JP2021191083A - suspension - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a suspension which can effectively use energy generated by vibration in an easy manner.SOLUTION: A seat suspension 1 is provided between a vehicle body and a seat in a vehicle. The seat suspension 1 includes: an upper frame 10; a lower frame 20; a linkage 30; and a power generator 50. The seat is fastened onto the upper frame 10 and the lower frame 20 is fastened to the vehicle body. The power generator 50 connects the upper frame 10 with the lower frame 20 through brackets 61, 62. When vibration is applied to the vehicle body, relative positions of the upper frame 10 and the lower frame 20 is displaced in a Z direction. The power generator 50 generates electric energy in conjunction with displacement of the relative positions of the upper frame 10 and the lower frame 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a suspension.

Suspensions for attenuating input vibrations are used in devices such as automobiles and other vehicles. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a seat suspension provided in a vehicle as an example of the suspension.

Patent Document 1 discloses a seat suspension having a structure in which an upper frame and a lower frame are connected by a damper. The damper has a cylinder in which oil is sealed in the internal space, and a piston that can reciprocate in the internal space of the cylinder. The seat suspension disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided with an orifice through which oil flows when the piston reciprocates in the internal space of the cylinder, and energy is absorbed by the oil passing through the orifice when the piston moves. .. In the seat suspension disclosed in Patent Document 1, vibration is attenuated by such energy absorption.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-085435

However, in the suspension of the prior art such as the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the kinetic energy is converted into thermal energy to attenuate the vibration, but the thermal energy generated by the conversion is not effectively utilized. That is, the current situation is that the thermal energy generated by converting the kinetic energy is released into the atmosphere.

Here, even when an attempt is made to utilize the thermal energy generated by the conversion due to vibration damping, the application is limited. Therefore, in the prior art, it is difficult to recover and utilize the thermal energy generated by the vibration damping.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a suspension that can easily effectively utilize the energy generated by vibration.

The suspension according to one aspect of the present invention is a suspension that attenuates vibration, and includes a generator that converts kinetic energy due to the vibration into electrical energy.

Since the suspension according to the above aspect includes a generator that converts kinetic energy into electrical energy, it is easier to effectively use the energy as compared with the case of converting kinetic energy into thermal energy as in the prior art. Specifically, by storing the obtained electric energy in a battery, a capacitor, or the like, the energy can be effectively and easily used.

In the suspension according to the above aspect, the first member and the second member whose relative positions are displaced by the vibration are further provided, and the generator connects the first member and the second member. It can also be said that it is provided.

In the suspension according to the above aspect, since the generator is connected between the first member and the second member which are relatively displaced by the vibration, the kinetic energy due to the vibration can be converted into the electric energy.

In the suspension according to the above embodiment, the generator has a stator and a mover, one of the stator and the mover has one or more permanent magnets, and the other of the stator and the mover. It may also have one or more coils.

In the suspension according to the above aspect, since the generator adopts a configuration having one or more permanent magnets and one or more coils, electric energy is generated by electromagnetic induction when vibration is applied. Then, when the electric energy is generated by the electromagnetic induction in this way, a magnetic field in a direction that hinders the change of the magnetic field (the direction opposite to the displacement between the stator and the mover) is generated. Therefore, in the suspension according to the above aspect, it is possible to obtain a vibration damping force for absorbing and damping the vibration by the generated magnetic field.

In the suspension according to the above aspect, it is also possible to include a variable resistor electrically connected to the coil and a control unit for controlling the vibration damping force by changing the resistance value of the variable resistor. ..

In the suspension according to the above aspect, the vibration damping force can be controlled by electrically connecting a variable resistor to the coil of the generator and changing the resistance value of the variable resistor. That is, in the suspension according to the above aspect, the current generated in the coil by electromagnetic induction when vibration is generated can be changed by changing the resistance value of the variable resistor. This makes it possible to control the vibration damping force.

The connection form between the coil and the variable resistor may be a series connection or a parallel connection.

The suspension according to the above aspect further includes a frequency detection unit that detects the frequency of the vibration, and the control unit determines the resistance value when the frequency detected by the frequency detection unit is equal to or higher than the first threshold value. The vibration damping force is made relatively large, and when the frequency detected by the frequency detection unit is smaller than the first threshold value, the resistance value is made relatively small to make the vibration. It is also possible to increase the damping force.

In the suspension according to the above aspect, the resistance value of the variable resistor is changed depending on whether the detected frequency (vibration frequency) is equal to or higher than the first threshold value or lower than the first threshold value. When such a configuration is adopted, it is possible to control the vibration damping force while effectively suppressing the occurrence of resonance. The value of the first threshold value can be, for example, approximately 1.4 times the resonance frequency.

The suspension according to the above aspect further includes a displacement detecting unit for detecting the displacement of the relative position between the first member and the second member due to the vibration, and the control unit is detected by the displacement detecting unit. When the displacement is equal to or less than the second threshold value, the resistance value is relatively increased to reduce the vibration damping force, and the displacement detected by the displacement detecting unit is larger than the second threshold value. It is also possible to make the resistance value relatively small and increase the vibration damping force.

