Vehicle Suspension Actuator System

Abstract

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment relates to a suspension actuator system for a vehicle that includes an active control element, a passive control element, and an adaptive damper mounted in series with each other with parallel springs.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] [CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 247,697, filed September 23, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This application relates to active suspension systems for automobiles. More particularly, this application relates to electronic suspension systems for automobiles. [Background technology]

[0003] Automobiles use a variety of active suspension systems to improve the vehicle's performance. Some suspension systems use passive springs and dampers, while others use electronic systems that detect changes in the road surface. Active suspension systems use on-board sensors to measure and / or predict the vehicle's motion on the road, and can then counter any unpleasant motions from uneven roads by controlling the operation of the suspension system connected to each tire.

[0004] Active suspension systems detect changes in various road conditions and make equivalent changes to the suspension position to improve vehicle dynamics and ride for passenger comfort. These systems typically use pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric drive systems to activate energy to achieve a desired level of suspension performance. Hydraulic systems can be actuated to deliver energy using a predetermined hydraulic pressure and flow rate in response to detection of road changes. Other systems can use electric motors to deliver energy to the wheels to achieve the desired road handling and suspension performance. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One embodiment is a suspension actuator system for a vehicle that can include an active control element in communication with a suspension control system to move the vehicle wheels in response to road conditions, a series passive control element comprising a spring and / or damper mounted in series with the active control element, and a parallel passive control element comprising a spring mounted in parallel with the active control element.

[0006] One embodiment is a suspension actuator system for a vehicle that includes an active control element in communication with a suspension control system to move the vehicle wheels in response to road conditions, a series passive control element comprising a first spring or damper mounted in series with the active control element, and a parallel passive control element comprising a second spring or damper mounted in parallel with the active control element.

[0007] Another embodiment is a suspension actuator system for a vehicle, the system including a series passive control element with a first spring or damper, a parallel passive control element with a second spring or damper, and an active control element in communication with the suspension control system to move the vehicle wheels in response to road conditions, the active control element comprising a processor configured to perform a method of detecting motion of the vehicle on the road, determining when the vehicle requires active control of the suspension, and activating the active control element to move the vehicle wheels to smooth the ride of the vehicle, the series passive control element being mounted in series with the active control element and the parallel passive control element being mounted in parallel with the active control element. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] Features of embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description and the drawings in which like reference numbers correspond to similar, though perhaps not identical, components. For the sake of brevity, reference numbers or features having previously described functions may or may not be described with reference to the other drawings in which they appear.

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle suspension actuator according to one embodiment.

[0010] [Diagram 2] 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a suspension actuator having passive and active components according to one embodiment.

[0011] [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the suspension actuator of FIG. 2 with the passive components locked and the active components shortened to pull the attached vehicle wheel upward. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] All patents, patent applications, and other publications, including all sequences disclosed in these references, mentioned herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.All cited documents are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for the purposes indicated by the context of their citation.However, the citation of any document should not be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to this disclosure.

[0013] The embodiments relate to a suspension actuator configured to control vehicle kinematics and control the ride quality of the vehicle. The suspension actuator may comprise an active control element in series with a passive control element. The suspension actuator may also be in parallel with the passive control element. In some embodiments, the suspension actuator is in series and parallel with the passive control element. In some embodiments, the active control element is in parallel with some passive elements, such as air springs, and in series with other passive elements.

[0014] The active control elements may be motors or other electrically controllable components. The suspension control system can communicate with the active control elements to monitor the speed, ride and position of the vehicle and wheels and take measures to improve the ride performance of the vehicle. As used herein, the term "ride" generally relates to the excitation of the vehicle body caused by the road, as well as any roll, pitch and bounce movements of the vehicle body. A set of vehicle ride sensors can be distributed throughout the vehicle and / or wheels to detect position, speed and vibrations within the vehicle. These sensors can include vibration sensors, accelerometers or other sensor types configured to measure the position of the vehicle or wheels as the vehicle travels along the road. Data from the sensors can be fed to the suspension control system to control the active control elements and improve ride quality.

[0015] In one embodiment, the passive element may be a spring or other damper placed in parallel with the active element. The spring or other damper may be a relatively low constant spring, such as an air spring, which can help support weight and counteract the effects of gravity on the vehicle. Additionally, placing a passive element, such as an air spring, in parallel with an active control element can reduce the power requirements needed for the active components by helping to mitigate the force of gravity that would otherwise have to be overcome when the active element is actuated to move the tire.

