Vehicle suspension damper with relative velocity sensor having controlled flux path

In a vehicle suspension damper comprising (a) a cylindrical body made of a magnetic material and having a closed end attached to one of a vehicle sprung mass and unsprung mass for vertical movement therewith and an opposite end, (b) a piston axially movable in the cylindrical body and fixed to a rod made of a magnetic material and projecting axially from the opposite end of the cylindrical body and attached to the other of the vehicle sprung mass and unsprung mass for vertical movement therewith, and (c) a cylindrical dust tube having a closed end attached to the rod adjacent the other of the vehicle sprung mass and unsprung mass for axial movement therewith and further having an opposite open end, the dust tube surrounding and being radially spaced from a portion of the cylindrical body including the opposite end thereof, apparatus for sensing relative velocity of movement between the vehicle sprung and unsprung masses, the apparatus comprising:

• an annular member closing the opposite end of the cylindrical body except for an opening through which the rod extends, the annular member comprising a magnetic portion extending radially across the annular member to form a first air gap with the rod at a radially inner end of the magnetic portion and a second air gap with the dust tube at a radially outer end of the magnetic portion, the magnetic portion comprising a radially polarized permanent magnet and both the first air gap and second air gap being substantially invariant with relative vertical movement between the sprung and unsprung masses;
• a sensor winding extending axially over a substantial length of an inner side of the dust tube through the second air gap;
• and
• the dust tube being made of a magnetic material to form, with the rod and magnetic portion of the annular member, a closed magnetic circuit for the permanent magnet through an adjacent portion of the sensor winding, whereby uncontrolled stray magnetic flux is eliminated and a flux linkage of the sensor winding enclosed by the closed magnetic circuit exhibits a linear variation with relative vertical movement between the vehicle sprung and unsprung masses to generate a voltage accurately representing the velocity of said movement.