Patent ID: 11892054
Assignee: ELKA SUSPENSION INC.
Field: Mechanical elements (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 10:
11. A position-relative damper assist system (1) according to claim 10, wherein the rebound adjustment component (19b) is a spring-loaded rebound adjustment component (19b), and wherein the adjustment assembly (19) thus comprises a corresponding spring (25) having one extremity operatively abutting against a given supporting component (27), and having another extremity operatively pushing against the rebound adjustment component (19b) for urging the rebound adjustment component (19b) into a given default configuration, the spring-loaded rebound adjustment component (19b) being adjustably operable via the biasing assembly (21) between variable opened and closed configurations, wherein in a fully-opened configuration, the rebound adjustment component (19b) is substantially clear from the at least one active rebound fluid passage (15b) in order to allow a maximal passage of fluid (17) through the at least one active rebound fluid passage (15b), and wherein in a fully-closed configuration, the rebound adjustment component (19b) substantially blocks the at least one active rebound fluid passage (15b) in order to allow a minimal passage of fluid (17) through the at least one active rebound fluid passage (15b);
wherein the rebound adjustment component (19b) is positioned, shaped and sized with respect to the at least one active rebound fluid passage (15b) so that the default configuration of the rebound adjustment component (19b) corresponds to the fully-opened configuration of the rebound adjustment component (19b);
wherein the rebound adjustment component (19b) is positioned, shaped and sized with respect to the at least one active rebound fluid passage (15b) so that the default configuration of the rebound adjustment component (19b) corresponds to the fully-closed configuration of the rebound adjustment component (19b);
wherein the piston head (11) of the piston assembly (9) comprises a rebound lodging passage (29b) being positioned, shaped and sized for receiving the rebound adjustment component (19b), the rebound lodging passage (29b) being further positioned, shaped and sized for fluidly intersecting the at least one active rebound fluid passage (15b);
wherein the at least one active rebound fluid passage (15b) extends longitudinally along the piston head (11), and wherein the rebound lodging passage (29b) extends transversally with respect to the piston head (11);
wherein the rebound adjustment component (19b) comprises a shouldering portion (31b) for resting against a corresponding abutment portion (33b) of the rebound lodging passage (29b) when the rebound adjustment component (19b) is in the default configuration;
wherein the rebound adjustment component (19b) is configured for adjustably moving in response to the input indicative of the positioning of the piston assembly (9) within the stroke distance (7) being received from the biasing assembly (21);
wherein the biasing component (35) is further provided with a rebound displacement-profile surface (35b) interacting with the rebound adjustment component (19b) for adjustably moving the rebound adjustment component (19b) with respect to the at least one active rebound fluid passage (15b);
wherein the biasing component (35) with corresponding rebound displacement-profile surface (35b) is mounted onto the top mounting component (5) and is disposed along the chamber of said top mounting component (5);
wherein a profiled bar (37) is further provided with the rebound displacement-profile surface (35b);
wherein the profiled bar (37) is long enough for interacting with the rebound adjustment component (19b) when the top and bottom mounting components (5,3) are operated in the extension mode;
wherein the rebound adjustment component (19b) includes a spring-loaded plunger (53) having one end interacting with the rebound displacement-profile surface (35b) for moving in response to a corresponding contour of said rebound displacement-profile surface (35b);
wherein the rebound adjustment component (19b) includes a spring-loaded poppet (55) provided with an adjacent ball-bearing (57) interacting with the rebound displacement-profile surface (35b) for moving in response to a corresponding contour of said rebound displacement-profile surface (35b);
wherein the poppet (55) comprises a shouldering portion (31b) for resting against a corresponding abutment portion (33b);
wherein a cross-sectional profile of the ball-bearing (57) is smaller than a cross-sectional profile of the poppet (55);
wherein the rebound displacement-profile surface (35b) is a curved rebound displacement-profile surface (35b) for providing at least two contact points to a corresponding component being operatively connected to the rebound adjustment component (19b);
wherein the at least one active rebound fluid passage (15b) comprises a pair of active rebound fluid passages (15b) each for allowing fluid (17) of the chamber (13) to travel
from one side of the chamber (13) to another side of the chamber (13) via the piston head (11) of the piston assembly (9) during the extension mode, and wherein the rebound adjustment component (19b) is configured for adjustably varying an effective cross-sectional profile of both active rebound fluid passages (15b) in order to in turn vary a corresponding flow rate of fluid (17) passing through the pair of active rebound fluid passages (15b) during the extension mode;
wherein one end of the at least one active rebound fluid passage (15b) is provided with a corresponding rebound shim assembly (61b) being configured for shimming fluid (17) exiting said end of the at least one active rebound fluid passage (15b) during the extension mode;
wherein the rebound shim assembly (61b) is further configured for preventing fluid (17) from entering said end of the at least one active rebound fluid passage (15b) during the compression mode;
wherein the rebound shim assembly (61b) includes a series of lamellae (63) being stackable onto one another;
wherein the series of lamellae (63) are nestable within a corresponding recess (65) defined about the piston head (11) of the piston assembly (9);
wherein the series of lamellae (63) are securable onto the piston head (11) via at least one fastener (67);
wherein the at least one fastener (67) is positioned, shaped and sized so that a top portion thereof is prevented from exceeding beyond a top surface (11a) of the piston head (11) of the piston assembly (9);
wherein the at least one fastener (67) includes a pair of fasteners (67) configured for threaded engagement into the series of lamellae (63) and piston head (11);
wherein the series of lamellae (63) includes a plurality of oblong lamellae (63) of different lengths, with a longest lamella (63) being positioned at a bottommost portion of the series of lamellae (63) and a shortest lamella (63) being positioned at an upper portion of the series of lamellae (63);
wherein each lamella (63) of the series of lamellae (63) is shorter than a preceding bottom lamella (63);
wherein the at least one active jounce fluid passage (15a) and corresponding jounce adjustment component (19a) are disposed on one side of the piston head (11), and wherein the at least one active rebound fluid passage (15b) and corresponding rebound adjustment component (19b) are disposed on another opposite side of the piston head (11);
wherein a jounce lodging passage (29a) and the rebound lodging passage (29b) are fluidly connected to one another; and
wherein the jounce lodging passage (29a) and the rebound lodging passage (29b) are further fluidly connected to the corresponding central hole (39) of the piston head (11).