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US 2024/0376950 A1Published application
Gas spring with hydraulic accumulator
AssigneeDADCO, Inc.
InventorJason L. Vandine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An industrial gas spring with a hydraulic accumulator includes a piston rod of the received in a hydraulic chamber connected to a gas over hydraulic fluid accumulator chamber in which a compressed gas determines the force required to yieldably move the piston rod from its extended position to its retracted position. On a return stroke of the piston rod as it approaches its fully extended position, a hydraulic damper chamber in the hydraulic cylinder may reduce the velocity of the returning piston rod. The damper chamber may return a hydraulic fluid through an orifice to the hydraulic cylinder chamber. The orifice may provide a varying restriction to vary and control the velocity or rate at which the piston rod returns to its fully extended position.
Claims21
An industrial gas spring (20, 20′, 320) with a hydraulic damper (28) comprising:
- a first cylinder (24, 324) having an inner cylindrical surface (104) defining at least in part a first hydraulic chamber (106) constructed to receive an essentially incompressible hydraulic fluid therein:
- a piston rod (26, 326) having a first end received in the first hydraulic chamber, a second end axially outboard of the first hydraulic chamber, and the piston rod being movable between extended and retracted positions relative to the first cylinder;
- a collar (140, 440) received in the first hydraulic chamber, having first and second axially spaced apart ends and carried by the piston rod for movement therewith:
- a seal (162) carried by the first cylinder and engaging the collar during a portion of movement of the piston rod to its extended position and only a portion of movement of the piston rod from its extended position toward its retracted position with the collar and the seal defining at least in part a second hydraulic chamber (146, 446) during such movements of the piston rod:
- at least one passageway (176, 476) in the collar communicating with the first and second ends of the collar:
- a separate check valve (178, 478) in each passageway of the at least one passageway and configured to close to at least essentially prevent flow of hydraulic fluid through its associated passageway from the second hydraulic chamber during at least part of such portion of movement of the piston rod to its extended position and also configured to open to permit flow of hydraulic fluid into the second hydraulic chamber during at least part of such movement of the piston rod from its extended position toward its retracted position:
- a restricted orifice (192) carried by the collar and through which hydraulic fluid flows from the second hydraulic chamber during at least part of such movement of the piston rod to its extended position to decrease the velocity of at least part of such movement of the piston rod to its extended position:
- a second cylinder (22, 322) having an inner cylindrical surface (44);
- a piston (42, 342) having first and second sides, slidably received in the second cylinder, on the first side defining at least in part with the inner cylindrical surface of the second cylinder a hydraulic fluid accumulation chamber (56, 356) which communicates with the first hydraulic chamber of the first cylinder, and on the second side defining at least in part with the inner cylindrical surface of the second cylinder a gas chamber (54, 354);
- and
- a seal (50) carried by the piston and providing a seal between the gas chamber and the hydraulic fluid accumulation chamber.
8 more elements
An industrial gas spring (20, 20′, 320), comprising:
- a hydraulic cylinder (24, 324) having an inner cylindrical surface defining at least in part a first hydraulic chamber constructed to receive hydraulic fluid therein:
- a piston rod (26, 326) having a first end received in the first hydraulic chamber, a second end axially outboard of the first hydraulic chamber, and the piston rod being movable between extended and retracted positions relative to the hydraulic cylinder:
- a collar (140, 440) received in the first hydraulic chamber, having first and second axially spaced apart ends and carried by the piston rod for movement therewith:
- a seal (162) engaging the collar during a portion of movement of the piston rod to its extended position and only a portion of movement of the piston rod from its extended position toward its retracted position with the collar and the seal defining at least in part a second hydraulic chamber during such movements of the piston rod:
- an accumulator cylinder (22, 322) having an inner cylindrical surface;
- and
- a piston (42, 342) having first and second sides, slidably received in the accumulator cylinder, on the first side defining at least in part with the inner cylindrical surface of the accumulator cylinder, a hydraulic fluid accumulation chamber (56, 356) which communicates with the first hydraulic chamber of the hydraulic cylinder, and on the second side defining at least in part with the inner cylindrical surface of the accumulator cylinder a gas chamber (54, 354).
4 more elements
An industrial gas spring (320), comprising:
- a base plate (374) having a hydraulic fluid passage:
- a top plate (382) positioned above the base plate:
- a hydraulic cylinder (324) coupled between the base and top plates and having a first inner cylindrical surface defining at least in part a first hydraulic chamber constructed to receive hydraulic fluid therein and in fluid communication with the hydraulic fluid passage of the base plate:
- a piston rod (326) having a first end received in the first hydraulic chamber, a second end axially outboard of the first hydraulic chamber, and the piston rod being movable between extended and retracted positions relative to the hydraulic cylinder:
- an accumulator cylinder (322) coupled between the base and top plates and having a second inner cylindrical surface:
- a piston (342) having first and second sides, slidably received in the accumulator cylinder, on the first side defining at least in part with the inner cylindrical surface of the accumulator cylinder, a hydraulic fluid accumulation chamber which communicates with the first hydraulic chamber of the hydraulic cylinder, and on the second side defining at least in part with the inner cylindrical surface of the accumulator cylinder a gas chamber;
- and
- a casing (330) establishing the inner cylindrical surface of the accumulator, being in fluid communication with the hydraulic fluid passage of the base plate, and including a lower casing (330a) composed of metal and coupled to the base plate, an upper casing (330b) composed of a translucent material and coupled to the upper plate, and an intermediate casing (330c) coupled between the lower and upper casings and carrying axially spaced seals (530) to cooperate with the piston to further define the hydraulic fluid accumulation chamber and the gas chamber.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.