Abstract: A magneto-rheological (MR) damper provides a higher than minimum level of damping when a power source to the MR damper is not supplying a control current. The present invention damper includes magnets positioned to direct a magnetic flux across a MR fluid path. The fluid path is created when a rod and piston assembly stroke the fluid though a control valve assembly attached to a damper chamber causing a resistance to MR fluid flow. An electric coil cancels an effect of the permanent magnets when the control current is available to allow a control circuit more operating range. The permanent magnets allow for damping when no control current is available.

Abstract: A magnetorheological damper includes a cylinder and a magnetorheological piston. The magnetorheological piston is located within and slideably engages the cylinder. The magnetorheological piston includes a magnetically energizable passageway and a magnetically non-energizable passageway spaced apart from the magnetically energizable passageway. The magnetorheological piston also includes a pressure and flow control valve disposed to allow pressure-dependent fluid flow in the magnetically non-energizable passageway when the magnetorheological piston slides towards the first end of the cylinder.

Abstract: A monotube damper and suspension spring assembly for a motor vehicle includes a tubular housing defining a chamber filled with damping fluid. A piston and piston rod reciprocate within the chamber. In order to compensate for volumetric changes of the chamber due to extension and retraction of the piston rod within the chamber, either the upper seal cover or lower bottom ring assembly is slidable within the housing. A preload is applied either to the housing or to the seal cover to thereby bias these elements to compensate for volumetric changes in the chamber.

Abstract: An electrical coupling assembly for a damper, the coupling assembly including a base and a rod received through the base. The rod has a threaded connector end and a conductor extending through the rod from the connector end. The coupling assembly further includes a conductive nut threaded onto the connector end of the rod and a plug housing including a ground lead and a power lead, the power lead being electrically coupled to the conductor. The coupling assembly has a conductive member engaging the plug housing and the nut, the conductive member being electrically coupled to the ground lead. The coupling assembly is particularly suited for use in a strut having an outer tube coaxial with the inner tube and connected to the rod and the wheel suspension assembly of the vehicle so as to absorb the side loads applied to the strut.

Abstract: A rotary damper for use in an automotive vehicle. The rotary damper includes an outer casing having a main chamber and a pair of piston orifices, the main chamber and the piston orifices being filled with a damping fluid, a pivotable cam located in the main chamber and attached to an arm for transferring the rotary movement of the arm to the cam. The damper also includes a pair of pistons, each located in its own orifice, and connected to opposite sides of the cam. When the arm transfers the rotary movement to the cam, each piston is moved in opposite directions in its respective piston orifice to damp the rotary movement of the arm.

Abstract: An improved magnetorheological fluid damper is provided which effectively provides a smooth transition, without a sharp break in the damper force/velocity curve, between very low damping forces near zero damper velocity to higher damping forces at higher piston velocities while maintaining desirable maximum force levels. The damper includes a piston assembly, including a magnet assembly and a flow gap extending through the piston assembly to permit fluid flow between the chambers. The force/velocity optimization feature includes a groove or passage open to the flow gap, positioned in series with a part of the flow gap in a magnetic circuit generated by the magnet assembly and dimnensioned/sized to permit fluid flowing through the passage to experience a magnetorheological effect less than a magnetorheological effect experienced by fluid flowing through the flow gap but not through the groove. Preferably, the passage is formed in an inner annular surface of a flux ring positioned around a piston core.

Abstract: An improved magnetorheological fluid pumping system and method are provided which effectively dispense a predetermined amount of magnetorheological fluid for delivery to a MR device such as a damper assembly, for example, during manufacture. The fluid pumping system includes a pump having inlet and outlet valves, a reciprocally mounted piston, a stroke operator device for controlling the movement of the piston and an electronic controller for operating the stroke operator device and the inlet and outlet valves. Importantly, the inlet and outlet valves include an annular flow gap and a magnetic field generating assembly operable in an energized state to generate a magnetic field across the flow gap to cause magnetorheological fluid flowing through the gap to experience a magnetorheological effect sufficient to prevent flow through the gap and in a de-energized state to permit flow through the gap.

