Load adaptive damper with transient air signal restrictor
First Claim
1. A shock absorber device comprising:
- a first cylinder;
a second cylinder surrounding at least a portion of said first cylinder;
a piston dividing said first cylinder into first and second chambers;
a main rod supporting said piston for movement within said first cylinder, said main rod including a central bore extending axially along a length of said main rod;
a piston rod adapter coupled to said piston, said piston rod adapter including a body portion extending into said central bore of said main rod, said body portion including a plurality of radial holes;
an adjuster rod received within said central bore and having a first rod end portion extending toward said piston and a second rod end portion extending toward a rod end mount; and
a pneumatic actuator cooperating with said second rod end portion to move said adjuster rod within said central bore to a desired adjuster rod position to adjust damping forces, said pneumatic actuator comprising a plunger having a base portion received within said rod end mount and a reduced body portion extending outwardly from said base portion toward said adjuster rod, wherein said pneumatic actuator adjusts damping forces by moving said adjuster rod to cover and uncover said plurality of radial holes.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A shock absorber for a vehicle suspension includes a pneumatic actuator that is fluidly connected to a compressed air source in the vehicle suspension, such as a suspension air bag. The pneumatic actuator cooperates with an adjustment mechanism housed within the shock absorber to adjust damping. The shock absorber includes a main rod that supports a piston for axial movement within a cylinder body. The piston separates the cylinder body into first and second fluid chambers. The adjustment mechanism includes an adjustment rod that is received within an axial bore formed within the main rod. The adjustment rod is axially moved within the axial bore by the pneumatic actuator to uncover and cover a plurality of bores that are in fluid communication with at least one of the first and second fluid chambers. The pneumatic actuator includes a plunger having a tapered surface that engages the adjuster rod to move the adjuster rod in a desired direction to adjust damping. A fitting and a restrictor plug cooperate to fluidly connect the pneumatic actuator to the compressed air source and to meter air flow to attenuate pressure spikes.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A shock absorber device comprising:
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a first cylinder; a second cylinder surrounding at least a portion of said first cylinder; a piston dividing said first cylinder into first and second chambers; a main rod supporting said piston for movement within said first cylinder, said main rod including a central bore extending axially along a length of said main rod; a piston rod adapter coupled to said piston, said piston rod adapter including a body portion extending into said central bore of said main rod, said body portion including a plurality of radial holes; an adjuster rod received within said central bore and having a first rod end portion extending toward said piston and a second rod end portion extending toward a rod end mount; and a pneumatic actuator cooperating with said second rod end portion to move said adjuster rod within said central bore to a desired adjuster rod position to adjust damping forces, said pneumatic actuator comprising a plunger having a base portion received within said rod end mount and a reduced body portion extending outwardly from said base portion toward said adjuster rod, wherein said pneumatic actuator adjusts damping forces by moving said adjuster rod to cover and uncover said plurality of radial holes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A shock absorber device comprising:
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a first cylinder; a second cylinder surrounding at least a portion of said first cylinder; a piston dividing said first cylinder into first and second chambers; a main rod supporting said piston for movement within said first cylinder, said main rod including a central bore extending axially along a length of said main rod; an adjuster rod received within said central bore and having a first rod end portion extending toward said piston and a second rod end portion extending toward a rod end mount; and a pneumatic actuator wherein said pneumatic actuator comprises a plunger having a base portion received within said rod end mount and a reduced body portion extending outwardly from said base portion toward said adjuster rod and cooperating with said second rod end portion to move said adjuster rod within said central bore to a desired adjuster rod position to adjust damping forces wherein said reduced body portion comprises first and second legs separated by a recessed opening and wherein said second rod end portion of said adjuster rod is received within said recessed opening. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A shock absorber device comprising:
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a first cylinder; a second cylinder surrounding at least a portion of said first cylinder; a piston dividing said first cylinder into first and second chambers; a main rod supporting said piston for movement within said first cylinder, said main rod including a central bore extending axially along a length of said main rod; an adjuster rod received within said central bore and having a first rod end portion extending toward said piston and a second rod end portion extending toward a rod end mount; and a pneumatic actuator wherein said pneumatic actuator comprises a plunger having a base portion received within said rod end mount and a reduced body portion extending outwardly from said base portion toward said adjuster rod and cooperating with said second rod end portion to move said adjuster rod within said central bore to a desired adjuster rod position to adjust damping forces, and a first spring for biasing said plunger in a soft damping position and a second spring for biasing said adjuster rod in a soft damping position.
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11. A pneumatic actuator for adjusting damping in a shock absorber comprising:
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a plunger adapted for engagement with an adjuster rod received within a central bore of a main piston rod, said plunger being movable within a rod end mount that receives the main piston rod; an actuator fitting secured to said rod end mount to provide a fluid connection to actuate said plunger; a union fitting to fluidly connect said actuator fitting to a compressed air source, said union fitting including an internal bore defined by an inner diameter; said plunger having a base end surface to face the compressed air source, said base end surface extending to a distal end surface that faces said adjuster rod, said distal end surface to directly engage a side surface of said adjuster rod, and wherein said distal end surface of said plunger comprises one of a pair of legs engageable within a groove formed within said adjuster rod and a conical tip that slides alone said side surface of said adjuster rod; and a restrictor received within said internal bore and having an outer diameter wherein said restrictor defines a reduced flow passage area between said outer diameter and said inner diameter that attenuates air pressure spikes by metering air flow from the compressed air source to said plunger. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 18)
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15. A vehicle suspension system comprising:
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at least one suspension air bag that is pressurized; at least one suspension component for supporting said at least one suspension air bag; at least one shock absorber including a main rod that moves axially within said at least one shock absorber, said main rod including a central bore for receiving an adjuster rod; and a pneumatic actuator fluidly connected to said at least one suspension air bag and including a plunger that moves said adjuster rod within said central bore to adjust damping forces, said pneumatic actuator comprising a plunger having a first end to be actuated by a pressurized air source and a second end, facing opposite said first end, that engages a side surface of said adjuster rod to move said adjuster rod within said central bore, and wherein said second end of said plunger comprises one of a pair of legs engageable within a groove formed within said adjuster rod and a conical tip that slides along said side surface of the adjuster rod. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification