A method of servicing a shock absorber of an aircraft landing gear shock absorbing strut, the shock absorber including a sealed, variable volume chamber containing a liquid and a gas in fluid communication with one another, the method comprising: using a mixer to mix the liquid and the gas within the chamber until the liquid is uniformly saturated with the gas; and subsequently performing one or more servicing actions.

A piston assembly for use in a gas spring or damper can include a piston rod partially positioned within a pressure tube, and a linear position sensing apparatus capable of tracking and determining the velocity of the piston rod. The linear position sensing apparatus can include a sensor, such as a waveguide sensor, connected to the piston rod such that the sensor moves with the piston rod. A beacon, such as a magnet, can be contained within the pressure tube and the sensor can detect the position of the beacon relative to the sensor.

A shock absorber system may include at least one sensor that is configured to measure an operating parameter of the shock absorber during operation of the shock. The system may be configured to determine Time-Through-Stroke (TTS) and/or Rod Return Time (RRT) utilizing data from the sensor or sensors. The system may be configured to utilize machine learning to detect and/or predict a failure of the shock absorber.

An object is to provide a front fork including a stroke sensor as well as a damping force variable device, and allowing structure of the front fork to be simplified. A front fork of an embodiment includes a pair of a first leg and a second leg. The first leg includes a stroke sensor section that detects a stroke amount of the front fork as a distance between extension and compression of the front fork. The second leg includes a damping force variable device that controls a flow of a working fluid contained in the second leg to enable a damping force to be varied.

Disclosed are impact sensor arrangements for active hood systems, methods for making and for using such impact sensor arrangements, and motor vehicles with active hood systems using such impact sensor arrangements. Disclosed, for example, is an impact sensor arrangement for an active hood system of a motor vehicle. An active hood system actuator is selectively actuable to displace the vehicle's engine hood. The impact sensor arrangement includes a sensor connected to a sensing tube to detect a characteristic change of the sensing tube and responsively output an actuator trigger signal. First and second blocks, each formed from a high-density material, attach to the vehicle body adjacent the bumper and collectively define an internal channel within which is nested the sensing tube. The first block is movably attached to the second block such that displacement of one block with respect to the other initiates the characteristic change of the sensing tube.

A head unit system for controlling an object includes a secondary object sensor and a head unit device that include shear thickening fluid (STF) and a chamber configured to contain the STF. The chamber further includes a front channel and a back channel. The head unit device 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 to control motion of the object with regards to a secondary object.

A method for controlling the damping characteristic of a shock absorber of a vehicle, particularly for compensating the variation of the operating temperature of the shock absorber, in an active or semi-active suspension system. The compensation of the variation of the operating temperature of the shock absorber takes place by: estimating a mechanical power dissipated in heat by the shock absorber; estimating a thermal power exchanged by the shock absorber with the environment; evaluating the current operating temperature of the shock absorber as a function of the dissipated mechanical power and of the thermal power exchanged with the environment; and controlling the driving current of the control valve of the shock absorber according to a shock absorber reference model indicating a relationship between the damping force of the shock absorber, the operating temperature of the shock absorber and the driving current of the control valve.

An inductor sensor assembly for determining to position of object includes a layer of ferrite overlaying exciting and receiving coils formed on a substrate. A magnet attached to the target produces a virtual coupler in an area of ferrite overlaying the coils. An application for a shock absorber includes a sensor module mounted in a recess in a dust cover and a magnet mounted to a cylinder tube of the shock absorber.

A device for connecting the elastic elements and dissipaters of variable type of a mechanical suspension interposed between two vibrating or tilting mechanical systems, the source body and the receiving body, respectively, in order to reduce the forces acting on the receiving body, and/or the displacement thereof, and/or the speed thereof, or combinations of the previous physical magnitudes and/or of any other ones, which are produced on the receiving body due to the motion or forces to which the source is subjected. The device consists of elastic elements, such as metal components or compressed gases, energy dissipating elements, either by means of friction between fluid and solid, and between solid and solid, or by means of suitable electromagnetic couplings the damping ability of which can be automatically varied by a suitable control system according to the operating conditions of the suspension; elements forming the kinematic connection structure between the elastic elements, damping elements, source and receiving bodies, such connections being solid or fluid or electromagnetic connections.

A cushion module is provided herein and includes a mounting manifold and a retaining plate. An array of pneumatic assemblies is coupled to and disposed between the mounting manifold and the retaining plate. Each pneumatic assembly includes a pneumatic cylinder having a piston rod and configured to receive pressurized air for moving the piston rod to a selected position. The pressurized air supplied to each pneumatic cylinder is variable and the piston rods collectively define a support surface having variable contour and firmness, and on which an object is rested to assess the comfortability of the support surface.