Abstract: A compliant rod guide and seal assembly for use in a damper includes an annular outer casing having a through hole and a support ring received in the outer casing. The support ring has an outer radius that is less than the inner radius of the outer casing such that a gap is formed between the support ring and the outer casing. The rod guide and seal assembly further includes a rod seal received in the support ring for receiving a rod therethrough, whereby the ring and seal can move laterally relative to the outer casing to accommodate lateral movement of the rod.

Abstract: A damper for damping movement of a shaft, the damper including a housing having an inner surface defining a chamber and a rotor rotatably mounted in the chamber. The chamber is filled with magnetorheological fluid such that when the rotor is moved in the chamber the magnetorheological fluid damps the movement of the rotor. The rotor has an outer surface adjacent to and spaced apart from the inner surface. The damper further comprises shaft coupled to the rotor and an outer magnet adjacent the space between the outer surface and the inner surface for restricting the flow of the magnetorheological fluid in the space between the outer surface and the inner surface.

Abstract: A novel and improved magnetorheological fluid damper is provided which effectively secures a flux ring to a piston core in a manner which prevents relative axial and radial movement between the flux ring and the core throughout operation while minimizing the size of the piston assembly yet providing effective damping. Several connector devices are disclosed for both axially and radially securing the flux ring relative to the piston core at one end of the piston assembly in a simple manner without increasing the length of the piston assembly. The connector device may include an outer portion brazed to the flux ring, an inner portion connected to the piston core, bridge portions extending between the outer and inner portions, flow passages formed between the bridge portions and an inlet cavity formed adjacent an annular flow gap to permit unimpeded, enhanced laminar flow through the flow gap by improving the damping effect.

Abstract: A rotary damper for use in an automotive vehicle. The rotary damper includes an outer casing having a main chamber and a pair of piston orifices, the main chamber and the piston orifices being filled with a damping fluid, a pivotable cam located in the main chamber and attached to an arm for transferring the rotary movement of the arm to the cam. The damper also includes a pair of pistons, each located in its own orifice, and connected to opposite sides of the cam. When the ami transfers the rotary movement to the cam, each piston is moved in opposite directions in its respective piston orifice to damp the rotary movement of the arm.

Abstract: A snap ring closure system is particularly useful in securing a rod guide in an end of a tube of a hydraulic damper. The snap ring closure system utilizes an end cap or rod guide having a double-lobed groove and a peripheral flange about its outer end. The double-lobed groove includes an outer lobe and an inner lobe of a lesser depth than the outer lobe. A groove is formed on the tube and is positioned to design with the doubled-lobed groove when the end cap is inserted in the tube. The end cap includes a first snap ring in the outer lobe which expands outwardly into the tube groove when the cap is first inserted. The cap is secured by engagement of the first snap ring with the inner more shallow lobe. A second snap ring is placed between the flange and the end of the tube to remove any play between the end cap and tube.

Abstract: A monotube suspension damper including a cylinder tube having a fluid chamber and a gas chamber, a piston dividing the fluid chamber into a compression chamber and a rebound chamber, a primary fluid flow path across the piston including flow control valves which throttle fluid flow, a secondary fluid flow path across the piston parallel to the primary flow path including flow control valves which throttle fluid flow, and a tubular connecting rod on the cylinder tube connected to the piston. A valve spool is supported on the piston for linear translation between closed and open positions blocking and unblocking the secondary flow path. A control rod inside of the connecting rod is disposed between the valve spool and a flexible diaphragm exposed to pneumatic pressure in an expansible load leveling chamber between sprung and unsprung masses of the motor vehicle.

Abstract: A brake apply system includes a pressure charging module having a bore carrying a pumping piston that has a base piston surface and an augmentation piston surface. The pressure charging piston separates the bore into an input chamber adjacent the base piston surface and an output chamber adjacent the augmentation piston surface. A suspension damper is hydraulically connected to the input chamber of the pressure charging module, preferably through a continuously open fluid communication circuit. A wheel brake is hydraulically connected to the accumulator output chamber through a selectively open fluid communication circuit.

