An electronically controlled actuator integrating lifting and controllable stiffness and damping performance

Abstract

The present invention discloses an electronically controlled actuator integrating lifting and controllable stiffness and damping performance, which comprises a housing. An active cylinder body is slidably arranged in the inner cavity of the housing. The tops of the inner and outer cavities of the active cylinder body are sealed by a main piston, and the bottoms are sealed by a base. The main piston can slide vertically in the inner cavity of the housing, and the main piston divides the inner cavity of the housing into a main oil chamber and a constant-pressure air chamber. An outer floating piston is slidably arranged in the outer cavity of the active cylinder body, and the outer floating piston divides the outer cavity of the active cylinder body into an active oil chamber and an outer air chamber. An inner floating piston is slidably arranged in the inner cavity of the active cylinder body, and the inner floating piston divides the inner cavity of the active cylinder body into a magnetorheological fluid chamber and an inner air chamber. An inner piston is slidably arranged in the magnetorheological fluid chamber, and an electromagnetic coil and a plurality of damping pores penetrating up and down are arranged inside the inner piston. The present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art: the functions of independently adjusting damping, stiffness, and height can be realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automotive suspensions, and particularly to an electronically controlled actuator integrating lifting, stiffness and damping controllable performance. Background Art

[0002] Vibrations / shocks generated by ground vehicles driving on uneven roads, the landing impact of aircraft, buildings encountering seismic waves, and the vibrations generated by mechanical equipment and working instruments have an adverse impact on people's work and life. Therefore, the research on vibration / shock control damping technology is crucial. Suspensions can absorb and buffer vibrations and shocks, not only ensuring the stability and safety of mechanical equipment and instrument systems during operation, but also improving the comfort provided by vehicles, aircraft and other carriers to loads or occupants.

[0003] Traditional oil-gas spring suspensions use gas (usually inert gas) as the elastic medium and oil to transmit pressure. The damping force of the suspension is generated by oil flowing through damping holes, and the elastic force is generated by compressing inert gas (nitrogen). As the flow rate of the oil increases, the damping force provided by the damping holes increases non-linearly, and the vibrations of the vehicle are quickly reduced. The elastic force during the operation of the oil-gas suspension is mainly generated by the compression of the inert gas in the accumulator. According to the oil-gas compression theory, when the force that the oil-gas suspension needs to transmit increases, the elastic force generated by it increases rapidly, which makes the oil-gas suspension have non-linear stiffness characteristics, enabling the vehicle to have good ride comfort when driving on rough roads. That is to say, traditional oil-gas suspensions have non-linear stiffness characteristics and non-linear damping characteristics, and can freely adjust the body height at the same time.

[0004] However, since the stiffness and damping of traditional oil-gas suspensions change with the change of road surface parameters and do not have the ability of independent adjustment, the damping effect is not obvious enough when the road surface condition is relatively bad, and it is not suitable for military vehicles equipped with precision instruments. The driving environment and road surface conditions of military vehicles are generally relatively bad, and they often encounter rough, slippery roads or wading conditions. Traditional oil-gas suspensions cannot meet this requirement, and oil-gas suspensions need to be improved urgently. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide an electronically controlled actuator integrating lifting, stiffness and damping controllable performance, in order to achieve the functions of independently adjusting damping, stiffness and height.

[0006] The present invention is realized through the following technical solutions:

[0007] An electronically controlled actuator integrating lifting, stiffness and damping controllable performance, including a housing, and a movable cylinder body is slidably arranged in the inner chamber of the housing.

