Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Thomas Michael Dalka

Wei-Yi Loh

Jiansheng Weng

Rena Hecht Basch

A magnetorheological (MR) vibration damper for damping axial and rotational vibrations of an automotive steering system may include a housing encasing MR fluid therein and a gear-like rotor and orifice plate disposed within the housing. The rotor and orifice plate, which may be affixed to the steering wheel shaft, includes a plurality of gear-like teeth on its surface and a plurality of holes for producing shear and normal forces, respectively, on the MR fluid. Electric coils may be disposed within the housing for generating an electric field for activating the MR fluid. The MR vibration damper may be activated or deactivated by a controller by comparing a signal value from a steering wheel vibration sensor to a predetermined threshold value. The controller may be programmable by a user to increase or decrease the predetermined threshold value, so as to enable customization of driving feel.

Semi-active control of automotive steering system vibration with magneto-rheological damping

A brake system for a vehicle having wheels. The brake system includes a brake housing and a flow chamber housing. The brake housing includes a friction element being adapted to move to engage a portion of the wheels for inhibiting rotation of the wheels. The flow chamber housing includes a substantially circular flow chamber and a brake fluid line. The substantially circular chamber housing includes an enlarged flow chamber has a circumferential wall and a peripheral wall and a pair of opposite walls. The enlarged flow chamber is fluidly interconnected to the brake housing for supplying fluid to the brake housing for moving the friction element. The brake fluid line is connected substantially tangentially to the circumferential wall of the flow chamber housing includes a first fluid line connected to the peripheral wall of the enlarged flow chamber and a master cylinder fluid line connected to one of the pair of substantially circular flow chamber whereby oppositely facing walls of the enlarged flow chamber. A pressure wave in the fluid entering the substantially circular enlarged flow chamber from the first fluid line will be forced to move in a substantially circular path reflect off of the peripheral wall at a plurality of points to thereby dissipate the pressure wave.

Growing community of inventors

Sterling Heights, MI, United States of America

Thomas Michael Dalka