Actuator system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11091000-B2
Application number	US-201816133860-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2018
Priority date	Sep 19, 2017
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

An actuator system for a vehicle suspension system includes: an actuator having a piston and a first fluid chamber separated from a second fluid chamber by the piston; a hydraulic pump having a first port connected by a first hydraulic circuit to the first chamber via a first valve, the first valve being a damper valve operable to variably restrict flow of hydraulic fluid out of the first chamber; a first hydraulic accumulator connected to the first hydraulic circuit between the first port and the first valve; and a second hydraulic accumulator connected to the first port by a second valve, the second valve being a variable pressure relief valve operable to variably restrict flow of hydraulic fluid from the first port to the second hydraulic accumulator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An actuator system for a vehicle suspension system comprising:
an actuator having a piston and a first fluid chamber separated from a second fluid chamber by the piston;
a hydraulic pump having a first port connected by a first hydraulic circuit to the first chamber via a first valve, the first valve being a damper valve operable to variably restrict flow of hydraulic fluid out of the first chamber;
a first hydraulic accumulator connected to the first hydraulic circuit between the first port and the first valve; and
a second hydraulic accumulator connected to the first port by a second valve, the second valve being a variable pressure relief valve operable to variably restrict flow of hydraulic fluid from the first port to the second hydraulic accumulator.

2. The actuator system of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic pump has a second port connected by a second hydraulic circuit to the second chamber via a third valve, the third valve being a damper valve operable to variably restrict flow of hydraulic fluid out of the second chamber,
the actuator system further comprising:
a third hydraulic accumulator connected to the second hydraulic circuit between the second port and the third valve; and
a fourth hydraulic accumulator connected to the second port by a fourth valve, the fourth valve being a variable pressure relief valve operable to variably restrict flow of hydraulic fluid from the second port to the fourth hydraulic accumulator.

3. The actuator system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator has a full stroke defining a full stroke volume of the first fluid chamber and a full stroke volume of the second fluid chamber and a combined volume of the first and second accumulators is greater than the full stroke volume of the first fluid chamber.

4. The actuator system of claim 3 , wherein the combined volume of the first and second accumulators is greater than a combined volume of the full stroke volume of the first fluid chamber and the full stroke volume of the second fluid chamber.

5. The actuator system of claim 3 , wherein a volume of the first accumulator is less than the full stroke volume of the first fluid chamber.

6. The actuator system of claim 2 , wherein the actuator has a full stroke defining a full stroke volume of the first fluid chamber and a full stroke volume of the second fluid chamber and a combined volume of the third and fourth accumulators is greater than the full stroke volume of the second fluid chamber.

7. The actuator system of claim 6 , wherein the combined volume of the third and fourth accumulators is greater than a combined volume of the full stroke volume of the first fluid chamber and the full stroke volume of the second fluid chamber.

8. The actuator system of claim 6 , wherein the volume of the third accumulator is less than the full stroke volume of the second fluid chamber.

9. The actuator system of claim 1 , wherein the pump is a reversible pump.

Assignees

• Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

Inventors

• Birch Luke
• Neilson Robert
• Robertson James
• Brown Sam

Classifications

• B60G2400/82

  Ground surface · CPC title

• B60G15/06

  and fluid damper · CPC title

• B60G17/0195

  characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems {(conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22)} · CPC title

• B60G2204/62

  Adjustable continuously, e.g. during driving · CPC title

• B60G17/0165

  to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind · CPC title