VARIABLE STIFFNESS MECHANISM

摘要

A variable suspension mechanism (102) includes an arrangement of two springs (121 and 122), a lever (130) having a receiving location (134) for receiving an external force, and a pivot element (140) slideably coupled to the lever. The variable suspension mechanism includes an actuator (150) for relocating the pivot element causes a fulcrum (136) of the lever to relocate. An effective stiffness of the variable suspension mechanism relative to the external force applied at the receiving location is a rational function that depends on at least spring constants of the two springs and a location of the pivot element relative to the two springs. A suspension system (100) includes the variable suspension mechanism coupled to a conventional spring (106) in a series arrangement.