A vehicle damper assembly is disclosed. The damper includes a cylinder having an inner diameter (ID). A rod and a piston, the piston coupled to the rod and configured to divide the cylinder into a compression side and a rebound side. An electronic valve assembly including an electronic valve body coupled with the rod on the compression side of the piston. The electronic valve body having an electronic valve body outer diameter (OD). A boost valve having a boost valve body, a boost valve area located between the electronic valve body and the boost valve body, the boost valve having a boost valve OD. The boost valve OD is larger than the electronic valve body OD, such that the boost valve is configured to allow the electronic valve assembly to operate within said cylinder ID that is too large for the electronic valve body OD.

A vibration damping device for a vehicle includes a subframe to which a vibration of a wheel is transmitted, a plurality of mounts arranged between the subframe and a vehicle body and configured such that stiffness of each mount in a prescribed direction changes according to an excitation current supplied thereto, and a controller configured to control the excitation current supplied to each mount, wherein the controller is configured to set a target elastic center of the subframe, and individually calculate the excitation current supplied to each mount so as to match an actual elastic center of the subframe with the target elastic center.

A switch valve is disclosed including a stepping motor and a housing configured to receive a stepping motor, itself operatively connected to an actuating element which is configured to position a valve body that is arranged in the housing so as to perform a translatory movement of the switch valve. The coupling element is configured to convert a rotational movement of the stepping motor into a translational movement of the actuating element. A motor shaft of the stepping motor is arranged coaxially with the actuating element and the coupling element. The motor shaft and the actuating element are configured to engage in the coupling element.

Systems, devices, and methods for active vibration control using circular force generators. In one aspect, a vehicle includes a vehicle frame, a cabin, an engine, and a number of vibration control devices mounted on the vehicle frame. Each vibration device includes a circular force generator comprising at least one mass and at least one motor configured to rotate the mass. The vibration control devices are configured to perform active vibration control to reduce noise and/or vibration within the cabin resulting from the engine deactivating a subset of cylinders in operation.

A variable stiffness leaf spring mechanism and method of locking parallel leaf springs allow for a wide range of stiffness settings in a low-mass package. By varying the number of parallel leaf springs as well as the thickness and stiffness of each layer the system stiffness and range of stiffness settings can be optimally tuned to each application. Additionally, by locking leaf springs without inducing large normal forces from a clamping mechanism, the frictional wear on the system is greatly diminished. In addition to increasing the life cycles of the system, this will decrease auditory noise emitted during operation. The system and method can be applied to lower extremity prostheses to allow for more biological emulation than passive prostheses in a lower mass package than powered prostheses.

Solar tracker systems include a torque tube, a column supporting the torque tube, a solar panel connected to the torque tube, and a damper assembly. The damper assembly includes a first end pivotably connected to the torque tube and a second end pivotably connected to the column. The damper assembly further includes an outer shell, a piston within and moveable relative to the outer shell, a first chamber wall and a second chamber wall within the outer shell at least partially defining a chamber, and a valve within the chamber. The valve includes a first axial end defining a slot and is biased to a first position within the chamber in which the first axial end is spaced from the first chamber wall. The valve is moveable within the chamber from the first position to a second position to passively change a flow resistance of the damper assembly.

A highly-efficient new-energy vibration controller integrating passive, semi-active and active control, including a multi-cavity beam, a battery assembly, a wound magnetic device, a damping piezoelectric device and an inertia mass assembly. The wound magnetic device includes a connecting rod, an electromagnetic wire wound on a bottom end of the connecting rod and a magnetic box arranged at a bottom of the inertia mass assembly. A top end of the connecting rod is fixedly connected to a bottom of the multi-cavity beam. The bottom end of the connecting rod passes through a center through hole of the inertia mass assembly and arranged in the magnetic box. The magnetic box is provided with a magnetic field. The damping piezoelectric device is sleevedly arranged on an outer wall of the connecting rod. The damping piezoelectric device and the wound magnetic device are both electrically connected to the battery assembly.

A housing (36) of a solenoid (33) is configured by including an accommodating tube portion (36A) extending in a winding axis direction of a coil (34A) and being open at one end. An anchor (41) is provided at such a position as to face the opening of the accommodating tube portion of the housing and includes a protruding portion (41) and a lateral face portion (41D) which are formed in an integral manner. A yoke (39) includes a fixing hole (39A). The fixing hole includes an inner peripheral face facing a part of the lateral face portion of the anchor. A cylinder (44) is joined to an inner periphery of the yoke at an outer periphery on one side in the winding axis direction of the coil and joined to an outer periphery of the housing at an inner periphery on the other side.

A damping apparatus for use with a solar panel array and a solar tracking device that is operatively connected to the solar panel array to control positioning of solar panels. The damping apparatus can absorb kinetic energy from movement of the solar panels and convert the kinetic energy to heat energy. The damping apparatus can include one or more sensors that measure collect data corresponding to the heat energy. The damping apparatus can send instructions to the solar tracking device for adjusting the position of the solar panels based on the analysis of the sensor data.

A head unit system for controlling motion of an object includes a secondary object sensor, 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 flow sensors and 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.