[0008] The interior of the movable cylinder block is provided with two cavities, an inner cavity and an outer cavity. The tops of the inner and outer cavities of the movable cylinder block are closed by a main piston, and the bottoms are closed by a base. The main piston can slide vertically in the inner chamber of the outer shell. The main piston divides the inner chamber of the outer shell into a main oil chamber and a constant-pressure gas chamber which are distributed vertically. The main oil chamber is filled with oil, and the constant-pressure gas chamber is communicated with the outside;

[0009] An outer floating piston is slidably arranged in the outer cavity of the movable cylinder block. The outer floating piston divides the outer cavity of the movable cylinder block into an upper and a lower distributed movable oil chamber and an outer gas chamber. The movable oil chamber is filled with oil. The communication between the movable oil chamber and the main oil chamber is realized by at least two one-way valves arranged on the main piston. The outer gas chamber is filled with inert gas, and a main gas valve communicated with the outer gas chamber is arranged on the base;

[0010] An inner floating piston is slidably arranged in the inner cavity of the movable cylinder block. The inner floating piston divides the inner cavity of the movable cylinder block into an upper and a lower distributed magnetorheological fluid chamber and an inner gas chamber. The magnetorheological fluid chamber is filled with magnetorheological fluid. An inner piston is slidably arranged in the magnetorheological fluid chamber. An electromagnetic coil is arranged inside the inner piston. A plurality of damping pores penetrating up and down are also opened on the inner piston. The top of the inner piston is connected with a piston rod. The top of the piston rod passes upward through the main piston and is fixedly connected with the top of the inner chamber of the outer shell. The inner gas chamber is communicated with the outer gas chamber through a secondary gas valve;

[0011] By adjusting the current applied to the electromagnetic coil, the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid is adjusted, and further the damping of the entire electric control actuator is adjusted; by inflating or deflating the outer gas chamber, the pressure of the inert gas in the outer gas chamber and the inner gas chamber is controlled, and further the equivalent stiffness of the outer gas chamber and the inner gas chamber is adjusted and the height of the entire electric control actuator is adjusted.

[0012] Further, the inner chamber of the outer shell and the inner cavity of the movable cylinder block are both cylindrical cavities, and the outer cavity of the movable cylinder block is an annular cavity with an annular cross-section.

[0013] Further, two one-way valves are arranged on the main piston, and the conduction directions of the two one-way valves are opposite.

[0014] Further, both the main gas valve and the secondary gas valve are accumulator valves.

[0015] The present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0016] An electronically controlled actuator integrating lifting, stiffness and damping controllable performance provided by the present invention is provided with a magnetorheological fluid chamber filled with magnetorheological fluid in the movable cylinder body of the electronically controlled actuator. By utilizing the fact that the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid is controllable and adjustable by the magnitude of the magnetic field, the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid is adjusted by adjusting the magnitude of the current of the electromagnetic coil. The viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid in the magnetorheological fluid chamber determines the magnitude of the resistance of the inner piston moving up and down in the magnetorheological fluid chamber, so that the equivalent damping of the electronically controlled actuator can be autonomously adjusted. At the same time, an upper movable oil chamber and an outer air chamber are arranged in the outer cavity of the movable cylinder body in an up-and-down distribution. The movable oil chamber is communicated with the main oil chamber through a one-way valve. The inflation or deflation of the outer air chamber is realized through the main air valve, so as to control the pressure of the inert gas in the outer air chamber and the inner air chamber, and further realize the autonomous adjustment of the equivalent stiffness of the outer air chamber and the inner air chamber. The inflation or deflation of the outer air chamber is realized through the main air valve, and at the same time, the lifting function can be realized, so that the electronically controlled actuator can adaptively adjust the vehicle body height according to the road environment, greatly increasing its vehicle passability. Thus, it can be seen that the electronically controlled actuator integrates three functions of adjustable stiffness, adjustable damping and adjustable vehicle body height, improving the upper limit of the vehicle vibration reduction effect, expanding the controllable performance range of the shock absorber, and greatly enhancing the shock absorption performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 is a mechanical characteristic diagram of a comparison between a traditional actuator and the actuator of this embodiment.

