Abstract: Methods and apparatus for regulating the function of a suspension system are disclosed herein. Suspension characteristics often contribute to the efficiency of a suspended system. Depending on the desired operating parameters of the suspended system, it may be desirable to alter the functional characteristics of the suspension from time to time in order to maintain or increase efficiency. The suspension hereof may be selectively locked into a substantially rigid configuration, and the damping fluid may be phase separated and/or cooled to increase damping rate during use (or offset rate degradation). The suspension hereof may generate power usable to achieve any or all of the foregoing or to be stored for use elsewhere in the suspended system or beyond.

Abstract: A shock absorber includes a cylinder in which oil is sealed, a piston slidably fitted into the cylinder, a piston rod connected to the piston and extending to the outside of the cylinder, and a damping force generating apparatus controlling a flow of the oil generated by the sliding of the piston inside the cylinder. The damping force generating apparatus includes a valve body generating a damping force by being opened and closed on a flow path in which the oil flows, a valve seat closing the flow path when the valve body is seated, and an actuator generating thrust to the valve body in a valve closing direction. The valve seat has a first elastic body which is elastically deformable in the valve closing direction of the valve body.

Abstract: A strut assembly including a spring to help absorb impacts and a shock absorber to help control motion of the spring is disclosed. The shock absorber includes a base assembly and is mounted between a top mount assembly and a knuckle. The top mount assembly mounts to the body of the vehicle and helps support the spring. An upper spring seat is adjacent the top mount assembly and receives one end of the spring. A lower spring seat formed of a composite material is supported by the base assembly and is adapted to support another end of the spring. The lower spring seat includes at least one reinforcing element having a plurality of reinforcing cords disposed between an upper surface and a lower surface for improving impact resistance thereof.

Abstract: A roll mount is provided and includes a rubber coupled to a core mounted in an exterior pipe coupled to an end of a main body, slits that are formed in the rubber at the periphery of the core, and a pocket that is disposed within the slits. The pocket includes a first pocket portion having a first and second chamber formed therein and connecting portions having flow paths that connect the first and second pocket portion and place the first and second chamber in fluid communication. A magnetorheological fluid is encapsulated in the first and second chamber, and flows therethrough, via the flow paths based on elastic deformation of the first and second pocket portion. The wound coils are disposed at exterior sides of the first and second pocket portions, and fluidity of the magnetorheological fluid is adjusted based on the electric current applied to the coil.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a bearing features an elastomeric portion having an opening therethrough, a member disposed within the opening of the elastomeric portion, and a separation feature disposed between the member and the elastomeric portion. The member comprises a conical body portion arranged such that an interior diameter of the conical body portion is smaller than an exterior diameter of the conical body portion. The separation feature prevents contact between the member and the elastomeric portion.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a selectable-rate spring comprises a flexure bar connected to a rotatable shaft, the flexure bar having at least one arched portion. The selectable-rate spring also includes at least one rotational contactor connectable to a link member, wherein the rotational contactor rotates about an axis while maintaining contact with the arched portion of the flexure bar. As the rotational contactor rotates, it changes the connection stiffness between the rotatable shaft and the link member.

Abstract: An actuator for a motor vehicle functional unit includes a force transmission unit transmitting an actuating force to an actuating member and being displaced by a measuring travel in a force transmission direction. A force measurement device detects an actual value of the actuating force and includes a spring acting in the force transmission direction, having resilient action counter to which the force transmission unit is displaced and being tensioned by the actuating force over a resilient excursion, a micro switch having smaller switching travel than the measuring travel and being actuated upon displacement of the force transmission unit if the actuating force reaches the actual value, and a stop element for actuating the switch. The switch or element are coupled to or fixed relative to the force transmission unit and the switch and/or element are resiliently supported to compensate for a difference between the switching and measuring travels.

Abstract: A brake rotor for attachment to a wheel of a vehicle may include outer and inner friction members, and a plurality of fin elements connecting the outer friction member to the inner friction member. Each fin element may include radially spaced first and second pillars that are connected by a single bridge portion to define an opening in the fin element. The opening may also be defined by an interior surface of one of the annular disks. The opening may be tapered along an entire length between a first pillar and a second pillar. A width of each fin element may taper toward a center of the brake rotor.

Abstract: A vented cap for a main spring housing of a slack adjuster including an inner portion having an inner seal surface configured for cooperating with an elongated rod member and an outer seal surface configured for cooperating with a sidewall located at an end portion of the main spring housing. The vented end cap includes at least one opening configured to allow fluid and/or contaminants trapped within the slack adjuster and/or the end cap to drain therethrough. Various seals and/or drainage openings can also be provided along the slack adjuster to prevent the entrance of and/or allow for drainage of fluid/contaminants from the slack adjuster. A method for preventing the accumulation of fluid and/or contaminants within a slack adjuster and for protecting a critical operating area of the slack adjuster is also provided.

Abstract: A brake assembly and a method for manufacturing a brake assembly are provided. The brake assembly includes a brake pad affixed to a substrate. The brake pad extends from the substrate to a brake pad friction surface, and includes abradable cellular metal foam with the hardened ceramic particles.

