US 12,115,827 B2
Motion control system
Jonathan L. Hall, Menlo Park, CA (US); Jacob L. Dawson, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Paul J. Keas, San Jose, CA (US); Troy A. Carter, Sunnyvale, CA (US); and Roland R. Smith, Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed by APPLE INC., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on May 10, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/195,579.
Application 18/195,579 is a continuation of application No. 17/735,145, filed on May 3, 2022, granted, now 11,701,942.
Application 17/735,145 is a continuation of application No. 16/611,612, granted, now 11,358,431, issued on Jun. 14, 2022, previously published as PCT/US2018/029753, filed on Apr. 27, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/503,093, filed on May 8, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0278386 A1, Sep. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. B60G 15/04 (2006.01); B60G 11/27 (2006.01); B60G 15/10 (2006.01); B60G 17/015 (2006.01); B60G 17/052 (2006.01); B60G 17/06 (2006.01); F16H 25/22 (2006.01); B60G 17/02 (2006.01); F16H 25/20 (2006.01)
CPC B60G 17/0521 (2013.01) [B60G 11/27 (2013.01); B60G 15/04 (2013.01); B60G 15/10 (2013.01); B60G 17/0155 (2013.01); B60G 17/06 (2013.01); F16H 25/2204 (2013.01); B60G 17/021 (2013.01); B60G 2202/152 (2013.01); B60G 2202/322 (2013.01); B60G 2202/42 (2013.01); B60G 2206/41 (2013.01); B60G 2206/42 (2013.01); B60G 2500/10 (2013.01); B60G 2500/201 (2013.01); B60G 2500/22 (2013.01); B60G 2500/30 (2013.01); B60G 2800/162 (2013.01); F16H 2025/2075 (2013.01); F16H 2025/2078 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A suspension actuator comprising:
a top mount;
a bottom mount;
an upper housing that extends from the top mount;
a lower housing that extends from the bottom mount;
an air spring configured to form a first load path between a first portion of a vehicle and a second portion of the vehicle, the air spring including a pressurized cavity having an upper chamber that is defined by the upper housing, and a lower chamber that is defined by the lower housing and a membrane that extends radially between the upper housing and the lower housing, wherein the pressurized cavity contains a pressurized gas that transfers force of the first load path; and
a ball-screw actuator configured to form a second load path between the first portion of the vehicle and the second portion of the vehicle in parallel to the first load path, the ball-screw actuator comprising a motor coupled to the upper housing and having a stator and a rotor,
wherein an air flow path is defined radially outward from the stator such that the upper chamber and the lower chamber of the pressurized cavity are in fluidic communication with each other through the air flow path.