Adjustable accumulator for selectively modifying spring rate of gas spring system
AssigneeHouse of Lowriders Co., Inc.
InventorDaniel Zachary Ratcliff
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims20
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;
- and
- 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, a working volume of the gas spring system comprising the sum of the spring chamber volume and the accumulator volume, the accumulator configured so that the working volume of the gas spring system can selectively be changed.
A method of changing the 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 load is applied between a first mount and a second mount of the gas spring system, comprising:
- increasing the working volume of the working chamber system;
- and
- increasing a mass of pressurized gas in the working chamber system so that the pressurized gas is compressed to the first gas pressure when the first load is applied between the first mount and the second mount of the gas spring system.
A method of changing the spring rate characteristics of a gas spring that defines a spring chamber filled with a pressurized gas and having a spring chamber volume, comprising:
- providing an accumulator that defines an accumulator chamber disposed in a first configuration having a first accumulator volume, the accumulator chamber communicating with the spring chamber via a gas passage so that a pressure of pressurized gas within the accumulator chamber and spring chamber is substantially equal;
- and
- changing the accumulator to a second configuration in which the accumulator chamber defines a second accumulator volume that is different than the first accumulator volume;
- and
- changing the mass of gas within the accumulator chamber and spring chamber so that the pressure of pressurized gas is the same when the accumulator is in the second configuration as it was when the accumulator was in the first configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.