Abstract: A hydraulic mount is operable in soft and firm modes and includes a valve positioned at the partition between the working chamber and the reservoir. A normally open fluid path extends through the partition and opens between the working chamber and the reservoir for soft operational characteristics useful in attenuating low amplitude vibrations. The valve body and the partition together define a control chamber in the fluid path. The control chamber is open to the reservoir through lateral openings in the valve body so that fluid pressure in the control chamber is approximately at atmospheric pressure so that a small actuator can move the valve. When the valve is closed the fluid path is closed for firm operational characteristics in controlling large amplitude inputs such as those from torque transients.

Abstract: A pump-motor apparatus comprising: a pump having an input shaft for receiving motive force to operate the pump, wherein during rotation of the input shaft, the pump exhibits repeating cyclical first torque variations on the input shaft, said first torque variations including cyclical torque peaks and torque dips and occurring in substantially evenly spaced increments in angular position of the input shaft; and an electric drive motor having an output shaft coupled to and driving the input shaft, wherein the electric drive motor exhibits on the output shaft repeating cyclical second torque variations, said second torque variations including cyclical torque peaks and torque dips and occurring in substantially evenly spaced increments in angular position of the output shaft, wherein the substantially evenly spaced increments in angular position of the output shaft are equal to the substantially evenly spaced angular increments in position of the input shaft, wherein torque peaks and dips of the output shaft seco

Abstract: A magnetorheological fluid fan clutch effects modulated rotational motion transmission between a rotatable input shaft carrying an input clutch plate and a housing having a front cover and a rear cover forming a cavity about the input clutch plate wherein the front and rear covers operate as output clutch plates. A nonmagnetic spacer is positioned between the front and rear covers and radially outside the input clutch plate. A bearing supports the housing on the input shaft through the rear cover so that the input clutch plate is rotatable on the input shaft relative to the housing. Magnetorheological fluid is carried in the cavity, through which torque is variably transferred between the input clutch plate and the housing.

Abstract: A split rotor cooling fan clutch includes an input member that is constantly driven at engine speed, or at some selected proportion thereof. An output member is journaled on the input member so as to be supported thereon in a substantially nonrotating state when decoupled and alternately, to be concentrically rotatable in concert therewith at a variety of speeds. A space presented between the input and output members contains a quantity of magnetorheological fluid. An engagement mechanism includes the split rotor and coil, with a ferromagnetic element positioned to define an operative gap between the rotor and the ferromagnetic element. The coil is selectively energized with a given current to result in a torque transfer between the input and output elements that provides a rotational speed of the fan tailored to the cooling requirements of the associated engine. Internal heat generation is managed electronically to prevent overheating.

Abstract: In a vehicle braking system, integral control and isolation valves are used to individually control the brake line pressure to each wheel brake and to provide pedal isolation for each brake channel. The system is operable on a single fluid or a separated fluid system with an integrated power source. Full proportional anti-lock braking and traction control is provided to each selected wheel independently. The system is applicable as a two, three or four channel base brake system.

Abstract: A passive magnetorheological clutch includes an input member that is constantly driven at engine speed, or some selected proportion thereof. An output member is journaled on the input member so as to be supported thereon in a nonrotating state and to be concentrically rotatable in concert therewith. A space presented between the input and output members contains a quantity of magnetorheological fluid. The space also contains an engagement mechanism including a permanent magnet and a ferromagnetic ring concentrically positioned with an operative gap therebetween, wherein the operative gap's dimension is variable to effect changes in the magnetic field passing between the magnet and the ring. When an actuator effects a reduction in the distance between the magnet and ring, the amount of magnetic field increases in density adjacent the ring. The resultant torque transfer from the input member to the output member is effected across the operative gap and through the magnetorheological fluid.