Abstract: Solar tracker systems include a torque tube, a column supporting the torque tube, a solar panel connected to the torque tube, and a locking assembly. The locking assembly includes a first end pivotably connected to the torque tube and a second end pivotably connected to the column. A shell defines a fluid chamber and a piston is positioned within the shell. The piston includes a seal and defines compression and extension portions of the fluid chamber. A flow path extends between the compression portion and the extension portions. A first valve assembly controls fluid flow in a first direction through the flow path and a second valve assembly controls fluid flow in a second direction through the flow path. The valve assemblies are each passively moveable from an unlocked state to a locked state in response to movement of the piston.

Abstract: A shock strut assembly for a landing gear may comprise a strut cylinder, a strut piston configured to telescope relative to the strut cylinder, and a locking system. The locking system may be configured to restrict rotation of the strut piston relative to the strut cylinder in response to compression of the shock strut assembly.

Abstract: Solar tracker systems include a torque tube, a solar panel attached to the torque tube, and a damper assembly. The damper assembly includes an outer shell, a first chamber wall and a second chamber wall within the outer shell at least partially defining a chamber, and a piston to direct fluid through the chamber. A valve is within the chamber that includes a first axial end, a second axial end, and a seal positioned on the first axial end. The damper assembly further includes a biasing assembly that biases the valve into a first position within the chamber in which the seal is spaced from the first chamber wall. The valve is moveable within the chamber from the first position to a second position in which the seal contacts and seals against the first chamber wall to prevent the flow of fluid through the chamber.

Abstract: A dual piston system for independently controlling compression and rebound flowpaths therein, the dual piston system comprising: a first adjustable orifice configured for controlling rebound fluid flow, wherein the first adjustable orifice controls the rebound fluid flow through a first pathway associated with a low speed rebound flow and a second pathway associated with a high speed rebound flow; and a second adjustable orifice configured for controlling compression fluid flow, wherein the second adjustable orifice controls the compression fluid flow through a third pathway associated with a low speed compression flow and a fourth pathway associated with a high speed compression flow.

Abstract: Generally described, aspects of the disclosed subject matter are directed to electronically controlled dampers having shimmed pistons. In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, the dampers generally include a shaft having a piston with compression and rebound valves extending therethrough. For further damper tuning and adjustment, a fluid bypass assembly permits damping fluid to bypass the piston during operation. The fluid bypass assembly may include a metering pin for manual adjustment of the fluid bypass, and a control valve for electronic adjustment of the fluid bypass. In this regard, the control valve may be controlled automatically, manually, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A double-lift rigid gas spring is invented. It includes an outer cylinder tube, an inner cylinder tube, a ventilated support, a valve body, and a control component. It has benefits: during working, gas pressure is released to push the liquid medium to enter the inner cylinder tube and the hollow piston rod.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hydraulic damper wherein the main damper tube has a narrowed section and it includes at least one additional piston assembly adapted to be received in the narrowed section to generate additional damping force. The piston assembly comprises a compression valve assembly and a rebound valve assembly each comprising at least one deflective disc. A sealing ring assembly is disposed between the compression and rebound valve assembles and comprises a first annular member having a plurality of channels covered by the deflective disc of the compression valve assembly; a second annular member having a plurality of channels, covered by the deflective disc of the rebound valve assembly; an axial projection between the annular members radially internal to the axial channels; and a sealing ring displaceable axially between the annular members and radially over the axial projection and adapted to cooperate with the narrowed section of the tube.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a position sensitive shock absorber having a bypass passage adapted to communicate a working fluid between two positions in a bore, and an adjustable one-way valve arranged to direct working fluid flowing through the bypass passage, the adjustable one-way valve comprising a resiliently flexible shim having a first end fixed relative to a port, the port being in fluid communication with the bypass passage, and a free end extending from the first end and covering the port, and an adjuster having a fulcrum arranged against the shim to form a pivot, whereby when the working fluid exits the port, the free end is urged away from the port and flexes the shim about the pivot, thereby allowing the working fluid to flow through the port, and when the working fluid enters the port, the free end is urged towards the port and covers the port, thereby substantially preventing the working fluid flowing through the port, and at least one of the shim and adjuster are displaceable relative to e

