Magnetorheological rotary damper

A rotary damper, comprising:

• means for rotating a first body relative to a second body;
• a magnetorheological fluid capable of acting on the rotating means to control the angular velocity of the relative rotation;
• means for driving a magnetic flux through the magnetorheological fluid to control the angular velocity;
• and
• means for housing the rotating means and for containing the magnetorheological fluid.

A rotary damper, comprising:

• a housing;
• a plurality of housing plates disposed within the housing;
• a plurality of rotor plates disposed within the housing and interleaved with the housing plates, the rotor plates capable of rotary movement relative to the housing plates;
• a magnetorheological fluid contained within the housing and residing in the interleave of the housing plates and the rotor plates;
• a magnetic flux generator capable of driving a magnetic flux through the magnetorheological fluid in the interleave in a direction transverse to the orientation of the plates and capable of varying the strength of the driven magnetic flux.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a housing;
• a first plurality of plates disposed within the housing;
• a pivot rotating relative to the housing, including:
• a pivot arm;
• and
• a pivot base to which the pivot arm is affixed, the pivot base including a second plurality of plates disposed within the housing and interleaved with the first plurality of plates, the second plurality of plates capable of moving relative to the first plurality of plates;
• a magnetorheological fluid contained within the housing and residing in the interleave of the first and second plurality of plates;
• a magnetic flux generator capable of driving a magnetic flux through the magnetorheological fluid in the interleave in a direction transverse to the orientation of the plates and capable of varying the strength of the driven magnetic flux.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a pivot;
• and
• a rotary damper, including:
• a housing;
• a first plurality of plates disposed within the housing;
• a second plurality of plates disposed within the housing and interleaved with the first plurality of plates, the second plurality of plates capable of moving relative to the first plurality of plates;
• a magnetorheological fluid contained within the housing and residing in the interleave of the first and second plurality of plates;
• and
• a magnetic flux generator capable of driving a magnetic flux through the magnetorheological fluid in the interleave in a direction transverse to the orientation of the plates and capable of varying the strength of the driven magnetic flux.

A method for damping rotary movement, comprising:

• sensing the magnitude of a relative movement between a first plurality of plates interleaved with a second plurality of plates;
• driving a magnetic flux through an magnetorheological fluid residing in the interleave of the first and second plurality of plates in a direction transverse to the orientation of the first and second plurality of plates;
• and capable of
• varying the magnitude of the driven magnetic flux.