Patent ID: 6374966
Filing Date: 2002-04-23
Classification: B60G,F16F

Abstract:
A shock absorber, comprising:a housing having an inner chamber and an outer chamber, said inner chamber having an opening at one end thereof; a rod positioned relative to and slidably movable through said opening having one end movable longitudinally along at least one portion of said inner chamber and an other end extending beyond said opening; a mount member having a bore through which said other end of said rod is fixedly coupled; piston means coupled to said one end of said rod so as to be moveable in unison with said rod inside said inner chamber, said piston means having a plunger means; at least one cavity at one end of said inner chamber to which said plunger means is matable with when said mount member and said housing are moved away from each other; flexible enclosure means having one end fixedly coupled to said mount member and another end fixedly coupled to said housing for enclosing the portion of said rod extending beyond said opening, a gaseous fluid being introduced under pressure into said enclosure means; wherein, once said enclosure means is inflated with the gaseous fluid to a given pressure, said enclosure means in combination with the pressurized gaseous fluid stored therein contribute to the stiffness characteristics of said shock absorber; an other plunger means extending from said housing towards said mount member and guided in its movement by said rod; wherein the pressure of the gaseous fluid in said elastomeric enclosure means has a given pressure, the pressure of the gaseous fluid in side said elastomeric enclosure means being substantially equaled to the pressure of the gaseous fluid in said bore when said other plunger means is positioned substantially at the entrance of said bore, the pressure of the gaseous fluid in said bore increases in proportion to the distance said other plunger means advances inside said bore to thereby provide damping for said shock absorber.