Suspension device

• US 8,843,274 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2010
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogawa, Atsushi, Hayashi, Taisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERNS, MICHAEL ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US13/696,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20130060422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 701/37
• US Class Current: 701/37
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 13/02 having dampers dissipating energy, e.g. frictionally
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/08 Characteristics of fluid dampers adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/20 Type of damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/60 Vehicles using regenerative power
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/03 using magnetic or electromagnetic means F16F9/53, F16F15/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 2232/06 Translation-to-rotary conversion

Abstract

A suspension apparatus 1 includes an electric shock absorber 30 having a motor 40 and a ball screw mechanism 35, an electric circuit 101, an inverting amplification circuit 120, and an inertia compensation capacitor Cp. The electric circuit 101 electrically connects the two electricity supply terminals of the motor 40. The inverting amplification circuit 120 is connected to the electric circuit 101. The inertia compensation capacitor Cp is connected to the output terminal O of the inverting amplification circuit 120. As a result of approaching or separating motion between sprung and unsprung members, not only a generated current but also an inertia corresponding current I_m which represents an inertial force of a rotation body, such as the ball screw shaft 36 and the rotor of the motor 40, flows through the motor 40 and the electric circuit 101. A current I_p which is antiphase to the inertia corresponding current I_m flows through the inertia compensation capacitor Cp. This antiphase current I_p cancels out the inertia corresponding current I_m.

Claims

1. A suspension apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a shock absorber which includes a motor having a stator coupled with one of sprung and unsprung members of the vehicle and a rotor rotatable in relation to the stator, wherein, due to an inductive electromotive force generated when the rotor is rotated as a result of approaching and separating motions between the sprung and unsprung members, an induction current flows through the motor, whereby a damping force is generated;

an electric circuit which establishes electrical connection between a first electricity supply terminal of the motor and a second electricity supply terminal of the motor; and

an electrical characteristic adjustment part which adjusts an electrical characteristic of the electric circuit so as to reduce an inertia corresponding current which is a current flowing through the motor and which represents an inertial force of a rotation body which includes at least the rotor and which rotates as a result of the approaching and separating motions between the sprung and unsprung members, wherein

the electrical characteristic adjustment part comprises;

an inverting amplification circuit which includes an operational amplifier, an input resistor, and a feedback resistor, the operation amplifier having an inverting input terminal connected to the first electricity supply terminal of the motor, a non-inverting input terminal connected to the second electricity supply terminal of the motor, and an output terminal; and

an inertia compensation capacitor connected to the output terminal, and wherein

the input resistor is connected to the inverting input terminal, and

the feedback resistor is provided between the output terminal and the inverting input terminal.

2. A suspension apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the inverting amplification circuit has an amplification factor of 1;

and

the inertia compensation capacitor has a capacitance corresponding to the inertia of the rotation body.

5. A suspension apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electric circuit includes a first connection path (H1) electrically connected to the first electricity supply terminal of the motor and a second connection path (H2) electrically connected to the second electricity supply terminal of the motor,

the inverting input terminal connects to the first connection path (HI) via the input resister, and

the non-inverting input terminal connects to the second connection path (H2).

6. A suspension apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the inverting input terminal connects to the first connection path (H1) through a connection path (L1),

the non-inverting input terminal connects to the second connection path (H2) through a connection path (L2), and

the input resister is provided on the connection path (L1).

7. A suspension apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the inertia compensation capacitor connects to a connection path (L3), and

a potential of the connection path (L2) is the same as a potential of the connection path (L3).

3. A suspension apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a shock absorber which includes a motor having a stator coupled with one of sprung and unsprung members of the vehicle and a rotor rotatable in relation to the stator, wherein, due to an inductive electromotive force generated when the rotor is rotated as a result of approaching and separating motions between the sprung and unsprung members, an induction current flows through the motor, whereby a damping force is generated;

an electric circuit which establishes electrical connection between a first electricity supply terminal of the motor and a second electricity supply terminal of the motor; and

an electrical characteristic adjustment part which adjusts an electrical characteristic of the electric circuit so as to reduce an inertia corresponding current which is a current flowing through the motor and which represents an inertial force of a rotation body which includes at least the rotor and which rotates as a result of the approaching and separating motions between the sprung and unsprung members, wherein

the electrical characteristic adjustment part adjusts the electrical characteristic of the electric circuit such that an anti-resonance frequency of a parallel resonant circuit formed by the electric circuit and an inertia corresponding capacitor which is imaginarily connected in parallel to the electric circuit and which has a capacitance corresponding to the inertial force of the rotation body coincides with a predetermined frequency equal to or close to an unsprung resonance frequency.

4. A suspension apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

an external resistor whose resistance is variable is connected to the electric circuit;

and

the electrical characteristic adjustment part comprises;

a target damping force computation section which computes a target damping force which is a target value of the damping force generated by the shock absorber;

a required resistance computation section which computes, on the basis of the target damping force, a required resistance which is an external resistance required by the electric circuit so as to cause the shock absorber to generate the target damping force; and

a resistance correction section which corrects the resistance of the external resistor such that the resistance of the external resistor represents a combined impedance of the required resistance and a required impedance which is determined in advance as an external inductance required by the electric circuit so as to render the anti-resonance frequency coincident with the predetermined frequency equal to or close to the unsprung resonance frequency.