Track system, and vehicle including the same

• US 7,556,130 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elka Suspension Inc. (Ressorts Liberté, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Elka Suspension Inc. (Ressorts Liberté, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lamoureux, Martin, Lepine, Stephane, Arsenault, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, XUAN LAN T
• Application Number:
  US11/355,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20060180419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 188/285, 188/318, 188/312, 188/322.13, 188/322.14, 188/322.21
• US Class Current: 188/318
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 2228/08 pre-stressed
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/096 comprising a hydropneumatic accumulator of the membrane type provided on the upper or the lower end of a damper or separately from or laterally on the damper F16F9/088 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/44 Means on or in the damper for manual or non-automatic adjustment; such means combined with temperature correction F16F9/53, F16F13/26 take precedence; temperature correction only F16F9/52

Abstract

A track system for providing complementary shock absorbing capability to a primary shock absorbing assembly having a hydraulic path containing fluid. The track system includes a chamber, a damping assembly and an adjusting assembly. The chamber has opposite first and second ends, the first end of the chamber being provided with a port operatively connectable to the hydraulic path of the primary shock absorbing assembly, the port being configured for allowing fluid from the hydraulic path of the primary shock absorbing assembly to enter and exit the chamber of the track system through the port thereof. The damping assembly is configured for damping a flow of fluid entering the chamber via the port thereof. The adjusting assembly is configured for adjusting a damping mode of the damping assembly.

Claims

1. A track system for providing complementary shock absorbing capability to a primary shock absorbing assembly having a hydraulic path containing fluid, the track system comprising:

a chamber having opposite first and second ends, the first end of the chamber being provided with a port operatively connectable to the hydraulic path of the primary shock absorbing assembly, said port being configured for allowing fluid from the hydraulic path of the primary shock absorbing assembly to enter and exit the chamber of the track system through the port thereof;

a damping assembly for damping a flow of fluid entering the chamber via the port thereof; and

an adjusting assembly for adjusting a damping mode of the damping assembly;

wherein the track system is mountable and demountable, and wherein the chamber thereof, when assembled and operatively connected to the hydraulic path of the primary shock absorbing assembly, is sealed and closed-end, so that fluid entering and exiting the chamber is solely done via the port of said chamber;

wherein the damping assembly comprises;

a piston positioned within the chamber, adjacent to the port thereof, said piston being movable along the chamber and having a face for abutting against fluid from the hydraulic path of the primary shock absorbing assembly, when entering the chamber of the track system via the port thereof; and

a biasing assembly for biasing the piston towards the port of the chamber, against the flow of fluid entering the chamber;

wherein the biasing assembly comprises a spring having opposite first and second extremities, the first extremity of the spring being operatively connected against the piston and the second extremity of the spring being operatively connected against the second end of the chamber for urging the piston towards the port of the chamber via a biasing force of the spring;

wherein the adjusting assembly comprises an adjustment screw, said adjustment screw having a portion operatively in abutment with the second extremity of the spring, the adjustment screw being movable longitudinally within the chamber for displacing the second extremity of the spring with respect to the first extremity of the spring for adjusting a biasing force of said spring; and

wherein the adjustment screw has a portion being threadedly engaged with an inner component of the casing and is moveable therealong, the adjustment screw further having first and second extremities, the second extremity of the adjustment screw being provided with a knob positioned outwardly from the casing, the knob being configured such that a rotation thereof generates a displacement of the adjustment screw longitudinally within the chamber.

2. A track system according to claim 1, wherein the piston is provided with a peripheral seal cooperating with an inner wall of the chamber so as to prevent fluid from the hydraulic path of the primary shock absorbing assembly, when entering the chamber of the track system via the port thereof, from substantially flowing past the piston and corresponding seal.

3. A track system according to claim 1, wherein the knob is provided with a collar mountable rotatably about an outer portion of the chamber.

4. A track system according to claim 3, wherein an inner surface of the collar is provided with longitudinal grooves cooperating with at least one underlying detent mechanism for determining corresponding incremental changes in the rotation of the knob which result in corresponding incremental changes in the displacement of the adjustment screw and in turn result in incremental changes in the biasing force of the spring, by means of a variation in the effective length thereof, thereby enabling an incremental adjustment of the damping mode of the damping assembly via a rotation of the knob.

