Electromagnetic actuator

Abstract

The application discloses an electromagnetic actuator, which comprises a shell, a damping mechanism, a conversion mechanism and the like. The shell can be driven to reciprocate and rotate. The damping mechanism comprises a screw rod and a nut screwing with the screw rod. The nut is arranged in the shell in transmission cooperation. The screw rod extends out of the shell to be connected with a vehicle body. When the screw rod reciprocates linearly, the screw rod drives the nut to rotate and drives the shell to rotate. Alternatively, the shell is driven to rotate and drives the screw rod to reciprocate through the nut. The conversion mechanism comprises a stator and a rotor sleeved with the stator. The rotor is located in the shell and is in transmission cooperation with the shell. The stator extends out of the shell to be connected with a vehicle wheel. When the stator is electrified, the stator drives the rotor to rotate and drives the shell to rotate. The shell drives the screw rod to reciprocate through the nut. Alternatively, when the screw rod drives the rotor to rotate through the nut and the shell, the stator generates current and can be stored. The electromagnetic actuator can realize two damping modes of active adjustment and semi-active adjustment, and has compact and simple overall structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive vibration reduction technology, and in particular to an electromagnetic actuator. Background Technology

[0002] The suspension is a crucial functional component of a car chassis. Traditional hydraulic or spring suspension systems convert vibration energy into waste heat dissipation through built-in shock absorbers, thereby achieving vibration reduction. Modern automotive suspensions can be categorized into passive, semi-active, and active suspensions. While passive suspensions are simple in structure and low in cost, they only achieve optimal performance under specific road conditions. Semi-active suspensions can adjust suspension damping parameters according to road conditions, achieving a certain degree of suspension performance improvement. Active suspensions, on the other hand, add an actuator to the suspension system to adjust suspension stiffness and damping in real time, maximizing suspension performance improvement. In current technology, the actuators in the suspension mainly employ a scheme where a rotary motor is directly combined with a ball screw. During energy feeding or active suspension adjustment, the rotary motor needs to frequently change direction, resulting in high-frequency motor switching. Furthermore, the overall structure is complex and cost-inefficient.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to improve the structure of the actuator in the existing technology so that it can actively adjust the suspension stiffness and damping or semi-actively adjust the suspension stiffness and damping, and the overall structure is simple and compact, avoiding high-frequency switching during use. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an electromagnetic actuator that can actively adjust the suspension stiffness and damping or semi-actively adjust the suspension stiffness and damping, and has a simple and compact overall structure. At the same time, in the semi-active adjustment mode, it can also generate electrical energy that can be stored and utilized, thereby improving the energy utilization rate of the whole vehicle.

[0005] The electromagnetic actuator of the present invention includes:

[0006] A housing that can be driven to reciprocate rotation;

[0007] A vibration damping mechanism includes a helical rod and a nut that helically engages with the helical rod. The nut is disposed within a housing, and the helical rod extends out of the housing for connection with the vehicle body. When the helical rod reciprocates linearly, it drives the nut to rotate and thus rotates the housing; or, the housing is driven to rotate and drives the helical rod to reciprocate through the nut.

[0008] The conversion mechanism includes a stator and a rotor fitted inside the stator. The rotor is located inside a housing and drives the housing. The stator extends out of the housing for connection with a vehicle wheel. When the stator is energized, it drives the rotor to rotate and causes the housing to rotate. The housing drives a screw rod to reciprocate via a nut. Alternatively, when the screw rod drives the rotor to rotate via the nut and the housing, the stator generates current and it can be stored.

[0009] Furthermore, the vibration damping mechanism also includes a planetary gear assembly disposed within the housing. The planetary gear assembly includes multiple planetary shafts and multiple planetary gears correspondingly sleeved on the planetary shafts. The outer circle of the nut is provided with gear teeth that mesh with the planetary gears, and the inner circle of the housing is provided with an internal gear ring that meshes with the planetary gears.

[0010] Furthermore, the housing includes an upper housing and a lower housing, the upper housing and the lower housing are detachably fixedly connected, the internal gear ring is disposed on the inner wall of the upper housing, and the rotor is disposed on the inner wall of the lower housing.

