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US 12,253,136 B2Granted
Adjustable accumulator for selectively modifying spring rate of gas spring system
AssigneeUniversal Air, Inc.
InventorDaniel Zachary Ratcliff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An accumulator defines an accumulator volume that can be placed into communication with a spring chamber of a gas spring. A working volume of the gas spring is the sum of the spring chamber volume and the accumulator volume. The accumulator can be configured so that the accumulator volume can be selectively increased or decreased as desired, thus modifying performance of the associated gas spring.
Claims15
A gas spring system, comprising:
- a gas spring configured to enclose a spring chamber and having a first mount and a second mount, the spring chamber defining a spring chamber volume therewithin;
- an accumulator comprising an accumulator chamber, the accumulator chamber defining an accumulator volume;
- a gas passage connected to both the gas spring and the accumulator provide fluid communication between the spring chamber and the accumulator chamber, the gas passage configured so that a pressurized gas can flow bidirectionally between the spring chamber and the accumulator chamber;
- and
- a working volume of the gas spring system comprising a sum of the spring chamber volume and the accumulator volume that are fluidly connected to each other, the accumulator configured to selectively change the working volume of the gas spring system and modify a spring rate of the gas spring system, the spring rate being dependent on the working volume of the gas spring system;
- wherein the accumulator comprises a piston, and movement of the piston changes the accumulator volume, and wherein the accumulator comprises an actuator configured to selectively move the piston to change the accumulator volume.
3 more elements
A gas spring system, comprising,
- a gas spring configured to enclose a spring chamber and having a first mount and a second mount, the spring chamber defining a spring chamber volume therewithin;
- an accumulator comprising an accumulator chamber, the accumulator chamber defining an accumulator volume;
- a gas passage connected to both the gas spring and the accumulator provide fluid communication between the spring chamber and the accumulator chamber, the gas passage configured so that a pressurized gas can flow bidirectionally between the spring chamber and the accumulator chamber;
- and
- a working volume of the gas spring system comprising a sum of the spring chamber volume and the accumulator volume that are fluidly connected to each other, the accumulator configured to selectively change the working volume of the gas spring system and modify a spring rate of the gas spring system, the spring rate being dependent on the working volume of the gas spring system;
- wherein the gas spring and accumulator are configured so that when a load on the gas spring varies, the spring chamber volume changes and the accumulator volume remains the same;
- wherein the accumulator comprises an actuator configured to change the accumulator volume.
4 more elements
A gas spring system, comprising
- a gas spring configured to enclose a spring chamber and having a first mount and a second mount, the spring chamber defining a spring chamber volume therewithin;
- an accumulator comprising an accumulator chamber, the accumulator chamber defining an accumulator volume;
- a gas passage connected to both the gas spring and the accumulator provide fluid communication between the spring chamber and the accumulator chamber, the gas passage configured so that a pressurized gas can flow bidirectionally between the spring chamber and the accumulator chamber;
- and
- a working volume of the gas spring system comprising a sum of the spring chamber volume and the accumulator volume that are fluidly connected to each other, the accumulator configured to selectively change the working volume of the gas spring system and modify a spring rate of the gas spring system, the spring rate being dependent on the working volume of the gas spring system;
- wherein the gas spring and accumulator are configured so that when a load on the gas spring varies, the spring chamber volume changes and the accumulator volume remains the same
- wherein the accumulator is formed separately from the gas spring, and a gas passage connects the accumulator volume with the spring chamber volume;
- a valve interposed in the gas passage, the valve configured to operate between an open position in which pressurized gas communicates freely bidirectionally through the gas passage and the valve between the accumulator chamber and the spring chamber so as to increase the working volume of the gas spring system, and a closed position in which pressurized gas is stopped from communicating through the gas passage between the accumulator chamber and the spring chamber so as to disable the accumulator from increasing the working volume of the gas spring system;
- a restricted-flow passage configured to equalize gas pressure between the spring chamber and the accumulator chamber when the valve is in the closed position, the restricted-flow passage configured to restrict gas flow sufficiently that the accumulator volume is not included in the working volume when the valve is in the closed position.
6 more elements
A gas spring system, comprising,
- a gas spring configured to enclose a spring chamber and having a first mount and a second mount, the spring chamber defining a spring chamber volume therewithin;
- an accumulator comprising an accumulator chamber, the accumulator chamber defining an accumulator volume;
- a gas passage connected to both the gas spring and the accumulator provide fluid communication between the spring chamber and the accumulator chamber, the gas passage configured so that a pressurized gas can flow bidirectionally between the spring chamber and the accumulator chamber;
- and
- a working volume of the gas spring system comprising a sum of the spring chamber volume and the accumulator volume that are fluidly connected to each other, the accumulator configured to selectively change the working volume of the gas spring system and modify a spring rate of the gas spring system, the spring rate being dependent on the working volume of the gas spring system;
- wherein the gas spring and accumulator are configured so that when a load on the gas spring varies, the spring chamber volume changes and the accumulator volume remains the same;
- wherein an inlet passage and an outlet passage each communicate the accumulator chamber with the spring chamber, an outlet valve is disposed in the outlet passage, and an inlet valve is disposed in the inlet passage, the outlet valve being a check valve stopping gas from flowing to the accumulator chamber, the inlet valve being a check valve stopping gas from flowing from the accumulator chamber.
4 more elements
A method of changing a spring rate characteristics of a gas spring system that has a working chamber system that defines a working volume enclosing pressurized gas that is compressed to a first gas pressure when a first load is applied between a first mount and a second mount of the gas spring system, comprising:
- permitting flow of pressurized gas from a spring chamber to a accumulator chamber to increase the working volume of the working chamber system and to decrease a spring rate of the gas spring system;
- and
- wherein the gas spring system comprises a gas spring having a spring chamber defining a spring chamber volume and an accumulator having an accumulator chamber defining an accumulator volume, the working chamber system comprising the spring chamber and the accumulator chamber, the spring chamber being in fluid communication and allowing pressurized gas to bidirectionally flow between the accumulator chamber and the spring chamber, the working volume is a sum of the spring chamber volume and the accumulator volume, and increasing the working volume of the working chamber system comprises increasing the accumulator volume while keeping the spring chamber volume constant;
- stopping flow of pressurized gas from the spring chamber to the accumulator chamber to decrease the working volume of the working chamber system and to increase a spring rate of the gas spring system.
1 more element
A gas spring system, comprising:
- a gas spring configured to enclose a spring chamber and having a first mount and a second mount, the spring chamber defining a spring chamber volume therewithin;
- an accumulator comprising an accumulator chamber in fluid communication with the spring chamber so that a pressurized gas can flow between the spring chamber and the accumulator chamber, the accumulator chamber defining an accumulator volume;
- and
- a working volume of the gas spring system comprising a sum of the spring chamber volume and the accumulator volume, the accumulator configured to selectively change the working volume of the gas spring system;
- wherein the gas spring and the accumulator are configured so that when a load on the gas spring varies, the spring chamber volume changes and the accumulator volume remains the same;
- wherein an inlet passage and an outlet passage each communicate the accumulator chamber with the spring chamber, and a flow control valve is disposed in the outlet passage, the flow control valve configured to restrict a gas flow rate from the accumulator chamber to the spring chamber.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.