[0016] In addition to parallel passive elements, the system may also include passive elements in series with one or more active elements. For example, a series spring may be placed in the system to limit the power and / or bandwidth requirements of one or more active elements. The series spring or damper may be sized and configured to dampen or reduce high frequency, high speed or high power inputs from the road before they are transmitted to one or more active components.

[0017] In other embodiments, the suspension actuator system may also include an adaptive damper in series with the active and passive control elements and configured to help control the ride quality of the vehicle. There are several types of adaptive dampers that can be electronically controlled and used in embodiments of the invention. For example, one embodiment may use a magnetorheological damper filled with synthetic oil containing iron particles. Such a damper uses a magnetic field from one or more magnetic coils to control the resistance to movement of the adaptive damper. Another embodiment may use a valve-actuated adaptive damper that can control the flow rate of fluid through a piston to change the stiffness of the adaptive damper.

[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a suspension actuator system 100 including a proximal end having a body mount 110 having a mounting bolt 112 for mounting to a vehicle body. The body mount 110 connects to a housing 115. The proximal end of the housing 115 is mounted to the body mount 110 and the distal end of the housing 115 is mounted to a rotating ball nut assembly 118. The ball nut assembly 118 connects to a threaded screw system 120 and a belt 125. The belt 125 is driven by a motor 130. When the motor 130 is actuated and rotates, the belt 135 rotates, which in turn rotates the ball nut assembly 118. The rotational motion of the ball nut assembly 118 is translated into lateral motion of the threaded screw 120. As the laterally disposed threaded screw 120 moves, it connects to a piston shaft 140, which is a part of an adaptive damper 145, a piston head 142. The adaptive damper 145 fits into a connector 155 that is mounted to a vehicle knuckle or suspension arm that moves an associated wheel (not shown).

[0019] A suspension control system 135 connects to motor 130 and activates the motor when sensors or other devices detect body position and wheel movement. For example, accelerometers or wheel position sensors may be used to detect the spatial position and movement of the vehicle and wheels over time. The control system 135 may monitor the rotation, current, and voltage of motor 130 as it senses the vehicle's position and activates the motor to damp road vibrations and other undesirable wheel motion.

[0020] In some embodiments, the controller 135 communicates between various vehicle subsystems, including the vehicle steering system, the vehicle sensor systems, and the suspension actuator system 100. The controller 135 may include at least one microprocessor that communicates with other systems and storage devices, such as computer readable storage devices, throughout the vehicle. The controller 135 may communicate, directly or through other components, with a number of sensors that sense the position and motion of the vehicle.

[0021] The controller 135 may be programmed to actuate at least one of the first suspension actuator 74 and the second suspension actuator 80 in response to detecting certain vehicle conditions. For example, upon detecting a pothole in the road to be hit, the controller 135 may actuate the motor 130 to reverse the wheels to dampen the effects of the pothole on the vehicle's motion.

[0022] 1, the threaded screw 120 connects through a piston shaft 140 and a piston head 142 to an adaptive damper 145. The adaptive damper 145 may act as a shock absorber between the wheels and the vehicle body. The adaptive damper may be a passive component, such as a hydraulic shock absorber that is not electronically controlled. Alternatively, the adaptive damper may be a more active component controlled by the suspension control system 135.

[0023] The piston shaft 140 and piston head 142 are mounted to the rack 120 so that they all move together. A series spring 150 acts between the rack 120 and the active damper 145. This puts the action of the spring 150 in series with the active control element. The adaptive damper 145 is mounted to a vehicle suspension or knuckle (not shown) via a mount 155 at the distal end of the adaptive suspension system 100. The vehicle suspension or knuckle then connects to the wheel.

[0024] The air spring 165 is mounted in parallel with the active control element comprising the motor 130, the belt 125, and the threaded screw 120. The air spring includes an air spring sleeve 170 that seals the air spring to provide a pressurized gas volume as a force medium that can be compressed to provide the desired resilience of the air spring. In one example, the spring constant of the air spring may be 3 N / mm, 2 N / mm or less. The air spring constant may be 0.1 N / mm to 1 N / mm, 1 N / mm to 3 N / mm, 1 N / mm to 2 N / mm, or other ranges including these values. Varying the pressure of the air in the air spring may be a component of setting the ride height of the vehicle. The air spring 165 may have a relatively low spring constant and be configured to help counteract the weight of gravity from the vehicle to the wheels. The spring constant is the change in force it exerts divided by the change in the spring's deflection. Vehicles carrying heavy loads often have heavier springs to compensate for the additional weight that would otherwise cause the vehicle to fold at the bottom of its stroke. Heavier springs are also used in performance applications where the load conditions experienced are more critical.

