Energy regeneration device of suspension system for vehicle

• US 9,030,033 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2013
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Yoo, Sang Hoon, Jang, Sung Bae, Kim, Sung-Jun, Lee, Un Koo, Kang, Byung Gu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuevas, Pedro J
• Application Number:
  US14/034,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20140132007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 290/1.C, 290/1.R, 290/53, 701/22, 180/165
• US Class Current: 290/1.C
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 13/14 having dampers accumulating utilisable energy, e.g. compressing air fluid springs with an accumulator B60G11/30
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/1442 including longitudinal rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/12 Wound spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/135 Stabiliser bar and/or tube
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/24 Fluid damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/42 Electric actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/143 on the vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/419 Gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/4191 Planetary or epicyclic gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/60 Vehicles using regenerative power
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/202 having one longitudinal arm and two parallel transversal arms, e.g. dual-link type strut suspension
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/006 Attaching arms to sprung or unsprung part of vehicle, characterised by comprising attachment means controlled by an external actuator, e.g. a fluid or electrical motor B62D7/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/02 Attaching arms to sprung part of vehicle B60G7/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 25/10 directly from oscillating movements due to vehicle running motion, e.g. suspension movement resilient suspensions having dampers accumulating utilisable energy, e.g. compressing air, B60G13/14
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/08 recovering energy derived from swinging, rolling, pitching or like movements, e.g. from the vibrations of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1846 structurally associated with wheels or associated parts dynamos arranged in the wheel hub of cycles B62J6/12
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/1856 Reciprocating or oscillating to intermittent unidirectional motion

Abstract

An energy regeneration device of a suspension system for a vehicle includes: a suspension link that connects a wheel carrier to a vehicle body; a bush unit that outputs hinge motion of the suspension link through an output gear; a one-way power transmission mechanism that receives the hinge motion transmitted from the output gear through an input gear, and outputs only one-way rotational power; a generator that is disposed at a side of the vehicle body and generates electricity while being rotated by the transmitted one-way rotational power; a speed-up mechanism that speeds up one-way rotational power transmitted from the one-way power transmission mechanism, and transmits the one-way rotational power to a rotary shaft of the generator; a rectifier that rectifies the electricity generated by the generator; and a battery that accumulates electric energy.

Claims

1. An energy regeneration device of a suspension system for a vehicle, the device comprising:

a suspension link that connects a wheel carrier to a vehicle body;

a bush unit that is disposed between a vehicle body connection portion of the suspension link and the vehicle body and outputs hinge motion of the suspension link through an output gear;

a one-way power transmission mechanism that is connected with the output gear of the bush unit, receives the hinge motion transmitted from the output gear through an input gear, and outputs only one-way rotational power;

a generator that is disposed at a side of the vehicle body and generates electricity while being rotated by the transmitted one-way rotational power;

a speed-up mechanism that is disposed between the generator and the one-way power transmission mechanism, speeds up one-way rotational power transmitted from the one-way power transmission mechanism, and transmits the one-way rotational power increased in speeds to a rotary shaft of the generator;

a rectifier that is electrically connected with the generator and rectifies the electricity generated by the generator; and

a battery that is electrically connected with the rectifier and accumulates electric energy.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the bush unit includes:

an outer pipe combined with the vehicle body connection portion of the suspension link;

an inner pipe disposed inside the outer pipe and fixed to a side of the vehicle body;

a bush rubber disposed between the outer pipe and the inner pipe and combined with the outer pipe;

an output gear connected with the bush rubber through an inner extension that extends between the rubber bush and the inner pipe;

a bearing support ring fixed to the inner side of the inner extension of the output gear; and

a first bearing disposed on the outer side of the inner pipe in friction contact with the bearing support ring.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the first bearing is a plastic friction bearing.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the bearing support ring is an injection-molded plastic product.

5. The device of claim 2, further comprising a second bearing disposed between the inner side of the output gear and the outer side of the inner pipe.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the second bearing is a needle bearing.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the one-way power transmission mechanism includes:

an inner case;

an outer case combined with the inner case and having a bolt insertion pipe in which a bolt is inserted;

an input gear engaged with the output gear inside the inner case and the outer case and having an outer extension extending axially outward;

a third bearing disposed between the outer side of the input gear and the inner side of the inner case;

a fourth bearing disposed between the inner side of the outer extension and the outer side of the bolt insertion pipe;

a one-way clutch disposed on the outer side of the external extension;

a speed-up gear disposed on the outer side of the one-way clutch; and

one or more idle gears transmitting one-way rotational power to the speed-up mechanism in mesh with the speed-up gear.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the one-way clutch transmits rotational power from the output gear to the speed-up gear in bumping of the suspension link.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the one-way clutch transmits rotational power from the output gear to the speed-up gear in rebounding of the suspension link.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the speed-up mechanism includes:

a speed-up mechanism housing integrally formed between the generator and the one-way power transmission mechanism; and

one or more planetary gear sets disposed in the speed-up mechanism housing.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the one or more planetary gear sets are single pinion planetary gear sets.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the one or more planetary gear sets are three single pinion planetary gear sets.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the three planetary gear sets are connected such that

a ringer of each of the single pinion gear sets is fixed to the speed-up mechanism housing and functions as a fixed element,

a planetary carrier functions as an input element, and

a sun gear functions as an output element.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the three planetary gear sets are composed of:

a first planetary gear set that is a single pinion planetary gear set including a first sun gear, a first ring gear, and a first planetary carrier supporting a first pinion being in mesh with the first sun gear and the first ring gear therebetween;

a second planetary gear set that is a single pinion planetary gear set including a second sun gear, a second ring gear, and a second planetary carrier supporting a second pinion being in mesh with the second sun gear and the second ring gear therebetween; and

a third planetary gear set that is a single pinion planetary gear set including a third sun gear, a third ring gear, and a third planetary carrier supporting a third pinion being in mesh with the third sun gear and the third ring gear therebetween.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the first, second, and third ring gears of the first, second, and third planetary gear sets are integrally formed and fixed to the inner side of the speed-up mechanism housing,

the first sun gear is connected with the second planetary carrier and the second sun gear is connected with the third planetary carrier, and

rotational power inputted from the one-way power transmission mechanism through the first planetary carrier is increased in speeds and transmitted to the rotary shaft of the generator through the third sun gear.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the suspension link is one of links connecting the wheel carrier with the vehicle body in a rear wheel strut type of suspension.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the suspension link is one of links connecting the wheel carrier with the vehicle body, in a dual link type, wishbone type, or double wishbone type of suspension.