Electric suspension apparatus and electric motor controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12257870-B2
Application number	US-202318178646-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2023
Priority date	Mar 31, 2022
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

An electric suspension apparatus includes a return prevention circuit and a discharge controller. The return prevention circuit is configured to operate in one of operation modes including a return prevention mode of preventing a current from flowing from power storage to a power supply and a return allowance mode of allowing a current to flow from the power storage to the power supply. The discharge controller is configured to determine whether an electric motor is in regenerative operation. In response to determining that the electric motor is in regenerative operation, the discharge controller is configured to set the return prevention circuit to operate in the return prevention mode. In response to determining that the electric motor is not in regenerative operation, the discharge controller is configured to set the return prevention circuit to operate in the return allowance mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric suspension apparatus comprising:
an electromagnetic actuator arranged between a wheel and a vehicle body, the electromagnetic actuator including an electric motor;
a controller including an information acquisition part, a driving force calculation part, and a drive controller; and
a power supply, wherein
the controller is configured to:
acquire, as the information acquisition part, information on a stroke speed of the electromagnetic actuator;
output, as the driving force calculation part, a driving force command value concerning the electric motor, the driving force command value being based on the stroke speed; and
control, as the drive controller, driving of the electric motor based on the driving force command value,

the power supply is configured to output a first voltage to the drive controller,
the drive controller includes:
power storage configured to be chargeable by the power supply;
a drive circuit configured to modulate a second voltage based on the driving force command value and apply the modulated second voltage to the electric motor, the second voltage being a terminal voltage of the power storage;
a return prevention circuit configured to operate in one of operation modes, the operation modes including a return prevention mode of preventing a current from flowing from the power storage to the power supply and a return allowance mode of allowing a current to flow from the power storage to the power supply; and
a discharge controller, and

the discharge controller is configured to:
determine whether the electric motor is in regenerative operation;
set the return prevention circuit to operate in the return prevention mode in response to determining that the electric motor is in regenerative operation; and
set the return prevention circuit to operate in the return allowance mode in response to determining that the electric motor is not in regenerative operation.

2. The electric suspension apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the power storage is a capacitor built in the drive controller.

3. The electric suspension apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein,
even while the electric motor is in regenerative operation, the discharge controller is configured to set the return prevention circuit to operate in the return allowance mode in response to the second voltage exceeding a predetermined threshold voltage.

4. An electric motor controller comprising:
a driving force calculation part configured to output a driving force command value concerning an electric motor based on an electrical angle of the electric motor;
a drive controller configured to control driving of the electric motor based on the driving force command value; and
a power supply configured to output a first voltage to the drive controller, wherein
the drive controller includes:
power storage configured to be chargeable by the power supply;
a drive circuit configured to modulate a second voltage based on the driving force command value and apply the modulated second voltage to the electric motor, the second voltage being a terminal voltage of the power storage;
a return prevention circuit configured to operate in one of operation modes, the operation modes including a return prevention mode of preventing a current from flowing from the power storage to the power supply and a return allowance mode of allowing a current to flow from the power storage to the power supply; and
a discharge controller, and

the discharge controller is configured to:
determine whether the electric motor is in regenerative operation;
set the return prevention circuit to operate in the return prevention mode in response to determining that the electric motor is in regenerative operation; and
set the return prevention circuit to operate in the return allowance mode in response to determining that the electric motor is not in regenerative operation.

5. The electric suspension apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
even while the electric motor is in regenerative operation, the discharge controller is configured to set the return prevention circuit to operate in the return allowance mode in response to the second voltage exceeding a predetermined threshold voltage.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohno Satoshi

Classifications

• B60G17/0165

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

• B60G2202/42

  Electric actuator · CPC title

• B60G2300/60

  Vehicles using regenerative power · CPC title

• B60G13/18

  combined with energy-absorbing means · CPC title

• B60G17/06

  Characteristics of dampers {, e.g. mechanical dampers}(B60G17/015 takes precedence) · CPC title