[0019] Reference numerals in the figures: 1 housing; 2 movable cylinder body; 3 main piston; 4 base; 5 main oil chamber; 6 constant pressure air chamber; 7 outer floating piston; 8 movable oil chamber; 9 outer air chamber; 10 first one-way valve; 11 second one-way valve; 12 main air valve; 13 inner floating piston; 14 magnetorheological fluid chamber; 15 inner air chamber; 16 inner piston; 17 piston rod; 18 auxiliary air valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0020] The following makes a detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments are implemented on the premise of the technical solution of the present invention, and detailed implementation manners and specific operation processes are given. However, the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0021] See Figure 1 , this embodiment discloses an electronically controlled actuator integrating lifting, stiffness and damping controllable performance, including a housing 1, and a movable cylinder body 2 is slidably arranged in the inner cavity of the housing 1.

[0022] The inside of the movable cylinder block 2 is provided with two cavities, an inner cavity and an outer cavity. The tops of the inner and outer cavities of the movable cylinder block 2 are closed by a main piston 3, and the bottoms are closed by a base 4. The main piston 3 can slide vertically in the inner chamber of the outer shell 1. The main piston 3 divides the inner chamber of the outer shell 1 into a main oil chamber 5 and a constant-pressure air chamber 6 which are distributed vertically. The main oil chamber 5 is filled with oil, and the constant-pressure air chamber 6 is communicated with the outside world.

[0023] An outer floating piston 7 is slidably arranged in the outer cavity of the movable cylinder block 2. The outer floating piston 7 divides the outer cavity of the movable cylinder block 2 into an upper and a lower distributed movable oil chamber 8 and an outer air chamber 9. The movable oil chamber 8 is filled with oil. The communication between the movable oil chamber 8 and the main oil chamber 5 is realized by at least two one-way valves arranged on the main piston 3. In this embodiment, two one-way valves are arranged on the main piston 3, and the conduction directions of the two one-way valves are opposite. The two one-way valves are a first one-way valve 10 and a second one-way valve 11 respectively. The first one-way valve 10 can only conduct in the direction from the main oil chamber 5 to the movable oil chamber 8, and the second one-way valve 11 can only conduct in the direction from the movable oil chamber 8 to the main oil chamber 5. The outer air chamber 9 is filled with inert gas, and the inert gas filled is generally nitrogen. A main air valve 12 communicated with the outer air chamber 9 is arranged on the base 4.

[0024] An inner floating piston 13 is slidably arranged in the inner cavity of the movable cylinder block 2. The inner floating piston 13 divides the inner cavity of the movable cylinder block 2 into an upper and a lower distributed magnetorheological fluid chamber 14 and an inner air chamber 15. The magnetorheological fluid chamber 14 is filled with magnetorheological fluid. An inner piston 16 is slidably arranged in the magnetorheological fluid chamber 14. An electromagnetic coil is arranged inside the inner piston 16. A plurality of damping pores penetrating up and down are also opened on the inner piston 16. The top of the inner piston 16 is connected with a piston rod 17. The top of the piston rod 17 passes upward through the main piston 3 and is fixedly connected with the top of the inner chamber of the outer shell 1. The inner air chamber 15 is communicated with the outer air chamber 9 through a secondary air valve 18, and the secondary air valve 18 is in an open state all the time. Both the main air valve 12 and the secondary air valve 18 adopt accumulator valves. Since the volume of the piston rod 17 entering the magnetorheological fluid chamber 14 will change when the inner piston 16 and the piston rod 17 connected to the inner piston 16 move up and down relative to the magnetorheological fluid chamber 14, the total volume of the magnetorheological fluid chamber 14 needs to increase or decrease. The setting of the inner floating piston 13 and the inner air chamber 15 is precisely to meet this requirement of the change in the total volume of the magnetorheological fluid chamber 14. The inner floating piston 13 will float adaptively to adapt to the change in the total volume of the magnetorheological fluid chamber 14.

[0025] By adjusting the current applied to the electromagnetic coil, the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid is adjusted, and further the damping of the entire electronic control actuator is adjusted; by inflating or deflating the outer air chamber 9, the pressure of the inert gas in the outer air chamber 9 and the inner air chamber 15 is controlled, and further the equivalent stiffness of the outer air chamber 9 and the inner air chamber 15 is adjusted.

[0026] Among them, the inner cavity of the outer shell 1 and the inner cavity of the movable cylinder block 2 are both cylindrical cavities, and the outer cavity of the movable cylinder block 2 is an annular cavity with an annular cross-section.