[0011] Furthermore, the lower end of the upper housing is provided with a connecting flange I, and the upper end of the lower housing is provided with a connecting flange II that is detachably and fixedly connected to the connecting flange I. The connecting flange I and the connecting flange II are provided with an opening I for the helical rod to pass through. The stator is located inside the lower housing and extends downward out of the lower housing for connection with the automobile wheel.

[0012] The stator has a connecting groove along the axial direction, and the helical rod passes through the opening I on the connecting flange I and is inserted into the connecting groove.

[0013] Furthermore, the electromagnetic actuator also includes an upper end cover, which is used to seal the upper end of the upper housing. The upper end cover is provided with an opening II, and the upper end of the helical rod extends out of the opening II for connection with the car body.

[0014] The upper end cover is provided with multiple mounting slots I for mounting planetary shafts, and the connecting flange I is provided with multiple mounting slots II corresponding one-to-one with the multiple mounting slots I. The two ends of the planetary shaft are respectively supported and mounted in the mounting slots I and the mounting slots II by bearings.

[0015] Furthermore, the vibration damping mechanism also includes two support bearings I, which are sleeved on the helical rod and located at the upper and lower ends of the nut.

[0016] Furthermore, the conversion mechanism also includes a support bearing II, which is sleeved on the screw rod and located between the end of the stator and the support bearing I located at the lower end of the nut.

[0017] Furthermore, the electromagnetic actuator also includes a lower end cover, which is used to seal the lower end of the lower housing and is detachably fixedly connected to the lower housing. The lower end cover is provided with an opening III, and the lower end of the stator extends out of the opening III for connection with the automobile wheel.

[0018] The conversion mechanism also includes a limiting bearing, which is sleeved on the stator and located inside the lower end cover.

[0019] Furthermore, the rotor is a surface-mounted rotor, and the stator includes a stator shaft and a stator winding assembly disposed on the stator shaft. The stator winding assembly includes coils, and the stator shaft is used for connection with automobile wheels.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The electromagnetic actuator of this invention, through the cooperation of a helical rod and a nut, drives the helical rod to perform linear reciprocating motion when the car suspension vibrates, and drives the nut to rotate. The nut transmits power to the housing, and the rotation of the housing causes a change in the magnetic field, thereby generating current in the stator. This current can be stored and utilized, achieving semi-active adjustment of suspension stiffness and damping while also providing energy feedback. When active adjustment of suspension stiffness and damping is required, the current in the stator is controlled to conduct, thereby driving the rotor to rotate, which in turn drives the housing to rotate. The rotation of the housing transmits power to the helical rod through the nut, and the helical rod actively adjusts the suspension stiffness and damping. Furthermore, the damping force can be adjusted by adjusting the current magnitude. The overall structure is compact, and a portion of the energy can be stored for energy feedback. It also allows for switching between two suspension adjustment modes, making it more convenient to use. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the electromagnetic actuator of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Sectional view along the middle AA direction;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Exploded view of the concealed casing;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the lower shell structure;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of connecting flange I;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the upper end cap structure;

[0028] Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the upper shell structure;

[0029] Figure label:

[0030] 1. Screw rod; 2. Housing; 201. Upper housing; 202. Lower housing; 203. Internal gear ring; 3. Stator; 301. Connecting groove; 4. Upper end cover; 401. Mounting groove I; 5. Connecting flange I; 501. Mounting groove II; 6. Connecting flange II; 7. Lower end cover; 8. Planetary gear; 9. Support bearing I; 10. Nut; 11. Support bearing II; 12. Limit bearing; 13. Rotor. Detailed Implementation

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the electromagnetic actuator of the present invention. Figure 2 for Figure 1 Sectional view along the AA direction. Figure 3 for Figure 1 Exploded view of the concealed shell. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the lower shell structure. Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of connecting flange I. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the upper cover structure. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the upper shell structure, as shown below. Figure 1-7 As shown: The electromagnetic actuator of this embodiment includes:

[0032] Housing 2, which can be driven to reciprocate.

