Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Bwi Company Limited S.a.

James Louis Lopez, Jr

Michael Leslie Oliver

Jaroslaw S Skarbek

William Charles Kruckemeyer

Richard Edward Longhouse

Gary Lee Johnston

Steven Ray Robinson

Shawn W Ryan

Donelle Robert Mills

Rao M Chalasani

Clyde A Bowers

Ralph C Pinson

Richard A Gdowski

Bernard Burns

Kim P Lind

A magnetorheological (MR) piston ring includes an MR-piston-ring body disposable within a cylinder of an MR damper along a central longitudinal axis. The MR-piston-ring body has a radially inner surface defining a boundary of a longitudinally-extending MR passageway. The MR-piston-ring body includes a surface portion which is slidingly engagable with the cylinder and which has first and second longitudinal ends. The surface portion includes at least one surface groove each defining a secondary MR passageway and extending between the first and the second longitudinal ends. The surface groove is substantially straight and tilted with respect to a line drawn on the surface portion parallel to the central longitudinal axis. An MR damper including the MR piston ring is also described.

Magnetorheological (MR) piston ring and MR damper having same

A magnetorheological (MR) piston ring includes an MR-piston-ring body disposable within a cylinder of an MR damper. The MR-piston-ring body has a radially inner surface defining a boundary of a longitudinally-extending MR passageway. The MR-piston-ring body includes a surface portion which is slidingly engagable with the cylinder and which has first and second longitudinal ends. The surface portion includes at least one surface groove each defining a secondary MR passageway and extending from the first to the second longitudinal end or each defining an MR cavity extending from one of the first and second longitudinal ends toward, but not to, the other of the first and second longitudinal ends. An MR damper including the MR piston ring is also described.

Magnetorheological (MR) piston ring with lubricating grooves

A damper provides tunable variable rates in both extension and compression operation. A piston is carried in a cylinder tube separating out extension and compression chambers. The piston carries a first valving assembly that is tuned to provide a first damping level when fluid flows through the piston from the extension chamber to the compression chamber and a second valving assembly that is tuned to provide a second damping level when fluid flows through the piston from the compression chamber to the extension chamber. A control valve assembly is mounted to move with the piston. When the control valve assembly is closed, fluid flow between the compression and extension chamber flows substantially only through the first and second valving assemblies and when the control valve is open at least some fluid flows between the compression and extension chambers through a secondary valve assembly without passing through the first and second valving assemblies. The secondary valve assembly is mounted to move with the piston and includes a third valving assembly that is tuned to provide a third damping level, and includes a fourth valving assembly that is tuned to provide a fourth damping level. When the control valve is open, fluid flow from the extension chamber to the compression chamber passes through both the first valving assembly and the third valving assembly wherein performance of the damper is determined by the first and third valving assemblies in parallel, and fluid flow from the compression chamber to the extension chamber passes through both the second valving assembly and the fourth valving assembly wherein performance of the damper is determined by the second and fourth valving assemblies in parallel.

Bi-Directional Multiple State Suspension Damper

An economical to manufacture and simple to install and remove gas charged fluid pressure accumulator including a cup-shaped accumulator body with an integral dome at one end and an integral in-turned annular lip at the other end, a piston slidably disposed in the accumulator body, and an external screw thread on the accumulator body. The accumulator body is screwed into a threaded counterbore until the annular lip bears against a bottom wall of the counterbore with a fluid port of the manifold inside of the projection of the lip on the bottom wall. A seal ring in a groove in the bottom wall of the counterbore bears against the annular lip to seal the chamber of the accumulator defined between the bottom wall and the piston.

Fluid pressure accumulator

A piston and rod subassembly is reciprocally mounted in a piston tube subassembly. A transfer tube is concentrically mounted in the rod and is in fluid communication with a pressurized source of fluid. A solenoid valve subassembly provides real time damping of relatively high frequency inputs by opening and closing a bypass channel formed in the actuator. Relatively low frequency inputs are actively controlled as fluid passes to and from the pressurized source of fluid. An outer body tube includes a fluid trapping chamber to prevent leakage from the actuator.

Active suspension actuator with real time damping

Growing community of inventors

Dayton, OH, United States of America

James Louis Lopez, Jr