Shock absorber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9371882-B2
Application number	US-201414468977-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2014
Priority date	Oct 1, 2013
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

A shock absorber is provided having a housing, an inner tube, a piston rod, a piston which divides the interior of the inner tube into a lower chamber and an upper chamber, a first valve arrangement on the piston, a second valve arrangement at the upper end of the inner tube, and a third valve arrangement at the lower end of the inner tube. The shock absorber includes a first connection element on the lower chamber of the inner tube and a second connection element on the upper chamber of the inner tube, to connect a means for controlling the flow resistance of the working medium in the first valve arrangement and an ascending pipe which projects into the working medium received in the housing and by which working medium can be transferred from the housing acting as a tank into the upper chamber of the inner tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shock absorber comprising:
a) a housing;
b) an inner tube arranged in the housing;
c) a piston rod immersing into the inner tube;
d) a piston which is arranged at the end of the piston rod immersing into the inner tube and which divides the interior of the inner tube into a lower chamber and an upper chamber;
e) a first valve arrangement, which is arranged on the piston and by which a working medium received in the inner tube can flow out of the lower chamber into the upper chamber and vice versa, as the piston travels in the inner tube;
f) a second valve arrangement, which is arranged at an upper end of the inner tube and by which the working medium received in the inner tube can only flow out of the upper chamber of the inner tube and directly into the interior of the housing acting as a tank for the working medium via an ascending pipe, as the piston travels in the inner tube;
g) a third valve arrangement, which is arranged at a lower end of the inner tube and by which the working medium received in the interior of the housing acting as a tank can only flow directly into the lower chamber of the inner tube and out of the interior of the housing acting as a tank, as the piston travels in the inner tube;
h) a first connection element, wherein the first connection element is in fluid communication with the lower chamber of the inner tube;
i) a second connection element, wherein the second connection element is in fluid communication with the upper chamber of the inner tube;
j) a means for controlling a flow resistance of the working medium in the first valve arrangement, wherein the first and second connection elements are separately connected to the means for controlling a flow resistance, wherein provided as the means for controlling the flow resistance of the working medium in the first valve arrangement is a hydraulic pump drive that is arranged between a lower pressure line connected to the first connection element and an upper pressure line connected to the second connection element; and
k) the ascending pipe projects into the working medium received in the housing and by which the working medium can be transferred from the housing acting as a tank into the upper chamber of the inner tube, wherein the ascending pipe forms a closed circuit for the working fluid between the lower chamber and the upper chamber to prevent cavitation.

2. The shock absorber according to claim 1 , wherein a magnetic valve is arranged between the lower pressure line connected to the first connection element and the upper pressure line connected to the second connection element.

3. The shock absorber according to claim 1 , wherein a proportional flow regulation valve is arranged between the lower pressure line connected to the first connection element and the upper pressure line connected to the second connection element.

4. The shock absorber according to claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic pump drive is combined with a valve system, in particular, one of a magnetic valve and a proportional flow regulation valve.

5. The shock absorber according to claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic pump drive has a controllable pump and a motor for the pump.

6. The shock absorber according to claim 1 , wherein a leakage line for the working medium is provided between the housing acting as a tank for the working medium and the hydraulic pump drive.

7. The shock absorber according to claim 1 , wherein a re-suctioning line for the working medium is provided between the housing acting as a tank for the working medium and the lower pressure line and/or the upper pressure line.

8. The shock absorber according to claim 7 , wherein a non-return valve is arranged between the re-suctioning line and the lower pressure line and/or the upper pressure line.

9. A shock absorber comprising:
a) a housing;
b) an inner tube arranged in the housing;
c) a piston rod immersing into the inner tube;
d) a piston which is arranged at the end of the piston rod immersing into the inner tube and which divides the interior of the inner tube into a lower chamber and an upper chamber,
e) a first valve arrangement, which is arranged on the piston and by which a working medium received in the inner tube can flow out of the lower chamber into the upper chamber and vice versa, as the piston travels in the inner tube;
f) a second valve arrangement, which is arranged at an upper end of the inner tube and by which the working medium received in the inner tube can only flow out of the upper chamber of the inner tube and directly into the interior of the housing acting as a tank for the working medium via an ascending pipe, as the piston travels in the inner tube;
g) a third valve arrangement, which is arranged at a lower end of the inner tube and by which the working medium received in the interior of the housing acting as a tank can only flow directly into the lower chamber of the inner tube and out of the interior of the housing acting as a tank, as the piston travels in the inner tube;
h) a first connection element, wherein the first connection element is connected to the lower chamber of the inner tube;
i) a second connection element, wherein the second connection element is connected to the upper chamber of the inner tube;
j) a means for controlling a flow resistance of the working medium in the first valve arrangement, wherein the first and second connection elements are separately connected to the means for controlling a flow resistance, wherein provided as the means for controlling the flow resistance of the working medium in the first valve arrangement is a hydraulic pump drive that is arranged between a lower pressure line connected to the first connection element and a upper pressure line connected to the second connection element, wherein a re-suctioning line for the working medium is provided between the housing acting as a tank for the working medium and the lower pressure line and/or the upper pressure line; and
k) the ascending pipe which projects into the working medium received in the housing and by which working medium can be transferred from the housing acting as a tank into the upper chamber of the inner tube, wherein the ascending pipe forms a closed circuit for the working fluid between the lower chamber and the upper chamber to prevent cavitation.

Assignees

• Grammer Ag

Inventors

• Haller Erwin

Classifications

• B60G2202/416

  using a pump, e.g. in the line connecting the lower chamber to the upper chamber of the actuator · CPC title

• B60N2/502

  attached to the base of the seat (B60N2/504 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/522

  characterised by dampening means · CPC title

• B60G13/00

  Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or type of vibration dampers (adjusting damping effect B60G17/06; vibration dampers per se F16F) · CPC title

• B60G2202/24

  Fluid damper · CPC title