F16F2230/30

SYSTEMS FOR DAMPING A SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAY TRACKER

Solar tracker systems include a torque tube, a column supporting the torque tube, a solar panel attached to the torque tube, and a damper assembly. The damper assembly includes an outer shell surrounding an inner shell. A piston is at least partially positioned within the inner shell and moveable relative thereto. An active lock of the damper assembly includes a housing positioned within the outer shell. The housing defines a cavity and a housing channel extending from the cavity to an outer fluid channel. A shaft extends into the cavity and a valve assembly is attached to the shaft. The shaft is rotatable within the cavity between an unsealed position in which the housing channel is in fluid communication with the cavity, and a sealed position in which the valve assembly is rotationally aligned with the housing channel and obstructs fluid communication between the cavity and the housing channel.

WEIGHT OPTIMIZED BELLOW ACCUMULATOR
20220252125 · 2022-08-11 · ·

A damper assembly includes a damper with a pressure tube and a piston slidably disposed within the pressure tube. A first working chamber is defined on one side of the piston and a second working chamber is defined on an opposite side of the piston such that a volume of the second working chamber decreases during a compression stroke of the piston and the volume of the second working chamber increases during a rebound stroke of the piston. A bellow accumulator assembly is included and in fluid communication with the second working chamber. The bellow accumulator assembly includes a housing, a bellow accumulator disposed within the housing, a pressurized gas chamber defined between the housing and the bellow accumulator and an accumulator chamber defined between the bellow accumulator and the second working chamber.

Systems for damping a solar photovoltaic array tracker

Solar tracker systems include a torque tube, a column supporting the torque tube, a solar panel attached to the torque tube, and a damper assembly. The damper assembly includes an outer shell surrounding an inner shell. A piston is at least partially positioned within the inner shell and moveable relative thereto. An active lock of the damper assembly includes a housing positioned within the outer shell. The housing defines a cavity and a housing channel extending from the cavity to an outer fluid channel. A shaft extends into the cavity and a valve assembly is attached to the shaft. The shaft is rotatable within the cavity between an unsealed position in which the housing channel is in fluid communication with the cavity, and a sealed position in which the valve assembly is rotationally aligned with the housing channel and obstructs fluid communication between the cavity and the housing channel.

ACCUMULATOR FOR A DAMPER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF
20220243781 · 2022-08-04 ·

An accumulator for a damper is provided. The accumulator includes a housing defining a longitudinal axis, a fluid connector and a bag. The bag includes a plurality of annular discs disposed adjacent to each other. Each annular disc includes an inner diameter defining a through aperture and an outer diameter. The plurality of annular discs includes a first end disc, a second end disc and one or more intermediate discs. Each intermediate disc is disposed between two adjacent annular discs. The inner diameter of the first end disc is connected to the fluid connector. The inner diameter of each intermediate disc is connected to the inner diameter of one adjacent annular disc. The outer diameter of each intermediate disc is connected to the outer diameter of the other adjacent annular disc. A solid cover disc is connected to the outer diameter of the second end disc.

Rotating vehicle display unit

A system and method that pertain to a rotating vehicle display unit that can automatically or manually rotate between landscape and portrait orientations, depending on the particular display format or media being shown to the vehicle occupants. The rotating vehicle display unit uses an electro-mechanical rotating and locking mechanism with smart fluid, such as magnetorheological fluid (MR), to facilitate easy and precise rotational movement between different display orientations. The rotating vehicle display unit may be coupled to a corresponding human-machine interface (HMI) that responds to the different display orientations and helps facilitate easy transition from one orientation to another in order to optimize the particular display format or media being shown at that time.