As in the suspension according to the above aspect, it is also effective to change whether the resistance value of the variable resistor is increased or decreased depending on whether the detected displacement is equal to or less than the second threshold value or larger than the second threshold value. It is possible to control the vibration damping force. As the second threshold value, the value of the boundary of whether the displacement is near the neutral position of the stroke related to the vibration or near the stroke end can be adopted.

In the suspension according to the above aspect, it can be said that one end and the other end of the coil are short-circuited.

In the suspension according to the above aspect, by short-circuiting one end and the other end of the coil, when vibration occurs, the generated electrical energy can be converted into thermal energy by the resistance component of the coil and the wiring for the short circuit. can. After converting to thermal energy in this way, it is also possible to effectively utilize the thermal energy.

Further, in the suspension according to the above aspect, when electric power is generated in the coil by electromagnetic induction, a magnetic field in a direction that tends to hinder the change of the magnetic field is generated. In the suspension according to the above aspect, it is possible to obtain a vibration damping force for converging the vibration by the magnetic field.

In the suspension according to the above aspect, electric power can be supplied to the coil, and by supplying the electric power to the coil, the generator functions as a magnetic spring. You can also do it.

In the suspension according to the above aspect, electric power can be supplied to the coil of the generator, and the electric power can generate a magnetic field in the coil to obtain negative spring characteristics. The power supply to the coil may be performed at all times, or may be controlled based on the frequency and the displacement.

In the suspension according to the above aspect, it is also possible that a plurality of the coils are provided with a gap between them, and a magnetic material is arranged in the gap.

In the suspension according to the above aspect, by arranging the magnetic material in the gap between the coils of the generator, the magnetic force lines when vibration is generated pass through the inside of the magnetic material. This makes it possible to efficiently generate electric energy in the generator and also to generate a strong vibration damping force.

In the suspension according to the above aspect, the generator may be a linear generator in which the stator and the mover move relatively linearly.

In the case of adopting a linear generator as described above, if the generator is placed at a position where it is displaced linearly due to vibration, electric energy can be obtained with high efficiency and vibration damping is directly performed. It becomes possible to do.

In the suspension according to the above aspect, the generator may be a rotary generator in which the stator and the mover relatively move in the circumferential direction.

In the case of adopting a rotary generator as described above, if the generator is placed at a position where it is displaced (rotated) in the circumferential direction due to vibration, electric energy can be obtained with high efficiency and at the same time. It is possible to directly dampen the vibration.

In the suspension according to the above aspect, the suspension may be a seat suspension provided between the vehicle body and the seat in the vehicle.

When a seat suspension is adopted as an example of the suspension as described above, it is possible to generate electric energy by vibration caused by traveling of a vehicle or vibration caused by movement of an occupant.

In the suspension according to each of the above aspects, it is easy to effectively utilize the energy generated by the vibration damping.

It is a perspective view which shows the seat suspension which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the seat suspension which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic cross-sectional view which shows the generator provided in the seat suspension which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a circuit diagram which shows the partial structure of the generator provided in the seat suspension which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the partial structure of the seat suspension which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the control method of the damping force executed by the control part in the seat suspension which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a vibration transmission characteristic graph for demonstrating the 1st threshold value used in the control of the damping force by the control part in the seat suspension which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the partial structure of the seat suspension which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the control method of the damping force executed by the control part in the seat suspension which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a circuit diagram which shows the partial structure of the generator provided in the seat suspension which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a circuit diagram which shows the partial structure of the magnetic spring provided in the seat suspension which concerns on 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic cross-sectional view which shows the partial structure of the magnetic spring provided in the seat suspension which concerns on 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the partial structure of the seat suspension which concerns on 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic cross-sectional view which shows the partial structure of the generator provided in the seat suspension which concerns on 7th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic cross-sectional view which shows the partial structure of the generator provided in the seat suspension which concerns on 8th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic cross-sectional view which shows the partial structure of the generator provided in the seat suspension which concerns on 9th Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the seat suspension which concerns on 10th Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the seat suspension which concerns on 10th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the circuit structure in the case of adopting an alternator.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the forms described below exemplify the features of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following forms except for its essential configuration.

[First Embodiment]
1. 1. Configuration of Seat Suspension 1 The configuration of the seat suspension 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The seat suspension 1 according to the present embodiment is an example of the "suspension".

As shown in FIG. 1, the seat suspension 1 includes an upper frame 10, a lower frame 20, a link mechanism 30, an initial position adjusting member 40, and a generator 50. The upper frame 10 includes an upper front member 11 arranged on the + X side, an upper rear member 12 arranged on the −X side, an upper member 13 arranged on the + Y side, and an upper member 14 arranged on the −Y side. It has a structure in which the ends of the members 11 to 14 are joined to each other.

The lower frame 20 includes a lower front member 21 arranged on the + X side, a lower rear member 22 arranged on the −X side, a lower member 23 arranged on the + Y side, and a lower member arranged on the −Y side. 24, and has a structure in which the ends of the members 21 to 24 are joined to each other.

The upper frame 10 according to the present embodiment corresponds to the "first member", and the lower frame 20 corresponds to the "second member".

