Suspension damper

• US 9,863,494 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2015
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yu, Jinghong, Rhoades, Kirk, Otsu, Kazutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): SICONOLFI, ROBERT
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aung, San
• Application Number:
  US14/957,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20160160955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 188314, 188269, 18832213, 188318, 188315, 1882828, 1882665, 188287, 1882662, 1882663, 1882664, 1882666, 1882667, 1882668, 267118, 267120
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/062 Bi-tubular units
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/065 Expansion chamber provided on the upper or lower end of a damper, separately there from or laterally on the damper

Abstract

A suspension damper including an actuator and a static fluid damper is provided. The actuator includes a first housing and a second housing positioned within the first housing and coaxially aligned with the first housing along an axis of the actuator. The second housing defines a passage. A piston is slidably positioned within the passage of the second housing to define a first chamber and a second chamber. A divider is positioned between an inner surface of the first housing and an outer surface of the second housing to define a third chamber and a fourth chamber. The static fluid damper includes a first damping chamber, a second damping chamber, and a third damping chamber. A separating member is positioned within the third damping chamber to define a gas chamber. First and second flow passages provide fluid communication between the actuator and the static fluid damper.

Claims

1. A suspension damper, comprising:

an actuator including;

a first housing having a first end and an opposing second end;

a second housing positioned within the first housing and coaxially aligned with the first housing along an axis of the actuator, the second housing having a first end and an opposing second end and defining a passage between the first end and the second end;

a piston slidably positioned within the passage of the second housing to define a first actuator chamber and a second actuator chamber;

a first end cap coupled to the first end of the first housing and the first end of the second housing;

a second end cap coupled to the second end of the first housing and the second end of the second housing;

a piston rod coupled to the piston and extending through an opening defined through the first end cap; and

a divider positioned between an inner surface of the first housing and an outer surface of the second housing to define a third actuator chamber and a fourth actuator chamber, wherein the first actuator chamber is in fluid communication with the third actuator chamber and the second actuator chamber is in fluid communication with the fourth actuator chamber; and

a static fluid damper including;

a first damping chamber;

a second damping chamber in fluid communication with the first damping chamber;

a third damping chamber in fluid communication with the second damping chamber; and

a separating member positioned within the third damping chamber to define a gas chamber;

wherein

the first damping chamber is not in fluid communication with the third damping chamber;

a first flow passage provides fluid communication between the first damping chamber and the third actuator chamber and a second flow passage provides fluid communication between the second damping chamber and the fourth actuator chamber; and

the first actuator chamber, the second actuator chamber, the third actuator chamber, the fourth actuator chamber, the first damping chamber, the second damping chamber, and the third damping chamber are filled with fluid.

2. The suspension damper of claim 1, wherein the second housing defines at least one aperture between the first actuator chamber and the third actuator chamber.

3. The suspension damper of claim 1, wherein the second housing defines at least one aperture between the second actuator chamber and the fourth actuator chamber.

4. The suspension damper of claim 1, further comprising:

a first valve positioned between the first damping chamber and the second damping chamber and configured to allow fluid to flow from the first damping chamber into the second damping chamber and prevent fluid from flowing from the second damping chamber into the first damping chamber; and

a second valve positioned between the first damping chamber and the second damping chamber and configured allow fluid to flow from the second damping chamber into the first damping chamber and prevent fluid flowing from the first damping chamber into the second damping chamber.

5. The suspension damper of claim 4, further comprising:

a third valve positioned between the second damping chamber and the third damping chamber and configured to allow fluid to flow from the third damping chamber into the second damping chamber and prevent fluid from flowing from the second damping chamber into the third damping chamber; and

a fourth valve positioned between the second damping chamber and the third damping chamber and configured to allow fluid to flow from the second damping chamber into the third damping chamber and prevent fluid flowing from the third damping chamber into the second damping chamber.

6. The suspension damper of claim 1, wherein at least one of the piston rod and the second end cap is coupled to a moving part of a suspension system and the static fluid damper is coupled to a non-moving portion of one of a frame and a sub-frame.

7. The suspension damper of claim 1, wherein at least one of the piston rod and the second end cap is coupled to a moving part of a suspension system and the static fluid damper is coupled to the first housing.

8. The suspension damper of claim 1, wherein the static fluid damper further includes a port in communication with the gas chamber, the port configured to allow a change in gas pressure within the gas chamber.

