Valve for a vehicle suspension system
AssigneeOshkosh Corporation
InventorErik S. Ellifson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A valve assembly for a suspension system includes a housing having a control port, a first accessory port, and a second accessory port. The housing defines a first flow path extending between the control port and the first accessory port and a second flow path extending between the control port and the second accessory port. The valve assembly also includes a first check valve having a first crack pressure positioned within the housing along the first flow path and a second check valve having a second crack pressure positioned within the housing along the second flow path. A difference between the first crack pressure and the second crack pressure provides a corresponding difference in pressures at the first accessory port and the second accessory port.
Claims10
A suspension assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
- a gas spring, comprising:
- a tubular housing;
- a plunger positioned within the tubular housing, the plunger and an inner surface of the tubular housing defining a spring volume;
- a reservoir including a housing that defines an inner volume and a flexible member coupled to the housing, the flexible member separating the inner volume into a working volume and a control volume;
- and
- a conduit coupling the tubular housing to the reservoir such that the spring volume is in fluid communication with the working volume;
- and
- a valve assembly, comprising:
- a housing including a spring port in fluid communication with the spring volume, an accumulator port in fluid communication with the control volume, and a third port, the housing defining a first flow path extending between the third port and the spring port and a second flow path extending between the third port and the accumulator port;
- a first check valve having a first crack pressure positioned within the housing along the first flow path;
- and
- a second check valve having a second crack pressure positioned within the housing along the second flow path,
- wherein the valve assembly provides an offset pressure between the spring volume and the control volume to maintain a response curve of the gas spring for different ride heights of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.