Movement-controlling device

Abstract: A fluid spring, such as for controlling the angular movement of a vehicle door, comprises a piston (42) slidable within a cylinder (20) having a fixture (24) connected to the door frame. A piston rod (40) has a fixture (56) connected to the door. The piston (42) divides the interior of the cylinder (20) into first and second chambers (48,50) filled with hydraulic fluid. A fluid passageway (117) in the piston (42) leads from one of the chambers (48,50) into a cavity (104) but is normally blocked by a seal (120) carried by a vane (116) which, like a second vane (114), is rigid with a boss (112) angularly biassed around a central axis by a spring (118). When sufficient force is applied to the door, the fluid pressure acting on the seal (120) moves the vane (116) against the spring bias and allows fluid flow between the two chambers (48,50) and consequent angular movement of the door. The required force to keep the door moving now substantially reduces because the fluid pressure acts on the whole of the side of the vane (116). Movement of the second vane (114) progressively unseals a second fluid passage through the piston between the two chambers (48,50).

Description: The invention relates to movement-controlling devices. One embodiment of the invention, to be described below in more detail by way of example only, is in the form of a movement-controlling device for controlling the opening and/or closing of a door of a vehicle. A known movement-controlling device is that described in GB 2281370 A which discloses the features of the preamble of claims 1 and 14. According to the invention, there is provided a movement-controlling device, comprising a tubular body having piston means sealingly slidable therein between first and second ends of the tubular body, the piston means dividing the interior of the body into first and second chambers filled with fluid and carrying a piston rod sealingly protruding externally of the tubular body through the second end thereof, the piston means incorporating pressure-responsive control means operative initially, in response to an external force applied to the piston rod causing the pressure difference between the two chambers to exceed a predetermined level, to allow initial fluid flow between the two chambers through the piston means and consequent movement of the piston means within the tubular body and operative secondly and following the initial flow to allow the flow to continue while the pressure difference exceeds a lower level, the pressure-responsive control means comprising a first member pivotably mounted in the piston means and a first passageway through the piston means connecting the first and second chambers, the first member being biassed into a closed position in which a first part of its surface sealingly blocks the passageway whereby when the pressure difference exceeds the predetermined level the pressure acting through the passageway on the first surface area part produces a sufficient force to move the first member away from its closed position to allow the initial fluid flow, the pressure acting on the first member through the passageway thereafter acting on a larger part of the surface of the member to produce a sufficient force to hold the first member away from the closed position when the pressure difference has fallen below the predetermined level. According to the invention, there is further provided a fluid-controlled spring for controlling the angular movement of a door in a motor vehicle, comprising a hollow cylinder having a main piston slidable therein between a first closed end of the cylinder and a second or opposite end through which sealingly extends a piston rod carried by the main piston, the first end of the cylinder and the distal end of the piston rod carrying separate fixing means one of which is adapted for attachment to the door and the other for attachment to the vehicle body whereby the piston rod moves outwardly and inwardly of the cylinder as the door is opened and closed, a first chamber being defined between the main piston and the first end of the cylinder and a second chamber being defined on the opposite side of the piston, the first and second chambers being filled with hydraulic fluid, and pressure-responsive control means mounted in the main piston to control the flow of liquid between the two chambers and thereby to control the angular movement of the door, the control means comprising a cavity in the main piston, a passageway in the main piston which is open to one of the chambers and extends through an entrance aperture in a wall of the cavity and thence through the cavity to an exit therefrom leading to the other chamber, and a pivotable member movable angularly within the cavity about an axis parallel to the piston rod towards and away from the said wall and biassed into a closed position in which it sealingly closes the entrance to block flow of fluid between the two chambers and thus to resist movement of the piston rod and the door, whereby