Spring deflection control assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10704635-B2
Application number	US-201715654416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2017
Priority date	Jul 20, 2016
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

A spring assembly is provided which decreases the fatigue and wear on the springs of the assembly. The spring assembly includes upper and lower pistons separated by a substantially incompressible fluid. The lower piston is attached to one or more springs. The surface area of the upper surface of the lower piston is greater than the surface area of the lower surface of the upper piston. As such, the springs are deflected by a distance less than the distance traveled by the upper piston. By decreasing the length the springs are compressed, the springs are subject to less fatigue and wear. As a result, the life span of the springs is increased and the maintenance required of the spring assembly is minimized relative to that of typical spring assemblies.

First claim

We claim:

1. A spring assembly comprising:
a housing having a first unit and a separate second unit, the housing having an internal cavity and an exterior;
at least one spring located within a lower portion of the cavity of the housing, a bottom end of the at least one spring supported by the housing;
a first piston attached to a top end of the at least one spring, the first piston configured to provide a fluid tight seal between an upper portion of the cavity and the lower portion of the cavity;
a second piston, the second piston located within the upper portion of the cavity and extending through an upper opening in the housing, the second piston configured to provide a fluid tight seal between the upper opening and the cavity;
a volume of substantially incompressible fluid located between an upper surface of the first piston and a lower surface of the second piston, a surface area of the first piston being greater than a surface area of the second piston;
a channel configured to provide fluid communication between the fluid and the housing exterior;
a space between the upper surface of the first piston and the lower surface of the second piston, wherein an initial pressure in the space is between 50 psi and 100 psi; and
a conduit connecting the space defined between the lower surface of the first piston and the first unit to a space defined between the second unit and the upper surface of the second piston.

2. The spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein the surface area of the first piston is twice as large as the surface area of the second piston.

3. The spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein second piston includes an upper portion and a lower portion, an outer diameter of the lower portion being greater than an outer diameter of the upper portion.

4. A method for reducing spring fatigue comprising:
providing a spring assembly comprising:
a housing;
a spring located within the housing;
a first piston attached to a top end of the spring;
a second piston located within and extending through the housing; and
a space defined between an upper surface of the first piston and a lower surface of the second piston;

filling the space with a substantially incompressible fluid; and
displacing the second piston by a first distance, the displacement of the second piston causing the first piston to travel a second distance, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the space is initially pressurized between 50 and 100 psi.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein a surface area of the first piston is at least two times a surface area of the second piston.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second distance is no more than half the first distance.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the housing comprises a first unit and a separate second unit; the first piston located within the first unit and the second piston located within the second unit.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising a conduit fluidly connecting a space defined between the upper surface of the first piston and the first unit to a space defined between the second unit and the lower surface of the second piston.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising a third piston and a second spring, the third piston and the second spring each located within the first unit.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein a lower surface of the third piston is spaced apart from and faces the upper surface of the first piston; the fluid filling the space defined between the lower surface of the third piston and the upper surface of the first piston.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second spring is attached to an upper surface of the third piston.

13. A spring assembly comprising:
a housing comprising a first unit and a separate second unit;
a first piston located within the first unit of the housing and having a lower surface with a first surface area;
a second piston located within the second unit of the housing and having an upper surface with a second surface area greater than the first surface area, the upper surface of the second piston is spaced apart from and facing the lower surface of the first piston;
a spring attached to a lower surface of the second piston;
a substantially incompressible fluid filling a space defined between the lower surface of the first piston and the upper surface of the second piston; and
a conduit connecting a space defined between the lower surface of the first piston and the first unit to a space defined between the second unit and the upper surface of the second piston.

14. The spring assembly of claim 13 , further comprising a third piston located within the second unit.

15. The spring assembly of claim 14 , further comprising a second spring attached to the third piston.

16. The spring assembly of claim 15 , wherein a lower surface of the third piston is spaced apart from and faces the upper surface of the second piston; the fluid filling the spaced defined between the lower surface of the third piston and the upper surface of the second piston.

17. A spring assembly comprising:
a housing comprising a first unit and a separate second unit;
a first piston located within the first unit of the housing and having a lower surface with a first surface area;
a second piston located within the second unit of the housing and having an upper surface with a second surface area, wherein the surface area of the second piston is at least twice as large as the surface area of the first piston and the upper surface of the second piston is spaced apart from and facing the lower surface of the first piston;
a spring attached to a lower surface of the second piston; and
a substantially incompressible fluid filling a space defined between the lower surface of the first piston and the upper surface of the second piston.

Assignees

• Silgan Containers Llc

Inventors

• Baker Gerald James
• Hu Jianwen

Classifications

• B21D24/02

  Die-cushions · CPC title

• B21D22/30

  to finish articles formed by deep-drawing · CPC title

• B21D28/002

  Drive of the tools (B21D28/007 and B21D28/20 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16F9/18

  with a closed cylinder and a piston separating two or more working spaces therein · CPC title

• B21D28/34

  Perforating tools; Die holders · CPC title