Velocity sensing system for a damper

1. A velocity sensing system comprising:

a damper assembly having a central axis and comprising a damper body, said damper body being axially moveable between a first position and a second position;

a magnet extending parallel with said central axis, said magnet having a magnetic axis radially oriented with said central axis; and

a coil extending parallel to said central axis between the first position and the second position, said coil being stationary relative to the movement of the damper body and radially disposed relative to the damper body,

wherein movement of said damper body with respect to said magnet induces a voltage in said coil.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said coil is wrapped around said magnet.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a soft iron pole extending parallel to said central axis.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said magnet is connected to said soft iron pole.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said magnet and coil extend generally an entire axial length of said soft iron pole.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a dust tube, wherein said magnet and said coil are mounted on said dust tube.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said dust tube includes a central axis aligned with said central axis of said damper assembly and said dust tube coaxially receives said damper assembly.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said magnet and said coil extend generally an entire axial length of said dust tube.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said damper assembly includes a magnetorheological fluid damper.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a control unit adapted to convert said voltage into a relative damper velocity.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said coil includes a central axis that is oriented circumferentially with respect to said central axis of said damper assembly.

12. A velocity sensor comprising:

a damper assembly extending along a central axis and comprising a damper body, said damper body being moveable between a first position and a second position;

a magnet extending parallel to said central axis, said magnet having a magnetic axis radially oriented with said central axis; and

a coil extending parallel to said central axis between the first position and the second position, said coil being stationary relative to movement of the damper body and radially disposed relative to the damper body,

wherein said damper, magnet and coil form a three dimensional flux path such that flux density in said path is a function of a position of said damper body with respect to said magnet and coil.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said coil is wrapped around said magnet.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising a soft iron pole extending parallel with said central axis.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said magnet is connected to said soft iron pole.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein said magnet and coil extend generally an entire axial length of said soft iron pole.

17. The system of claim 12 further comprising a dust tube, wherein said magnet and said coil are mounted on said dust tube.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said dust tube includes a central axis aligned with said central axis of said damper assembly and said dust tube coaxially receives said damper assembly.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said magnet and said coil extend generally an entire axial length of said dust tube.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein said damper assembly includes a magnetorheological fluid damper.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein the amount of flux corresponds a relative damper velocity.

22. A method for sensing velocity comprising the steps of:

providing a damper assembly having a central axis and comprising a damper body;

aligning a magnet and a coil with said central axis such that said magnet and coil extend parallel to said central axis and are radially disposed relative to the damper body; and

moving said damper body relative to said magnet and coil axially between an first position and a second position, wherein the magnet and the coil extend between the first position and the second position so as to overlap the damper body in the first position and in the second position, whereby movement of the damper body induces a voltage in said coil.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of converting said voltage into a relative damper velocity.