284 results about "Sprung mass" patented technology

A control system for a resilient support mechanism such as a suspension mechanism of a wheeled vehicle including a damper disposed between an unsprung mass member and a sprung mass member of the vehicle, wherein a damping coefficient of the damper is divided into a linear portion and a nonlinear portion, and wherein the nonlinear portion of the damping coefficient is defined as a control input u and applied with a frequency weight Wu(s), while a vertical velocity of the sprung mass member, a relative velocity of the sprung mass member to the unsprung mass member and a vertical acceleration of the sprung mass member are defined as an evaluation output zp and applied with a frequency weight Ws(s). In the control system, a nonlinear Hinfin control theory is applied to a generalized plant to obtain a positive definite symmetric solution P and to calculate a target damping force based on the positive definite symmetric solution P and a state amount such as the vertical velocity of the sprung mass member, a relative displacement of the sprung mass member to the unsprung mass member or the like.

In a suspension control system according to the present invention, a sky-hook command signal B obtained from velocity data obtained by integrating a sprung mass acceleration αu from a sprung mass acceleration sensor 9u and an unsprung mass vibration damping command signal C obtained on the basis of an unsprung mass acceleration αd detected by an unsprung mass acceleration sensor 9d are added together to obtain a control signal A for a damping characteristic inverting type shock absorber 6. The control signal A reflects the unsprung mass acceleration αd that leads in phase by 90° the piston speed. Accordingly, it is possible to compensate for a response delay due to an actuator 11, etc.

A method of adjusting a leveled height of the sprung mass of a vehicle that is in approximate alignment with a predetermined datum includes approximately aligning the sprung mass with the predetermined datum. The method also includes receiving an input from an operator for changing the leveled height of the sprung mass. The method further includes adjusting the leveled height of the sprung mass while maintaining approximate alignment with the predetermined datum. A system for performing the method is also discussed.

A rear suspension system for a bicycle is disclosed. The system includes a link member (30) and chain stay (20) each pivotably mounted to the sprung mass. The seat stay (18) mounts the rear axle (22) and is pivotably mounted at its upper end to link member (30) and is pivotably mounted at a point intermediate its length to chain stay (20).

A sprung mass damping control system of a vehicle, which aims to suppress sprung mass vibration generated in a vehicle body of a vehicle provided with at least a motor-generator (first and second motor-generators) as a drive source, includes a sprung mass damping control amount calculating device that sets a sprung mass damping control amount for suppressing the sprung mass vibration, and a drive source control device (a motor-generator control device) that executes sprung mass damping control by controlling a motor-generator control amount of the motor-generator to realize the sprung mass damping control amount.

In a control device for controlling a variable element of a wheel suspension system, the variable suspension element associated with one of the wheels is controlled at least according to an output of a sensor associated with a different one of the wheels. The output of the sensor may include a sprung mass speed of a vehicle part associated with each wheel. The variable suspension element may include a variable damping force damper or a variable spring constant spring. Thereby, an undesired response of a vehicle body can be avoided even when a vehicle is subjected to an uneven distribution of wheel loads such as when the vehicle is traveling over a slanted road surface or making a turn.

A vehicle control device includes a sensor and a controller. The sensor detects wheel speed. The controller estimates sprung mass state based on detected information in a prescribed frequency range. The controller controls a variable-damping force shock absorber to bring the estimated sprung mass state to a target sprung mass state. The controller estimates wheel rim braking / drive torque acting on a wheel. The controller determines the estimation accuracy of the sprung mass state has deteriorated when a rate of change of a stationary component extracted from components of wheel rim braking / drive torque acting on a wheel is detected to equal or exceed a prescribed value. The controller controls the variable-damping force shock absorber to a more limited extent than when the estimation accuracy has not deteriorated.

The invention relates to a vehicle pavement identification system and a suspension mode switching method and belongs to the field of automobile safety and comfort. A suspension mainly comprises sprung mass, an elastic element, a damper, a linear motor, unsprung mass, an acceleration sensor A, an acceleration sensor B, a displacement sensor A, a displacement sensor B, a current amplifier, an A / D converter, a signal storage unit, an ECU, a power amplifier and a D / A converter. The ECU (14) comprises a signal processing module, an analysis module, a judgment module and a control module, receives displacement signals and acceleration signals, measured by the vehicle sensors, of the sprung mass and the unsprung mass, grades road conditions by combining the vehicle speed and the damping coefficient and meanwhile controls the suspension by combining vehicle working conditions and switching different modes to meet the requirements of safety and comfort. According to the vehicle pavement identification system and the suspension mode switching method, the linear motor is adopted as an actuator, brake energy of the suspension can be recovered under good road conditions for supplying to other systems for using, and energy feedback performance is achieved.

