Abstract: In an apparatus and method for controlling damping force characteristics of respective vehicular shock absorbers, a control signal V is generated according to a state in which a steering system is operated, the control signal being converted to a drive signal to be input to damping force characteristic changing member (stepping motor and adjuster) so that the damping force characteristic of the corresponding one of the shock absorbers is changed to a desired damping force characteristic. The control signal is a signal synthesized with a bounce rate signal based on a vertical sprung mass velocity signal, a roll rate signal determined on the basis of a difference between both right and left vertical sprung mass velocity signals, a roll rate (displacement) signal determined on the basis of the difference described above, a steering angular displacement signal, and a steering angular velocity signal at a predetermined rate of distribution .eta..

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling damping coefficients for respective vehicular shock absorbers is disclosed in which a plurality of shock absorbers are interposed between predetermined parts of a vehicle body and tire wheel and are provided with damping coefficient changing members, each changing member varying the coefficients of the damping shock absorbers at multiple stages by changing position of an associated actuator, the actuator receiving a signal to change the position of the damping coefficient changing member on the basis of an input signal derived from a sprung mass vertical G sensor. Particularly, a correction portion is provided in a control unit which varies a position change rate of the damping coefficient changing member according to a value of the input signal derived from an input signal sensor, e.g., the sprung mass vertical G sensor.

Abstract: A system for controlling damping force characteristics for respective shock absorbers, each shock absorber being interposed between a sprung mass and an unsprung mass, in which a control signal to control the damping force characteristic at either or both stroke sides of each shock absorber is derived by a control unit on the basis of a signal indicating a sprung mass behavior, a signal indicating a steering angular displacement of a vehicle steering system, and a signal indicating a steering angular velocity of the steering system. In addition, a control equation to determine the control signal value has various coefficients which are zeroed depending on whether a predetermined steering condition is established.

Abstract: A vehicular suspension system comprises a hydraulic damper including a valve element having a plurality of positions and a pulse motor drivingly coupled with the valve element. A control unit is operatively coupled with the pulse motor. In order to avoid loss of synchronism of the pulse motor, the pulse motor is held stationary for a predetermined period of time after it has been determined that the pulse motor must reverse its direction of motion to reach a target position.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the damping coefficient of shock absorbers which are associated with the road wheels of the vehicle, produces control signals using one or more of a bouncing rate, a pitching rate and a rolling rate value which is filtered out of a plurality of outputs provided by a plurality of acceleration sensors which are each located in proximity of a shock absorber. The control signal can be modified using the outputs of weight sensors which are used to derive the relative velocities of the road wheels with respect to the vehicle body.

Abstract: An anti-rolling motion control system for an automotive vehicle is provided. This control system comprises shock absorbers each being variable of a damping coefficient within a range from softer to harder damping characteristics, a steering sensor for monitoring a steered angle of a steering wheel, and a rolling motion control unit. The rolling motion control unit is operable to derive steered angular velocity based on the steered angle of the steering wheel. The rolling motion control unit controls the shock absorbers so that the damping coefficients are modified to exhibit the harder damping characteristics when the steered angular velocity and the steered angle are greater than preselected first and second threshold values respectively for suppressing rolling motion of a vehicle body effectively while securing traveling stability.

Abstract: A control system for a damping force coefficient of a shock absorber for a vehicle suspension provides a controller for correcting the position of a step motor. The controller sets the step motor at a predetermined position in a manner to intermittently move the step motor to a stop position restricted by a stopper and to reversely rotate it by a predetermined number of steps. Therefore, the step motor is precisely set at a home position without using a position detector.

Abstract: An electromagnetic suspension device for use between a vehicle body and a road wheel is disclosed, which comprises a body-connected structure connected to the vehicle body to move therewith and a wheel-connected structure connected to the road wheel to move therewith. The body-connected and wheel-connected structures are arranged to carry out a relative movement therebetween. An electromagnetic actuator is associated with the body-connected and wheel-connected structures in order to electromagnetically control the relative movement in accordance with electric power applied thereto. A hydraulic damper is arranged in parallel with the electromagnetic actuator between the body-connected structure and the wheel-connected structure to produce a damping force in accordance with the relative movement.

Abstract: A member is prepared by forming a magnetic surface layer on a magnetic base member having a different composition from the surface layer. A laser beam is radiated onto the member so as to fuse the member and the surface layer, thereby forming a fused portion having magnetic properties. A modified portion is formed in a portion of the fused portion corresponding to the surface layer such that this portion has different permeability from other portions of the surface layer.

Abstract: A suspension control system for an automotive vehicle comprises a multi-stage variable damping force shock absorber which is variable of damping characteristics at a plurality of mutually different damping modes. The control system also comprises means for monitoring a vehicular driving parameter representing a suspension control parameter, a plurality of data maps set in a memory unit respectively containing a damping characteristics selection pattern for deriving damping characteristics, toward which the damping characteristics of the shock absorber is to be controlled, on the basis of the suspension control parameter. Means, responsive to the current damping characteristics of the shock absorber, are provided for selecting one of the data map, and means for performing suspension control with selected one of data map for deriving a suspension control signal by looking-up the selected one of data map in terms of the suspension control parameter for controlling damping characteristics of the shock absorber.

