Magnetostrictive linear displacement transducer for a vehicle strut suspension
AssigneeMTS Systems Corporation
InventorsDAVID S. NYCE, ARNOLD F. SPRECHER JR., DAVID EDWARD SHOFF
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle suspension strut is disclosed that includes a housing having a chamber and a piston slidably disposed in the chamber. A piston rod is connected to the piston and extends out of the housing. The piston rod includes a bore extending longitudinally therein. A magnetostrictive transducer provides an output signal indicative of the piston position with respect to the housing. The magnetostrictive transducer includes a magnetostrictive waveguide disposed in the bore and a magnet joined to the housing that is operably coupled to the magnetostrictive waveguide and the magnetostrictive waveguide abruptly terminates at one end.
Claims24
A vehicle strut suspension, comprising:
- a. a housing having a chamber;
- b. a piston slidably disposed in the chamber;
- c. a rod connected to the piston and extending out of the housing, the rod having a bore extending longitudinally therein;
- and
- d. a magnetostrictive transducer comprising:
- i. a magnetostrictive waveguide disposed in the bore;
- ii. a magnet operably coupled to the magnetostrictive waveguide;
- iii. a return wire connected to said magnetostrictive waveguide;
- and
- iv. an abrupt change in acoustic impedance of said waveguide.
A vehicle strut suspension, comprising:
- a. a housing having a chamber;
- b. a piston slidably disposed in the chamber;
- c. a rod connected to the piston and extending out of the housing, the rod having a bore extending longitudinally therein;
- and
- d. a magnetostrictive transducer comprising:
- i. a magnetostrictive waveguide disposed in the bore;
- ii. a magnet operably coupled to the magnetostrictive waveguide;
- iii. a return wire connected to said magnetostrictive waveguide;
- and
- iv. a Z-bend of said waveguide forming an abrupt change in acoustic impedance.
A vehicle strut suspension, comprising:
- a. a housing having a chamber;
- b. a piston slidably disposed in the chamber;
- c. a rod connected to the piston and extending out of the housing, the rod having a bore extending longitudinally therein;
- and
- d. a magnetostrictive transducer comprising:
- i. an enclosure disposed in the bore;
- ii. a magnetostrictive waveguide disposed in the enclosure;
- iii. a magnet operably coupled to the magnetostrictive waveguide;
- iv. a return wire connected to said magnetostrictive waveguide;
- and
- v. wherein said enclosure has a low co-efficient of thermal linear expansion.
A vehicle strut suspension, comprising:
- a. a housing having a chamber;
- b. a piston slidably disposed in the chamber;
- c. a rod connected to the piston and extending out of the housing, the rod having a bore extending longitudinally therein;
- and
- d. a magnetostrictive transducer comprising:
- i. a magnetostrictive waveguide disposed in the bore;
- ii. a magnet operably coupled to the magnetostrictive waveguide;
- iii. a return wire connected to said magnetostrictive waveguide;
- and
- iv. a pin, said waveguide terminating at and attached to said pin, said waveguide having a tuning portion to minimize ringing by destructive phase shift of the reflected signal along said waveguide.
A vehicle strut suspension, comprising:
- a. a housing having a chamber;
- b. a piston slidably disposed in the chamber;
- c. a rod connected to the piston and extending out of the housing, the rod having a bore extending longitudinally therein;
- and
- d. a magnetostrictive transducer comprising:
- i. a magnetostrictive waveguide disposed in the bore;
- ii. a magnet operably coupled to the magnetostrictive waveguide;
- iii. a return wire connected to said magnetostrictive waveguide;
- and
- iv. said return wire being uninsulated and being attached to said waveguide.
A vehicle strut suspension, comprising:
- a. a housing having a chamber;
- b. a piston slidably disposed in the chamber;
- c. a rod connected to the piston and extending out of the housing, the rod having a bore extending longitudinally therein;
- and
- d. a magnetostrictive transducer comprising:
- i. a magnetostrictive waveguide disposed in the bore;
- ii. a magnet operably coupled to the magnetostrictive waveguide;
- iii. a return wire connected to said magnetostrictive waveguide;
- and
- iv. said return wire includes heat shrink applied to said return wire, said heat shrink holding said return wire in place.
A vehicle strut suspension, comprising:
- a. a housing having a chamber;
- b. a piston slidably disposed in the chamber;
- c. a rod connected to the piston and extending out of the housing, the rod having a bore extending longitudinally therein;
- and
- d. a magnetostrictive transducer comprising:
- i. an enclosure disposed in the bore;
- ii. a magnetostrictive waveguide disposed in the enclosure;
- iii. a magnet operably coupled to the magnetostrictive waveguide;
- iv. a return wire connected to said magnetostrictive waveguide;
- and
- v. wherein there is included a cap at the end of the enclosure, the enclosure being non-conducting and the cap being attached to said enclosure.
An automotive magnetostrictive device for measuring a variable with respect to an automotive vehicle, comprising:
- a. a spacing corresponding to the range of measurement for the variable;
- b. a magnetostrictive transducer mounted in the automotive vehicle, comprising:
- i. a magnetostrictive waveguide disposed in and attached to said spacing;
- ii. a device for affecting a property of said magnetostrictive waveguide proportional to the current amount of said range of the variable assumed by the variable;
- iii. a mode converter for measuring said property;
- and
- iv. a signal generated by said mode converter representative of said current amount.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.