# US 2013/0154277 A1 · Wheel suspension for a motor vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0154277 A1 - Document ID: US20130154277A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/818,029 - Filed: 2011-07-20 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-08-21 - Assignees: Audi AG - Inventors: Marco Willems - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130154277A1 ## CPC - F16F 15/03: using {magnetic or} electromagnetic means (F16F9/53, {F16F15/005} take precedence) - H02K 7/1853: {driven by intermittent forces} - B60G 13/14: having dampers accumulating utilisable energy, e.g. compressing air {(fluid springs with an accumulator B60G11/30)} - B60G 17/0157: {non-fluid unit, e.g. electric motor} - H02K 7/116: with gears - H02K 35/00: Generators with reciprocating, oscillating or vibrating coil system, magnet, armature or other part of the magnetic circuit (arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with generators H02K7/00, e.g. H02K7/06) - B60G 2200/144: with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram - B60G 2202/22: Rotary Damper - B60G 2202/42: Electric actuator - B60G 2204/4192: rack and pinion - B60G 2300/60: Vehicles using regenerative power - F16F: SPRINGS; SHOCK-ABSORBERS; MEANS FOR DAMPING VIBRATION - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - B60G: VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS (air-cushion vehicles B60V; {cycle suspensions B62K25/00}) ## Abstract A wheel suspension for a motor vehicle includes an electric vibration damper which is affixed to the vehicle body and which has a generator that can be driven by translational wheel movements of the vehicle wheel in order to generate an induced voltage. The stator and the rotor of the generator are interconnected via at least one gear stage, wherein a gear element of the gear stage is a drive gear wheel of a rack-and-pinion drive that is drivingly connected to a wheel carrier of the wheel suspension, with the wheel carrier following the wheel movements. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-14. (canceled) ### Claim 15 A wheel suspension for a motor vehicle, comprising: an electric vibration damper having a generator attached on a vehicle body of the motor vehicle and comprising a stator and a rotor, wherein the generator is driven by translational wheel movements of a vehicle wheel for generating an induced voltage, and at least one gear stage interconnecting the stator and the rotor, with the at least one gear stage comprising a gear element constructed as a drive gear wheel of a rack-and-pinion drive, wherein the rack-and-pinion drive is drivingly connected with a wheel carrier of the wheel suspension, with the wheel carrier following the translational wheel movements. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The wheel suspension of claim 15, wherein the rack-and-pinion drive comprises a wheel guide element extending between the wheel carrier and the vehicle body, wherein the wheel guide element is in meshing engagement with the drive gear by way of a rack portion of the rack-and-pinion drive. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The wheel suspension of claim 16, wherein the wheel guide element comprises a control arm selected from a transverse control arm and a longitudinal control arm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The wheel suspension of claim 16, wherein the rack-and-pinion drive forms a pivot point between the wheel guide element and the vehicle body. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The wheel suspension of claim 18, wherein the pivot point is formed at an end of the wheel guide element distal from the wheel carrier. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The wheel suspension of claim 18, further comprising a pivot bearing pivotally connecting the wheel guide element to the wheel carrier. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The wheel suspension of claim 16, wherein the drive gear wheel of the rack-and-pinion drive is seated on the stator in fixed rotational engagement. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The wheel suspension of claim 16, wherein the at least one gear stage is constructed as a planetary gear. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The wheel suspension of claim 22, wherein a first of the at least one gear stage comprises a radially outer ring gear constructed as a one-piece unit with the stator of the generator. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The wheel suspension of claim 22, wherein a first of the at least one gear stage comprises a radially outer ring gear operating as an input element of the first gear stage and constructed to introduce drive torques into the first gear stage. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The wheel suspension of claim 22, wherein the planetary gear comprises a radially inner sun gear operating as an output element, which is seated in fixed rotational engagement on a rotor shaft or is connected in fixed rotational engagement to an input element of a second of the at least one gear stage. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The wheel suspension of claim 22, wherein a first of the at least one gear stage comprises a planetary gear carrier which is supported in fixed rotational engagement on the vehicle body. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The wheel suspension of claim 25, wherein the sun gear of a first of the at least one gear stage is connected in fixed rotational engagement with a planetary gear carrier of the second gear stage operating as the input element. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The wheel suspension of claim 27, wherein a ring gear of the planetary gear of the second gear stage is supported in fixed rotational engagement on the vehicle body. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The wheel suspension of claim 28, wherein a sun gear of the planetary gear of the second gear stage operates as an output element that is connected to a rotor shaft of the generator. ### Claim 30 (depends on 15) The wheel suspension of claim 15, wherein the drive gear wheel of the rack-and-pinion drive is seated on a rotor shaft of the generator in fixed rotational engagement. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The wheel suspension of claim 30, wherein a rack portion of the rack- and-pinion drive comprises a first toothing and a second toothing arranged on opposite sides of the rack portion. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The wheel suspension of claim 31, wherein the first toothing drives a first drive gear wheel seated on the rotor shaft and the second toothing drives a second drive gear wheel seated on the stator.