Actuator, suspension assembly and vehicle

Abstract

An actuator, a suspension assembly and a vehicle. The actuator comprises a first assembly and a second assembly which can move relative to each other in the axial direction of the actuator; the first assembly comprises a first rod; the second assembly comprises a second rod; the second rod is provided with a guide chamber in the axial direction of the actuator; and the first rod moves axially relative to the guide chamber. The actuator further comprises a rolling assembly; the rolling assembly is provided between the guide chamber and the first rod; and the rolling assembly is in rolling contact with the guide chamber, and is in rolling contact with the first rod.

Description

Actuators, suspension assemblies and vehicles

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202422145458.8, filed on August 30, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of vehicle technology, and more particularly to an actuator, a suspension assembly, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0003] A suspension motor is a type of motor where the mover and stator do not make contact. It relies on a changing current flowing through the stator coils to generate a changing magnetic field, which in turn creates a magnetic force with the permanent magnets of the mover, propelling the mover relative to the stator. Suspension motors are widely used in actuators within suspension systems, and they can dampen vehicle vibrations through the motor's thrust, thereby improving vehicle stability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure provides an actuator, a suspension assembly, and a vehicle that can solve the problem in the related art where the large frictional resistance between the mover and the stator affects the dynamic performance of the actuator.

[0005] In a first aspect, an actuator is provided, comprising: a first component and a second component movable relative to each other along the axial direction of the actuator; the first component includes a first rod, the second component includes a second rod, the second rod having a guide cavity disposed along the axial direction of the actuator, and the first rod being movable relative to each other along the axial direction of the guide cavity. The actuator further includes a rolling component disposed between the guide cavity and the first rod, the rolling component being in rolling contact with the guide cavity and with the first rod.

[0006] In some embodiments, the rolling assembly is disposed between the outer wall of the first rod and the inner wall of the guide cavity.

[0007] In some embodiments, the rolling assembly includes a cage and a rolling element. The cage is sleeved between the outer wall of the first rod and the inner wall of the guide cavity. The cage has a through hole, and the rolling element is at least partially disposed within the through hole. The through hole is used to confine the rolling element between the outer wall of the first rod and the inner wall of the guide cavity.

[0008] In some embodiments, the rolling element makes rolling contact with the guide cavity and with the first rod.

[0009] In some embodiments, at least one of the outer wall of the first rod and the inner wall of the guide cavity is provided with a groove along the axial direction of the actuator; the rolling element is rotatably connected in the groove.

[0010] In some embodiments, at least one of the outer wall of the first rod and the inner wall of the guide cavity is provided with a plurality of grooves distributed circumferentially.

[0011] In some embodiments, the plurality of grooves are arranged at equal intervals.

[0012] In some embodiments, the contact surfaces of the rolling element and the groove have the same shape, both being curved surfaces.

[0013] In some embodiments, the rolling element is a sphere.

[0014] In some embodiments, the radius of curvature of the contact surface between the groove and the rolling element is greater than or equal to the radius of the rolling element.

[0015] In some embodiments, the axial length of the groove is greater than the travel distance between the first rod and the second rod.

[0016] In some embodiments, the actuator further includes a first limiting member; the first limiting member is disposed between the outer wall of the first rod and the inner wall of the guide cavity, along the axial direction of the second rod, and the end of the first limiting member near the rolling assembly is spaced apart from the rolling assembly.

[0017] In some embodiments, the actuator further includes a second limiting member; the second limiting member is disposed between the outer wall of the first rod and the inner wall of the guide cavity, along the axial direction of the second rod, and the other end of the first limiting member near the rolling assembly is spaced apart from the rolling assembly.

[0018] In some embodiments, the outer wall of the first rod is provided with a first connecting portion; the first limiting member is connected to the first connecting portion.

[0019] In some embodiments, the inner wall of the guide cavity is provided with a second connecting portion; the second limiting member is connected to the second connecting portion.

[0020] In some embodiments, a first limiting groove is provided at the first connecting portion along the circumference of the first rod, and the first limiting member is embedded in the first limiting groove.

[0021] In some embodiments, a second limiting groove is provided at the second connecting portion along the circumference of the second rod, and the second limiting member is embedded in the second limiting groove.

[0022] In some embodiments, at least one of the first limiting member or the second limiting member is an elastic member.

[0023] In some embodiments, at least one of the first limiting member or the second limiting member is a snap ring limiting member.

