Active stabilization system for truck cabins

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9707814-B2
Application number	US-201414242658-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

An active suspension system for a truck cabin that actively responds to and mitigates external force inputs between the truck chassis and the cabin. The system greatly reduces pitch, roll, and heave motions that lead to operator discomfort. The assembly is comprised of two or more self-contained actuators that respond to commands from an electronic controller. The controller commands the actuators based on feedback from one or more sensors on the cabin and/or chassis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A commercial vehicle cabin stabilization system comprising:
a vehicle chassis, a vehicle cabin, and a plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators, each actuator comprising:
a housing comprising an extension volume and a compression volume;
a piston that separates the extension volume and the compression volume;
a valve that controls at least a portion of fluid flow to or from at least one of the compression volume and the extension volume during at least at one operating point;
an accumulator having a volume that receives fluid from at least one of the compression volume and the extension volume during least at one operating point;
an electric motor operatively coupled to a hydraulic pump; and
a closed hydraulic circuit, wherein each of the plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators is disposed between a structural member of the chassis and the cabin;

at least one sensor adapted to sense movement along at least one axis of at least one of cabin and the chassis; and
at least one controller constructed and arranged to operate at least one of the plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators in response to the sensed movement to isolate at least a portion of the chassis movement from the cabin.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein a control program running in the controller causes current to flow through the electric motor to at least one of induce rotation of the hydraulic pump thereby inducing hydraulic fluid flow through the actuator and retard rotation of the hydraulic pump thereby reducing movement of the actuator.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein each electro-hydraulic actuator is self-controllable and further comprises a dedicated controller and each dedicated controller executes a control program.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one electro-hydraulic actuator operates to control at least one of roll, pitch, and heave of the cabin.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one electro-hydraulic actuator is disposed perpendicular to the vehicle chassis and cabin.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one electro-hydraulic actuator is disposed at a non-perpendicular angle between the chassis and cabin.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system can control fore and aft motion of the cabin.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors are adapted to detect acceleration along at least two axes.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors are feed-forward sensors and adapted to detect at least one of steering angle, brake application, and throttle.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors comprises a sensor to detect movement of an operator's seat disposed in the cabin.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cabin is a front hinged cabin and the plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators comprises at least two actuators operatively connected to the rear of the cabin.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cabin is four-point suspended cabin and the plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators comprises at least one actuator operatively connected to each corner of the cabin.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one actuator disposed between an operator's seat and the cabin, wherein a controller for the at least one seat actuator communicates with the at least one dedicated controller of at least one of the plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein energy is consumed by the actuator in response to a commanded force.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic pump is operated at least at one operating point as a hydraulic motor.

16. A vehicle cabin stabilization system comprising:
a vehicle chassis, a vehicle cabin and a plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators, each actuator comprising:
a housing comprising a compression volume and an extension volume separated by a piston;
a valve that controls at least a portion of fluid flow to or from at least one of the compression volume and the extension volume during at least at one operating point;
an accumulator having a volume that receives fluid from at least one of the compression volume and the extension volume during at least at one operation point;
an electric motor operatively coupled to a hydraulic pump; and
a closed hydraulic circuit, wherein each of the plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators is disposed between a structural member of the chassis and the cabin;

at least one sensor for determining movement of the vehicle along at least two axes; and
a controller constructed and arranged to operate the plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators in response to the sensed vehicle movement, wherein the plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators cooperatively operate to isolate at least a portion of at least one of pitch, roll, and heave motions of the cabin from the determined vehicle movement.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one sensor is disposed to sense movement of at least one structure of the vehicle selected from the group consisting of the chassis, a wheel, a seat, and the cabin.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein a control program causes current to flow through the electric motor of at least one electro-hydraulic actuator to at least one of induce rotation of the hydraulic pump, thereby inducing hydraulic fluid flow through the actuator, and retard rotation of the hydraulic pump, thereby reducing movement of the actuator.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein each actuator is self-controllable and further comprises a dedicated controller and each dedicated controller executes a control program.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein at least one electro-hydraulic actuator is disposed perpendicular to the vehicle chassis and cabin.

21. The system of claim 16 , wherein at least one electro-hydraulic actuator is disposed at a non-perpendicular angle between the chassis and cabin.

22. The system of claim 16 , wherein the system is further configured to control fore and aft motion of the cabin.

23. The system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of sensors are feed-forward sensors and adapted to detect at least one of steering angle, brake application, and throttle.

24. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a sensor that detects movement of an operator's seat.

25. The system of claim 16 , wherein the cabin is a front hinged cabin and the plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators comprises two actuators operatively connected to the rear of the cabin.

26. The system of claim 16 , wherein the cabin has four corners and is a four-point suspended cabin and the plurality of electro-hydraulic actuators comprises at least one actuator operatively connected to each corner of the cabin.

27. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a cabin stabilization system controller and at least one actuator disposed between an operator's seat and the cabin, wherein a controller for the at least one seat actuator communicates with the cabin stabilization system controller.

28. The system of claim 16 , wherein energy is consumed in the actuator in response to a command force.

29. The system of claim 16 , wherein the hydraulic pump is operated at least at one operating point as a hydraulic motor.

30. A method of secondary vehicle suspension, comprising:
sensing movement at one of a plurality

Assignees

• Levant Power Corp
• Clearmotion Inc

Inventors

• Zuckerman Richard Anthony
• Tucker Clive
• Schneider Johannes
• Giarratana John

Classifications

• B60G17/08

  Characteristics of fluid dampers (adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53) · CPC title

• B60G13/14

  having dampers accumulating utilisable energy, e.g. compressing air {(fluid springs with an accumulator B60G11/30)} · CPC title

• F16F9/06

  using both gas and liquid {(F16F9/486 take precedence; self-pumping fluid springs B60G17/044)} · CPC title

• H02K7/1823

  structurally associated with turbines or similar engines · CPC title

• B60G17/00 Primary

  Resilient suspensions having means for adjusting the spring or vibration-damper characteristics, for regulating the distance between a supporting surface and a sprung part of vehicle or for locking suspension during use to meet varying vehicular or surface conditions, e.g. due to speed or load {(levelling or stabilising systems for tippers B60P1/045)} · CPC title