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US5217246A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Control system for controlling the suspension of a land vehicle
Assignee: Group Lotus PLC
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Filing: 1990-04-24
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Granted: 1993-06-08
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Expires: 2010-04-24
Abstract
Abstract The invention relates to an active suspension system for controlling the suspension of a wheeled land vehicle, which comprises an actuator (31) of variable length in parallel with a spring (34), connected between the body or chassis of a vehicle and a wheel and hub assembly (40) of such. The extension/contraction of the actuator is controlled by a control unit (60) in response to parameters measured by various sensors (61, 64, 65, 66 and 62). The control unit (60) also makes allowance for loads on the vehicle not measured by the sensors, so that accurate control of the suspension system is achieved.
Inventors
- 👤 David A. Williams
- 👤 Peter G. Wright
- 👤 John P. Davis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 06:21
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60G; B60G17/00; B60G17/015; B60G17/018; B60G2202/00; B60G2202/40; B60G2202/41; B60G2202/413; B60G2300/00; B60G2300/08; B60G2300/082; B60G2300/12; B60G2300/32; B60G2400/00; B60G2400/10; B60G2400/102; B60G2400/104; B60G2400/106; B60G2400/20; B60G2400/204; B60G2400/25; B60G2400/40; B60G2400/50; B60G2400/60; B60G2400/61; B60G2800/00; B60G2800/01; B60G2800/012; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S280/00; Y10S280/01
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
124 words
A land vehicle suspension system of the kind comprising a suspension linkage connected between a sprung mass of the vehicle and at least one unsprung mass of the vehicle; actuator means for controlling the position of the suspension linkage; means for measuring the loads transmitted to the sprung mass by the actuator means; means for producing signals proportional to the values of said measured loads; means for modifying said signals to compensate for unmeasured loads between the sprung mass and the at least one unsprung mass acting via load paths in the suspension linkage which do not include the actuator means; and means for controlling the actuator means to apply forces to control the attitude of the vehicle in dependence on said modified signals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
124 words
A land vehicle suspension system of the kind comprising a suspension linkage connected between a sprung mass of the vehicle and at least one unsprung mass of the vehicle; actuator means for controlling the position of the suspension linkage; means for measuring the loads transmitted to the sprung mass by the actuator means; means for producing signals proportional to the values of said measured loads; means for modifying said signals to compensate for unmeasured loads between the sprung mass and the at least one unsprung mass acting via load paths in the suspension linkage which do not include the actuator means; and means for controlling the actuator means to apply forces to control the attitude of the vehicle in dependence on said modified signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A control system according to claim 1, wherein each unsprung mass of the vehicle is a wheel, hub and tyre assembly, and the sprung mass of the vehicle is substantially the remainder of the mass of the vehicle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
A control system according to claim 1, wherein said means for modifying said signals modifies said signals to compensate for portions of said measured loads which do not result from movements of said unsprung mass.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
A control system according to claim 1, wherein the means for modifying said signals includes means for resolving said signals as representative of a plurality of modal forces acting on the sprung mass of the vehicle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A control system according to claim 4, wherein the modal forces are heave, pitch, roll and warp modal forces.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
A control system according to claim 4, wherein the modal values of the measured forces are modified by multiplying them by factors representing the effects of unmeasured loads of the same modes thereupon.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A control system according to claim 4, wherein the modal values of the measured forces are modified by multiplying them by factors representing the effects of unmeasured loads of different modes thereupon.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
78 words
A control system according to claim 1, including means for measuring the vertical acceleration of each unsprung mass of the vehicle; means for producing signals proportional to said measured accelerations; means for modifying said acceleration proportional signals to increase or decrease the extent to which each such signal is dependent on the magnitude of its corresponding unsprung mass; and means to apply force to control the attitude of the vehicle in dependence on said modified acceleration proportional signals.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
A control system according to claim 8, wherein said means for modifying said acceleration proportion signals is capable of modifying the signals independently of other signals in the control system.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
EP0114757A1
Cited
WO1989000512A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-06-07 | 1996-12-07 | 1997-06-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-06-07 | 2000-12-07 | 2001-06-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-06-07 | 2004-12-07 | 2005-06-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |