Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Other

Delco Electronics Corporation

Eric Lee Jensen

William Charles Kruckemeyer

Michael Leslie Oliver

Todd A Bishop

Troy Allen Miller

Richard Edward Longhouse

Ilya Lisenker

John David Fehring

Ronald Gene Smith, Jr

Stanley E Smith

Patrick Neil Hopkins

Kamal N Majeed

Scott A Stacey

Ronald G Smith, Jr

Albert Victor Fratini, Jr

Randall L Derr

Wendell Collins, Jr

Lawrence A Rupe

Joseph Savola

James A Morgan

Rachel J Belvo

James W Hauser

Jay R Varner

Albert Savola

Chain catcher

Ladder caddy

An actuator having a housing that defines an interior volume and a primary driver that includes either a piezoelectric element or a magnetorestrictive element. The primary driver has first and second opposing ends and defines a longitudinal length therebetween. The first end of the primary driver is bearingly engaged with a reaction surface that is fixed relative to the housing. The second end of the primary driver longitudinally moves a bearing surface that partially defines a closed working chamber having a fixed quantity of an incompressible medium. An actuating rod extends through an orifice in the housing and has a first end projecting outwardly and a second end disposed within the working chamber. The cross sectional area of the orifice is less than the effective area of the bearing surface whereby the travel distance of the rod is amplified relative to the change in length of the primary driver.

Actuator with amplified stroke length

A suspension system, typically for use between a cab and an associated truck frame, including a s strut module having a strut, an air spring and a control module. The control module is connected to a source of pressurized air, is integral with the strut and includes a height sensor for sensing a distance between the cab and truck frame. The integral control module selectively pressurizes the air spring in response to changes in that distance. Preferably, the strut is a magnetorheological, McPherson-type strut and the air spring encloses at least a portion of the strut to provide a compact assembly. The strut damping characteristics are varied by the control module to provide optimal ride characteristics. The strut module includes a three-point connection to the cab and frame to resist relative lateral movement between the cab and frame.

Controlled truck cab suspension

The invention is a suspension system, typically for use between a cab and a truck frame, includes a strut module having a strut and an air spring, and a control module, connected to a source of pressurized air, for sensing a distance between the cab and truck frame and selectively pressurizing the air spring in response to changes in that distance. Preferably, the strut is a McPherson-type strut and the air spring encloses at least a portion of the strut to provide a compact assembly and includes a three point connection to the cab and frame to resist relative lateral movement between the cab and frame. The strut also preferably is a magnetorheological-type damper so that the control module can adjust the damping characteristics of the strut to optimize rider comfort.

Controlled truck cab suspension system

A suspension damper comprises a cylinder tube and a control partition. The cylinder tube is disposed within a reservoir tube to define a fluid reservoir, and has at least one first hole. The control partition is disposed in the fluid reservoir, and communicates with the at least one hole.

Self leveling vehicle suspension damper

A damper for dampening vibrations of a rotatable steering shaft of a motor vehicle comprises a rotor and means for rotating the rotor at a rate proportional to and greater than rotation of the steering shaft. Magnetorheological fluid is disposed at least partially around the rotor, and has a viscosity variable to vary a load on the rotor.

Magnetorheological steering damper

An adjustable vehicle suspension strut configured to be arranged between a wheel assembly and a body of a vehicle, the adjustable strut including a tube. A piston is slidably carried in the tube on a piston rod. A coil is carried on the piston adjacent a first flow passageway in the piston to produce a magnetic field thereacross and a control valve is carried on the piston controlling fluid flow through a second flow passageway in the piston. The control valve is positioned at the distal end of the rod upstream of the first flow passageway.

Magnetorheological strut piston with compression bypass

The invention provides a vehicle damper assembly and a method for modulating fluid flow through the same. The assembly includes a housing including a fluid carried therein. A piston is slidably carried in the housing and includes a ring and a core. At least one gap to allow fluid flow is formed between the ring and core. A rod is operably attached to the piston. The ring moves axially with respect to the core to vary the gap size and modulate fluid flow during operation of the assembly. The method includes axially moving a ring with respect to a core during assembly operation. At least one gap size is varied based on the axial movement, wherein the gap is formed between the ring and core.

Vehicle damper assembly and method of modulating fluid flow

A suspension damper includes a reservoir housing with a piston slidably mounted therein and including a piston rod extending from the reservoir housing and attached to the vehicle by a mount assembly. An air chamber is defined by a sleeve cirucmscribing the piston rod and connected to the reservoir housing by a flexible portion. The mount assembly includes a pumping chamber which expands and contracts in response to normal road undulations to inflate the air chamber. A valve controlled by the flexible portion of the sleeve controls communication from the air chamber to ambient atmosphere to thereby control inflation of the air chamber and thereby controlling ride height.

Pneumatic self leveling suspension damper

A damper includes a piston that carries a relatively compact control valve for controlling fluid flow through the piston. The control valve provides a variable amount of damping by regulating damper fluid flow between the extension chamber and the compression chamber of the damper during extension and compression strokes. Pressure regulation across the piston is controlled through a flow path as determined by the control valve. The damping force of the damper varies depending upon the loading conditions of the vehicle. The control valve is air pressure actuated to adjust the damping force and control the flow of fluid in the flow path.

Piston and rod assembly for air-actuated variable damping

A magnetorheological damper includes a cylinder and a magnetorheological piston. The magnetorheological piston is located within and slideably engages the cylinder. The magnetorheological piston includes a magnetically energizable passageway and a magnetically non-energizable passageway spaced apart from the magnetically energizable passageway. The magnetorheological piston also includes a pressure and flow control valve disposed to allow pressure-dependent fluid flow in the magnetically non-energizable passageway when the magnetorheological piston slides towards the first end of the cylinder.

Magnetorheological damper with piston bypass

A suspension damper assembly capable of adjusting the height of an automobile includes a cylinder tube defining a pumping chamber aligned concentrically within a reservoir tube. A fluid reservoir is defined between the reservoir tube and the cylinder tube. A piston is slideably disposed within the cylinder tube. A gas cup is slideably disposed within the assembly and separates a fluid chamber within the cylinder tube from a gas chamber. The gas cup includes a cup conduit connecting the pumping chamber to the reservoir chamber whereby stroking the gas cup pumps fluid into the pumping chamber increasing the outward force of the piston for raising the height of the vehicle. A piston shaft guide includes a shaft valve allowing fluid to pass from the pumping chamber to the reservoir chamber for reducing the outward force of the piston and lowering the height of the vehicle.

An improved magnetorheological fluid damper is provided which effectively provides a smooth transition, without a sharp break in the damper force/velocity curve, between very low damping forces near zero damper velocity to higher damping forces at higher piston velocities while maintaining desirable maximum force levels. The damper includes a piston assembly, including a magnet assembly and a flow gap extending through the piston assembly to permit fluid flow between the chambers. The force/velocity optimization feature includes a groove or passage open to the flow gap, positioned in series with a part of the flow gap in a magnetic circuit generated by the magnet assembly and dimnensioned/sized to permit fluid flowing through the passage to experience a magnetorheological effect less than a magnetorheological effect experienced by fluid flowing through the flow gap but not through the groove. Preferably, the passage is formed in an inner annular surface of a flux ring positioned around a piston core. The passage may be formed, for example, by a curvilinear surface, a modified rectangular surface or a triangular surface.

Magnetorheological fluid damper tunable for smooth transitions

A rotary damper for use in an automotive vehicle. The rotary damper includes an outer casing having a main chamber and a pair of piston orifices, the main chamber and the piston orifices being filled with a damping fluid, a pivotable cam located in the main chamber and attached to an arm for transferring the rotary movement of the arm to the cam. The damper also includes a pair of pistons, each located in its own orifice, and connected to opposite sides of the cam. When the ami transfers the rotary movement to the cam, each piston is moved in opposite directions in its respective piston orifice to damp the rotary movement of the arm.

Growing community of inventors

Dayton, OH, United States of America

Eric Lee Jensen