US 4,226,408 AGranted

Hydraulic shock absorber for vehicles

AssigneeHonda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsTakao Tomita, Isamu Morita

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Abstract

A hydraulic shock absorber including inner and outer tubes telescopically fitted together and an orifice variable in response to relative movement of the inner and outer tubes. A large diameter tubular holder is disposed coaxially around an upper portion of the outer tube to provide a space between the outer tube and the holder, the space being divided by a tubular partition membrane disposed coaxially in the space into a high-pressure gas chamber located outside of the membrane and a low-pressure gas chamber located inside of the membrane and communicating with an upper space within the outer tube. The shock absorber is of the hydraulically and pneumatically operated type, is simple in structure, and can be assembled with ease while maintaining a desired degree of performance. When the shock absorber is at the end of the extension stroke, there is a sufficient length of span between an outer tube sliding portion and an inner tube sliding portion between which the variable orifice is located so that even when the shock absorber is subjected to lateral bending forces, the orifice clearance is prevented from being varied or deformed, to ensure reliable and smooth operation of the shock absorber.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A hydraulic shock absorber for vehicles, comprising:

an inner tube and an outer tube, said inner and outer tubes being telescopically fitted together;
a tapered rod supported by said outer tube and extending vertically and axially therefrom, the diameter of said tapered rod progressively decreasing from a proximal end thereof to a distal end thereof;
said inner tube including a partition member having a hole through which said tapered rod substantially loosely extends;
an orifice angularly defined between said rod and said hole and variable in response to relative movement of said rod and hole;
a piston provided on the distal end of said rod, and slidable with respect to said inner tube;
a lower chamber defined below said piston, and a central chamber defined above said piston and below said partition member;
said piston being provided with a valved portion adapted to open when said tubes relatively move in one direction to permit substantially full communication between said lower chamber and said central chamber, and adapted to operate to gain a damping force when said tubes relatively move in the opposite direction;
said piston including a spacer which spaces said valved portion from a lower surface of said partition member when they abut against each other;
a spacer member separate and distinct from said partition member disposed at an upper end of said inner tube and supported by said partition member for supporting thereon means for breaking up air bubbles passing upwardly and downwardly through said spacer member;
a tubular holder coaxially disposed around an upper outer peripheral portion of said outer tube and having a diameter larger than the diameter of said outer tube;
a partition membrane substantially vertically disposed between said holder and said outer tube and mounted substantially coaxially therewith, said partition membrane being fabricated of a substantially flexible and resilient material and being disposed so as to divide a space defined between said holder and said outer tube into a high-pressure gas chamber outside of said membrane and a low-pressure gas chamber inside of said membrane;
and
an upper portion of said outer tube being provided with a number of apertures through which said low-pressure chamber communicates with an upper space within said outer tube.

10 more elements

A hydraulic shock absorber for vehicles, comprising:

an inner tube and an outer tube, said inner and outer tubes being telescopically fitted together;
a tapered rod supported by said outer tube and extending vertically and axially therefrom;
said inner tube including a partition member having a hole through which said tapered rod substantially loosely extends;
an orifice annularly defined between said rod and said hole and variable in response to relative movement of said rod and hole;
a piston provided on the distal end of said rod;
said piston being provided with a valve adapted to open when said tubes relatively move in one direction and adapted to operate to gain a damping force when said tubes relatively move in the opposite direction;
a tubular holder coaxially disposed around an upper outer peripheral portion of said outer tube and having a diameter larger than the diameter of said outer tube;
a partition membrane substantially vertically disposed between said holder and said outer tube and mounted substantially coaxially therewith, said partition membrane being fabricated of a substantially flexible and resilient material and being disposed so as to divide a space defined between said holder and said outer tube into a high-pressure gas chamber outside of said membrane and a low-pressure gas chamber inside of said membrane;
an upper portion of said outer tube being provided with a number of apertures through which said low-pressure chamber communicates with an upper space within said outer tube;
and
said upper portion of said outer tube being provided with a plurality of substantially elongated projections mounted on said upper portion of said outer tube so as to be out of alignment with said apertures, to prevent wrinkling of said partition membrane when said partition membrane is compressed against said outer tube.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.