4610results about "Dampers-spring combinations" patented technology

An off-road bicycle suspension 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 and includes a cartridge tube connected to the lower leg and a piston connected to the upper tube by a shaft. The piston is telescopingly engaged with the cartridge tube to define a compression chamber below the piston. A control assembly is located at a top portion of the upper leg and is in communication with the compression chamber via a central passage of the shaft. A reservoir is defined between at least a portion of the lower tube and the cartridge. During compression of the suspension fork, fluid flows from the compression chamber, upward through the central passage of the shaft, through the control assembly and to the reservoir.

A movable data center is disclosed that comprises a portable container in which an operable computer system is assembled. A data link, power supply link and cooling system are provided through ports on the exterior of the container. The computer system is assembled to a rack that is secured to the container with a shock absorbing mechanism.

A bicycle suspension assembly may be in the form of a bicycle front suspension fork. The suspension fork may include a pair of telescoping fork legs. In one arrangement, a suspension spring and a damper are provided in only one of the pair of fork legs. The suspension spring assembly may include a negative spring. In one arrangement, the negative spring is a dual stage negative gas spring in which a negative spring gas chamber includes a first chamber section and a second chamber section. The first chamber section and the second chamber section are uncoupled in a first position of the suspension spring and the first chamber section and the second chamber section are coupled in a second position of the suspension spring.

An adaptive energy absorption system for a vehicle seat is disclosed, utilizing an adaptive energy absorber or variable profile energy absorber (VPEA) for mitigating occupant injury due to extreme vehicle movement (e.g., during a vehicle shock event), and / or for mitigating vibration experienced by an occupant of the vehicle seat during normal vehicle operating conditions. Various configurations of dual-goal energy absorption apparatuses using both VPEA and fixed load energy absorbers (FLEAs) that enable both shock mitigation and vibration isolation are disclosed. A semi-active control absorption system, comprising a VPEA and FPEA configured to work in series, is also disclosed.

An off-road bicycle suspension 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 and includes a cartridge tube connected to the lower leg and a piston connected to the upper tube by a shaft. The piston is telescopingly engaged with the cartridge tube to define a compression chamber below the piston. A control assembly is located at a top portion of the upper leg and is in communication with the compression chamber via a central passage of the shaft. A reservoir is defined between at least a portion of the lower tube and the cartridge. During compression of the suspension fork, fluid flows from the compression chamber, upward through the central passage of the shaft, through the control assembly and to the reservoir.

A gas turbine engine assembly includes a gas turbine engine mounted on a three-point mounting frame. The three-point mounting frame includes an engine support structure having first and second beams in a V-configuration, and a secondary support structure that is positioned about the engine support structure and has a rectangular footprint. The frame may include a Y-configuration that includes the V-configuration, and may be implemented in a machine mounting system, such as in a marine vessel.

A control system for a resilient support mechanism such as a suspension mechanism of a wheeled vehicle including a damper disposed between an unsprung mass member and a sprung mass member of the vehicle, wherein a damping coefficient of the damper is divided into a linear portion and a nonlinear portion, and wherein the nonlinear portion of the damping coefficient is defined as a control input u and applied with a frequency weight Wu(s), while a vertical velocity of the sprung mass member, a relative velocity of the sprung mass member to the unsprung mass member and a vertical acceleration of the sprung mass member are defined as an evaluation output zp and applied with a frequency weight Ws(s). In the control system, a nonlinear Hinfin control theory is applied to a generalized plant to obtain a positive definite symmetric solution P and to calculate a target damping force based on the positive definite symmetric solution P and a state amount such as the vertical velocity of the sprung mass member, a relative displacement of the sprung mass member to the unsprung mass member or the like.

A movable data center is disclosed that comprises a portable container in which an operable computer system is assembled. A data link, power supply link and cooling system are provided through ports on the exterior of the container. The computer system is assembled to a rack that is secured to the container with a shock absorbing mechanism.

An adjusting mechanism with a spring, particularly an adjusting mechanism with a helical spring of large diameter, is disclosed, the thread grooves of an inner bore of a rotation member being primarily used to allow the helical spring of large diameter fixed to the spring-fixed base to glide. When the rotation member rotates and axially shifts, the number of compressed coils of the helical spring of large diameter changes, thereby a spring coefficient of the helical spring of large diameter is changed.

An electromagnetic shock absorber including: (a) a wheel-side member; (b) a body-side member movable relative to the wheel-side member; and (c) a damping force generator with an electromagnetic motor including stationary and movable elements movable relative to each other. The damping force generator can generate, based on a force generated by the motor, a damping force acting against a relative movement of the wheel-side member and the body-side member. The motor has an axis extending in a both-members-relative-movement direction as a direction of the above-described relative movement. The stationary element is supported by the wheel-side member via an elastic body, to be movable relative to the wheel-side member in the both-members-relative-movement direction. The electromagnetic motor allows relative movement of the stationary element and the movable element upon movement of the stationary element relative to the wheel-side member.

