Shock absorber

• US 20020163111A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 11/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fox Factory Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bret Voelkel
• Inventors: Voelkel, Bret
• Granted Patent: US 6,581,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 267/64.27
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 15/14 the damper being connected to the stub axle and the spring being arranged around the damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0523 Regulating distributors or valves for pneumatic springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 21/10 not permanently interconnected, e.g. operative only on acceleration, only on deceleration or only at off-straight position of steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/314 The spring being a pneumatic spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/40 Constructional features of dampers and/or springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/51222 Pneumatic
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/203 Distributor valve units comprising several elements, e.g. valves, pump or accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/205 Air-compressor operation
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/05 the flexible wall being of the rolling diaphragm type

Abstract

The present invention provides a shock absorbing device comprising: a hollow spring including a chamber having a proximal end, a distal end, and a bellows comprised of a springy material connecting the proximal end to the distal end and enclosing the chamber; a shock absorber extending through the hollow spring, the shock absorber including a cylinder and a piston which slidably engages the cylinder, the cylinder extending through and being attached to the hollow spring proximal end, the piston extending through and slidably engaging the hollow spring distal and the piston including contacting device located distally of the hollow spring distal end for urging the hollow spring distal end proximally when the contacting device is forced against the hollow spring distal end and for urging the piston distally when the hollow spring distal end is forced against the contacting device. The present invention also provides mounts for a shock absorbing device and a shock absorbing system employing the shock absorbing device of the present invention.

Claims

1. A shock absorbing device comprising:

a hollow spring including a chamber having a proximal end, a distal end, and a bellows comprised of a springy material connecting said proximal end to said distal end and enclosing said chamber;

a shock absorber extending through said hollow spring, said shock absorber including a cylinder and a piston which slidably engages said cylinder, said cylinder extending through and being attached to said hollow spring proximal end, said piston extending through and slidably engaging said hollow spring distal and said piston including contacting means located distally of said hollow spring distal end for urging said hollow spring distal end proximally when said contacting means is forced against said hollow spring distal end and for urging said piston distally when said hollow spring distal end is forced against said contacting means.

2. The shock absorbing device of claim 1, wherein said hollow spring is at least partially filled with a spring filling fluid.

3. The shock absorbing device of claim 2, wherein said spring filling fluid fills said hollow spring so that said hollow spring urges said distal end to contact said piston contacting means, thereby urging said piston distally.

4. The shock absorbing device of claim 1, wherein said hollow spring comprises a two-compartment bellows.

5. The shock absorbing device of claim 1, wherein said hollow spring comprises a cylindrical bellows.

6. The shock absorbing device of claim 1, wherein said hollow spring proximal end comprises a proximal mount mounted on said bellows and circumferentially mounted on said cylinder and said distal end of said hollow spring comprises a distal mount mounted on said bellows and circumferentially and slidably engaging said piston.

7. The shock absorbing device of claim 6, wherein said proximal mount comprises a proximal adapter for engaging said cylinder and a distal adapter for engaging said piston and wherein said proximal adapter and said distal adapter are separable from each other.

8. The shock absorbing device of claim 1, wherein said contacting means comprises a piston head mounted on a distal end of said piston

9. The shock absorbing device of claim 8, wherein said contacting means further comprises a spacer slidably mounted on said piston between said piston head and said hollow spring.

10. The shock absorbing device of claim 1, further comprising mounting means on said shock absorber for mounting said shock absorbing device to a vehicle.

11. The shock absorbing device of claim 1, further comprising means for regulating the amount of a spring filling fluid filling said hollow spring.

13. The mounting device of claim 12, wherein said first mount comprises a first adapter for fixing to said cylinder and a second adapter for engaging said hollow spring, said second adapter includes a proximal end for abutting against a distal end of said first adapter portion, and said second adapter is separable from said first adapter portion.

14. The mounting device of claim 12, further comprising a second mount for mounting on and for sealing a second end of a hollow spring and for circumferentially and slidably engaging a piston of said elongated shock absorber.

15. The mounting device of claim 13, wherein at least one of said first mount or said second mount includes an opening for allowing a spring filling fluid to pass into and out of said hollow spring.

18. The shock absorber/spring system of claim 17, further comprising a means for regulating the amount of said spring filling fluid in said hollow spring.

19. The shock absorber/spring system of claim 17, wherein said at least one shock absorbing device comprises at least two shock absorbing devices.

20. The shock absorber/spring system of claim 19, wherein said at least two shock absorbing devices comprise at least one two-compartment hollow spring and at least one cylindrical hollow spring.

21. The shock absorber/spring system of claim 17, further comprising said spring filling fluid filling said hollow spring.

12. A mounting device comprising:

a first mount for mounting on and for sealing a first end of a hollow spring and for circumferentially and fixedly engaging a cylinder of an elongated shock absorber.

16. A mounting device comprising a mount for mounting on and for sealing an end of a hollow spring and for circumferentially and slidably engaging a piston of an elongated shock absorber.

17. A shock absorber/spring system comprising:

at least one shock absorbing device, said shock absorbing device comprising;

a hollow spring including a chamber having a proximal end, a distal end, and at least one wall comprised of a springy material connecting said proximal end to said distal end and enclosing said chamber; and

a shock absorber extending through said hollow spring, said shock absorber including a cylinder and a piston which slidably engages said cylinder, said cylinder extending through and being attached to said hollow spring proximal end, said piston extending through and slidably engaging said hollow spring distal and said piston including contacting means located distally of said hollow spring distal end for urging said hollow spring distal end proximally when said contacting means is forced against said hollow spring distal end and for urging said piston distally when said hollow spring distal end is forced against said contacting means; and

means for filling said hollow spring with a spring filling fluid.