9. A suspension damper, comprising:

an actuator including;

a first housing having a first end and an opposing second end;

a second housing positioned within the first housing and coaxially aligned with the first housing along an axis of the actuator, the second housing having a first end and an opposing second end and defining a passage between the first end and the second end;

a piston slidably positioned within the passage of the second housing to define a first actuator chamber and a second actuator chamber;

a first end cap coupled to the first end of the first housing and the first end of the second housing;

a second end cap coupled to the second end of the first housing and the second end of the second housing;

a piston rod coupled to the piston and extending through an opening defined through the first end cap; and

a third actuator chamber is defined by the volume between the first housing and the second housing, wherein the first actuator chamber is in fluid communication with the third actuator chamber; and

a static fluid damper including;

a first damping chamber;

a second damping chamber in fluid communication with the first damping chamber;

a third damping chamber in fluid communication with the second damping chamber; and

a separating member positioned within the third damping chamber to define a gas chamber;

wherein

the first damping chamber is not in fluid communication with the third damping chamber;

a first flow passage provides fluid communication between the first damping chamber and the third actuator chamber and a second flow passage provides fluid communication between the second damping chamber and the second actuator chamber through an opening in the second end cap; and

the first actuator chamber, the second actuator chamber, the third actuator chamber, the first damping chamber, the second damping chamber, and the third damping chamber are filled with fluid.

10. The suspension damper of claim 9, wherein the second housing defines at least one aperture between the first actuator chamber and the third actuator chamber.

11. The suspension damper of claim 9, further comprising:

a first valve positioned between the first damping chamber and the second damping chamber and configured to allow fluid to flow from the first damping chamber into the second damping chamber and prevent fluid from flowing from the second damping chamber into the first damping chamber; and

a second valve positioned between the first damping chamber and the second damping chamber and configured allow fluid to flow from the second damping chamber into the first damping chamber and prevent fluid flowing from the first damping chamber into the second damping chamber.

12. The suspension damper of claim 11, further comprising:

a third valve positioned between the second damping chamber and the third damping chamber and configured to allow fluid to flow from the third damping chamber into the second damping chamber and prevent fluid from flowing from the second damping chamber into the third damping chamber; and

a fourth valve positioned between the second damping chamber and the third damping chamber and configured to allow fluid to flow from the second damping chamber into the third damping chamber and prevent fluid flowing from the third damping chamber into the second damping chamber.

13. The suspension damper of claim 9, wherein at least one of the piston rod and the second end cap is coupled to a moving part of a suspension system and the static fluid damper is coupled to a non-moving portion of one of a frame and a sub-frame.

14. The suspension damper of claim 9, wherein at least one of the piston rod and the second end cap is coupled to a moving part of a suspension system and the static fluid damper is coupled to the first housing.

15. A suspension damper, comprising:

an actuator including;

a first housing having a first end and an opposing second end;

a second housing positioned within the first housing and coaxially aligned with the first housing along an axis of the actuator, the second housing having a first end and an opposing second end and defining a passage between the first end and the second end;

a piston slidably positioned within the passage of the second housing to define a first actuator chamber and a second actuator chamber;

a first end cap coupled to the first end of the first housing and the first end of the second housing;

a second end cap coupled to the second end of the first housing and the second end of the second housing;

a piston rod coupled to the piston and extending through an opening defined through the first end cap; and

a third actuator chamber is defined by the volume between the first housing and the second housing, wherein the second actuator chamber is in fluid communication with the third actuator chamber; and

a static fluid damper including;

a first damping chamber;

a second damping chamber in fluid communication with the first damping chamber;

a third damping chamber in fluid communication with the second damping chamber; and

a separating member positioned within the third damping chamber to define a gas chamber;

wherein

the first damping chamber is not in fluid communication with the third damping chamber;

a first flow passage provides fluid communication between the first damping chamber and the first actuator chamber through an opening in the first end cap and a second flow passage provides fluid communication between the second damping chamber and the third actuator chamber; and

the first actuator chamber, the second actuator chamber, the third actuator chamber, the first damping chamber, the second damping chamber, and the third damping chamber are filled with fluid.

16. The suspension damper of claim 15, wherein the second housing defines at least one aperture between the second actuator chamber and the third actuator chamber.

17. The suspension damper of claim 15, further comprising:

a first valve positioned between the first damping chamber and the second damping chamber and configured to allow fluid to flow from the first damping chamber into the second damping chamber and prevent fluid from flowing from the second damping chamber into the first damping chamber; and

a second valve positioned between the first damping chamber and the second damping chamber and configured allow fluid to flow from the second damping chamber into the first damping chamber and prevent fluid flowing from the first damping chamber into the second damping chamber.

18. The suspension damper of claim 17, further comprising:

a third valve positioned between the second damping chamber and the third damping chamber and configured to allow fluid to flow from the third damping chamber into the second damping chamber and prevent fluid from flowing from the second damping chamber into the third damping chamber; and

a fourth valve positioned between the second damping chamber and the third damping chamber and configured to allow fluid to flow from the second damping chamber into the third damping chamber and prevent fluid flowing from the third damping chamber into the second damping chamber.

19. The suspension damper of claim 15, wherein at least one of the piston rod and the second end cap is coupled to a moving part of a suspension system and the static fluid damper is coupled to a non-moving portion of one of a frame and a sub-frame.

20. The suspension damper of claim 15, wherein at least one of the piston rod and the second end cap is coupled to a moving part of a suspension system and the static fluid damper is coupled to the first housing.