Method and apparatus for an adaptive suspension support system
A method and apparatus for an adaptive, multi-axis suspension system providing both coarse and fine suspension for payloads such as passenger seats, trailers, passenger compartments of motor vehicles, shock/vibration generating devices etc. Coarse suspension control is provided to maintain the payload within a selected position regardless of the weight of the payload. Fine suspension control is provided by monitoring and analyzing vibration characteristics in time and/or frequency domains to determine a variable amount of damper resistance to be exerted by a magnetorheological (MR) device. A nominal damper resistance of the MR device is selected based at least on the combined weight of the payload. A piston of the MR device is centered about its throw range and the piston is actuated at angles not parallel to the movement of the payload to provide low-profile operation.
1. An adaptive suspension support system, comprising:
a payload;
at least one damper having a damper resistance based, at least in part, on information indicative of a weight of the payload;
a gear drive coupled to a piston of the at least one damper and the payload, wherein the piston is actuated along a directional vector that is different than a directional vector of movement of the payload; and
at least one pneumatic device coupled to the payload and operable to maintain a position of the piston between a minimum and a maximum throw position.
2. The suspension platform of claim 1 , wherein the payload is a passenger seat.
3. The suspension platform of claim 1 , wherein the payload is a trailer.
4. The suspension platform of claim 1 , wherein the payload is a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle.
5. The suspension platform of claim 1 , wherein the payload is a machine gun.
6. An adaptive suspension support system, comprising:
a frame having movable couplings;
a payload platform movably coupled to the frame via the movable couplings, the payload platform operable to support a weight of a payload;
at least one damper having a damper resistance based, at least in part, on information indicative of the weight;
a gear drive coupled to a piston of the at least one damper and the payload platform, wherein the piston is actuated along a directional vector that is different than a directional vector of movement of the payload platform; and
at least one pneumatic device coupled to the payload platform and operable to maintain a position of the piston between a minimum and a maximum throw position.
7. The suspension device of claim 6 , wherein the movable couplings include linear bearings.
8. The suspension platform of claim 6 , wherein the payload is a passenger seat.
9. The suspension platform of claim 6 , wherein the payload is a trailer.
10. The suspension platform of claim 6 , wherein the payload is a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle.
11. The suspension platform of claim 6 , wherein the payload is a machine gun.