Automotive suspension assemblies
AssigneeRee Automotive Ltd
InventorEran STARIK
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A suspension assembly includes a shock absorber arranged to damp linear motion of a piston portion relative to a surrounding cylinder portion. A lead screw is disposed within the shock absorber for conversion between linear kinetic energy and rotational kinetic energy. The suspension assembly also includes an electric motor displaced externally from the shock absorber, for conversion between rotational kinetic energy and electricity, and a transmission arrangement disposed outside the shock absorber, mediating between the shock absorber and the motor, and configured to transfer a resistance torque from the motor to the lead screw so as to modulate the damping of the linear motion.
Claims56
A suspension assembly, comprising:
- a. a shock absorber arranged to damp linear motion of a piston portion relative to a surrounding cylinder portion, a lead screw being disposed within the shock absorber for conversion between linear kinetic energy and rotational kinetic energy;
- b. an electric motor displaced externally from the shock absorber, for conversion between rotational kinetic energy and electricity;
- and
- c. a transmission arrangement disposed outside the shock absorber, mediating between the shock absorber and the motor, and configured to transfer a resistance torque from the motor to the lead screw so as to modulate the damping of the linear motion.
The suspension assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the motor is operative to effect a change in mechanical resistance of the lead screw in response to an instruction from a control system.
The suspension assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the lead screw is rotatably coupled to the cylinder portion, and an opposing lead-screw nut is fixedly coupled to the piston portion.
The suspension assembly of any preceding claim, wherein respective central axes of the lead screw and of the rotor portion of the motor are aligned with each other and laterally displaced from each other.
A wheel assembly comprising the suspension assembly of any preceding claim, wherein (i) either the piston portion of the shock absorber or the cylinder portion of the shock absorber is coupled to an unsprung portion of the wheel assembly, and (ii) the other of the the piston portion of the shock absorber or the cylinder portion of the shock absorber is coupled to a sprung portion of the wheel assembly.
The suspension assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the shock absorber is disposed between a reference frame of a vehicle and a wheel assembly.
A suspension assembly comprising a shock absorber, an electric motor displaced externally therefrom, and an external transmission arrangement mediating between the shock absorber and the motor, wherein, in an operating state:
- i. bidirectional linear motion of one or more shock-absorber portions is effective to bidirectionally rotate a lead screw disposed within the shock absorber and, via the transmission arrangement, unidirectionally rotate a rotor portion of the motor to generate electricity, and
- ii. the transmission arrangement is effective to transfer a modulated resistance torque of the motor to the lead screw to regulate the linear motion, the resistance torque of the motor being modulated in response to an instruction from a control system.
An energy-regenerative suspension assembly, comprising:
- a. a pneumatic shock absorber arranged to restrain linear motion of a piston portion relative to a surrounding cylinder portion, a lead screw being disposed within the shock absorber to translate a linear-kinetic-energy portion of the linear motion to rotational kinetic energy;
- b. an electric motor displaced externally from the shock absorber, the motor being operative to convert rotational kinetic energy of a rotor portion thereof to electricity;
- and
- c. a transmission arrangement disposed outside the shock absorber, mediating between the shock absorber and the motor, and configured to receive a bidirectional torque from the lead screw and to transfer a unidirectional torque to the rotor portion to generate electricity.
A wheel assembly for regulating motion of a host vehicle, the wheel assembly comprising:
- a. a suspension subsystem comprising an energy-regenerative suspension assembly that includes a pneumatic shock absorber and a motor, the energy-regenerative suspension assembly being configured to convert linear motion of one or more shock-absorber portions to electricity and to regulate the linear motion by modulating a resistance torque of the motor;
- b. an energy storage device for storing electricity generated by the energy-regenerative suspension assembly;
- and
- c. an electronics array for controlling the operation of the suspension subsystem and of at least one other subsystem of the wheel assembly, the at least one other subsystem selected from the group of subsystems consisting of a drive subsystem, a steering subsystem, and a braking subsystem,
- wherein the electronics array is powered by the energy storage device.
A wheel assembly for a vehicle, the wheel assembly comprising:
- a. an energy-regenerative suspension assembly comprising:
- i. a pneumatic shock absorber comprising two portions slidably engaged with each other, linear motion of one or more of the portions being effective to rotate a lead screw disposed within the shock absorber, and
- ii. an electric motor displaced externally from the shock absorber and in geared communication therewith, for generating electricity from the linear motion and for generating a resistance torque to the lead screw to regulate the linear motion;
- and
- b. a control system including a rotation sensor for determining a rotation parameter of the suspension assembly, and one or more computer processors for using the rotation parameter to cause a modulation of the resistance torque.
A method of regulating a damping force in a vehicle suspension assembly, the suspension assembly comprising (i) a pneumatic shock absorber, (ii) an electric motor displaced externally from the shock absorber, and (iii) an external transmission arrangement mediating between the shock absorber and the motor, the method comprising:
- a. monitoring rotation of a suspension-assembly component;
- b. determining, from the monitored rotation, an absorption profile of the shock absorber;
- and
- c. responsively to an actuation signal received from a control system, regulating a resistance torque in the motor to apply a resistance profile,
- wherein the transmission arrangement is arranged to transfer the regulated resistance torque to the shock absorber to regulate a damping force therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.