Abstract: A damper with a cylinder and a rod, a spring arranged around the damper and a linear actuator arranged to change in a controlled manner the axial position of a bottom end of the spring relative to the cylinder of the damper. The actuator comprises an inner cylindrical element arranged to be mounted around the cylinder of the damper, an outer cylindrical element, which is mounted so as to be axially slidable relative to the inner cylindrical element and is arranged to support the bottom end of the spring, and a working chamber arranged to be filled with a fluid under pressure to adjust the axial position of the outer cylindrical element relative to the inner cylindrical element. The working chamber is delimited, both radially and axially, only by the inner cylindrical element and by the outer cylindrical element. The outer cylindrical element is provided with a support flange arranged to support the bottom end of the spring.

Abstract: A disc brake device includes flat springs assembled in a support body and holding the brake pad back plates. The flat springs have a C-shaped part provided with: a connection surface part comprising a pad-receiving surface part; an outer circumferential surface part extending along the rotor circumferential direction from the end region of the connection surface part in the rotor radially outward direction; and an inner circumferential surface part extending along the rotor circumferential direction from the end region of the connection surface part in the rotor radially inward direction. Each flat spring also has a tongue-shaped part that: extends towards the connection surface part from the tip region of the inner circumferential surface part in the rotor circumferential direction; elastically engages an inner circumferential wall of a recess at a tip region of the tongue-shaped part; and biases the pad-receiving surface part towards a base wall of the recess.

Abstract: A caliper disk brake of a vehicle with a brake disk, a brake caliper, a brake anchor plate, a force transmission element guided and supported in a shaft of the brake caliper or of the brake anchor plate, a holding-down spring for holding down the force transmission element, and a holding-down device held and supported on the caliper by a holding device, pretensions the holding-down spring radially against the force transmission device and pretensions the holding-down spring tangentially in the direction of rotation against the force transmission device during forwards travel. The holding device has a center line parallel to the axis of rotation of the brake disk. The tangential pre-tensioning is at least partially attributed to the dimensions of the holding-down device, as measured in the tangential direction from the center line, being larger at least in sections on the disk exit side than on the disk entry side.

Abstract: A fluid-filled vibration-damping device including two chambers partitioned by a partition member and mutually communicated by an orifice passage and a communication passage which is provided at the partition member, with a movable rubber film disposed in the communication passage so that each pressure of the chambers is applied to the respective face of the movable rubber film, wherein the movable rubber film includes a thick-walled outer peripheral retaining part formed at its outer rim and clamped by the partition member and reinforcing crosspieces projecting on its face and extending inward from the outer peripheral retaining part to mutually intersect, and a width dimension of at least one of the reinforcing crosspieces is made small in a vicinity of the intersection part to provide a narrow part by which the movable rubber film has a low-spring area in the vicinity of the intersection part.

Abstract: A secondary brake for commercial vehicles using Magnetorheological (MR) fluid may include a rotor coupled to a transmission output shaft to be rotated together, a stator configured to be disposed between the rotor and a body of a transmission and having a cavity into which the MR fluid is filled and a portion of the rotor is received, and a stator coil provided in a portion of the stator and applying a magnetic field to the MR fluid so that braking torque is generated due to a shear resistance characteristic of the MR fluid.

Abstract: PROBLEM Provided is a damping force control type shock absorber capable of obtaining an appropriate damping force even in the event of a failure independently of the stoke of a valving element of a solenoid valve. MEANS FOR SOLVING A piston 5 having a piston rod 6 connected thereto is fitted in a cylinder 2 having hydraulic oil sealed therein, and a flow of hydraulic oil induced by movement of the piston 5 is controlled by a damping force generating mechanism 26 to generate a damping force. In the damping force generating mechanism 26, damping force is generated by a pilot-type main valve 27 and a normally-open pilot valve 28 which is a solenoid valve, and the damping force is adjusted by energization of a coil 37. A fail-safe valve 100 is provided downstream of the pilot valve 28. During normal operations, the fail-safe valve 100 opens the flow path through excitation of the coil 37 of the pilot valve 28.

Abstract: A sliding caliper disk brake is provided, in which a stationary brake carrier configured to carry a brake caliper includes two pairs of carrier horns, one pair of which supports a reaction-side brake pad and one pair of which supports an application side brake pad. The spacing between the reaction-side pair of carrier horns is larger than the spacing between the application-side pair of carrier horns. The reaction-side brake pad and reaction-side pair of carrier horns may be shorter than the corresponding application-side brake pad and carrier horns. The arrangement of the brake carrier, the brake caliper and the brake pads permits reduction in disk brake weight, cost and brake carrier stresses while providing desired brake thermal, mechanical and service life performance.

Abstract: A torsional vibration reducing device is provided. The torsional vibration reducing device includes a rotating body, a plurality of rolling bodies, and a connection member. The connection member connects the plurality of rolling bodies, and at least two contact portions are positioned on an inner surface of each of the plurality of accommodating portions, a portion of an outer peripheral surface of each of the plurality of rolling bodies being positioned in each of the plurality of accommodating portions, and the outer peripheral surface of each of the plurality of rolling bodies being configured to come into point contact with the contact portions in the circumferential direction of the rotating body.

Abstract: Pressure-sensitive vales are incorporated within a dampening system to permit user-adjustable tuning of a shock absorber. In one embodiment, a pressure-sensitive valve includes an isolated gas chamber having a pressure therein that is settable by a user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a damper. The damper comprises a fluid chamber having a piston dividing the chamber into a compression and rebound sides, a reservoir in fluid communication with the compression side of the chamber, and an isolator disposed between the compression side and the reservoir, whereby the isolator obstructs fluid flow between the compression side and the reservoir. In one embodiment, a bypass provides a fluid path between the compression side and the isolator.