Abstract: A toilet seat lifter is mounted together with a toilet seat on a toilet bowl. The design of the lifter enables the lifting and lowering of a toilet cover and/or toilet seat by means of a lifter controlling device or in the traditional manner. During the lifting of the toilet seat, the gear of the device assists the lifting of its components while, in the case of lowering them, the gear prevents their inert from falling. The design of the lifter enables the positioning of the toilet seat in a lifted position, preventing their resting against the wall or toilet cistern. In case of improper use, consisting in the lifting of the toilet seat components by means of a controlling device and simultaneously lowering them in the traditional manner (or inversely), the disconnection of the gear will result, precluding its damage.

Abstract: A damper includes a vessel for accommodating a viscous fluid in its interior; hampering walls for hampering the flow of the viscous fluid; a partitioning member which partitions each of interior portions into two chambers and is provided rotatably; a communicating hole formed in the partitioning member so as to allow the two chambers to communicate with each other via a variable passage whose passage cross-sectional area changes; a flow limiter to limit the flow of the viscous fluid in the chamber into the chamber through the communicating hole, when the internal pressure of the viscous fluid accommodated in the chamber has exceeded a fixed value on the basis of the rotation of the partitioning member; and a resilient structure to resiliently urge the partitioning member in a direction with respect to the vessel.

Abstract: A damper includes a pressure-sensitive damping control circuit that selectively permits fluid flow from a first chamber to a second chamber. A piston varies a volume of the first chamber. A blow-off piston is movable between a closed position, wherein fluid flow through the control circuit is substantially prevented, and an open position, wherein fluid flow through the control circuit is permitted. The damper also includes a first source of pressure. A fluid pressure created by compression of the damper applies an opening force to the blow-off piston moving the blow-off piston in a direction toward the open position against a resistance force provided by the first source of pressure. The resistance force exceeds the opening force until the pressure created by forces tending to insert the piston rod into the first fluid chamber exceeds the pressure in the first source of pressure by a predetermined amount.

Abstract: A bicycle fork includes a pair of fork leg assemblies, each of the leg assemblies having an upper leg telescopingly engaged with a lower leg. A damping assembly is provided in at least one of the legs. The damping assembly includes lock-out and blow-off compression circuits. These compression circuits are externally adjustable without tools. Furthermore, these two compression circuits may be adjusted independently of each other.

Abstract: A valve structure includes a piston valve assembly, and a frequency unit including a hollow housing, a free piston and an auxiliary valve assembly. The piston valve assembly, installed at one end of a piston rod, operates with the inside of a cylinder being divided into upper and lower chambers, and generates a damping force varying according to a moving speed. The frequency unit moves together with the piston valve assembly and generates a damping force varying according to a frequency. The housing is mounted at a lower end of the piston rod such that the housing is disposed under the piston valve assembly. An inner space of the housing is partitioned into upper and lower spaces by the free piston. The free piston is disposed to be vertically movable within the housing. The auxiliary valve assembly is mounted at a lower end of the housing.

Abstract: A shock absorber assembly comprises a piston and cylinder arrangement, a damping-fluid chamber and a damping valve arrangement which is located in the damping fluid chamber and serves to divide the chamber into sub-chambers. The assembly is such that in use the valve arrangement regulates the flow of fluid between the sub-chambers.

Abstract: A frequency unit valve is provided. In the frequency valve, a free piston reciprocates within a housing where a sub-valve is mounted in a lower portion. Variable frequency units installed above and under the free piston provide a damping characteristic by selectively opening or closing a passage when a frequency of a piston rod is in a high-frequency region and a low-frequency region. Accordingly, the vehicle ride comfort is maximally improved.

Abstract: A damper assembly for a vehicle suspension system includes a primary damper and a secondary damper. The secondary damper is coupled to the primary damper and includes a housing and an annular piston. The housing includes a sidewall that partially surrounds the primary damper, and the volume between the sidewall and the primary damper defines a damping chamber. The sidewall defines a plurality of apertures. The annular piston is positioned within the damping chamber and slidably coupled to the sidewall. The primary damper provides a base damping force and the secondary damper provides a supplemental damping force that varies based on the position of the annular piston along the housing.