[0024] In some embodiments, the retaining ring limiting member is provided with a snap-fit ​​notch.

[0025] In some embodiments, one of the first component and the second component is adapted to connect to a wheel assembly, and the other of the first component and the second component is adapted to connect to a frame assembly.

[0026] In some embodiments, the first component further includes a housing, the first rod being at least partially disposed within the housing, and the first rod being connected to the housing.

[0027] In some embodiments, the first component further includes a first magnetic element, and the second component further includes a second magnetic element. The first magnetic element is disposed on the inner wall of the housing, and the second magnetic element is sleeved on the outer wall of the second rod, with the first magnetic element disposed close to the second magnetic element.

[0028] Secondly, a suspension assembly is provided, including the aforementioned actuator.

[0029] Thirdly, a vehicle is provided that includes the aforementioned actuator or suspension assembly.

[0030] The actuator disclosed herein includes a first component, a second component, and a rolling component. The first and second components are movable relative to each other along the axial direction of the actuator; that is, one of the first and second components is a stator assembly, and the other is a mover assembly. The first component includes a first rod, and the second component includes a second rod. The second rod has a guide cavity along the axial direction of the actuator, and the first rod moves relative to the first rod along the axial direction of the guide cavity. The rolling component is disposed between the guide cavity and the first rod, and the rolling component and the first rod are in rolling contact. Therefore, by distributing the rolling component between the first and second rods, the relative movement of the first component to the second component along the axial direction of the actuator is achieved through rolling friction. Compared to the modified technique that achieves the movement of the mover assembly relative to the stator assembly through sliding friction contact, the rolling friction method can achieve a lower coefficient of friction under the same working conditions, reducing the frictional resistance between the rolling component and the first component, and between the rolling component and the second component, thereby improving the power output performance of the actuator. Furthermore, due to the reduced frictional resistance, wear between parts can be reduced, extending the service life of the actuator.

[0031] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution disclosed herein. In order to better understand the technical means of this disclosure and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this disclosure more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of this disclosure are described below. Attached Figure Description

[0032] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0033] Figure 1 is a structural diagram of an actuator according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 1;

[0035] Figure 3 is a structural diagram of a first member according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along line BB in Figure 3;

[0037] Figure 5 is an assembly structure diagram of the first rod and the rolling bearing according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 6 is a diagram of another assembly structure of the first rod and the rolling bearing according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a suspension assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0040] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0041] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1000-Vehicle, 100-Suspension assembly, 10-Actuator, 1-First component, 11-First rod, 111-First groove, 112-First limiting groove, 113-Flange, 1131-Connecting hole, 1132-Stepped mating surface, 12-Housing, 121-Mounting cavity, 122-Second opening, 123-Third opening, 13-First magnetic element, 14-Wishbone, 2-Second component, 21-Second rod, 211-Guide cavity, 212-First opening, 213-Second limiting groove, 22-Second magnetic element, 3-Rolling component, 31-Cage, 311-Through hole, 32-Rolling element, 41-First limiting element, 411-Snap notch, 42-Second limiting element, 5-Sliding bearing. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0043] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in this disclosure and in the claims are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0044] The actuators, suspension assemblies, and vehicles provided in this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through specific embodiments and application scenarios.

[0045] During the manufacturing and assembly process, due to limitations in process technology and operational precision, it is difficult to ensure that the air gap between the outer periphery of the coil and the permanent magnet is completely uniform during the movement of the mover. As a result, magnetic bias is easily generated inside the levitation motor, which causes a certain lateral force between the mover and the stator, thereby increasing the frictional resistance between the mover and the stator, affecting the power performance of the actuator, and increasing the wear of parts.

[0046] In related technologies, relative motion between the mover and stator is achieved through sliding friction bearings. However, this structure increases the frictional resistance between the mover and stator, affecting the dynamic performance of the levitation motor.

[0047] To address the aforementioned problems, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, some embodiments of this disclosure provide an actuator 10. The actuator 10 includes a first component 1 and a second component 2 that are movable relative to each other along the axial direction of the actuator 10. The first component 1 includes a first rod 11, and the second component 2 includes a second rod 21. The second rod 21 is provided with a guide cavity 211 along the axial direction of the actuator 10, and the first rod 11 is movable relative to the first rod 211 along the axial direction of the guide cavity 211. The actuator 10 also includes a rolling component 3, which is disposed between the guide cavity 211 and the first rod 11. The rolling component 3 is in rolling contact with the guide cavity 211 and the first rod 11.

