A baffle press-fit against an inner portion of an outer tube defining an interior of a hydraulic damper. The baffle comprising a first wall, a second wall, opposite the first wall, a circumferential third wall, and a channel formed between at least a portion of the circumferential third wall and the inner portion of the outer tube. The channel comprising an inlet formed along at least a portion of the first wall, an outlet formed along at least a portion of the second wall, and a groove formed along at least a portion of the circumferential third wall and fluidly coupling the inlet to the outlet.

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.

A shock absorber and method of controlling a shock absorber, wherein the shock absorber comprises damper body having an inner tube and an outer tube and a piston rod having a main piston arrangement arranged inside the inner tube. The shock absorber further comprises two separate electrical continuously controlled valves (CES1, CES2), one for compression and one for rebound flow, arranged with passive valves coupled in series with and downstream of the electronically controlled valves and with a communication chamber coupling these valves to a pressurizing chamber.

Provided are an electroviscous fluid exhibiting a high ER effect and having sufficient durability, and a cylinder device. An electroviscous fluid of the present invention includes a fluid and polyurethane particles containing metal ions. The polyurethane particles have a phase separation structure of a hard segment and a soft segment, and contain an additive increasing a urethane bond forming the hard segment.

A damping force generating mechanism includes: a flow passage formation part that forms a flow passage through which a liquid flows; and a valve that is configured to control a flow of the liquid in the flow passage. The flow passage formation part includes a first seat part that is provided radially outward of a flow passage port of the flow passage, protrudes from the flow passage port and contacts the valve, a second seat part that is provided radially outward of the first seat part, protrudes from the flow passage port and contacts the valve, and a circulation part having an orifice that allows the liquid to flow from the flow passage port toward the second seat part in a state in which the valve is in contact with the first seat part.

A mechanism and method for externally adjusting the mid-valve stiffness is described and enables adjustment of a mid-valve functionality without disassembly of a suspension system incorporating the invention. The effect of this adjustment on the damping curve is far greater than either low-speed compression adjusters or conventional high-speed compression adjusters. The apparatus combines the valve-stiffening system of a high speed compression adjuster with the sensitivity of the mid-valve. Externally accessible adjustment members are operatively coupled to the mid-valve components located internally in a fork so that manipulation of the adjustment members causes adjustment of the mid-valve and the damping force created by the mid-valve. The apparatus may be utilized in closed cartridge suspension forks (CCSF) and open cartridge suspension forks (OCSF) and other shocks or suspension dampers.

The present invention relates to a hydraulic damper comprising a main tube; a main piston assembly; a base valve assembly; and a hydraulic compression stop assembly comprising an insert fixed on the base valve assembly, and an additional piston assembly apt to be introduced inside the first inner chamber of the insert at the end of the damper compression stroke to generate additional damping force. Said additional piston assembly comprises a piston rod extender fixed to the piston assembly or the piston rod at the side of the compression chamber, and a tenon fixed to said piston rod extender and radially displaceable with regard thereto, wherein said tenon is terminated with a first entry surface having diameter monotonically diminishing towards the compression end of said tenon, while the insert is provided with a second entry surface having diameter monotonically increasing towards the rebound end of the insert.

A shock absorber includes a hard-side damping element for applying resistance to a flow of liquid from a compression side chamber to an extension side chamber, a solenoid valve capable of changing an opening area of a compression side bypass passage for communicating the compression side chamber and the extension side chamber by bypassing the hard-side damping element, and a soft-side damping element provided in the compression side bypass passage in series with the solenoid valve. The hard-side damping element has an orifice and a leaf valve provided in parallel with the orifice. The soft-side damping element has an orifice having an opening area larger than that of the orifice.