
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/51222 Pneumatic
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/22 Spring constant
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/01 the wheel being mounted for sliding movement, e.g. in or on a vertical guide camber maintaining means B60G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/18 Controlling the braking effect B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/0421 consisting of single conductors, e.g. hairpins
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/04 Windings characterised by the conductor shape, form or construction, e.g. with bar conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 33/18 with coil systems moving upon intermittent or reversed energisation thereof by interaction with a fixed field system, e.g. permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/04 with moving coil systems and stationary magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/075 using crankshafts or eccentrics
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1876 with reciprocating, linearly oscillating or vibrating parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A tunable pneumatic suspension includes a piston and two opposed pneumatic chambers. The two champers apply opposed pneumatic pressures to opposite faces of the piston. The tunable pneumatic suspension also includes a pneumatic controller that independently controls the pressure in each of the chambers. The independent control of the two chambers allows the suspension to change the relative positions of the piston and the chambers by differing the pressures in each chamber, and allows the suspension to change its stiffness by increasing or decreasing the pressures in each of the chambers by equal amounts. If used in a vehicle, changing the relative positions of the piston and the chambers can change the ride height of the vehicle, and changing the stiffness of the suspension can change the stiffness of the vehicle'"'"'s ride.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

wheels,

a vehicle chassis; and

a tunable pneumatic suspension supporting the chassis on the wheels, the tunable pneumatic suspension comprising;

a housing;

a piston within the housing for sliding relative movement between the housing and the piston;

opposed closed chambers in the housing having gas therein applying respective opposed pneumatic pressures to opposite faces of the piston; and

a pneumatic controller configured to independently control the pneumatic pressure in each closed chamber, the controller configured to adjust the pressures of the chambers to change the relative positions of the piston and the housing, and thus the ride height of the chassis, and to change the stiffness of the suspension by changing the pneumatic pressures in the opposed chambers by equal amounts.

2. A tunable pneumatic suspension as in claim 1 wherein adding equal pressure to both chambers increases the stiffness of the suspension.

3. A tunable pneumatic suspension as in claim 1 wherein removing equal pressures from both chambers decreases the stiffness of the suspension.

4. A method of supporting a vehicle chassis on wheels, the method comprising:

supporting the chassis on the wheels through a tunable pneumatic suspension, the tunable pneumatic suspension comprising a housing;

a piston within the housing for sliding relative movement between the housing and the piston; and

opposed closed chambers in the housing having gas therein to apply respective opposed pneumatic pressures to opposite faces of the piston; and

independently controlling the pneumatic pressure in each chamber to adjust the pressures of the chambers to change the relative positions of the piston and the housing, and thus the ride height of the chassis, and to change the stiffness of the suspension by changing the pneumatic pressures in the opposed chambers by equal amounts.

5. A method as in claim 4 wherein independently controlling the pneumatic pressures includes adding equal pressure to both chambers to increase the stiffness of the suspension.

6. A method as in claim 4 wherein independently controlling the pneumatic pressures includes removing equal pressures from both chambers to decrease the stiffness of the suspension.