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AssigneeDelphi Technologies, Inc.
InventorsEric Lee Jensen, William Charles Kruckemeyer, Troy Allen Miller, Ronald Gene Smith, Jr., Michael Leslie Oliver
Estimating the term…
A suspension damper includes a reservoir housing with a piston slidably mounted therein and including a piston rod extending from the reservoir housing and attached to the vehicle by a mount assembly. An air chamber is defined by a sleeve cirucmscribing the piston rod and connected to the reservoir housing by a flexible portion. The mount assembly includes a pumping chamber which expands and contracts in response to normal road undulations to inflate the air chamber. A valve controlled by the flexible portion of the sleeve controls communication from the air chamber to ambient atmosphere to thereby control inflation of the air chamber and thereby controlling ride height.
A suspension damper comprising a reservoir housing, a damper piston slidable within said reservoir housing and including a piston rod having a projecting portion extending from one end of the housing, an outer sleeve including a flexible portion circumscribing said projecting portion of said piston rod and cooperating with said housing to define an air chamber, and an air pump having a pumping chamber communicated with said air chamber, said pumping chamber capable of expanding and contracting in response to movement of the damper for inflating said air chamber with ambient atmosphere wherein a passage permits restricted communication of air from said air chamber to ambient atmosphere, and a control valve controlling communication through said passage to thereby control inflation of said air chamber.
Suspension damper for installation on a motor vehicle comprising:
Suspension damper for installation on a motor vehicle comprising a reservoir housing, a damper piston slidable within said reservoir housing and including a piston rod having a projecting portion extending from one end of the housing, an outer sleeve including a flexible portion circumscribing said projecting portion of said piston rod and cooperating with said housing to define an air chamber, an air pump responsive to normal road undulations for inflating said air chamber, and a control valve responsive to the riding height of the motor vehicle upon which the suspension damper is installed, said control valve being operated by said flexible portion, said control valve communicating said air chamber with ambient atmosphere when a predetermined riding height is attained to maintain said predetermined riding height, said control valve closing communication between said air chamber and ambient atmosphere when the riding height of the vehicle is below the predetermined riding height to permit continued inflation of said air chamber.
Suspension damper for installation on a motor vehicle comprising a reservoir housing, a damper piston slidable within said reservoir housing and including a piston rod having a projecting portion extending from one end of the housing, an outer sleeve circumscribing said projecting portion of said piston rod and having a flexible sleeve, said outer sleeve cooperating with said housing to define an air chamber, an air pump for inflating said air chamber, and a control valve being responsive to the riding height of the motor vehicle upon which the suspension damper is installed, said control valve is a valve reed movable between positions opening and closing said passage and engaged by said flexible sleeve, said flexible sleeve moving said valve means between said positions opening and closing said passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.