application of a force to the door which is sufficient to cause the pressure in the said one chamber to exceed the pressure in the other chamber by at least a predetermined amount produces a sufficient force acting on the member through the entrance to move the member away from its closed position to allow flow of fluid into the cavity and thence to the other chamber and consequent movement of the main piston and angular movement of the door, the pressure of the fluid acting through the entrance on a larger part of the surface of the member being sufficient to hold the member away from the closed position when the pressure in the said one chamber exceeds the pressure in the other chamber by a lesser amount. Movement-controlling devices embodying the invention and in the form of fluid springs for controlling the opening and closing movement of vehicle doors, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through one of the springs; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through a piston in the spring of Figure 1, taken on the line II-II of Figure 3; Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line III-III of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through part of the piston of Figures 2 - 4, taken on the line V-V of Figure 4; Figure 6 corresponds to Figure 3 and shows the piston in the closed position; Figure 7 corresponds to Figure 3 and shows the piston in an operating position; Figure 8 corresponds to Figure 3 and shows the piston in a maximum opening position; Figures 9,10 and 11 respectively correspond to Figures 6,7 and 8 and view the piston in the direction of the arrow A of Figure 2; Figure 12 is a longitudinal section through part of a modified form of the piston; Figure 13 is a cross-section on the line XIII-XIII of Figure 12, showing the piston in a closed position; and Figure 14 corresponds to Figure 13 but shows the piston in an operating position; and Figure 15 is a cross-section similar to Figures 13 and 14 of a further modified form of the piston. The spring to be described comprises a cylindrical body 20 having a closed end 22 carrying a fixture 24. The opposite end 25 of the body 20 has an opening 26 in which is located a guide 28. The guide 28 is held in position by an apertured disc 30 which is located by a circumferential shoulder 32 extending inwardly around the interior of the cylindrical body 20. An O-ring 34 seals the guide 28 to the body 20. A circular seal 36 is located in a recess 38 in the guide 28. A piston rod 40 is slidably movable through the guide 28 and sealed by the circular seal 36, and carries a piston 42 which will be described in more detail below. A slidable separator 44 is mounted within the cylindrical body 20 and is sealed thereto by an O-ring 46. The interior of the cylindrical body 20 is thus divided into three chambers 48,50 and 52. Chambers 48 and 50 are filled with a suitable liquid and chamber 52 is filled with gas under pressure. Over part of its length, the interior wall of the cylindrical body 20 is provided with a longitudinally extending groove 56. Piston rod 40 carries a fixture 57 at its distal end. In use, this fixture 57 is connected to the vehicle door and the fixture 24 is connected to the door frame (or the connections could of course be reversed). As the door moves towards its fully open position, the piston correspondingly moves outwardly of the cylindrical body 20 (towards the end 25 as shown in Figure 1). During such outward movement of the piston rod, it is of course necessary for the liquid to transfer from chamber 48 to chamber 50. Conversely, when the door moves towards the closed position, the piston rod moves inwardly of the cylindrical body 20 and the liquid must transfer from chamber 50 to chamber 48. As the piston rod 40 moves inwardly of the cylinder 20, the piston rod will occupy an increasing volume within the cylinder. Compensation for this is provided by corresponding movement of the separator 44 against the pressure of the gas within chamber 52. Separator 44 moves in the opposite direction during outward movement of the piston rod. When the door is at or near its fully closed position, the piston 42 is overlapped by the longitudinal groove 56 - that is, the groove 56 extends from one side of the piston to the other side (in Figure 1, the length of the cylindrical body 20 and the length of the groove 56 are reduced for illustrative purposes). When the door is initially moved away from the fully closed position, so that the piston rod 40 moves outwardly of the cylinder 20, hydraulic liquid can transfer from chamber 48 to chamber 50 through groove 56 without any significant resistance. The force required to be applied to the door is thus low. However, as soon as the door has been moved through a small angular extent from the fully closed position, the piston 42 will start to move away from the region of the cylinder 20 which includes the groove 56. Liquid can now only transfer from chamber 48 to chamber 50 through the piston 42 itself in a manner which will be explained. The transfer of fluid in this way controls movement of the piston rod and consequently the movement of the door. When the piston 42 is not overlapped by groove 56, a relatively high force has to be applied to the piston rod 40 (by application of a corresponding force to the door itself) in order to initiate movement of the piston rod (in the door-opening or door-closing direction). However, once movement of the piston rod has started, the force required to continue such movement is greatly reduced. In this way, the door when stationary in each angular position is held firmly in that position and can only be moved from it by the application of a significant force. The door is thus held against inadvertent movement such as might be caused by wind or gravitational forces (if the vehicle is parked on a slope). However, after a sufficient force has been applied to the door to initiate movement away from its current angular position, the door can be moved to a new desired position with the application of a reduced force. When this reduced force ceases to be applied, the door stops and is held firmly in the new angular position until the required substantial force is again applied. The arrangement thus also assists in controllably opening the door to a limited extent when the vehicle is parked close to an obstruction and cannot be open to a greater extent without risk of damage. The operation is similar during closing movement of the door (assuming that the piston 42 is not overlapped by groove 56). During such movement, the piston rod 40 moves inwardly of the cylinder 20 and hydraulic liquid must transfer from chamber 50 to chamber 48 through the piston 42. Again, the piston 42 so controls the flow of hydraulic fluid that a substantial force must be applied to the door to initiate its closing movement, but the force is sharply reduced once closing movement has started. When the door is nearly fully closed, the piston 42 is once more overlapped by the groove 56 which allows free transfer of fluid from chamber 50 to chamber 48 and allows the door to be closed with minimum applied force. The piston 42 will now be described with reference to Figures 2,3 and 4. The piston comprises a body 60 having recesses 62 and 64, a central bore 65 and radially displaced bores 66 and 68. The piston rod 40 has an end portion 40A of reduced diameter which is located within the bore 65 and sealed to it by a O-ring seal 70. The portion 40A has a head 40B which engages a disc 72. A corresponding disc 74 is located against a shoulder 76 of the piston rod 40. Circular end plates 78 and 80 are held in position against opposite faces of the main body 60 of the piston. The end plates 78 and 80 have through holes (one shown at 82) aligned with the bores 66 and 68 in the main body 60. End plate 78 is sealed to the piston rod portion 40A by a O-ring 86. End plate 80 is sealed to the piston rod portion 40A by an O-ring 88. End plates 78 and 80 are sealed to the main body 60 by O-rings 90 and 92. The main body 60 is sealed to the cylindrical body 20 by an O-ring 94. As shown in Figure 3, the recess 62 extends from a first radial wall 100 to a second radial wall 102. The main body 60 also includes a further recess 104 which is radially displaced with respect to the recess 62 and extends from a radially directed wall 106 to a further radially directed wall 108. A palette 110 has a cylindrical portion 112 rotatably mounted on the piston rod part 40A (see Figure 2, also) and has integral vanes 114 and 116, of the same length in an axial direction as the cylindrical portion 112, which respectively extend into the recesses 62 and 104. A coil spring 118 in recess 62 urges the palette 110 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 3 so that the vane 116 moves into contact with radial wall 108. The recess 104 is connected to chamber 48 (Figure 1) by means of a bore 117 (shown dotted in Figure 3) which has an opening in radial wall 108 and extends therefrom to an opening 118 in the outer cylindrical face of the main body 60 in the region of the gap 60A (see Figure 2). The vane 116 carries a circular disc-shaped seal 120 which, when the vane 116 is in the position shown in Figure 3, closes the opening of the bore 117 in the radial wall 108. Recesses 62 and 104 are interconnected by a bore 122 in the main body 60. Vane 114 is provided with a circular recess 123 surrounded by a seal 124. The seal 124 is in sealing contact with the face 78A (see Figure 1) of the end plate 78. Figure 9 shows the end plate 78 which has a through hole 126. This hole 126 is radially positioned so that, when the palette 110 is in the position shown in Figure 3, hole 126 is in exact alignment with the circular recess 123 in the vane 114. The hole 126 is thus sealingly closed by the seal 124. At the opposite axial end of the piston 42, there is a generally similar arrangement. Thus, recess 64 (Figure 4) extends from a first radial wall 130 to a second radial wall 132 and is connected by a bore 134 in the main body 60 