Vibration damper and connection element for connecting a shock absorber tube to an add-on unit for vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11236796-B2
Application number	US-201716323214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2017
Priority date	Aug 8, 2016
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A vibration damper for a chassis of a vehicle including a damper tube which is filled at least partially with damping liquid and in which a piston rod can be moved to and fro. A working piston is movable with the piston rod, by way of which working piston the interior space of the damper tube is divided into a piston rod-side working space and a working space which is remote from the piston rod. At least one additional attachment unit is connected to the damper tube in a fluid-tight manner by way of a throughflow element. The throughflow element is arranged on the damper tube in a direction which differs from the radial direction of the damper tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vibration damper for a chassis of a vehicle, the vibration damper comprising:
a damper tube defining an interior space which is filled at least partially with damping liquid and having a damper tube axis;
a piston rod movably disposed in the damper tube;
a working piston connected to the piston rod, the working piston movably disposed in the damper tube and dividing the interior space of the damper tube into a piston rod-side working space and a working space which is remote from the piston rod;
an attachment unit connected to the damper tube, the attachment unit having an attachment unit axis; and
a connecting element disposed between the damper tube and the attachment unit, the connecting element including a first outlet side with a first rectangular concave surface in contact with the damper tube, and a second outlet side with a second rectangular concave surface configured to contact the attachment unit and position the attachment unit spaced apart from the damper tube and position the attachment unit axis normal to the damper tube axis,
wherein the connecting element includes throughflow conduits extending from the first rectangular concave surface to the second rectangular concave surface and configured to permit fluid flow to and from the interior space and the attachment unit, the throughflow conduits having an orientation non-aligned with a radial direction of the damper tube, a first one of the throughflow conduits being disposed at a different longitudinal position along the damper tube axis relative to a second one of the throughflow conduits.

2. The vibration damper of claim 1 , wherein the throughflow conduits are arranged at an angle of 90° in relation to an axial direction of the damper tube.

3. The vibration damper of claim 1 , wherein the throughflow conduits are arranged parallel to one another.

4. The vibration damper of claim 1 , wherein the throughflow conduits are formed through the connecting element.

5. The vibration damper of claim 4 , wherein the connecting element is a connecting flange.

6. A connecting element for connecting a damper tube in a fluid-tight manner to an attachment unit, the connecting element comprising a first outlet side with a first rectangular concave surface configured to sealingly contact the damper tube, and a second outlet side with a second rectangular concave surface configured to sealingly contact the attachment unit and position the attachment unit spaced apart from the damper tube and position an attachment unit axis normal to a damper tube axis, and
throughflow conduits extending from the first rectangular concave surface to the second rectangular surface and configured to permit fluid flow to and from the damper tube and the attachment unit, the throughflow conduits having an orientation non-aligned with a radial direction of the damper tube, a first one of the throughflow conduits being disposed at a different longitudinal position along the damper tube axis relative to a second one of the throughflow conduits.

7. The connecting element of claim 6 wherein the first and second outlet sides of the connecting element between which the throughflow conduits extend are external sides of the connecting element.

8. The connecting element of claim 7 wherein the throughflow conduits extend linearly between the first and second outlet sides.

9. The vibration damper of claim 1 wherein via the throughflow conduits the attachment unit is in fluid communication with the piston rod-side working space or the working space that is remote from the piston rod.

10. The vibration damper of claim 1 wherein the attachment unit and the connecting element are disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the damper tube between a top and a bottom of the damper tube.

11. The vibration damper of claim 1 wherein the connecting element is disposed directly on an outer circumferential surface of the damper tube between a top and a bottom of the damper tube.

12. The vibration damper of claim 1 wherein the attachment unit is rigidly attached to the damper tube via the connecting element.

13. The vibration damper of claim 1 wherein the throughflow conduits in the connecting element extend from an elongated, curved side of the damper tube and have a non-parallel orientation relative to the damper tube axis along which the damper tube extends.

14. The connecting element of claim 6 wherein the throughflow conduits are configured to extend from an elongated, curved side of the damper tube and are configured to have a non-parallel orientation relative to the damper tube axis along which the damper tube extends.

15. The vibration damper of claim 1 wherein the throughflow conduits have the orientation that is non-aligned with the radial direction of the damper tube as the throughflow conduits are positioned to extend from a curved outer side of the damper tube.

16. The connecting element of claim 6 wherein the throughflow conduits are configured to have the orientation that is non-aligned with the radial direction of the damper tube when the throughflow conduits are positioned to extend from a curved outer side of the damper tube.

17. The vibration damper of claim 1 wherein the damper tube axis extends along a first plane that passes through a volumetric center of the connecting element, wherein a second plane passes through the volumetric center of the connecting element and is normal to the first plane, wherein the throughflow conduits that extend from an elongated, curved side of the damper tube are disposed at portions of the connecting element outside the first and second planes.

18. The connecting element of claim 6 wherein the damper tube axis extends along a first plane that is configured to pass through a volumetric center of the connecting element, wherein a second plane passes through the volumetric center of the connecting element and is normal to the first plane, wherein the throughflow conduits are configured to extend from an elongated, curved side of the damper tube and are disposed at portions of the connecting element outside the first and second planes.

19. The vibration damper of claim 1 wherein a first of the throughflow conduits extends along and is centered about a first axis, wherein a second of the throughflow conduits extends along and is centered about a second axis, wherein a third axis passes through a point on the first axis and a point on the second axis, with the points on the first and second axes through which the third axis passes being equidistant from the damper tube, wherein the third axis is oblique to the damper tube axis.

20. The connecting element of claim 6 wherein a first of the throughflow conduits extends along and is centered about a first axis, wherein a second of the throughflow conduits extends along and is centered about a second axis, wherein a third axis passes through a point on the first axis and a point on the second axis, with the points on the first and second axes through which the third axis passes being configured to be equidistant from the damper tube, wherein the third axis is configured to be oblique to the damper tube axis.

Assignees

• Thyssen Krupp Bilstein Gmbh
• Thyssenkrupp Ag

Inventors

• Döbber Johannes
• Götz Ole
• Schmidt Klaus

Classifications

• F16F9/325 Primary

  for attachment of valve units · CPC title

• F16F2230/32

  Modular design · CPC title

• F16F2230/0005

  Attachment, e.g. to facilitate mounting onto confer adjustability · CPC title