Abstract: A method for increasing the drive torque achieves the action of a differential lock in that controlled brake engagement takes place on one side of a driven axle provided that there is a speed difference between the wheels on the different sides of a driven vehicle axle which exceeds a threshold value. The regulation engagement is started even when there are only small speed differences between the wheels on the two sides of the driven axle. A reference velocity of the vehicle is determined and, on the basis of the determined reference velocity, wheel calibration and cornering correction take place, and thereafter, the speed difference is determined therefrom. The speed difference thus determined is substantially based on the difference in the adhesion on both sides of this axle.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for controlling the roll of a motor vehicle. The apparatus comprises an anti-roll bar, a hydraulic circuit, an actuator, and a pair of valves. The hydraulic circuit includes a pump and a power steering rack disposed downstream from the pump. The actuator is coupled between the anti-roll bar and an unsprung portion of the vehicle. In one embodiment of the invention, the actuator comprises a piston having a wrist pin rotatable therein and engaged with the anti-roll bar, the piston being reciprocable against a force to counteract the twisting of the anti-roll bar. The first valve is situated in the hydraulic circuit upstream of the power steering rack and selectively establishes a pressure differential thereacross.

Abstract: A brake force control device for a vehicle includes a master cylinder generating a brake pressure by operation of an operating member of the vehicle, a wheel brake for being mounted on a vehicle wheel and connected to the master cylinder through a conduit, a pressure control chamber connected to the wheel brake, a displacement actuator which varies the capacity of the pressure control chamber and an electric controller for operating the displacement actuator so as to supply the brake pressure to the wheel brake when the master cylinder does not generate the brake pressure.

Abstract: A damping valve, in particular for a vibration damper for a motor vehicle, has a damping valve body with at least one admission channel for each direction of flow through the valve body. The admissions channel connectes a top side and a bottom side of the damping valve body to one another. There can also be a valve plate on a valve seat surface, whereby the valve plate can lift up from the valve seat surface, and the admission channels from the top side and bottom side of the damping valve can have an initial choke inside the connection path. The cross section of the initial choke is defined by the width of an influx opening of the admission channel and the average radial distance between an edge, which determines the valve plate contour, and the inflow opening.

Abstract: A friction brake subassembly is provided with a metallic backing plate element and with a friction material brake lining element integrally adhered to the backing plate element, the brake lining element friction material composition comprising friction material particles and an epoxy resin binder preferably in the approximate range of from 10% to 40% of the friction material composition total weight. Methods are disclosed for integrally bonding the brake lining element to the backing plate element.

Abstract: Vibration damper, in particular a single-tube vibration damper, comprising a cylinder which is closed on the end by a piston rod guide which centers an axially movable piston rod with a piston, whereby the piston with its damping valves divides the cylinder into an upper and a lower work chamber, and a decompression stop in the form of a compression spring with a round wire cross section which is located in the upper working chamber, characterized by the fact that the compression spring is designed in multiple stages, whereby a first longitudinal segment of the spring interferes with the cylinder and is held in the cylinder by means of this interference fit, and an additional longitudinal segment forms a guide with respect to the piston rod.

Abstract: A semi-active vibration damping assembly for suppressing structural vibrations. The damping assembly includes a double rod hydraulic cylinder having a first fluid chamber and a second fluid chamber interconnected by a valve assembly. The hydraulic cylinder being connected within the framework of the structure and motion sensors being attached to the structure to measure movement of the structure and pressure sensors being disposed in the first and second chambers to measure the pressure differential between each chamber. In response to the motion and pressure data and the compressibility of the fluid, a controller outputs a control signal to the valve assembly in accordance with a control logic to vary the flow rate of the fluid between the first and second chambers and thereby vary the elastic deformation of the fluid and the amount of elastic energy stored in the fluid.

