Abstract: An oil pressurized telescoping actuator for active ride vehicle suspension having a folded dual piston design with an inner piston stroking within the rod of an outer piston to foreshorten overall length. A special universal joint provided for a larger tolerance so that three bearing surfaces encounter will not encounter binding. The upper mount accommodates the upper end of the actuator with extends therethrough to further foreshorten the unit. The entire unit is jacketed to provide a reservoir connected to a drain line so that leakage oil can be pressurized by a pump into the system for pressurized feed into the actuator for powered expansion and contraction of the actuator for level ride for all vehicle maneuvers.

Abstract: Rolling lobe air suspension strut having a specialized compliant cover plate assembly that forms the upper end of the air spring and which provides for absorption of jounce energy. This cover plate assembly provides optimization of isolation characteristics through split paths carried into the body through the isolation cushion in the mount assembly and the isolator portion of the compliant cover plate provided by the elastomer jounce bumper.

Abstract: Active suspension for vehicles with a dual acting hydraulic actuator providing foreshortened overall length for a given amount of stroke. A conventional suspension unit when designed to give appropriate wheel travel protruded through the hood. The cylinder tube of the actuator of this invention makes use of concentric tubes proportioned to provide the same pressure-force relationship in both directions and to be no larger than the conventional unit. This actuator also incorporates a trapped air volume that is separate from the oil volumes. This air volume can be appropriately sized so that an air-spring is created by the moving piston. The air spring is of approximately the correct load an rate for the vehicle. This removes the requirement for carrying static vehicle load from the hydraulic portion of the device, which reduces power consumption.

Abstract: This suspension strut has upper and lower air sleeves which when pressurized with air provide the air spring suspension of a vehicle and which are axially offset from one another so that a force couple is formed that provides a moment which counteracts the moment resulting from the tire contact patch acting at a distance from the lower ball joint. With the tire contact moment neutralized, the side loads on the bearing and other sliding components of the strut are eliminated or sharply reduced to increase efficiency of strut operation and enhance strut durability.

Abstract: Suspension damper with double drum variable valving within the confines of the piston which strokes within the damper that is rotatable to predetermined stations in one revolution to provide a wide range of jounce and rebound damping characteristics and rotatable in an opposite direction from any station for maximized valve restriction producing optimized vehicle lift and dive control.

Abstract: The strut mount is secured to the piston rod of the damper of the strut and provides the upper seat for the suspension spring. A support plate with a coned opening cams a snap ring held in the isolator or rubber body of the mount radially inwardly. At the top of the coned opening, the snap ring deflects radially outwardly over the top of the coned opening to engage the upper surface thereof to lock the isolator and the strut in position.

Abstract: Corrugated coring of the inside of an isolator grommet forms radial fingers which engage the outer surface of a metallic spacer which provides an attachment for the arms of a bracket to upper and lower tie bars so that the isolator will provide a high spring rate between a bladed fan and radiator while allowing the fan package to have more freedom in the radial direction while keeping the clearance between the fan and radiator as close as possible while damping the vibratory energy generated by the fan and motor.

Abstract: A modular piston having a high tensile strength piston and rod connection produced without lubrication, weld splatter or other contaminants. The method produces an optimized joint from strength, concentricity and cleanliness standpoints. The parts are centered and connected in the same operation. With this connection an elastomeric bumper and bumper containment plate are retained in position for a complete assembly.

Abstract: Energy absorbing unit for vehicle bumper support having inner and outer telescoping cylinders with a radially fixed flow control orifice in the piston cap for recessing a cooperating metering pin concentric with the orifice for controlling the flow of fluid between a pair of contractible and expansible fluid chambers to dissipate impact energy in a first stage operation. The radially fixed flow control orifice is designed to break away from the piston cap in response to predetermined high pressure buildup in one of the chambers to increase the opening between the chambers in a second stage operation to thereby reduce pressure and absorb the energy of increased impact load. A gas spring in the unit moves the two cylinders to their extended position on removal of bumper impact load.

