Gas spring, a method of filling a gas spring with pressurized gas and an installation for performing the method
AssigneeStabilus GmbH
InventorMartin Muller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas spring must be filled with pressurized gas through an opening. This opening must be closed after the filling operation while maintaining the gas pressure within the gas spring. According to an illustrative example of the invention, the filling opening is bored by a laser beam, while the location of the opening to be bored is confined within a filling chamber. After such laser boring of the opening, pressurized gas is admitted to the filling chamber and flows from the filling chamber into the gas spring. Hereinafter, the opening is closed again by directing the laser beam against an annular zone surrounding the opening.
Claims41
A gas spring comprising cavity confining means (13) confining a cavity (13a) therein, a piston rod member (13b) sealingly guided inwards and outwards of said cavity (13a) and a volume of pressurized gas within said cavity (13a), said cavity confining means (13) comprising wall means (13) having formed therein at least one solidified fusion zone (26), said fusion zone (26) consisting of the same material as said wall means (13) and being obtained by fusion closing of a previously gas existing filling opening (24) such that said opening (24) is filled with fused material of said wall means (13) and, as a result of displacement of said plug forming fused material into said opening (24), a crater (26) exists in the external surface zone of said wall means (13) surrounding said opening (24), said crater (26) having a diameter larger than the diameter of said previously existing opening (24).
A method of manufacturing a spring by introducing a pressurized gas into a cavity confining means (13) confining a cavity (13a) therein, said cavity confining means (13) being provided with a gas filling opening g(24) for introducing said pressurized gas into said cavity (13a), said method comprising the steps of:
- introducing said pressurized gas into said cavity (13a) through said gas filling opening (24);
- and
- closing said gas filling opening (24) by directing a beam (30) of electromagnetic radiation towards a zone of said cavity confining means (13) surrounding the location of said gas filling opening (24).
An installation for filling a gas spring with a volume of pressurized gas, said gas spring (12) comprising cavity confining means (13) confining a cavity (13a) to be filled with said pressurized gas through a gas filling opening (24) of said cavity confining means (13), said installation comprising chamber confining means (11) for establishing a gas filling chamber (14) adjacent an external surface (25) of said cavity confining means (13) such that the location of said gas filling opening (24) of said cavity confining means (13) is positioned inside said gas filling chamber (14), said chamber confining means (11) being provided with inlet means (28) for introducing a pressurized gas into said gas filling chamber (14), a source (19) of electromagnetic radiation being allocated to said chamber confining means (11) such that a beam (30) of electromagnetic radiation can be directed towards said location of said gas filling opening (24).
A gas spring comprising cavity confining means (13) confining a cavity (13a) therein, a piston rod member (13b) sealingly guided inwards and outwards of said cavity (13a) and a volume of pressurized gas within said cavity (13a), said cavity confining means (13) comprising wall means (13) provided with at least one solidified fusion zone (26), said fusion zone (26) consisting of the same material as said wall means (13) and being obtained by fusion closing of a gas filling opening (24), with said fusion zone (26) having a substantially circular periphery and a diameter of less than about 1.5 mm.
A method of manufacturing a gas spring by introducing a pressurized gas into a cavity confining means (13) confining a cavity (13a) therein, said cavity confining means (13) being provided with a gas filling opening (24) for introducing said pressurized gas into said cavity (13a), said method comprising the steps of:
- introducing said pressurized gas into said cavity (13a) through said gas filling opening (24);
- and
- closing said gas filling opening (24) by directing a beam (30) of electromagnetic radiation towards a zone of said cavity confining means (13) surrounding the location of said gas filling opening (24) so as to fuse material of said cavity confining means (13) and displace said fused material into said gas filling opening (24), thereby forming a crater (26) in an external surface zone of said cavity confining means (13) with said crater (26) surrounding said opening (24) and having a diameter larger than said opening (24).
A method of manufacturing a gas spring by introducing a pressurized gas into a cavity confining means (13) confining a cavity (13a) therein, said cavity confining means (13) being provided with a gas filling opening (24) for introducing said pressurized gas into said cavity (13a), said method comprising the steps of:
- introducing said pressurized gas into said cavity (13a) through said gas filing opening (24);
- and
- closing said gas filling opening (24) by directing a beam (30) of electromagnetic radiation towards a zone of said cavity confining means (13) surrounding the location of said gas filling opening (24) while substantially balancing the pressure within said cavity (13a) and outside said cavity confining means (13) at the location of said gas filling opening (24).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.