The link mechanism 30 includes a front member 31 and a rear member 33 that connect the upper member 13 and the lower member 23 on the + Y side, and a front member 32 and a rear member 32 that connect the upper member 14 and the lower member 24 on the −Y side. It has a member 34. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front member 31 and the rear member 33 of the link mechanism 30 are rotatably pivotally supported with respect to the upper member 13 of the upper frame 10 and the lower member 23 of the lower frame 20. There is. Although not shown in FIG. 2, the front member 32 and the rear member 34 of the link mechanism 30 are also rotatably supported with respect to the upper member 14 of the upper frame 10 and the lower member 24 of the lower frame 20. Has been done.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, in the seat suspension 1, the upper surface 10a of the upper frame 10 is fixed to the seat, and the lower surface 20a of the lower frame 20 is fixed to the vehicle body. The upper frame 10 moves up and down relative to the lower frame 20 as shown by the arrow A in response to vibration caused by the running of the vehicle, movement of the occupant, and the like. That is, the distance H1 between the upper surface 10a of the upper frame 10 and the lower surface 20a of the lower frame 20 changes within a predetermined range according to the vibration caused by the running of the vehicle, the movement of the occupant, and the like. The vertical stroke of the seat suspension 1 according to the present embodiment is 40 mm as an example.

Returning to FIG. 1, the initial position adjusting member 40 is provided so as to project toward the + X side (front side) of the upper frame 10 and the lower frame 20. The initial position adjusting member 40 has a dial for the occupant to operate. When the occupant seated on the seat tries to adjust the initial position of the seat suspension 1, the occupant operates the dial.

The generator 50 is provided so as to connect the bracket 61 joined to the upper frame 10 and the bracket 62 joined to the lower frame 20. In other words, the generator 50 is provided so as to connect the upper frame 10 which is the "first member" and the lower frame 20 which is the "second member" via the brackets 61 and 62. The configuration of the generator 50 will be described later, but in this embodiment, a so-called linear generator is adopted.

2. Configuration of the generator 50 The configuration of the generator 50 provided in the seat suspension 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

The generator 50 includes a tubular casing 51 having a bottomed cylindrical shape, a rod 52 partially housed in the internal space 51a of the tubular casing 51, and a contact 53 provided on the outer bottom of the tubular casing 51. A contact 54 provided at the end of the rod 52, a permanent magnet 55 attached to a portion of the rod 52 housed in the internal space 51a of the tubular casing 51, and a coil 56 attached to the inner surface of the tubular casing 51. Has. Although not shown, in the seat suspension 1 according to the present embodiment, the coil 56 is connected to a charging circuit or the like.

In the generator 50 according to the present embodiment, the tubular casing 51 provided with the coil 56 corresponds to the "stator" and can slide linearly with respect to the tubular casing 51 as shown by the arrow B. The rod 52 provided with the permanent magnet 55 corresponds to the "movable element". That is, the generator 50 according to the present embodiment is a linear generator as described above.

3. Effects of the seat suspension 1 Since the seat suspension 1 according to the present embodiment includes a generator 50 that converts kinetic energy into electrical energy, compared to the case where kinetic energy is converted into thermal energy as in the prior art. , Effective use of energy is easy. In the present embodiment, the upper frame 10 moves up and down relative to the lower frame 20, so that the rod 52 moves relative to the cylindrical casing 51 of the generator 50, whereby electric energy is generated. Therefore, in the seat suspension 1 according to the present embodiment, the energy can be effectively and easily used by storing the electric energy obtained by the vibration in a battery, a capacitor, or the like.

Further, in the seat suspension 1 according to the present embodiment, since the generator 50 adopts a configuration having one or more permanent magnets 55 and one or more coils 56, the distance H1 between the upper frame 10 and the lower frame 20 is set. When it fluctuates (when vibration is applied), electric energy is generated by electromagnetic induction in the generator 50, but in this case, the direction that hinders the change of the magnetic field (displacement between the tubular casing 51 and the rod 52). Is in the opposite direction) magnetic field is generated. Therefore, in the seat suspension 1, the vibration damping force for absorbing the vibration can be obtained by the generated magnetic field.

[Second Embodiment]
1. Generator and circuit 70
The generator and the circuit 70 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The structure of the generator according to this embodiment is basically the same as the structure described with reference to FIG. Hereinafter, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

As shown in FIG. 4, the generator according to the present embodiment is provided with a coil 71 in a cylindrical casing. The permanent magnet provided on the rod is not shown.

The coil 71 is connected in series with the variable resistor 72. The circuit 70 is composed of a connected coil 71 and a variable resistor 72. In this embodiment, as an example, the circuit 70 in which the coil 71 and the variable resistor 72 are connected in series is adopted, but the coil 71, the variable resistor 72, or both (coil 71 and variable resistor) are adopted. If a plurality of vessels 72) are provided, it is possible to adopt a circuit connected in parallel.

2. 2. Control configuration of the variable resistor 72 The seat suspension 2 according to the present embodiment adopts a configuration in which the vibration damping force can be controlled by controlling the magnitude of the resistance value of the variable resistor 72. The configuration relating to the control of the resistance value of the variable resistor 72 will be described with reference to FIG. The seat suspension 2 according to the present embodiment is also an example of the "suspension".