Abstract: A hydraulic damper for adjusting the damping force which incorporates a piston operatively for stroking movement within a cylinder and partitioning the cylinder into separate chambers with first fluid flow control valving interconnecting said chambers for determining said damping force of said unit and fluid bypass passage extending through said neck portion of said piston for controlling the effective passage area of the bypass passage and generating a family of curves for controlling and selecting the damping force of the damper.

Abstract: A variable speed transverse fan is provided for booster application in multi-ducted heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems for automotive vehicle. The transverse fan may be employed in a front arm rest and is selectively powered to provide air flow control to the rear passengers such as by increasing flow to the rear passenger when the main fan is on low speed. Because of the high turbining loss characteristic of this type of fan, a significant reduction of the air flow to the rear can be obtained if desired by turning the transverse booster fan off when the main fan is on high speed.

Abstract: A family of two-stage rebound damping performance curves is provided by rotating a selector plate within the damper piston to a number of selected positions to control orifice selection to a centralized blow off passage to thereby control the rate of oil flow through the piston during rebound.

Abstract: The capability of this shock absorber or damper changing the energy of motion into heat progressively increases as the suspension components progressively wear and become more flexible over their service life. This is accomplished by the use of flow controlling concentric seats of different heights on the rebound valve element. As the outer and higher seat wears down, the working area of the valve element decreases with the inner seat being operative to increase the load to generally compensate for the reduction in friction in the suspension thereby providing a more consistent ride as a function of use.

Abstract: A viscous fan clutch having clutch and pump plates with interleaved lands to form the shear zone featuring an annular blocker ring and axial fluid feed passages radially inward of the blocker ring leading to the shear zone through lands partially or completely removed from the clutch plate to improve flow distribution into the shear zone.

Abstract: Rebound damping action of this hydraulic damper is set by rotating a selector plate within the shock absorber piston to a number of positions to control orifice selection degree of disk plate pack deflection and the rate of oil flow through the piston during rebound.

Abstract: Bleed orifices are formed in the lower end of the rod guide of a double acting hydraulic strut or shock unit. The bleed orifices are of sufficient size and number that when a rod guide designed for a larger bore unit is assembled in a unit with a smaller bore cylinder tube, a large fluid leak path is produced between the cylinder tube and the reservoir tube. This leak greatly reduces rebound damping force that the unit normally produces. When checked for damping performance before final shipment of the unit, the low damping force is readily detected and the unit is rejected for repair.

Abstract: Vehicle suspension strut with quick take-apart upper mount featuring a jounce bumper retainer which can be turned from a locked to an unlocked position and axially removed for jounce bumper service and to allow access to service the strut through the engine compartment so that the expense of removing the strut and spring is eliminated. The design effectively eliminates prior upper spring seat designs and is simple and inexpensive and readily accommodates high service loads.

Abstract: An upper mount assembly for a suspension strut which incorporates an elastomer bushing operatively connecting the piston rod to support structure that works in shear over initial travel but has compression load buildup at the limit of mount travel. The mount assembly is a unitized multi-element construction having a jounce bumper to provide a load path for suspension spring assist and a load deflection curve to improve suspension characteristics. In this invention, load buildup is achieved in jounce and rebound with the use of a rate washer which is moved upwardly by the strut in jounce movement. Initial travel works the bushing in shear but the elastomer becomes compressed between the washer and an outside metal wall to provide increasing spring rate. When the rod moves vertically downwardly in rebound, the washer controls the load buildup and compresses the upper portion of the jounce bumper for soft entry into rebound.

Abstract: A viscous fan clutch employing flat wipers with angled edges secured on the inner annular periphery of the clutch body which scavage viscous fluid from the space between the inner diameter of the main body and the outer diameter of the clutch plate which controls the rate of discharge of pumping slots formed on the inside diameter of the body to optimize fluid flow from the working cavity to the storage cavity by way of a discrete intermediate cavity to reduce horsepower requirement when a low output speed during disengaged mode is desired or a faster rate of disengagement is required.

Abstract: Airfoil for vehicle fan which operates in low Reynolds number and varying turbulent conditions having a discontinuity formed on the suction surface thereof adjacent to its leading edge to trigger early formation of a laminar flow bubble so that sufficient suction surface remains downstream of the air bubble whereby air circumventing the bubble can reattach to the suction surface for sufficient pressure recovery for high lift and low drag performance.