Protective cover for electrical coupler of vehicle shock absorber and vehicle shock absorber including same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11332083-B2
Application number	US-202016844282-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2020
Priority date	Apr 9, 2020
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

A shock absorber for damping movement of a wheel suspension system of a vehicle can include a damper tube, a piston, a damping adjustment assembly, and a protective cover. The damper tube can contain a fluid. The piston can be located in the damper tube so as to accommodate relative movement between the damper tube and the piston. The damping adjustment assembly can be connected to the damper tube, and can include a reservoir, a solenoid valve, and a wire harness connection. The solenoid valve can be in fluid communication with each of the reservoir and the damper tube and configured to selectively open and close fluid communication between the reservoir and the damper tube. The wire harness connection can be in electrical communication with the solenoid valve. The protective cover can contain the wire harness connection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shock absorber for damping movement of a wheel suspension system of a vehicle, the shock absorber comprising:
a damper tube containing a fluid;
a piston located in the damper tube so as to accommodate relative movement between the damper tube and the piston;
a damping adjustment assembly connected to the damper tube, the damping adjustment assembly includes,
a reservoir;
a solenoid valve in fluid communication with each of the reservoir and the damper tube and configured to selectively open and close fluid communication between the reservoir and the damper tube, and
a wire harness connection in electrical communication with the solenoid valve; and

a protective cover containing the wire harness connection, the protective cover includes an opposing wall that opposes the wire harness connection, the protective cover terminates at a peripheral edge that is spaced away from the opposing wall, and the wire harness connection is located between the opposing wall and the peripheral edge.

2. The shock absorber according to claim 1 , wherein
the wire harness connection includes a solenoid coupler in electrical communication with the solenoid, and
the protective cover contains the solenoid coupler.

3. The shock absorber according to claim 2 , wherein
the solenoid coupler includes an opening,
the wire harness connection further includes a wire harness coupler extending through the opening of the solenoid coupler and into the solenoid coupler, and the wire harness coupler is electrically connected to the solenoid coupler,
the damping adjustment assembly further includes an electric wire electrically connected to and extending out of the wire harness coupler, and
the protective cover contains the wire harness coupler.

4. The shock absorber according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a body cap connected to the damper tube; and
a fastener, wherein
the protective cover includes,
a main portion that contains the solenoid coupler and the wire harness coupler, the main portion includes the opposing wall, and
a mounting flange that extends from the main portion and includes a through hole, and

the fastener extends through the through hole and into the body cap.

5. The shock absorber according to claim 4 , wherein
the damping adjustment assembly further includes a solenoid housing and the solenoid valve is contained in the solenoid housing, and
the main portion includes,
an inner surface that opposes the solenoid coupler and the solenoid housing, and
a projection that extends from the inner surface and abuts the solenoid housing.

6. The shock absorber according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a body cap connected to an end of the damper tube, and the body cap is configured to be connected to a structure of the vehicle such that the body cap and the damper tube pivot with respect to the structure of the vehicle during relative movement between the piston and the damper tube, wherein
the damping adjustment assembly further includes a solenoid housing connected to and extending from the body cap,
at least a portion of the solenoid valve is contained in the solenoid housing, and
the protective cover is connected to the damper tube at the solenoid housing.

7. The shock absorber according to claim 6 , wherein
the protective cover includes,
a first wall that extends along the solenoid housing, and
a second wall that extends along the solenoid housing, and the second wall opposes and is spaced away from the first wall, and

the wire harness connection is located between the first wall and the second wall.

8. The shock absorber according to claim 7 , wherein the second wall includes,
a second wall inner surface that opposes the solenoid housing, and
a projection that extends away from the second wall inner surface and toward the first wall, and the projection engages the solenoid housing.

9. The shock absorber according to claim 7 , wherein
the opposing wall extends along the wire harness connection and is connected to and extends from each of the first wall and the second wall,
the protective cover further includes,
a fourth wall connected to each of the first wall, the second wall, and the opposing wall, and
a mounting flange connected to and extending away from the opposing wall, and

each of the first wall, the second wall, and the fourth wall extend from the opposing wall to the peripheral edge.

10. The shock absorber according to claim 6 , wherein the protective cover includes,
an inner surface that opposes the solenoid housing, and
a projection that extends from the inner surface and engages the solenoid housing.

11. The shock absorber according to claim 1 , wherein the protective cover is connected to the damper tube such that the protective cover moves with the damper tube during each stroke of one of the piston and the damper tube.

12. The shock absorber according to claim 1 , wherein
the damping adjustment assembly includes a valve housing that is centered about a longitudinal axis, the solenoid valve is contained in the valve housing,
the protective cover includes,
an opening that opposes the opposing wall,
a first portion that extends from the opening, wraps around a portion of the wire harness connection and the solenoid valve housing, extends along the wire harness connection, and includes the opposing wall, and
a second portion that is connected to the first portion, extends along the wire harness connection, and intersects the longitudinal axis, and

the wire harness connection is located between the opening and the opposing wall.

13. A protective cover for an electrical coupler of a vehicle shock absorber, the shock absorber having a damper tube, a reservoir, a valve housing, and a solenoid valve mounted in the valve housing and in fluid communication with each of the damper tube and the reservoir, the electrical coupler is in electrical communication with the solenoid valve, and the solenoid valve is configured to selectively open and close fluid communication between the damper tube and the reservoir, the protective cover comprising:
a first wall configured to extend along the electrical coupler when the protective cover is connected to the shock absorber,
a second wall configured to extend along the electric coupler when the protective cover is connected to the shock absorber, and the second wall opposes and is spaced away from the first wall such that the electrical coupler is located between the first wall and the second wall when the protective cover is connected to the shock absorber,
a third wall connected to and extends from each of the first wall and the second wall,
a fourth wall connected to each of the first wall, the second wall, and the third wall and configured to extend along the electrical coupler when the protective cover is connected to the shock absorber, and
a peripheral edge spaced from the third wall, each of the first wall, the second wall and the fourth wall extend from the third wall to the peripheral edge, and the electrical coupler is located between the third wall and the peripheral edge when the protective coupler is connected to the shock absorber.

14. The protective cover according to claim 13 , wherein the second wall includes,
an inner surface that opposes the valve housing when the protective cover is connected to the shock absorber, and
a projection that extends away the inner surface and toward the first wall, and the projection engages the valve housing when the protective cover is connected to the shock absorber.

15. The protective cover according to claim 14 , further compri

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sovern Jason A
• Ritchie Seth A

Classifications

• B60G2300/07

  Off-road vehicles · 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

• F16F9/067

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

• F16F9/512

  Means responsive to load action, {i.e. static load} on the damper or {dynamic} fluid pressure {changes} in the damper, {e.g. due to changes in velocity (F16F9/504, F16F9/516 take precedence; non-automatic damper adjustment from a distance using servo control, the servo pressure being created by the flow of damping fluid F16F9/465; self-pumping fluid springs in vehicle suspensions B60G17/044)} · CPC title

• B60G2204/4308

  Protecting guards, e.g. for rigid axle damage protection · CPC title