Hydropneumatic Suspension Unit

A hydropneumatic suspension unit for a vehicle comprising:

• an outer sleeve, said outer sleeve including an inner side wall, an outer side wall, a base and a top opening;
• an inner sleeve, said inner sleeve including an inner side wall, an outer side wall, a top and a base opening, said inner sleeve arranged for sliding displacement in said outer sleeve;
• a damping piston arranged for sliding displacement in said outer sleeve, said damping piston connected to said base opening of said inner sleeve;
• at least one damping valve at least partially positioned in said damping piston;
• a first chamber, said first chamber at least partially defined by an inner surface of said outer sleeve and said damping piston, said first chamber including a gas and a liquid, said gas primarily designed to provide a spring action and said liquid primarily designed to provide a damping action, said gas being in direct contact with said liquid in said first chamber;
• a second chamber at least partially defined by an inner surface of said inner sleeve and said damping piston, said first chamber and second chamber being in fluid communication, said second chamber including said gas and said liquid, flow of said liquid and said gas between said first and second chambers is at least partially restricted by said at least one damping valve in said damping piston, said damping piston designed to allow liquid, gas and a liquid and gas mixture to flow through said damping piston;
• and,
• a third chamber that is at least partially defined by said inner surface of said outer sleeve, an outer surface of said inner sleeve, a guide part secured to said outer sleeve, and said damping piston;
• said third chamber including said gas and said liquid, said third chamber in fluid communication with a) said first chamber via a first fluid passage that is at least partially formed between an outer side surface of said damping piston and said inner surface of said outer sleeve, said first fluid passage spaced from an interior region of said damping piston, said first fluid passageway not passing through said damping piston, said first fluid passageway absent a valve, b) said second chamber via a non-valve containing damping channel, or combinations of a) and b), said guide part designed to guide a relative movement of said inner sleeve and said outer sleeve during movement of said damping piston.