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US 12,145,419 B2Granted
Adaptive stabilizer bar with cycloidal drive
AssigneeAirBoss Flexible Products, LLC
InventorsMark J. Nordhaus, Jeffrey D. Auten, Jeffrey Chamberlin, Aidan Gusho
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved adaptive stabilizer bar is provided. The stabilizer bar includes a cycloidal drive between first and second portions of a divided torsion bar. The cycloidal drive includes a cycloidal gear assembly that provides a significant mechanical advantage, allowing relatively small electric motors to be used. In addition, the cycloidal gear assembly has a relatively small physical footprint, particularly when compared to a planetary gear assembly, for example.
Claims17
An adaptive stabilizer bar comprising:
- a divided torsion bar having mutually facing ends;
- a cycloidal drive disposed between the mutually facing ends of the divided torsion bar, wherein the cycloidal drive includes an electric motor coupled to a cycloidal gear assembly to rotate a first portion of the divided torsion bar relative to a second portion of the divided torsion bar, wherein the cycloidal gear assembly includes:
- a cam drive gear intermeshed with an input gear that is rotatable by the electric motor,
- a cam shaft that rotates in unison with the cam drive gear,
- first and second cycloidal gears that oscillate by operation of the cam shaft, and
- a ring gear surrounding at least one of the first and second cycloidal gears,
- wherein the cam shaft includes a first cam for engaging the first cycloidal gear and includes a second cam for engaging the second cycloidal gear, the second cam being axially offset from the first cam.
4 more elements
An adaptive stabilizer bar comprising:
- a divided torsion bar having mutually facing ends;
- a cycloidal drive disposed between the mutually facing ends of the divided torsion bar, wherein the cycloidal drive includes an electric motor coupled to a cycloidal gear assembly to rotate a first portion of the divided torsion bar relative to a second portion of the divided torsion bar, wherein the cycloidal gear assembly includes:
- a cam drive gear intermeshed with an input gear that is rotatable by the electric motor,
- a cam shaft that rotates in unison with the cam drive gear,
- first and second cycloidal gears that oscillate by operation of the cam shaft,
- a ring gear surrounding at least one of the first and second cycloidal gears, and
- a plurality of rollers sandwiched between an outer portion of the second cycloidal gear and an inner portion of an output gear.
4 more elements
An adaptive stabilizer bar comprising:
- a divided torsion bar coupled to first and second arm segments, the first arm segment being disposed at a first end of the divided torsion bar for mounting to a first vehicle wheel, the second arm segment disposed at a second end of the divided torsion bar for mounting to a second vehicle wheel, wherein the divided torsion bar includes a first half-bar and a second half-bar and is subjected to a torsional load when the first and second arm segments move relative to each another;
- a cycloidal drive disposed between the first half-bar and the second-half bar, the cycloidal drive being operable to rotate the first half-bar relative to the second half-bar by operation of an actuator that is mechanically coupled to the cycloidal drive, wherein the cycloidal drive includes:
- a cam drive gear intermeshed with an input gear that is rotatable by the actuator,
- a cam shaft that rotates in unison with the cam drive gear,
- first and second cycloidal gears that oscillate by operation of the cam shaft, and
- a ring gear surrounding at least one of the first and second cycloidal gears,
- wherein the cam shaft includes a first cam for engaging the first cycloidal gear and includes a second cam for engaging the second cycloidal gear, the second cam being axially offset from the first cam.
4 more elements
An adaptive stabilizer bar comprising:
- a divided torsion bar coupled to first and second arm segments, the first arm segment being disposed at a first end of the divided torsion bar for mounting to a first vehicle wheel, the second arm segment disposed at a second end of the divided torsion bar for mounting to a second vehicle wheel, wherein the divided torsion bar includes a first half-bar and a second half-bar and is subjected to a torsional load when the first and second arm segments move relative to each another;
- a cycloidal drive disposed between the first half-bar and the second-half bar, the cycloidal drive being operable to rotate the first half-bar relative to the second half-bar by operation of an actuator that is mechanically coupled to the cycloidal drive, wherein the cycloidal drive includes:
- a cam drive gear intermeshed with an input gear that is rotatable by the actuator,
- a cam shaft that rotates in unison with the cam drive gear,
- first and second cycloidal gears that oscillate by operation of the cam shaft,
- a ring gear surrounding at least one of the first and second cycloidal gears, and
- a plurality of rollers sandwiched between an outer portion of the second cycloidal gear and an inner portion of an output gear.
4 more elements
A cycloidal drive for an adaptive stabilizer bar, the cycloidal drive comprising:
- an electrical motor within a motor housing;
- and
- a cycloidal gear assembly within a gearbox housing, the electrical motor being coupled to the cycloidal gear assembly via an input gear, wherein the gearbox housing includes first and second co-axial openings for a first half-bar and a second half-bar of a divided torsion bar,
- wherein the cycloidal gear assembly includes a cam drive gear intermeshed with the input gear, a cam shaft that rotates in unison with the cam drive gear, first and second cycloidal gears that oscillate by operation of the cam shaft, and a ring gear surrounding at least one of the first and second cycloidal gears,
- wherein the cam shaft includes a first cam for engaging the first cycloidal gear and includes a second cam for engaging the second cycloidal gear, the second cam being axially offset from the first cam.
2 more elements
A cycloidal drive for an adaptive stabilizer bar, the cycloidal drive comprising:
- an electrical motor within a motor housing;
- and
- a cycloidal gear assembly within a gearbox housing, the electrical motor being coupled to the cycloidal gear assembly via an input gear, wherein the gearbox housing includes first and second co-axial openings for a first half-bar and a second half-bar of a divided torsion bar,
- wherein the cycloidal gear assembly includes:
- a cam drive gear intermeshed with the input gear,
- a cam shaft that rotates in unison with the cam drive gear,
- first and second cycloidal gears that oscillate by operation of the cam shaft,
- a ring gear surrounding at least one of the first and second cycloidal gears, and
- a plurality of rollers sandwiched between an outer portion of the second cycloidal gear and an inner portion of an output gear.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.