Patent ID: 8616563
Filing Date: 2013-12-31
Classification: B60G,F16F

Abstract:
1. A device for lifting a vehicle with a suspension system having a coil spring and shock absorber with a shock absorber shaft and a shock absorber body, wherein said coil spring has a coil spring diameter and is coaxially coiled around said shock absorber shaft, and said shock absorber body has a body diameter smaller than said coil spring diameter, comprising: a hollow cylinder having a cylinder outer diameter larger than said coil spring diameter, formed by a circular cylinder top with a cylinder top rim, a central cylinder-shaft aperture, and cylindrical cylinder side walls connected to and extending downwardly from said cylinder top rim to a cylinder bottom, wherein said cylinder top and said cylinder side walls define an inner cylinder bore having a cylinder inner diameter greater than said body diameter, an inlet port extending inwardly from said cylinder top rim into said cylinder bore, an inner circumferential retaining ring groove at said cylinder bottom, and wherein said cylinder is sealingly coaxially mounted onto said shock absorber shaft through said cylinder-shaft aperture; a piston having a piston diameter less than said cylinder inner diameter slidable within said cylinder bore having a circular piston top, a central piston-shaft aperture, a piston top rim, an outer circumferential inlet recess at said piston top rim, a cylindrical coil spring flange extending downwardly from said piston top, a bump stop flange extending inwardly from said coil spring flange, an outer circumferential piston-bore groove parallel to, and downwardly spaced apart from, said inlet recess, a piston skirt flange extending downwardly from said piston-bore groove, wherein said piston is sealingly coaxially mounted onto said shock absorber shaft through said piston-shaft aperture; a substantially cylindrical piston skirt having a skirt diameter less than said cylinder inner diameter, a skirt top and a skirt bottom attached to said piston skirt flange at said skirt top, wherein said piston skirt has a circular bottom flange extending outwardly from said piston skirt; wherein said piston diameter and said skirt diameter are sufficiently less than said cylinder inner diameter whereby said piston and said piston skirt can tilt within said cylinder bore; a piston-bore seal retained in said piston-bore groove whereby said piston top, said cylinder top, said piston bore seal, and said cylinder side walls form an expandable pressure space that is in fluid communication with said inlet port; a retaining ring retained in said inner circumferential retaining ring groove; a bump stop retained in said bump stop flange having one or more bump stop grooves; whereby said device is activated when a pressurized fluid enters through said inlet port into said expandable pressure space and causes said piston and said cylinder to slide apart, thereby raising said vehicle, and deactivated when said pressurized fluid exits through said inlet port from said expandable pressure space and causes said piston and said cylinder to slide together, thereby lowering said vehicle; and wherein said retaining ring creates a barrier between said piston skirt and said cylinder side walls to prevent contaminants from entering said cylinder bore.