[0027] The outer shell 1 of the electronic control actuator is connected to the vehicle body, and the base 4 of the movable cylinder block 2 of the electronic control actuator is connected to the wheel.

[0028] When the vehicle vibrates and the vehicle body and the wheel make reciprocating relative movements, the outer shell 1 and the movable cylinder block 2 of the electronic control actuator also make reciprocating up and down movements, that is, the inner piston 16 and the magnetorheological fluid chamber 14 of the movable cylinder block 2 make reciprocating up and down movements. During this process, the magnetorheological fluid in the magnetorheological fluid chamber 14 repeatedly passes through multiple damping pores on the inner piston 16, and the friction between the pore walls of the damping pores of the inner piston 16 and the magnetorheological fluid and the friction within the liquid molecules of the magnetorheological fluid form a damping force on the vibration, converting the vibration energy of the vehicle body into heat energy, which is absorbed by the magnetorheological fluid and the electronic control actuator housing and dissipated into the atmosphere, thus playing a very good vibration damping role. And the magnitude of the damping force of the electronic control actuator is positively correlated with the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid. The greater the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid, the greater the resistance to the relative movement between the inner piston 16 and the magnetorheological fluid, and the greater the equivalent damping force of the electronic control actuator.

[0029] In this embodiment, magnetorheological fluid is introduced into the electronic control actuator, and the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid will change with the change of the magnetic field strength. When a direct current is passed through the electromagnetic coil, a fixed magnetic field will be generated inside the electromagnetic coil, and the magnetic field strength is proportional to the magnitude of the current. Therefore, by changing the magnitude of the current in the electromagnetic coil, the magnetic field strength generated thereby can be changed, thereby changing the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid in the magnetorheological fluid chamber 14, and further changing the magnitude of the resistance of the inner piston 16 to move up and down in the magnetorheological fluid chamber 14, so as to autonomously adjust the equivalent damping of the electronic control actuator.

[0030] At the same time, in this embodiment, an outer cavity is provided around the inner cavity of the movable cylinder block 2. The outer cavity of the movable cylinder block 2 is divided into a movable oil chamber 8 and an outer air chamber 9 by an outer floating piston 7. The movable oil chamber 8 is communicated with the main oil chamber 5 through a one-way valve, and the outer air chamber 9 is connected to the main air valve 12. By inflating or deflating the outer air chamber 9 through the main air valve 12, the density of the inert gas in the outer air chamber 9 and the inner air chamber 15 connected to the outer air chamber 9 can be controlled, and then the gas pressure inside the outer air chamber 9 and the inner air chamber 15 can be controlled. The pressure acts on the movable cylinder block 2 to form an equivalent stiffness, so as to autonomously adjust the equivalent stiffness of the electronic control actuator.

[0031] At the same time, when inflating or deflating the outer air chamber 9 through the main air valve 12, the lifting function of the electronic control actuator can be realized at the same time. The specific process is as follows:

[0032] When inert gas is filled into the outer air chamber 9 through the main air valve 12, the gas pressure in the outer air chamber 9 increases. The outer floating piston 7 will float upward under the action of the increased pressure, compressing the oil in the movable oil chamber 8 upward. This will generate two motions: one is that the oil in the movable oil chamber 8 flows through the second one-way valve 11 into the main oil chamber 5, and the oil pressure in the main oil chamber 5 increases to push the outer shell 1 upward; the other is that the compressed oil in the movable oil chamber 8 will push the main piston 3 upward, causing the main piston 3 to float upward relative to the outer shell 1, further compressing the main oil chamber 5, and the oil pressure in the main oil chamber 5 further increases to push the outer shell 1 upward, thereby realizing the elevation of the entire vehicle body.

