Patent EP0544484A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0544484A2
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EP
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System for controlling suspension deflection
Assignee: Lord Corp
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Filing: 1992-11-23
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-11-23
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for controlling suspension deflection in a semiactive damping system 10 is disclosed. A semiactive control policy operates to set the damper force to a low magnitude when the relative position of the suspension members 12,14 is within a "null band", and to a high magnitude when the relative position is within an "overshoot" band. the null band is a predefined range of displacement about the equilibrium position of the members 12,14 and the overshoot band is a range about the end stops A,B. When in the overshoot band, the high damper force limits the incidence of suspension end stop collisions that cause damaging shock inputs to the system. The high damper force is maintained once the overshoot band is entered until the relative position of the members again reaches the equilibrium position. One or more intermediate or "active" bands are defined to exist between the null and overshoot bands. When in the active band(s), the damper force is set to an intermediate magnitude to thus stiffen the suspension 24. A controller 50 produces an output signal indicative of the instantaneous relative position of the members 12,14 for use by the control policy from a relative velocity signal.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul T. Wolfe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 22:39
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60G; B60G17/00; B60G17/015; B60G17/018; B60G2400/00; B60G2400/10; B60G2400/20; B60G2400/204; B60G2400/25; B60G2400/40; B60G2400/41; B60G2400/50; B60G2400/60; B60G2401/00; B60G2401/17; B60G2401/172; B60G2500/00; B60G2500/10; B60G2500/102; B60G2600/00; B60G2600/02; B60G2600/16; B60G2600/18; B60G2600/184; B60G2600/60
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
163 words
A method for controlling a system for attenuating the transmission of forces between first (12) and second (14) members spaced from and movable relative to each other between an equilibrium position and at least one end-stop position, the system including a damper assembly (24) interconnecting the members and being capable of generating damper forces opposing motion in response to relative movement therebetween, the method being characterized by the steps of: monitoring conditions of operation of said system and producing a signal indicative of the relative position of said members; setting said damper force to a preselected minimum magnitude responsive to said signal when said relative position is within a first range about said equilibrium position; and setting said damper force to a preselected maximum magnitude responsive to said signal when said relative position is within a second range about said at least one end-stop position, and maintaining said damper force at said maximum magnitude until said relative position is at said equilibrium position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 further characterized by the step of: setting said damper force to said preselected minimum magnitude when said relative position first reaches said equilibrium position following being in said second range.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 further characterized by the step of: returning to said condition monitoring following setting said damper force.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 1 further characterized by the step of: setting said damper force to an intermediate magnitude responsive to said signal when said relative position is within a third range between said equilibrium and said end-stop positions and said relative position is moving away from said equilibrium position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by the step of: setting said damper force to said minimum magnitude responsive to said signal when said relative position is within a third range between said equilibrium and said end-stop positions and said relative position is moving toward said equilibrium position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 further characterized by said minimum magnitude being approximately zero.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 further characterized by said minimum magnitude having a magnitude sufficiently stiff to control wheel hop.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 1 further characterized by said condition monitoring further including the steps of: monitoring the relative velocity of said members and producing a signal indicative of said relative velocity; and time integrating said relative velocity signal to produce said signal indicative of relative position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 8 further characterized by the step of: filtering said time integrated signal and feeding it back to a summing device for combination with said relative velocity signal so that said time integrated signal is constrained about an oscillatory voltage range to produce a stable signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 9 further characterized by the step of: filtering said stable signal so that it is constrained about a selected voltage value.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
187 words
Apparatus for controlling a system for attenuating the transmission of forces between first (12) and second (14) members spaced from and movable relative to each other between an equilibrium position and at least one end-stop position (A,B), the system including a damper assembly (24) interconnecting the members and being capable of generating damper forces opposing motion in response to relative movement therebetween, and having a condition monitoring means including at least one sensor (52,56) to generate a signal indicative of conditions of operation of the members, the apparatus being characterized by: controller means (50) for setting said damper force at one of a plurality of levels, said controller means setting said damper force to a preselected minimum magnitude (Fmin) responsive to said signal when said relative position is within a first range about said equilibrium position, said controller means setting said damper force to a preselected maximum magnitude (Fmax) responsive to said signal when said relative position is within a second range about said at least one end-stop position, and maintaining said damper force at said maximum magnitude until said relative position returns to said first range.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 11 further characterized by: said controller means setting said damper force to said minimum magnitude responsive to said signal when said relative position first reaches said equilibrium position following being in said second range.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 11 further characterized by: reactivating said condition monitoring means following setting of said damper force.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 11 further characterized by: said controller means setting said damper force to an intermediate magnitude (Fa) responsive to said signals when said relative position is within a third range between said equilibrium and said end-stop position and said relative position is moving away from said equilibrium position.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of claim 11 further characterized by: said controller means setting said damper force to said minimum magnitude responsive to said signals when the relative position is within a third range between said equilibrium and said end-stop positions and said relative position is moving toward said equilibrium position.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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