[0048] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the actuator 10 provided in some embodiments of this disclosure includes a first component 1, a second component 2, and a rolling component 3. One of the first component 1 and the second component 2 is a stator component, and the other is a mover component. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the first component 1 is the mover component, and the second component 2 is the stator component. The first component 1 can move relative to the second component 2 along the Z-axis under the propulsion of electromagnetic force. The rolling component 3 is disposed between the first component 1 and the second component 2. During the movement of the first component 1, the rolling component 3 is in rolling contact with the first component 1, and also in rolling contact with the second component 2.

[0049] The first component 1 includes a first rod 11, and the second component 2 includes a second rod 21. The second rod 21, also called a center rod, has a guide cavity 211 along its axial direction, and a first opening 212 at one end. For example, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first opening 212 is located at the lower end of the second rod 21. Also called a guide rod, the first rod 11 is at least partially located at the lower end of the second rod 21. A rolling assembly 3 is disposed between the first rod 11 and the guide cavity 211. Driven by electromagnetic force, the first rod 11 moves relative to the second rod 21 in the Z direction, and there is rolling contact between the rolling assembly 3 and the first rod 11, and between the rolling assembly 3 and the second rod 21.

[0050] It should be noted that during the movement of the first rod 11, the rolling assembly 3 will simultaneously move to a small extent along the Z-direction. By setting the rolling assembly 3 between the first rod 11 and the second rod 21, frictional resistance can be reduced. Thus, the movement of the first assembly 1 relative to the second assembly 2 is achieved through rolling friction, reducing frictional stress during the movement. The rolling assembly 3 serves as a support structure between the first assembly 1 and the second assembly 2, and also enables the movement of the first assembly 1 relative to the second assembly 2. The rolling assembly 3 can be a bearing, bushing, or other connecting device. For example, some embodiments of this disclosure may use rolling bearings. The rolling assembly 3 includes, but is not limited to, ball bearings, tapered roller bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, and needle roller bearings. Those skilled in the art can use different types of rolling assemblies according to different power requirements and motor structures.

[0051] The actuator 10 provided in some embodiments of this disclosure utilizes a rolling assembly 3 disposed between the guide cavities 211 of the first rod 11 and the second rod 21. This rolling contact enables the movement of the first assembly 1 relative to the second assembly 2, reducing the frictional resistance between the first assembly 1 and the second assembly 2 and improving the power output performance of the actuator 10. Furthermore, the reduced frictional resistance between the first assembly 1 and the second assembly 2 decreases wear between components, extending the service life of the actuator 10.

[0052] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, the rolling assembly 3 is disposed between the outer wall of the first rod 11 and the inner wall of the guide cavity 211.

[0053] As shown in Figure 2, the rolling assembly 3 is disposed between the outer wall of the first rod 11 and the inner wall of the guide cavity 211. When the first rod 11 moves along the axial direction of the guide cavity 211 within the guide cavity 211, the rolling assembly 3 rolls in contact with both the outer wall of the first rod 11 and the inner wall of the guide cavity 211. During its movement, the rolling assembly 3 is constrained between the outer wall of the first rod 11 and the inner wall of the guide cavity 211.

[0054] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the rolling assembly 3 includes a retainer 31 and a rolling element 32. The retainer 31 is sleeved between the outer wall of the first rod 11 and the inner wall of the guide cavity 211. The retainer 31 is provided with a through hole 311, and the rolling element 32 is at least partially disposed within the through hole 311. The through hole 311 is configured to confine the rolling element 32 between the outer wall of the first rod 11 and the inner wall of the guide cavity 211.

[0055] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the retainer 31 is annular and sleeved between the outer wall of the first rod 11 and the inner wall of the guide cavity 211, and the retainer 31 has a certain rigidity. A through hole 311 is provided radially along the retainer 31. The rolling element 32 is at least partially disposed within the through hole 311, and the rolling element 32 can rotate within the through hole 311 while being fixed and limited by the through hole 311. That is, the through hole 311 restricts the rolling element 32 between the outer wall of the first rod 11 and the inner wall of the guide cavity 211, preventing the rolling element 32 from slipping off. Depending on the different forms of the rolling assembly 3, the rolling element 32 can be set as a sphere, cone, cylinder, or needle. It is necessary to ensure that the contact surfaces between the rolling element 32 and the outer wall of the first rod 11, and between the rolling element 32 and the inner wall of the guide cavity 211, are curved surfaces to achieve rolling connection and reduce the coefficient of friction and frictional resistance between the first assembly 1 and the second assembly 2.

