Kelsey-hayes Company

Clark E Lowman

Edward R Hornback

Edward Nelson Fuller

Mark S Luckevich

Leonard T Tribe

Paul M Schliebe

Gregory P Campau

John S Frait

Charles Darnell

George W Morris, Iii

John D Cotner

In a method of controlling an actuator of a microvalve, a controller is provided for supplying a voltage to the actuator. The controller provides an initial voltage to the actuator which is effective to actuate the microvalve. Then, the controller provides a pulsed voltage to the actuator which is effective to continue the actuation of the microvalve.

Method of controlling microvalve actuator

A plurality of pressure sensors are carried in housing mounted upon a hydraulic control valve for an electro-hydraulic brake system. The pressure sensors are electrically connected to a signal conditioning circuit which also is mounted upon the hydraulic control valve. The signal conditioning circuit samples the sensors and mulitplexes the sensor signals into a single output signal.

Structure for mounting a cluster of pressure sensors upon an electro-hydraulic brake system control unit

An electronic brake management system for controlling the application of fluid pressure to the brakes associated with wheels on a vehicle is disclosed. The system comprises a plurality of hydraulic valves for controlling the application of fluid to the brakes and a plurality of valve drivers for controlling the valves in accordance with respective electrical control signals for the plurality of valves. The system further includes a valve pulse width modulation controller for generating the respective electrical valve control signals applied to the valve drivers. The electrical valve control signals from the pulse width modulation controller are modulated to reduce the amount of electrical power supplied by the individual ones of the electrical signals once the valve associated with the one of the electrical signals has changed its opening to a desired position. The system further includes a brushless motor for driving a hydraulic pump for supplying fluid to the brakes in accordance with a pulse width modulated motor control signal from a motor signal modulation controller. The brushless motor provides a feedback signal to the motor signal modulation controller which is indicative of the position of the brushless motor rotor.

Electronic brake management system with a signal modulation controller and a brushless motor

The present invention relates to a position sensor which can be utilized as a height sensor in an automatic vehicle suspension system. The sensor comprises a telescoping assembly including an elongate shaft having one end which is axially slidable within an outer housing. The telescoping assembly is connected between sprung and unsprung vehicle frame members. The outer ends of the shaft and the housing are each provided with a unique bifurcated socket unit and an associated retaining clip for attachment to a ball element connection point on the associated vehicle frame member. A pair of magnets are carried by the shaft and are adapted to generate a first magnetic field having one polarity and extending axially along a first portion of the shaft and a second magnetic field having an opposite polarity and extending axially along a second portion of the shaft. A pair of axially spaced apart Hall effect switches are carried by the housing and are responsive to the first and second magnetic fields along the shaft for generating logic signals representing the relative position between the movable vehicle frame members. A separate concentrator element is positioned adjacent each of the Hall effect switches for increasing the intensity of the magnetic field in the region of respective switch. Also disclosed is a simplified method for installing the position sensor on the vehicle.

Position sensor

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Clark E Lowman