US 12,253,137 B2
Damping apparatus and method of using same
James T. Kull, Denver, NC (US); Todd A. Greve, Myrtle Beach, SC (US); Rahul Chandrashekar, Farmington, MI (US); and Christopher Niemiec, Livonia, MI (US)
Assigned to Stabilus GmbH, Koblenz (DE)
Filed by Stabilus GmbH, Koblenz (DE)
Filed on Apr. 16, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/135,167.
Application 18/135,167 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2021/055443, filed on Oct. 18, 2021.
Application PCT/US2021/055443 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/778,028, filed on Jan. 31, 2020, granted, now 11,156,262, issued on Oct. 26, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/092,693, filed on Oct. 16, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/800,147, filed on Feb. 1, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/800,217, filed on Feb. 1, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/862,760, filed on Jun. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0358289 A1, Nov. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. F16F 1/12 (2006.01); F16F 9/18 (2006.01); F16F 9/32 (2006.01); F16F 9/34 (2006.01); H02S 20/32 (2014.01)
CPC F16F 9/18 (2013.01) [F16F 9/3292 (2013.01); F16F 9/34 (2013.01); H02S 20/32 (2014.12); F16F 2222/12 (2013.01); F16F 2230/08 (2013.01); F16F 2230/18 (2013.01); F16F 2232/08 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A damping apparatus comprising:
(a) a housing defining an interior area, the housing having an interior surface and an exterior surface, and a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
(b) a piston rod partially positioned within the interior area of the housing, the piston rod having first and second opposed ends, the first end of the piston rod residing exterior to the housing and the second end of the piston rod residing within the interior area of the housing, the first end of the housing having an opening formed therein for receiving the piston rod therethrough, the piston rod adapted for moving in an extension stroke wherein the piston rod moves toward the first end of the housing and an extension stroke wherein the piston rod moves toward the second end of the housing;
(c) a piston positioned proximate the second end of the piston rod; and
(d) an internal temperature sensor configured to measure temperature inside the damping apparatus;
(e) a computing device operatively connected to a radiofrequency transmitter, the computing device and the radiofrequency transmitter connected to the piston rod proximate the first end of the piston rod, wherein the internal temperature sensor is operatively connected to the computing device and the radiofrequency transmitter whereby the radiofrequency transmitter can transmit temperature data generated by the internal temperature sensor to a receiving device;
(f) a magnetorestrictive sensor connected to the piston rod and adapted to measure displacement distance of the piston rod;
(g) a time measuring device; and
(h) wherein the magnetorestrictive sensor and the time measuring device are operatively connected to the computing device and the radiofrequency transmitter, the computing device comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising software comprising programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to calculate a velocity of the piston using displacement data generated by the magnetorestrictive sensor and time data generated by the time measuring device, and wherein the radiofrequency transmitter can transmit the velocity to a receiving device.