PISTON CYLINDER DEVICE WITH PROTECTION ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD OF PROTECTING A PISTON CYLINDER DEVICE AGAINST OVERLOAD OR FAILURE OF THE PISTON CYLINDER DEVICE
20220106997 · 2022-04-07 ·

A piston cylinder device (1) comprising a cylinder (2) with a first and a second end and a guide (6), such that a pressure chamber (8) is formed in the cylinder. A piston (12) is moveable in the pressure chamber (8). The guide (6) is fixedly secured to the cylinder (2) by a lock ring (7). A sealing means (9) is arranged to seal between the guide (6) and an inner wall of a tubular wall (3) of the cylinder (2) to prevent fluid leakage from the pressure chamber (8) to the surroundings. The piston cylinder device (1) is provided with a material weakening zone (13) arranged in the inner wall of the tubular wall (3) of the cylinder (2) axially between the lock ring (7) and the second end (20) of the cylinder (2), the material weakening zone (13) being arranged to be deformed or sheared against the lock ring (7) at a predetermined level of impact of the piston (12) against the guide (6). A leakage gap (14) is arranged to interrupt the sealing means (9) upon deformation or shearing of the material weakening zone (13) such that gas from the pressure chamber (8) is allowed to leave the pressure chamber (8) through said leakage gap (14) to the surroundings.

Closure package, vibration damper, and use of a seal holder

A closure package for a vibration damper may include a base body that is connectable to a damper tube and comprises a first end and a second end. The first end forms an end side of the damper tube and the second end is disposed in the damper tube. A seal for sealing a piston rod may be disposed in the base body. A seal holder may be disposed between the seal and the base body at the first end. The seal holder for axially fixing the seal may be connected to the base body in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner. The seal holder may be fusible in an emergency. For releasing the connection to the base body, the seal holder may be thermoplastically deformable upon overheating of the vibration damper.

LIQUID COMPOSITE SPRING
20220082151 · 2022-03-17 ·

A liquid composite spring for vehicles includes: a core shaft; an outer sleeve arranged on an upper portion of the core shaft, the upper portion of the core shaft being located inside the outer sleeve while the lower portion of the core shaft being located outside the outer sleeve; an upper liquid chamber formed in an upper portion of the outer sleeve, a lower end of the upper liquid chamber being connected to a top of the core shaft; and a lower liquid chamber formed in a lower portion of outer sleeve, the lower liquid chamber and the upper liquid chamber being connected with each other through a metal-rubber main spring. At least one flow channel body is provided in the metal-rubber main spring, so that liquid in the upper liquid chamber and liquid in the lower liquid chamber are communicated with each other through the flow channel body.

Buffer
11274724 · 2022-03-15 · ·

A buffer includes a first seal portion, a second seal portion, a washer, and a bent portion. An annular body is provided between the washer and a rod guide, the first seal portion is provided on the inner peripheral side of the washer, or the inner peripheral side of the annular body, and the rod guide and an outer cylinder are radially spaced apart from each other at least on one end side of the outer cylinder. The outer peripheral side of the annular body has a bent portion bent and extending to the portion where the rod guide and the outer cylinder are radially spaced apart from each other, and the second seal portion is provided on the outer peripheral side of the bent portion.

Damper

A rotary damper (1) has a first sealing ring (8a) and a first bushing (4a) which are located between a through-hole (23) of a circular cylindrical chamber (21) inside a case (2) and a lower end part (33a) of a rotor body (31) of a rotor (3), and a second sealing ring (8b) and a second bushing (4b) which are located between a through-hole (60) in a lid (6) and an upper end part (33b) of the rotor body (31). The first sealing ring (8a) has an outer peripheral surface (85) having a width in a direction of a center axis of the circular cylindrical chamber (21) and being pressed against an inner peripheral surface (220) of the through-hole (23), and an inner peripheral surface (84) having a width in the direction of the center axis of the circular cylindrical chamber (21) and being pressed against an outer peripheral surface (34) of the lower end part (33a), and the second sealing ring (8b) has an outer peripheral surface (85) having a width in the direction of the center axis of the circular cylindrical chamber (21) and being pressed against an inner peripheral surface (64) of the through-hole 961 (60), and an inner peripheral surface (84) having a width in the direction of the center axis of the circular cylindrical chamber (21) and being pressed against the outer peripheral surface (34) of the upper end part (33b).