Method of operating a valve with a magnetorheological fluid

Abstract

A valve for a magnetorheological fluid is formed with a duct through which the magnetorheological fluid can flow and which can be exposed to a variable magnetic field such that the flow resistance of the duct can be set using the magnetic field in the duct. The magnetic field can be lastingly generated using a magnet device that is made at least in part of magnetically hard material. The magnetization of the magnet device can be lastingly modified by a magnetic pulse of a magnetic field generation device in order to lastingly change the magnetic field in the duct and thus the flow resistance of the duct. A valve of the invention requires energy only to change settings while a specific setting can be lastingly maintained without supplying energy.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.