[0056] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the rolling element 32 is in rolling contact with the guide cavity 211, and the rolling element 32 is in rolling contact with the first rod 11.

[0057] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, under the limiting action of the through hole 311, one side of the rolling body 32 makes rolling contact with the outer wall of the first rod 11 to achieve rolling friction, and the other side of the rolling body 32 makes rolling contact with the inner wall of the guide cavity 211 to achieve rolling friction.

[0058] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5, at least one of the outer wall of the first rod 11 and the inner wall of the guide cavity 211 is provided with at least one groove along the axial direction of the actuator 10. The rolling element 32 is rotatably connected within the at least one groove.

[0059] As shown in Figure 5, at least one of the outer wall of the first rod 11 or the inner wall of the guide cavity 211 is provided with at least one groove along the axial direction of the actuator 10. In some embodiments of this disclosure, in order to limit the movement of the first rod 11 relative to the second rod 21 only along the axial Z direction, and to avoid the first rod 11 rotating relative to the second rod 21 in the circumferential direction of the actuator 10 and affecting the adjustment function of the actuator 10, a first groove 111 is provided on the outer wall of the first rod 11 along the axial direction of the first rod 11, and a second groove is provided on the inner wall of the guide cavity 211. The first groove 111 and the second groove can be rectangular grooves or arc grooves. One side of the rolling element 32 is rolledly connected in the first groove 111, and the other side is rolledly connected in the second groove.

[0060] This allows the first rod 11 to move along the Z-axis while the rolling element 32 moves along the Z-axis relative to both the first rod 11 and the second rod 21. Under the limiting effect of the groove, no relative rotation occurs between the rolling element 32 and the first rod 11, or between the rolling element 32 and the second rod 21, along the circumference of the actuator 10. It should be noted that if the groove is provided only at any point on the outer wall of the first rod 11 or on the inner wall of the guide cavity 211, it is impossible to completely prevent the rotation of the first rod 11 relative to the second rod 21 along the circumference of the actuator 10.

[0061] As shown in Figure 6, in another embodiment, the first rod 11 is an optical axis without grooves on its surface. During the movement of the first rod 11, the rolling element 32 and the first rod 11 are in point contact. Under the same lateral force, the contact stress generated by this point contact is greater than the stress generated by the line contact in the above embodiment, and it cannot limit the rolling element 32 to move only along the Z-axis, preventing it from rotating relative to the first rod 11 or the second rod 21 in the circumferential direction of the actuator 10. However, considering the manufacturing cost, this method can be used in situations where the power performance requirements are not high.

[0062] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5, at least one of the outer wall of the first rod 11 and the inner wall of the guide cavity 211 is provided with a plurality of grooves distributed circumferentially.

[0063] In some embodiments, at least one slide groove includes multiple slide grooves, which are circumferentially distributed along the outer wall of the first rod 11 or the inner wall of the guide cavity 211. Therefore, a row of rolling elements 32 distributed along the Z-direction can be correspondingly provided at each slide groove. As shown in FIG5, multiple first slide grooves 111 are distributed circumferentially along the first rod 11, and multiple rows of rolling elements 32 distributed along the Z-direction are correspondingly provided on the cage 31. In this way, the frictional stress between the rolling elements 32 and the first rod 11, and between the rolling elements 32 and the guide cavity 211, can be effectively reduced.

[0064] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5, the plurality of grooves are arranged at equal intervals.

[0065] Multiple first grooves 111 are equally spaced along the circumference of the outer wall of the first rod 11. This makes the frictional stress between the rolling element 32 and the first rod 11, and between the rolling element 32 and the guide cavity 211, uniformly distributed along the circumference of the actuator 10, thereby making the force more balanced and beneficial to the structural stability of the rolling assembly 3.

[0066] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5, the contact surface of the rolling element 32 and the groove has the same shape, both being curved surfaces.

[0067] As shown in Figure 5, in some embodiments, the contact surfaces of the rolling element 32 and the groove have the same shape; that is, the outer contact surface of the rolling element 32, the surface of the first groove 111, and the surface of the second groove are all curved. Due to the requirements of rolling friction, the outer contact surface of the rolling element 32 needs to be curved, and the surface of the matching groove is also curved. This increases the contact area between the first rod 11 or the second rod 21 and the rolling element 32, making the contact between the rolling element 32 and the groove a line contact. This reduces the contact stress at the contact points of the rolling element 32. Within the allowable stress range, wear between parts can be significantly reduced, thereby extending the service life of the parts.