Abstract: A buffering device includes a cylindrical casing and a piston module movably mounted in the cylindrical casing. The cylindrical casing includes a base plate and a shielding piece pivotally attached to the base plate. An air inlet and an air outlet are defined in the base plate. A diameter of the air inlet is greater than that of the air outlet. When the piston module is moving towards the base plate, the shielding piece is rotated to a closed position to shield the air inlet by air pressure above the shielding piece. When the piston module is moving away from the base plate, the shielding piece is rotated to an open position to expose the air inlet by environmental air pressure.

Abstract: A bicycle fork includes a pair of fork leg assemblies, each of the leg assemblies having an upper leg telescopingly engaged with a lower leg. A damping assembly is provided in at least one of the legs. The damping assembly includes lock-out and blow-off compression circuits. These compression circuits are externally adjustable without tools. Furthermore, these two compression circuits may be adjusted independently of each other.

Abstract: A rotary-type damper includes a housing filled with a working fluid, a shaft penetrating inside the housing and placed in a rotatable manner, a housing pin provided on the inner circumference of the housing to reach the side of the shaft used for limiting the movement of the working fluid, and an axis pin for coupling with the shaft to rotate with the shaft, and closely contacting the side of the shaft and the inner circumference of the housing as the position thereof varies according to the rotating direction of the shaft. The present invention increases the durability and the period of use, easily enables an accurate control of the working fluid, thereby eliminating the requirement for high precision in processing the component members, and enables the control of a unidirectional damping and the rotational speed of a rotary body which is the target of damping.

Abstract: An identical engagement hole 12b is formed in each of first and second brackets 1, 2. A first engagement portion 31c is formed in a damper body 31 of a rotary damper 3. A distal end portion of a rotor 32 of the rotary damper 3 is non-rotatably inserted in an adapter 4. A third engagement portion 46 is formed in an outer circumference of the adapter 4. The first engagement portion 31c is non-rotatably inserted in the engagement hole 12b of the first bracket 1. The third engagement portion 46 is non-rotatably inserted in the engagement hole 12b of the second bracket 2.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension damper comprises a cylinder and a piston assembly including a damping piston along with working fluid within the cylinder. A bypass permits fluid to avoid dampening resistance of the damping piston. A fluid path through the bypass is controlled by a valve that is shifted by a piston surface when the contents of at least one predetermined volume is injected against the piston surface which acts upon the valve. In one embodiment, the bypass is remotely operable.

Abstract: An air damper is provided which can exhibit an appropriate braking force in accordance with an input load. There is provided an air damper including: a tubular cylinder 1 in which both end portions are opened; a piston 2 which moves within the cylinder 1; and a cap 3 which closes a one-end opening of the cylinder 1, wherein the cylinder 1 has an annular seal surface 4 formed on a circumferential surface of the one-end opening, wherein the cap is mounted on the one-end opening side of the cylinder 1 so as to be moveable or deformable along an axial direction of the cylinder 1, wherein the cap is brought into contact with or separated from the seal surface 4 in accordance with a pressure change due to a movement of the piston 2 within the cylinder 1, and wherein a first orifice 14 is opened in a base plate 12 of the cap, characterized in that: a second orifice having an inlet area smaller than the first orifice is defined between the cap 3 and the cylinder 1 during an operation of the first orifice 14.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vibration isolator comprising a canister which ends are closed by end caps and a shaft able to move inside the canister, wherein the shaft comprises a piston-like shaped part for separating the canister in two parts: the first part being defined between the piston-like shaped part of the shaft and the first end cap, and comprising at least one resilient and damping element able to be compressed by a compression movement of the shaft on a first nominal stroke; the second part being defined between the piston-like shaped part of the shaft and the second end cap, and comprising at least one resilient and damping element able to be compressed by a tension movement of the shaft on a second nominal stroke; the tangential stiffness of the vibration isolator being, on at least one part of the first nominal stroke of the shaft, at least twice as lower as its tangential stiffness on the entire second nominal stroke of the shaft.

