Patents Examined by James K. Hsiao
  • Patent number: 11808317
    Abstract: A squeeze mode giant electrorheological fluid damper is disclosed. The squeeze mode giant electrorheological fluid damper comprises a support, a container and a connecting structure, wherein the support comprises a bottom plate, guide shafts and a top plate, the guide shaft is vertically fixed on the bottom plate, and the top plate is slidably arranged on the guide shaft; the container comprises a container body and two spiral spring pieces coaxially arranged in the container body, the container body is fixed on the bottom plate, the bottoms of the two spiral spring pieces are fixed to the bottom of the container, the two spiral spring pieces are not in contact with each other and are spaced by 180°; the top of the connecting structure is fixedly connected with the top plate, and the bottom of the connecting structure is fixedly connected with the tops of the two spiral spring pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Shanghai University
    Inventors: Yi Sun, Ben Lu, Huayan Pu, Min Wang, Jiheng Ding, Wenchuan Jia, Yan Peng, Jun Luo
  • Patent number: 11808323
    Abstract: A damper assembly includes a pressure tube defining a first chamber and a piston movable within the first chamber. The damper assembly includes a reserve tube defining a second chamber. The damper assembly includes a cylinder end attached to the pressure tube, the cylinder end defining a passage in fluid communication with the first chamber and the second chamber. The damper assembly includes an orifice disc attached to the cylinder end and defining an opening in fluid communication with the passage. The damper assembly includes a check disc attached to the cylinder end, the check disc movable from a first position spaced from orifice disc to a second position abutting the orifice disc. Movement of the piston within the first chamber causes fluid flow between the first chamber and the second chamber via the passage of the cylinder end. The check disc and the orifice disc limit a rate of such fluid flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: DRiV Automotive Inc.
    Inventor: Franky Montagna
  • Patent number: 11801723
    Abstract: A strut mount includes: an inner member coupled to a suspension; an outer bracket having an outer cylinder portion housing the inner member, and a flange portion protruding radially outward from the outer cylinder portion and coupled to a vehicle body; an elastic member interposed between the inner member and the outer cylinder portion; and a seal member interposed between the flange portion and the vehicle body. The seal member includes an annular portion located between the flange portion and the vehicle body, and a first downward extending portion extending downward from an outer peripheral portion of the annular portion toward the opposite side from the vehicle body. The flange portion includes a placement surface portion which faces toward the vehicle body and on which the annular portion is placed, and a first sidewall portion extending from an outer peripheral portion of the placement surface portion to the opposite side from the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignees: KURASHIKI KAKO CO., LTD., SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuya Watanabe, Naoki Miyamoto, Hiroo Kawano
  • Patent number: 11796025
    Abstract: A valve mechanism includes: a cylindrical body; a plurality of valve bodies; and a drive valve. The drive valve includes a shaft portion having therein a flow path penetrating in the axial direction, and a step portion extending from an outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion to a radial outside of the shaft portion. The shaft portion has a tip portion which extends further on the cylindrical body side than the step portion. An outer diameter of the tip portion is smaller than an outer diameter of the step portion. A gap between the valve bodies is changed by elastically deforming an inner peripheral portion of the valve body, which comes into contact with the drive valve moved in a direction approaching the valve body, in a direction approaching the cylindrical body with respect to an outer peripheral portion of the valve body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Yosuke Fujikawa, Yosuke Murakami
  • Patent number: 11794542
    Abstract: A shock absorber having a metal damper tube and base assembly is provided. The base assembly, which includes a composite mounting attachment made of a composite material, such as a recyclable thermoplastic, is fixed to an external surface of the metal damper tube, which may be a finished product. A cavity in the composite mounting attachment houses at least a portion of the metal damper tube and thus defines an overlapping region where the composite mounting attachment and the metal damper tube are co-extensive with each other. One or more windows are provided in the overlapping region of the composite mounting attachment where the metal damper tube is left exposed. This helps to promote heat dissipation away from the metal damper tube while reducing weight and heat transmission from the metal damper tube to the composite mounting attachment to reduce overheating of the composite material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: DRiV Automotive Inc.
    Inventors: Emilie Boulay, Miguel Dhaens
  • Patent number: 11781611
    Abstract: A damper including inner and outer tubes and a control valve. A piston is slidably disposed within the inner tube to define first and second working chambers. An intermediate member assembly is disposed annularly about the inner tube. An intermediate channel is positioned radially between the intermediate member assembly and the inner tube and a reservoir channel is positioned radially between the intermediate member assembly and the outer tube. A first unidirectional blocking valve forms a first partition between first and second intermediate channel portions of the intermediate channel. A second unidirectional blocking valve forms a second partition between the second intermediate channel portion and a third intermediate channel portion. An external control valve has a control valve inlet that is arranged in fluid communication with the second intermediate channel portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: DRiV Automotive Inc.
