Active vehicle suspension system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12179539-B2
Application number	US-202318491335-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2023
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

A method of on-demand energy delivery to an active suspension system comprising an actuator body, hydraulic pump, electric motor, plurality of sensors, energy storage facility, and controller is provided. The method comprises disposing an active suspension system in a vehicle between a wheel mount and a vehicle body, detecting a wheel event requiring control of the active suspension; and sourcing energy from the energy storage facility and delivering it to the electric motor in response to the wheel event.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An integrated electro-hydraulic pump system, comprising:
a first housing that includes:
a controller; and
a rotary position sensor; and

a second housing that includes:
a quantity of hydraulic fluid contained in a volume in the second housing;
a bulkhead portion that separates the volume in the second housing from the first housing,
an electric motor with a stator and a rotor, wherein the electric motor is received in a cavity partially formed by a second portion of the second housing and the bulkhead portion;
a hydraulic pump that is positioned coaxially relative to the rotor and operatively coupled to the rotor, wherein the rotor is immersed in the quantity of hydraulic fluid;
a source magnet coaxially located and connected to the rotor and immersed in the quantity of hydraulic fluid, wherein the source magnet has a magnetic field;
a sensor shield received in a central opening of the bulkhead portion and interposed between the source magnet and rotary position sensor, wherein the sensor shield is constructed from a non-magnetic material, wherein an inner surface of the sensor shield is exposed to a pressure of the quantity of hydraulic fluid, and wherein the sensor shield is configured to maintain an air gap between an outer surface of the sensor shield and the rotary position sensor; and
a first port and a second port wherein at least the first port is in fluid communication with the quantity of hydraulic fluid,

wherein the rotary position sensor is configured and positioned to measure an orientation of a portion of the magnetic field of the source magnet that penetrates through the sensor shield, and wherein the controller is configured to determine an angular position of the rotor based on the measurement.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first hydraulic seal located between the sensor shield and the bulkhead portion.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the electric motor is a BLDC motor.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the bulkhead portion and the second portion of the second housing are distinct portions, and wherein a second hydraulic seal is interposed between the bulkhead portion and the second portion of the second housing.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature, wherein the controller is configured to correct for errors due to a temperature variance at the rotary position sensor.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electric motor is a BLDC motor.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein second portion of the second housing is substantially cylindrical.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to supply hydraulic fluid to an active suspension actuator, and wherein the active suspension actuator is configured to operate at a maximum working pressure in at least one operating condition.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein in the at least one operating condition the quantity of hydraulic fluid has a pressure that is equal to the maximum working pressure.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the maximum working pressure is equal to at least 150 bar.

11. An active suspension actuator system, comprising:
a first housing that includes:
a controller; and
a rotary position sensor;

a second housing that includes:
a quantity of hydraulic fluid contained in a volume in the second housing;
a bullkhead portion that separates the volume in the second housing from the first housing,
an electric motor with a stator and a rotor, wherein the electric motor is received in a cavity partially formed by a second portion of the second housing and the bulkhead portion;
a hydraulic pump that is positioned coaxially relative to the rotor and operatively coupled to the rotor, wherein the rotor is immersed in the quantity of hydraulic fluid;
a source magnet coaxially located and connected to the rotor and immersed in the quantity of hydraulic fluid, wherein the source magnet has a magnetic field;
a sensor shield received in a central opening of the bulkhead portion and interposed between the source magnet and rotary position sensor, wherein the sensor shield is constructed from a non-magnetic material, wherein an inner surface of the sensor shield is exposed to a pressure of the quantity of hydraulic fluid, and wherein the sensor shield is configured to maintain an air gap between an outer surface of the sensor shield and the rotary position sensor; and
a first port and a second port wherein at least the first port is in fluid communication with the quantity of hydraulic fluid,
wherein the rotary position sensor is configured and positioned to measure an orientation of a portion of the magnetic field of the source magnet that penetrates through the sensor shield, and wherein the controller is configured to determine an angular position of the rotor based on the measurement; and

an actuator that includes:
a first actuator port and a second actuator port;
wherein the first actuator port is in fluid communication with the first port of the second housing and the second actuator port is in fluid communication with the second port of the second housing.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the actuator includes a compression volume and an extension volume, and wherein the first actuator port is in hydraulic fluid communication with the compression volume and the second actuator port is in hydraulic fluid communication with the extension volume.

13. A method of operating an electro-hydraulic pump of an active suspension actuator system, the method comprising:
disposing a magnetic sensor target on a rotor, of an electric motor of the electro-hydraulic pump, that is immersed in a hydraulic fluid;
disposing a diaphragm to establish a dry region that does not contain hydraulic fluid so that the magnetic sensor target passes proximal to a magnetic sensor across the diaphragm as the rotor rotates;
positioning the magnetic sensor in the dry region;
detecting an orientation of a magnetic field of the magnetic sensor target as it passes proximal to the magnetic sensor due to a rotation of the rotor;
determining an angular position of the rotor; and
controlling an electric motor driving the electro-hydraulic pump at least partially based on the angular position of the rotor.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising controlling at least one of torque and rotational speed of the rotor by adjusting current flowing through windings of the electric motor based on the determined angular position.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising controlling at least one of torque and rotational speed of the rotor by commutating the electric motor based on the determined angular position, wherein the electric motor is a BLDC motor.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising processing a series of angular positions of the rotor with at least one of a derivative and integration filter and an algorithm that uses velocity over time to determine position and acceleration of the rotor.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the hydraulic fluid is pressurized to a maximum working pressure of the electro-hydraulic pump.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the maximum working pressure exceeds an operable pressure limit of the magnetic sensor.

19. A system comprising:
a housing comprising a first compartment configured to contain hydraulic fluid;
a sensor compartment connected to the first compartment;
a rotary position sensor disposed in the sensor compartment;
an electric motor disposed in the first compar

Assignees

• Clearmotion Inc

Inventors

• Anderson Zackary Martin
• Avadhany Shakeel
• Cole Matthew D
• Driscoll Robert
• Giarratana John
• Giovanardi Marco
• Gorelik Vladimir
• Leehey Jonathan R
• Near William G
• Neil Patrick W
• O'Shea Colin Patrick
• Sawyer Tyson David
• Schneider Johannes
• Tucker Clive
• Wendell Ross J
• Zuckerman Richard Anthony

Classifications

• 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

• B60G17/0152

  characterised by the action on a particular type of suspension unit (B60G17/01941 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60G11/265

  hydraulic springs · CPC title

• H02P6/16

  Circuit arrangements for detecting position · CPC title

• H02K5/12

  specially adapted for operating in liquid or gas (combined with cooling arrangements H02K9/00) · CPC title