to a second recess 136 extending from a radially directed wall 138 to another radially directed wall 140. A palette 142 has a cylindrical body 144 rotatably mounted on the piston rod part 40A which integrally carries vanes 146 and 148 positioned in and arcuately movable in the recesses 130 and 136. A compression spring 150 urges the palette 142 in a clockwise direction (as viewed in Figure 4) so that vane 148 moves into contact with radial wall 140. Seal 152 carried by vane 148 closes off an opening in the radial wall 140 which is positioned at one end of a through bore 154 extending to the external cylindrical surface of the main body 60 in the region of the gap 60B (see Fig. 2). In a manner to be explained, palette 112 controls the operation of the door spring during opening movement of the door, while palette 142 controls operation of the door spring during closing movement of the door. The portions of the recesses 62 and 104 which are not occupied by the vanes 114 and 116 are filled with liquid which flows into the recesses from chamber 50 through bores 66 and 122 (Figure 3). Arcuately directed bores 156 and 157 (shown dotted in Figure 3) extend through the vane 114 and allow the fluid to fill the portions of the recess 62 on each side of the vane 114. The operation of the door spring during opening movement of the door will now be considered in more detail. When the door is fully closed, the piston 42 (Figure 1) will be overlapped by the groove 56. As already explained, during initial opening movement of the door, the required transfer of hydraulic liquid from chamber 48 to chamber 50 can freely take place via groove 56 and minimum opening force needs to be applied to the door. However, when the door has opened through a small angular distance, the piston will no longer be overlapped by the groove 56, and transfer of hydraulic liquid stops. In order to open the door further, the user must exert a relatively strong opening force on the door. This force tends to move the piston rod 42 outwardly of the cylindrical body 20. The hydraulic liquid within chamber 48 becomes pressurised and exerts a force through the gap 60A and the bore 117 (Figure 3) against the seal 120 mounted on the vane 116. When the force produced by the pressure acting on the small surface of the seal 120 becomes sufficient to overcome the force exerted by the spring 118, the palette 110 begins to turn in the anti-clockwise direction (as viewed in Figure 3). The palette 110 thus moves from the position shown in Figure 6 to the partially open position shown in Figure 7. This movement is not resisted by the hydraulic fluid within the recess 104, because this fluid is displaced through conduit 122 and into recess 62 and thence to chamber 50 (Figures 1 and 2) via through bore 66 and hole 82 (Figure 2). Similarly, the anti-clockwise movement of the palette 110 is not resisted by the hydraulic fluid within recess 62, because this hydraulic fluid flows through the arcuately shaped bores 156 and 157 and thence through bore 66 to chamber 50. However, the pressure of the fluid acting on the vane 116 through bore 117 (see Figure 3) is now applied to substantially the whole side face of the vane 116, instead of being applied only to the seal 120. The force applied to the vane therefore increases, turning it further in the anti-clockwise direction. Furthermore, as the palette 110 begins to move in the anti-clockwise direction, in response to the force produced by the pressure of the hydraulic fluid within the bore 117, the corresponding movement of the vane 114 starts to move the seal 124 away from the hole 126 in the end plate 78 (see Figure 10). This therefore now allows fluid from chamber 48 to flow through hole 126 into the portion 62A (see Figure 3) of recess 62 and thence to chamber 50 through bore 66. This relatively free flow of fluid from chamber 48 to chamber 50 reduces the force which has to be applied to the door the piston rod to in the outward direction. As the palette 110 moves further in the anti-clockwise direction, more of the hole 126 in the end plate 78 becomes uncovered (see Figure 11) and a greater flow of fluid is possible, thus further reducing the force which has to be exerted on the door. Therefore, after a relatively high opening force has been applied to the door, sufficient to start anti-clockwise and movement of the palette 110 (see Figure 3), the force required to maintain such movement is reduced because (a) the pressure applied to the vane 116 through the bore 117 is now applied to a larger surface area, and (b) the hole 126 in the end plate 78 is progressively opened to allow a greater flow of liquid from chamber 48 to chamber 50. The greater the speed of opening movement of the door, the greater is the force applied by the fluid to the vane 116 and the more is the hole 134 in the end plate 78 open. Therefore, this compensates for increased dynamic forces created as the rate of flow of the fluid increases and which would otherwise increase the force required to open the door. A