[0033] The vibration damping mechanism includes a helical rod 1 and a nut 10 that helically engages with the helical rod 1. The nut 10 is disposed within a housing 2. The helical rod 1 extends out of the housing 2 to connect with the vehicle body. When the helical rod 1 reciprocates linearly, it drives the nut 10 to rotate, thereby rotating the housing 2. Alternatively, the housing 2 is driven to rotate and, through the nut 10, drives the helical rod 1 to reciprocate. The inner wall of the nut 10 has an internal thread that helically engages with the helical rod 1. The nut 10 is disposed within the housing 2, and the helical rod 1 is used to connect with the vehicle body. When the vehicle is in motion, the vehicle body vibrates, thereby driving the helical rod 1 to reciprocate linearly along the vertical direction of the vehicle. The helical rod 1, through the nut 10, drives the housing 2 to rotate. In this case, it is a semi-active adjustment mode. Alternatively, the housing 2 is driven to rotate and, through the nut 10, drives the helical rod 1 to reciprocate, thereby achieving active adjustment of the vehicle body suspension stiffness and damping, and active control of the damping force. In this case, it is an active adjustment mode.

[0034] The conversion mechanism includes a stator 3 and a rotor 13 fitted inside the stator 3. The rotor 13 is located inside the housing 2 and is driven to drive the housing 2. The stator 3 extends out of the housing 2 for connection with the vehicle wheel. When the stator 3 is energized, it drives the rotor 13 to rotate and drives the housing 2 to rotate. The housing 2 drives the screw rod 1 to reciprocate through the nut 10. Alternatively, when the screw rod 1 drives the rotor 13 to rotate through the nut 10 and the housing 2, the stator 3 generates current and it can be stored.

[0035] Specifically, rotor 13 is generally a surface-mounted rotor housed within housing 2. Stator 3 is equipped with coils and wires. In semi-active adjustment mode, as the vehicle body vibrates, it drives the screw rod 1 to perform linear reciprocating motion. The screw rod 1 drives housing 2 to rotate via nut 10. Due to the transmission cooperation between rotor 13 and housing 2, rotor 13 rotates accordingly, causing a change in the magnetic field, which in turn generates current in stator 3. While adjusting suspension vibration, the coils on stator 3 are connected to a rectifier and filter circuit via wires. The rectifier and filter circuit is connected to an AC / DC conversion circuit via a relay. The AC / DC conversion circuit is connected to the input terminal of a capacitor bank, thus storing energy. The stored electrical energy can be output externally. The current conversion output method... As this is an application of existing technology, it will not be elaborated further here; it can be used as a power source in active mode to achieve energy recovery and improve the energy utilization rate of the whole vehicle; when in active adjustment mode, stator 3 is energized, thereby driving rotor 13 to rotate and driving housing 2 to rotate. Housing 2 drives screw rod 1 to reciprocate through nut 10, thereby realizing active adjustment of suspension damping force. The damping force can be adjusted by controlling the magnitude of the energizing current. Compared with the existing technology of directly adding motor, ball screw and electromagnetic clutch to actuator, the overall structure is more compact and simpler than the existing technology. At the same time, the overall axial length of electromagnetic actuator is small, which is more conducive to the layout of the vehicle body and can reduce the occupation of vehicle body space.

[0036] In this embodiment, the vibration damping mechanism further includes a planetary gear assembly disposed within the housing 2. The planetary gear assembly includes multiple planetary shafts and multiple planetary gears 8 correspondingly sleeved on the planetary shafts. The outer circumference of the nut 10 is provided with gear teeth that mesh with the planetary gears 8, and the inner circumference of the housing 2 is provided with an internal gear ring 203 that meshes with the planetary gears 8. The number of planetary gears 8 can be set according to usage requirements. The planetary gears 8 mesh with the nut 10 and with the internal gear ring 203 disposed on the inner wall of the housing 2. Thus, when the electromagnetic actuator is in use, the transmission ratio can be amplified through the planetary gear assembly to achieve the effect of deceleration and torque increase, while having a smaller radial dimension compared to the prior art.

[0037] In this embodiment, the housing 2 includes an upper housing 201 and a lower housing 202. The upper housing 201 and the lower housing 202 are detachably and fixedly connected. The internal gear ring 203 is disposed on the inner wall of the upper housing 201, and the rotor 13 is disposed on the inner wall of the lower housing 202. The upper housing 201 and the lower housing 202 are detachably and fixedly connected by bolts. The internal gear ring 203 is disposed on the inner wall of the upper housing 201, and the rotor 13 is disposed on the inner wall of the lower housing 202. Thus, the rotor 13 can rotate with the housing 2, or the housing 2 can rotate with the rotor 13. The overall structure is compact and easy to assemble.