As shown in FIG. 5, the seat suspension 2 according to the present embodiment includes a vibration sensor 73 and a control unit 74 in addition to the generator including the variable resistor 72 as described above. The vibration sensor 73 is attached to the upper frame 10, the lower frame 20, or a peripheral portion thereof. The vibration sensor 73 is, for example, an acceleration sensor and corresponds to a frequency detection unit that detects a vibration frequency in or around the upper frame 10 and the lower frame 20.

The control unit 74 controls the resistance value of the variable resistor 72 based on the detection signal detected and input by the vibration sensor 73. The control unit 74 has a calculation unit 75 and a memory 76. The arithmetic unit 75 is composed of a microprocessor (MPU / CPU), an ASIC, and the like, and the memory 76 is composed of a RAM, a ROM, and the like. Then, the arithmetic unit 75 executes the firmware or the like stored in advance in the memory 76.

3. Control by the control unit 74 The control executed by the control unit 74 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 74 first reads the detection signal from the vibration sensor 73 (step S1). The detection signal is read by the control unit 74 at all times or in a timely manner while the power is turned on.

The control unit 74 calculates the vibration frequency f of the seat suspension 2 from the read detection signal (step S2). The vibration frequency f may be calculated by calculating an instantaneous value or by calculating an average value in a predetermined period.

Next, the control unit 74 compares the calculated vibration frequency f with the first threshold value f _TH (step S3). Here, the first threshold value f _TH will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The first threshold value f _TH is expressed by the following equation.
f _TH = √2 × (1 / 2π) × √ (k / m) ・ ・ (Equation 1)
k: Spring multiplier m: Mass

As shown in FIG. 7, the vibration transmissibility is gradually increased gradually from "1" toward the resonance frequency f _R. The vibration transmissibility, vibration frequency starts to gradually decrease exceeds the resonance frequency f _R. Vibration transmissibility is gradually reduced until less than "1" in the range where the vibration frequency exceeds the resonance frequency f _R.

In the range where the vibration frequency exceeds the resonance frequency f _R , the vibration frequency when the vibration transmission coefficient becomes “1” is the first threshold value f _TH . Here, in the present embodiment, as an example, the value of the first threshold value f _TH is set to a value approximately 1.4 times the _{resonance frequency f R.}

_{The range in which the vibration frequency is equal to} or higher than the first threshold value f TH is indicated by C1, and the range in which the vibration frequency is _{less than the first threshold value f TH} is indicated by C2.

Returning to FIG. 6, when the control unit 74 determines in the determination step of step S3 that the calculated vibration frequency f is _{equal to or higher than the first threshold value f TH} (in the range of C1) (step S3: YES), The resistance value of the variable resistor 72 is relatively increased (step S4). As a result, the current generated in the coil 71 due to electromagnetic induction when vibration is generated becomes smaller by relatively increasing the resistance value of the variable resistor 72, and the generated magnetic field can be relatively weakened. .. Therefore, the vibration damping force can be made relatively small.

On the other hand, when the control unit 74 determines in the determination step of step S3 that the calculated vibration frequency f is _{less than the first threshold value f TH} (in the range of C2) (step S3: NO), the variable resistor 72 The resistance value of is relatively small (step S5). As a result, the current generated in the coil 71 due to electromagnetic induction when vibration occurs increases by making the resistance value of the variable resistor 72 relatively small, and the generated magnetic field can be made relatively strong. .. Therefore, the vibration damping force can be relatively increased.

The control unit 74 repeatedly executes each of the above steps S1 to S5 in order.

4. Effect of Seat Suspension 2 Since the seat suspension 2 according to the present embodiment also includes a generator including the coil 71, the same effect as that of the seat suspension 1 according to the first embodiment can be obtained.

Further, in the seat suspension 2 according to the present embodiment, the resistance value of the electrically connected variable resistor 72 of the coil 71 of the generator is such that the vibration frequency f is equal to _{or higher than the first threshold value f TH} or less than the first threshold value f _TH. It is decided to control depending on whether it is. As a result, in the seat suspension 2 according to the present embodiment, the vibration damping force can be controlled while effectively suppressing the occurrence of resonance.

[Third Embodiment]
1. Configuration of Seat Suspension 3 The configuration of the seat suspension 3 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The seat suspension 3 according to the present embodiment is also an example of the "suspension".

As shown in FIG. 8, the seat suspension 3 according to the present embodiment includes a displacement sensor 77 and a control unit 78 in addition to a generator including the circuit 70 similar to the second embodiment. The displacement sensor 77 is attached to the upper frame 10, the lower frame 20, or a peripheral portion thereof. The displacement sensor 77 corresponds to a displacement detection unit that detects displacement between members due to vibration of the upper frame 10 and the lower frame 20 or their surroundings.

The control unit 78 controls the resistance value of the variable resistor 72 based on the detection signal detected and input by the displacement sensor 77. The control unit 78 has a calculation unit 79 and a memory 80. The arithmetic unit 79 is composed of a microprocessor (MPU / CPU), an ASIC, and the like, and the memory 80 is composed of a RAM, a ROM, and the like. Then, the arithmetic unit 79 executes the firmware or the like stored in the memory 80 in advance.

2. Control by the control unit 78 The control executed by the control unit 78 will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 78 first reads the detection signal from the displacement sensor 77 (step S11). The detection signal is read by the control unit 78 at all times or in a timely manner while the power is turned on.

