Electrically powered active suspension for a vehicle

Claim 2

An electrically powered active suspension for a vehicle having a chassis, comprising: a roadwheel and tire assembly; an electrically powered suspension unit operative to produce a force between said roadwheel and tire assembly and said chassis in response to external force inputs acting on said roadwheel and tire assembly and said chassis, said unit having one end attached to said roadwheel and tire assembly and the other end attached to the chassis of said vehicle, with said suspension unit comprising an electric motor; and control means for operating said electric motor to control said suspension unit to respond in real time to said external force inputs while said vehicle is in motion.

Claim 3

An electrically powered suspension for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said motor comprises a permanent magnet motor.

Claim 4

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 tire assembly with respect to said chassis.

Claim 5

An electrically powered suspension for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said armature comprises a permanent magnet.

Claim 6

An electrically power suspension for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said armature comprises a winding.

Claim 7

An electrically powered suspension for a vehicle according to Claim 1, wherein said motor comprises an induction motor.

Claim 8

An electrically powered suspension for a vehicle according to Claim 6, 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 tire assembly so that sliding movement of said plunger with respect to said stator will be accompanied by vertical movement of said roadwheel and tire assembly with respect to said chassis.

Claim 9

An electrically powered suspension for a vehicle according to Claim 7, wherein said plunger comprises a coil means excited by said control means.

Claim 10

An electrically powered active suspension for a vehicle having a chassis, comprising: a roadwheel and tire assembly; a suspension unit comprising first and second load bearing means interposed between said roadwheel and tire assembly and the chassis of said vehicle, with said first means being electrically powered and operative to produce a controllable force between said roadwheel and tire assembly and said chassis in response to external force inputs acting on said roadwheel and tire assembly and said chassis; and control means for operating said load bearing means to control said suspension unit to respond in real time to said external force inputs while said vehicle is in motion.

Claim 11

An electrically powered active suspension for a vehicle having a chassis, comprising: a roadwheel and tire assembly; a suspension unit comprising first and second load bearing means interposed between said roadwheel and tire assembly and the chassis of said vehicle, with said first means being electrically powered and operative to produce a controllable force between said roadwheel and tire assembly and said chassis in response to external force inputs acting on said roadwheel and tire assembly and said chassis; and control means for operating said load bearing means to control said suspension unit to respond in real time to said external force inputs while said vehicle is in motion.

Claim 12

A suspension according to Claim 9, 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 tire assembly with respect to said chassis, with said second load bearing means comprising a spring.

Claim 13

A suspension according to Claim 10, wherein said second load bearing means comprises a fluid spring mounted about said motor and gearset.

Claim 14

A suspension according to Claim 10, wherein said motor comprises permanent magnet motor.

Claim 15

A suspension according to Claim 9, 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 tire assembly so that sliding movement of said plunger with respect to said stator will be accompanied by vertical movement of said roadwheel and tire assembly with respect to said chassis, with said second load bearing means comprising a spring.

Claim 16

A suspension according to Claim 13, wherein said second load bearing means comprises a fluid spring mounted about said linear electric motor.

Claim 17

A suspension according to Claim 13, wherein said motor comprises an induction motor.

Claim 18

A suspension according to Claim 9, 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 19

A suspension according to Claim 16, 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 20

A suspension according to Claim 17, wherein said load sensing means comprises a load cell interposed between said chassis and each of said load bearing means.

Claim 21

A suspension according to Claim 18, wherein said load sensing means comprises a load cell interposed between said chassis and said second load bearing means and means for monitoring control currents supplied to said electric motor and means for converting said currents to a signal having a value which is proportional to the force exerted by said motor..

Claim 22

A suspension according to Claim 17, wherein said height sensing means comprises first and second sensor components interposed between said chassis and said roadwheel and tire assembly such that vertical motion of said roadwheel and tire with respect to said chassis will be accompanied by motion of said sensor components with respect to each other.

Claim 23

A suspension according to Claim 17, 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 24

A suspension according to Claim 21, 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 25

A suspension according to Claim 21, 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 26

A suspension according to Claim 21, 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.

