Patent ID: 6749048
Filing Date: 2004-06-15
Classification: F16F,Y10S

Abstract:
A suspension strut of a pressurized pressured system for a vehicle for reduced static friction on a displacement rod of the pressured system, the vehicle having a wheel contacting a surface under the vehicle and a suspension link suspending the wheel from the vehicle and allowing compression movement of the wheel toward the vehicle and rebound movement of the wheel toward the surface, the suspension strut comprising:a compressible fluid; a tube and displacement rod adapted to couple the suspension link and the vehicle, the tube including inner walls defining an inner cavity, the inner walls having apertures formed therethrough defining first and second portions of the inner cavity in fluid communication, each of the portions being adapted to contain the compressible fluid and to cooperate with the compressible fluid to supply a suspending spring force biasing the wheel toward the surface, the displacement rod adapted to move into the inner cavity upon the compression movement of the wheel and to move out of the inner cavity upon the rebound movement of the wheel; a cavity piston coupled to the displacement rod and extending to engage with the tube thereby allowing flow of the compressible fluid between the first and second portions of the inner cavity; a sealing member for sealing the compressible fluid in the tube, the sealing member being disposed on a surface of the housing portion adjacent the inner walls, the sealing member being in circumferential engagement about the displacement rod to define a radial preload on the displacement rod forming a static friction thereon; an actuator attached to the sealing member and being configured to bend when an electric input is applied thereacross to displace the sealing member from the displacement rod for reducing the static friction on the displacement rod when the displacement rod moves within the pressured system; and a gland cap attached to the actuator to provide support to the actuator when the actuator bends to displace the sealing member from the displacement rod, the gland cap being attached to the tube and disposed about the displacement rod.