Motion control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11701942-B2
Application number	US-202217735145-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2022
Priority date	May 8, 2017
Publication date	Jul 18, 2023
Grant date	Jul 18, 2023

Abstract

A motion control system includes a top mount, a bottom mount, a rigid housing, an air spring, and a linear actuator. The air spring transfers force of a first load path between the top mount and the bottom mount. The air spring includes a pressurized cavity containing pressurized gas that transfers the force of the first load path. The linear actuator transfers force of a second load path between the top mount and the bottom mount in parallel to the first load path. The rigid housing defines at least part of the pressurized cavity and transfers the force of the second load path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A suspension system comprising:
a top mount;
a bottom mount;
a rigid housing;
an air spring including a pressurized cavity containing pressurized gas that transfers a force of a first load path between the top mount and the bottom mount; and
a linear actuator that transfers a force of a second load path between the top mount and the bottom mount in parallel to the first load path,
wherein the pressurized cavity includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber, and wherein the pressurized gas flows between the upper chamber and the lower chamber around the linear actuator.

2. The suspension system according to claim 1 , wherein the linear actuator is contained in the pressurized cavity.

3. The suspension system according to claim 1 , wherein the rigid housing includes a first rigid housing coupled to the top mount with an isolator that seals the pressurized cavity and transfers the force of the second load path between the first rigid housing and the top mount.

4. The suspension system according to claim 3 , wherein the first rigid housing is a housing of the linear actuator and defines the upper chamber of the pressurized cavity.

5. The suspension system according to claim 3 , wherein the rigid housing includes a second rigid housing coupled to the bottom mount with a flexible membrane that seals the pressurized cavity.

6. The suspension system according to claim 5 , wherein the flexible membrane is connected to the first rigid housing and the second rigid housing to couple the rigid housing to the bottom mount, and the second rigid housing defines the lower chamber of the pressurized cavity.

7. The suspension system according to claim 5 , wherein the pressurized cavity is defined by the top mount, the isolator, the first rigid housing, the second rigid housing, the flexible membrane, and the bottom mount.

8. The suspension system according to claim 1 , wherein the linear actuator is a ball screw actuator having a ball nut, a shaft, and a ball spline that prevents rotation of the shaft relative to the rigid housing, wherein torque is selectively applied to the ball nut by a motor to apply the force of the second load path to the shaft.

9. The suspension system according to claim 8 , wherein the rigid housing is coupled to the ball nut with a thrust bearing.

10. A suspension system comprising:
a top mount;
a bottom mount;
a rigid housing;
an air spring that transfers a force of a first load path between the top mount and the bottom mount, the air spring including a pressurized cavity having an upper chamber and a lower chamber containing pressurized gas that transfer the force of the first load path; and
a ball-screw actuator having a ball nut and a shaft, the ball-screw actuator transferring a force of a second load path between the top mount and the bottom mount in parallel to the first load path,
wherein the rigid housing is spaced radially apart from and surrounds the ball-screw actuator to define a circumferential gap therebetween, wherein the pressurized gas flows between the upper chamber and the lower chamber through the circumferential gap.

11. The suspension system according to claim 10 , wherein the ball-screw actuator includes a motor having a rotor and a stator that are contained in the pressurized cavity.

12. The suspension system according to claim 11 , wherein the stator is in contact with an inner surface of the rigid housing.

13. The suspension system according to claim 10 , wherein the rigid housing is a first rigid housing, and the suspension system further includes a second rigid housing that surrounds the first rigid housing, wherein the first rigid housing is coupled to the second rigid housing with an upper isolator and a lower isolator by which the force of the second load path is transferred between the first rigid housing and the second rigid housing.

14. The suspension system according to claim 13 , wherein the first rigid housing is coupled to the top mount with an isolator to limit relative movement between the first rigid housing and the top mount.

15. The suspension system according to claim 13 , wherein the first rigid housing includes a port by which the air spring receives pressurized gas.

16. A suspension system comprising:
an air spring configured to form a first load path between a vehicle body of a vehicle and an unsprung component of the vehicle, the air spring including a pressurized cavity having an upper chamber and a lower chamber containing pressurized gas that transfer a force of the first load path;
a ball-screw actuator configured to form a second load path between the vehicle body and the unsprung component in parallel to the first load path, the ball-screw actuator comprising:
a shaft;
a housing comprising an inner housing and an outer housing to which the inner housing is coupled;
a motor coupled to the inner housing and having a stator and a rotor;
a ball nut to which the motor applies torque to transfer a force of the second load path between the housing and the shaft; and
a ball spline coupled to the inner housing,

wherein the ball spline applies torque to the shaft to prevent rotation of the shaft relative to the outer housing and prevent a transfer of torque from the motor to the unsprung component, and
wherein pressurized gas communicates between the upper chamber and the lower chamber through the ball-screw actuator through axial channels in the inner housing.

17. The suspension system according to claim 16 , wherein the housing, the stator, and the ball spline are coupled to each other to form a stationary assembly, and the rotor and the ball nut are coupled to each other to form a rotating assembly that is rotatably supported and axially fixed to the stationary assembly with a thrust bearing.

18. The suspension system according to claim 16 , wherein the motor of the ball-screw actuator is contained in the pressurized cavity.

19. The suspension system according to claim 16 , wherein the inner housing is coupled to the outer housing with a first isolator positioned above the stator and with a second isolator positioned below at least a portion of the stator.

20. The suspension system according to claim 16 , wherein the outer housing surrounds the inner housing, the motor, and the ball nut and the outer housing transfers the force of the first load path and the force of the second load path between the unsprung component and the vehicle body.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Hall Jonathan L
• Dawson Jacob L
• Keas Paul J
• Carter Troy A
• Smith Roland R

Classifications

• B60G17/0521 Primary

  the spring having a flexible wall · CPC title

• B60G11/27

  wherein the fluid is a gas · CPC title

• B60G15/04

  and mechanical damper {or dynamic damper} · CPC title

• B60G15/10

  and mechanical damper {or dynamic damper} · CPC title

• B60G17/0155

  pneumatic unit · CPC title