An apparatus of a damper (46) for a bicycle comprising a housing defining a chamber, and a piston, movable in the chamber along a first direction. The apparatus further comprises a controllable means to vary the resistance to movement of the piston in the chamber, a sensor (62), and a controller (58) including a timer. Said sensor measures at least one dynamic quantity and produces an output signal based thereon. Said output signal is received by the controller, and said controller controls said controllable means based on said dynamic quantity as a function of time to control the level of damping. The invention further provides means for manually adjusting the level of rebound damping.

An active suspension for a driver seat of a bus or a heavy vehicle which comprises an electric actuator allowing the exertion of the force between the floor of the vehicle and the bottom of the seat. The adjustment of the height of the seat is accomplished by an electric actuator or by an independent mechanical system. A controller generates a control force calculated from measurements obtained by sensors located at different locations on the suspension. Forces exerted by the electric actuator can be relieved by passive element placed in parallel which cannot assume by themselves the role of a suspension for a given application.

A bedding or seating product comprises a pocketed spring assembly having a plurality of parallel strings of springs joined to each other. Each of said strings of springs comprises a row of interconnected pockets, each of the pockets containing at least one spring encased in a fabric pocket. An inflatable member is sandwiched between a lower scrim sheet and some strings of springs. When inflated, the inflatable member preloads select areas of the product.

A vibration damper piston includes a piston body with a bore from which first and second apertures respectively provide paths to first and second chambers of the vibration damper. A valve spool in the bore defines a pilot chamber and controls fluid flow between the first and second apertures. First and second springs bias the valve spool in opposing directions. A control orifice provides a continuous fluid path between the first chamber and the pilot chamber, and a variable orifice provides another fluid path between the second chamber and the pilot chamber. An actuator is operably connected to adjust the variable orifice in response to a control signal.

A controllable damping force hydraulic shock absorber including a pilot type damping valve having a back-pressure chamber for each of an extension stroke and a compression stroke. A piston connected to a piston rod is fitted into a sealed cylinder in which a hydraulic fluid is contained. During an extension stroke of the piston rod, the hydraulic fluid in an upper cylinder chamber flows to a lower cylinder chamber through an extension-side hydraulic fluid passage, an extension-side orifice hydraulic fluid passage, an extension-side back-pressure chamber, an axial hydraulic fluid passage, a radial hydraulic fluid passage, a compression-side back-pressure chamber, an extension-side check valve and a compression-side hydraulic fluid passage. During a compression stroke, the hydraulic fluid in the lower cylinder chamber flows to the upper cylinder chamber through the compression-side hydraulic fluid passage, the compression-side orifice passage, the compression-side back-pressure chamber, the radial hydraulic fluid passage, the axial hydraulic fluid passage, the extension-side back-pressure chamber, the compression-side check valve and the extension-side hydraulic passage. The hydraulic fluid passage for an extension stroke and the hydraulic fluid passage for a compression stroke have some elements in common, thus simplifying the structure of the controllable damping force hydraulic shock absorber.

A spring system for relatively displacing elements attached to end mounts of the rod assembly comprises a housing having a rod member movable between extended and retracted positions relative thereto, and a first compression spring in the housing surrounded by a second compression spring for biasing the rod member to one of an extended or retracted position relative to the housing. The two springs are oppositely wound whereby, from a compressed condition, the spring rod exerts an expansion force which increases at a linear rate. The spring system includes a valve arrangement to control the rate at which the spring rod moves from a retracted position to an extended position.

A vibration damper piston includes a piston body with a bore from which first and second apertures respectively provide paths to first and second chambers of the vibration damper. A valve spool in the bore defines a pilot chamber and controls fluid flow between the first and second apertures. First and second springs bias the valve spool in opposing directions. A control orifice provides a continuous fluid path between the first chamber and the pilot chamber, and a variable orifice provides another fluid path between the second chamber and the pilot chamber. An actuator is operably connected to adjust the variable orifice in response to a control signal.

An active vibration isolating support device for preventing the direct transmission of vibrations from an engine to a vehicle body frame includes an electromagnetic actuator for driving a movable member in a reciprocating fashion to change the capacity of a first liquid chamber. A shaft portion of an armature driven by a coil is supported by a bearing so that it moves along an axis, whereby the size of an air gap can be maintained as small as possible, thereby making it possible to miniaturize the coil. In addition, a connecting rod for connecting the movable member with the armature is supported so as to sway relative to a coil spring and a saucer spring, whereby the vibration of the movable member is prevented from being transmitted to the shaft portion of the armature.

A tunable vibration isolation device comprising a magneto-rheological elastomer (MRE), and methods of using such a device, are provided. By manipulating a magnetic field within the MRE the device's stiffness is controlled. The vibration isolator can be constructed to provide shock absorption in one, two and three dimensions. Coupling the tunable device to a sensor feedback and a control system provides fast and accurate vibration isolation and energy dissipation for shock events in a variety of applications.