The control unit 78 calculates the relative displacement D between the upper frame 10 and the lower frame 20 of the seat suspension 3 from the read detection signal (step S12). The displacement D may be calculated by calculating an instantaneous value or by calculating an average value in a predetermined period.

Next, the control unit 78 compares the calculated displacement D with the second threshold value D _TH (step S13). Here, the second threshold value _DTH is a predetermined value defined based on the relative positional relationship between the upper frame 10 and the lower frame 20. Specifically, the second threshold value _DTH is a value that defines the boundary between the vicinity of the neutral position, which is between the upper and lower limits of the upper and lower strokes of the upper frame 10 and the lower frame 20, and the vicinity of the upper and lower stroke ends.

When the control unit 78 determines in the determination step of step S13 that the calculated displacement D is _{equal to or less than the second threshold value DTH} (near the neutral position of the vertical stroke) (step S13: YES), the variable resistor 72 The resistance value is relatively increased (step S14). As a result, the current generated in the coil 71 due to electromagnetic induction when vibration is generated becomes smaller by relatively increasing the resistance value of the variable resistor 72, and the generated magnetic field can be relatively weakened. .. Therefore, the vibration damping force can be made relatively small.

On the other hand, when the control unit 78 determines in the determination step of step S13 that the calculated displacement D is _{larger than the second threshold value DTH} (near the upper and lower stroke ends) (step S13: NO), the variable resistance The resistance value of the vessel 72 is made relatively small (step S15). As a result, the current generated in the coil 71 due to electromagnetic induction when vibration occurs increases by making the resistance value of the variable resistor 72 relatively small, and the generated magnetic field can be made relatively strong. .. Therefore, the vibration damping force can be relatively increased.

The control unit 78 repeatedly executes each of the above steps S11 to S15 in order.

3. 3. Effects of the seat suspension 3 Since the seat suspension 3 according to the present embodiment also has a generator as in the first embodiment, the same effects as the seat suspension 1 according to the first embodiment can be obtained. ..

Further, in the seat suspension 3 according to the present embodiment, the resistance value of the variable resistor 72 is determined depending on whether the _{displacement D calculated based on the detection signal is equal to or less than the second threshold value D TH or larger than the second threshold value D TH.} It is possible to effectively control the vibration damping force by switching between increasing and decreasing.

[Fourth Embodiment]
1. Generator and circuit 81
The generator and the circuit 81 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The structure of the generator according to this embodiment is basically the same as the structure described with reference to FIG. Hereinafter, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

As shown in FIG. 10, in the generator according to the present embodiment, the coil 82 is provided in the cylindrical casing. The permanent magnet provided on the rod is not shown.

One end and the other end of the coil 82 are connected by wiring and are short-circuited.

2. Effects of the seat suspension Since the seat suspension according to the present embodiment also includes a generator including the coil 82, the same effects as the seat suspension 1 according to the first embodiment can be obtained.

Further, since the seat suspension according to the present embodiment has a circuit 81 in which one end and the other end of the coil 82 are short-circuited, the coil 82 and the coil 82 and the lower frame 20 when vibration occurs between the upper frame 10 and the lower frame 20. The generated electrical energy can be converted into thermal energy by the resistance component of the wiring for the short circuit. After converting to thermal energy in this way, it is also possible to effectively utilize the thermal energy.

Further, in the seat suspension according to the present embodiment, when electric power is generated in the coil 82 by electromagnetic induction, a magnetic field in a direction that tends to hinder the change of the magnetic field is generated. Therefore, in the seat suspension according to the present embodiment, a vibration damping force for converging the vibration between the upper frame 10 and the lower frame 20 is obtained by the magnetic field generated in the direction that tends to hinder the change of the magnetic field. Is possible.

[Fifth Embodiment]
1. Configuration of Seat Suspension The configuration of the seat suspension according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. The structure of the seat suspension according to the present embodiment is basically the same as the structure described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Hereinafter, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

As shown in FIG. 12, a magnetic spring 86 having a structure similar to that of the generator 50 of the first embodiment is provided. The magnetic spring 86 has a tubular casing 87 having the same structure as the tubular casing 51 of the first embodiment, and a rod (not shown) housed in the internal space of the tubular casing 87. A plurality of coils 84 are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the tubular casing 87. A plurality of permanent magnets 88 are provided in a portion of the rod housed in the internal space of the tubular casing 87.

As shown in FIG. 11, the coil 84 provided in the tubular casing 87 is configured with a circuit 83 to which the power supply 85 is connected. Electric power is supplied to the coil 84 from the power supply 85.

2. Effects of the seat suspension In the seat suspension according to the present embodiment, electric power can be supplied from the power source 85 to the coil 84 provided in the tubular casing 87, and the electric power can be applied to the coil 84 by the arrow E1 in FIG. , E2 can generate a magnetic field to obtain negative spring characteristics. Due to such a negative spring characteristic, the magnetic spring 86 can be formed by the cylindrical casing 87 provided with the coil 84 and the rod provided with the permanent magnet 88.

