Active suspension apparatus for vehicle and valve thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9533541-B2
Application number	US-201514887011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2015
Priority date	Oct 22, 2014
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

An active suspension apparatus for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a pump configured to control movement of a fluid, an actuator connected with a coil spring, which is connected with a wheel of the vehicle, and configured to receive the fluid from the pump and to compensate for a displacement of the coil spring, a fluid path configured to connect the pump with the actuator, and a valve configured to control a flow of the fluid in the fluid path, wherein, when the actuator is controlled to receive the fluid from the pump, the valve is configured to prevent the fluid from flowing from the actuator to the pump by a pressure of the fluid accommodated in the actuator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An active suspension apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
a pump configured to control movement of a fluid;
an actuator connected with a coil spring, which is connected with a wheel of the vehicle, and configured to receive the fluid from the pump and to compensate for a displacement of the coil spring;
a fluid path configured to connect the pump with the actuator; and
one or more valves configured to control a flow of the fluid in the fluid path;
wherein at least one of the valves is configured to prevent the fluid from moving from the actuator to the pump by a pressure of the fluid accommodated in the actuator when the actuator is controlled to receive the fluid from the pump,
wherein the pump comprises a first chamber and a second chamber formed by dividing an inside of a cylinder in a longitudinal direction of the cylinder, and a first piston and a second piston are disposed at the first chamber and the second chamber, respectively, and
wherein the first piston and the second piston are moved based on the driving of the motor, and the fluid accommodated in the first chamber and the second chamber is supplied to the actuator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises first, second, third, and fourth actuators disposed at a left front wheel, a left rear wheel, a right front wheel, and a right rear wheel of the vehicle, respectively, and
the pump is capable of simultaneously supplying the fluid to the first and second actuators or the third and fourth actuators based on driving of a motor.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the fluid path comprises a first fluid path between the pump and the first actuator, a second fluid path between the pump and the second actuator, a third fluid path between the pump and the third actuator, and a fourth fluid path between the pump and the fourth actuator.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first fluid path comprises a 1-1 fluid path which is directly connected to the pump, a 1-2 fluid path of which one side is connected with the 1-1 fluid path and the other side is connected with the first actuator, and a 1-3 fluid path which is branched from a connection between the 1-1 fluid path and the 1-2 fluid path and connected with a reservoir, and
the valves are disposed at the 1-2 fluid path and the 1-3 fluid path.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the second fluid path comprises a 2-1 fluid path which is directly connected to the pump, a 2-2 fluid path of which one side is connected with the 2-1 fluid path and the other side is connected with the second actuator, and a 2-3 fluid path which is branched from a connection between the 2-1 fluid path and the 2-2 fluid path and connected with a reservoir, and
the valves are disposed at the 2-2 fluid path and the 2-3 fluid path.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the third fluid path comprises a 3-1 fluid path which is directly connected to the pump, a 3-2 fluid path of which one side is connected with the 3-1 fluid path and the other side is connected with the third actuator, and a 3-3 fluid path which is branched from a connection between the 3-1 fluid path and the 3-2 fluid path and connected with a reservoir, and
the valves are disposed at the 3-2 fluid path and the 3-3 fluid path.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the fourth fluid path comprises a 4-1 fluid path which is directly connected to the pump, a 4-2 fluid path of which one side is connected with the 4-1 fluid path and the other side is connected with the fourth actuator, and a 4-3 fluid path which is branched from a connection part between the 4-1 fluid path and the 4-2 fluid path and connected with a reservoir, and
the valves are disposed at the 4-2 fluid path and the 4-3 fluid path.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the valve comprises
a sleeve;
an armature provided in the sleeve to be vertically movable;
a sheet holder coupled with a lower end of the sleeve and having a first connection part formed at a lower side thereof to be connected with a fluid path disposed at a side of the pump and a second connection part formed at a side surface thereof to be connected with the fluid path disposed at a side of the actuator; and
an opening and closing member accommodated in the sheet holder to be vertically movable based on movement of the armature, and
when the opening and closing member is moved upward, the first connection part and the second connection part are in fluid communication with each other.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the valve further comprises a first elastic member which applies a force in a downward direction of the opening and closing member.

10. An active suspension apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
a pump configured to control movement of a fluid;
an actuator connected with a coil spring, which is connected with a wheel of the vehicle, and configured to receive the fluid from the pump and to compensate for a displacement of the coil spring;
a fluid path configured to connect the pump with the actuator; and
one or more valves configured to control a flow of the fluid in the fluid path;
wherein at least one of the valves is configured to prevent the fluid from moving from the actuator to the pump by a pressure of the fluid accommodated in the actuator when the actuator is controlled to receive the fluid from the pump,
wherein the valve comprises:
a sleeve;
an armature provided in the sleeve to be vertically movable;
a sheet holder coupled with a lower end of the sleeve and having a first connection part formed at a lower side thereof to be connected with a fluid path disposed at a side of the pump and a second connection part formed at a side surface thereof to be connected with the fluid path disposed at a side of the actuator; and
an opening and closing member accommodated in the sheet holder to be vertically movable based on movement of the armature, and
when the opening and closing member is moved upward, the first connection part and the second connection part are in fluid communication with each other.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the valve further comprises a first elastic member which applies a force in a downward direction of the opening and closing member.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the actuator comprises first, second, third, and fourth actuators disposed at a left front wheel, a left rear wheel, a right front wheel, and a right rear wheel of the vehicle, respectively, and
the pump is capable of simultaneously supplying the fluid to the first and second actuators or the third and fourth actuators based on driving of a motor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the fluid path comprises a first fluid path between the pump and the first actuator, a second fluid path between the pump and the second actuator, a third fluid path between the pump and the third actuator, and a fourth fluid path between the pump and the fourth actuator.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first fluid path comprises a 1-1 fluid path which is directly connected to the pump, a 1-2 fluid path of which one side is connected with the 1-1 fluid path and the other side is connected with the first actuator, and a 1-3 fluid path which is branched from a connection between the 1-1 fluid path and the 1-2 fluid path and connected with a reservoir, and
the valves are disposed at the 1-2 fluid path and the 1-3 fluid path.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second fluid path comprises a 2-1 fluid path which is directly connected to the pump, a 2-2 fluid path of which one side is connected with the 2-1 fluid path and the other side is

Assignees

• Mando Corp

Inventors

• Kim Tae Ju

Classifications

• B60G2600/182

  Active control means · CPC title

• B60G2202/416

  using a pump, e.g. in the line connecting the lower chamber to the upper chamber of the actuator · CPC title

• B60G17/027

  Mechanical springs regulated by fluid means (B60G17/033 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60G17/021

  the mechanical spring being a coil spring (B60G17/0272 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60G17/0272

  the mechanical spring being a coil spring · CPC title