Abstract: A single cylinder type hydraulic shock absorber for a vehicle (100) includes a cylinder (1), a free piston (2) that is inserted slidably into the cylinder (1) and delimits a fluid chamber (7) and a gas chamber (8) in the cylinder (1), a piston (3) that is inserted slidably into the cylinder (1) and delimits the fluid chamber (7) into two pressure chambers (7a, 7b), a rod (4), one end of which is connected to the piston (3), and an elastic member (9) that is accommodated in the gas chamber (8) and biases the free piston (2) in the direction of the fluid chamber (7). The elastic member (9) is set such that a spring constant thereof increases during contraction.

Abstract: In a pneumatic deceleration device comprising a cylinder with a piston movably guided therein by a piston rod and having at least one sealing element, with a displacement space and a compensation chamber disposed at opposite sides of the sealed piston, where a piston movement opposing force is generated by a pressure in the displacement space and a vacuum generated in the compensation chamber, a pneumatic connection is formed from the displacement space and the compensation chamber to the ambient when the piston is in its end position where the displacement space is at its maximum value.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a flat rack container, and more particularly, to an integral buffering apparatus disposed between end walls and a base and for automatically controlling a flow rate of oil that flows in a cylinder housing through channels formed in a slider when the end walls are folded, to control a falling speed of the end walls, thereby absorbing an impact of the end walls, preventing damage of the end walls and the base, and ensuring safety of workers. The integral buffering apparatus includes a cylinder housing including a space for accommodating oil; a slider disposed in the space to be movable in a length direction of the cylinder housing and to divide the space into a first space and a second space; first oil channels and a second oil channel for connecting the first space and the second space to each other.

Abstract: A shock absorber having an elongated pressure tube and a piston slidably mounted in the pressure tube which divides the pressure tube into a first and second working chamber. An elongated piston rod is attached to the piston and moves in unison with the piston in both an extended and a compression direction. Movement of the rod in a compression direction decreases the volume of the first working chamber and increases the volume of the second working chamber, and vice versa. A control orifice and adaptive valve are fluidly connected in series between the first working chamber and a reservoir. A check valve is fluidly connected between the control orifice and the adaptive valve which opens only upon movement of the rod in a compression direction.

Abstract: A support column with a vertical tube has a coaxially installed gas spring including a cylinder divided by a piston into first and second working chambers. A piston rod passes through the second working chamber in a sealed manner to the outside, where it is attached to a bottom support piece of the vertical tube. The cylinder projects out of the vertical tube and is guided with freedom to slide back and forth in a guide sleeve installed in the end of the vertical tube opposite the bottom support piece. A connection between the first and second working chambers can be blocked by a manually actuatable valve. A second valve between the chambers, which is closed when the gas spring is under load, can be switched to the open position after the load on the gas spring has been absent for a certain period of time.

Abstract: A shock absorber is attached coaxially with a reciprocating rod driven by a reciprocating unit to prevent a bending moment from being applied to the reciprocating rod in absorbing an impact force. The shock absorber has a hollow rod provided with a through hole and an outer cylindrical body mounted outside the hollow rod so as to be movable axially relatively and attached to the reciprocating unit. An accommodating space is formed between the hollow rod and the outer cylindrical body. A spring force in a direction of being relatively directed to one end portion side of the hollow rod is applied to the outer cylindrical body by a compression coil spring. An annular piston for partitioning an accommodating space into two liquid chambers is provided in the hollow rod. When the impact force is applied to the hollow rod so as to be slid to the hollow rod, the liquid flows from one liquid chamber to another liquid chamber through a gap, whereby a resistance force is applied to the annular piston.

Abstract: A regulable dashpot with shock-absorption force controls, especially intended for motor vehicles, with at least one flow-regulating system including one or more shock-absorption components for the compression phase and/or for the decompression phase. The object is to allow the dashpot to shift continuously between the hard and soft phases, whereby the valve-adjustment intervals can be varied at intervals that are not unnecessarily short or even unattainable. At least one valve assembly is accordingly supplied with variable flow impedance by regulating valve.

