Electromagnetic suspension device

An electromagnetic suspension device for use between a vehicle body and a road wheel, comprising:

• a body-connected structure connected to said vehicle body to move therewith;
• a wheel-connected structure connected to said road wheel to move therewith, said body-connected and wheel-connected structures being arranged to carry out a relative movement therebetween;
• an electromagnetic actuator associated with said body-connected and wheel-connected structures to electromagnetically control said relative movement in accordance with electric power applied thereto;
• and
• a hydraulic damper arranged in parallel with said electromagnetic actuator between said body-connected structure and said wheel-connected structure to produce a damping force in accordance with said relative movement, said hydraulic damper including:
• first, second and third tubes constituting a part of said body-connected structure, said first, second and third tubes being coaxially combined to define both a first cylindrical space between said first and second tubes and a second cylindrical space between said second and third tubes;
• means defining a larger space by an upper portion of said first tube, to which space an upper open part of said first cylindrical space is exposed, said larger space serving as a main reservoir chamber;
• means providing a communication between lower ends of said first and second cylindrical spaces;
• a fluid contained in said first and second cylindrical spaces, said main reservoir chamber and said third tube;
• a piston slidably and sealingly disposed in said third tube to divide the interior of said third tube into upper and lower chambers, said piston being connected to said wheel-connected structure through a piston rod;
• and
• a valve structure spacedly received in said main reservoir chamber and mounted on upper ends of said second and third tubes, said valve structure having a plurality of fluid control passages through which said upper chamber, said second cylindrical space and said main reservoir chamber are communicated in a controlled manner.