Travel control for a gas spring and gas spring having very short travel modes

• US 10,018,239 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2015
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fox Factory Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fox Factory Incorporated
• Inventors: Fox, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US14/929,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20160053842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 25/06 with telescopic fork, e.g. including auxiliary rocking arms
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/061 Mono-tubular units

Abstract

A gas spring capbale of having long and short travel modes is described. The gas spring uses liquid in combination with pressurized air to affect the travel length. Unlike conventional gas springs, the gas spring according to the invention may have its travel reduced more than for example, by 50%.

Claims

1. A gas spring for a vehicle, comprising:

a gas spring housing;

a main chamber and an auxiliary chamber, said gas spring housing enclosing said main chamber and said auxiliary chamber;

a single valve member having a first position in which it is bi-directionally open in a compression and rebound stroke and a second position in which it is bi-directionally closed in both the compression and rebound stroke, and when open, the single valve member allows fluid communication between the main chamber and said auxiliary chamber;

pressurized gas that fills said auxiliary chamber and a portion of the main chamber; and

a movable piston that compresses the gas in the main chamber and displaces a volume of liquid during a compression stroke of the gas spring;

wherein when the single valve member is open during the compression stroke, substantially all the gas in the main chamber may be displaced into said auxiliary chamber.

2. A gas spring for a vehicle, comprising:

a gas spring housing;

a main chamber, said gas spring housing enclosing said main chamber;

an auxiliary chamber, said gas spring housing enclosing said auxiliary chamber;

a spring chamber;

a single valve member that allows fluid communication between the main chamber and said auxiliary chamber;

a controller constructed and arranged to position the single valve member in a bi-directional open position or bidirectional closed position in both a compression and rebound stroke;

a volume of liquid that fills a portion of the main chamber at full expansion;

pressurized gas that fills said auxiliary chamber, a remaining portion of the main chamber, and the spring chamber; and

a movable piston located in the spring chamber that compresses the gas in the main chamber and displaces the liquid during the compression stroke of the gas spring.

3. A gas spring for a vehicle, comprising:

a gas spring housing;

a main chamber and a plurality of auxiliary chambers, said gas spring housing enclosing said main chamber and said plurality of auxiliary chambers;

a control valve for controlling whether the main chamber and said plurality of auxiliary chambers are in fluid communication with each other;

a volume of liquid filling a portion of the main chamber at full expansion;

pressurized gas filling said plurality of auxiliary chambers and the remaining portion of the main chamber; and

a movable piston for compressing the gas in the main chamber and displacing the liquid during a compression stroke of the gas spring, wherein said plurality of auxiliary chambers includes a first auxiliary chamber and a differently sized second auxiliary chamber and the control valve includes a plurality of discrete settings for controlling whether different combinations of the main chamber, first auxiliary chamber and second auxiliary chamber are in fluid communication with each other.

4. A gas spring for a vehicle, comprising:

a gas spring housing;

a main chamber, said gas spring housing enclosing said main chamber;

at least one auxiliary chamber, said gas spring housing enclosing said at least one chamber, wherein said main chamber is fillable with a volume of liquid, and wherein said at least one auxiliary chamber comprises;

a first auxiliary chamber and a second auxiliary chamber;

a first flow port disposed between said main chamber and said first auxiliary chamber, said first flow port enabling a first fluid flow between said main chamber and said first auxiliary chamber;

a first valve for movably blocking said first flow port;

a second flow port diposed between said main chamber and said second auxiliary chamber, said second flow port enabling a second fluid flow between said main chamber and said second auxiliary chamber;

a second valve for movable blocking said second flow port;

pressurized gas that fills said at least one auxiliary chamber and a remaining portion of said main chamber; and

a movable piston that compresses said pressurized gas in said main chamber and that displaces said liquid during a compression stroke of said gas spring.