Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.

Tenneco Automotive Inc.

Daniel T Keil

Karl C Kazmirski

Matthew L Roessle

Darrell G Breese

Ben Schaller

Gary W Groves

Timothy Bombrys

Thomas Mallin

Jeroen K Paenhuysen

Matthew R Schelosky

Jim Szymusiak

Jeffrey T Gardner

John McGahey

Chad Rummel

Christopher Conrad

Laxman Subramaniam

Elizabeth A Robbins

Zachary Lopez

Michal Nowak

Garl Gordon

Andrew M Jacobson

Tim Lawler

Dajun Zhang

The present disclosure relates to a shock absorber having a pressure tube forming a pressure chamber. A piston rod is disposed within the pressure chamber. A reserve tube defines a reserve chamber adjacent the pressure tube. A rod guide assembly is concentrically disposed about the piston rod and the pressure chamber and houses a plurality of digital valves. Each one of the digital valves includes a component which is moveable between an open state and a closed state, and thus helps to control a fluid flow between the pressure chamber and the reserve chamber. An electronic control system is disposed on a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) and controls actuation of the digital valves. At least one additional valve is associated with one of the digital valves for further controlling a flow of fluid between the pressure chamber and the reserve chamber.

Rod guide system and method with multiple solenoid valve cartridges and multiple pressure regulated valve assemblies

A shock absorber is disclosed having a pressure tube forming a working chamber, and a piston assembly slidably disposed within the pressure tube. The piston assembly may divide the working chamber into upper and lower working chambers. The piston assembly may have a piston body defining a first fluid passage extending therethrough and a first valve assembly controlling fluid flow through the first fluid passage. A second fluid passage, separate from the first fluid passage, extends from one of the upper and lower working chambers to a fluid chamber defined at least in part by the pressure tube. A plurality of digital valve assemblies are included and configured to exclusively control all fluid flow through the second fluid passage, and thus all fluid flow between the one of the upper and lower working chambers to the fluid chamber.

Damper with digital valve

A shock absorber is disclosed which has a base valve assembly for controlling a flow of a working fluid between a reservoir chamber and a working chamber of the shock absorber. The base valve makes use of at least one digital valve assembly. The digital valve assembly communicates with an intermediate chamber formed between an intermediate tube and a pressure tube of the shock absorber. The digital valve assembly controls flow of the working fluid between the intermediate chamber and the reservoir chamber, to help control a damping action provided by the shock absorber.

A monotube shock absorber which is capable of high compression damping forces while operating at low pressure for reduced friction is disclosed. The monotube shock absorber includes a pressure tube, a piston assembly, a piston rod, a fixed valve assembly and a floating piston. A variety of methods for securing the fixed valve assembly to the pressure tube are disclosed including use of single piece pressure tubes and pressure tube assemblies. In addition, a method for assembling the monotube shock absorber including an oil filling technique is described.

Low pressure high compression damping monotube shock absorber

A shock absorber for a vehicle includes a pressure tube that defines a fluid chamber and a piston disposed within the fluid chamber. The piston divides the fluid chamber into an upper working chamber and a lower working chamber, and defines a compression passage and a rebound passage. A valve disc assembly of the shock absorber engages the piston and controls the flow of fluid between the upper and lower working chambers. The valve disc assembly includes an orifice check disc and an orifice disc. The orifice disc defines a bleed passage between the upper and lower working chambers. The orifice check disc is disposed between the piston and the orifice disc. The orifice check disc closes the bleed passage as the fluid flows in a first direction and opens the bleed passage as the fluid flows in a second direction opposite of the first direction.

Shock absorber having orifice check disc

A shock absorber for a vehicle includes a pressure tube that defines a fluid chamber. A piston disposed within the fluid chamber divides the fluid chamber into an upper working chamber and a lower working chamber. The piston defines a compression passage and a rebound passage which extend through the piston between the upper working chamber and the lower working chamber. A valve disc assembly engages the piston and controls the flow of fluid between the upper working chamber and the lower working chamber. The valve disc assembly includes a bleed disc that defines an orifice with a substantially non-linear contour. The orifice extends to an outer diameter of the bleed disc, and forms a bleed channel between the upper working chamber and the lower working chamber.

Orifice disc for regulating flow in damper

A shock absorber includes a valve assembly which includes a valve disc engaging an inner and outer valve land defined by a valve body. The inner valve land is a non-circular valve land such that a radial dimension between the inner and outer valve land varies based upon a circumferential position of the radial dimension. The varying radial dimension provides a progressive valve opening for the valve assembly.

Low noise valve assembly

A shock absorber has a compression valve assembly that provides a high damping load during a compression stroke and an extension valve assembly that provides a high damping load during an extension stroke. One or more digital valve assemblies is positioned to work in parallel with the compression valve assembly and the extension valve assembly to provide a lower damping load. The lowering of the damping load is based upon the cross sectional area of flow passages provided by the one or more digital valve assemblies.

A shock absorber has a compression valve assembly which functions during a compression stroke, a rebound valve assembly which functions during a rebound stroke and a velocity sensitive valve which is in series with one or both of the compression valve assembly and the rebound valve assembly. The compression valve assembly, the rebound valve assembly and the velocity sensitive valve can be incorporated into a piston assembly, a base valve assembly or both.

Nested check high speed valve

A strut assembly includes an upper mount assembly, a shock absorber and a knuckle. The upper mount assembly is attached to a piston rod which is a part of the shock absorber. The knuckle is attached to an outer tube of the shock absorber which can be a reserve tube of a dual-tube shock absorber or a pressure tube of a single tube shock absorber. A reinforcement member increases the strength of the outer tube in the area that interfaces with the knuckle and the area that is directly above the knuckle.

Damper tube reinforcement sleeve

A strut assembly includes an upper mount assembly, a shock absorber and a knuckle. The upper mount assembly is attached to a piston rod which is a part of the shock absorber. The knuckle is attached to an outer tube of the shock absorber which can be a reserve tube of a dual-tube shock absorber or a pressure tube of a single tube shock absorber. A reinforcement member increases the strength of the outer tube in the area that interfaces with the knuckle.

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Temperance, MI, United States of America

Daniel T Keil