A vehicle suspension system including: (a) a suspension spring interconnecting a vehicle body and a wheel; (b) an actuator having an electric motor, such that the actuator is capable of generating, based on a force of the electric motor, an actuator force forcing the body and the wheel toward and away from each other, and causing the generated actuator force to act as a damping force against displacement of the body and the wheel; and (c) a control device for controlling the actuator force generated by the actuator, by controlling operation of the electric motor. The control device is capable of establishing a constant-force generating state in which the actuator force is constantly generated as a constant actuator force by the actuator with supply of an electric power thereto from a battery as an electric power source of the electric motor such that the generated constant actuator force acts in a rebound direction or a bound direction. The control device controls the constant-force generating state, based on a charge state of the battery.

A shock absorbing device is provided that includes a cylindrical damper, a compression coil spring disposed around the damper having an axis substantially in line with the axis of the damper, and a cylindrical spring guide disposed around the compression coil spring so as to cover the compression coil spring.

The invention discloses a parallel mechanism based multidimensional vibration platform. Standard zero stiffness of a vibration isolation platform at the equilibrium position and nonlinear stiffness nearby the equilibrium position can be realized by setting certain structural parameters, and the problem about difficulty in isolating low-frequency or ultra-low-frequency vibration for a traditional linear vibration isolation system; stiffness and damping can be easily and conveniently adjusted, vibration isolation of broad frequency domains are satisfied, and good engineering applicability is achieved; the multidimensional vibration platform is high in bearing stiffness, low in movement stiffness, small in static deflection, low in dynamic inherent frequency and good in vibration isolation effect; inherent contradictions restricting the traditional vibration isolation system, namely the contradictions of low-frequency vibration transmissibility and high-frequency vibration attenuation, can be solved by flexible adjustment of the stiffness and damping; the height and the static equilibrium position of the entire platform can be changed by adjusting a shock absorber spring base in height, and the multidimensional vibration platform is applicable to vibration isolation of objects of different weight.

A tunable vibration isolator with active tuning elements having a housing, fluid chamber, and at least one tuning port. A piston is resiliently disposed within the housing. A vibration isolation fluid is disposed within the fluid chambers and the tuning ports. The tunable vibration isolator may employ either a solid tuning mass approach or a liquid tuning mass approach. The active vibration elements are preferably solid-state actuators.

Provided is a piston assembly of a shock absorber, which is simple in structure and is easy to fabricate. The piston assembly of the shock absorber includes: a piston body in which a piston rod reciprocating within a cylinder penetrates a central portion thereof, and a plurality of compression passages and a plurality of rebound passages alternately penetrating the piston body are formed around the piston rod; a compression retainer placed over the piston body, in which a plurality of connection holes corresponding to the compression passages penetrate the compression retainer; and a rebound retainer placed under the piston body, in which a plurality of connection holes corresponding to the rebound passages penetrate the rebound retainer.

A vibration restraining apparatus for vehicle of the present invention is comprised of a housing formed by a rigid material and having an inner space, and fixed to a vibration transmitting member; a filled member sealed in the inner space of said housing in a non-adhered state with leaving a gap with respect to a vibrating direction of said housing, and formed by an elastic body at least at a surface thereof. When the housing resonates by vibration transmitted from the vibration transmitting member, the filled member contacts inner surface parts located at both sides of the housing in a vibrating direction thereof to exercise a damping character due to an energy loss caused by a sliding friction and a collision. Thus, a large damping character occurs inside of the housing to reduce vibration of the housing effectively. As a result, vibration of the vibration transmitting member is effectively reduced. The vibration restraining apparatus for vehicle of the present invention can be lightened in weight, does not have a temperature dependency, and can exercise the vibration restraining effect for plural resonances having different frequencies.

A damping force controlling valve assembly for a shock absorber is provided. The damping force controlling valve assembly includes: a main body part of a retainer having an inlet passage connected to a high pressure side of the shock absorber; a main valve generating a damping force while resisting a working fluid flowing in through the inlet passage; a spool rod part interacting with a spool inserted thereinto and supplying a working fluid through a connection port to a back-pressure chamber provided at the rear of the main valve; a solenoid part controlling a position of the spool to adjust a pressure of the back-pressure chamber; and an auxiliary valve disposed at an upstream of the main valve to generate a damping force in an extremely low speed section in advance of the main valve.

A downhole tool assembly has a component that is sensitive to shock and vibration. A reciprocating element is coupled to the component. The reciprocating element has an axial internal passage and an outer surface. A housing has an internal axial bore for receiving the reciprocating element for axial reciprocal motion therein. A retainer is mounted to the housing and seals the housing between the component and the reciprocating element. A first spring is located between the housing and the reciprocating element. A second spring is located between the reciprocating element and the retainer. A first reciprocating seal is located between the reciprocating element and the housing. A second reciprocating seal is located between the connector and the retainer. A fluid is contained by the reciprocating seals inside the housing. The reciprocating element permits a limited amount of fluid to flow between sides thereof.