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AssigneeDelphi Technologies, Inc.
InventorsMichael Leslie Oliver, William Charles Kruckemeyer
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Parallel paths for damping fluid are provided through the piston of a suspension damper, each of which are provided with separate damping valving sets to control damping. Communication through one of the paths is controlled by a movable control valve member, which is controlled by a magnetostrictive element which deforms in response to application of a magnetic field. The control valve member is moved between active and inactive positions in response to changes in a magnetic field applied by a coil mounted within the damper piston. In one position, all communication of damping fluid is through one of the damping valve sets, while in the other positon damping fluid communicates through both valve sets. Accordingly, damping levels may be varied by controlling the magnetic field.
A suspension damper comprising a housing filled with damping fluid, a piston slidable in said housing and dividing the housing into a compression chamber and an extension chamber, a piston rod extending from said piston through said extension chamber, said piston defining first and second passages extending therethrough to communicate damping fluid between said chambers, a valve assembly in each of said first and second passages, a movable member movable within said piston and movable between a closed position preventing communication through one of said passages and an open position preventing communication through said one passage to thereby vary the damping of the suspension damper, and an actuator for moving said movable member between said positions, said actuator including a deformable magnetostrictive element deforming in responsive to an applied magnetic field, said movable member moving between said positions in response to the deformation of said element, and a coil for applying a magnetic field to said magnetostrictive element.
A suspension damper comprising a housing filled with damping fluid, a piston slidable in said housing and dividing the housing into a compression chamber and an extension chamber, a piston rod extending from said piston through said extension chamber, said piston defining first and second passages extending therethrough to communicate damping fluid between said chambers, a valve assembly in each of said first and second passages, a movable member movable within said piston and movable between a closed position preventing communication through one of said passages and an open position permitting communication through said one passage to thereby vary the damping of the suspension damper, and an actuator for moving said movable member between said positions, said actuator including a deformable magnetostrictive element deforming in responsive to an applied magnetic field, said movable member moving between said positions in response to the deformation of said element, and a coil for applying a magnetic field to said magnetostrictive element, said magnetostrictive element being a bimetalic member including a magnetostrictive material bonded to a non-magnetostrictive material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.