[Sixth Embodiment]
1. Configuration of Seat Suspension 4 The configuration of the seat suspension 4 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The structure of the seat suspension 4 according to the present embodiment is basically the same as the structure of the seat suspension according to the fifth embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 13, the seat suspension 4 according to the present embodiment also includes a magnetic spring including a coil 95. The structure of the magnetic spring is as described in the fifth embodiment. The coil 95 can be supplied with electric power from the battery 96. In the seat suspension 4 according to the present embodiment, the battery 96 is, for example, an in-vehicle battery mounted on a vehicle.

In the seat suspension 4 according to the present embodiment, a power adjusting unit 94 for adjusting the amount of electric power supplied from the battery 96 to the coil 95 is interposed between the coil 95 and the battery 96.

Further, the seat suspension 4 according to the present embodiment includes a vibration sensor 89, a displacement sensor 90, and a control unit 91. The vibration sensor 89 is attached to the upper frame 10 and the lower frame 20, or a peripheral portion thereof. The vibration sensor 89 is, for example, an acceleration sensor and corresponds to a frequency detection unit that detects a vibration frequency in or around the upper frame 10 and the lower frame 20. The displacement sensor 90 corresponds to a displacement detection unit that detects displacement between members due to vibration of the upper frame 10 and the lower frame 20 or their surroundings.

The control unit 91 controls the power adjustment unit 94 based on the detection signal input from the vibration sensor 89 and the detection signal input from the displacement sensor 90. Upon receiving the command from the control unit 91, the power adjustment unit 94 adjusts the power supplied from the battery 96 to the coil 95 according to the command from the control unit 91.

The control unit 91 has a calculation unit 92 and a memory 93. The arithmetic unit 92 is composed of a microprocessor (MPU / CPU), an ASIC, and the like, and the memory 93 is composed of a RAM, a ROM, and the like. Then, the arithmetic unit 92 executes the firmware or the like stored in advance in the memory 93.

2. Effects of the seat suspension 4 Even in the seat suspension 4 according to the present embodiment, electric power can be supplied from the battery 96 to the coil 95 provided in the tubular casing, and the electric power is shown in FIG. 12 on the coil 95. It is possible to obtain negative spring characteristics by generating a magnetic field similar to that of the other. In the seat suspension 4 according to the present embodiment, the electric power supplied from the battery 96 to the coil 95 is adjusted based on the vibration frequency and the displacement due to the vibration, so that the vibration damping force can be controlled.

[7th Embodiment]
1. Configuration of Seat Suspension The configuration of the seat suspension according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The configuration of the seat suspension according to the present embodiment is basically the same as the configuration of the seat suspension 1 according to the first embodiment except for the configuration of the generator 97. The explanation of is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 14, the generator 97 according to the present embodiment also has a tubular casing 98 having a bottomed tubular shape, a rod 99 partially housed in the internal space of the tubular casing 98, and a tubular shape in the rod 99. It has a permanent magnet 100 attached to a portion housed in the internal space of the casing 98, and a plurality of coils 101 attached to the inner surface of the tubular casing 98. The plurality of coils 101 are arranged side by side along the cylindrical axial direction of the tubular casing 98.

Also in the seat suspension according to the present embodiment, the plurality of coils 101 are connected to a charging circuit or the like.

Also in the generator 97 according to the present embodiment, the tubular casing 98 provided with a plurality of coils 101 corresponds to the “stator” and slides with respect to the tubular casing 98 in the tubular axial direction. It is possible, the rod 99 provided with the permanent magnet 100 corresponds to the "movable element", and the generator 97 according to the present embodiment is also a linear generator.

2. Effects of the seat suspension Even in the seat suspension provided with the generator 97 having the configuration shown in FIG. 14, the same effects as those of the seat suspension 1 according to the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, since the seat suspension according to the present embodiment includes the generator 97 having a plurality of coils 101, it is possible to effectively generate electric energy even if the stroke between the upper frame 10 and the lower frame 20 is large. Vibration damping force can also be obtained.

[Eighth Embodiment]
1. Configuration of Seat Suspension The configuration of the seat suspension according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The configuration of the seat suspension according to the present embodiment is basically the same as the configuration of the seat suspension 1 according to the first embodiment except for the configuration of the generator 102. The explanation of is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 15, the generator 102 according to the present embodiment also has a tubular casing 103 having a bottomed cylindrical shape, a rod 104 partially housed in the internal space of the tubular casing 103, and a tubular shape in the rod 104. It has a permanent magnet 105 attached to a portion housed in the internal space of the casing 103, and a plurality of coils 106 attached to the inner surface of the tubular casing 103. The plurality of coils 106 are arranged side by side along the cylindrical axial direction of the tubular casing 103, and are arranged with a gap G between them in the cylindrical axial direction.

Also in the seat suspension according to the present embodiment, the plurality of coils 106 are connected to a charging circuit or the like.

Here, in the generator 102 according to the present embodiment, the magnetic material 107 is arranged in the gap G between the coil 106 and the coil 106 in the tubular axial direction of the tubular casing 103. The magnetic material 107 is preferably a soft magnetic material. As an example of the magnetic material 107, a member made of a soft magnetic material such as iron, silicon steel, permalloy, sendust, permendur, soft ferrite, an amorphous magnetic alloy, and a nanocrystal magnetic alloy can be adopted.

