Vibration damping device using ER fluids having multiple electrodes

摘要

A vibration damping device for mounting between two spaced portions of a vehicle for absorbing road forces exerted on the vehicle. An inner metal cylindrical housing forms an internal piston chamber and is connected at one end to one portion of the vehicle, with the outer end of the rod of a piston which is slidably mounted within the piston chamber, being connected to the other portion of the vehicle. An outer housing surrounds a portion of the inner housing and forms a fluid transfer duct between fluid chambers formed on opposite sides of the piston within the piston chamber. A plurality of spaced metal electrode bands are mounted on an inner surface of the outer housing and are electrically isolated therefrom and communicate with the fluid transfer duct for applying voltages across the duct to affect the viscosity of an electrorheological (ER) fluid flowing therethrough to increase the damping force of the device. Certain of the electrode bands may be formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced, longitudinally extending splines and intervening grooves, which grooves align with splines and grooves formed in a dielectric insulating sleeve mounted adjacent the fluid transfer duct.