[0068] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5, the rolling element 32 is a sphere.

[0069] In some embodiments, the radius of curvature of the contact surface between the groove and the rolling element 32 is greater than or equal to the radius of the rolling element 32.

[0070] As shown in Figure 5, the rolling element 32 is a sphere; for example, the rolling assembly 3 is configured as a ball bearing. The rolling element 32 can rotate in any direction within the through hole 311. In some embodiments, the diameter of the through hole 311 can be set smaller than the diameter of the rolling element 32, so that the rolling element 32 is partially embedded in the through hole 311 without slipping. Taking the first groove 111 as an example, when the first groove 111 is an arc-shaped groove, the radius of curvature of the arc-shaped groove should be slightly larger than the radius of the rolling element 32. This ensures that the rolling element 32 is prevented from excessively deflecting in the circumferential direction of the actuator 10, while maintaining a certain assembly gap between the first groove 111 and the rolling element 32. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the radius of curvature of the first groove 111 can be set equal to the radius of the rolling element 32.

[0071] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, the actuator 10 further includes a first limiting member 41, which is disposed between the outer wall of the first rod 11 and the inner wall of the guide cavity 211. Along the axial direction of the second rod 21, the first limiting member 41 is spaced apart from the first end of the rolling assembly 3 near the rolling assembly 3.

[0072] As shown in Figure 2, the first limiting member 41 is located between the outer wall of the first rod 11 and the inner wall of the guide cavity 211. In some embodiments, when the first limiting member 41 is connected to the outer wall of the first rod 11, the first limiting member 41 is positioned close to the upper end of the first rod 11. When the first limiting member 41 is connected to the inner wall of the guide cavity 211, the first limiting member 41 should be positioned below the highest point of the first rod 11's travel; otherwise, it will lose its limiting function. Along the axial direction of the actuator 10, the first limiting member 41 is spaced apart from the rolling assembly 3. Thus, during movement, the first limiting member 41 is always located at the upper end of the rolling assembly 3, and the first limiting member 41 is always located between the contact surfaces of the outer wall of the first rod 11 and the inner wall of the guide cavity 211. The first limiting member 41 is configured to limit the highest point of the rolling assembly 3's movement to prevent the rolling assembly 3 from moving too high and exceeding the upper end of the first rod 11, thus losing its function.

[0073] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, the actuator 10 further includes a second limiting member 42, which is disposed between the outer wall of the first rod 11 and the inner wall of the guide cavity 211. Along the axial direction of the second rod 21, the first limiting member 41 is spaced apart from the second end of the rolling assembly 3.

[0074] As shown in Figure 2, the second limiting member 42 is located between the outer wall of the first rod 11 and the inner wall of the guide cavity 211. The second limiting member 42 can be connected to the outer wall of the first rod 11 or to the inner wall of the guide cavity 211. Along the axial direction of the actuator 10, the second limiting member 42 is spaced apart from the rolling assembly 3. During the movement, the second limiting member 42 is always located at the lower end of the rolling assembly 3, and the second limiting member 42 is always located between the contact surfaces of the outer wall of the first rod 11 and the inner wall of the guide cavity 211. The second limiting member 42 is configured to limit the lowest point of the movement of the rolling assembly 3 to prevent the rolling assembly 3 from exceeding the movement stroke of the first rod 11.

[0075] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, the outer wall of the first rod 11 is provided with a first connecting portion, and the first limiting member 41 is connected to the first connecting portion.

[0076] As shown in Figure 2, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first limiting member 41 is connected to the outer wall of the first rod 11 via a first connecting portion. The form of the first connecting portion includes, but is not limited to, a threaded fastener or a limiting groove, that is, the first limiting member 41 is screwed to the outer wall of the first rod 11 via a threaded fastener, or the first limiting member 41 is partially embedded in the limiting groove of the outer wall of the first rod 11.

[0077] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, the inner wall of the guide cavity 211 is provided with a second connecting portion, and the second limiting member 42 is connected to the second connecting portion.

[0078] As shown in Figure 2, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the second limiting member 42 is connected to the inner wall of the guide cavity 211 via a second connecting portion. Similarly, the form of the second connecting portion includes, but is not limited to, threaded fasteners or limiting grooves, that is, the second limiting member 42 is screwed to the inner wall of the guide cavity 211 by threaded fasteners, or the second limiting member 42 is partially embedded in the limiting groove of the inner wall of the guide cavity 211.

