Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Mark F Lamps

Jamshid Kargar Moradmand

Edward Charles Ekert

A valve for a hydraulic damper comprising a flat circular disc(s) with a central axial opening wherein the disc(s) has a spring characteristic tending to maintain the disc in a flat shape and tending to return the disc(s) to the flat shape when forces deflect the disc(s) from the flat shape, and a disc retainer having a predetermined axial length, a circular cylindrical shape, a central axial opening, axially coextensive with said axial length, a perimeter wall around an outer perimeter of the retainer, an axial wall around a perimeter of the axial opening wherein the perimeter wall has a first diameter, an annular portion inside of the perimeter wall characterized by a shape having a continuously varying curvature arcuately rotated completely around the retainer axis, wherein during a high velocity event, the disc(s) deflects against the retainer and a load between the disc(s) and the disc retainer is spread along the disc(s) surface wherein excessive localized straining of the disc(s) is prevented and wherein maximum magnitude loads are transferred to the retainer.

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Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America

Mark F Lamps