Abstract: A damper includes a pressure-sensitive damping control circuit that selectively permits fluid flow from a first chamber to a second chamber. A piston varies a volume of the first chamber. A blow-off piston is movable between a closed position, wherein fluid flow through the control circuit is substantially prevented, and an open position, wherein fluid flow through the control circuit is permitted. The damper also includes a first source of pressure. A fluid pressure created by compression of the damper applies an opening force to the blow-off piston moving the blow-off piston in a direction toward the open position against a resistance force provided by the first source of pressure. The resistance force exceeds the opening force until the pressure created by forces tending to insert the piston rod into the first fluid chamber exceeds the pressure in the first source of pressure by a predetermined amount.

Abstract: A shock absorber housing for a shock absorber of a vehicle comprises a tube, which has a tubular wall, and an attaching element joined onto the tubular wall, the attaching element determining a critical force introduction area of an introduction of a force into the tubular wall, the tube in a longitudinal direction being built up from a first tube section having a first tubular wall and at least a second tube section having a second tubular wall, the first tube section and the second tube section being joined together by their ends facing one another. The first tube section and the second tube section are joined together with a tubular wall overlap of the first and second tubular wall, which overlap extends in a longitudinal direction, the tubular wall overlap being situated in the critical force introduction area of the attaching element.

Abstract: The vibration damper with an adjustable damping force includes a cylinder filled with a damping medium, a piston rod axially movable in the cylinder and carrying a piston which divides the cylinder into a first working space on the piston rod side and a second working space on the side away from the piston rod, a first adjustable damping valve which is connected to at least one of the two working spaces by means of a fluid connection, at least one second valve which is connected hydraulically in parallel to the first adjustable damping valve, and a third damping valve arranged in series to and upstream from both the first and second valves, the third damping valve moving in a closing direction as a function of a flow velocity of the damping medium through the third damping valve.

Abstract: A hydraulic shock absorber which includes a piston which is slidably fitted into a cylinder and partitions the cylinder into first and second fluid chambers; and a piston rod which is connected to the piston and slidably penetrates through an end wall of the cylinder, wherein the piston rod penetrates through the piston and includes on the outer circumferential surface of the piston rod at least one groove which communicates between the first and second fluid chambers, and the first and second fluid chambers are communicated with each other through the at least one groove.

Abstract: There is provided a vibration isolator in which a restriction passage for causing a main fluid chamber and a sub-fluid chamber to communicate with each other is changed over to one of a first restriction passage and a second restriction passage according to a change in the frequency of vibrations in a short period of time, and the size of the isolator is made small efficiently. A plunger member 78 closes an orifice opening 74 when being moved to a closing position against the urging force of a coil spring 90 by the fluid pressure in a pressurization space 130, and opens the orifice opening 74 when being returned to an opening position by the urging force of the coil spring 90. For the orifice opening 74, the opening ratio R between the transverse opening width along the axial direction and the longitudinal opening width along the circumferential direction is set in the range of 2?R?25, further preferably 5?R?20.

Abstract: A shock absorber for use in lowering a structure in a body of sea water. The shock absorber includes a cylinder with a piston arranged slidably therein, said piston having a piston rod which in use extends downwards out of the cylinder, wherein at least one chamber in the cylinder above the piston is fillable with a fluid and is provided with means for controlled exiting of the fluid from the chamber when the piston rod is subjected to an impact force which presses the piston inwards in the chamber. Said fluid is water deliverable from the body of sea water to said chamber through a valve device having a one-way function in the piston, and the piston and the piston rod alone have sufficient weight to pull the piston down and provide renewed filling of the chamber with water when the impact force has ceased.

Abstract: An air spring for use with a closure of a vehicle is disclosed. The air spring includes a rod and a tube axially slidable in the rod. The rod may include a housing having tube slots defining flexible arms with rod cam extensions extending therefrom. The rod cam extensions may have an extension rod cam surface that has a smaller angle than a retraction rod cam surface, with a rod peak between the two. The tube may include a tube cam extension having a tube peak with a diameter greater than the diameter of the rod peak. The tube cam extension may include an extension tube cam surface that has a smaller angle than a retraction tube cam surface.

