US 6,318,968 B1 · Magnetorheological fluid pumping system

Abstract

An improved magnetorheological fluid pumping system and method are provided which effectively dispense a predetermined amount of magnetorheological fluid for delivery to a MR device such as a damper assembly, for example, during manufacture. The fluid pumping system includes a pump having inlet and outlet valves, a reciprocally mounted piston, a stroke operator device for controlling the movement of the piston and an electronic controller for operating the stroke operator device and the inlet and outlet valves. Importantly, the inlet and outlet valves include an annular flow gap and a magnetic field generating assembly operable in an energized state to generate a magnetic field across the flow gap to cause magnetorheological fluid flowing through the gap to experience a magnetorheological effect sufficient to prevent flow through the gap and in a de-energized state to permit flow through the gap. In one embodiment, the system includes inlet and outlet valves mounted at one end of a pump housing on opposite sides of a common feed chamber to control fluid flow into and out of a pump chamber. In a second embodiment, the system includes an inlet valve integrated into the piston for controlling flow between a receiving chamber on one side of the piston and the pump chamber on the opposite side of the piston. The valves are alternately energized and de-energized before retraction and dispensing strokes of the piston resulting in simple effective control of fluid dispensing.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A magnetorheological fluid pumping system for dispensing fluid for delivery to a magnetorheological device, comprising:

a pump including a bore and a piston mounted for reciprocal movement in said bore to form a pump chamber, said piston movable through a retraction stroke to permit fluid flow into said pump chamber and a dispensing stroke to dispense fluid from said pump chamber;
and
an outlet circuit for directing flow from said pump chamber;
an outlet valve positioned along said outlet circuit for controlling fluid flow from said pump chamber, said outlet valve including an annular flow gap and a magnetic field generating assembly operable in an energized state to generate a magnetic field across said annular flow gap to cause magnetorheological fluid flowing through said annular flow gap to experience a magnetorheological effect sufficient to prevent flow through said annular flow gap and in a de-energized state to permit flow through said annular flow gap.

1 more element

A magnetorheological fluid pumping system for dispensing fluid for delivery to a magnetorheological device, comprising:

a pump including a bore, an outlet port, an inlet port and a piston mounted for reciprocal movement in said bore to form a pump chamber, said piston movable through a retraction stroke to permit fluid flow into said pump chamber and a dispensing stroke to dispense fluid from said pump chamber through said outlet port for delivery to the device;
and
an inlet valve mounted on said pump to control fluid flow into said pump chamber, said inlet valve including an annular flow gap and a magnetic field generating assembly operable in an energized state to generate a magnetic field across said annular flow gap and in a de-energized state, said annular flow gap sized to permit magnetorheological fluid flowing through said annular flow gap to experience a magnetorheological effect sufficient to prevent flow through said annular flow gap when said magnetic field generating assembly is in said energized state and to permit flow through said annular flow gap into said pump chamber when said magnetic field generating assembly is in said de-energized state.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Magnetorheological fluid pumping system

Life of this patent

Magnetorheological fluid pumping system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20