Csa Engineering, Inc.

Jason E Lindler

Eric H Anderson

Shawn P Kelso

Marc Regelbrugge

The invention disclosed is a magnetorheological fluid device offering vibration isolation and broad modulation range damping in a high load carrying and compact form. A cylindrically shaped flexure structure has a bottom cap attached to one end and a top cap attached to the other end. A piston comprising a toroidal displacement body, a central shaft, and intermediate connecting plate, attaches to the top cap. A fluid chamber surrounding and generally conforming to the shape of the toroidal displacement body, is attached to the bottom cap. Two bellows attaching between the piston connecting plate and top and bottom portions of the fluid chamber complete an enclosed volume around the toroidal displacement body and allow frictionless motion of the toroidal displacement body relative to the fluid chamber. Electromagnetic coils placed within the inner and outer radius walls of the fluid chamber effect a magnetic field across the outer radius gap and inner radius gap between the toroidal displacement body and fluid chamber. Longitudinal deflection of the cylindrical flexure structure effects motion of the top cap relative to the bottom cap which in turn effects longitudinal motion of the toroidal displacement body within the fluid chamber. Magnetorheological fluid is forced from the top of the toroidal displacement body to the bottom, and vice-versa, across the inner radius and outer radius gaps between the fluid chamber and the inner radius of the toroidal displacement body. Static payload loads are supported with a high-strength, linear-elastic load path while base motion dynamic vibration loads are substantially isolated and damped without stiction effects.

Magnetorheological fluid vibration isolator

The invention disclosed is a compact, high efficiency, smart material element driven hydraulic pump comprising a diaphragm, a face plate coupled to and spanning across the diaphragm, and a smart material element. The diaphragm comprises on a first side a recess and a stiff face-seal surface surrounding the recess. On the second side of the diaphragm is a stiff center pedestal and a flexure means attached to the periphery of the center pedestal. The diaphragm and face plate coupled together form a chamber that is dynamically sealed by contact of the face-seal surface against the face plate and such chamber's compliance is primarily and effectively within the flexure means within the diaphragm. A smart material element is positioned and constrained against the stiff center pedestal such that extension and contraction of the smart material element deforms the diaphragm such that the pumping chamber compresses and expands through compliance and deformation within the flexure means alone. In a preferred form the flexure means is comprised of two annular flexures and the recess is of conical edge shape such that the chamber flattens against the face plate to effect a broad, low profile pump chamber having negligible seal compliance and providing high volumetric efficiency.

Compact, high efficiency, smart material actuated hydraulic pump

The invention disclosed is a direct driven, smart material actuated servovalve providing very high actuation control bandwidth for moderate to large flow systems. The servovalve is comprised of a valve body and a valve spool, a smart material element such as a piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive material, and a mechanical lever. The lever is mounted to a pivot support in the valve body and is positioned relative to the smart material element and valve spool such that expansion/contraction motion induced into the smart material element enforces motion on the first end of the mechanical lever. This motion is amplified by the lever at the second end of the lever and drives the end of the valve spool. The resulting amplified motion causes the valve spool to shift along its longitudinal axis of sufficient distance to afford high bandwidth valve spool positioning on large flow valves. Localized spool position sensing and control electronics are further added to provide a self-contained, high bandwidth servovalve.

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Jason E Lindler