Splined vibration damping device using ER fluids

摘要

The vibration damping device has an inner housing in the form of a piston chamber in which a piston moves axially and divides the chamber into two separate fluid chambers. An outer housing is formed of a dielectric material surrounding at least part of the piston chamber. The piston rod is connected to a support structure and either the inner or the outer housing is connected to a separate support structure where a load on the damping device is supported by this housing and the piston rod. A fluid transfer duct is formed between the inner and outer housings which provides fluid communication between the fluid chambers on opposite sides of the piston. The fluid chambers are filled with an electrorheological (ER) fluid. A metal electrode mounted in the outer housing and located adjacent the transfer duct device, has several circumferentially spaced splines and intervening grooves extending longitudinally along and adjacent an inner surface of the outer housing throughout at least a portion of the duct. An electrical connector extends through the outer housing and electrically connects to the electrode device for applying the electric field across a portion of the duct to increase the flow resistance of the ER fluid passing through it.