vibration damper for damping fluid vibrations in a hydraulic system

A vibration damper for the damping of vibrations of fluid in a hydraulic circuit, the vibration damper comprising:

• a housing (34);
• a recess (11, 25, 37) formed in the housing;
• an opening (12, 27, 36) formed in the housing for allowing passage of pressurized fluid therethrough from a hydraulic circuit, communicating with the vibration damper, into the recess (11, 25, 37) and passage from the recess (11, 25, 37) to the hydraulic circuit;
• a pressure equalization port (13, 28, 40) formed in the housing and communicating with the recess (11, 25, 37);
• and
• a sealing element (32) and an elastomeric elastically deformable damping element (31) located within recess (11, 25, 37) between the opening and the pressure equalization port, the sealing element (32) having a centrally located boring which partially receives and centers the damping element (31) within the recess (11, 25, 37) and the pressure equalization port (13, 28, 40) is spaced from the sealing element (32) so that the pressure equalization port (13, 28, 40) is unobstructed by the sealing element (32) during normal operation;
• wherein, upon failure of the damping element, the sealing element closes the pressure equalization port to assure continued functioning of the hydraulic circuit.