Damper with multiple external control valves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11156261-B2
Application number	US-201816234725-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2018
Priority date	Dec 28, 2018
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

A damper with inner and outer tubes and a piston slidably disposed within the inner tube to define first and second working chambers. A fluid transport chamber is positioned between the inner and outer tubes and a collector chamber is positioned outside the outer tube. First and second external control valves are positioned in fluid communication with the collector chamber. An intake valve assembly, abutting one end of the inner tube, includes first and second intake valve bodies with intake passages and intake valves. A first intermediate chamber is positioned between the first and second intake valve bodies and an accumulation chamber is positioned between the second intake valve body and a closed end of the outer tube. The fluid transport chamber, first intermediate chamber, and accumulation chamber are arranged in fluid communication with the collector chamber. The intake valves control fluid flow between the accumulation chamber and second working chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A damper comprising:
an inner tube extending longitudinally between a first inner tube end and a second inner tube end;
a piston slidably disposed within the inner tube defining a first working chamber and a second working chamber;
an outer tube disposed around the inner tube, the first working chamber arranged in fluid communication with a fluid transport chamber disposed between the inner tube and the outer tube;
a collector chamber positioned outside of the outer tube;
an intake valve assembly positioned at the second inner tube end and within the outer tube to define an accumulation chamber arranged in fluid communication with the collector chamber, the intake valve assembly including a first intermediate chamber disposed in fluid communication with the accumulation chamber and the second working chamber, a first intake valve that controls fluid flow through the intake valve assembly between the accumulation chamber and the fluid transport chamber, and a second intake valve that controls fluid flow through the intake valve assembly between the accumulation chamber and the second working chamber;
a first control valve externally mounted to the outer tube, the first control valve having a first control valve inlet that is arranged in fluid communication with the fluid transport chamber and a first control valve outlet that is arranged in fluid communication with the collector chamber; and
a second control valve externally mounted to the outer tube, the second control valve having a second control valve inlet that is arranged in fluid communication with the first intermediate chamber and a second control valve outlet that is arranged in fluid communication with the collector chamber.

2. The damper of claim 1 , wherein the intake valve assembly includes a first intake valve body adjacent the second inner tube end and a second intake valve body that is longitudinally spaced from the first intake valve body, the first and second intake valve bodies abutting an inside cylindrical surface of the outer tube.

3. The damper of claim 2 , wherein the intake valve assembly includes an indexing disc and a second intermediate chamber, wherein the first intermediate chamber is positioned longitudinally between the indexing disc and at least part of the second intake valve body, and wherein the second intermediate chamber is positioned longitudinally between the indexing disc and at least part of the first intake valve body.

4. The damper of claim 3 , wherein the indexing disc includes a first intake opening that is open to the first intermediate chamber and a second intake opening that is open to the second intermediate chamber, wherein the first intake valve body includes a first intake passage extending between the second working chamber and the first intake opening in the indexing disc, wherein the first intake valve body includes a first intake orifice extending between the second intermediate chamber and the fluid transport chamber, wherein the second intake valve body includes a second intake passage extending between the accumulation chamber and the second intake opening in the indexing disc, and wherein the second intake valve body includes a second intake orifice extending between the accumulation chamber and the first intermediate chamber.

5. The damper of claim 4 , wherein the first intake valve is a one-way valve that allows fluid flow in only one direction through the first intake orifice from the second intermediate chamber to the fluid transport chamber and wherein the second intake valve is a one-way valve that allows fluid flow in only one direction through the second intake orifice from the accumulation chamber to the first intermediate chamber.

6. The damper of claim 1 , further comprising:
a piston rod, connected to the piston, that extends longitudinally through a rod guide housed inside the outer tube.

7. The damper of claim 6 , wherein the piston rod extends along a longitudinal axis, the first control valve includes a first valve member that is moveable along a first control valve axis between open and closed positions, the second control valve includes a second valve member that is moveable along a second control valve axis between open and closed positions, and the first and second control valve axes are parallel to one another and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the piston rod.

8. The damper of claim 6 , wherein the rod guide includes a rod guide passage arranged in fluid communication with and extending between the first working chamber and the fluid transport chamber.

9. The damper of claim 1 , wherein the intake valve assembly includes an intake valve body adjacent the second inner tube end that abuts an inside cylindrical surface of the outer tube and the second working chamber, the first intermediate chamber extending through the intake valve body between the accumulation chamber and the second working chamber, and a second intermediate chamber extending through the intake valve body between the accumulation chamber and the fluid transport chamber.

10. The damper of claim 9 , wherein the first and second intake valves are poppets positioned in the first and second intermediate chambers respectively, the first and second intake valves being spring biased to a closed position.

11. The damper of claim 1 , wherein the collector chamber has a limited circumferential extent that extends about the outer tube in an arc that is less than or equal to 180 degrees.

12. The damper of claim 1 , wherein the outer tube has an outer tube length that is measured longitudinally between first and second outer tube ends, wherein the collector chamber has a collector chamber length that is measured longitudinally between first and second collector ends, and wherein the collector chamber length is shorter than the outer tube length.

13. The damper of claim 1 , wherein the first intake valve is a one-way valve that permits fluid flow in only one direction from the accumulation chamber to the fluid transport chamber in response to movement of the piston towards the intake valve assembly.

14. The damper of claim 1 , wherein the second intake valve is a one-way valve that permits fluid flow in only one direction from the accumulation chamber to the first intermediate chamber in response to movement of the piston away from the intake valve assembly.

15. The damper of claim 1 , wherein the piston is free of orifices or passages such that there is no fluid flow through the piston.

16. A damper comprising:
an inner tube extending longitudinally between a first inner tube end and a second inner tube end;
a piston slidably disposed within the inner tube;
a first working chamber defined within the inner tube between the piston and the first inner tube end;
a second working chamber defined within the inner tube between the piston and the second inner tube end;
an outer tube disposed around the inner tube, the outer tube extending longitudinally between a first outer tube end and a second outer tube end, the first working chamber arranged in fluid communication with a fluid transport chamber disposed between the inner tube and the outer tube;
a collector chamber positioned outside of the outer tube;
an intake valve assembly positioned at the second inner tube end that abuts the outer tube to define an accumulation chamber between the intake valve assembly and the second outer tube end, the accumulation chamber arranged in fluid communication with the collector chamber, the intake valve assembly including a first intermediate chamber disposed in fluid communication with the accumul

Assignees

• Tenneco Automotive Operating Co Inc

Inventors

• Deferme Stefan

Classifications

• F16F9/062 Primary

  Bi-tubular units · CPC title

• B60G17/0152 Primary

  characterised by the action on a particular type of suspension unit (B60G17/01941 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60G2202/24

  Fluid damper · CPC title

• B60G2800/162

  Reducing road induced vibrations · CPC title

• B60G2500/10

  Damping action or damper · CPC title