Abstract: Provided is a colloidal damper capable of harvesting electrical energy—that is, practical electrical power—from mechanical energy acting from the outside. This colloidal damper has: a cylinder; a piston which is guided and supported so as to reciprocate freely within this cylinder, and which combines with the cylinder to form a sealed space; a porous body having many pores and housed within the sealed space; an operating fluid which is housed together with the porous body in the sealed space and flows into the pores of the porous body when pressure is applied, and flows out from the pores of the porous body when the pressure is reduced; and a piezoelectric element installed in the sealed space.

Abstract: An actively controlled colloidal damper having controllable damping characteristics. The damper has a cylinder (2); a piston (4) reciprocatably guided and supported by the cylinder (2) and forming a closed space (3) in cooperation with the cylinder (2); a porous body (8) having a large number of fine holes and received in the closed space (3); operation liquid (7) received in the closed space (3) together with the porous body (8), flowing into the fine holes in the porous body (8) when the pressure in the closed space (3) is increased, and flowing out of the fine holes when the pressure in the closed space (3) is decreased, and pressure regulation means, such as a servo value (6) and a pump device (10), for regulating the pressure in the closed space (3).

Abstract: A colloidal damper includes: a cylinder; a piston guided and supported by the cylinder and defining a closed space in association with the cylinder; a porous body having a multiplicity of first pores and being housed in the closed space; a liquid contained in the closed space together with the porous body, the liquid flowing into the first pores of the porous body when pressurized, and flowing out from the first pores of the porous body when the pressure is relieved. The damper may include a partition wall which has a multiplicity of second pores and which isolates the porous body from a frictional area, each of the second pores having a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the porous body. The porous body may have an outer diameter larger than the size of the gap formed between the cylinder and the piston.

Abstract: Provided is a colloidal damper capable of harvesting electrical energy—that is, practical electrical power—from mechanical energy acting from the outside. This colloidal damper has: a cylinder; a piston which is guided and supported so as to reciprocate freely within this cylinder, and which combines with the cylinder to form a sealed space; a porous body having many pores and housed within the sealed space; an operating fluid which is housed together with the porous body in the sealed space and flows into the pores of the porous body when pressure is applied, and flows out from the pores of the porous body when the pressure is reduced; and a piezoelectric element installed in the sealed space.

Abstract: A colloidal damper includes: a cylinder; a piston guided and supported by the cylinder and defining a closed space in association with the cylinder; a porous body having a multiplicity of first pores and being housed in the closed space; a liquid contained in the closed space together with the porous body, the liquid flowing into the first pores of the porous body when pressurized, and flowing out from the first pores of the porous body when the pressure is relieved. The damper may include a partition wall which has a multiplicity of second pores and which isolates the porous body from a frictional area, each of the second pores having a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the porous body. The porous body may have an outer diameter larger than the size of the gap formed between the cylinder and the piston.

Abstract: An actively controlled colloidal damper having controllable damping characteristics. The damper has a cylinder (2); a piston (4) reciprocatably guided and supported by the cylinder (2) and forming a closed space (3) in cooperation with the cylinder (2); a porous body (8) having a large number of fine holes and received in the closed space (3); operation liquid (7) received in the closed space (3) together with the porous body (8), flowing into the fine holes in the porous body (8) when the pressure in the closed space (3) is increased, and flowing out of the fine holes when the pressure in the closed space (3) is decreased, and pressure regulation means, such as a servo value (6) and a pump device (10), for regulating the pressure in the closed space (3).

Abstract: Intended is to perform a further durability improvement of a colloidal damper. This colloidal damper (1) comprises a cylinder (2), a piston (4) guided and supported reciprocally by the cylinder (2) for forming a closed space (3) in association with the cylinder (2), porous members (8) having a multiplicity pores and housed in the closed space (3), and a liquid (7) contained together with the porous members (8) in the closed space (3) for flowing, when pressurized, into the pores of the porous members (8) and, when relieved, out of the pores of the porous member (8). The colloidal damper (1) further comprises a filter (6) having a multiplicity of pores having diameters smaller than the external diameters of the porous members (8) for isolating the porous members (8) from a sliding portion (9) between the cylinder (2) and the piston (4).