Patent ID: 6112866
Filing Date: 2000-09-05
Classification: B60G,B61F,F16F

Abstract:
A semi-active suspension system comprising:an actuator within a hydraulic circuit having relatively movable first and second ends, a damping cylinder, a solid piston slidably mounted in said cylinder and defining with said cylinder a first, compression chamber and a second, expansion chamber, a damping fluid in said cylinder and within said first and second chambers, flow actuating means in said hydraulic circuit for controlling replenishment and evacuation of damping fluid alternatively in said first and second chambers, and a control circuit connecting said flow actuating means to said first and second chambers of said actuator,the improvement comprising:a direct control loop in said control circuit comprising an inverse model of said semi-active damper, means for supplying a generated reference force signal Fc to said inverse model, a speed feedback loop for supplying a signal of measured relative speed y to said inverse model, and wherein said inverse model further comprises means responsive to said signals Fc and y for supplying a control signal i.sub.th to said flow actuating means as a function of measured relative speed y and as a function of the reference force Fc, thereby servo-controlling the damping force on the actuator which is in opposition to the measured relative speed y and to said generated reference force Fc.