Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Benjamin J Saltsman

Colin Jeffrey Young

Michael James Lynch

Mark Freeland

William McMurray Stewart

Method of stabilizing valve lift-off movement in an automotive hydraulic shock absorber having compression and expansion chambers filled with a hydraulic shock-absorber fluid is diclosed. The chamber are divided by a valve body which has one or more orifices that have fluid flow therethrough controlled by a spring biased valve that lifts off from the valve body when the fluid pressure differential between chambers is above a predetermined amount. The steps of the method comprise (a) stationing the spring biased valve with respect to the orifices so that the fluid forcing the valve to lift off and overcome the spring bias will exit from the orifices in a manner that creates a velocity gradient in the expansion chamber resulting in pressure differences that disturb a smooth lift-off of the valves; and (b) modifying the hydraulic shock absorber fluid to form a mixture containing fumed amorphous silica whereby the fluid mixture will possess a viscosity inversely proportional to the velocity of the fluid mixture regions, the mixture will achieve the needed hydraulic attenuation.

Method of stabilizing valve lift-off in hydraulic shock absorbers

A watertight and airtight seal is useful for use between two structures having relative movement therebetween. The seal apparatus includes a first adhesive bead (38) disposed on a first structural member (12) and a second adhesive bead (44) disposed on a second structural member (22). An elastomeric member (30) includes a first flange (34) portion bonded to the first adhesive bead and a second flange portion (36) bonded to the second adhesive bead (44). The elastomeric member also includes a flexible portion disposed between the first and second flange portions, this flexible portion being operative to freely flex during relative motion between the first and second structural members. This flexibility substantially reduces stress otherwise imparted on the first and second adhesive beads during such movements in the absence of the flexible portion, thereby improving the durability of the seal.

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Ferndale, MI, United States of America

Benjamin J Saltsman