[0079] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, a first limiting groove 112 is provided at the first connecting portion along the circumference of the first rod 11, and the first limiting member 41 is embedded in the first limiting groove 112.

[0080] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first connecting portion is in the form of a limiting groove. The first limiting groove 112 is annular and is disposed along the circumference of the first rod 11 near the upper end of the outer wall of the first rod 11. The first limiting member 41 is also annular and is partially embedded in the first limiting groove 112, thereby forming an effective fixing structure.

[0081] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, a second limiting groove 213 is provided at the second connecting portion along the circumference of the second rod 21, and the second limiting member 42 is embedded in the second limiting groove 213.

[0082] As shown in Figure 2, the second connecting part is also configured as a limiting groove. The second limiting groove 213 is annular and is disposed circumferentially on the inner wall of the guide cavity 211 near the lower end. The second limiting member 42 is also annular and is partially embedded in the second limiting groove 213, thereby forming an effective fixing structure.

[0083] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5, at least one of the first limiting member 41 or the second limiting member 42 is an elastic member.

[0084] In some embodiments, at least one of the first limiting member 41 or the second limiting member 42 is a snap ring limiting member.

[0085] At least one of the first limiting member 41 or the second limiting member 42 is an elastic member, including but not limited to a retaining spring or an elastic retaining ring. This allows the elastic member to grip the limiting groove, thus strengthening the fixation between the elastic member and the limiting groove. As shown in Figure 2, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first limiting member 41 is an annular retaining spring limiting member. The annular retaining spring limiting member, relying on its own elasticity, embeds itself into the first limiting groove 112 while gripping the outer wall of the first rod 11, thereby limiting the rolling assembly 3.

[0086] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5, the retaining spring limiting member is provided with a snap-fit ​​notch 411.

[0087] At least one of the first limiting member 41 or the second limiting member 42 is provided with a snap-fit ​​notch 411, as shown in Figure 5. The snap-fit ​​spring limiting member is provided with a snap-fit ​​notch 411. Before assembly, the operator pries open the snap-fit ​​notch 411 and aligns the first limiting member 41 with the first limiting groove 112. The first limiting member 41 contracts due to its own elasticity, and the snap-fit ​​notch 411 shrinks, so that the snap-fit ​​spring limiting member can hug the outer wall of the first rod 11 while being embedded in the first limiting groove 112.

[0088] In some embodiments, the axial length of the groove is greater than the travel distance of the first rod 11 relative to the second rod 21.

[0089] Understandably, the axial length of the slide groove should be greater than the travel distance between the first link 11 and the second link 21. In other words, when the first link 11 moves downward along the Z-axis, the lower end of the second link 21 should not be higher than the uppermost end of the first slide groove 111. When the first link 11 moves upward along the Z-axis, the upper end of the second link 21 should not be lower than the lowermost end of the first slide groove 111. That is, the axial length of the slide groove should be greater than the design travel distance of the actuator 10.

[0090] In some embodiments, one of the first component 1 and the second component 2 is adapted to connect to the wheel assembly, and the other of the first component 1 and the second component 2 is adapted to connect to the frame assembly.

[0091] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the first component 1 is configured as a moving part assembly, and the second component 2 is configured as a stator assembly. The moving part assembly is adapted to connect to the wheel assembly, and the stator assembly is adapted to connect to the frame assembly. Thus, by moving the moving part assembly relative to the stator assembly, the vehicle height is adjusted according to road conditions to maintain vehicle stability and balance.

[0092] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, the first component 1 further includes a housing 12, a first rod 11 is at least partially disposed within the housing 12, and the first rod 11 is fixedly connected to the housing 12.

[0093] As shown in Figure 2, the housing 12 has a mounting cavity 121 inside. Along the Z-direction, the lower end of the housing 12 has a second opening 122, and the upper end of the housing 12 has a third opening 123. A first rod 11 extends into the mounting cavity 121 through the second opening 122 and is fixedly connected to the housing 12. The upper end of a second rod 21 is located outside the mounting cavity 121, and the upper end of the second rod 21 extends into the mounting cavity 121 through the third opening 123, and is slidably connected to the housing 12. The housing 12 slides reciprocally relative to the second rod 21 along the Z-direction under the action of the first rod 11.