[0038] In this embodiment, the lower end of the upper housing 201 is provided with a connecting flange I5, and the upper end of the lower housing 202 is provided with a connecting flange II6 that is detachably and fixedly connected to the connecting flange I5. The connecting flange I5 and the connecting flange II6 are provided with openings I for the spiral rod 1 to pass through. The stator 3 is located inside the lower housing 202 and extends downwards out of the lower housing 202 for connection with the vehicle wheel; "upper" and "lower" refer to... Figure 2 In the vertical direction, connecting flange I5 is detachably fixed to connecting flange II6 by bolts and nuts I.

[0039] The stator 3 has a connecting groove 301 along its axial direction. The helical rod 1 passes through the opening I on the connecting flange I5 and is inserted into the connecting groove 301. The diameter of the helical rod 1 is smaller than the diameter of the connecting groove 301, and the shape of the connecting groove 301 is adapted to the shape of the helical rod 1. The helical rod 1 and the connecting groove 301 slide together, thereby making the overall structure compact and further reducing the axial dimension of the electromagnetic actuator.

[0040] In this embodiment, the electromagnetic actuator further includes an upper end cover 4, which is used to seal the upper end of the upper housing 201. The upper end cover 4 has an opening II, and the upper end of the spiral rod 1 extends out of the opening II for connection with the car body; "upper" and "lower" refer to... Figure 2 In the vertical direction, the upper end cover 4 is set to form a cover on the upper housing 201. The upper end cover 4 can be fixed to the upper housing 201 by means of threaded connection.

[0041] The upper end cover 4 is provided with multiple mounting slots I 401 for mounting planetary shafts. The connecting flange I 5 is provided with multiple mounting slots II 501 corresponding to the multiple mounting slots I 401. The two ends of the planetary shaft are respectively supported and mounted in mounting slots I 401 and mounting slots II 501 by bearings. The number of mounting slots I 401 and mounting slots II 501 is consistent with the number of planetary shafts. The bearings are located in mounting slots I 401 and mounting slots II 501 respectively. The installation of planetary shafts is facilitated by providing mounting slots I 401 and mounting slots II 501.

[0042] In this embodiment, the vibration damping mechanism further includes two support bearings I9, which are sleeved on the helical rod 1 and located at the upper and lower ends of the nut 10. By setting the support bearings I9, the nut 10 can be limited, so that when the helical rod 1 performs linear reciprocating motion, the power can be transmitted to the planetary gear assembly through the rotation of the nut 10.

[0043] In this embodiment, the conversion mechanism further includes a support bearing II11, which is sleeved on the screw rod 1 and located between the end of the stator 3 and the support bearing I9 located at the lower end of the nut 10. The support bearing II11 is located above (at the end) the stator 3, thereby preventing the upper housing 201 from rotating and causing the stator 3 to rotate.

[0044] In this embodiment, the electromagnetic actuator further includes a lower end cover 7, which is used to cover the lower end of the lower housing 202 and is detachably fixedly connected to the lower housing 202. The lower end cover 7 is provided with an opening III, and the lower end of the stator 3 extends out of the opening III for connection with the car wheel. The lower end cover 7 is detachably fixedly connected to the lower housing 202 by bolts, which facilitates the assembly of the stator 3.

[0045] The conversion mechanism also includes a limiting bearing 12, which is sleeved on the stator 3 and located inside the lower end cover 7. The limiting bearing 12 is used to radially limit the stator 3. The diameter of the limiting bearing 12 is larger than the diameter of the opening Ⅲ, thereby avoiding concentricity errors between the screw rod 1, the housing 2, and the stator 3 during use.

[0046] In this embodiment, the rotor 13 is a surface-mounted rotor, and the stator 3 includes a stator shaft and a stator winding assembly disposed on the stator shaft. The stator winding assembly includes coils, and the stator shaft is used for connection with a car wheel. The surface-mounted rotor includes permanent magnets and an iron core, etc. The permanent magnets are directly attached to the surface of the iron core. The winding method of the coils and the stator shaft is an application of existing technology and will not be described in detail here. The stator shaft is provided with connection holes for connection with the car wheel.