Abstract: A braking system including a pump for delivering a pressurized fluid toward two brake cylinders, an electrically operated pressure control device connected to a reservoir, pump and two brake cylinders, a controller for electrically controlling the pressure control device to control the pressures in the two brake cylinders, and a flow resistance control mechanism provided in a pump passage connecting the pump and the two brake cylinders. The mechanism operates to control fluid flows during operation of the pump such that when the pressures in the two brake cylinders have a relatively large difference, a resistance of fluid flow from the pump toward a low-pressure cylinder of the two brake cylinders is increased.

Abstract: An anti-wheel-lock braking system for a motor vehicle includes a main electronic controller having a device for detecting a failure of the main controller and an emergency electronic controller, independent of the main controller and provided with apparatus to decrease braking of the rear wheels when failure of the main controller is detected.

Abstract: In a brake system with an automatic braking mechanism of the present invention, a master cylinder pressure developed by pedaling a brake pedal 1 is supplied to wheel cylinders through first and second brake paths 6,7, first and second center valves 26', 26 and first and second outlets 24', 24 of an automatic broke actuator 8 so that the normal brake is actuated. An electronic control unit (ECU) 40 actuates a thrust generator 38 and thus an automatic braking signal pressure is developed, whereby first and second small-diameter pistons 18', 18 and first and second large-diameter pistons 16', 16 are moved forward to close the first and second center valves 26', 26 to develop pressures which are supplied to the Wheel cylinders, with the result that the automatic brake is actuated.

Abstract: Temperature of brake fluid is estimated, and a pressure-increase gradient change ratio Pup, a pressure-reduction gradient change ratio Pdw, and pump-discharge gradient change quantity Ppmp in correspondence with an amount of decline in pump-discharge capacity at the estimated brake-fluid temperature are calculated respectively. These compensation multipliers Pup, Pdw, and Ppmp are variables for obtaining a pressure-increase gradient change ratio, pressure-reduction gradient change ratio, and pump-discharge gradient change quantity identical to a time of normal temperature (i.e., a time of normal temperature when pump-discharge capacity has not declined). Accordingly, a pressure-increase time Tup and pressure-reduction time Tdw in ABS control and TRC control are calculated utilizing these compensation multipliers to obtain control performance of brake-fluid pressure similar to a time of normal temperature.

Abstract: A hydraulic braking system for an automobile vehicle includes a first brake pressure control circuit and a second brake pressure control circuit, each of which includes a front solenoid valve disposed between one of the front wheel brakes and one of pressure chambers of a tandem master cylinder, a rear solenoid valve disposed between one of the rear wheel brakes and the pressure chamber, a hydraulic pump whose outlet communicates with a conduit located between the solenoid valves and the pressure chamber, a change over valve disposed between the solenoid valves and the pressure chamber, the change over valve being positionable in a first position which connects the solenoid valves to the pressure chamber and a second position which connects the inlet of the hydraulic pump to the pressure chamber, a front orifice disposed between the front wheel brake and the inlet of the hydraulic pump, a rear orifice disposed between the rear wheel brake and the inlet of the hydraulic pump, and a check valve disposed between

Abstract: A buffer assembly for front forks has an oil-cylinder type buffer device disposed in one stay and a spring type buffer device disposed in the other stay. The oil-cylinder type buffer device has an adjustable screw, an adjusting rod, an adjusting device, an oil cylinder, elastic members, padding members, a shaft, a hollow seat, a spring, and a lower stay. The spring type buffer device has an adjustable bolt, an upper stay, an upper rod, an upper seat, soft pads, hard pads, a lower seat and a lower rod.

