17222results about "Springs" patented technology

A damper including a valve movable between an open position and a closed position to selectively alter the compression damping rate of the shock absorber. The valve may include a self-centering feature that operates to keep the valve body centered about the valve shaft. The damper may also include a timer feature, which retains the valve in an open position for a predetermined period of time after it is initially opened.

The invention specifically relates to a mass tuned vibration reducer used for controlling the vibration of an aerobridge in the airport, a large-span pedestrian bridge, a port trestle, high-rise buildings and the related structures. The mass tuned vibration reducer comprises a mass block, a spring, a damper and a base; wherein, the spring can be a spiral spring, a disc spring or a plate spring, and the end part of the spring is provided with a rigidity regulating device. The mass tuned vibration reducer can successfully realize the regulation on the natural frequency of a TMD system under the condition of needing not to assemble and disassemble the TMD since the end part of the spring is provided with the rigidity regulating device, so as to simplify the difficulty of regulation work, avoid the waste of manpower and materials and greatly reduce the construction cost. Meanwhile, the natural frequency and the damping of the system can be regulated in an optimized way under the condition of needing not to assemble and disassemble the TMD, thereby better exerting the vibration absorption performance of the mass tuned vibration reducer, ensuring safety and stableness of the pedestrians and vehicles on the large-span bridge and the thin and high building, contributing to prolonging the service lives of the thin and high building and the bridge, and having remarkable economic and social benefits.

The present invention provides a method and system of displaying items that gives the user the ability to easily access recently accessed items. The recent items list includes both incoming and outgoing correspondences that are attempted to be matched to the corresponding contact stored in the device. The user can access the recent contact list and reply using any communication method available. For instance, the user could reply by phone, email, send an instant messenger message, send an SMS message, and the like. The recent items list may also include items such as communications, contacts, folder, files, messages, applications, and the like. A coalesced list of the recently used items is shown so that an item is only shown once in the recent list. Any matched item in the recent list may also be shown in the alphabetical list that appears below the recent list.

The present invention relates to a variable-torque magnetorheologically actuated prosthetic knee which utilizes a plurality of interspersed and alternating rotors and stators to shear magnetorheological fluid in gaps formed therebetween. Advantageously, by operating in the "shear mode" there is substantially no or negligible fluid pressure buildup or change. Moreover, the multiple MR fluid gaps or flux interfaces desirably allow for the production of a large torque at low speed-eliminating the need for a transmission-and also for a wide dynamic torque range. One embodiment of the invention allows the rotors and/or stators to close the gaps therebetween to create a frictional torque component, thereby forming a "hybrid" braking system which provides a total torque or damping which is a combination of viscous torque and frictional torque.

An improved damping apparatus that utilizes a fluid having a viscosity that may be varied by the application of an electromagnetic field, such as a magnetorheological fluid or an electrorheological fluid, to provide the damping response. The damping apparatus includes a linear to rotary conversion mechanism which comprises a translatable member that is adapted for linear translation in a forward and a reverse direction and a rotatable member comprising a rotatable shaft that is rotatably coupled to the translatable member; wherein translation of the translatable member in one of the forward or the reverse directions produces a forward or a reverse rotation of the rotatable member and shaft, respectively. The damping apparatus also includes a damping mechanism which comprises a hub that is fixed to the shaft, a means for generating a variable electromagnetic field in response to an applied electrical signal that may be continuously varied in response to an input signal that is representative of a desired damping force and a fluid having a viscosity that may be continuously varied by application of the electromagnetic field that is in touching contact with the hub. Application of the variable electromagnetic field to the fluid produces changes in the viscosity of the fluid that in turn provides variable resistance to rotation of the hub and resistance to translation of the translatable member, thereby providing a damping apparatus with a continuously variable damping response.

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.

An integrated suspension system includes a cylinder that hermetically contains gas therein and is fixed to a vehicle body; a piston that has a motor at an upper portion thereof, is configured to support a road wheel and is guided within the cylinder to move vertically; a disk unit including a second disk that has a plurality of passage holes formed there through and a bottom surface coupled to a driving shaft of the motor to rotate while moving vertically integrally along with the piston, and a first disk that has a plurality of passage holes and is stacked on and connected via a hinge to the center of a top surface of the second disk to move vertically within the cylinder integrally along with the second disk without any rotation; and a control unit that controls an opening degree established through overlap of the passage holes formed in the first and second disks by changing power supplied to the motor to control a rotational angle of the second disk.

A damper includes a piston rod, a damping piston, at least one cylinder containing a damping liquid, a fixed partition member for partitioning the interior of the damper into two liquid chambers, a pressure source, and a valve in communication with the pressure source which reacts as a function of the pressure. The valve can also be in communication with additional forces, such as mechanical spring forces, which can be adjustable. The valve can include a pressure intensifier. The valve generates fluid flow resistance during flow of liquid in a first direction through the partition member. The fluid flow resistance in the first direction varies according to the amount of force communicated to the valve by the pressure source and any additional forces. The partition member can include means for providing low-resistance return flow of liquid in a second direction.

Electro-rheological fluid brake or actuator devices provide controllable resistance with or without inclusion of active torque output in either direction of rotation under manual or computer control. The brake and actuator devices are suitable for use in an orthotic device for a joint, such as the knee or elbow.

Regenerative shock absorber. A piston is disposed for reciprocating motion within a cylinder as a vehicle's suspension system deflects. Hydraulic fluid passes through an hydraulic motor to turn its shaft. The hydraulic motor shaft is connected to an electric generator to generate electricity. Flow characteristics of hydraulic circuits are selected to provide suspension system damping for appropriate wheel control.