Also in the generator 102 according to the present embodiment, the tubular casing 103 provided with a plurality of coils 106 corresponds to the “stator” and slides with respect to the tubular casing 103 in the tubular axial direction. It is possible, the rod 104 provided with the permanent magnet 105 corresponds to the "movable element", and the generator 102 according to the present embodiment is also a linear generator.

2. Effects of the seat suspension Even in the seat suspension provided with the generator 102 having the configuration shown in FIG. 15, the same effects as those of the seat suspension 1 according to the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, in the seat suspension according to the present embodiment, by arranging the magnetic body 107 in the gap G between the coil 106 and the coil 106 of the generator 102, the magnetic force lines when vibration occurs inside the magnetic body 107. pass. This makes it possible to efficiently generate electric energy in the generator 102 and also to generate a strong vibration damping force.

[9th Embodiment]
1. Configuration of Seat Suspension The configuration of the seat suspension according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The configuration of the seat suspension according to the present embodiment is basically the same as the configuration of the seat suspension 1 according to the first embodiment except for the configuration of the generator 108. The explanation of is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 16, the generator 108 according to the present embodiment is arranged so as to be concentric with the casing 109 and the casing 109 having an annular cross-sectional shape, and has a fan-shaped shaft portion 110 and a shaft portion 110. It has a plurality of permanent magnets 111 attached to the outer peripheral portion of the casing 109 and a plurality of coils 112 attached to the inner peripheral surface of the casing 109.

The generator 108 is attached, for example, to the rotary hinge of the link mechanism 30 in the structure described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The generator 108 according to the present embodiment is a rotary generator in which the casing 109 is a stator and the shaft portion 110 is a rotor. In the generator 108, electric power is generated in the coil 112 by rotating the shaft portion 110 around the shaft core Ax110 as indicated by the arrow I.

2. Effects of the seat suspension Even in the seat suspension provided with the generator 108 having the configuration shown in FIG. 16, the same effects as those of the seat suspension 1 according to the first embodiment can be obtained.

[10th Embodiment]
1. 1. Configuration of Seat Suspension 5 The configuration of the seat suspension 5 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18. The seat suspension 5 according to the present embodiment is also an example of the "suspension".

As shown in FIG. 17, the seat suspension 5 includes an upper frame 113, a lower frame 118, link mechanisms 125, 128, 131, 134, an initial position adjusting member 138, and a generator 135. The upper frame 113 is the upper front member 114 arranged on the + Y side, the upper rear member 115 arranged on the −Y side, and the upper side arranged on the −X side, similarly to the upper frame 10 according to the first embodiment. It has a member 116 and an upper member 117 arranged on the + X side, and has a structure in which the ends of the members 114 to 117 are joined to each other.

Similar to the lower frame 20 according to the first embodiment, the lower frame 118 also has a lower front member 119 arranged on the + Y side, a lower rear member 120 arranged on the −Y side, and a lower frame arranged on the −X side. It has a side member 121 and a lower member 122 arranged on the + X side, and has a structure in which the ends of the members 119 to 122 are joined to each other.

The link mechanism 125 has link members 123 and 124, each of which connects the upper member 116 and the lower member 121 on the −X side. The link member 123 and the link member 124 are connected at an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of each. The link mechanism 125 has an X-shape when viewed from the side in the Y direction.

The link mechanism 128 has link members 126 and 127, each of which connects the upper member 117 and the lower member 122 on the + X side. The link member 126 and the link member 127 are also connected at an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of each. The link mechanism 128 also has an X shape when viewed from the side in the Y direction.

The link mechanism 131 has a link member 129 connected to the lower member 121 on the −X side, and a link member 130 connected to the upper member 116 on the −X side. The link member 129 and the link member 130 are connected by an upper end of the link member 129 and a lower end of the link member 130.

The link mechanism 134 has a link member 132 connected to the lower member 122 on the + X side and a link member 133 connected to the upper member 117 on the + X side as well. The link member 132 and the link member 133 are connected by an upper end of the link member 132 and a lower end of the link member 133.

As shown in FIG. 18, the link member 123 and the link member 124 of the link mechanism 125 are rotatably supported with respect to the upper frame 113 and the lower frame 118. Further, the connecting portion between the link member 123 and the link member 124 is also rotatable. Also in the link mechanism 131, the link member 129 is rotatably pivotally supported with respect to the lower frame 118, and the link member 130 is rotatably pivotally supported with respect to the upper frame 113. The connecting portion between the link member 129 and the link member 130 is also rotatable.

Although not shown in FIG. 18, the link mechanisms 128 and 134 are similarly rotatably connected.

Here, as shown in FIG. 18, in the seat suspension 5, the upper surface 113a of the upper frame 113 is fixed to the seat, and the lower surface 118a of the lower frame 118 is fixed to the vehicle body. The upper frame 113 moves up and down relative to the lower frame 118 as shown by the arrow J in response to vibration caused by the running of the vehicle, movement of the occupant, and the like. That is, the distance H2 between the upper surface 113a of the upper frame 113 and the lower surface 118a of the lower frame 118 also depends on the vibration due to the running of the vehicle, the movement of the occupant, and the like, as in the seat suspension 1 according to the first embodiment. , Varies within a predetermined range. The vertical stroke of the seat suspension 5 according to the present embodiment is 80 mm as an example.