[0094] In some embodiments, a sliding bearing 5 is provided between the inner wall of the housing 12 and the outer wall of the second rod 21. The first rod 11 extends into the housing 12 and simultaneously into the guide cavity 211 of the second rod 21. The housing 12 is cylindrical, and during assembly, the first rod 11, the second rod 21, and the housing 12 are kept coaxially aligned.

[0095] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, the first component 1 further includes a first magnetic element 13, and the second component 2 further includes a second magnetic element 22. The first magnetic element 13 is fixed to the inner wall of the housing 12, and the second magnetic element 22 is sleeved on the outer wall of the second rod 21, with the first magnetic element 13 disposed close to the second magnetic element 22.

[0096] As shown in Figure 2, the second magnetic component 22 generates a magnetic field during energization. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the second magnetic component 22 employs a coil and winding, which are sleeved on the outer wall of the second rod 21. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the first magnetic component 13 employs a permanent magnet, which is fixed to the inner wall of the mounting cavity 121 of the housing 12. A certain gap is maintained between the maximum outer diameter of the second magnetic component 22 (i.e., the coil and winding) and the minimum inner diameter of the first magnetic component 13 along the axial direction of the actuator 10. This gap value is 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0097] As shown in Figure 2, during operation, the continuous change in current causes a change in the magnetic field of the coil. Since the rate of change of current is proportional to the rate of change of magnetic field, an induced electromotive force (EMF) is generated in the coil and windings. According to the principle of electromagnetic induction, the induced EMF interacts with the first magnetic component 13 (i.e., the permanent magnet) in the first component 1, thereby generating a torque that pushes the first component 1 to move relative to the second component 2. During the movement, the rolling component 3 is driven, and the rolling component 3 makes rolling contact with the first rod 11 and the second rod 21. In this way, the magnetic bias force caused by the uneven air gap between the coil and the first magnetic component 13 can be offset to a certain extent.

[0098] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the lower end of the first rod 11 is connected to a flange 113, and the upper edge of the flange 113 is fixedly connected to the housing 12. Therefore, during assembly, a high degree of perpendicularity must be maintained between the first rod 11 and the flange 113 to ensure a high degree of perpendicularity between the first rod 11 and the housing 12. The first rod 11 is threadedly connected to the fork arm 14 via the flange 113. The flange 113 is provided with a connection hole 1131, which is configured to allow threaded fasteners to pass through for connection with the fork arm 14. The lower part of the flange 113 has a stepped mating surface 1132, which is configured to achieve accurate installation fit with the fork arm 14. The lower end of the fork arm 14 is fixedly connected to the wheel assembly. The fork arm 14 can transmit the bumps of the wheel on the road surface to the suspension system in a certain proportion, and suppress the vibration of the vehicle body and maintain the stability of the vehicle body through the adjustment of the actuator 10.

[0099] As shown in Figure 7, some embodiments of this disclosure also provide a suspension assembly 100, including the actuator 10 described in the above embodiments. The suspension assembly 100 typically also includes suspension springs, anti-roll bars, suspension sub-beams, control arms, steering knuckles, and linkages. The suspension assembly 100 connects the vehicle frame and wheels, enabling fully automatic real-time adjustment and offering advantages such as fast response time, high thrust, and high response frequency. The suspension assembly 100 can dampen vehicle vibrations through the thrust of the motor. Because the actuator 10 of the suspension assembly 100 includes a rolling element, the frictional resistance between the mover assembly and the stator assembly is reduced, thereby improving the overall dynamic performance of the suspension assembly 100.

[0100] As shown in Figure 8, some embodiments of this disclosure also provide a vehicle 1000, including the actuator 10 or suspension assembly 100 described in the above embodiments. The vehicle 1000 can be a gasoline-powered vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or an electric vehicle. By improving the dynamic performance of the actuator 10 or suspension assembly 100, the driving stability of the vehicle 1000 can be improved, and the comfort of the occupants can be enhanced.

[0101] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0102] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An actuator, comprising: A first component (1) and a second component (2) are movable relative to each other along the axial direction of the actuator. The first component (1) includes a first rod (11), and the second component (2) includes a second rod (21). The second rod (21) is provided with a guide cavity (211) along the axial direction of the actuator, and the first rod (11) moves relative to each other along the axial direction of the guide cavity (211). A rolling assembly (3) is disposed between the guide cavity (211) and the first rod (11). The rolling assembly (3) is in rolling contact with the guide cavity (211) and the first rod (11).

2. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein, The rolling assembly (3) is disposed between the outer wall of the first rod (11) and the inner wall of the guide cavity (211).

3. The actuator according to claim 2, wherein, The rolling assembly (3) includes a retainer (31) and a rolling element (32). The retainer (31) is sleeved between the outer wall of the first rod (11) and the inner wall of the guide cavity (211). The retainer (31) is provided with a through hole (311). The rolling element (32) is at least partially disposed in the through hole (311). The through hole (311) is configured to restrict the rolling element (32) between the outer wall of the first rod (11) and the inner wall of the guide cavity (211).

4. The actuator according to claim 3, wherein, The rolling element (32) is in rolling contact with the guide cavity (211), and the rolling element (32) is in rolling contact with the first rod (11).

5. The actuator according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, At least one of the outer wall of the first rod (11) and the inner wall of the guide cavity (211) is provided with a groove along the axial direction of the actuator; The rolling element (32) of the rolling assembly (3) is tactilely connected to the groove.

6. The actuator according to claim 5, wherein, At least one of the outer wall of the first rod (11) and the inner wall of the guide cavity (211) is provided with a plurality of grooves distributed circumferentially.

7. The actuator according to claim 6, wherein, The multiple grooves are arranged at equal intervals.

8. The actuator according to claim 5, wherein, The contact surface of the rolling element (32) and the groove has the same shape, both being curved surfaces.

9. The actuator according to claim 8, wherein, The rolling element (32) is a sphere.

10. The actuator according to claim 9, wherein, The radius of curvature of the contact surface between the groove and the rolling element (32) is greater than or equal to the radius of the rolling element (32).

11. The actuator according to any one of claims 5-10, wherein, The axial length of the groove is greater than the travel distance between the first rod (11) and the second rod (21).

12. The actuator according to any one of claims 2-11, further comprising a first limiting member (41); The first limiting member (41) is disposed between the outer wall of the first rod (11) and the inner wall of the guide cavity (211). Along the axial direction of the second rod (21), the end of the first limiting member (41) near the rolling assembly (3) is spaced apart from the rolling assembly (3).

13. The actuator according to claim 12, further comprising a second limiting member (42); The second limiting member (42) is disposed between the outer wall of the first rod (11) and the inner wall of the guide cavity (211). Along the axial direction of the second rod (21), the other end of the first limiting member (41) near the rolling assembly (3) is spaced apart from the rolling assembly (3).

14. The actuator according to claim 12 or 13, wherein, The outer wall of the first rod (11) is provided with a first connecting part; The first limiting member (41) is connected to the first connecting part.

15. The actuator according to claim 13, wherein, The inner wall of the guide cavity (211) is provided with a second connecting part; The second limiting member (42) is connected to the second connecting part.

16. The actuator according to claim 14, wherein, A first limiting groove (112) is provided at the first connecting part along the circumference of the first rod (11), and the first limiting member (41) is embedded in the first limiting groove (112).

17. The actuator according to claim 15, wherein, A second limiting groove (213) is provided at the second connecting part along the circumference of the second rod (21), and the second limiting member (42) is embedded in the second limiting groove (213).

18. The actuator according to claim 17, wherein, At least one of the first limiting member (41) or the second limiting member (42) is an elastic member.

19. The actuator according to claim 18, wherein, At least one of the first limiting member (41) or the second limiting member (42) is a snap ring limiting member.

20. The actuator according to claim 19, wherein, The retaining ring limiting member is provided with a snap-fit ​​notch (411).

21. The actuator according to any one of claims 1-20, wherein, One of the first component (1) and the second component (2) is adapted to connect to the wheel assembly, and the other of the first component (1) and the second component (2) is adapted to connect to the frame assembly.

22. The actuator according to any one of claims 1-21, wherein, The first component (1) also includes a housing (12); The first rod (11) is at least partially disposed within the housing (12), and the first rod (11) is connected to the housing (12).

23. The actuator according to claim 22, wherein, The first component (1) further includes a first magnetic element (13), and the second component (2) further includes a second magnetic element (22); The first magnetic element (13) is disposed on the inner wall of the housing (12), and the second magnetic element (22) is sleeved on the outer wall of the second rod (21). The first magnetic element (13) is disposed close to the second magnetic element (22).

24. A suspension assembly comprising an actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 23.

25. A vehicle comprising an actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 23 or a suspension assembly according to claim 24.

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