EP0363158A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrically powered active suspension for a vehicle
Assignee: Ford-Werke GmbH
•
Filing: 1989-10-03
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2009-10-03
Abstract
Abstract An electrically powered suspension for a vehicle including a roadwheel and tyre assembly, an electrically powered suspension unit (12) having one end attached to the roadwheel and tyre assembly and the other end attached to the chassis of the vehicle, with the suspension unit including an electric motor (52) for positioning the roadwheel with respect to the chassis, and a controller for operating the electric motor so as to control the vertical movement of the wheel and tyre assembly with respect to the vehicle's chassis. The electric motor may include either a linear or rotating electric motor, acting either alone or in parallel with a static load carrying device such as a fluid or coil spring.
Inventors
- 👤 Roy I. Davis
- 👤 Prabhakar B. Patil
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 21:19
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60G; B60G17/00; B60G17/02; B60G17/021; B60G15/00; B60G15/08; B60G15/10; B60G17/015; B60G17/0152; B60G17/0157; B60G2202/00; B60G2202/10; B60G2202/15; B60G2202/152; B60G2202/40; B60G2202/42; B60G2300/00; B60G2300/60; B60G2400/00; B60G2400/10; B60G2400/25; B60G2400/252; B60G2400/50; B60G2400/51; B60G2400/512; B60G2400/5122; B60G2400/51222; B60G2400/60; B60G2401/00; B60G2401/17; B60G2401/172; B60G2500/00; B60G2500/30; B60G2600/00; B60G2600/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
83 words
An electrically powered active suspension for a vehicle, comprising: a roadwheel and tyre assembly, an electrically powered suspension unit having one end attached to said roadwheel and tyre assembly and the other end attached to the chassis of said vehicle, with said suspension unit comprising an electric motor for positioning said roadwheel with respect to said chassis; and control means for operating said electric motor so as to control the vertical movement of said wheel and tyre assembly with respect to said chassis.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
83 words
An electrically powered active suspension for a vehicle, comprising: a roadwheel and tyre assembly, an electrically powered suspension unit having one end attached to said roadwheel and tyre assembly and the other end attached to the chassis of said vehicle, with said suspension unit comprising an electric motor for positioning said roadwheel with respect to said chassis; and control means for operating said electric motor so as to control the vertical movement of said wheel and tyre assembly with respect to said chassis.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
An electrically powered suspension for a vehicle according to Claim 2, wherein said motor comprises a rotating electric motor having a rotating armature driving a gearset so that rotary motion of said armature will be converted into vertical movement of said roadwheel and tyre assembly with respect to said chassis.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
67 words
An electrically powered suspension for a vehicle according to Claim 1, wherein said motor comprises a linear electric motor having a plunger operatively connected with said chassis and a stator operatively connected with said wheel and tyre assembly so that sliding movement of said plunger with respect to said stator will be accompanied by vertical movement of said roadwheel and tyre assembly with respect to said chassis.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
71 words
An electrically powered active suspension for a vehicle, comprising: a roadwheel and tyre assembly; a suspension unit comprising first and second load bearing means interposed between said roadwheel and tyre assembly and the chassis of said vehicle, with said first means being electrically powered; and control means for operating said load bearing means so as to control the vertical movement of said wheel and tyre assembly with respect to said chassis.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
71 words
An electrically powered active suspension for a vehicle, comprising: a roadwheel and tyre assembly; a suspension unit comprising first and second load bearing means interposed between said roadwheel and tyre assembly and the chassis of said vehicle, with said first means being electrically powered; and control means for operating said load bearing means so as to control the vertical movement of said wheel and tyre assembly with respect to said chassis.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
64 words
A suspension according to Claim 4, wherein said first load bearing means comprises an electric motor operated by said control means with said motor having a rotating armature driving a gearset so that rotary motion of said armature will be converted into vertical movement of said roadwheel and tyre assembly with respect to said chassis, with said second load bearing means comprising a spring.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
77 words
A suspension according to Claim 4, wherein said first load bearing means comprises a linear electric motor operated by said control means and having a plunger and a stator interposed between said chassis and said wheel and tyre assembly so that sliding movement of said plunger with respect to said stator will be accompanied by vertical movement of said roadwheel and tyre assembly with respect to said chassis, with said second load bearing means comprising a spring.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A suspension according to Claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein said second load bearing means comprises a fluid spring mounted about said motor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
49 words
A suspension according to any one of Claims 4 to 7, further comprising a source of electrical energy connected with said control means and with said first load bearing means so that said energy source will both supply energy to said first load bearing means and absorb energy therefrom.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
112 words
A suspension according to Claim 8, wherein said control means comprises: height sensing means for determining the ride height of said vehicle corresponding to the vertical distance separating said roadwheel and said chassis and for generating a height signal corresponding to such ride height; load sensing means for sensing the load carrying forces generated by each of said load bearing means and for generating signals corresponding to such forces; and load apportionment means, responsive to said load and height sensing means, for determining the relatively variant and relatively invariant components of said loads and for adjusting the fraction of the total load which is carried by each of said load bearing means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
83 words
A suspension according to Claim 9, wherein said load apportionment means comprises means for producing force commands corresponding to the forces to be produced by each of said load bearing means, comparator means for comparing said commanded forces with the actual forces produced by said load bearing means and for producing an error signal from said comparison, and adjustment means for adjusting said force commands so that said force commands may be adjusted to cause said actual forces to equal said commanded forces.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
46 words
A suspension according to Claim 10, wherein said adjustment means comprises means for producing a desired force signal by transforming said error signal into a signal having components which are proportional to the magnitude of said error signal and to its time derivative and time integral.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
96 words
A suspension according to Claim 10 or 11, with said load apportionment means further comprising means responsive to said height signals for determining the vertical velocity of said chassis and means for directing said first load bearing means to operate as a generator supplying energy to said energy source in the event that the direction of said force command and the direction of said vertical velocity are opposite, but directing said first load bearing means to operate as a motor in the event that the directions of said velocity and said force command are the same.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
56 words
A suspension according to Claim 10, wherein said load apportionment means produces said force commands such that the sum of the forces produced by a plurality of suspension units employing said load bearing means will be approximately the same as the relatively invariant component of the load which is required to maintain a desired vehicle attitude.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.