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US 2006/0231358 A1Published application
Pre-load ring for shock absorber
AssigneeArvinMeritor Technology, LLC
InventorsEverett Hall, Monte Williams, Scott Janson, Dave Griffin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shock absorber includes a pre-load ring for providing a desired damping characteristic when a piston is being moved outwardly of a hydraulic cylinder. The pre-load ring has a curved surface in contact with a disc valve. A spring bias is applied to hold the pre-load ring against the disc valve. Since the pre-load ring has a curved surface in contact with the disc valve, there is line contact between the pre-load ring and disc valve. As a result, when the disc valve moves away from a port controlled by the disc valve, there is less friction between the disc valve and the pre-load ring.
Claims8
A shock absorber comprising:
- a hydraulic cylinder defining a chamber receiving a piston, said piston connected to a piston rod, said piston and said piston rod being movable within said hydraulic cylinder;
- fluid passages extending through said piston, said piston rod extending outwardly of said hydraulic cylinder at a first end of said hydraulic cylinder;
- two sets of passages through said piston, with a first set of passages allowing flow of hydraulic fluid from a first chamber defined adjacent said first end of said hydraulic cylinder into a second chamber defined adjacent a second end of said hydraulic cylinder, and a second set of passages allowing flow from said second chamber into said first chamber;
- a valve plate attached to said piston on a first face of said piston facing said first end of said hydraulic cylinder to control flow through said second set of passages;
- a valve assembly on a second face of said piston facing said second end of said hydraulic cylinder, to control flow of hydraulic fluid through said first set of passages, said valve assembly including a disc valve selectively closing off said first set of passages;
- and
- a pre-load ring applying a bias force to said disc valve, said pre-load ring being connected to said piston rod wherein a contact surface between said pre-load ring and said disc valve is a line contact surface.
4 more elements
A shock absorber comprising:
- a hydraulic cylinder defining a chamber receiving a piston, said piston connected to a piston rod, said piston and said piston rod being movable within said hydraulic cylinder;
- fluid passages extending through said piston, said piston rod extending outwardly of said hydraulic cylinder at a first end of said hydraulic cylinder;
- two sets of passages through said piston, with a first set of passages allowing flow of hydraulic fluid from a first chamber defined adjacent said first end of said hydraulic cylinder into a second chamber defined adjacent a second end of said hydraulic cylinder, and a second set of passages allowing flow from said second chamber into said first chamber, a valve plate attached to said piston on a first face of said piston facing said first end of said hydraulic cylinder to control flow through said second set of passages;
- a valve assembly on a second face of said piston facing said second end of said hydraulic cylinder to control flow of hydraulic fluid through said first set of passages, said valve assembly including a disc valve selectively closing off said first set of passages;
- a pre-load ring applying a bias force to said disc valve, said pre-load ring being connected to said piston rod wherein said pre-load ring has a curved surface in contact with said disc valve and wherein said pre-load ring is generally J-shaped in cross-section;
- and
- a disc spring received within said pre-load ring and fixed to said piston rod such that said disc spring applies a bias force to said pre-load ring to hold said disc valve against said first set of passages, said pre-load ring having vents formed in a face facing said disc valve, and vents in an opposed face to allow hydraulic fluid to leak into a space between said disc spring and said disc valve, and wherein stand-offs are associated with said piston such that hydraulic fluid can move into each of said first and said second sets of passages.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.