Electromechanical transducing along a path

In a vehicle comprising a sprung mass and an unsprung mass, said unsprung mass comprising a wheel assembly and wheel support,

• the improvement comprising,
• a source of a control signal,
• an active suspension actuator for providing force between said sprung mass and a location on said wheel support near said wheel assembly,
• a suspension interconnecting the sprung and unsprung masses and having an along-path controllable electromechanical transducer for providing a controllable force between said sprung and unsprung masses in response to said control signal that for a constant control signal maintains a constant force independent of position or velocity between said wheel assembly and said sprung mass.

An electromechanical transducer comprising,

• first member electromagnetically coupled to at least a portion of a second member,
• said first member and said second member being relatively slidable along a path having spaced end points,
• said first member having at least one winding for establishing a magnetic field penetrating said second member,
• said second member including at least one element for interacting with said magnetic field,
• said first and second members being substantially symmetrical about a surface parallel to said path,
• wherein said first member includes a plurality of substantially contiguous windings each for producing a magnetic field having a significant component orthogonal to said path,
• and said second member has a plurality of substantially contiguous permanent magnets of alternate polarity along said path for establishing a magnetic field that reacts with the first member magnetic field to produce force along said path.

In a vehicle comprising a sprung mass and an unsprung mass,

• the improvement comprising a suspension interconnecting the sprung and unsprung masses and having an along-path controllable electromechanical transducer for providing a controllable force between said sprung and unsprung masses
• wherein said electromechanical transducer comprises,
• a first member electromagnetically coupled to at least a portion of a second member,
• said first member and said second member being relatively slidable along a path having spaced end points,
• said first member having at least one winding for establishing a magnetic field penetrating said second member,
• said second member including at least one element for interacting with said magnetic field,
• said first and second members being substantially symmetrical about a surface parallel to said path.