    Inventor: Jon Iriondo
  • Patent number: 11761509
    Abstract: A damping force generating mechanism includes: a flow passage formation part that forms a flow passage through which a liquid flows; and a valve that is configured to control a flow of the liquid in the flow passage. The flow passage formation part includes a first seat part that is provided radially outward of a flow passage port of the flow passage, protrudes from the flow passage port and contacts the valve, a second seat part that is provided radially outward of the first seat part, protrudes from the flow passage port and contacts the valve, and a circulation part having an orifice that allows the liquid to flow from the flow passage port toward the second seat part in a state in which the valve is in contact with the first seat part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Gota Nakano, Chikara Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 11761508
    Abstract: A shock-absorber has a cylindrical body having an inner and an outer cylindrical tubes enclosing a reservoir chamber containing oil, and a rod. A piston divides the internal volume of the inner cylindrical tube into a rebound chamber and a compression chamber. The cylindrical body has an intermediate cylindrical tube enclosing with the inner cylindrical tube an intermediate chamber. A first electronically-controlled valve is arranged inside the inner cylindrical tube, so as to be drivingly connected to the rod, and hydraulically connected to the rebound chamber and to the compression chamber to adjust, during rebound phase, flow of the damping fluid from the rebound chamber to the compression chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: MARELLI SUSPENSION SYSTEMS ITALY S.p.A.
    Inventors: Piero Antonio Conti, Fabio Cotto, Marco Di Vittorio, Giordano Greco
  • Patent number: 11761507
    Abstract: A damper assembly includes a damper with a pressure tube and a piston slidably disposed within the pressure tube. A first working chamber is defined on one side of the piston and a second working chamber is defined on an opposite side of the piston such that a volume of the second working chamber decreases during a compression stroke of the piston and the volume of the second working chamber increases during a rebound stroke of the piston. A bellow accumulator assembly is included and in fluid communication with the second working chamber. The bellow accumulator assembly includes a housing, a bellow accumulator disposed within the housing, a pressurized gas chamber defined between the housing and the bellow accumulator and an accumulator chamber defined between the bellow accumulator and the second working chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: DRiV Automotive Inc.
    Inventor: Stefan Deferme
  • Patent number: 11752823
    Abstract: A vibration damping component, comprising a hydraulic cylinder and a hydraulic motor; The hydraulic oil cylinder comprises an oil storage cylinder and a working cylinder, wherein the working cylinder is internally provided with a first piston piece and is divided into an expansion cavity and a contraction cavity by means of the first piston piece; the expansion connects the oil storage cylinder by means of a first one-way oil discharge; the contraction connects the oil storage cylinder by means of a second one-way oil discharge; the oil storage cylinder is provided thereon with an oil outlet hole; an input end of the hydraulic motor is connected to the oil outlet hole; and an output end of the hydraulic motor is in communication respectively with the expansion by means of a first one-way oil return pipe and with the contraction by means of a second one-way oil return pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: SHENZHEN POLYTECHNIC
    Inventors: Shaoyun Ren, Zhijun Deng, Zhurong Dong
  • Patent number: 11752821
    Abstract: This spring used for a suspension device for a vehicle is provided with: a metal wire material which constitutes a spring section and which has a cover layer provided on the surface thereof; and a seat section which is subjected to a load acting on the spring section, is formed from an elastically deformable material, has a groove section into which the wire material fits, and is bonded to the wire material by an adhesive. The minimum thickness of the portion of the adhesive, which protrudes from the groove section, is greater than or equal to the thickness of an adhesion layer formed in the groove section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: CHUO HATSUJO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ogiso, Kazuyoshi Nono, Yuichi Nakazawa, Hideo Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11754142
    Abstract: An isolator, the isolator comprising an isolator comprising a lower isolator post and an upper isolator post; an isolator compression disk configured to be secured to the upper isolator post; and at least three gaskets configured to be retained, in use, between an upper face of the isolator and a lower face of the isolator compression disk, wherein the lower isolator post, in use, is configured to be affixed to a first apparatus, wherein the upper isolator post is configured to be inserted through an aperture of a second apparatus, wherein the isolator compression disk is configured to retain the second apparatus against the isolator, and wherein the at least three gaskets are configured to prevent any direct contact between the isolator and the second apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan E. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 11721464
    Abstract: To provide a solenoid, a solenoid valve, and a damper in which when the amount of current supplied to the solenoid is small, the thrust of the solenoid to bias an object in one direction can be made small, and at the same time, even when the solenoid is not energized, the object can be biased in the same direction as that of the thrust. The solenoid includes a coil, a first movable iron core and a second movable iron core that are attracted in a direction away from each other by energizing the coil, a coil spring that biases the first movable iron core toward the second movable iron core, and a leaf spring that restricts the approach of the first movable iron core and the second movable iron core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignees: KYB Corporation, TAKAKO INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Ryosuke Kamakura, Naoaki Danshita, Kohei Doi
  • Patent number: 11719304
    Abstract: A damper assembly includes a cylinder defining a chamber. The damper assembly includes a body supported by the cylinder and having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The body defines a passage extending from the first surface to the second surface. One of the first surface or the second surface define a slope at the passage. The damper assembly includes a check disc at the slope, the check disc selectively restricting fluid flow through the passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: DRiV Automotive Inc.
