Spring-damper assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10131196-B2
Application number	US-201715404886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2017
Priority date	Jan 12, 2017
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A spring-damper assembly for a suspension corner employed in a vehicle having a vehicle body and a road wheel includes a fluid spring configured to suspend the vehicle body relative to the road wheel. The spring-damper assembly also includes a damper configured to attenuate compression and rebound oscillations of the fluid spring. The spring-damper assembly additionally includes a spring-seat housing configured to retain the fluid spring and establish a position of the fluid spring relative to the damper. The spring-seat housing includes an inner surface defining a contour configured to guide the fluid spring upon compression thereof around the damper and define a non-linear stiffness of the fluid spring. A vehicle having such a spring-damper assembly is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spring-damper assembly for a suspension corner employed in a vehicle having a vehicle body and a road wheel, the spring-damper assembly comprising:
a fluid spring configured to suspend the vehicle body relative to the road wheel;
a damper configured to attenuate compression and rebound oscillations of the fluid spring; and
a spring-seat housing configured to retain the fluid spring and establish a position of the fluid spring relative to the damper;
wherein:
the spring-seat housing includes an inner surface defining a contour configured to guide the fluid spring upon compression thereof around the damper and define a non-linear stiffness of the fluid spring; and
in a cross-sectional view, the contour of the spring-seat housing inner surface includes a horn shape having a progressively widening bell curvature.

2. The spring-damper assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the non-linear stiffness defines a progressive decrease from a positive stiffness to zero stiffness.

3. The spring-damper assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the damper includes a damper rod;
the fluid spring defines a passage; and
the damper rod extends through the passage.

4. The spring-damper assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the spring-seat housing defines an aperture, and wherein the damper rod extends through the aperture.

5. The spring-damper assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the spring-seat housing additionally includes a fluid inlet configured to receive a fluid from an external fluid pump and channel the fluid to the fluid spring.

6. The spring-damper assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the fluid received by the fluid inlet is a gas.

7. The spring-damper assembly according to claim 6 , wherein:
the spring-damper assembly is defined by a static height; and
the fluid spring is configured to establish the static height of the spring-damper assembly in response to a volume of the fluid received by the fluid inlet.

8. The spring-damper assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the spring-seat housing extends at least partially around the damper and defines a space configured to guide expansion of the fluid spring at least partially around the damper upon compression of the fluid spring.

9. The spring-damper assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a sheath extending between the spring-seat housing and the damper, wherein the sheath is configured to shield the fluid spring from elements external to the spring-damper assembly.

10. A vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body;
a road wheel configured to maintain contact with a road surface; and
a suspension corner connecting the road wheel to the vehicle body and configured to maintain contact between the road wheel and the road surface, wherein the suspension corner includes:
a spring-damper assembly configured to provide isolation of vibration between the road wheel and the vehicle body, the spring-damper assembly comprising:
a fluid spring configured to suspend the vehicle body relative to the road wheel;
a damper configured to attenuate compression and rebound oscillations of the fluid spring; and
a spring-seat housing configured to retain the fluid spring and establish a position of the fluid spring relative to the damper;
wherein:
the spring-seat housing includes an inner surface defining a contour configured to guide the fluid spring upon compression thereof around the damper and define a non-linear stiffness of the fluid spring; and
in a cross-sectional view, the contour of the spring-seat housing inner surface includes a horn shape having a progressively widening bell curvature.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the non-linear stiffness defines a progressive decrease from a positive stiffness to zero stiffness.

12. The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein:
the damper includes a damper rod;
the fluid spring defines a passage; and
the damper rod extends through the passage.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein the spring-seat housing defines an aperture, and wherein the damper rod extends through the aperture.

14. The vehicle according to claim 10 , further comprising a fluid pump configured to supply fluid to the fluid spring, wherein the spring-seat housing additionally includes a fluid inlet configured to receive the fluid from the fluid pump and channel the fluid to the fluid spring.

15. The vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein the fluid received by the fluid inlet is a gas.

16. The vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein:
the spring-damper assembly is defined by a static height; and
the fluid spring is configured to establish the static height of the spring-damper assembly in response to a volume of the fluid received, by the fluid inlet.

17. The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the spring-seat housing extends at least partially around the damper and defines a space configured to guide expansion of the fluid spring at least partially around the damper upon compression of the fluid spring.

18. The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the spring-damper assembly additionally includes a sheath extending between the spring-seat housing and the damper, and wherein the sheath is configured to shield the fluid spring from elements external to the spring-damper assembly.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Suissa Avshalom
• Suplin Vladimir

Classifications

• B60G2800/162

  Reducing road induced vibrations · CPC title

• B60G2206/424

  Plunger or top retainer construction for bellows or rolling lobe type air springs · CPC title

• B60G15/12

  and fluid damper · CPC title

• B60G17/0521 Primary

  the spring having a flexible wall · CPC title

• B60G2500/30

  Height or ground clearance · CPC title