A vehicle control device includes a wheel speed sensor and a controller. The wheel speed sensor detects wheel speed. The controller estimates a sprung mass state based on information in a predetermined frequency region of wheel speed and controls an actuator to bring the estimated sprung mass state to a target sprung mass state. The controller calculates a first wheel speed as a reference wheel speed for individual wheels. The controller calculates a second wheel speed as a reference wheel speed of front and rear wheels. The controller calculates a third wheel speed as a reference wheel speed of all wheels. The controller calculates a reference wheel speed of each wheel. The controller detects that the estimation accuracy has deteriorated when a differential among reference wheel speeds of the wheels is equal to or greater than a prescribed value.

An electromagnetic suspension system for a vehicle, comprises an electromagnetic actuator interposed between a sprung mass and an unsprung mass and disposed substantially in parallel with an spring element. An electric motor is provided for driving the electromagnetic actuator. A motor controller is configured to calculate a displacement input applied to the electromagnetic actuator and to control the electric motor in a manner that the electromagnetic actuator generates an optimum damping force corresponding to the displacement input. A motor control circuit is provided for the electric motor, through which the electric motor is connected to the motor controller. Additionally, an electrical damping element is electrically connected to the motor control circuit and in parallel with the electric motor to generate a damping force in a passive manner under a dynamic braking of the electric motor in response to the displacement input to the electromagnetic actuator from the unsprung mass.

A sprung mass damping control system of a vehicle is provided. The sprung mass damping control system includes a sprung mass damping controller that sets a sprung mass damping control amount for damping sprung mass vibrations that occur in a vehicle body in response to an input from a road or a driver-requested torque, and a drive controller that controls an output of a vehicle drive unit so as to achieve the sprung mass damping control amount, thereby to execute sprung mass damping control. The drive controller is configured to permit or inhibit execution of the sprung mass damping control according to at least one of operating conditions of the vehicle, status conditions of the vehicle and driver's requests.

A shock absorber for a vehicle, having a bellows piston, bellows, and a fluid as the damping medium. The shock absorber has a first partition wall, which is situated on the bellows piston, and is implemented to separate a volume area of the bellows piston from a volume area of the bellows. The first partition wall has a first opening, which is implemented to limit a fluid flow between the volume area of the bellows piston and the volume area of the bellows. The shock absorber further has a sprung mass, which is situated inside the shock absorber to influence the fluid flow inside the shock absorber.

An electromagnetic suspension apparatus for an automotive vehicle, employs an electromagnetic actuator interleaved between a sprung mass and an unsprung mass and arranged in parallel with a suspension spring element, and an electric motor built in the electromagnetic actuator for driving the electromagnetic actuator. A motor controller calculates a displacement input, such as a suspension stroke acceleration and a suspension velocity, transmitted to the electromagnetic actuator, and controls the motor to bring a suspension damping force closer to a desired damping force suited for the displacement input. The motor controller calculates an internal inertia force of the electromagnetic actuator, and corrects or compensates for a motor output by the internal inertia force of the electromagnetic actuator.

The invention discloses an electric car chassis assembly capable of achieving four-wheel wheel-side-motor drive and four-wheel independent turning. The electric car chassis assembly comprises a frame, turning motors, turning support arms, turning racks, drive motors, turning standing columns, spring damper assemblies and guide mechanisms, wherein the turning motors are fixed on the frame, the turning support arms can rotate around the output shafts of the turning motors, the turning racks can rotate along with the turning support arms, hubs are rotatably connected to the turning standing columns, the spring damper assemblies are arranged between the turning support arms and the turning standing columns and used for supporting and damping the turning support arms, and the guide mechanisms are used for guiding the movements of the spring damper assemblies. The electric car chassis assembly has the advantages that the wheel-side motors are used to drive an electric car to turn, the wheel-side motors are designed into sprung mass, the running smoothness and power performance of the electric car are increased, and the drive torque among different wheels can be reasonably distributed due to the fact that the wheel-side motors are used to control the drive torque of the drive four wheels.

A method for controlling four semi-active suspensions of a vehicle comprising the steps of: determining, for each semi-active suspension, a first and a second signal representative of the acceleration and speed of the sprung mass; determining, for a pair of semi-active suspensions arranged on one side of the vehicle a third and a four signal representative of the acceleration and pitch speed; calculating for each semi-active suspension, a first damping coefficient as a function of the difference between the first and second signal squared; calculating for each semi-active suspension, a second damping coefficient as a function of the difference between the third and the four signal squared; for each semi-active suspension, comparing the first and the second damping coefficient for determining the higher coefficient; applying to each force generator device, an electronic control signal indicative of the respective high damping coefficient.