channel 128 is provided through the vane 116 to allow the fluid flowing through the passage 117 to flow through the vane and thence through passage 122 and bore 66 into chamber 50. If the user stops applying the opening force to the door, the pressure difference between the chambers 48 and 50 falls to zero as the movement of the door stops, and the force acting on the vane 116 consequently falls as well. The spring 102 turns the palette 110 in the clockwise direction back to the position shown in Figure 3. The seal 120 shuts off the passageway 117. Chambers 48 and 50 are thus no longer connected and the piston 42 is held in a stationary position, holding the door in a corresponding angular position. A relatively strong force must now be applied to the door in order to move it away from this position. During closing movement of the door, requiring the piston rod 40 to move inwardly of the cylinder 20, hydraulic fluid must flow from chamber 50 to chamber 48. This is controlled by palette 142 (Figure 4) which operates in substantially the same way as the palette 110 of Figure 3. Thus, when the user applies a sufficiently high closing force to the door, the pressure exerted by the piston 42 on the hydraulic fluid in chamber 50 is applied through bore 154 (Figure 4) to the seal 152 carried by the vane 148. Provided that the user is applying a sufficiently high force, the hydraulic fluid pressure will be sufficient to start to turn the palette 142 in an anti-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4, against the force of the spring 150. The fluid in the chamber 136 is forced by the moving vane 148 through the passage 134 into the chamber 130 and thence through bore 68 into chamber 48 via a correspondingly positioned hole (not shown) in end plate 78. As the vane 146 moves angularly through the chamber 130, fluid can transfer from one side of it to the other through passageways 160 and 162 (corresponding to passageways 156 and 157 in vane 114, Figure 3). Once the relatively high applied force has started to move the vane 148 away from the end wall 140, the fluid pressure from chamber 50, which is applied to the vane through the bore 154, can act on a larger surface area of the vane, enabling the angular movement of the vane to continue with a lower applied force. Figures 2 and 4 show how the vane 146 carries a circular recess 166 incorporating an O-ring 168 which, when the palette 142 is in the position shown in Figure 4, is co-axial with a hole 170 through the end plate 80. Hole 170 is thus blocked in this position of the palette 142. However, as the palette 142 begins to move in the anti-clockwise direction, the hole 170 becomes progressively unblocked and open to the interior of the chamber 64. This facilitates increased movement of the fluid in chamber 50 to chamber 48 through bore 68 and allows a greater rate of flow of the fluid as the speed of closing movement of the door is increased. When the user stops applying a closing force to the door, and its movement consequently stops, the pressures in chambers 50 and 48 become equal, and the palette 142 is turned back to the position shown in Figure 4 by the spring 150, so that the seal 152 closes the passageway 154. The door is thus held in its current position, and can only be moved from this position by the application of a relatively high force. Figure 12 corresponds to part of Figure 2 and shows a partial longitudinal section through a modified form of piston. Items corresponding to those in the other Figures are similarly referenced. As shown in Figures 12, 13 and 14, the main body 60 of the piston 42 has a recess 200 defining a cavity in which a blade 202 is pivotted by means of an integral pivot pin 204 rotatable within a hole 206. The blade 202 is biassed into position shown in Figure 13 by a leaf spring 208. The blade carries an integral pin 210 which, when the blade 202 is in the position shown in Figure 13, sealingly extends into an O-ring 212 at the end of a bore 214. The bore 214 extends from the cavity 200, through the main body 60 of the piston to an opening in the main body which is in communication with the chamber 50 via a narrow cylindrical gap 216 (see Figure 12). As shown in Figure 12, the cavity 200 is closed off by an end plate 80. The blade 202 has a circular recess 218 surrounded by an O-ring 220. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, when the blade 204 is in the position shown in Figure 13 the recess 218 is aligned with the hole 170 through the end plate 80, and this hole 170 is thus sealed from the cavity 200 by the seal 220. The opposite wall of the recess 200 is provided with grooves 222, 224 and 226 (see Figure 13 also). A through bore 228 leads from the cavity 200, through the main body 60 of the piston, and through the opposite face (not shown) of the piston into the chamber 48. Recess 200 is thus filled with hydraulic fluid from the chamber 48 which enters through the bore 228. It will initially be assumed that the vehicle door is open to a significant extent such that the piston 42 is not overlapped by the groove 56 (Figure 1), and that the user wishes to move the door towards the closed position. With the blade 202 in the closed position shown in Figure 13, communication between chambers 48 and 50 is blocked. Flow of fluid between chambers 48 and 50 is prevented. As the user applies a force to the door, the piston 42 will increase the pressure of the fluid within the chamber 50, as compared with the pressure within chamber 48. This increased fluid pressure will be applied to the pin 210 (Figures 13 and 14) via the bore 214 and, when sufficient, will pivot the blade 202 in an anti-clockwise direction as shown in Figure 14. The bore 214 is no longer sealingly closed, and fluid from chamber 50 can now enter into cavity 200 through the bore. At the same time, however, the pressure of the fluid in chamber 50 is now applied not only to the end of the pin 210 but also to the larger surface area 230 of the blade 202. The blade 202 can thus be held in the open position (Figure 14) with a lower force now applied to the door. The fluid entering cavity 200 through the bore 214 flows through the grooves 222, 224 and 226 to the opposite side of the blade and flows thence to chamber 48 through the bore 228. In addition, the angular opening movement of the blade 204 displaces the recess 218 and the O-ring seal 220 away from the hole 170 in the end plate 80 (see Figure 12). Fluid can now easily enter the cavity 200 through the bore 170 from the chamber 50 and can flow into chamber 48 through bore 228. As before, therefore, a relatively high force must be applied to the door to start the closing movement. However, once movement has started, the force required to continue this movement is sharply reduced. Furthermore, increasing fluid flow from chamber 50 to chamber 48 is allowed, through bore 170, as the blade 202 pivots further, thus increasing the permitted flow of hydraulic fluid as a function of speed of movement of the piston rod and the corresponding speed of angular movement of the door. When the user no longer applies a closing force to the door, movement of the piston stops, and the pressures in chambers 48 and 50 equalise. The blade 202 thus returns to the closed position shown in Figure 13. The opposite end of the piston 42 is similarly constructed, and operates in a corresponding way when the door is moved towards the closed position. Figure 15 shows a modified form of the piston. The view in the Figure corresponds to that of Figure 13 and items corresponding to those in the other Figures are similarly referenced. In this modified piston, the blade 202A incorporates a magnet 300 which in the position shown in Figure 15 with pin 210 closing the bore 214, rests against the outer circumference of the piston rod 40A. In Figure 15, the leaf spring 208 of Figures 13 and 14 has been replaced with a coil spring 302 acting to bias the pin 210 into the bore 214. It will be appreciated that the leaf spring arrangement of Figures 13 and 14 may be retained in place of the coil spring 302 of Figure 15. The magnet 300 is attracted to the piston rod 40A and thus produces a force which in addition to that of the coil spring 302, tends to hold the pin 210 in the bore 214. As fluid flows in the bore 214 during movement of the door as described above, the blade 202A pivots about the pivot pin 204, and the magnet 300 is moved away from the piston rod 40A. Since the couple exerted between the magnet 300 and piston rod 40A diminishes exponentially with distance, the biasing effect of the magnet 300 rapidly becomes insignificant. Thus, by combining the biasing effect of the magnet 300 and the coil spring 302, a weaker coil spring 302 may be used than is necessary in the earlier described embodiment. Thus, in this embodiment, a strong force is exerted to keep the pin 210 in the bore 214 when the door is not being moved by a user, but once movement occurs and fluid flow causes the blade 202A to pivot in an anticlockwise direction (as viewed in Figure 15) about pivot pin 204, the force required to keep the bore 214 open rapidly diminishes because of the correspondingly diminishing biasing force. Furthermore, greater fluid flow is achieved through bore 214 since the blade 202A once pivoted, is not so strongly biased towards its closing position, is able to open further and therefore allows an easier flow of fluid through the bore 214 during movement of the door by the user. It will be understood that the opposite end of the piston 42 is similarly constructed and operates in a corresponding way when the door is moved towards the closed position. Thus by combining non-linear biasing means such as a magnet with linear biasing means such as a coil spring, a non-linear biasing force i.e. a biasing force not varying proportionally with distance, is exerted on the blade 202A. Where technical features mentioned in any claim herein are followed by reference symbols, those reference symbols are included solely for the purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims.