5. A track system according to claim 1, wherein the first extremity of the adjustment screw comprises a longitudinal stopper having an extremity configured to operatively abut against the piston for delimiting a range of compression of the spring within the chamber by the adjustment screw.

6. A track system according to claim 1, wherein the damping assembly comprises a valving assembly for providing via the track system a base complementary damping capability to the primary shock absorbing assembly, the valving assembly comprising a valving and at least one shim, the valving and the at least one shim being positioned within a first portion of the chamber between the port and the piston of the damping assembly for providing a base resistance to fluid from the hydraulic path of the primary shock absorbing assembly, when entering said first portion of the chamber of the track system, so as to provide the base complementary damping capability to the primary shock absorbing assembly.

7. A track system according to claim 6, wherein the valving and the at least one shim are secured to the first end of the chamber by means of a fastener having a head in abutment with an outermost shim of the at least one shim.

8. A track system according to claim 6, wherein the valving is provided with a peripheral seal cooperating with an inner wall of the chamber so that fluid from the hydraulic path of the primary shock absorbing assembly, when entering the first portion of the chamber via the port thereof, is passed through corresponding valving channels of the valving and about the at least one shim before abutting against the piston of the damping assembly.

9. A track system according to claim 1, wherein a spacer is provided in the chamber, between the piston of the dampimg assembly and the first extremity of the spring, so as to vary the effective length of the spring and thus adjust the biasing force of said spring.

10. A track system according to claim 9, wherein said spacer has opposite first and second end surfaces, the first end surface being operatively in abutment against the piston of the damping assembly and the second end surface being provided with a recess for receiving the first extremity of the spring.

11. A track system according to claim 1, wherein an additional spacer is provided in the chamber, between a portion of the adjustment screw and the second extremity of the spring, so as to vary the effective length of the spring and thus adjust the biasing force of said spring.

12. A track system according to claim 11, wherein said additonal spacer has opposite first and second end surfaces, the first end surface being provided with a recess for receiving the second extremity of the spring and the second end surface being operatively mounted about the first extremity of the adjustment screw.

13. A track system according to claim 11, wherein at least one bearing is operatively provided between the additional spacer and said portion of the adjustment screw so as to reduce friction thereinbetween.

14. A vehicule provided with at least one primary shock absorbing assembly having a hydraulic path containing fluid, each primary shock absorbing assembly being operatively connected to a corresponding track system for providing complementary shock absorbing capability to each given primary shock absorbing assembly, the track system comprising:

a chamber having opposite first and second ends, the first end of the chamber being provided with a port operatively connectable to the hydraulic path of the primary shock absorbing assembly, said port being configured for allowing fluid from the hydraulic path of the primary shock absorbing assembly to enter and exit the chamber of the track system through the port thereof;

a damping assembly for damping a flow of fluid entering the chamber via the port thereof; and

an adjusting assembly for adjusting a damping mode of the damping assembly;

wherein the track system 1s mountable and demountable, and wherein the chamber thereof, when assembled and operatively connected to the hydraulic path of the primary shock absorbing assembly, is sealed and closed-end, so that fluid entering and exiting the chamber is solely done via the port of said chamber;

wherein the damping assembly comprises;

a piston positioned within the chamber, adjacent to the port thereof, said piston being movable along the chamber and having a face for abutting against fluid from the hydraulic path of the primary shock absorbing assembly, when entering the chamber of the track system via the port thereof; and

a biasing assembly for biasing the piston towards the port of the chamber, against the flow of fluid entering the chamber;

wherein the biasing assembly comprises a spring having opposite first and second extremities, the first extremity of the spring being operatively connected against the piston and the second extremity of the spring being operatively connected against the second end of the chamber for urging the piston towards the port of the chamber via a biasing force of the spring;

wherein the adjusting assembly comprises an adjustment screw, said adjustment screw having a portion operatively in abutment with the second extremity of the spring, the adjustment screw being movable longitudinally within the chamber for displacing the second extremity of the spring with respect to the first extremity of the spring for adjusting a biasing force of said spring; and

wherein the adjustment screw has a portion being threadedly engaged with an inner component of the casing and is moveable therealong, the adjustment screw further having first and second extremities, the second extremity of the adjustment screw being provided with a knob positioned outwardly from the casing, the knob being configured such that a rotation thereof generates a displacement of the adjustment screw longitudinally within the chamber.