A vehicle stability control system is provided, which includes a movable tongue member and a ratchet mechanism. The movable tongue member is adapted to move between a first tongue position and a second tongue position. The ratchet mechanism is adapted to be mechanically coupled to a movable unsprung mass portion and to a sprung mass portion of a vehicle when the vehicle stability control system is operably installed on the vehicle. The ratchet mechanism comprising a ratchet tooth, such that the ratchet mechanism, is adapted to restrict a movement of the unsprung mass portion away from the sprung mass portion when the tongue member is moved toward the second tongue position and into the ratchet tooth, and wherein the tongue member does not restrict the movement of the unsprung mass portion relative to the sprung mass portion when the tongue member is in the first tongue position.

The invention discloses a control method for the damping value of an electronic-control air suspension fork three-grade adjustable absorber, wherein, according to the simulation analysis of the ride comfort, the suspension fork dynamic deflection and the dynamic load are used as the limit condition, the genetic-algorithm optimization program is compiled, and then the influences of the sprung mass, vehicle speed, and road surface on the damping value optimization are respectively analyzed, so that the sprung mass and the vehicle speed are determined as the main factors for influencing the damping value optimization; according to the real run condition of the vehicle, the change of the sprung mass is divided into three sections: no-load to half-load, half-load to 3 / 4 full-load, and 3 / 4 full-load to full-load; during the sprung mass change of each section, the different mass and the different vehicle-speed as the influence factors are taken into the consideration; the damping value of each grade is pre-optimized by the genetic algorithm and then the damping value is memorized in the ROM of a suspension fork control system ECU; ECU makes use of the signals sent by a sensor to judge the real-time run condition so as to control the executing mechanism to make a response to select the corresponding damping value.

The invention discloses a chassis driving system for a four-wheel drive electromobile and a control method of the chassis driving system. The chassis driving system comprises a car frame, wheels and a Macpherson independent suspension, wherein four corners of the car frame are connected with the wheels through the Macpherson independent suspension. The driving system is characterized by comprising a driving motor system and a motor transmission system; the driving motor system adopts sprung mass design, so as to improve the stability and riding comfort of the running electromobile; the driving motor system comprises driving motors corresponding to the four wheels, so that each wheel can rotate independently; under the control of a control system, power switching is very easy, and front wheel drive, rear wheel drive or four-wheel drive can be realized; as the rotational speeds of the wheels are controlled by the four motors independently, the rotational speeds of inner wheels and outer wheels can be controlled to meet a steering model during steering, reduce abrasion of tires, and prolong the service lives of the tires; the independent suspension can be used conveniently.

The invention discloses a control method for a multi-mode shock absorber of a vehicle and belongs to the field of energy conservation and emission reduction of vehicles. An ECU (Electronic Control Unit) controller judges driving road conditions through a vehicle signal acquired by a sprung mass acceleration sensor and an unsprung mass acceleration sensor, and further, a suspension is in active, semi-active and passive vibration damping modes through controlling the input current of a linear motor three-phase winding coil circuit and an excitation coil circuit in a magnet-rheological shock absorber, so that the vehicle can control the suspension at any moment when being under different road conditions to achieve a better riding comfortableness. Meanwhile, part of vibration energy of the suspension can be recovered by utilizing a linear motor when the suspension is in passive and semi-active modes, so that the organic combination of vibration isolation and energy feedback of the suspension is realized, and the purposes of energy conservation and emission reduction are achieved.

An active suspension system suitable for use with a vehicle, includes a passive suspension element with a first end adapted for rigid engagement to a sprung mass of the vehicle and a second end adapted for rigid engagement to an unsprung mass of the vehicle. Also included is an active suspension element with a linear switched reluctance actuator which has a first end adapted for rigid engagement to the sprung mass of the vehicle and a second end adapted for rigid engagement to the unsprung mass of the vehicle.

A suspension system for use on a vehicle having two or more rear axles. The suspension system includes a plurality of gas springs and plurality of height sensors capable of outputting signals having a relation to distances between the respective ends of the respective first and second rear axles and the sprung mass of the vehicle. A control system adapted to selectively inflate or deflate respective ones of the plurality of gas springs to thereby adjust a leveled orientation of the sprung mass. The control system includes a controller that is adapted to determine a rear axle vertical offset and a rear axle articulation offset. The controller is adapted to determine whether conditions are appropriate for adjusting the suspension system by comparing the rear axle vertical offset and / or the rear axle articulation offset to a corresponding vertical offset threshold and / or an articulation offset threshold. A method is also included.

