Monotube damper assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10197127-B2
Application number	US-201414913759-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2014
Priority date	Aug 27, 2013
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

A monotube damper assembly includes a housing presenting a wall extending between a rod end and a closed end to define a main chamber. A gas cup having a top portion and a body portion is disposed in the main chamber to divide the main chamber of the housing into a gas chamber and a fluid chamber. The gas cup includes a top portion and a body portion. A piston is disposed in the fluid chamber. A rod guide is disposed adjacent to the rod end and spaced part from the piston. A piston rod is connected to the piston. A gas damper having a cylindrical shape includes a restrictor disposed the body portion of gas cup and the top potion of the gas cup for providing additional damping force to the gas cup.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A monotube damper assembly for use in a vehicle comprising:
a housing defining a main chamber extending along a center axis between a rod end and a closed end,
a gas cup disposed in said main chamber in sealing engagement with said housing and slidable along said center axis to divide said main chamber into a gas chamber extending between said closed end and said gas cup for containing a gas and a fluid chamber extending between said gas cup and said rod end,
a piston disposed in said fluid chamber and axially slidable along said center axis,
a piston rod connected to said piston and extending through said rod end,
said gas cup being rigid and including a top portion and a body portion extending from said top portion and about said center axis, and
a gas damper having a restrictor, said gas damper being disposed in said gas chamber spaced from said housing and axially spaced from said top portion of said gas cup and attached to said body portion of said gas cup and dividing said gas chamber into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, with said upper chamber having a fixed volume and extending between said top portion and said body portion and said gas damper and said lower chamber being between said gas damper and said closed end, whereby in response to a sliding movement of said gas cup said restrictor limits flow of the gas between said upper chamber and said lower chamber to provide additional damping force.

2. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said restrictor of said gas damper has an orifice disposed in fluid communication with said upper chamber and said lower chamber for limiting flow of the gas between the upper chamber and the lower chamber to provide additional damping force to said gas cup during the sliding movement of the gas cup.

3. The assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said orifice is disposed on said center axis and extends along said center axis.

4. The assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said gas damper is spaced axially between said closed end and said top portion of said gas cup.

5. The assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said gas damper includes a projection extending radially outwardly from said center axis disposed adjacent to said body portion of said gas cup for preventing said gas damper from engaging said top portion of said gas cup.

6. The assembly as set forth in claim 5 further including a damper seal disposed in sealing engagement with said body portion and said gas damper.

7. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said restrictor includes a first check valve extending through said gas damper parallel to said center axis for allowing the gas in said gas chamber to flow unidirectionally through said gas damper from said lower chamber to said upper chamber.

8. The assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said gas damper includes a second check valve extending through said gas damper parallel to said center axis for allowing the gas in said gas chamber to flow unidirectionally through said gas damper from said upper chamber to said lower chamber.

9. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a gas seal disposed annularly about said gas cup and in sealing engagement with said housing.

Assignees

• Beijingwest Ind Co Ltd
• Beijingwest Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hurtt Michael William

Classifications

• F16F9/067

  Partitions of the piston type, e.g. sliding pistons · CPC title

• F16F9/068

  where the throttling of a gas flow provides damping action · CPC title

• F16F9/065

  Expansion chamber provided on the upper or lower end of a damper, separately there from or laterally on the damper · CPC title

• F16F9/061 Primary

  Mono-tubular units · CPC title