Damper

• US 8,469,164 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KYB Corp.
• Original Assignee: Kayaba Industry Company Limited, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kondo, Takuhiro, Inoue, Hirofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Bradley
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rashid, Mahbubur
• Application Number:
  US12/298,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20090065314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,268 Days
• Field of Search: 1882661-2663, 188/267, 188/299.1, 267/217, 267/221, 267/225, 267/226
• US Class Current: 188/299.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 13/001 Arrangements for attachment of dampers mounting arrangements of combined spring and damper units B60G15/00; mountings of fluid dampers in general F16F9/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 15/062 the spring being arranged around the damper B60G15/061, B60G15/067, B60G15/07 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 15/065 characterised by the use of a combination of springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0157 non-fluid unit, e.g. electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/021 the mechanical spring being a coil spring B60G17/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/312 The spring being a wound spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/32 The spring being in series with the damper and/or actuator
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/03 using magnetic or electromagnetic means F16F9/53, F16F15/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 2232/04 Rotary-to-translation conversion
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 2232/06 Translation-to-rotary conversion
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/0209 Telescopic F16F9/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/06 using both gas and liquid F16F9/486 take precedence; self-pumping fluid springs B60G17/044
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/18 with a closed cylinder and a piston separating two or more working spaces therein

Abstract

A damper (D1) comprising an actuator A connected to a sprung member (B) side of a vehicle, the actuator having a motion converting mechanism (T) for converting a linear motion into a rotational motion and a motor (M) to which the rotational motion resulting from the conversion by the motion converting mechanism (T) is transmitted; a hydraulic damper (E), the hydraulic damper (E) having a cylinder (C), a piston (P) inserted slidably into the cylinder (C) and defining two pressure chambers within the cylinder (C), and a rod (R) connected at one end thereof to the piston (P), the linear motion of the actuator (A) being transmitted to one of the rod (R) and the cylinder (C), the other of the rod (R) and the cylinder (C) being connected to an unsprung member (W) side of the vehicle; a spring (1) accommodated within one of the two pressure chambers and biasing the hydraulic damper (E) in a damper compressing direction; and a spring (2) accommodated within the other pressure chamber and biasing the hydraulic damper (E) in a damper extending direction.

Claims

1. A damper comprising:

an actuator connected to a sprung member side of a vehicle, said actuator having a motion converting mechanism for converting a linear motion into a rotational motion and a motor to which the rotational motion resulting from the conversion by said motion converting mechanism is transmitted;

a hydraulic damper, said hydraulic damper having a cylinder, a piston inserted slidably into said cylinder and defining two pressure chambers within said cylinder, and a rod connected at one end thereof to said piston, the linear motion of said actuator being transmitted to one of said rod and said cylinder, the other of the rod and the cylinder being connected to an unsprung member side of the vehicle;

a spring accommodated within one of said pressure chambers and biasing said hydraulic damper in a damper compressing direction;

a spring accommodated within the other pressure chamber and biasing said hydraulic damper in a damper extending direction;

a first spring bearing member arranged in one of said pressure chambers, said first spring bearing member being connected to one portion of said rod such that said first spring bearing member is rotatable relative to said rod; and

a second spring bearing member arranged in another one of said pressure chambers, said second spring bearing member being connected to another portion of said rod such that said second spring bearing member is rotatable relative to said rod.

2. A damper according to claim 1, wherein said piston is held grippingly from both end sides by said springs.

3. A damper according to claim 1, wherein said hydraulic damper includes a reservoir on the outer periphery side of said cylinder.

4. A damper according to claim 1, further comprising means for permitting circumferential rotation of said spring(s).

5. A damper according to claim 2, wherein said hydraulic damper includes a reservoir on the outer periphery side of said cylinder.

6. A damper according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cushion member connected to said rod, said cushion member being arranged between said hydraulic damper and said actuator.

7. A damper according to claim 6, wherein at least a portion of said hydraulic damper is located adjacent to said unsprung member side of the vehicle.

8. A damper according to claim 1, wherein said spring accommodated within said one of said pressure chambers is connected to said first spring bearing member such that said spring accommodated within said one of said pressure chambers rotates relative to said rod, said spring accommodated within said other of said pressure chambers being connected to said second spring bearing member such that said spring accommodated within said other of said pressure chambers rotates relative to said rod.

