Actuator for vehicle sway bar engagement and disengagement

A sway-bar actuator for a vehicle suspension, the sway-bar actuator comprising:

• a motor;
• an attachment fork that is coupled with the motor, wherein rotational operation of the motor is translated to define an axial operation of the attachment fork between an engaged position, where opposing stabilizing bars are rotationally fixed with respect to one another, and a disengaged position, where the opposing stabilizing bars rotationally operate independent of one another;
• a sensor assembly having a rotator and a sensor magnet that are coupled with the attachment fork, wherein the axial operation of the attachment fork produces a rotational operation of the rotator and the sensor magnet;
• and
• an encoder, wherein a rotational position of the sensor magnet relative to the encoder corresponds to an axial position of the attachment fork relative to the engaged and disengaged positions.

A sway-bar actuator for a vehicle suspension, the sway-bar actuator comprising:

• a motor that rotationally operates a drive gear, wherein rotation of the drive gear axially operates a push rod;
• an attachment fork, wherein operation of the push rod axially operates the attachment fork between an engaged position and a disengaged position that rotationally fixes and rotationally releases opposing stabilizing bars, respectively;
• an electromagnetic securing assembly having an electromagnet and a clutch disk in selective communication with the drive gear, wherein activation of the electromagnet biases the clutch disk against the drive gear and secures the drive gear in a predetermined rotational position, and also selectively secures the attachment fork in one of the engaged position and the disengaged position;
• a sensor rod coupled to the attachment fork, wherein the sensor rod operates axially with the attachment fork;
• a sensor assembly having the sensor rod, a rotator and a sensor magnet, wherein the sensor rod operates axially with the attachment fork and wherein axial operation of the sensor rod produces a rotational operation of the rotator and the sensor magnet;
• and
• an encoder, wherein a rotational position of the sensor magnet relative to the encoder corresponds to an axial position of the attachment fork and the push rod relative to the engaged position and the disengaged position.