The invention discloses a multi-mode electromagnetic energy-regenerative vehicle active suspension actuator. The multi-mode electromagnetic energy-regenerative vehicle active suspension actuator comprises an actuator main body and an actuator controller, wherein the actuator main body comprises a piston cylinder, a permanent magnet linear motor module, an adjustable damping vibration absorber module, an actuator upper end cover and a lower lifting lug. The permanent magnet linear motor module comprises a secondary piston rod, a linear motor upper end cover, a linear motor lower end cover, a plurality of silicon steel sheets, a plurality of primary coils and a permanent magnet; the adjustable damping vibration absorber module comprises a vibration absorber piston rod, a sleeve, an upper lifting lug, a sealing separation plate, a big piston, a small piston, a damping liquid passage and a proportional electromagnetic valve; and an input end of the actuator controller is connected with an acceleration sensor, a sprung mass speed sensor and an unsprung mass speed sensor. The invention further discloses a control method for the multi-mode electromagnetic energy-regenerative vehicle active suspension actuator. The invention is advantaged in that the energy-regenerative efficiency of the multi-mode electromagnetic energy-regenerative vehicle active suspension actuator is high, the service life of a vehicle-mounted storage battery can be effectively prolonged and an active suspension is in an optimal vibration absorbing state.

The invention relates to a stiffness-variable electromagnetic energy feedback suspension, and belongs to the technical field of novel suspensions of vehicles. The stiffness-variable electromagnetic energy feedback suspension comprises an upper hanging lug, a lower hanging lug, a motor shield, a motor fixing plate, an upper bracket, a middle bracket, a lower bracket, a spring A, a spring B, a stator base, a damping-adjustable device and an energy feedback device. A piston rod is fixed with a sprung mass through the motor fixing plate, the motor shield and the upper hanging lug; a stator is fixed with an unsprung mass through the stator base and the lower hanging lug; the spring A is in parallel connection with the damping-adjustable device; the stiffness characteristics of a system can changed by adjusting the opening of a throttle hole in the damping-adjustable device; the energy feedback device comprises the stator, an armature winding and a permanent magnet; when the suspension vibrates, the energy feedback device is driven to generate electricity, vibration energy is converted to electrical energy, and energy recovery is achieved.

A suspension system for wheeled vehicles, particularly trailers, that is mounted underneath the vehicle frame and forward of the axle (in case of a single axle suspension) and both forward and rearward of axles (in case of a tandem axle suspension). The suspension system at each side of the vehicle frame comprises a hanger, a control arm and an elastomer spring. The hanger has a support bracket and a hanger channel and is the frame bracket connecting the suspension to the vehicle frame. The elastomer spring biases the control arm and the hanger and therefore isolates the vibration of the suspended portion of the vehicle (the sprung mass) from that of the axle(s) and wheels (the unsprung mass).

A method for controlling four semi-active suspensions of a vehicle comprising the steps of: determining, for each semi-active suspension, a first and a second signal representative of the acceleration and speed of the sprung mass; determining, for a pair of semi-active suspensions arranged on one side of the vehicle a third and a four signal representative of the acceleration and pitch speed; calculating for each semi-active suspension, a first damping coefficient as a function of the difference between the first and second signal squared; calculating for each semi-active suspension, a second damping coefficient as a function of the difference between the third and the four signal squared; for each semi-active suspension, comparing the first and the second damping coefficient for determining the higher coefficient; applying to each force generator device, an electronic control signal indicative of the respective high damping coefficient.

The invention discloses a compound damping adjustable self-energy-supply type active suspension actuator. A system of the actuator comprises an actuator body and an actuator control system. The actuator body comprises a working cylinder, an oil storage cylinder, an upper sealing end cover, an electromagnetic compression valve, a compensation valve, a hollow piston rod, a direct current brushless motor, a piston, an electromagnetic rebound valve and a circulating valve; the actuator control system comprises the actuator controller and an electric energy storage circuit; the input end of the actuator controller is connected to a unsprung mass speed transmitter and a sprung mass speed transmitter; the electric energy storage circuit comprises a rectifier, a first energy fed branch and an energy fed adjusting circuit connected to the rectifier as well as a second energy fed branch and a third energy fed branch connected to the energy fed adjusting circuit in circuit; the invention also discloses a control method of the compound damping adjustable self-energy-supply type active suspension actuator. The actuator disclosed by the invention is fast in active control respond speed, preciseto control, more in electric energy generated by fed energy, high in energy conversion ratio and wide in application prospect.