Claims: A movement controlling device, comprising a tubular body (20) having piston means (42) sealingly slidable therein between first and second ends (22,25) of the tubular body (20), the piston means (42) dividing the interior of the body (20) into first and second chambers (50,48) filled with fluid and carrying a piston rod (40) sealingly protruding externally of the tubular body (20) through the second end (25) thereof, the piston means incorporating pressure-responsive control means operative initially, in response to an external force applied to the piston rod (40) causing the pressure difference between the two chambers (48,50) to exceed a predetermined level, to allow initial fluid flow between the two chambers (48,50) through the piston means (42) and consequent movement of the piston means (42) within the tubular body (20) and operative secondly and following the initial flow to allow the flow to continue while the pressure difference exceeds a lower level, characterised by the pressure-responsive control means comprising a first member (116) pivotably mounted in the piston means (42) and a first passageway (117,104,128,104,122,62,66) through the piston means (42) connecting the first and second chambers (50,48), the first member (116) being biased into a closed position in which a first part of its surface sealingly blocks the passageway (117,104,128,104,122,62,66) whereby when the pressure difference exceeds the predetermined level the pressure acting through the passageway (117,104,128,104,122,62,66) on the first surface area part produces a sufficient force to move the first member (116) away from its closed position to allow the initial fluid flow, the pressure acting on the first member (116) through the passageway (117,104,128,104,122,66,62) thereafter acting on a larger part of the surface of the member (116) to produce a sufficient force to hold the first member (116) away from the closed position when the pressure difference has fallen below the predetermined level. A device according to claim 1, in which the first member (116) is movable within a cavity (104) having a fluid exit (122) connected to one chamber (50) and a fluid entrance (117) connected to the other chamber (48), the fluid entrance (117) comprising an aperture in a wall of the cavity (104), the surface being the surface of a side of the member (116) which moves towards the wall (108) of the cavity (104) as the first member (116) is biased into the closed position so that the said part of the surface sealingly closes the aperture. A device according to claim 2, in which the first member (116) substantially fills the cross-section of the cavity (104). A device according to claim 3, in which the passageway (117,104,128,104,122,62,66) through the piston means (42) includes a passage (128) through the first member (116) from the said side thereof to an opposite side thereof, the passage (128) being positioned away from the said first part of the surface. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the pressure-responsive control means includes a second passageway (126,62,66) through the piston means between the two chambers (48,50), and valve means controlled by movement of the first member (116) so that the second passageway (126,62,66) is closed when the first member (116) is in the closed position but becomes progressively more open as the member (116) moves away from the closed position. A device according to claim 5, in which the valve means comprises a second member (114) linked for movement with the first member (116), the second member (114) moving within a second cavity (62) having an exit (66) and an entrance (126) respectively connected to the two chambers (50,48), the second member (114) carrying sealing means (124) which blocks the entrance (126) when the first-mentioned member (116) is in the closed position and which progressively opens the entrance (126) as the first member (116) moves away from the closed position. A device according to claim 6, in which the two members (116,114) extend in radial directions away from and are attached to a body (112) which is angularly movable around an axis extending longitudinally through the piston means (42). A device according to claim 7, in which the axis is aligned with the piston rod (40). A device according to any preceding claim, including spring means (118) mounted in the or one of the cavities (62,104) and acting on the or the respective member (114,116) to bias the or the respective member (114,116) into the closed position. A device according to any preceding claim, including magnet means mounted in the or one of the cavities (104,62) and acting on the or the respective member (116,114) to bias the or the respective member (116,114) into a closed position. A device according to any preceding claim, including second, similar, control means carried by the piston means (42) and operative to control movement of the piston means (42) in the opposite direction. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the fluid is hydraulic fluid. A device according to claim 12, including secondary piston means sealingly slidable in the tubular body (20) and positioned between the first-mentioned piston means and the first end (22) of the tubular body (20) and defining a gas-filled chamber (52) between itself and the first end (22) of the tubular body (20), the secondary piston means being slidable within the tubular body (20) to compensate for the volume within the tubular body (20) which is occupied by the piston rod (40) as the first-mentioned piston means moves. A fluid-controlled spring for controlling the angular movement of a door in a motor vehicle, comprising a hollow cylinder (20) having a main piston (42) slidable therein between a first closed end (22) of the cylinder (20) and a second or opposite end (25) through which sealingly extends