Force-responsive shock absorbing apparatus
AssigneeBoulder 12 Investments
InventorHarry A. Petrak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid vibration damper, such as, a shock absorber includes a cylinder and piston combination in which the piston head travels through a fluid-filled cylinder and has fluid bypass openings in its external surface forming one or more recesses of predetermined cross-sectional configurations and sizes whereby to regulate fluid flow past the piston head according to a performance curve. The bypass openings can be formed in interchangeable elements so as to permit selective variations in the fluid flow characteristics of each particular size or design of shock absorber according to a specific force performance curve.
Claims23
A fluid vibration damper having a fluid-filled cylinder provided with end walls at opposite ends thereof, a fluid reservoir in communication with said cylinder, a piston rod slidable axially through one end wall of said cylinder having a piston head at one end of said piston rod being disposed within said cylinder, said piston head including a generally cylindrical external surface portion in inner spaced concentric relation to said cylinder and provided with fluid bypass means of a preselected size and configuration, tubular housing means interposed concentrically between the cylindrical surface of said piston head and said cylinder and being operative to isolate said piston head from fluid communication with the interior of said cylinder except for flow passages at opposite ends for entry and discharge of fluid into and from the interior of said tubular housing means, slide valve means interposed concentrically between said external cylindrical surface and said tubular housing means, and retainer means on opposite sides of said slide valve means normally retaining said slide valve means over said fluid bypass means, the increase in force of the fluid acting at one end of said piston head in response to relative movement between said cylinder and said piston head inducing a change in position of said slide valve means with respect to said fluid bypass means whereby said slide valve means is slidable to modify the opening size of said fluid bypass means for fluid flow therethrough in a direction to counterbalance the increase in fluid force while damping the relative movement between said tubular housing means and said piston head.
In a shock absorber having a fluid-filled cylinder, a piston head assembly at one end of a piston rod slidable through said cylinder, said piston head assembly dividing said cylinder into compartments at opposite ends of said piston head, and fluid pressure release means in communication with each of said compartments, the improvement comprising:
- said piston head assembly including a tubular outer housing in substantially sealed relation to an inner wall of said cylinder and in fluid communication with said compartments at opposite ends of said cylinder, a piston body within said tubular housing defining an axial extension of said piston rod and having an external cylindrical wall in closely-spaced, inner concentric relation to the wall of said tubular housing, a plurality of spaced bypass orifices in said external cylindrical wall, said orifices each having a predetermined width which varies in a direction axially of said piston head assembly, slide valve means interposed in sealed relation between said inner wall of said tubular housing and said external cylindrical wall being of a width less than the length of said orifices, said slide valve means slidable in an axial direction to regulate the effective width of said orifices for fluid flow therethrough from one compartment to the other in response to changes in the differential pressure of the fluid acting at opposite ends of said piston head, and
- slide valve retainer means operative to limit the movement of said slide valve means along said external cylindrical wall.
A shock absorbing apparatus comprising:
- a fluid-filled cylinder provided with end walls at opposite ends thereof and an inner concentric tube defining a fluid reservoir along the inner wall of said cylinder, a piston rod slidable axially through one end wall of said cylinder having a piston head at one end of said piston rod disposed within said cylinder, said piston head including an enlarged, generally cylindrical external surface portion provided with fluid bypass openings of a preselected size and configuration therein, housing means in the form of a hollow cylinder interposed concentrically between the external surface portion of said piston head and said tube and being operative to isolate said piston head from the interior of said cylinder except for inlet and outlet ports at opposite ends for entry and discharge of fluid into and from the interior of said tubular housing means, slide valve means interposed concentrically between said external surface portion on said tubular housing means and in surface contact with said external surface, and spring-loaded retainer means on opposite sides of said slide valve means normally retaining said slide valve means over said orifices, the cross-sectional width of said fluid bypass openings varying in an axial direction along said external surface portion whereby said slide valve means is slidable to vary the effective opening size of said fluid bypass openings for fluid flow therethrough in a direction and at a rate to counterbalance changes in differential fluid pressure at opposite ends of said piston head induced by the relative movement between said tubular member and said piston head.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.