Motion control system
OwnerJonathan L. Hall, Jacob L. Dawson +3inventors
InventorsJonathan L. Hall, Jacob L. Dawson, Paul J. Keas, Troy A. Carter, Roland R. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A motion control system includes a top mount, a bottom mount, a rigid housing, an air spring, and a linear actuator. The air spring transfers force of a first load path between the top mount and the bottom mount. The air spring includes a pressurized cavity containing pressurized gas that transfers the force of the first load path. The linear actuator transfers force of a second load path between the top mount and the bottom mount in parallel to the first load path. The rigid housing defines at least part of the pressurized cavity and transfers the force of the second load path.
Claims20
A suspension system comprising:
- a top mount;
- a bottom mount;
- a rigid housing;
- an air spring including a pressurized cavity containing pressurized gas that transfers a force of a first load path between the top mount and the bottom mount;
- and
- a linear actuator that transfers a force of a second load path between the top mount and the bottom mount in parallel to the first load path,
- wherein the pressurized cavity includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber, and wherein the pressurized gas flows between the upper chamber and the lower chamber around the linear actuator.
A suspension system comprising:
- a top mount;
- a bottom mount;
- a rigid housing;
- an air spring that transfers a force of a first load path between the top mount and the bottom mount, the air spring including a pressurized cavity having an upper chamber and a lower chamber containing pressurized gas that transfer the force of the first load path;
- and
- a ball-screw actuator having a ball nut and a shaft, the ball-screw actuator transferring a force of a second load path between the top mount and the bottom mount in parallel to the first load path,
- wherein the rigid housing is spaced radially apart from and surrounds the ball-screw actuator to define a circumferential gap therebetween, wherein the pressurized gas flows between the upper chamber and the lower chamber through the circumferential gap.
A suspension system comprising:
- an air spring configured to form a first load path between a vehicle body of a vehicle and an unsprung component of the vehicle, the air spring including a pressurized cavity having an upper chamber and a lower chamber containing pressurized gas that transfer a force of the first load path;
- a ball-screw actuator configured to form a second load path between the vehicle body and the unsprung component in parallel to the first load path, the ball-screw actuator comprising:
- a shaft;
- a housing comprising an inner housing and an outer housing to which the inner housing is coupled;
- a motor coupled to the inner housing and having a stator and a rotor;
- a ball nut to which the motor applies torque to transfer a force of the second load path between the housing and the shaft;
- and
- a ball spline coupled to the inner housing,
- wherein the ball spline applies torque to the shaft to prevent rotation of the shaft relative to the outer housing and prevent a transfer of torque from the motor to the unsprung component, and
- wherein pressurized gas communicates between the upper chamber and the lower chamber through the ball-screw actuator through axial channels in the inner housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.