The present invention relates to a method for operating an electromagnetic or hydraulic actuator in a motor vehicle according to the preamble of patent claim 1 and a device for performing the method according to claim 8.

From DE 10 2011 106 246 A1 a generic electromagnetic actuator is known which is used in a chassis of a motor vehicle in order to in particular enable interventions regarding driving dynamics. The actuator is part of a torsion bar system in which on each side of the vehicle a torsion bar, which can be variably pre-tensioned via a motor-transmission-unit or an actuator, acts via an output lever on a respective wheel suspension element of the wheel suspension on each side of the motor vehicle. The torsion bar system forms an active rotary actuator or stabilizer, which, acting as accumulator spring, at the same time enables adjusting the elevation of the vehicle body and counteracts rolling an pitching. During driving such actuators are subjected to a highly dynamic loads and high rotational speeds and may thus represent disturbing noise sources.

In the state of the art the operational vibrations of the actuator are damped by a correspondingly configured elastic support or a vibration damper whose damping capacity is limited however.

Generally, active aggregate carriers are for example known from DE 10 2004 015 036 B4, which for example have a hydraulic damping and whose damping characteristics can be electrically adjusted for different vibration excitations and vibration amplitudes and can thus in particular effectively dampen low frequency excitations. In such an active support system an actuator system of the aggregate support is controlled with an actuating signal in order compensate vibrations of the aggregate during driving to the most degree.

It is an object of the invention to provide a method and a device for implementing the method with which vibration and noise of electromechanical actuators can be reduced almost without any additional costs.

The object is solved by the features of patent claim 1 or 8. Advantageous refinements of the method and a particularly preferred device for implementing the method are set forth in the dependent claims.

According to the invention it is proposed that the aggregate supports are also controlled for damping vibration excitations of the torsion bar system. By correspondingly coordinating and controlling the aggregate supports, in particular in the higher frequency range, it is possible to use the damping characteristic of the aggregate supports for suppressing or eliminating noise and/or vibrations originating from the actuators.

Particularly preferably, the counter vibrations of the drive aggregate can be superimposed over the vibrations of the torsion bar system. By selecting the appropriate type of elastomer (support body) used in the aggregate supports and the controllable throttle effects (in the case of hydraulic aggregate supports) row frequency vibrations of the aggregate (in particular of an internal combustion engine) can be damped and a dynamic stiffness can be generated in the typical frequency range of the actuator, which at least reduce the vibration excitation of the actuator by phase shifted counter vibrations.

In a control-based realization a control unit can detect the drive aggregate vibration during driving as a first actual interfering signal. Based on the detected interfering signal the control unit generates a first actuating signal with which the actuator system of the aggregate support is controlled for reducing the first interfering signal. In addition the control unit can detect an operational vibration of the electromechanical actuator as a second actual interfering signal. Based on this second interfering signal the control unit generates a second actuating signal with which the actuator system of the aggregate support is controlled for reducing the second interfering signal.

For detecting the above-mentioned second interfering signal at least one vibration sensor can be arranged on the electromagnetic actuator, whose signals are analyzed in the control unit for additionally controlling the aggregate support.

The control unit can be a motor control unit, which is already present in the motor vehicle and in which driving-dynamics and aggregate-specific parameters (load state, rotational speed etc.) are detected and the aggregate supports are controlled as a function of these data.

Further, the control signals of the electromagnetic actuator can at the same time be used for additionally controlling the active aggregate supports so that an adequate vibration damping can be realized also without using sensors. For this the control of the aggregate support can particular advantageously be empirically determined in dependence on the control signals of the electromagnetic actuator and stored in a control device.

For performing the method it is in particular proposed that aggregate supports for supporting a drive aggregate of the motor vehicle whose damping characteristics can be actively adjusted are arranged on the vehicle superstructure or on a subframe spatially close to at least one electromagnetic actuator, in particular a torsion bar system acting on wheel guiding elements of the wheel suspensions of the motor vehicle, and that the aggregate supports are controlled by means of an electronic control device for damping the vibration excitations of the actuator.

Further, at least one vibration detecting sensor can be provided on the electromechanical actuator, whose signals can be fed to the control device for controlling the active aggregate support.

The torsion bar system can have a respective actuator consisting of an electric motor and at least one transmission for each wheel suspension, which act on at least one rotary spring so as to change the pretension of the rotary spring, wherein for each actuator a sensor is provided and the sensors are connected with the control device. Depending on the circumstances the signals of the two sensors can hereby be analyzed separate from each other, wherein only the aggregate support which is closest to the respective actuator is controlled via the control device.

The electromagnetic actuator or the torsion bar system can also be fixedly connected, in particular screwed to, the subframe of the motor vehicle, on which also the drive aggregate is at least partially supported via the active aggregate supports. This has the advantage of a simple fastening without vibration damping means and in addition improves response characteristics of the torsion bar system.

The advantageous refinements and/or embodiments of the invention explained above or set forth in the dependent claims can be used individually or in any combinations—except in the cases of clear dependencies.

In the following the invention and its advantageous embodiments and refinements and its advantages are explained in more detail by way of drawings.

It is shown in

FIG. 1 a schematic illustration of a torsion bar system for the wheel suspension of a motor vehicle, whose actuators on both sides are positioned close to active aggregate supports for supporting a drive aggregate and carry vibration absorbing sensors, which are connected with an electronic motor control unit which controls the aggregate supports.

FIG. 2 a control circuit for implementing the method according to the invention; and

FIG. 3 The torsion bar system and the aggregate supports in a view from above.

