Accumulator with secondary gas chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10480552-B2
Application number	US-201815881165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2018
Priority date	Jan 27, 2017
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

Presented herein are systems and methods that allow for adapting at least one dimension of an accumulator in a hydraulic system when faced with certain dimensional constraints and to vary the compliance or stiffness of an accumulator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An accumulator of a hydraulic active suspension system, comprising:
a first liquid-filled volume in fluid communication with a compression volume or an extension volume of a hydraulic actuator of the active suspension system;
a flow path through which liquid may be exchanged between the first liquid-filled volume and the compression volume or the extension volume of the hydraulic actuator;
a first gas-filled chamber;
a moveable barrier separating the first liquid-filled volume from the first gas-filled chamber;
a second gas-filled chamber; and
a first gas flow path that connects the first gas-filled chamber to the second gas-filled chamber.

2. The accumulator of claim 1 , further comprising:
an inner cylindrical housing;
an outer cylindrical housing, wherein at least a portion of the outer cylindrical housing encircles at least a portion of the inner cylindrical housing;
wherein the first liquid-filled volume and the first gas-filled chamber are defined at least partially by an inner surface of the inner cylindrical housing; and
wherein the second-gas filled chamber is defined at least partially by an inner surface of the outer cylindrical housing.

3. The accumulator of claim 2 , wherein the second-gas filled chamber is defined at least partially by an outer surface of the inner cylindrical housing.

4. The accumulator of claim 2 , wherein the outer cylindrical housing is arranged coaxially with respect to the inner cylindrical housing.

5. The accumulator of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid restriction located along the first gas flow path.

6. The accumulator of claim 1 , wherein the restriction is a valve.

7. The accumulator of claim 6 , wherein the valve is configured to vary flow resistance of the first gas flow path.

8. The accumulator of claim 7 , wherein the valve is an electrically or electromechanically controlled valve.

9. The accumulator of claim 1 , wherein the accumulator comprises an accumulator housing rigidly coupled to a housing of the hydraulic actuator.

10. The accumulator of claim 2 , wherein the outer cylindrical housing is an accumulator housing that is rigidly coupled to a housing of the hydraulic actuator.

Assignees

• Clearmotion Inc

Inventors

• Tucker Clive
• Sirois Jason Steven
• Ekchian Jack A

Classifications

• F15B1/025

  used for thermal compensation, e.g. to collect expanded fluid and to return it to the system as the system fluid cools down · CPC title

• F15B21/045 Primary

  Compensating for variations in viscosity or temperature · CPC title

• B60G17/08

  Characteristics of fluid dampers (adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53) · CPC title

• F15B15/228

  having shock absorbers mounted outside the actuator housing · CPC title

• F16F9/00

  Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium (F16F5/00 takes precedence; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; {braking devices, stops or buffers for wing-operating appliances E05F3/00, E05F5/00}) · CPC title