Methods and apparatus for vehicle suspension having multiple gas volumes
AssigneeFox Factory, Inc.
InventorsMario Galasso, Josh Yablon, Andrew Laird, William M. Becker, Joseph Franklin, Dennis K. Wootten
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for a vehicle suspension system gas spring. In one embodiment, a vehicle suspension system gas spring includes a compressible main gas chamber and an additional volume combinable with the main chamber to change a gas spring rate of the system. In one embodiment, a low friction piston seal is created by a flexible seal member.
Claims34
A vehicle suspension system gas spring, comprising:
- a compressible main gas chamber;
- and
- an additional volume combinable with the main chamber to change a gas spring rate of the system.
A gas filling valve for filling a first and second gas chambers in a gas spring, comprising:
- a valve body having a bore therein and a first and second fluid paths leading to the first and second chambers;
- a shiftable, valve member disposed in the bore and having a central path therethrough with at least one aperture leading from the path to the chambers, the valve shiftable to create a fluid path between the valve and either chamber.
A vehicle suspension system gas spring, comprising:
- a main gas chamber;
- and
- a secondary gas chamber coaxially disposable into the first chamber, the second chamber sealed at an end of the main chamber whereby gas is compressed in the main chamber due to an area of the secondary chamber as it moves into the main chamber.
A vehicle suspension system gas spring, comprising:
- a main gas chamber;
- a secondary gas chamber;
- a floating member dividing the first and second chambers, the member constructed and arranged to enlarge and decrease volume of the main chamber depending upon a pressure differential between the chambers.
A gas spring system for use in a suspension system, comprising:
- A first chamber having a mechanical spring member therein, the spring member extendable in a compression stroke of the system;
- a second chamber isolated from the first chamber, the second chamber having pressurized gas therein, the gas compressible in the compression stroke;
- whereby the spring member and the pressurized gas both operate to form a spring rate in the compression stroke.
A vehicle suspension gas spring, comprising:
- a gas chamber housed in a flexible diaphragm;
- and
- a piston and rod, the piston and rod extendable into the diaphragm during a compression stroke of the gas spring, the volume of the diaphragm reducible by the volume of the piston therein.
A gas spring for a vehicle comprising:
- a main gas chamber;
- a secondary gas chamber, the secondary gas chamber coaxially disposable in the first chamber, whereby pressure in the first chamber rises as a volume of the first chamber is reduced by a volume of the second chamber;
- a third chamber coaxially disposed in the second chamber and slidable relative to the second chamber whereby;
- the third chamber is displaceable between the other chambers depending upon relative pressure between the other chambers.
A gas spring for a vehicle comprising:
- a main gas chamber, the main chamber having its volume reducible by a secondary gas chamber having a piston disposed on its first end, the piston having an aperture permitting communication between the main and secondary chambers;
- a floating piston disposed in the secondary chamber, the floating piston movable based upon relative pressures in the chambers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.