Claim 27

An electrically powered active suspension for a vehicle having a chassis, comprising: a roadwheel and tire assembly; a suspension unit comprising first and second load bearing means interposed between said roadwheel and tire assembly and the chassis of said vehicle, with said first means being electrically powered and operative to produce a controllable force between said roadwheel and tire assembly and said chassis in response to external force inputs acting on said roadwheel and tire assembly and said chassis; and control means for operating said first load bearing means to control said suspension unit to respond in real time to said external force inputs while said vehicle is in motion.

Claim 28

An electrically powered active suspension for a vehicle having a chassis, comprising: a roadwheel and tire assembly; a suspension unit comprising first and second load bearing means interposed between said roadwheel and tire assembly and the chassis of said vehicle, with said first means being electrically powered and operative to produce a controllable force between said roadwheel and tire assembly and said chassis in response to external force inputs acting on said roadwheel and tire assembly and said chassis; and control means for operating said first load bearing means to control said suspension unit to respond in real time to said external force inputs while said vehicle is in motion.

Claim 29

A suspension according to Claim 25, 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 tire assembly with respect to said chassis, with said second load bearing means comprising a spring.

Claim 30

A suspension according to Claim 26, wherein said second load bearing means comprises a coil spring mounted about said motor and gearset.

Claim 31

A suspension according to Claim 26, wherein said motor comprises permanent magnet motor.

Claim 32

A suspension according to Claim 25, 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 tire assembly so that sliding movement of said plunger with respect to said stator will be accompanied by vertical movement of said roadwheel and tire assembly with respect to said chassis, with said second load bearing means comprising a spring.

Claim 33

A suspension according to Claim 29, wherein said second load bearing means comprises a coil spring mounted about said linear electric motor.

Claim 34

A suspension according to Claim 29, wherein said motor comprises an induction motor.

Claim 35

A suspension according to Claim 25, 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 36

A suspension according to Claim 32, wherein said load sensing means comprises a load cell interposed between said chassis and each of said load bearing means.

Claim 37

A suspension according to Claim 32, wherein said load sensing means comprises a load cell interposed between said chassis and said second load bearing means and means for monitoring control currents supplied to said electric motor and means for converting said currents to a signal having a value which is proportional to the force exerted by said motor.

Claim 38

A suspension according to Claim 32, wherein said load apportionment means comprises means for producing force commands corresponding to the force to be produced by said first load bearing means, comparator means for comparing said commanded force with the actual force produced by said first 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 force to equal said commanded forces.

Claim 39

A suspension according to Claim 35, 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 40

A suspension according to Claim 36, 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.

Claim 41

A suspension according to Claim 35, 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 42

An electrically powered active suspension for a vehicle comprising: a roadwheel and tire assembly; a suspension unit comprising first and second load bearing means interposed between said roadwheel and tire assembly and the chassis of said vehicle, with said first means being electrically powered; control means for operating said load bearing means to control vertical movement of said wheel and tire assembly with respect to said chassis; and 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 43

An electrically powered active suspension for a vehicle comprising: a roadwheel and tire assembly; a suspension unit comprising first and second load bearing means interposed between said roadwheel and tire assembly and the chassis of said vehicle, with said first means being electrically powered; control means for operating said load bearing means to control vertical movement of said wheel and tire assembly with respect to said chassis; and 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 44

An electrically powered active suspension for a vehicle, comprising: a roadwheel and tire assembly; a suspension unit comprising first and second load bearing means interposed between said roadwheel and tire assembly and the chassis of said vehicle, said first load bearing means being electrically powered; and control means for operating said first load bearing means to control vertical movement of said wheel and tire assembly with respect to said chassis, said control means comprising: 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 components of said loads and for adjusting the fraction of the total load which is carried by each of said load bearing means.

Claim 45

An electrically powered active suspension for a vehicle, comprising: a roadwheel and tire assembly; a suspension unit comprising first and second load bearing means interposed between said roadwheel and tire assembly and the chassis of said vehicle, said first load bearing means being electrically powered; and control means for operating said first load bearing means to control vertical movement of said wheel and tire assembly with respect to said chassis, said control means comprising: 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 components of said loads and for adjusting the fraction of the total load which is carried by each of said load bearing means.