Suspension damper test apparatus, control system and method of controlling a suspension damper test apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9752963-B2
Application number	US-201414513858-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2014
Priority date	Oct 14, 2014
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A suspension damper test apparatus is provided. The suspension damper test apparatus includes a first fixture having a force sensor, a first prying device, and a first torsion device, operatively coupled to a first end of a suspension damper. A second fixture having at least one of a displacement sensor and a speed sensor, is operatively coupled to a second end of a suspension damper. A controller is in signal communication with the force sensor and the at least one of the displacement sensor and the speed sensor. The controller is configured to record signals received from one or more of the force sensor, and the at least one of the displacement sensor and the speed sensor. The signals recorded are representative of a friction of the suspension damper while the suspension damper is actuated along a longitudinal axis of the suspension damper.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A suspension damper test apparatus comprising:
a first fixture including a force sensor, a first prying device, and a first torsion device, operatively coupled to a first end of a suspension damper;
a second fixture including a second prying device, a second torsion device, and at least one of a displacement sensor and a speed sensor, operatively coupled to a second end of the suspension damper; and
a controller in signal communication with the force sensor and the at least one of the displacement sensor and the speed sensor, the controller configured to record signals received from one or more of the force sensor and the at least one of the speed sensor and the displacement sensor, representative of a friction of the suspension damper while the suspension damper is actuated along a longitudinal axis of the suspension damper.

2. The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first prying device and the first torsion device are configured to tilt and rotate a first bushing inner tube relative to a first bushing outer tube at the first end of the suspension damper.

3. The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second prying device and the second torsion device tilt and rotate a second bushing inner tube relative to a second bushing outer tube at the second end of the suspension damper.

4. The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising an actuator that actuates the suspension damper between an extended position and a compressed position in one of a sinusoidal wave form and a triangle wave form.

5. The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first fixture is a stationary fixture and the second fixture is a moveable fixture, the actuator acting on the second fixture.

6. The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second fixture is a stationary fixture and the first fixture is a moveable fixture, the actuator acting on the first fixture.

7. The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first prying device tilts the first bushing inner tube in a first prying angle and the first torsion device rotates the first bushing inner tube in a first torsion angle, and the second prying device tilts the second bushing inner tube in a second prying angle and the second torsion device rotates the second bushing inner tube in a second torsion angle.

8. The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first prying device and the second prying device are configured such that the first prying angle and the second prying angle are in relation to each other in at least one plane.

9. The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first torsion device and the second torsion device are configured such that the first torsion angle and the second torsion angle are in relation to each other in at least one plane.

10. A method of controlling a suspension damper test apparatus, the method comprising:
coupling a first end of a suspension damper to a first fixture of the suspension damper test apparatus, the first fixture including a force sensor, a first prying device, and a first torsion device;
coupling a second end of the suspension damper to a second fixture of the suspension damper test apparatus, the second fixture including a second prying device, a second torsion device, and at least one of a displacement sensor and a speed sensor;
tilting and rotating a first bushing inner tube relative to a first bushing outer tube at the first end of the suspension damper by the first prying device and the first torsion device;
tilting and rotating a second bushing inner tube relative to a second bushing outer tube at the second end of the suspension damper by the second prying device and the second torsion device;
moving by an actuator the suspension damper between an extended position and a compressed position in one of a sinusoidal wave form and a triangle wave form;
receiving by a controller in signal communication with the force sensor and the at least one of the displacement sensor and the speed sensor, at least one signal from at least one of the force sensor and the at least one of the displacement sensor and the speed sensor; and
characterizing by the controller at least one friction value of the suspension damper based, at least in part, on the at least one signal received by the controller.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein tilting and rotating a first bushing inner tube relative to a first bushing outer tube comprises creating a first prying angle and a first torsion angle and tilting and rotating a second bushing inner tube relative to a second bushing outer tube comprises creating a second prying angle and a second torsion angle.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first prying device and the second prying device are configured such that the first prying angle and the second prying angle are in relation to each other in at least one plane.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first torsion device and the second torsion device are configured such that the first torsion angle and the second torsion angle are in relation to each other in at least one plane.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first fixture is a stationary fixture and the second fixture is a moveable fixture, the actuator acting on the second fixture.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second fixture is a stationary fixture and the first fixture is a moveable fixture, the actuator acting on the first fixture.

16. A control system for a suspension damper test apparatus, the control system comprising:
a suspension damper test apparatus including:
a first fixture including a force sensor, a first prying device, and a first torsion device, operatively coupled to a first end of a suspension damper;
a second fixture including a second prying device, a second torsion device, and at least one of a displacement sensor and a speed sensor, operatively coupled to a second end of the suspension damper; and
an actuator that actuates the suspension damper between an extended position and a compressed position in one of a sinusoidal wave form and a triangle wave form; and

a controller in signal communication with the suspension damper test apparatus, the controller configured to:
record signals from one or more of the force sensor and the at least one of the displacement sensor and the speed sensor, representative of a friction of the suspension damper while the suspension damper is actuated along a longitudinal axis of the suspension damper.

17. The control system of claim 16 , wherein the first prying device is configured to tilt a first bushing inner tube relative to a first bushing outer tube at the first end of the suspension damper at a first tilt angle and the first torsion device is configured to rotate the first bushing inner tube relative to the first bushing outer tube at the first end of the suspension damper at a first rotation angle, and the second prying device is configured to tilt a second bushing inner tube relative to a second bushing outer tube at the second end of the suspension damper at a second tilt angle and the second torsion device is configured to rotate the second bushing inner tube relative to the second bushing outer tube at a second rotation angle.

18. The control system of claim 17 , wherein the first prying device and the second prying device are configured such that the first prying angle and the second prying angle are in relation to each other in at least one plane.

19. The control system of cla

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd
• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yu Jinghong
• Rhoades Kirk
• Malarik Keith

Classifications

• G01M17/04 Primary

  Suspension or damping · CPC title