[0047] This embodiment also includes an actuator control system. The control system includes a controller (generally a combination of the vehicle's ECU or CPU and peripheral circuits) and a capacitor bank that stores the converted electrical energy and supplies power to the electromagnetic actuator's power unit. The controller's signal input terminal is connected to a vehicle speed sensor for detecting vehicle speed or an image recognition unit (which can be a camera) for acquiring road conditions. By acquiring the vehicle speed and road conditions during the vehicle's driving process, the controller can switch between semi-active adjustment mode and active adjustment mode by controlling whether the stator 3 is energized. The suspension damping effect is significant. The specific control method of the control system is an application of existing technology and will not be described in detail here. Thus, an electromagnetic actuator integrating vibration energy recovery and damping force control functions can be realized. The overall structure is compact, small in size, and easy to install. At the same time, the vibration energy recovered in the semi-active adjustment mode can be used as the electromagnetic actuator in the active adjustment mode, reducing energy consumption in the active adjustment mode.

[0048] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic actuator, characterized in that: include: A housing that can be driven to reciprocate rotation; A vibration damping mechanism includes a helical rod and a nut that helically engages with the helical rod. The nut is disposed within a housing, and the helical rod extends out of the housing for connection with the vehicle body. When the helical rod reciprocates linearly, it drives the nut to rotate and thus rotates the housing; or, the housing is driven to rotate and drives the helical rod to reciprocate through the nut. The conversion mechanism includes a stator and a rotor fitted inside the stator. The rotor is located inside a housing and is driven by the housing. The stator extends out of the housing for connection with a car wheel. When the stator is energized, it drives the rotor to rotate and causes the housing to rotate. The housing drives a screw rod to reciprocate through a nut. Alternatively, when the screw rod drives the rotor to rotate through the nut and the housing, the stator generates current and it can be stored. The rotor is a surface-mounted rotor, which includes a permanent magnet and an iron core; The vibration damping mechanism also includes a planetary gear assembly disposed within the housing. The planetary gear assembly includes multiple planetary shafts and multiple planetary gears that are correspondingly sleeved on the planetary shafts. The outer circle of the nut is provided with gear teeth that mesh with the planetary gears, and the inner circle of the housing is provided with an internal gear ring that meshes with the planetary gears.

2. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing includes an upper housing and a lower housing, the upper housing and the lower housing are detachably fixedly connected, the internal gear ring is disposed on the inner wall of the upper housing, and the rotor is disposed on the inner wall of the lower housing.

3. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lower end of the upper housing is provided with a connecting flange I, and the upper end of the lower housing is provided with a connecting flange II that is detachably and fixedly connected to the connecting flange I. The connecting flange I and the connecting flange II are provided with an opening I for the helical rod to pass through. The stator is located inside the lower housing and extends downward out of the lower housing for connection with the automobile wheel. The stator has a connecting groove along the axial direction, and the helical rod passes through the opening I on the connecting flange I and is inserted into the connecting groove.

4. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The electromagnetic actuator also includes an upper end cover, which is used to seal the upper end of the upper housing. The upper end cover has an opening II, and the upper end of the spiral rod extends out of the opening II for connection with the car body. The upper end cover is provided with multiple mounting slots I for mounting planetary shafts, and the connecting flange I is provided with multiple mounting slots II corresponding one-to-one with the multiple mounting slots I. The two ends of the planetary shaft are respectively supported and mounted in the mounting slots I and the mounting slots II by bearings.

5. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vibration damping mechanism also includes two support bearings I, which are sleeved on the helical rod and located at the upper and lower ends of the nut.

6. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 5, characterized in that: The conversion mechanism also includes a support bearing II, which is sleeved on the screw rod and located between the end of the stator and the support bearing I located at the lower end of the nut.

7. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The electromagnetic actuator also includes a lower end cover, which is used to form a seal on the lower end of the lower housing and is detachably and fixedly connected to the lower housing. The lower end cover is provided with an opening III, and the lower end of the stator extends out of the opening III for connection with the automobile wheel. The conversion mechanism also includes a limiting bearing, which is sleeved on the stator and located inside the lower end cover.

8. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stator includes a stator shaft and a stator winding assembly disposed on the stator shaft. The stator winding assembly includes coils. The stator shaft is used for connection to a vehicle wheel.

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