Coordinated control of an active suspension system for a work vehicle

An active suspension system for a work vehicle, the work vehicle including a chassis, an operator's cab disposed above the chassis, and an actuator power source supported by the chassis, comprising:

• a plurality of active vibration isolators mounted at a plurality of locations between the cab and the chassis, each active vibration isolator including:
• first and second mounts adapted to attach between the cab and the chassis, respectively;
• an actuator connected between the first and the second mounts;
• an actuator control assembly coupled between the power source and the actuator, the actuator control assembly configured to selectively apply power to the actuator in response to an actuator control signal to cause the actuator to move the cab in a given direction relative to the chassis;
• and
• a sensor configured to generate a sensed signal representative of a parameter of actuator motion in the given direction;
• an operator-actuatable command device for generating a command signal;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to the plurality of active vibration isolators and to the command device, the control circuit configured to generate the plurality of actuator control signals in response to the plurality of sensed signals and to the command signal, wherein the plurality of actuator control signals are coordinated with each other to coordinate control of the active vibration isolators, and wherein operator actuations of the command device selectively affect the coordinated control;
• wherein the command device is a cab rate command device, and the actuator control signals are generated to maintain the cab at a substantially constant attitude while moving the cab at a rate selected by the command signal.

An active suspension system for a work vehicle, the work vehicle including a chassis, an operator's cab disposed above the chassis, and a pressurized air source supported by the chassis, comprising:

• a plurality of active vibration isolators mounted at a plurality of locations between the cab and the chassis, each active vibration isolator including:
• first and second mounts adapted to attach between the cab and the chassis, respectively;
• an air spring connected between the first and the second mounts;
• an air valve assembly coupled between the pressurized air source and the air spring, the air valve assembly configured to selectively supply and relieve a flow of pressurized air to the air spring in response to an air valve control signal to cause a change in pressure within the air spring;
• an actuator connected between the first and the second mounts and configured to selectively move the cab in a given direction relative to the chassis in response to an actuator control signal;
• a first sensor configured to generate a first signal indicative of movement in the given direction of the cab due to disturbances in the chassis;
• and
• a second sensor configured to generate a second signal indicative of a load force exerted by the cab on the active vibration isolator;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to the plurality of active vibration isolators, the control circuit configured to generate the plurality of actuator control signals in response to the first signals to attenuate transmission of force between the cab and the chassis, to determine a total load force by summing the second signals and to generate the plurality of air valve control signals in response to the second signals to control the pressure in the air springs to distribute the total load force among the air springs, wherein the plurality of air valve control signals are coordinated with each other.

An active suspension system for a work vehicle, the work vehicle including a chassis, an operator's cab disposed above the chassis, and an actuator power source supported by the chassis, comprising:

• a plurality of active vibration isolators mounted at a plurality of locations between the cab and the chassis, each active vibration isolator including:
• first and second mounts adapted to attach between the cab and the chassis, respectively;
• an actuator connected between the first and the second mounts;
• an actuator control assembly coupled between the power source and the actuator, the actuator control assembly configured to selectively apply power to the actuator in response to an actuator control signal to cause the actuator to move the cab in a given direction relative to the chassis;
• and
• a sensor configured to generate a sensed signal representative of displacement between the first and the second mounts;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to the plurality of active vibration isolators and configured to generate the plurality of actuator control signals in response to the plurality of sensed signals, the actuator control signals coordinated with each other to coordinate control of the displacements between the first and the second mounts and, on power-up, to maintain the cab at a substantially constant attitude while moving the cab between a power-down position and an operating position at a predetermined rate.

An active suspension system for a work vehicle, the work vehicle including a chassis, an operator's cab disposed above the chassis, and in actuator power source supported by the chassis, comprising:

• a plurality of active vibration isolators mounted at a plurality of locations between the cab and the chassis, each active vibration isolator including:
• first and second mounts adapted to attach between the cab and the chassis, respectively;
• an actuator connected between the first and the second mounts;
• an actuator control assembly coupled between the power source and the actuator, the actuator control assembly configured to selectively apply power to the actuator in response to an actuator control signal to cause the actuator to move the cab in a given direction relative to the chassis;
• and
• a sensor configured to generate a sensed signal representative of displacement between the first and the second mounts;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to the plurality of active vibration isolators and configured to generate the plurality of actuator control signals in response to the plurality of sensed signals, the actuator control signals coordinated with each other to coordinate control of the displacements between the first and the second mounts and, on power-down, to maintain the cab at a substantially constant attitude while moving the cab between an operating and a power-down position at a predetermined rate.