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EP-4735279-A1 - HYDRAULIC CONTROL APPARATUS FOR A VEHICLE

EP4735279A1EP 4735279 A1EP4735279 A1EP 4735279A1EP-4735279-A1

Abstract

Aspects and embodiments of the invention relate to a hydraulic control apparatus (17), to an actuator system (16), and to a vehicle (1). The apparatus (17) is for a piston actuator (502) of an active suspension system (104) of a vehicle (1). The apparatus (17) comprises unsprung and sprung arrangements (518, 520), arranged to be positioned on unsprung and sprung masses (101, 102) of the vehicle (1), respectively. The unsprung arrangement (518) comprises a first to third hydraulic galleries (G1, G2, G3), the third hydraulic gallery (G3) interfaced with the first and second hydraulic galleries (G1, G2) by variable valves (V2, V4). The sprung arrangement (520) comprises a pump (P) comprising first and second ports (PP1, PP2) hydraulically couplable to the first and second hydraulic galleries (G1, G2) by respective first and second couplings (H1, H2) enabling movement of each of the unsprung and sprung arrangements (518, 520) to be decoupled from movement of the other.

Inventors

  • LAUSECKER, Dennis
  • GRANTHAM, Oliver
  • Bouaru, Adrian

Assignees

  • Jaguar Land Rover Limited

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240627

Claims (15)

  1. 1 . A hydraulic control apparatus for a piston actuator of an active suspension system of a vehicle, the hydraulic control apparatus comprising: an unsprung arrangement arranged to be positioned on an unsprung mass of the vehicle, the unsprung arrangement comprising: a first hydraulic gallery hydraulically couplable to a first fluid chamber of the piston actuator; a second hydraulic gallery hydraulically couplable to a second fluid chamber of the piston actuator; a third hydraulic gallery interfaced with the first and second hydraulic galleries by variable valves; the hydraulic control apparatus further comprising: a sprung arrangement arranged to be positioned on a sprung mass of the vehicle, the sprung arrangement comprising: a pump, the pump comprising: a first port hydraulically couplable to the first hydraulic gallery by a first coupling, and a second port hydraulically couplable to the second hydraulic gallery by a second coupling, the first and second couplings enabling the pump to transfer hydraulic fluid between the first and second hydraulic galleries, wherein the first and second couplings extend between the sprung and unsprung arrangements and enable movement of each of the unsprung and sprung arrangements to be decoupled from movement of the other of the unsprung and sprung arrangements.
  2. 2. The hydraulic control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sprung arrangement comprises a hydraulic accumulator.
  3. 3. The hydraulic control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the unsprung arrangement further comprises a first hydraulic accumulator connected to the first hydraulic gallery, and a second hydraulic accumulator connected to the second hydraulic gallery, the hydraulic accumulator being a third hydraulic accumulator.
  4. 4. The hydraulic control apparatus of claim 3, wherein the variable valves are positioned in a gap (606) between the first and second hydraulic accumulators.
  5. 5. The hydraulic control apparatus of claim 2, 3, or 4, wherein the hydraulic accumulator is arranged to be hydraulically shared between a plurality of piston actuators of the active suspension system, for different vehicle wheels.
  6. 6. The hydraulic control apparatus of any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the hydraulic accumulator is hydraulically couplable to the third hydraulic gallery between the variable valves.
  7. 7. The hydraulic control apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the variable valves are arranged to permit variable hydraulic fluid flow into the third hydraulic gallery, wherein the unsprung arrangement further comprises one-way valves, and wherein the third hydraulic gallery is further interfaced with the first and second hydraulic galleries by the one-way valves arranged to permit one-way hydraulic fluid flow out of the third hydraulic gallery.
  8. 8. The hydraulic control apparatus of claim 7 as dependent through claim 4, wherein the one-way valves are positioned in the gap between the first and second hydraulic accumulators.
  9. 9. The hydraulic control apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the pump is a bidirectional pump operable to transfer hydraulic fluid between the first and second hydraulic galleries to control hydraulic pressure across the piston actuator.
  10. 10. The hydraulic control apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the first and second couplings comprise flexible hydraulic lines arranged in flow paths between the variable valves and the pump, wherein first ends of the flexible hydraulic lines are arranged to be connected to the sprung arrangement, proximal to the pump, and wherein second opposite ends of the flexible hydraulic lines are arranged to be connected to the unsprung arrangement, proximal to the variable valves.
  11. 11. The hydraulic control apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the unsprung arrangement further comprises a plurality of damper valves each connected to a different one of the first and second hydraulic galleries and arranged to control hydraulic fluid flow towards the variable valves.
  12. 12. The hydraulic control apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each damper valve comprises a variable valve arranged to control hydraulic fluid flow towards the variable valves, and a one-way valve arranged to permit one-way hydraulic fluid flow towards the respective fluid chamber of the piston actuator.
  13. 13. An actuator system comprising the hydraulic control apparatus and the piston actuator, of any one of the preceding claims.
  14. 14. The actuator system of claim 13, wherein the unsprung arrangement is secured to the piston actuator.
  15. 15. A vehicle comprising the actuator system of claim 13 or 14.

