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US 5,091,679 AGranted
Active vehicle suspension with brushless dynamoelectric actuator
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsBalarama V. Murty, Rassem R. Henry
Life of this patent
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AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsBalarama V. Murty, Rassem R. Henry
Estimating the term…
A vehicle suspension uses actuators between sprung and unsprung masses, each actuator comprising a brushless dynamoelectric machine having a low inertia rotor engaged with a rotary/linear motion converter or conversion between dynamoelectric machine torque and linear actuator force. A control circuit for each machine applies current from an electric power source to the dynamoelectric machine in response to rotor position sensors and an input control signal to produce a desired actuator force providing motoring or generating action by the dynamoelectric machine. A common supply bus connecting the electric power source and dynamoelectric machines allows the dynamoelectric machines in generating mode to provide electric power to the dynamoelectric machines in motoring mode. Transient storage capacitors across the supply bus, current limiting from the supply bus to the storage battery, a dump resistance and dump switch responsive to battery voltage, and a supplementary alternator are also provided.
A suspension for a vehicle having an electric power source and a sprung mass suspended on a plurality of unsprung masses, each unsprung mass being connected to the sprung mass through an actuator comprising a rotary brushless dynamoelectric machine having a rotor engaged with a rotary/linear motion converter for conversion between dynamoelectric machine torque and linear actuator force, the dynamoelectric machines being connected with each other for electrical power through a common supply bus, each actuator further comprising a dynamoelectric machine control effective to apply current from the electric power source to the dynamoelectric machine through the common supply bus in response to an input control signal to produce a desired actuator force providing motoring or generating action by the dynamoelectric machine, the common supply bus permitting one of the dynamoelectric machines in generating action to provide electric power directly through the common supply bus to another of the dynamoelectric machines in motoring action.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.