# US 9,752,963 B2 · Suspension damper test apparatus, control system and method of controlling a suspension damper test apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,752,963 B2 - Document ID: US9752963B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/513,858 - Filed: 2014-10-14 - Published: 2016-04-14 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2014-10-14 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jinghong Yu; Kirk Rhoades; Keith Malarik - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752963B2 ## CPC - G01M 17/04: Suspension or damping - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A suspension damper test apparatus is provided. The suspension damper test apparatus includes a first fixture having a force sensor, a first prying device, and a first torsion device, operatively coupled to a first end of a suspension damper. A second fixture having at least one of a displacement sensor and a speed sensor, is operatively coupled to a second end of a suspension damper. A controller is in signal communication with the force sensor and the at least one of the displacement sensor and the speed sensor. The controller is configured to record signals received from one or more of the force sensor, and the at least one of the displacement sensor and the speed sensor. The signals recorded are representative of a friction of the suspension damper while the suspension damper is actuated along a longitudinal axis of the suspension damper. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A suspension damper test apparatus comprising: a first fixture including a force sensor, a first prying device, and a first torsion device, operatively coupled to a first end of a suspension damper; a second fixture including a second prying device, a second torsion device, and at least one of a displacement sensor and a speed sensor, operatively coupled to a second end of the suspension damper; and a controller in signal communication with the force sensor and the at least one of the displacement sensor and the speed sensor, the controller configured to record signals received from one or more of the force sensor and the at least one of the speed sensor and the displacement sensor, representative of a friction of the suspension damper while the suspension damper is actuated along a longitudinal axis of the suspension damper. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first prying device and the first torsion device are configured to tilt and rotate a first bushing inner tube relative to a first bushing outer tube at the first end of the suspension damper. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second prying device and the second torsion device tilt and rotate a second bushing inner tube relative to a second bushing outer tube at the second end of the suspension damper. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an actuator that actuates the suspension damper between an extended position and a compressed position in one of a sinusoidal wave form and a triangle wave form. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first fixture is a stationary fixture and the second fixture is a moveable fixture, the actuator acting on the second fixture. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second fixture is a stationary fixture and the first fixture is a moveable fixture, the actuator acting on the first fixture. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first prying device tilts the first bushing inner tube in a first prying angle and the first torsion device rotates the first bushing inner tube in a first torsion angle, and the second prying device tilts the second bushing inner tube in a second prying angle and the second torsion device rotates the second bushing inner tube in a second torsion angle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first prying device and the second prying device are configured such that the first prying angle and the second prying angle are in relation to each other in at least one plane. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first torsion device and the second torsion device are configured such that the first torsion angle and the second torsion angle are in relation to each other in at least one plane. ### Claim 10 A method of controlling a suspension damper test apparatus, the method comprising: coupling a first end of a suspension damper to a first fixture of the suspension damper test apparatus, the first fixture including a force sensor, a first prying device, and a first torsion device; coupling a second end of the suspension damper to a second fixture of the suspension damper test apparatus, the second fixture including a second prying device, a second torsion device, and at least one of a displacement sensor and a speed sensor; tilting and rotating a first bushing inner tube relative to a first bushing outer tube at the first end of the suspension damper by the first prying device and the first torsion device; tilting and rotating a second bushing inner tube relative to a second bushing outer tube at the second end of the suspension damper by the second prying device and the second torsion device; moving by an actuator the suspension damper between an extended position and a compressed position in one of a sinusoidal wave form and a triangle wave form; receiving by a controller in signal communication with the force sensor and the at least one of the displacement sensor and the speed sensor, at least one signal from at least one of the force sensor and the at least one of the displacement sensor and the speed sensor; and characterizing by the controller at least one friction value of the suspension damper based, at least in part, on the at least one signal received by the controller. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein tilting and rotating a first bushing inner tube relative to a first bushing outer tube comprises creating a first prying angle and a first torsion angle and tilting and rotating a second bushing inner tube relative to a second bushing outer tube comprises creating a second prying angle and a second torsion angle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the first prying device and the second prying device are configured such that the first prying angle and the second prying angle are in relation to each other in at least one plane. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the first torsion device and the second torsion device are configured such that the first torsion angle and the second torsion angle are in relation to each other in at least one plane. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the first fixture is a stationary fixture and the second fixture is a moveable fixture, the actuator acting on the second fixture. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the second fixture is a stationary fixture and the first fixture is a moveable fixture, the actuator acting on the first fixture. ### Claim 16 A control system for a suspension damper test apparatus, the control system comprising: a suspension damper test apparatus including: a first fixture including a force sensor, a first prying device, and a first torsion device, operatively coupled to a first end of a suspension damper; a second fixture including a second prying device, a second torsion device, and at least one of a displacement sensor and a speed sensor, operatively coupled to a second end of the suspension damper; and an actuator that actuates the suspension damper between an extended position and a compressed position in one of a sinusoidal wave form and a triangle wave form; and a controller in signal communication with the suspension damper test apparatus, the controller configured to: record signals from one or more of the force sensor and the at least one of the displacement sensor and the speed sensor, representative of a friction of the suspension damper while the suspension damper is actuated along a longitudinal axis of the suspension damper. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The control system of claim 16, wherein the first prying device is configured to tilt a first bushing inner tube relative to a first bushing outer tube at the first end of the suspension damper at a first tilt angle and the first torsion device is configured to rotate the first bushing inner tube relative to the first bushing outer tube at the first end of the suspension damper at a first rotation angle, and the second prying device is configured to tilt a second bushing inner tube relative to a second bushing outer tube at the second end of the suspension damper at a second tilt angle and the second torsion device is configured to rotate the second bushing inner tube relative to the second bushing outer tube at a second rotation angle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The control system of claim 17, wherein the first prying device and the second prying device are configured such that the first prying angle and the second prying angle are in relation to each other in at least one plane. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The control system of claim 18, wherein the first torsion device and the second torsion device are configured such that the first torsion angle and the second torsion angle are in relation to each other in at least one plane. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The control system of claim 19, wherein the first fixture is a stationary fixture and the second fixture is a moveable fixture, the actuator acting on the second fixture. ### Claim 21 A suspension damper test apparatus comprising: a first fixture including a force sensor and a prying device operatively coupled to a first end of a suspension damper; a second fixture including a torsion device a second prying device, and at least one of a displacement sensor and a speed sensor, operatively coupled to a second end of the suspension damper; and a controller in signal communication with the force sensor and the at least one of the displacement sensor and the speed sensor, the controller configured to record signals received from one or more of the force sensor and the at least one of the speed sensor and the displacement sensor, representative of a friction of the suspension damper while the suspension damper is actuated along a longitudinal axis of the suspension damper. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 21, wherein the prying device is configured to tilt a first bushing inner tube relative to a first bushing outer tube at the first end of the suspension damper, and the torsion device is configured to rotate a second bushing inner tube relative to a second bushing outer tube at the second end of the suspension damper. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 22, further comprising an actuator that actuates the suspension damper between an extended position and a compressed position in one of a sinusoidal wave form and a triangle wave form. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first fixture is a stationary fixture and the second fixture is a moveable fixture, the actuator acting on the second fixture. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The suspension damper test apparatus of claim 23, wherein the second fixture is a stationary fixture and the first fixture is a moveable fixture, the actuator acting on the first fixture.