[0025] As can be understood by reviewing the suspension actuator system 100, the series spring 150 lies in a generally vertical plane that extends parallel to the adaptive damper 145 and the rack 120. For example, the series spring may have a spring constant of approximately 50 N / mm. In other embodiments, the series spring may have a spring constant between 25 N / mm and 75 N / mm, between 25 N / mm and 50 N / mm, or between 50 N / mm and 75 N / mm, or any range within these values. When the series spring 150 is compressed or expanded, the force it exerts between the vehicle body and the wheel is proportional to the change in its length.

[0026] The adaptive damper configuration in series with an active system controlled by motor 130 can advantageously manage various types of inputs that affect the vehicle as it travels along a road. For example, the series spring-damper system described above is generally very useful for minimizing the effect on the vehicle of high frequency (vibrations or cycles per second) inputs, such as road vibrations. Active systems are generally very useful for minimizing the effect of low frequency inputs, such as when the vehicle ripples or wobbles due to relatively subtle changes in the road surface.

[0027] 2 shows a cross-sectional view with further details of the suspension actuator system 100. As shown, the motor 130 includes a motor shaft 210 that rotates the belt 125. As the belt 125 turns, the rotating ball nut assembly 118 spins, causing the threaded screw 120 to move laterally. The threaded screw 120 connects to a ball and socket connector 215 to provide a movable connection between the threaded screw 120 and a piston shaft 140. The piston shaft 140 moves a piston head 142 within a piston chamber 220.

[0028] Thus, electronic inputs to the suspension control system 135 can be used to control the movement of the piston head 142. For example, a sensor input to the suspension control system 135 can indicate that a wheel connected to the vehicle via the mount 155 may need to be pulled upward to smooth the ride. The suspension control system 135 then actuates the motor 130 to turn the belt 125. Turning the belt 125 spins the rotating ball nut assembly 118, which moves the threaded screw 120 rearward toward the mounting bolt 112. This is shown more fully with respect to FIG.

[0029] 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the suspension actuator 100 when it is being controlled to pull up the wheel. The piston in the adaptive damper may be locked to provide a rigid bar that does not move when tension or compression is applied. The motor 130 then moves the threaded screw 120 to shorten the overall length of the suspension actuator 100, resulting in the wheel being pulled up relative to the vehicle body. The parallel spring 165 helps to offset the weight of the vehicle, allowing the motor to use less force to pull up the wheel because some of the vehicle weight has been offloaded onto the parallel spring 165. Thus, in some embodiments, the system includes an active control element that communicates with the suspension control system to move the vehicle wheels to smooth the ride of the vehicle. For example, detecting that the wheels are in a pothole and then activating the active control element to pull up the wheels to prevent the wheels from plummeting into the pothole. The system can be programmed to execute a method, using its internal (or external) processor, in response to road conditions, to detect the motion of the vehicle on the road, determine when the vehicle requires active control of the suspension, and activate the active control element to move the vehicle wheels to smooth the ride of the vehicle. The system can use the active control element in this manner, while also having a series passive control element mounted in series with the active control element and a parallel passive control element mounted in parallel with the active control element. Additional Notes

[0030] The embodiments described herein are exemplary. Modifications, rearrangements, alternative processes, etc. may be made to these embodiments and still be encompassed by the teachings described herein. One or more of the steps, processes, or methods described herein may be performed by one or more suitably programmed processing and / or digital devices.

[0031] The various exemplary imaging or data processing techniques described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. The described functionality can be implemented in various ways for each particular application, and such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0032] The various exemplary detection systems described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed by a machine, such as a processor configured with specific instructions, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The processor may be a microprocessor, but in alternative examples, the processor may be a controller, microcontroller, or state machine, combinations thereof, and the like. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in combination with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. For example, the systems described herein may be implemented using separate memory chips, a portion of memory within a microprocessor, flash, EPROM, or other types of memory.

[0033] Elements of the methods, processes, or algorithms described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. The software modules may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of computer-readable storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium may be coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The software modules may include computer-executable instructions that cause a hardware processor to execute the computer-executable instructions.

[0034] In particular, conditional language used herein, such as "can," "might," "may," "eg," and the like, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include certain features, elements, and / or conditions, while other embodiments do not, unless otherwise specified or understood otherwise within the context in which it is used. Thus, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that features, elements, and / or conditions are somehow required by one or more embodiments, or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for determining whether those features, elements, and / or conditions should be included or performed in any particular embodiment, with or without author input or prompting. Terms such as "comprising," "having," "involving," and the like, are synonymous and are used in an inclusive, open-ended manner and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts, operations, etc. Additionally, the term "or" is used in an inclusive sense (not an exclusive sense), e.g., when used to connect a list of elements, the term "or" may mean one, some, or all of the elements in the list.

