Lord Corporation

Warren R Schroeder

Douglas Edward Ivers

Lane R Miller

Mark R Jolly

Donald L Margolis

Michael C Heath

Charles M Nobles

Kenneth R Boone

A non-active regenerative system (20) which regenerates energy by taking energy from relative motion of members (22) and (24) and using it later to accomplish overall improved performance and eliminates the need for an active source to provide assisting forces. The non-active regenerative system (20) includes an energy transformer element (26) interconnecting a first member (22) and second member (24) which converts relative motion to an energy in storable form, and an energy management element (30) which channels the flow of energy to and from an energy storage element (32) to produce assisting forces. The energy management element (30)is commanded by a controller (36) which is responsive sensors (34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d) which provide signals indicative of the system condition. Power is supplied to the energy management (30), sensors (34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d), and controller (36), only if required, by power source (40). However, no active power source is needed to drive the transformer element (26). Embodiments of the non-active regenerative system (20) include non-active actuators and controllable mounts. Further, pulse width modulation of the energy management element (30) may be provided to reduce the system losses associated with tracking a desired force as dictated by a control algorithm.

Regenerative system including an energy transformer which requires no

The system includes at least one semiactive damper whose switching between high damping and low damping states is at times delayed until the relative velocity across the damper is no greater than a preselected low magnitude, or until the energy stored by a resilient deformable system member is no greater than a predetermined magnitude, or until the first to occur of either of the foregoing events.

Method of operating a vibration attenuating system having semiactive

Operation of a continuously variable semiactive damper of the system is modified so as to reduce generation in the system of undesirable shocks and noise. The modifications include delaying some or all of the changes in the on/off states of the damper, and/or limiting the rate and/or extent of changes in the damping coefficient of the damper at certain of the times when the damper is in an on state.

Vibration attenuating method utilizing continuously variable semiactive

Growing community of inventors

Cary, NC, United States of America

Warren R Schroeder