Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.

Sturman Industries, Inc.

Jeffrey T Gardner

Matthew L Roessle

Karl C Kazmirski

Jeroen K Paenhuysen

Thomas Mallin

Jeffrey Allen Rogers

Daniel T Keil

Darrell G Breese

Miguel Angelo Raimao

Scott S Dunaway

David R Blankenship

Oded Eddie Sturman

Guy Robert Babbitt

John McGahey

Timothy P Kranz

Gary Mansouri

Jonathan J Lorenzen

A damper system and method for a vehicle includes a shock absorber and a damper module. The shock absorber includes a plurality of digital valves. The shock absorber is operable at one of multiple damping states based on a valve state of the digital valves. The damper module is coupled to each of the digital valves and controls each of the digital valves to a desired state based on a damper setting. The damper module determines a target damping state, where the target state is one of the multiple damping states. The damper module performs a switch operation to control the valve state of the plurality of digital valves to a given desired state when the target damping state is different from a present damping state.

Valve switching controls for adjustable damper

A shock absorber has a housing with a piston rod assembly disposed therein. A first rod guide member is secured within a first portion of the housing so as to be concentrically disposed about at least a portion of the piston rod assembly. A second rod guide member is secured within the housing adjacent the first rod guide member so as to be concentrically disposed about at least another portion of the piston rod assembly. A digital valve assembly is disposed within the second rod guide member and fluidly couples chambers within the shock absorber.

Two position valve with face seal and pressure relief port

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 shock absorber may include a piston rod, a first rod guide member, a second rod guide member, and an electronically controlled valve assembly. The first rod guide member is concentrically disposed about the piston rod, and the second rod guide member is concentrically disposed about the piston rod and is adjacent the first rod guide member. The electronically controlled valve assembly may include a coil assembly and a valve guide assembly. The valve guide assembly may be disposed adjacent to the coil assembly and may be concentrically disposed about the second rod guide member. The valve guide assembly includes a spool and defines a valve inlet, a valve outlet, and a chamber. The spool is disposed within the chamber and controls the flow of fluid between the valve inlet and the valve outlet.

Rod guide assembly with multi-piece valve assembly

A damper system for a vehicle includes a shock absorber and a damper module. The shock absorber includes a plurality of digital valves. The shock absorber is operable at one of multiple damping states based on a valve state of the digital valves. The damper module is coupled to each of the digital valves and controls each of the digital valves to a desired state based on a damper setting. The damper module determines a target damping state, where the target state is one of the multiple damping states. The damper module performs a switch operation to control the valve state of the plurality of digital valves to a given desired state when the target damping state is different from a present damping state.

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 ride control system includes a shock absorber having a movable piston that divides the shock absorber into a lower and an upper volume and a center check valve that allows fluid to flow from the upper to the lower volume. A back pressure actuator provides a selectable back pressure to the lower volume. Three two way valves and a check valve allow the lower and upper volumes to be selectively coupled to either the selectable back pressure or a shock absorber fluid reservoir to provide passive, semi-active, or active ride control. The back pressure actuator pressurizes a hydraulic accumulator when shock absorber fluid flows into the back pressure actuator to provide energy recovery.

Active and semi-active ride control with energy recovery

Power steering systems and methods to improve efficiency and performance of vehicle power steering systems. In one embodiment, there is provided an engine driven positive displacement hydraulic pump, a rotary valve coupled to a steering shaft for receiving hydraulic fluid under pressure in a rotary valve inlet and providing a differential pressure to a steering rack piston for a steering boost responsive to a torque exerted on the steering shaft, valving coupled between an output of the hydraulic pump, the rotary valve inlet and the hydraulic pump input for controllably coupling the output of the hydraulic pump to the rotary valve inlet or an input of the hydraulic pump, and a controller coupled to valving to maintain a flow rate of hydraulic fluid coupled to the rotary valve responsive to a pressure sensor output. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Power steering systems and methods

Micro-hydraulic supply and storage units capable of recovering waste energy and storing energy for later use, such as for operating hydraulic valve actuation and high pressure fuel injection systems. The system includes a sump, a pump motor, an accumulator and a supply rail. Valving is provided to couple the outlet of the pump motor to the accumulator to fill the accumulator with what otherwise would be waste energy, such as when a vehicle is using its engine for braking, directing the output of the pump motor to a supply rail to maintain the pressure in the supply rail, and directing the output of the pump to a sump. The valving also allows directing an outlet of the accumulator to an inlet of the pump motor for recover of the energy in the accumulator. Other aspects of the invention are disclosed.

Micro-hydraulic supply and storage units for operating hydraulic systems

Digital regulators using a plurality of latching solenoid actuators, each having a spring return, the springs being configured to provide a force on the valve member of a regulator, when the solenoid actuators are unlatched, in a binary progression. The solenoid actuators are selectively latched by an latching current pulse and retained in the latched condition by residual magnetism in a zero air gap magnetic circuit. Various embodiments are disclosed, including embodiments having the solenoid actuators side by side and in a stacked relationship, solenoid actuators having springs providing a spring force in a binary progression, solenoid actuators having equal springs and distributed in a binary progression from a hinge axis, and solenoid actuators not distributed in a binary progression from a hinge axis and not distributed in a binary progression from the hinge axis. Embodiments are also disclosed having the capability of interpolating between binary settings of the digital regulator.

Digital regulators

High efficiency, high pressure fixed displacement pump systems and methods of control. A typical application is for engine driven high pressure pumps for powering loads such as fuel injectors and/or hydraulic engine valve actuators. The pump systems include a control valve controllably coupling the pump output back to the pump input to stop the pumping when the desired pressure of the output is reached. Reinitiating pumping an increment in crankshaft angle before a load event based in the increment in pressure needed to reach the desired pressure at the crankshaft angle of the load event provides a simple control algorithm assuring accurate repeatability in the pressure at the beginning of a load event. Pumping throughout the load event minimizes the decrease in pressure during the load event. Providing underlap in the control valve minimizes pressure peaks and maximizes efficiently when starting and stopping the pumping action. Various embodiments are disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Woodland Park, CO, United States of America

Jeffrey T Gardner