Controlled equilibrium device with displacement dependent spring rates and integral damping

A suspension device, comprising:

• a housing comprising a wall that defines a housing chamber, the housing wall comprising a surface effect damping resilient layer having a displacement fluid inlet port for inletting a displacement fluid into said housing chamber and a displacement fluid discharge port for discharging said displacement fluid out of said housing chamber;
• and
• a load leveling piston a member movable through the housing chamber, said piston having surface effect damping contact with said housing wall surface effect damping resilient layer, the load leveling piston member comprising a first deadband displacement zone proximate said surface effect damping resilient layer displacement fluid inlet port and a second deadband displacement zone proximate said surface effect damping resilient layer displacement fluid discharge port, the movable load leveling piston member being at a nominal position when the movable load leveling piston member has a displacement within said first deadband displacement zone and said second deadband displacement zone wherein a load leveling piston member displacement of said first deadband displacement zone away from said surface effect damping resilient layer displacement fluid inlet port unseals said inlet port and inlets said displacement fluid into said housing chamber and a load leveling piston member displacement of said second deadband displacement zone away from said surface effect damping resilient layer displacement fluid discharge port unseals said discharge port and discharges said displacement fluid from said housing chamber.

A suspension device comprising:

• a housing comprising a wall that defines a housing chamber, the housing wall comprising a resilient layer having a displacement fluid inlet port for inletting a displacement fluid into said housing chamber and a displacement fluid discharge port for discharging said displacement fluid out of said housing chamber;
• a movable piston member movable relative to the housing wall resilient layer displacement fluid inlet port and the housing wall resilient layer displacement fluid discharge port, the movable piston member having a nominal position within said housing chamber under normal loading conditions;
• a first spring having a first stiffness operatively isolating said movable piston member under said normal loading conditions;
• a displacement means for moving the movable piston member to the nominal position when the movable piston member is subjected to loading outside the normal loading conditions and the movable piston member displacement exceeds a deadband displacement zone.