A damper assembly has a longitudinal axis and includes a damper housing with a side wall portion and an end wall portion defining a damping chamber containing a quantity of damping fluid. A photon source and a photon receptor are operatively disposed in optical communication with the non-gaseous damping fluid in the damping chamber. The photon source is operable to direct a photon through the non-gaseous damping fluid toward an associated target surface. The photon receptor is operable to receive the photon reflected off the associated target surface through the non-gaseous damping fluid. A sensor suitable for such use as well as spring and damper assemblies and suspension systems are also included.

An energy absorbing strut having, a first end coupled with an inner cylinder, and a second end connected with a hollow rod extending within the inner cylinder. A piston is carried by the rod having an outer surface sealing against an inside diameter of the inner cylinder and forming a compression chamber and a rebound chamber bounded by the piston, the rod having an internal passageway communicating between the compression chamber and the rebound chamber. An inertial mass carried by the rod movable axially on the rod between a closed position against and annular rod passageway and an open position opening the rod passageway and allowing the flow of a hydraulic fluid between the compression chamber and the rebound chamber. A spring acts on the inertial mass biasing the inertial mass toward the closed position. The energy absorbing strut may be used in a blast mitigation system for a military vehicle or other applications for providing shock isolation between two structures.

A shock absorber includes: a piston which is connected to an upper end of a rod by a fixing member and moves forward and backward in a cylinder; a conductor member which penetrates the piston from an upper end of an outer tube and extends into the rod; a coil which is provided in the rod so as to be capable of detecting a displacement of the conductor member with respect to the rod; an elastic body made of a resin material which is provided adjacent to the conductor member and on an outer side of an outer peripheral surface of the conductor member; and a support portion which supports an outer peripheral surface of the elastic body so as to restrict movement of the elastic body in a direction intersecting a center line of the conductor member.

A shock absorber includes: a piston which is connected to an upper end of a rod by a fixing member and moves forward and backward in a cylinder; a conductor member which penetrates the piston from an upper end of an outer tube and extends into the rod; a coil which is provided in the rod so as to be capable of detecting a displacement of the conductor member with respect to the rod; an elastic body made of a resin material which is provided adjacent to the conductor member and on an outer side of an outer peripheral surface of the conductor member; and a support portion which supports an outer peripheral surface of the elastic body so as to restrict movement of the elastic body in a direction intersecting a center line of the conductor member.

The present disclosure relates to a hydraulic damper comprising a main tube, a piston assembly, a base valve assembly, and at least one hydraulic compression stop assembly cooperating with a compression valve assembly, and comprising a pin disposed slidably within the piston rod and biased to project an activating tip towards the compression chamber. Said compression valve assembly comprises at least one deflectable or floating disc covering compression flow passages, and biased by a piston member slidable along said axis and normally abutting a retaining surface, and a pressure chamber having one surface defined by a surface of said piston member abutting said retaining surface, wherein said pin upon sliding inside the piston rod facilitates a flow of the working liquid from the compression chamber into said pressure chamber to increase biasing load on said at least one deflectable or floating disc.

The present invention relates to a hydraulic damper, comprising a tube, a piston assembly comprising compression and rebound valve assemblies, and a controllable solenoid valve. The piston assembly further comprises a housing; first, second and third partition members; first, second, third and fourth check valves; and one or more radial channels; wherein said first partition member has a first axial opening and the solenoid valve has a valve member provided with at least one inlet in fluid communication with said first axial opening, and one or more outlets in fluid communication with said first internal chamber, wherein said second partition member has a second axial opening; wherein said first axial opening and said second axial opening allow the working liquid to flow from said third internal chamber to said at least one inlet of the solenoid valve bypassing said second internal chamber.

A shock absorber including a pressure tube, a piston assembly slidably disposed within the pressure tube, and a fluid transfer tube that extends about the pressure tube, and a reserve tube that extends about the fluid transfer tube is provided. The piston assembly divides an inner volume of the pressure tube into first and second working chambers. An intermediate chamber between the pressure tube and the fluid transfer tube is arranged in fluid communication with the first working chamber. A reservoir chamber between the fluid transfer tube is arranged in fluid communication with the intermediate chamber. An insert is disposed within the intermediate chamber, reducing the volume of the intermediate chamber and defining a fluid transfer channel between the first working chamber and the reservoir chamber.

A shock absorber including a pressure tube, a piston assembly slidably disposed within the pressure tube, and a fluid transfer tube that extends about the pressure tube, and a reserve tube that extends about the fluid transfer tube is provided. The piston assembly divides an inner volume of the pressure tube into first and second working chambers. An intermediate chamber between the pressure tube and the fluid transfer tube is arranged in fluid communication with the first working chamber. A reservoir chamber between the fluid transfer tube is arranged in fluid communication with the intermediate chamber. An insert is disposed within the intermediate chamber, reducing the volume of the intermediate chamber and defining a fluid transfer channel between the first working chamber and the reservoir chamber.

Provided are a reliable high-voltage system and a failure diagnosis method thereof, in which a vibration damping mechanism using an electrorheological fluid as a working fluid is a load, and can prevent electric shock due to leakage current and the influence on surrounding electronic devices. There are provided a first circuit that includes a power source and a ground, a second circuit that is magnetically coupled to the first circuit via a transformer and includes a load connected to the ground, a controller that is connected to the ground, a third circuit that is connected to the second circuit and the ground, a first resistor that is provided between a connection point at a high potential end of the second circuit and the ground, and a second resistor that is provided between a connection point at a low potential end of the second circuit and the ground, and has a resistance value different from a resistance value of the first resistor.

A solar tracker system includes a torque tube, a solar panel assembly attached to the torque tube, a housing defining a chamber and a fluid passageway extending from the chamber, and an active lock connected to a seal configured to prevent a flow path of fluid while in a sealed state and allow the flow path of fluid in an unsealed state. The system further includes a controller in communication with the torque tube and the active lock. The controller is programmed to receive a command to place the solar panel assembly in a stowed position, instruct the torque tube to rotate the panel assembly to a stowed angle corresponding to the stowed position, monitor a current angle of the panel assembly, compare the current angle to the stowed angle, and instruct the seal to transition to the sealed state when the current angle is equal to the stowed angle.