A cushion-like shaped body (1) having an elastic, gel-like filling (2) in a thin-walled outer layer (3) are frequently used as seals, cushions, vibration dampers or shape compensation materials. This shaped body (1) is to be able to withstand severe strains, distortions, compressions and flexural forces, both in the event of brief severe stress and in the event of prolonged stress. For this purpose, the cushion-like shaped body (1) has a filling (2) of a polyurethane having Shore 000 hardness less than or equal to 80 and a compression set less than or equal to 14%, and this filling (2) is present within a shell having an outer layer (3) of a soft silicone material having a layer thickness of 0.075 to 1 mm and a Shore A hardness between 3A and 45A. Such a shaped body (1) is able to return to its original form without lasting elongation after tensile strain at room temperature up to 250%. There is no formation of cracks, detachment phenomena, bubbles, folds or other lasting damage. The elongation does not cause visible detachment between filling (2) and outer layer (3).

A water handling device comprising a water processing unit and an outer shell housing of vibration and/or pulsation damping material. The water handling device comprising opposed end plates including a water inlet connector, a water outlet connector, and a power connector. A circuit board extends between the opposed end plates and is connected thereto. An inner housing made of cured encapsulating material filling an interior volume defined by the outer shell housing and the end plates. The encapsulating material is hard or elastic relative to the soft outer shell housing. Vibration and/or pulsation damping elements protrude outwardly relative to the outer shell housing.

Provided are a lubricating oil composition for shock absorber, containing a base oil and a comb polymer having a mass average molecular weight of 510.sup.4 or more and 110.sup.6 or less, which has a high viscosity index and provides a shock absorber capable of keeping a damping force thereof substantially constant at any temperature and exhibiting excellent damping force characteristics; a method of producing the lubricating oil composition for shock absorber; a damping method; and a shock absorber.

Disclosed herein is a process suitable for constructing a multiple stage air shock. The multiple stage air shock is unique among shocks in that the multiple stage design possesses qualities not available to other shock absorbers. The process includes a means for determining the compressed and extended lengths of the air shock based on the lengths of the parts for each stage. This means refers to one methodology and offers the air shock an extended length that is greater than twice its compressed length, an optimized extended length, and a construction capability based on adding stages. In particular, the extended length-compressed length relationship is a quality inherently unobtainable by current shock absorbers. The process also includes a means of determining the spring rate. This means refers to a second methodology and offers the capability to both set-up the air shock with a relatively linear spring rate and make the relatively linear spring rate more linear.

Damper includes a housing having proximal and distal ends, a first attachment point proximate the distal end of the housing, a rod having proximal and distal ends at least partially disposed within the housing and moveable relative to the housing between an extended position and a compressed position, a second attachment point proximate the proximal end of the rod, a piston joined to the rod within the housing proximate the distal end of the rod, the piston including a bypass groove having a flow area defined therein to allow fluid to flow from a first side of the piston to an opposing side of the piston, and a first washer disposed proximate a first end of the piston and at least partially covering the flow area of the bypass groove.

Disclosed herein is a process suitable for constructing the multiple stage air shock. The multiple stage air shock is unique among shocks in that the multiple stage design possesses qualities not available to other shock absorbers. The process includes a means for determining the compressed and extended lengths of the air shock based on the lengths of the parts for each stage. This means refers to one methodology and offers the air shock an extended length that is greater than twice its compressed length, an optimized extended length, and a construction capability based on adding stages. In particular, the extended length-compressed length relationship is a quality inherently unobtainable by current shock absorbers. The process also includes a means of determining the spring rate. This means refers to a second methodology and offers the capability to both set-up the air shock with a relatively linear spring rate and make the relatively linear spring rate more linear.

A head unit system for controlling motion of an object includes a shear thickening fluid (STF) and a chamber configured to contain a portion of the STF. The chamber further includes a front channel and a back channel. The head unit system further includes a piston housed at least partially radially within the piston compartment and separating the back channel and the front channel. The piston includes a first piston bypass and a second piston bypasses to control flow of the STF between opposite sides of the piston. The chamber further includes a set of fluid manipulation emitters to control the flow of the STF to cause selection of one of a variety of shear rates for the STF within the chamber.

The present invention discloses the unique dampening and suspension spring characteristics of the multiple stage air shock. Each stage can be set up with a different dampening and suspension spring characteristic. The different dampening and suspension spring characteristic for each stage furnishes the multiple stage air shock with a plurality of dampening and suspension spring characteristics, thereby enabling the multiple stage air shock to respond to different road conditions and obstacles.

A restraint system includes a housing, a spool rotatably coupled to the housing, a pinion fixed to the spool, a rack engaged with the pinion, and a piston attached to the rack and the housing. The piston is filled with a resilient material. The resilient material may be a heterogeneous mixture of a liquid and hydrophobic, nanoporous particles.

An electromechanical actuator (10), comprising a movable member (14) provided with connecting means (20) and translationally movable with respect to a frame (12), and an energy absorbing-dissipating structure (28, 30) located on a strain path between said connecting means (20) and said frame (12) and comprising a porous capillary matrix (40) having an apparent porosity and an associated liquid (42) having a wetting angle higher than 90 degrees relative to said matrix (40) and selected such that part of said liquid (42) penetrates the pores of said matrix (40), when said chamber is subjected to a pressure equal to or higher than a first pressure level P1, and is spontaneously rejected off the pores of said matrix (40) by capillary action, when said structure is subjected to a pressure lower than a second pressure level P2 itself lower than said first pressure level P1.