[0035] Disjunctive language, such as the phrase "at least one of X, Y, or Z," is understood in the context in which it is generally used to state that an item, term, etc. can be either X, Y, or Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y and / or Z), unless otherwise indicated. Thus, such disjunctive language is generally not intended to, and should not, imply that a particular embodiment requires at least one of X, at least one of Y, or at least one of Z, respectively, to be present.

[0036] Terms such as "about" or "approximate" are synonymous and are used to indicate that the value modified by the term has an understood range associated with it, which may be ±20%, ±15%, ±10%, ±5%, or ±1%. The term "substantially" is used to indicate that a result (e.g., a measurement) is close to a target value, where close may mean, for example, that the result is within 80% of the value, within 90% of the value, within 95% of the value, or within 99% of the value.

[0037] Unless otherwise noted, articles such as "a" or "an" should generally be construed to include one or more of the listed items. Thus, phrases such as "a device configured to" or "a device to" are intended to include one or more of the listed devices. Such one or more listed devices may also be collectively configured to perform the stated enumeration. For example, "a processor that performs enumerations A, B, and C" may include a first processor configured to perform enumeration A working in conjunction with a second processor configured to perform enumerations B and C.

[0038] Although the above detailed description has shown, described and pointed out novel features as applied to the exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the illustrated devices or algorithms can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. As will be understood, certain embodiments described herein can be embodied in forms that do not provide all of the features and advantages described herein, since some features can be used or practiced separately from other features. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

[0039] It is to be understood that all combinations of the foregoing concepts (unless such concepts are mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein, and in particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are contemplated as part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein.

Claims

1. an active control element in communication with the suspension control system for moving the vehicle wheels in response to road conditions; a series passive control element comprising a first spring and / or damper mounted in series with the active control element; a parallel passive control element comprising a second spring or damper mounted in parallel with the active control element.

2. The suspension actuator system of claim 1 further comprising an adaptive damper in series with the active control element, the adaptive damper being controllable.

3. The suspension actuator system of claim 1 , wherein the parallel passive control element comprises an air spring.

4. A suspension actuator system according to any preceding claim, wherein the parallel passive control element comprises a spring having a constant of 3 N / mm or less.

5. A suspension actuator system according to any preceding claim, wherein the active control element is in electronic communication with the suspension control system which controls operation of the active control element.

6. The suspension actuator system of claim 5 , wherein the suspension control system is in communication with one or more sensors mounted on the vehicle.

7. The suspension actuator system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator system comprises a mount for connecting to a wheel, and the active control element comprises a motor configured to move the position of the wheel.

8. The suspension system of claim 7 , wherein the motor is mechanically connected to turn a ball nut assembly.

9. The suspension actuator system of claim 8 , wherein the ball nut assembly is connected to a threaded screw that moves in response to movement by the ball nut assembly.

10. The suspension actuator system of claim 9 , wherein movement of the threaded screw results in movement of the position of the wheel.

11. The suspension actuator system of claim 8 , wherein the threaded screw is connected to a piston, movement of the piston resulting in movement of the position of the wheel.

12. a series passive control element comprising a first spring or damper; a parallel passive control element comprising a second spring or damper; 1. An active control element in communication with a suspension control system for moving vehicle wheels in response to road conditions, the active control element comprising a processor, the processor comprising: detecting the movement of said vehicle on a roadway; determining when the vehicle requires active control of the suspension; activating the active control element to move wheels of the vehicle to facilitate a ride in the vehicle; an active control element configured to perform the method of actuating; and an active control element configured to perform the method of actuating; wherein the series passive control element is mounted in series with the active control element and the parallel passive control element is mounted in parallel with the active control element.

13. The suspension actuator system of claim 12 , wherein the system further comprises an adaptive damper electronically controllable by the processor.

14. The suspension actuator system of claim 12 , wherein the suspension control system is in electronic communication with one or more sensors mounted on the vehicle.

15. 13. The suspension actuator system of claim 12, wherein the suspension actuator system comprises a mount for connecting to a wheel, the active control element comprises a motor configured to move the position of the wheel, and the processor is programmed to control movement of the motor.

16. The suspension system of claim 15 wherein the motor is mechanically connected to turn a ball nut assembly.

17. 17. The suspension actuator system of claim 16, wherein the ball nut assembly is connected to a threaded screw that moves in response to movement by the ball nut assembly.

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