Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for controlling damping in a shock absorber based on the relative acceleration between the shock main body and the piston rod extended from the shock main body. The shock absorber has a reservoir compartment and a fluid-filled internal chamber divided into a compression compartment and a rebound compartment by a movable piston. A piston rod is connected to the piston and extends through a seal in the rebound end of the internal chamber. The shock absorber contains flow passages connecting, and normally allowing fluid to flow between, the reservoir compartment, the compression compartment and the rebound compartment. Fluid flow in the flow passages, which is directly related to the relative motion between the shock main body and the piston rod assembly, is allowed or inhibited based on the relative acceleration between shock absorber components.

Abstract: The piston with a valve for a hydraulic damper tube, comprises a piston body (116) having a fluid passage (112) interacting with a floating valve element (115) for controlling in both directions the amount of fluid flowing through the passage. The floating valve element includes a spring washer (115), the deflection (f) of which in the free state is between approximately 0.1 times and approximately 2 times the thickness (e) of the washer.

Abstract: A suspension system for a motor vehicle includes a shock absorber having a device for allowing a change in a damping-force characteristic, a first sensor for sensing a vertical behavior of the motor vehicle, a second sensor for sensing a roll angle of the motor vehicle during steering operation, a third sensor for sensing a roll rate of the motor vehicle during steering operation, and a control unit.

Abstract: A shock absorber has a pressure tube with a piston assembly slidably disposed within the pressure tube and attached to a piston rod. The piston assembly divides the pressure tube into an upper working chamber and a lower working chamber. The piston assembly includes a compression and a rebound valve assembly. The piston assembly also includes a housing attached to the piston rod within which is slidably disposed a piston to define a closed chamber. The closed chamber is in communication with one of the working chambers through a passageway extending through the piston rod. The housing and piston provide two stage damping in rebound and compression with a smooth transition between soft and firm damping.

Abstract: A shock absorber adapted for use in attenuation of vibration for prevention of sudden increase or decrease of attenuating force of plate-like open/close valve to thereby improve a rideability of a vehicle, the shock absorber disposed with a piston having a cylindrically closed housing filled with fluid where an attenuating force is generated by a fluid resistance caused by the fluid moving through orifices, the shock absorber comprising: a valve formed to horizontally move on upper/bottom surfaces of the piston to thereby open and close the orifices; a guide unit disposed between the valve and the piston to enable the piston to horizontally move and to prevent the piston from breaking away to the other direction; and an actuating unit for horizontally changing a force applied to the fluid to move the valve when the piston is moved toward an expanding direction.

Abstract: A suspension damper includes a tube and a damping piston assembly disposed within the tube and slidably mounted therein for reciprocal movement in the tube. The suspension damper also includes a piston rod extending through the tube and connected to the damping piston assembly, a rod guide assembly closing one end of the tube and a self-aligning rebound cut-off disc carried in the tube between the rod guide assembly and the damping piston assembly and cooperating with the rod guide assembly to provide a rebound cut-off effect and to compensate for misalignment between the piston rod and the damping piston assembly.

Abstract: An adjustable installation includes a body and a member carried by the body for adjustment among a plurality of positions by movements substantially in tandem of two spaced-apart locations on the member. A controllable locking gas spring is coupled between the body and the member at one of the locations, and an emergency locking gas spring is coupled between the body and the member at the other of the locations. The emergency locking gas spring normally acts like a non-locking gas spring and is thus in a follower relationship to the controllable locking gas spring but is locked automatically in either of two ways, depending on its design. In some designs, the emergency locking gas spring locks when a force greater than a predetermined force is imposed on it. In other designs, the emergency locking gas spring is locked in response to a signal generated by an acceleration detector upon detection of an acceleration of the installation greater than a predetermined acceleration.

Abstract: A piston-type rail retarder includes a shock absorber having a cylinder defining a cavity between a pair of end walls. A piston rod extends axially through one of the end walls, and a piston is mounted on the piston rod between the end walls so as to divide the cavity into first and second working chambers containing a damping fluid. A first array of passages extends through the piston and communicates between the first and second chambers, and a sprung valve assembly is provided for obturating the first array of passages in the event of the velocity of the piston rod relative to the cylinder exceeding a predetermined value. The first valve mechanism includes a valve plate and a spring for biasing the valve plate into an open position. An array of restricted orifices extend through the valve plate and communicate directly with the corresponding array of first passages when the valve plate is closed.

Abstract: The damper includes a housing assembly and a piston assembly with reciprocates within the cylindrical walls of the housing assembly. The piston assembly is formed from two disks which are spaced apart by a spacer with includes radially and longitudinally oriented planar projections which extend to a position radially inward of a periphery of the disks. The distal ends of the projections form longitudinally oriented surfaces upon which a toroidal seal slidably rides. At least one of the longitudinally oriented surfaces includes an air communication groove in communication with a groove on the trailing disk which extends to the periphery of the trailing disk. When the piston assembly is retracted from the housing assembly, the seal engages the leading disk thereby inhibiting air from flowing through the air communication groove thereby effectuating damping.

Abstract: A piston-cylinder unit, comprising a cylinder which is subdivided by a piston on a piston rod into two working chambers. Between the two working chambers, there is a fluid connection which can be blocked by means of a valve arrangement having at least two individual closing valves arranged in series, each with a valve inflow side and a valve outflow side. The valves open sequentially. In the flow path between the individual valves, there is a throttle arrangement which produces a pressure reduction between the valve outflow side of the first closing valve towards the valve inflow side of the following closing valve. As the opening of the first closing valve increases, the effect of the throttle arrangement decreases; to the same extent, the pressurization increases on the valve inflow side of the following closing valve. The valve arrangement features two flow-through directions and is made so that each can be blocked.