    Inventors: Franky Montagna, Ronny Vanbrabant, Rahul Popatrao Ekatpure
  • Patent number: 11713793
    Abstract: A shock absorbing device includes a control unit and a transmission unit. The control unit includes a first shaft and a second shaft which freely and rotatably extends through the first shaft. The first end of first shaft and the first end of the second shaft protrude beyond the shock absorbing device. The transmission unit includes a first bevel gear and a second bevel gear. The second shaft freely and rotatably extends through the first bevel gear. When the first shaft is rotated to drives the first bevel gear, the first bevel gear drives the second bevel gear to adjust the recovery damping of the shock absorbing device. When the second shaft is rotated, the compression damping of the shock absorbing device is adjusted. The cooperation of the first and second bevel gears makes the operation of the shock absorbing device be smooth and stable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: DNM INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yao Chang Pai
  • Patent number: 11712940
    Abstract: A suspension device includes: a suspension including a damping device which damps a force generated between a vehicle body and a wheel; and a damping force control unit that increases a damping force of the damping device so as to be greater than the damping force generated when an acceleration of change in a stroke amount is less than a predetermined value determined in advance, when the acceleration of the change in the stroke amount is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, in which the stroke amount is an amount of displacement from a reference position of the wheel with respect to the vehicle body in an extension direction of the suspension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventor: Yosuke Murakami
  • Patent number: 11707958
    Abstract: An insulator for a vehicle suspension and a method of manufacturing the same, may include an insulator having a housing which is configured to be engaged with a vehicle body and in which a hook protrusion is formed to protrude from an upper end opening of the housing; a bush which is configured to be engaged with a piston rod of a shock absorber, wherein a vibration-proof rubber, a core, and an outer pipe are integrally mounted in the bush, and wherein the bush is press-inserted into and fixed in an inner space of the housing so that the bush becomes hooked upward to the hook protrusion; and a fixing plate press-inserted into and fixed in the inner space of the housing so that the fixing plate is in contact with a lower end portion of the bush and supports the bush from a lower side thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Gi Bong Jo
  • Patent number: 11708877
    Abstract: A shock absorber includes a cylinder sealed with a working oil liquid, a piston slidably fitted in the cylinder, a piston rod connected to the piston and extended to the outside of the cylinder, and a plurality of passages through which the working oil liquid flows due to the sliding of pistons therein, and a damping force generating mechanism that is provided in a part of the passages and suppresses the flow of the working oil liquid to generate a damping force. The damping force generating mechanism includes a valve body through which the passage penetrates, an annular seat that projects from the valve body and surrounds the passage, and a disc that can be seated on the seat. A contact width at which the disc and the seat come into contact with each other is different depending on a position in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuya Matsuda, Mikio Yamashita, Daisuke Tanabe, Naofumi Harada
  • Patent number: 11707959
    Abstract: An air spring strut for a motor vehicle comprising an air spring with a shock damper for the spring-cushioning and damping of oscillations of a motor vehicle chassis, wherein the air spring comprises an air spring cover and a rolling piston, wherein a rolling bellows of elastomer material is clamped in an airtight manner between the air spring cover and the rolling piston, wherein the air spring cover comprises a damper bearing receptacle in which a damper bearing of the shock damper is arranged, and wherein the air spring cover comprises a clamping base to which a first end of the rolling bellows is attached, wherein at least the damper bearing receptacle of the air spring cover is produced from a plastic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG
    Inventors: Jens-Uwe Gleu, Martin Ballmann
  • Patent number: 11698120
    Abstract: A damper assembly includes a pressure tube defining a chamber. The damper assembly includes a body supported by the pressure tube. The body has a first surface and a second surface opposite and spaced from the first surface along an axis. The body defines a passage extending from the first surface to the second surface. The damper assembly includes an orifice disc movable from an unflexed position to a first flexed position and movable from the first flexed position to a second flexed position. The orifice disc in the unflexed position is spaced from the first surface radially outward and radially inward of the passage. The orifice disc in the first flexed position is spaced from the first surface radially outward of the passage and abuts the first surface radially inward of the passage. The orifice disc in the second flexed position abuts the first surface radially outward and radially inward of the passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: DRiV Automotive Inc.
    Inventor: Franky Montagna