Damper with digital valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9810282-B2
Application number	US-201715450885-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2017
Priority date	Oct 6, 2009
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A shock absorber is disclosed having a pressure tube forming a working chamber, and a piston assembly slidably disposed within the pressure tube. The piston assembly may divide the working chamber into upper and lower working chambers. The piston assembly may have a piston body defining a first fluid passage extending therethrough and a first valve assembly controlling fluid flow through the first fluid passage. A second fluid passage, separate from the first fluid passage, extends from one of the upper and lower working chambers to a fluid chamber defined at least in part by the pressure tube. A plurality of digital valve assemblies are included and configured to exclusively control all fluid flow through the second fluid passage, and thus all fluid flow between the one of the upper and lower working chambers to the fluid chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shock absorber comprising:
a pressure tube forming a working chamber;
a piston assembly slidably disposed within said pressure tube, said piston assembly dividing said working chamber into an upper working chamber and a lower working chamber, said piston assembly including a piston body defining a first fluid passage extending through said piston body and a first valve assembly controlling fluid flow through said first fluid passage;
a second fluid passage separate from said first fluid passage, said second fluid passage extending from one of said upper and lower working chambers to a fluid chamber defined at least in part by said pressure tube;
a plurality of digital valve assemblies configured to exclusively control all fluid flow through said second fluid passage and thus all fluid flow between said one of said upper and lower working chambers to said fluid chamber;
wherein fluid flow through said first valve assembly generates a high damping load for said shock absorber;
fluid flow through said first valve assembly and said digital valve assemblies cooperatively generates a low damping load, lower than said high damping load, for said shock absorber; and
each of said plurality of digital valve assemblies includes a first member, a second member disposed within said first member to move in an axial direction within said first member, and a third member configured to move said second member in the axial direction;
said second member and said first member of each one of said digital valve assemblies cooperating to exclusively control said fluid flow through said second fluid passage in the axial direction;
each of the digital valve assemblies includes a single inlet, and a first outlet; and
fluid flow from said single inlet to said first outlet is in a first direction substantially parallel to the axial direction.

2. A shock absorber comprising:
a pressure tube forming a working chamber;
a piston assembly slidably disposed within said pressure tube, said piston assembly dividing said working chamber into an upper working chamber and a lower working chamber, said piston assembly including a piston body defining a first fluid passage extending through said piston body and a first valve assembly controlling fluid flow through said first fluid passage;
a second fluid passage separate from said first fluid passage, said second fluid passage extending from one of said upper and lower working chambers to a fluid chamber defined at least in part by said pressure tube;
at least one digital valve assembly for exclusively controlling all fluid flow through said second fluid passage, and thus all fluid flow flowing between said one of said upper and lower working chambers and said fluid chamber;
wherein fluid flow through said first valve assembly generates a high damping load for said shock absorber;
fluid flow through said first valve assembly and said at least one digital valve assembly generates a low damping load, lower than said high damping load, for said shock absorber; and
said digital valve assembly includes a first member, a second member disposed within said first member to move in an axial direction within said first member and a third member configured to move said second member in the axial direction;
said second member and said first member cooperating to control fluid flow in the axial direction through said digital valve assembly;
said digital valve assembly including an annular inlet chamber and an outlet chamber; and
fluid flow from said annular inlet chamber to said outlet chamber of said digital valve assembly is turned 90 degrees from a radial flow to a flow having a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction, by said digital valve assembly.

3. A shock absorber comprising:
a pressure tube forming a working chamber;
a piston assembly slidably disposed within said pressure tube, said piston assembly dividing said working chamber into an upper working chamber and a lower working chamber, said piston assembly including a piston body defining a first fluid passage extending through said piston body and a first valve assembly controlling fluid flow through said first fluid passage;
a second fluid passage separate from said first fluid passage, said second fluid passage extending from one of said upper and lower working chambers to a fluid chamber defined in part by said pressure tube;
a plurality of digital valve assemblies for exclusively controlling all fluid flow through said second fluid passage, and thus all fluid flow from said one of said upper and lower working chambers to said fluid chamber;
wherein fluid flow through said first valve assembly generates a high damping load for said shock absorber;
fluid flow through said first valve assembly and said digital valve assemblies generates a low damping load, lower than said high damping load, for said shock absorber;
each of said plurality of digital valve assemblies includes a first member, a second member disposed within said first member to move in an axial direction within said first member, and a third member configured to move said second member in the axial direction;
said second member and said first member cooperating to control fluid flow in the axial direction through each said digital valve assembly;
each of said digital valve assemblies including an annular chamber surrounding the second member; and
fluid flow through each said digital valve assembly is in a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction.

Assignees

• Tenneco Automotive Operating Co Inc

Inventors

• Roessle Matthew L
• Kazmirski Karl C
• Paenhuysen Jeroen K
• Breese Darrell G
• Keil Daniel T
• Mallin Thomas P
• Gardner Jeffrey T

Classifications

• F16F9/469

  Valves incorporated in the piston (F16F9/467 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16F9/5126

  Piston, or piston-like valve elements (F16F9/504 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16F9/34

  Special valve constructions ({F16F9/44, F16F9/50 take precedence; filtering details F16F9/3285} ; valves in general F16K); Shape or construction of throttling passages · CPC title

• F16F9/3271

  Assembly or repair · CPC title

• F16F9/182

  comprising a hollow piston rod · CPC title