Abstract: A shock absorber is attached coaxially with a reciprocating rod driven by a reciprocating unit to prevent a bending moment from being applied to the reciprocating rod in absorbing an impact force. The shock absorber has a hollow rod and an outer cylindrical body mounted axially movably relatively to and outside the hollow rod. An accommodating space is formed between the hollow rod and the outer cylindrical body. A spring force in a direction of being relatively directed to one end portion side of the hollow rod is applied by a compression spring to the outer cylindrical body. The hollow rod is provided with an annular piston which partitions the accommodating space into two liquid chambers. When an impact force in a direction of being relatively directed to the other end side of the hollow rod is applied to the outer cylindrical body, liquid flows from one of the liquid chambers to the other through a gap, so that a resistance force is applied to the annular piston.

Abstract: A shock absorber comprises a first passage (2a, 2b) and a second passage (15) connecting a first fluid chamber (41) and a second fluid chamber (42). A throttle (12, 14) narrows an inflow of fluid to the first passage (2a, 2b) according to an applied displacement pressure. The displacement pressure includes a fluid pressure in one of the two fluid chambers (41, 42) and a pressure that depends on a velocity of the fluid flow through the throttle (12, 14). A spring (25, 29) biases the throttle (12, 14) in the opposite direction to narrow the fluid flow. The second passage (15) comprises a pair of orifices (16a, 17a). By exerting a pressure between the pair of orifices (16a, 17a) on the throttle (12, 14) in the opposite direction to narrow the fluid flow, the spring load required of the spring (25, 29) is reduced.

Abstract: The invention relates to a proportional control valve for the variable hydraulic adjustment of the damping force of a shock absorber, for which purpose the proportional control valve has a throttle function which can be set by varying the strength I of the electric current. The invention provides that on the basis of an instantaneous level of the electrical current Iist the proportional control valve is first closed by increasing the current to a maximum current strength Imax for a short time period toverdrive in order to change the damping force F, and the proportional control valve is then opened again by reducing the current strength I to a defined average current strength I in which the proportional valve assumes an intermediate position which results in a volume flow Q which corresponds to the desired change in the damping force F.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a flat rack container, and more particularly, to an integral buffering apparatus disposed between end walls and a base and for automatically controlling a flow rate of oil that flows in a cylinder housing through channels formed in a slider when the end walls are folded, to control a falling speed of the end walls, thereby absorbing an impact of the end walls, preventing damage of the end walls and the base, and ensuring safety of workers. The integral buffering apparatus includes a cylinder housing including a space for accommodating oil; a slider disposed in the space to be movable in a length direction of the cylinder housing and to divide the space into a first space and a second space; first oil channels and a second oil channel for connecting the first space and the second space to each other.

Abstract: A suspension damper includes a housing bounding a main chamber. A hydraulic fluid is disposed within the main chamber. A piston rod is selectively movable between an advanced position wherein a portion of the piston rod is advanced into the main chamber and a retracted position wherein the portion of the piston rod is retracted from the main chamber, wherein as the piston rod is moved a fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid within the main chamber progressively increases and a portion of the hydraulic fluid passes through a passage within the housing. A control valve is at least partially disposed within the main chamber, the control valve being moved by the fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid so as to progressively restrict the flow of the hydraulic fluid through the passage as the fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid within the main chamber progressively increases.

