Patent ID: 6322058
Filing Date: 2001-11-27
Classification: B60G,F16F

Abstract:
An air suspension apparatus comprising:a cylinder;a piston slidably provided in the cylinder so as to divide and interior of the cylinder into two oil chambers;a piston rod having a proximal end portion thereof fixed to the piston and a distal end portion thereof extending to an outside of the cylinder, the piston rod including a hollow portion;a fluid passage provided in the piston rod so as to enable communication between the two oil chambers in the cylinder;a damping force adjusting mechanism provided in the fluid passage so as to vary a flow path area of the fluid passage;an actuator connected to the distal end portion of the piston rod so as to operate the damping force adjusting mechanism by application of an operating force;a transmission rod extending axially in the hollow portion of the piston rod so as to transmit the operating force of the actuator to the damping force adjusting mechanism; andan air spring provided between the cylinder and the distal end portion of the piston rod, the air spring forming an air chamber for containing air,wherein the actuator includes a movable inner wall defining a pressure-receiving chamber for receiving air pressure on a side of the distal end portion of the piston rod, the movable inner wall being adapted to be displaced according to the air pressure in the pressure-receiving chamber, to thereby operate the damping force adjusting mechanism through the transmission rod, and wherein the piston rod includes an air passage for introducing pressure of air in the air chamber to the pressure-receiving chamber in the actuator so as to displace the movable inner wall.