9. A damper according to claim 1, wherein said cylinder is located at a spaced location from said motion converting mechanism.

10. A damper comprising:

an actuator connected to a sprung member side of a vehicle, said actuator having a motion converting mechanism for converting a linear motion into a rotational motion and a motor to which the rotational motion resulting from the conversion by said motion converting mechanism is transmitted, said motion converting mechanism comprising a screw shaft and a ball screw nut, said screw shaft being connected to said motor and said ball screw nut, said actuator further comprising a connecting tube and a second tube, said ball screw nut being non-rotatably connected to an upper end of said second tube, said second tube being connected to said connecting tube, wherein said connecting tube is non-rotatable with respect to said second tube;

a hydraulic damper, said hydraulic damper having a cylinder, a piston inserted slidably into said cylinder and defining two pressure chambers within said cylinder, and a rod connected at one end thereof to said piston, said rod being connected at another end thereof to said motion converting mechanism, the linear motion of said actuator being transmitted to one of said rod and said cylinder, the other of the rod and the cylinder being connected to an unsprung member side of the vehicle;

a first spring accommodated within a first one of said pressure chambers and biasing said hydraulic damper in a damper compressing direction;

a second spring accommodated within a second one of said pressure chambers and biasing said hydraulic damper in a damper extending direction;

a first spring bearing member arranged in said first one of said pressure chambers, said first spring bearing member being connected to one portion of said rod such that said first spring bearing member is rotatable relative to said rod; and

a second spring bearing member arranged in said second one of said pressure chambers, said second spring bearing member being connected to another portion of said rod such that said second spring bearing member is rotatable relative to said rod.

11. A damper according to claim 10, further comprising:

a cushion member connected to said rod, said cushion member being arranged between said hydraulic damper and said actuator.

12. A damper according to claim 10, further comprising:

a cushion member, said cushion member engaging said motion converting mechanism.

13. A damper according to claim 10, wherein at least a portion of said hydraulic damper is located adjacent to said unsprung member side of the vehicle.

14. A damper according to claim 10, wherein said first spring is connected to said first spring bearing member such that said first spring accommodated rotates relative to said rod, said second spring being connected to said second spring bearing member such that said second spring rotates relative to said rod.

15. A damper according to claim 10, wherein said cylinder is located at a spaced location from said motion converting mechanism.

16. A damper comprising:

an actuator connected to a sprung member side of a vehicle, said actuator comprising a motor, a screw shaft, a ball screw nut, a connecting tube and a second tube, said screw shaft being connected to said motor and said ball screw nut, said ball screw nut being non-rotatably connected to an upper end of said second tube, said second tube being connected to said connecting tube, wherein said connecting tube is non-rotatable with respect to said second tube, said screw shaft and said ball screw nut defining a motion converting mechanism for converting a linear motion into a rotational motion, wherein said the rotational motion resulting from the conversion by said motion converting mechanism is transmitted to said motor;

a hydraulic damper, said hydraulic damper having a cylinder, a piston and a rod, said cylinder being located at a spaced location from said second tube, said piston being inserted slidably into said cylinder, at least a portion of said cylinder defining two pressure chambers within said cylinder, said rod comprising a first rod end portion and a second rod end portion, said first rod end portion being connected to said piston, said second rod end portion being connected to said second tube, the linear motion of said actuator being transmitted to one of said rod and said cylinder, the other of the rod and the cylinder being connected to an unsprung member side of the vehicle;

a first spring accommodated within a first one of said pressure chambers and biasing said hydraulic damper in a damper compressing direction;

a second spring accommodated within a second one of said pressure chambers and biasing said hydraulic damper in a damper extending direction;

a first spring bearing member arranged in said first one of said pressure chambers, said first spring bearing member being connected to one portion of said rod such that said first spring bearing member is rotatable relative to said rod; and

a second spring bearing member arranged in said second one of said pressure chambers, said second spring bearing member being connected to another portion of said rod such that said second spring bearing member is rotatable relative to said rod.

17. A damper according to claim 16, wherein said first spring is connected to said first spring bearing member such that said first spring accommodated rotates relative to said rod, said second spring being connected to said second spring bearing member such that said second spring rotates relative to said rod, said second tube having a diameter that is less than a diameter of said connecting tube.