[0033] When the outer air chamber 9 is deflated through the main air valve 12, the gas pressure in the outer air chamber 9 decreases, the outer floating piston 7 floats downward, the volume of the movable oil chamber 8 increases, and the pressure decreases. This will generate two motions: one is that the oil pressure in the main oil chamber 5 is greater than the oil pressure in the movable oil chamber 8, and the oil in the main oil chamber 5 pushes the main piston 3 downward; the other is that the oil in the main oil chamber 5 will flow through the first one-way valve 10 into the movable oil chamber 8, and the oil pressure in the main oil chamber 5 gradually weakens, then the outer shell 1 gradually moves downward, thereby realizing the lowering of the entire vehicle body.

[0034] The operator can adjust the damping and stiffness of the electronic control actuator separately or in combination according to specific requirements. Corresponding damping and stiffness parameters can be selected according to different road conditions to improve the ride comfort and handling stability of the vehicle. At the same time, when wading or on low-lying roads, the vehicle body height can be changed through the lifting function to improve the passability of the vehicle.

[0035] See Figure 2 , Figure 2 is a mechanical property diagram comparing the traditional actuator with the actuator of this embodiment. Among them, the edge line of the shaded area is the mechanical property curve of the actuator provided in this embodiment. That is, for the actuator provided in this embodiment, assuming a linearly varying excitation speed at the vehicle tire, the magnitude of the output force detected at the sprung mass. Here, the sprung mass refers to the vehicle body part connected to the outer shell 1; the dotted line is the mechanical property curve of the traditional actuator. It can be seen that under the same test conditions, for the actuator provided in this embodiment, the minimum value of its output force is smaller than that of the traditional actuator, indicating that its vibration damping effect is better; at the same time, the shaded area represents the controllable force area of the actuator of this embodiment. The actuator provided in this embodiment has a wide controllable force area and has the following advantages:

[0036] 1. Improve the adaptability and stability of the electronic control actuator: In the case of a large controllable force area, the electronic control actuator can adapt to various road conditions and driving conditions, improving the stability and ride comfort of the vehicle.

[0037] 2. Improve the adjustability of the electric control actuator: When the controllable force range is relatively large, the driving characteristics of the vehicle can be changed by adjusting the parameters of the electric control actuator, such as improving the vehicle's handling performance and reducing body tilt.

[0038] 3. Enhance the vehicle's safety: When the controllable force range is relatively large, the electric control actuator can better absorb and disperse impact forces, reducing the risk of the vehicle losing control due to impact forces and improving driving safety.

[0039] 4. Extend the service life of the electric control actuator: When the controllable force range is relatively large, each component of the electric control actuator can be subjected to more balanced forces, thereby reducing wear and damage to each component and extending the service life of the electric control actuator.

[0040] Therefore, having a wide controllable force range can improve the vehicle's performance, safety, and service life, which is of great significance for vehicle design and manufacturing.

[0041] This embodiment integrates the functions of lifting, adjustable stiffness, and adjustable damping. The advantages brought about are very significant, which can improve the performance of the vehicle's electric control actuator, enhance comfort, safety, and driving experience. Specifically, it is reflected in:

[0042] 1. Improve the performance of the vehicle's electric control actuator: It can better adapt to various road conditions and driving conditions. For example, when driving on rough roads, the stability and controllability of the electric control actuator can be improved by increasing its stiffness and damping.

[0043] 2. Improve driving comfort: The adjustable electric control actuator can adjust the stiffness and damping according to driving conditions, thereby improving driving comfort. For example, when driving on a smooth road, the riding comfort can be improved by reducing the stiffness and damping of the electric control actuator.

[0044] 3. Improve safety: When driving conditions change, adjusting the stiffness and damping of the electric control actuator can improve the vehicle's stability and controllability, thereby enhancing driving safety. For example, when driving at high speed, the vehicle's stability can be improved and the risk of the vehicle losing control can be prevented by increasing the stiffness and damping of the electric control actuator.

[0045] 4. Improve the driving experience: The adjustable electric control actuator can be adjusted according to the driver's preferences and needs, thereby enhancing the driving pleasure and experience. For example, when driving in a sporty manner, the responsiveness and controllability of the electric control actuator can be improved by increasing its stiffness and damping.

[0046] 5. Improve off-road performance: When the vehicle is driving on an uneven road surface, if the ground clearance of the vehicle body is too low, it will increase the friction between the chassis and the ground, resulting in unstable vehicle driving. The lifting function can raise the vehicle body and increase the wheel ground clearance, thereby reducing the friction and improving the off-road performance of the vehicle.

[0047] 6. Cope with special road conditions: When passing through an area with a large water depth, the vehicle may stall due to water ingress. At this time, the lifting function can raise the vehicle body to make the wheel ground clearance higher to avoid water ingress.

[0048] 7. Improve the field of vision: When the vehicle is driving on the highway, if the ground clearance of the vehicle body is too low, it will make the driver unable to see the road conditions clearly and increase the driving risk. The lifting function can raise the vehicle body to improve the driver's field of vision, thereby enhancing driving safety.

[0049] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electronically controlled actuator integrating lifting and controllable stiffness and damping performance, comprising a housing (1), and a movable cylinder block (2) is slidably arranged in the inner chamber of the housing (1). It is characterized in that: The movable cylinder block (2) is internally provided with two cavities, an inner cavity and an outer cavity. The tops of the inner and outer cavities of the movable cylinder block (2) are closed by a main piston (3), and the bottoms are closed by a base (4). The main piston (3) can slide vertically in the inner chamber of the housing (1). The main piston (3) divides the inner chamber of the housing (1) into a main oil chamber (5) and a constant-pressure air chamber (6) which are distributed up and down. The main oil chamber (5) is filled with oil, and the constant-pressure air chamber (6) is communicated with the outside. An outer floating piston (7) is slidably arranged in the outer cavity of the movable cylinder block (2). The outer floating piston (7) divides the outer cavity of the movable cylinder block (2) into an active oil chamber (8) and an outer air chamber (9) which are distributed up and down. The active oil chamber (8) is filled with oil. The communication between the active oil chamber (8) and the main oil chamber (5) is realized through at least two one-way valves arranged on the main piston (3). The outer air chamber (9) is filled with inert gas, and a main air valve (12) communicated with the outer air chamber (9) is arranged on the base (4). An inner floating piston (13) is slidably arranged in the inner cavity of the movable cylinder block (2). The inner floating piston (13) divides the inner cavity of the movable cylinder block (2) into a magnetorheological fluid chamber (14) and an inner air chamber (15) which are distributed up and down. The magnetorheological fluid chamber (14) is filled with magnetorheological fluid. An inner piston (16) is slidably arranged in the magnetorheological fluid chamber (14). An electromagnetic coil is arranged inside the inner piston (16). A plurality of damping pores penetrating up and down are also formed on the inner piston (16). The top of the inner piston (16) is connected with a piston rod (17). The top of the piston rod (17) passes upward through the main piston (3) and is fixedly connected with the top of the inner chamber of the housing (1). The inner air chamber (15) is communicated with the outer air chamber (9) through a secondary air valve (18). By adjusting the current applied to the electromagnetic coil, the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid is adjusted, and further the damping of the entire electronically controlled actuator is adjusted. By inflating or deflating the outer air chamber (9), the pressure of the inert gas in the outer air chamber (9) and the inner air chamber (15) is controlled, and further the equivalent stiffness of the outer air chamber (9) and the inner air chamber (15) is adjusted and the height of the entire electronically controlled actuator is adjusted.

2. The electronically controlled actuator integrating lifting and controllable stiffness and damping performance according to claim 1, It is characterized in that: The inner chamber of the housing (1) and the inner cavity of the movable cylinder block (2) are both cylindrical cavities, and the outer cavity of the movable cylinder block (2) is an annular cavity with a circular cross-section.

3. The electronically controlled actuator integrating lifting and controllable stiffness and damping performance according to claim 1, It is characterized in that: Two one-way valves are arranged on the main piston (3), and the conduction directions of the two one-way valves are opposite.

4. The electronically controlled actuator integrating lifting and controllable stiffness and damping performance according to claim 1, It is characterized in that: The main air valve (12) and the secondary air valve (18) are both accumulator valves.

Images