Leveling valve
AssigneeKayaba Industry Co., Ltd.
InventorToshiya Amikura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A contracted portion having an axial length is formed in the spool hole and a large diameter portion having an axial length is formed in the spool within the spool such that an annular gap is formed there-between. A valve body closes an opening portion of the spool hole. When the valve body is lifted, one of an air pressure source and a drain is connected to an air spring passage via the annular gap. When the spool retreats from the valve body, the other of the air pressure source and the drain is connected to the air spring passage via the annular gap. By setting the lengths at different values, different flow rate characteristics are realized when supplying compressed air to an air spring and discharging air from the air spring.
Claims5
A leveling valve that selectively connects an air pressure source and a drain to an air spring, comprising:
- a spool hole having a contracted portion in an opening portion thereof;
- a spool that displaces in an axial direction within the spool hole in accordance with a load exerted on the air spring, the spool having an enlarged diameter portion formed on an outer periphery thereof so as to face the contracted portion and a hollow portion, and the enlarged diameter portion formed with a larger outer diameter than another part of the spool, wherein an annular gap is formed between the enlarged diameter portion and the contracted portion and an axial length of the enlarged diameter portion differs from an axial length of the contracted portion;
- an air spring passage that communicates with the air spring and faces an outer periphery of the spool;
- a valve body seated on the opening portion of the spool hole so as to face the spool;
- a spring that elastically supports the valve body in a seated position;
- a first passage that connects one of the air pressure source and the drain to the air spring passage via the annular gap when the valve body is pushed by the spool so as to be lifted from the opening portion of the spool hole:
- and
- a second passage that connects another of the air pressure source and the drain to the air spring passage via the annular gap and the hollow portion when the spool displaces in a retreating direction from the valve body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.