Abstract: A bicycle brake device comprises a rotating device, a rotating shaft and a pair of pintles. Two recesses are formed on the rotating device to receive the heads of the front and rear brake lines, respectively. The rotating device has two chambers defined by two corresponding flanges of the rotating device. The first and second pintles are on the corresponding chambers, respectively. Each pintle has a slot and a circular hole at each of a top end and a bottom end of the pintle. The bottom circular hole receives hollow cylinder post. A hollow screw which has a through hole passes through the bottom slot and the hollow cylinder post. The first and second brake control lines pass through the corresponding through holes, respectively. One end of the first or second brake control line is positioned by the positioning hole of the screw bolt. The screw bolt passes through a washer, a nut, and the through hole. The springs are disposed between the corresponding pintles and the rotor.

Abstract: A shock absorbing oil cylinder has a main body, a seal ring, a shaft cover, and a shaft. The main body has a circular recess thereon and a cover seat on its top. An adjustable seat ring is passed through the main body beneath the cover seat. A seal ring is in the cover seat. The outer rim of the seal ring is covered by a glued rubber. An oil inlet is in the center of the seal ring. A soft pad is in the seal ring. A leak prevention ring is on the oil inlet. A bolt is inserted into the soft pad. A shaft cover covers the cover seat. A shaft is in the main body and is inserted in a piston. The damper rings are disposed on the piston and beneath the piston. A shaft ring is inserted in the valve seat. A retaining ring is inserted in the circular recess. The cushion ring is beneath the main body. A spring is located between the adjustable seat ring and the shaft seat ring.

Abstract: An adjustable speed gas spring primarily adapted for use as a part of a door closing mechanism. The gas spring includes a piston assembly which is disposed within an elongated fluid chamber and which upon relative rotation of the shaft with respect to the tubular body, permits the user to adjust the shaft extension velocity. The gas spring is fully functional in any shaft orientation.

Abstract: A bellows type air spring having a circular lobed body member with an inner an outer rubberized fabric reinforcing ply and a bead ring at each end. The turn up portion at each end of the fabric layers is wrapped around the bead ring with the turn up portion of the inner ply extending axially inwardly from the bead ring a substantial distance beyond the end of the turn up portion of the outer ply on both ends of the spring to provide longer flex life and prevent premature cracking of the body member in the areas of the end bead rings. The manufacturing method involves the use of an inner fabric ply that is substantially longer in the axial direction than the outer ply instead of using both inner plies of the same axial length.

Abstract: A single-thrust bearing for a shock absorber with a columnar journal projecting in the damping direction and which is sealingly surrounded by a flexible, annular-shaped membrane, whereby the membrane is secured in its rim area, which projects radially to the outside, to a supporting bearing and separates two liquid-filled working chambers from each other. The working chambers are defined in the area of the extremities which mutually oppose each other by hollow-conical bearing springs made of a rubber elastic material. The bearing springs are supported in their base area on the supporting bearing and are braced against one another by means of the journal by way of their tips which are turned away from each other.

Abstract: A disc brake that is less likely to squeak during braking. A guide portion on a torque member has a point at which the force counteracting the braking force is produced. This point is disposed nearer to a line pass through the center of the disc than is a parallel line passing the center of the brake cylinder and extending tangentially to a circle concentric with the disc. Thus, due to the tangential force produced during braking, angular moment is produced in the same direction as the angular moment produced due to the braking force. The sum of these two angular moments act to restrain the rotation of the pads. The movement of the pads are thus strongly restrained, so that they are less likely to vibrate. Thus, it is possible to prevent squeaking of the brake resulting from vibrations of the pads.

Abstract: In an electronically controlled braking system which incorporates anti-lock brake control and includes a plurality of brake pressure control valves having associated local electronic control units which communicate with a master electronic control unit, part of the anti-lock brake control logic for a wheel is performed by the electronic control unit associated with the pressure control valve for that wheel, with the remainder of the anti-lock brake control logic for that wheel being performed by the master electronic control unit. The local valve-associated electronic control unit includes skid detection logic which causes the brake pressure at the associated wheel to be reduced in response to a wheel skid detected thereby, brake pressure at that wheel being controlled thereafter, at least for a defined period, according to demands communicated to the local control unit from the master control unit.