| TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE OPERATING COMPANY INC. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
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| 20110290604 | TWO STAGE VALVE AND HYDRAULIC DAMPED VALVE - A shock absorber includes a two stage valve assembly that has two valve discs. The second valve disc defines the first stage at lower valve pressures and the first valve disc defines the second stage at higher valve pressures. The two valve discs can be defined by a single piece component or they can be separate components. The second valve disc can permit fluid flow by deflection of the second valve disc or by movement of the entire second valve disc. The two stage valve assembly can be incorporated into the piston assembly of the shock absorber and/or the two stage valve assembly can be incorporated into a base valve assembly. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110266765 | STRUT ASSEMBLY HAVING MULTI-PIECE SPRING SEAT - A strut assembly includes a top mount assembly, a shock absorber, a multi-piece lower spring seat and a spring extending between the top mount assembly and the multi-piece lower spring seat. The multi-piece lower spring seat includes a spring seat belt holding the spring and a plurality of seating supports that are attached to the shock absorber and which support the spring seat belt. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20110266727 | DOUBLE PATH MOUNT FOR CAB SUSPENSION WITH TILTING FUNCTION - A cab mounting assembly attaches a cab to a chassis of a vehicle at the point of rotation of the cab when the cab is tilted. The cab mounting assembly provides two paths for the forces acting between the cab and the chassis. The static forces are supported by a bearing assembly which includes a relatively hard elastomeric member. The dynamic forces are supported by an elastomeric mount which includes a relatively soft elastomeric member. The elastomeric mount is attached to the bearing assembly and to a shock absorber. The bearing assembly is attached to the elastomeric mount and to an air spring assembly. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20110248459 | POSITIONING FEATURE AND METHOD FOR PRECISE VEHICLE HEIGHTS - A corner assembly includes a suspension module and a wheel assembly. In order to compensate for tolerance stack up in relation to a specified height of the corner assembly, the attachment between a damper of the suspension module and a knuckle of the wheel assembly is adjusted. The amount of adjustment is determined by measuring the assembled length of the suspension module, comparing the measured length to a standard length and determining an amount of adjustment necessary. | 10-13-2011 |
| 20110139557 | SHOCK ABSORBER HAVING A CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE VALVE WITH BASE LINE VALVING - A shock absorber includes an external control valve which controls the damping characteristics of the shock absorber. The external control valve controls the flow of fluid between the lower working chamber of the shock absorber and the reservoir chamber and between the upper working chamber of the shock absorber. The damping characteristics are dependent on the amount of current being applied to a solenoid valve which controls a fluid valve assembly. A soft fluid valve assembly is disposed in series with the fluid valve assembly to allow for the tuning of the damping forces at low current levels provided to the solenoid valve. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110114428 | VELOCITY PROGRESSIVE VALVING - A shock absorber has a valve assembly having a valve that is biased away from a valve body. A controlled restriction is defined between the valve and the valve body. During stroking of the piston of the shock absorber, the valve moves toward the valve body to close the restriction. The valve assembly can be used in the piston assembly, the base valve assembly or both. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110079475 | DAMPER WITH DIGITAL VALVE - A shock absorber has a compression valve assembly that provides a high damping load during a compression stroke and an extension valve assembly that provides a high damping load during an extension stroke. One or more digital valve assemblies is positioned to work in parallel with the compression valve assembly and the extension valve assembly to provide a lower damping load. The lowering of the damping load is based upon the cross sectional area of flow passages provided by the one or more digital valve assemblies. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20110048880 | INVERTED STRUT COMPRISING AN AIR DAMPER COMBINED WITH A HYDRAULIC STOP - A shock absorber includes a hydraulic compression stop. The hydraulic stop includes a pressure tube surrounding the pressure tube of the shock absorber and a piston in hydraulic communication with the interior of the pressure tube. The piston can be disposed within the pressure tube and can be attached to the pressure tube or to the shock absorber. The hydraulic stop can also include a hydraulic fluid chamber and the piston can be disposed within the hydraulic fluid chamber. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20100294589 | SNAP ACTION VALVE WITH INERTIA DAMPER - Snap action valve assemblies for use in conduits of automotive exhaust systems have their operation controlled by use of inertia damper elements coupled to an axle of a rotatable valve plate of the valve assembly. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20100263743 | SNAP ACTION VALVE WITH BUMPER PAD - A rotary valve plate adapted for housing within a conduit employs a vibration absorbing bumper pad coupled to the valve plate at a surface thereof adapted to contact an inner surface of the conduit whenever the valve plate is rotated to a closed position. The bumper pad minimizes vibratory noise and improves the durability of the valve plate over extended periods of operation. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100263211 | METHOD OF INSTALLING ROTATABLE FLAPPER VALVE TO AN INTERIOR OF A CONDUIT - A method of assembly of a rotatable flapper valve to an interior of a conduit features the ability to couple the valve plate to its axle outside of the conduit in an independent operation. The conduit is split into first and second sections each having a flared end and a pair of indentations for receipt of the valve axle. While separated, the valve axle is placed in a pair of indentations in one of the conduit sections and then the second conduit section is moved into abutting engagement such that its indentations also partially surround the axle. The first and second conduit sections are then joined by welding. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100193308 | TRIPLE TUBE SHOCK ABSORBER HAVING A SHORTENED INTERMEDIATE TUBE - A triple tube shock absorber includes a pressure tube, a reserve tube and an intermediate tube. The intermediate tube is disposed between the pressure tube and the intermediate tube. A tube ring is disposed between the pressure tube and the intermediate tube to isolate an intermediate chamber from a reserve chamber. The intermediate tube ends at a position spaced from a base valve assembly to allow for the reduction of diameter of the reserve tube without adversely affecting fluid flow. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100078275 | HIGH VELOCITY COMPRESSION DAMPING VALVE - A shock absorber includes a pressure sensitive valve assembly that controls fluid flow through the pressure sensitive valve assembly based upon the velocity of the piston assembly in the shock absorber. The pressure sensitive valve assembly restricts fluid flow as the velocity of the piston in a compression stroke increases to increase the damping loads provided by the shock absorber. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20090301831 | NESTED CHECK HIGH SPEED VALVE - A shock absorber has a compression valve assembly which functions during a compression stroke, a rebound valve assembly which functions during a rebound stroke and a velocity sensitive valve which is in series with one or both of the compression valve assembly and the rebound valve assembly. The compression valve assembly, the rebound valve assembly and the velocity sensitive valve can be incorporated into a piston assembly, a base valve assembly or both. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090057080 | Shock absorber having a full displacement valve assembly - A shock absorber includes a piston assembly disposed within a pressure tube. The piston assembly has a first and a second housing and a valve assembly located adjacent the first housing. The valve assembly has a valve disc which engages the first housing to close at least one of a first plurality of passages extending through the first and second housings and a biasing member for applying a load to the valve disc. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090057079 | Disc spring intake - A disc valve assembly for a shock absorber opens due to axial movement of a valve disc. The valve disc is biased against a valve body by a valve spring. The valve spring is designed to provide a circumferentially asymmetrical load biasing the valve disc against the valve body. The disc valve assembly can be used as a piston rebound valve assembly, a piston compression valve assembly, a base valve compression valve assembly or a base valve rebound valve assembly. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090032346 | Semi third tube design - A shock absorber has an external valve that controls the damping loads for the shock absorber. The external valve extends generally parallel with the axis of the shock absorber and is attached to the reserve tube of the shock absorber. The inlet to the external valve is in communication with an intermediate chamber which is in communication with the working chamber of the shock absorber. The outlet of the valve is in communication with the reserve chamber of the shock absorber. The external valve controls the damping loads in both a compression and an extension stroke of the shock absorber. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090026030 | Shock absorber staged valving system - A shock absorber piston assembly includes a shock absorber piston having a first face and an opposed second face. A plurality of fluid passages extend between the first face and the second face. A plurality of valves attach to the piston, including: at least two rebound valves, each connectable to one of the fluid passages, and at least two compression valves, each connectable to one of the fluid passages. Each of the valves actuates at one of a plurality of valve opening pressures individually adjustable for each valve. The shock absorber piston assembly can be used in either a monotube or a dual tube shock absorber. | 01-29-2009 |
| 20080314704 | Junction bleed - A shock absorber includes a piston which has at least one compression fluid passage and at least one rebound fluid passage. A compression valve assembly closes the at least one compression passage and a rebound valve assembly closes the at least one rebound passage. An interconnecting passage connects the at least one compression fluid passage and the at least one rebound fluid passage to define an open flow path through the piston. | 12-25-2008 |
| 20080251333 | Rod assembly weld - A shock absorber includes a welded piston rod assembly. The piston rod assembly comprises an upper piston rod portion welded to a lower piston rod portion and a dirt shield welded to both of the upper piston rod portion and the lower piston rod portion using a single weld. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20080251331 | Shock absorber having a continuously variable valve with base line valving - A shock absorber includes an external control valve which controls the damping characteristics of the shock absorber. The external control valve controls the flow of fluid between the lower working chamber of the shock absorber and the reservoir chamber and between the upper working chamber of the shock absorber. The damping characteristics are dependent on the amount of current being applied to a solenoid valve which controls a fluid valve assembly. A soft fluid valve assembly is disposed in series with the fluid valve assembly to allow for the tuning of the damping forces at low current levels provided to the solenoid valve. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20080224437 | Shock absorber dirt shield - A shock absorber includes a dynamic vibration absorber which is designed to suppress the vibrations of the piston rod of the shock absorber. The dynamic vibration absorber includes a damping mass which is formed as a dirt shield to protect the shock absorber from contaminants. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20080197596 | Positioning feature and method for precise vehicle heights - A corner assembly includes a suspension module and a wheel assembly. In order to compensate for tolerance stack up in relation to a specified height of the corner assembly, the attachment between a damper of the suspension module and a knuckle of the wheel assembly is adjusted. The amount of adjustment is determined by measuring the assembled length of the suspension module, comparing the measured length to a standard length and determining an amount of adjustment necessary. | 08-21-2008 |
