Progressive end-stop control valves for vibration dampers
AssigneesThyssenKrupp Bilstein of America Inc., thyssenkrupp AG
InventorsCamden IVES, Jayson MOORE, Eric SOROSIAK
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An end-stop control valve includes a piston assembly, a valve disc stack-up, and a catch piston, wherein the piston assembly is configured such that, when a contact surface of the piston assembly contacts a contact surface of the catch piston such that hydraulic fluid cannot flow around the piston assembly during an end-of-stroke damping event, the end-stop control valve is configured to operate, first, such that hydraulic fluid flows through the piston assembly and bypasses the valve disc stack-up, and second, such that hydraulic fluid flows through the piston assembly and deflects the valve disc stack-up.
Claims17
An end-stop control valve, comprising:
- a piston assembly configured to move longitudinally within a damper tube;
- a valve disc stack-up;
- and
- a catch piston configured to engage the piston assembly during an end-of-stroke damping event, the catch piston configured to be disposed on an inner wall of the damper tube in a longitudinally movable manner;
- wherein a radially outermost portion of the piston assembly is configured to be spaced radially apart from the inner wall of the damper tube such that hydraulic fluid can flow between the piston assembly and the inner wall of the damper tube outside of the end-of-stroke damping event and when the piston assembly is not engaged with the catch piston;
- wherein the piston assembly is configured such that, when a contact surface of the piston assembly contacts a contact surface of the catch piston such that hydraulic fluid cannot flow around the piston assembly during the end-of-stroke damping event, the end-stop control valve is configured to operate, first, such that hydraulic fluid flows through the piston assembly and bypasses the valve disc stack-up, and second, such that hydraulic fluid flows through the piston assembly and deflects the valve disc stack-up.
A vibration damper comprising:
- a damper tube that extends along a longitudinal axis and includes an inner wall;
- a piston rod that extends into the damper tube and is configured to move longitudinally within the damper tube;
- a main piston secured on the piston rod that separates the damper tube into a first working chamber and a second working chamber, wherein the main piston includes a first valve disc stack-up;
- an end-stop control valve disposed on a longitudinal side of the main piston, the end-stop control valve including:
- a second piston configured to move longitudinally within the damper tube;
- a second valve disc stack-up;
- and
- a catch piston configured to engage the second piston during an end-of-stroke damping event, the catch piston disposed on the inner wall of the damper tube in a longitudinally movable manner;
- wherein a radially outermost portion of the second piston is spaced radially apart from the inner wall of the damper tube such that hydraulic fluid can flow between the second piston and the inner wall of the damper tube outside of the end-of-stroke damping event and when the second piston is not engaged with the catch piston;
- wherein the second piston is configured such that, when a contact surface of the second piston contacts a contact surface of the catch piston such that hydraulic fluid cannot flow around the second piston during the end-of-stroke damping event, the end-stop control valve is configured to operate, first, such that hydraulic fluid flows through the second piston and bypasses the second valve disc stack-up, and second, such that hydraulic fluid flows through the second piston and deflects the second valve disc stack-up.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.