a piston rod (40) carried by the main piston (42), the first end (22) of the cylinder (20) and the distal end (25) of the piston rod (40) carrying separate fixing means (24,57) one of which is adapted for attachment to the door and the other for attachment to the vehicle body whereby the piston rod (40) moves outwardly and inwardly of the cylinder (20) as the door is opened and closed, a first chamber (50) being defined between the main piston (42) and the first end (22) of the cylinder (20) and a second chamber (48) being defined on the opposite side of the piston, the first and second chambers (48,50) being filled with hydraulic fluid, and pressure-responsive control means mounted in the main piston (42) to control the flow of liquid between the two chambers (48,50) and thereby to control the angular movement of the door, characterised by control means comprising a cavity (104) in the main piston (60), a passageway (117,104,128,104,122,62,66) in the main piston (42) which is open to one of the chambers (48) and extends through an entrance aperture (117) in a wall (108) of the cavity (104) and thence through the cavity (104) to an exit (122) therefrom leading to the other chamber (50), and a pivotable member (116) movable angularly within the cavity (104) about an axis parallel to the piston rod (40) towards and away from the said wall (108) and biased into a closed position in which it sealingly closes the entrance (117) to block flow of fluid between the two chambers (48,50) and thus to resist movement of the piston rod (40) and the door, whereby application of a force to the door which is sufficient to cause the pressure in the said one chamber (48) to exceed the pressure in the other chamber (50) by at least a predetermined amount produces a sufficient force acting on the member (116) through the entrance (117) to move the member (116) away from its closed position to allow flow of fluid into the cavity (104) and thence to the other chamber (50) and consequent movement of the main piston (42) and angular movement of the door, the pressure of the fluid acting through the entrance (117) on a larger part of the surface of the member (116) being sufficient to hold the member (116) away from the closed position when the pressure in the said one chamber (48) exceeds the pressure in the other chamber (50) by a lesser amount. A spring according to claim 14, in which the pressure-responsive control means includes a second passageway (126,62,66) through the main piston (42) between the two chambers (48,50), and valve means controlled by movement of the first member (116) so that the second passageway (126,62,66) is closed when the first member (116) is in the closed position but becomes progressively more open as the member (116) moves away from the closed position. A spring according to claim 15, in which the valve means comprises a second member (114) linked for movement with the first member (116), the second member (114) carrying sealing means (124) which blocks the entrance (126) when the first member (116) is in the closed position and which progressively opens the entrance (126) as the first member (116) moves away from the closed position. A spring according to claim 14 or 15, in which the cavity (104) occupies at least part of a hemispherical shape within the piston and the said wall (108) extends in a generally radial direction. A spring according to claim 14 or 15, in which the cavity is arcuately shaped with respect to the axis of the piston rod (40), the said wall (108) extends generally radially, and the member (116) is movable in an arcuate direction with the cavity (104). A spring according to claim 16, in which the cavity (104) in which the first member (116) moves is arcuately shaped with respect to the axis of the piston rod (40), the said wall (108) extends in a generally radial direction and the first member (116) is movable in an arcuate direction within the cavity (104); and in which the second member (114) is movable in an arcuate direction in a second arcuately shaped cavity (62) forming part of the second passageway (126,62,66). A spring according to any one of claims 14 to 19, including magnet means (300) mounted in the cavity (200) and acting to bias the pivotable member (202A) into the closed position. A spring according to claim 20, wherein the magnet means (300) is mounted on one of the pivotable member (202A) and the piston rod (40A) and acts to attract the pivotable member (202A) and the piston rod (40A) together. A spring according to claim 19 or claim 20, in which the two members (116,114) extend in radial directions away from and are attached to a body (112) which is angularly movable around the axis of the piston rod (40). A spring according to any one of claims 18 to 22, in which the or each member ((202,202A), 116,114) substantially fills the cross-section of the or the respective cavity (200,104,62), and in which the or each passageway through the main piston (42) includes a passage ((222,224,226), 128, (156,157)) through the respective member. A spring according to any one of claims 14 to 23, including second, similar, control means carried by the main piston and operative to control movement of the piston in the opposite direction. A spring according to any one of claims 14 to 24, including secondary piston means (44) sealingly slidable in the cylinder (20) and positioned between the main piston (42) and the first end (22) of the cylinder (20) and defining a gas-filled chamber (52) between itself and the first end (22), the secondary piston means (44) being slidable within the cylinder (20) to compensate for the volume within the cylinder (20) which is occupied by the piston rod (40) as the main piston (42) means moves.

Inventors: ECARNOT ERIC, ECARNOT, ERIC
Applicants: TRELLEBORG AB
Application year: 1998
Main classification: F16F9
IPC codes: F16F9