Patent ID: 6547043
Filing Date: 2003-04-15
Classification: B62D,F16F

Abstract:
A rotary vibration damping system for a motor vehicle, said rotary vibration damping system comprising:a cylinder; a steering shaft extending through said cylinder, a first end of said steering shaft being in mechanical communication with a hand steering device of the motor vehicle and a second end of said steering shaft being in mechanical communication with a steering system of the motor vehicle; a magneto-rheological fluid disposed between an inner surface of said cylinder and an outer surface of said steering shaft; and a magnet disposed in magnetic communication with said magneto-rheological fluid, said magnet being controllable to provide variable control of said magneto-rheological fluid such that when said magnet is activated, said magneto-rheological fluid dampens rotary vibrations in said steering shaft, wherein said magnet is variably actuatable in response to a signal from a controller, said signal from said controller is configured to correspond to a vibration sensed by said steering system and to effectuate a change in said magneto-rheological fluid such that a frequency of said vibration sensed by said steering system is substantially equal to a frequency of said signal from said controller.