Description

HYDRAULIC CONTROL APPARATUS FOR A VEHICLE TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a hydraulic control apparatus for a vehicle. Aspects of the invention relate to a hydraulic control apparatus, to an actuator system, and to a vehicle. BACKGROUND An active suspension system of a vehicle can be hydraulically-actuated. The active suspension system can comprise a hydraulically-controlled piston actuator. The piston actuator is controlled by a hydraulic control apparatus comprising hydraulic circuits. One of the hydraulic circuits is hydraulically coupled to a first fluid chamber of the piston actuator, while another of the hydraulic circuits is hydraulically coupled to a second fluid chamber of the piston actuator. The hydraulic pressure in each hydraulic circuit is actively controlled by a pump and/or valve arrangement, to control the force-displacement characteristics of the piston actuator, or even to actively extend or retract the piston actuator. It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more disadvantages associated with the prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a hydraulic control apparatus, an actuator system, and a vehicle as claimed in the appended claims. According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a hydraulic control apparatus for a piston actuator of an active suspension system of a vehicle, the hydraulic control apparatus comprising: an unsprung arrangement arranged to be positioned on an unsprung mass of the vehicle, the unsprung arrangement comprising: a first hydraulic gallery hydraulically couplable to a first fluid chamber of the piston actuator; a second hydraulic gallery hydraulically couplable to a second fluid chamber of the piston actuator; a third hydraulic gallery interfaced with the first and second hydraulic galleries by variable valves; the hydraulic control apparatus further comprising: a sprung arrangement arranged to be positioned on a sprung mass of the vehicle, the sprung arrangement comprising: a pump, the pump comprising a first port hydraulically couplable to the first hydraulic gallery by a first coupling, and a second port hydraulically couplable to the second hydraulic gallery by a second coupling, the first and second couplings enabling the pump to transfer hydraulic fluid between the first and second hydraulic galleries, wherein the first and second couplings extend between the sprung and unsprung arrangements and enable movement of each of the unsprung and sprung arrangements to be decoupled from movement of the other. There are several advantages to providing the third hydraulic gallery and variable valves as part of the unsprung arrangement rather than as part of the sprung arrangement. Firstly, the packaging volume of the sprung arrangement is minimised because many components are packaged in the unsprung arrangement proximal to the piston actuators, rather than being packaged in the sprung arrangement proximal to the pump. Secondly, the first and second couplings can be lightweight, small-diameter lines or pipes because most of the fluid in the stroke of the piston actuator will be contained in the unsprung arrangement. Thirdly, overall cooling is improved because hydraulic fluid has further to flow between the variable valves and the pump, dissipating heat along the way. Fourth, the improved cooling means that thermal expansion causes smaller system volume changes, enabling the specification of smaller hydraulic accumulators. Fifth, the pressure loss between the piston actuator and the variable valves is low due to their relative proximity, therefore reducing parasitic damping. An overall effect based on these advantages is an improved hydraulic control apparatus, taking into account mass, cooling, and available packaging space. The unsprung arrangement may be a first assembly. The sprung arrangement may be a second assembly. The variable valves of the hydraulic control apparatus may be configured to lower hydraulic fluid pressure such that the third hydraulic gallery is a low-pressure hydraulic gallery relative to the first and second hydraulic galleries. Therefore, the third hydraulic gallery can be regarded as a low-pressure hydraulic gallery. The first and second hydraulic galleries can be regarded as high-pressure hydraulic galleries. The sprung arrangement may comprise a hydraulic accumulator. The hydraulic accumulator may advantageously be configured to compensate for system volume changes of the hydraulic control apparatus. For example, the hydraulic accumulator may be sized to compensate for thermal expansion of hydraulic fluid. Additionally, or alternatively, the hydraulic accumulator may be sized to compensate for system volume changes caused by a portion of a piston rod entering or leaving the fluid chambers of the piston actuator. This is because, as a piston actuator retracts, a portion of a piston rod will enter a fluid chamber of the piston actuator, decr