Abstract: A variable damping force shock absorber includes a cylinder defining therein first and second fluid chambers separated by a valve body. The valve body defines first and second fluid paths for fluid communication between the first and second fluid chambers. A harder damping characteristics valve is associated with the first fluid path. On the other hand, a softer damping characteristics valve is associated with the second fluid path. The valve body has a pair of coaxial arranged grooves. The inner groove is in communication with the first fluid path. Valve seats are formed along respective outer circumference of the inner and outer grooves. The second fluid path is provided with means for varying the fluid path area.

Abstract: A place-on type assemblable structure includes a foundation beam and an assembly body assembled on the foundation beam. The foundation beam is placed on the surface of the ground via a pluarlity of jack means provided for the fondation beam. The level of the foundation beam can be easily adjusted by extending and contracting the jack means.

Abstract: In order to enable a reduction in the weight of a bracket which forms part of a suspension strut, the bracket is press formed from sheet metal in a manner which forms first and second main sections, a bridge-like connecting section and a U-shaped connection flange which extends along all three of the just mentioned sections. The bracket components are configured so as to have two or more hem-cylindrical shaped reduced diameter portions which fit against the outer periphery of a strut tube and which have edges along which welds can be formed. Box-like projected sections defined in the two main sections between the hemi-cylindrical portions define spaces which have rectangular cross-sections about the periphery of the strut tube.

Abstract: A member is prepared by forming a magnetic surface layer on a magnetic base member having a different composition from the surface layer. A laser beam is radiated onto the member so as to fuse the member and the surface layer, thereby forming a fused portion having magnetic properties. A modified portion is formed in a portion of the fused portion corresponding to the surface layer such that this portion has different permeability from other portions of the surface layer.

Abstract: A shock absorber has a cylinder tube coaxially arranged with a strut tube for defining therebetween an annular reservoir chamber and an upper reservoir chamber which is separated from the annular reservoir chamber. A first fluid path is defined for permitting fluid flow from a lower fluid chamber in the cylinder tube to an upper fluid chamber and the annular reservoir chamber in response to bounding stroke of vibration. A second fluid path is also defined for permitting fluid flow from the lower fluid chamber and the annular reservoir chamber to the upper fluid chamber and the upper reservoir chamber, in response to rebounding stroke of vibration. A first flow restriction means is disposed in the first path for generating damping force in response to bounding stroke of vibration, which damping force is variable depending upon the magnitude of the bounding stroke in essentially linear variation characteristics.

Abstract: A member is prepared by forming a magnetic surface layer on a magnetic base member having a different composition from the surface layer. A laser beam is radiated onto the member so as to fuse the member and the surface layer, thereby forming a fused portion having magnetic properties. A modified portion is formed in a portion of the fused portion corresponding to the surface layer such that this portion has different permeability from other portions of the surface layer.

Abstract: A suspension control system is designed to adjust suspension characteristics between hard and soft for bounding and rebounding stroke independently of each other. The system has a sensor means for monitoring speed of a vehicular body as a sprung mass for producing a vehicle body speed indicative signal, which vehicle body speed indicative signal has a variable signal polarity depending upon the direction of vibration, and a sensor means for monitoring relative speed between the vehicular body and a vehicular wheel as an unsprung mass for producing a relative speed indicative signal which also has a variable signal polarity depending upon the direction of relative movement of the vehicular body and the vehicular wheel. A control unit detects a combination of signal polarities of the vehicle body speed indicative signal and the relative speed indicative signal for adjusting damping characteristics for bounding and rebounding vibration independently of each other and depending on the detected combination.

Abstract: A shock absorber is provided a piston stroke dependent variable shock absorbing characteristics by means of a first and second flow restriction valves associated with a piston. The first and second flow restriction valves are arranged in a fluid path for communicating first and second working chambers defined within a shock absorber cylindrical housing in series. The first flow restriction valve is associated with an orifice forming a part of the fluid path and has variable flow restriction rate in response to a pressure difference between the first and second chambers greater. The second flow restriction means is disposed in tandem fashion with the first flow restriction valve for providing a predetermined constant flow restriction rate in response to the pressure difference smaller than a predetermined criterion and providing a variable flow restriction as a function of the piston stroke speed in response to the pressure difference greater than the predetermined criterion.

Abstract: A shock absorber is provided a piston stroke dependent variable shock absorbing characteristics by a first and second flow restrictions associated with a piston. The first and second flow restrictions are arranged in a fluid path for communicating first and second working chambers defined within a shock absorber cylindrical housing in series. The first flow restriction associated with an orifice forming a part of the fluid path and has a predetermined relief pressure, for providing a predetermined first fixed flow restriction rate in response to a pressure difference between the first and second chambers smaller than or equal to the relief pressure and providing a second variable flow restriction rate in response to a pressure difference between the first and second chambers greater than the relief pressure. The second flow restriction is associated with the orifice for providing a third variable flow restriction rate variable depending upon the pressure difference between the first and second chamber.

Abstract: An assembly-type barricade comprising a base stand and an upstanding wall both of which are nearly rectangular parallelpipedal. Protruding means is provided in one of the base stand and the upright wall, and receiving means is provided in the other. By positioning the protruding means in the receiving means, the upright wall is detachably mounted on the base stand.