Magnetorheological (MR) rod guide assembly and MR damper having same
AssigneeBWI Company Limited S.A.
InventorJohn A. Hart
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A magnetorheological (MR) rod guide assembly includes a nonporous MR-rod-guide-assembly housing, annular first and second seals, and a non-annular, porous filter plug. The housing has a through bore. The first and second seals are positioned in the through bore, are adapted to sealingly contact an MR piston rod, and are longitudinally spaced apart defining an inter-seal portion of the through bore. The filter plug is positioned in the housing, has a longitudinal first end in fluid communication with the through bore longitudinally outside the inter-seal bore portion, and has a longitudinal second end in fluid communication with the through bore longitudinally within the inter-seal bore portion.
Claims14
A magnetorheological (MR) rod guide assembly comprising:
- a) a monolithic, nonporous MR-rod-guide-assembly housing having a central longitudinal axis and including a through bore coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis;
- b) annular first and second seals disposed in the through bore, adapted to sealingly contact an MR piston rod, and longitudinally spaced apart defining an inter-seal portion of the through bore, wherein the first seal is attached to the housing;
- c) an annular, nonporous rod guide disposed in the inter-seal portion of the through bore and attached to the housing, wherein the second seal is self-attached to the rod guide;
- d) a split bearing disposed within and attached to the rod guide and adapted to contact and slidingly receive the MR piston rod;
- and
- e) a non-annular, cylindrical, porous filter plug which is not coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis, which is disposed in the housing radially outward of the rod guide, which has a longitudinal first end in a fluid communication with the through bore longitudinally outside the inter-seal bore portion, and which has a longitudinal second end in fluid communication with the through bore longitudinally within the inter-seal bore portion.
A magnetorheological (MR) damper comprising:
- a) an annular cylinder having a top end and a bottom end;
- b) an MR piston disposed in the cylinder;
- c) an MR piston rod attached to the MR piston and having one end extending outside the top end of the cylinder;
- and
- d) an MR rod guide assembly including:
- (1) a monolithic, nonporous MR-rod-guide-assembly housing having a central longitudinal axis, attached to the cylinder at the top end, and including a through bore coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis;
- (2) annular first and second seals disposed in the through bore, adapted to sealingly contact the MR piston rod, and longitudinally spaced apart defining an inter-seal portion of the through bore, wherein the first seal is attached to the housing;
- (3) an annular, nonporous rod guide disposed in the inter-seal portion of the through bore and self-attached to the housing, wherein the second seal is self-attached to the rod guide;
- (4) a split bearing disposed within and attached to the rod guide and adapted to contact and slidingly receive the MR piston rod;
- and
- (5) a non-annular, cylindrical, porous filter plug which is not coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis, which is disposed in the housing radially outward of the rod guide, which has a longitudinal first end in fluid communication with the through bore outside the inter-seal bore portion, and which has a longitudinal second end in fluid communication with the through bore within the inter-seal bore portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.