FIGS. 1 and 3 schematically illustrate a drive aggregate, in particular an internal combustion engine 10, shown in outline, which in the present case is supported in the region of interest on an indicated carrier structure 5 of the vehicle, for example a subframe, via two aggregate supports 12 arranged on both sides, and via corresponding motor supports 14 in a vibration isolated manner. The subframe is usually connected with the superstructure of the motor vehicle via vibration damping supports, while the housings of the aggregate supports 12 are fixedly screwed to the subframe.

The active aggregate supports 12 can be constructed as hydraulically actuated supports of known type, whose damping characteristics, controlled via an electronic control device, in particular a control device 16 present in the vehicle, can be adjusted between low-frequency and high-frequency vibration excitation.

In addition a torsion bar system 18 is fastened on the carrier structure 5, which is formed by two torsion bars 20, which are separated in the center of the vehicle and are arranged transverse to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and two electromagnetic actuators 22 arranged on either side .

As mentioned above the torsion bars 20 and the actuator 22 can be configured as disclosed in the aforementioned DE 10 2009 005 899 A1, wherein the actuators 22 can be formed by an axially parallel electric motor 24 (FIG. 3) and at least one transmission, for example a belt drive 26.

The torsion bars 20 are drivingly connected with the transmission 26 and are articulately connected via a respective output lever 29 with the wheel guide element 31 of the wheel suspension of the motor vehicle arranged on both sides

By controlling the electric motors 24, of the actuators 22, the pre-tension of the torsion bars 20 which act as accumulator springs to a suspension spring of the wheel suspensions can be changed for compensating rolling and pitching of the body of the motor vehicle, wherein the actuators 22 are correspondingly subject to dynamic and relatively high actuator loads.

The active aggregate supports 12 are positioned close to the actuators 22 of the torsion bar system 18 fastened on the subframe (FIG. 1 or 3). This makes it possible to use the adjustable vibration damping characteristic of the aggregate supports 12 additionally for reducing noise transmitted to the vehicle body or vibrations by the actuators 22.

For this purpose vibration sensors 28 in signal communication with the motor control device 16 are preferably provided on the actuators 22 in the region of the transmissions 26 (FIG. 1).

The motor control device 16 is provided in a known manner with motor-specific and driving-specific data such as load, rotational speed of the internal combustion engine and speed, steering angle, transverse acceleration etc. in order to control among other things the active aggregate supports 12 and to change their vibration characteristics.

In addition the motor control device 16 is modified so as to additionally control the active aggregate supports 12 and adjust their vibration damping characteristics in case of relevant operating states of the actuators 22 with corresponding vibration excitation, which are detected via the vibration sensors 28 and are provided to the motor control device 16.

This can be accomplished by configuring and adjusting the functional parts of the aggregate supports 12 so that a dynamic stiffness is generated in the frequency range of the actuators 22, which transmits counter vibrations of the drive aggregate 10 between the subframe or the actuators 22 fixedly connected with the subframe, which counter vibrations are phase-shifted by 180° and extinguish the vibrations originating from the actuators 22 or eliminate the transmission of noise and/or vibrations.

FIG. 2 exemplary shows a control based realization of the invention. Accordingly the not shown drive aggregate 10 is supported via the motor support 14 on the carrier structure 5 of a vehicle body by interposing the active aggregate support 12. The aggregate support 12 has for example a not shown hydraulic chamber with an electrodynamic actuator, which can be electrically controlled by the control unit 16.

The control unit 16, the actuator system and an error sensor 15 arranged on the bearing foot of the aggregate support 12 on the vehicle body together with the aggregate support 12 (control loop) form a control circuit R. the control circuit R controls the actuator system so that the aggregate support 12 is impinged with a counter vibration with which an operation-related motor vibration can be compensated to the most degree. Via the error sensor 15 an actual interfering signal e₁ is returned to the control unit 11. In addition the control unit 11 has a signal input for a motor moment M and a signal input for the motor rotational speed n. The control unit 11 generates the actuating signal u₁ which represents the counter vibration, and with which the actuator system of the aggregate support 12 is controlled.

In addition a sensor 28 is integrated in the control circuit R shown in FIG. 2 for detecting an operational vibration of the actuator 22. The operational vibration detected by the sensor 28 forms a second interfering signal e₂ based on which the control unit 16 generates a second actuating signal u₂, With the second actuating signal u₂ the actuator system of the aggregate support 12 is also controlled in order to reduce the second interfering signal e₂, i.e., the operational vibration of the actuator 22.

As a result of the measure according to the invention the torsion bar system 18 can be fixedly connected with the subframe without disturbing noise transmission, which beside the simple fastening (no noise-damping means) provides improved response characteristics of the system.

Depending on the circumstances the left and the right vibration sensor 28 can be analyzed separate from each other in the motor control unit 16 and only the left or the right aggregate support 12 is correspondingly controlled.

In contrast to the described method, characteristic curves may be stored in the motor control unit 16, which based on the motor-specific and drive-specific data recognize the operating states of the motor vehicle, in which the actuators 22 cause relevant vibration excitations, which are then removed or are at least reduced by controlling the active aggregate supports 12. The mentioned data or characteristic curves can for example be determined empirically. The vibration sensors 28 may then be omitted.

The aggregate supports 12 and the torsion bar system 18 with the torsion bars 20 and the actuators 22 may also be arranged different from the described embodiment directly on the superstructure of the motor vehicle.

In the exemplary embodiment above, two actuators 22 are used for each side of the vehicle. However, the invention is not limited to this exemplary embodiment. Rather the torsion bar system 18 may also be configured as a roll stabilizer which operates with only one actuator 22, which is operatively connected with two stabilizer halves. In addition, in contrast to the shown exemplary embodiment, the electric motor 24 can be directly connected on the housing of the actuator 22 via a motor bearing with appropriate transmission behavior.