Abstract: A hydraulic strut system that damps vehicle vibration and includes a compressible fluid, a strut, and a valve plate. The strut includes three concentric tubes defining an inner cavity, an intermediary cavity, and an outer reservoir cavity, the inner cavity and intermediary cavity being fluidly coupled, wherein the inner cavity receives a piston that divides the inner cavity into a first volume and a second volume, the piston having an aperture that allows one way flow from the first volume to the second volume. The valve plate is removably coupled to the strut, and includes a first fluid path that allows one-way fluid flow from the intermediary cavity to the reservoir cavity, the first fluid path including a damping valve that damps fluid flowing therethorugh; and a second fluid path that allows one-way fluid flow from the reservoir cavity to the inner cavity, the second fluid path further including a replenishment valve.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension damper comprises a cylinder and a piston assembly including a damping piston along with working fluid within the cylinder. A bypass permits fluid to avoid dampening resistance of the damping piston. A fluid path through the bypass is controlled by a valve that is shifted by a piston surface when the contents of at least one predetermined volume is injected against the piston surface which acts upon the valve. In one embodiment, the bypass is remotely operable.

Abstract: Method of damping the vibrations of at least one pair of stay cables (4a, 4b) of a civil engineering structure (1), in which the stay cables of said pair are linked by a damper (6) having a first stiffness in response to tensile stress and a second stiffness in response to compressive stress, the first stiffness being greater than the second stiffness.

Abstract: There is provided an air damper including: a tubular cylinder 1 in which both end portions are opened; a piston 2 which moves within the cylinder 1; and a cap 3 which closes a one-end opening of the cylinder 1, wherein the cylinder 1 has an annular seal surface 4 formed on a circumferential surface of the one-end opening, wherein the cap is mounted on the one-end opening side of the cylinder 1 so as to be moveable or deformable along an axial direction of the cylinder 1, wherein the cap is brought into contact with or separated from the seal surface in accordance with a pressure change due to a movement of the piston 2 within the cylinder 1, and wherein a first orifice 14 is opened in a base plate 12 of the cap, characterized in that: a second orifice having an inlet area smaller than the first orifice is defined between the cap 3 and the cylinder 1 during an operation of the first orifice 14.

Abstract: In a rotary damper 1 including a cam surface 3f formed in a lower end surface of a large-diameter portion 3b of a rotor 3 and including a cam surface 4f formed in an upper end surface of a piston 4, the cam surface 4f being capable of contacting the cam surface 3f, the cam surfaces 3f, 4f pressed to contact each other by a coil spring 9 biasing the piston 4, the piston 4 is prohibited from being moved toward the large-diameter portion 3b beyond a predetermined second position. Coil spring 9 does not rotationally bias the piston 4. The coil spring 9 biases the piston 4 only such that the piston 4 approaches the large-diameter portion 3b.

Abstract: A braking and drive force control apparatus for a vehicle whose wheels are separately driven by electric motors. A controller calculates a drive force or a braking force to be applied to each wheel in accordance with the average sprung displacement and average sprung velocity of the vehicle body which are calculated based on sensed sprung acceleration. By adding the calculated drive force or braking force to the drive force at the time of running, at the time of bouncing of the vehicle body, a downwards force can be generated in the vehicle body which is rising, and an upwards force can be generated in the vehicle body which is descending. By applying an upwards or downwards force to each wheel so as to permit upwards and downwards vibration of the wheels, variations in the ground contact load can be suppressed.

Abstract: A bicycle shock absorber and methods for differentiating between rider-induced forces and terrain-induced forces includes a first fluid chamber having fluid contained therein, a piston for compressing the fluid within the fluid chamber, a second fluid chamber coupled to the first fluid chamber by a fluid communication hose, and an inertial valve disposed within the second fluid chamber. The inertial valve opens in response to terrain-induced forces and provides communication of fluid compressed by the piston from the first fluid chamber to the second fluid chamber. The inertial valve does not open in response to rider-induced forces.

Abstract: A front wheel supporting structure for a motorcycle (1) includes a pair of front forks (10, 20) provided on the right and left sides of a front wheel (2) for supporting the front wheel (2) to a frame (5) of the motorcycle (1). The front forks (10, 20) includes a first front fork (20) which generates a damping force for damping a vibration of the front wheel (2) depending on an amplitude of the vibration, and a second front fork (10) which generates a damping force for damping a vibration of the front wheel not depending on the amplitude of the vibration. By thus combining the front forks (10, 20) having different damping force characteristics, the front wheel supporting structure can absorb vibrations of various velocities and amplitudes.