Active stabilization system for truck cabins
First Claim
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1. A commercial vehicle cabin stabilization system comprising:
- a vehicle chassis, a vehicle cabin, and a plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators, each actuator comprising;
a housing comprising an extension volume and a compression volume;
a piston that separates the extension volume and the compression volume;
a valve that controls at least a portion of fluid flow to or from at least one of the compression volume and the extension volume during at least at one operating point;
an accumulator having a volume that receives fluid from at least one of the compression volume and the extension volume during least at one operating point;
an electric motor operatively coupled to a hydraulic pump; and
a closed hydraulic circuit, wherein each of the plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators is disposed between a structural member of the chassis and the cabin;
at least one sensor adapted to sense movement along at least one axis of at least one of cabin and the chassis; and
at least one controller constructed and arranged to operate at least one of the plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators in response to the sensed movement to isolate at least a portion of the chassis movement from the cabin.
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Abstract
An active suspension system for a truck cabin that actively responds to and mitigates external force inputs between the truck chassis and the cabin. The system greatly reduces pitch, roll, and heave motions that lead to operator discomfort. The assembly is comprised of two or more self-contained actuators that respond to commands from an electronic controller. The controller commands the actuators based on feedback from one or more sensors on the cabin and/or chassis.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A commercial vehicle cabin stabilization system comprising:
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a vehicle chassis, a vehicle cabin, and a plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators, each actuator comprising; a housing comprising an extension volume and a compression volume; a piston that separates the extension volume and the compression volume; a valve that controls at least a portion of fluid flow to or from at least one of the compression volume and the extension volume during at least at one operating point; an accumulator having a volume that receives fluid from at least one of the compression volume and the extension volume during least at one operating point; an electric motor operatively coupled to a hydraulic pump; and a closed hydraulic circuit, wherein each of the plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators is disposed between a structural member of the chassis and the cabin; at least one sensor adapted to sense movement along at least one axis of at least one of cabin and the chassis; and at least one controller constructed and arranged to operate at least one of the plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators in response to the sensed movement to isolate at least a portion of the chassis movement from the cabin. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A vehicle cabin stabilization system comprising:
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a vehicle chassis, a vehicle cabin and a plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators, each actuator comprising; a housing comprising a compression volume and an extension volume separated by a piston; a valve that controls at least a portion of fluid flow to or from at least one of the compression volume and the extension volume during at least at one operating point; an accumulator having a volume that receives fluid from at least one of the compression volume and the extension volume during at least at one operation point; an electric motor operatively coupled to a hydraulic pump; and a closed hydraulic circuit, wherein each of the plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators is disposed between a structural member of the chassis and the cabin; at least one sensor for determining movement of the vehicle along at least two axes; and a controller constructed and arranged to operate the plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators in response to the sensed vehicle movement, wherein the plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators cooperatively operate to isolate at least a portion of at least one of pitch, roll, and heave motions of the cabin from the determined vehicle movement. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of secondary vehicle suspension, comprising:
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sensing movement at one of a plurality of self-controllable electro-hydraulic actuators disposed between a structural member of a vehicle chassis and a structural member of a cabin of the vehicle, wherein each of the plurality of self-controllable actuators includes a housing comprising an extension volume and a compression volume separated by a piston, a controller, an accumulator, a hydraulic pump, and an electric motor; controlling at least a portion of fluid flow from at least one of the extension volume and the compression volume with a valve during at least at one operating point; receiving fluid flow in the accumulator from at least one of the extension volume and the compression volume during at least at one operating point; and responding to the sensed movement to mitigate impact of the sensed movement on the cabin by applying current to at least one electric motor in at least one of the plurality of self-controllable actuators to control flow of hydraulic fluid in the at least one of the plurality of self-controllable electro-hydraulic actuators by at least one of resisting rotation of the hydraulic pump that engages the hydraulic fluid and assisting rotation of the hydraulic pump that engages the hydraulic fluid. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of secondary vehicle suspension, comprising:
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sensing movement at one of a plurality of self-controllable electro-hydraulic actuators disposed between a structural member of a vehicle chassis and a structural member of a cabin of the vehicle, wherein each electro-hydraulic actuator has a closed hydraulic circuit, an electric motor operatively coupled to a hydraulic pump, a housing comprising an extension volume and a compression volume separated by a piston, and an accumulator; controlling at least a portion of fluid flow from at least one of the extension volume and the compression volume with a valve during at least at one operating point; receiving fluid flow in the accumulator from at least one of the extension volume and the compression volume during at least at one operating point; and responding to the movement by controlling rotation of the hydraulic pump of the one of the plurality of self-controllable electro-hydraulic actuators based on information about the sensed movement, wherein rotation of the hydraulic pump at least partially determines a hydraulic fluid pressure in the one of the plurality of self-controllable electro-hydraulic actuators. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of secondary vehicle suspension, comprising:
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sensing movement of a vehicle chassis; predicting a movement of a cabin of the vehicle based on the sensed movement of the chassis; and operating a plurality of self-controllable electro-hydraulic actuators disposed between a structural member of the vehicle chassis and a structural member of the cabin to counteract a portion of the predicted movement of the cabin that impacts at least one of roll, pitch and heave of the cabin, wherein each of the plurality of self-controllable electro-hydraulic actuators includes a housing comprising an extension volume and a compression volume separated by a piston, and a accumulator; controlling at least a portion of fluid flow from at least one of the extension volume and compression volume with a valve during at least at one operating point; and receiving fluid flow in the accumulator from at least one of the extension volume and the compression volume during at least at one operating point. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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41. A method of secondary vehicle suspension, comprising:
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sensing movement of a vehicle cabin using at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a position sensor; and operating a plurality of self-controllable electro-hydraulic actuators disposed between a structural member of the vehicle chassis and a structural member of the cabin to counteract a portion of the sensed cabin movement in the roll, pitch and heave modes of the cabin wherein each electro-hydraulic actuator has a housing comprising an extension volume and a compression volume separated by a piston, an accumulator, a closed hydraulic circuit and an electric motor operatively coupled to a hydraulic pump; controlling at least a portion of fluid flow from at least one of the extension volume and the compression volume with a valve during at least at one operating point; and receiving fluid flow in the accumulator from at least one of the extension volume and the compression volume during at least at one operating point. - View Dependent Claims (42)
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43. A method of secondary vehicle suspension, comprising:
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operating a first controllable actuator disposed between a first structure of a vehicle and a second structure of the vehicle to control at least one aspect of relative motion of the first structure with respect to the second structure; and operating a second controllable actuator disposed between the second structure and a third structure of the vehicle to control at least one aspect of relative motion of the third structure with respect to the second structure, wherein at least two of the first, second, and third structures are structures other than a wheel assembly, and wherein electrical energy provided to at least one of the first controllable actuator and the second controllable actuator is converted to mechanical energy by the actuator. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification