Thermally efficient shock absorber

Abstract

A thermally efficient shock absorber comprising a strut housing having an open end and a closed end, a piston including a piston housing and a piston head slideable in the strut housing, and a preselected volume of fluid and gas located in the strut and piston housings. A compensating system is provided coupled to the fluid for maintaining a constant fluid-to-gas volume ratio irrespective of thermal variations and a valve is provided for isolating the compensating system from the fluid. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the compensating system includes a gas compensating chamber and a fluid compensating chamber having a movable separator piston therebetween, the fluid compensating chamber being coupled to the fluid in the strut and piston housings. The gas and fluid compensating chambers are contained within the strut housing separate from the gas and fluid in the strut and piston housings. A position indicator is coupled to the valve for causing the valve to isolate the compensating system from the fluid when the shock absorber is positioned to receive loads.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.