US 5,397,111 AGranted

Actuating device in combination with a lockable cylinder piston unit

AssigneeStabilus GmbH

InventorsAxel Knopp, Klaus Gitzinger

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Abstract

According to an illustrative example of the invention, a chair column comprises a lockable gas spring for height adjustment of the chair column. The gas spring is inserted into a stand tube of the chair column. The piston rod extends downwards and is rotatably fastened to a bottom part of the stand tube. The cylinder of the gas spring extends upwards out of the upper end of the stand tube. At the upper end of the cylinder there is provided in axial alignment with the axis of the cylinder a valve pin. A pushing member acts onto the valve pin. The pushing member is connected with a Bowden cable. One end of the Bowden cable core is fastened to a guide sleeve of the pushing member. The tube member of the Bowden cable acts onto the pushing member. The other end of the Bowden cable is connected to a releasing lever by which the valve can be opened. When the valve is opened, the working chambers located on both sides of a piston are interconnected so that height adjustment of the gas spring is possible.

Claims27

Dependent claims

An actuating device in combination with a lockable cylinder piston unit, said cylinder piston unit comprising a cylinder unit having a cylinder unit axis and two ends and defining a cylinder cavity therein axially between said two ends, said cylinder piston unit further comprising a piston rod axially movable through at least one of said two ends, a piston unit connected to said piston rod inside said cylinder cavity and separating two fluid-filled working chambers from each other inside said cavity, fluid flow passage means interconnecting said two working chambers, valve means allocated to said fluid flow passage means for selectively opening or closing said fluid flow passage means, said valve means being operatively connected with a pushing member having a pushing axis, said pushing member being guided by pushing member guide means along said pushing axis, said fluid flow passage means being opened through said valve means in response to pushing said pushing member between a pushing member closing position and a pushing member opening position, said actuating device comprising a Bowden cable having a first end portion in operational connection with said pushing member and a second end portion in operational connection with a Bowden cable operating mechanism, said Bowden cable comprising a flexible tube member and a flexible core member guided within said flexible tube member, said flexible tube member having a first end portion adjacent said first end portion of said Bowden cable and said flexible core member having a first end portion adjacent said first end portion of said Bowden cable, said first end portion of said flexible tube member being supported in a direction substantially parallel to said pushing axis by said pushing member, said first end portion of said core member being fastened by fastening means substantially fixed with respect to said pushing member guide means at least in a direction parallel to said pushing axis.

For a combination of a lockable cylinder piston unit and an actuating device thereof, said cylinder piston unit comprising a cylinder unit having a cylinder axis and two ends and defining a cylinder cavity therein axially between said two ends, said cylinder piston unit further comprising a piston rod axially movable through at least one of said two ends, a piston unit connected to said piston rod inside said cylinder cavity and separating two fluid-filled working chambers from each other inside said cylinder cavity, fluid flow passage means interconnecting said two working chambers, valve means allocated to said fluid flow passage means for selectively opening or closing said fluid flow passage means, said valve means being operatively connected with a pushing member having a pushing axis, said pushing member being guided by pushing member guide means along said pushing axis, said fluid flow passage means being opened through said valve means in response to pushing said pushing member between a pushing member closing position and a pushing member opening position, said actuating device comprising a Bowden cable having a first end portion in operational connection with said pushing member and a second end portion in operational connection with a Bowden cable operating mechanism, said Bowden cable comprising a flexible tube member and a flexible core member guided within said flexible tube member, said flexible tube member having a first end portion adjacent said first end portion of said Bowden cable and said flexible core member having a first end portion adjacent said first end portion of said Bowden cable, said first end portion of said flexible tube member being supported in a direction substantially corresponding to said pushing axis by said pushing member, said first end portion of said core member being fastened by fastening means substantially fixed with respect to said pushing member guide means at least in a direction parallel to said pushing axis, a preassembled actuating device unit comprising said pushing member guide means, said pushing member and said Bowden cable with said first end portion of said core member being fastened to said guide means and said first end portion of said tube member being supportable by said pushing member, said guide means being shaped for fastening engagement with said cylinder piston unit.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.