Methods and apparatus for controlling a fluid damper

A remotely controllable shock absorber system for a vehicle comprising:

• at least two dampers associated with at least two wheels of the vehicle, each damper of the at least two dampers comprising:
• a first chamber comprising a first end and a second end and defined by a wall coupling the first end with the second end, wherein the wall comprises an inner diameter, and wherein the cylinder is divided into a compression portion and a gas-filled compressible portion, the compression portion including a piston and a rod for movement therein;
• a second chamber disposed within a portion less than a whole of the first chamber and between the first end and the second end, the second chamber comprising a portion of the wall having the inner diameter of the first chamber, the second chamber being fluid-filled with a variable rheology fluid;
• and
• a remotely actuatable electromagnet adjacent the second chamber for affecting the fluid due to a magnetic field created by the electromagnet, wherein the surfaces of the second chamber through which the magnetic field of the electromagnet extends into the variable rheology fluid is coated with an abrasion resistant material, wherein the remotely actuatable electromagnet is annularly-shaped and an outer surface of the electromagnet is positioned against an inner surface of the wall, wherein an inner surface of the electromagnet defines an orifice, wherein the variable rheology fluid has accessibility to a substantial entirety of the orifice for movement there through, and wherein an increase of a current flowing in a wire of the magnet, and hence an increase in a magnetic field, enables flux lines created by the magnetic field to reach toward a center of the orifice into the variable rheology fluid.

A fluid damper comprising:

• a damping fluid cylinder comprising a first end and a second end and defined by a wall coupling the first end with the second end, the damping fluid cylinder further having a first volume corresponding to a first damper position and a second volume corresponding to a second damper position, the damping fluid cylinder including a piston and a rod disposed therein and movable in a compression and rebound stroke within the cylinder, the damping fluid cylinder comprising:
• a gas-filled compressible portion including a compressible volume therein;
• a metering fluid chamber containing a rheology fluid having variable flow characteristics;
• a first movable partition separating the gas-filled compressible portion from the metering fluid chamber;
• a second movable partition separating a compression portion of the damping fluid cylinder from the metering fluid chamber;
• and
• an energy source disposed adjacent to the metering fluid chamber wherein the rheology fluid exhibits a first flow characteristic corresponding to a first energy source output and a second flow characteristic corresponding to a second energy source output, wherein the energy source is a magnet disposed between the first movable partition and the second movable partition, wherein the magnet is annularly-shaped and an outer surface of the energy source is positioned against an inner surface of the wall, wherein an inner surface of the energy source comprises an orifice, wherein the variable rheology fluid has accessibility to a substantial entirety of the orifice for movement there through, and wherein an increase of a current flowing in a wire of the magnet, and hence an increase in a magnetic field, enables flux lines created by the magnetic field to reach toward a center of the orifice into the variable rheology fluid.