Dashpot with amplitude-dependent shock absorption

A dashpot with amplitude-dependent shock absorption for a wheel of a vehicle, comprising:

• a working piston, said working piston dividing a cylinder into first and second compartments, said working piston including a working throttle restricting damping fluid flow between said first and second compartments, said working throttle providing a first damping characteristic on the damping fluid;
• a cylindrical pressure compensation chamber hydraulically parallel with said working piston;
• an axially displaceable floating piston partitioning said pressure compensation chamber into first and second partial compartments, said floating piston being movable in said pressure compensation chamber by an overpressure in either one of said compartments with respect to another of said compartments, said pressure compensation chamber and said floating piston being arranged to restrict damping fluid flow between said compartments and said partial chambers, said pressure compensation chamber and said floating piston restricting damping fluid less than said working throttle, said pressure compensation chamber and said floating piston providing a second damping characteristic on said damping fluid;
• an axial central bore extending through said floating piston;
• a single resilient bumper for a face of said floating piston and in said axial central bore, said bumper providing a gradual transition from said second damping characteristic to said first damping characteristic when said bumper reaches one end of said pressure compensation chamber, said transition initially including said second damping characteristic, then diminishing said second damping characteristic while increasing to said first damping characteristic, said transition ending with said first damping characteristic.

A dashpot comprising:

• a working cylinder;
• a damping fluid arranged in said working cylinder;
• a working piston movably arranged in said working cylinder, said working piston partitioning the working cylinder into first and second compartments;
• a pressure compensation chamber in fluid connection with said working cylinder;
• a floating piston movably arranged in said pressure compensation chamber, said floating piston partitioning the pressure compensation chamber into a first partial chamber and a second partial chamber, said first partial chamber being in fluid communication with said first compartment of said working cylinder, said second partial chamber being in fluid communication with said second compartment of said working cylinder, said floating piston comprising a hollow space extending from said first partial chamber to said second partial chamber;
• a bumper arranged in said hollow space of said floating piston and having bumper ends extending outward from both ends of said floating piston, said bumper having at least one middle portion arranged in said hollow space and connected to at least one of said bumper ends, said bumper ends and said middle portion being formed of resilient material.