Returning to FIG. 17, the initial position adjusting member 138 is provided so as to project to the + Y side (front side) from the upper frame 113 and the lower frame 118. The initial position adjusting member 138 also has a dial for the occupant to operate.

The generator 135 is provided so as to connect between the bracket 136 joined to the upper frame 113 and the bracket 137 joined to the lower frame 118. The configuration of the generator 135 is the same as that of the generator 50 of the seat suspension 1 according to the first embodiment, and the generator 135 is a linear generator.

2. Effects of the seat suspension 5 The seat suspension 5 according to the present embodiment is different from the seat suspension 1 according to the first embodiment in that the X-link method is adopted and the vertical stroke is 80 mm. The same effect as that of the seat suspension 1 according to the first embodiment can be obtained.

[Modification example]
In the present invention, it is possible to appropriately combine the above-mentioned first embodiment to the above-mentioned tenth embodiment.

Further, in the present invention, a DC generator such as a dynamo can be adopted as the generator, or an AC generator such as an alternator can be adopted. When an AC generator is used, for example, by adopting the circuit 139 as shown in FIG. 19, the generated electric power can be charged to the battery 143. As shown in FIG. 19, the circuit 139 is configured by connecting a rectifier circuit (for example, a bridge circuit) 141 and a smoothing circuit 142 to the coil 140.

Further, the present invention can be applied not only to the seat suspension but also to the suspension used for various purposes.

Further, in the present invention, it is also possible to attach a spring element (for example, a metal spring) or a damper (for example, a hydraulic damper) to a predetermined member together with the generator. In this case, the generator and the spring element may be connected in series or in parallel.

Further, in the present invention, a plurality of generators may be provided.

Further, in the present invention, the generator is connected not only between the upper frame and the lower frame but also between the first member and the second member whose relative positions are displaced by vibration. It is possible to provide.

Further, in the second embodiment and the third embodiment, a closed circuit in which the coil of the generator and the variable resistor are connected in series is adopted, but in the present invention, the coil of the generator or the variable resistor is adopted. If a plurality of both (coil and variable resistor) are provided, it is possible to adopt a closed circuit formed by connecting in parallel.

Further, in the first embodiment, a seat suspension having a vertical stroke of 40 mm is used as an example, and in the tenth embodiment, a seat suspension having a vertical stroke of 80 mm is used as an example, but the present invention is limited to this. is not it. For example, even when the X-link method is adopted as in the tenth embodiment, the stroke may be less than 80 mm. Further, even when the link method as in the first embodiment is adopted, it is possible to make the stroke larger than 40 mm.

1,2,3,4,5 Seat suspension (suspension)
10,113 Upper frame (first member)
20,118 Lower frame (second member)
50,97,102,108,135 Generator 55,88,100,105,111 Permanent magnet 56,71,82,84,95,101,106,112,140 Coil 70,81,83,139 Circuit 72 Variable Resistor 73,89 Vibration sensor (frequency detector)
74,78,91 Control unit 77 Displacement sensor (displacement detection unit)
86 Magnetic spring 107 Magnetic material G Gap

Claims (12)

A suspension that damps vibration
A generator for converting kinetic energy due to vibration into electrical energy.
suspension. In the suspension according to claim 1,
Further, a first member and a second member whose relative positions are displaced by the vibration are further provided.
The generator is provided so as to connect the first member and the second member.
suspension. In the suspension according to claim 2,
The generator has a stator and a mover.
One of the stator and the mover has one or more permanent magnets.
The other of the stator and mover has one or more coils.
suspension. In the suspension according to claim 3,
A variable resistor electrically connected to the coil and
A control unit that controls the vibration damping force by changing the resistance value of the variable resistor,
Further prepare,
suspension. In the suspension according to claim 4,
Further provided with a frequency detection unit for detecting the frequency of the vibration,
The control unit
When the frequency detected by the frequency detection unit is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, the resistance value is relatively increased to reduce the vibration damping force.
When the frequency detected by the frequency detection unit is smaller than the first threshold value, the resistance value is relatively small and the vibration damping force is increased.
suspension. In the suspension according to claim 4 or 5.
Further, a displacement detecting unit for detecting a displacement at a relative position between the first member and the second member due to the vibration is provided.
The control unit
When the displacement detected by the displacement detection unit is equal to or less than the second threshold value, the resistance value is relatively increased to reduce the vibration damping force.
When the displacement detected by the displacement detecting unit is larger than the second threshold value, the resistance value is relatively small and the vibration damping force is increased.
suspension. In the suspension according to claim 3,
One end and the other end of the coil are short-circuited.
suspension. In the suspension according to any one of claims 3 to 6.
Electric power can be supplied to the coil.
By supplying the electric power to the coil, the generator functions as a magnetic spring.
suspension. In the suspension according to any one of claims 3 to 8.
A plurality of the coils are provided with a gap between them.
A magnetic material is arranged in the gap.
suspension. In the suspension according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
The generator is a linear generator in which the stator and the mover move relatively linearly.
suspension. In the suspension according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
The generator is a rotary generator in which the stator and the mover move relatively in the circumferential direction.
suspension. In the suspension according to any one of claims 1 to 11.
The suspension is a seat suspension provided between the vehicle body and the seat in the vehicle.
suspension.

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