Abstract:
A shock absorber includes a gas compartment within its reservoir compartment. The gas compartment contains gas at a pressure beyond atmospheric pressure. The gas compartment may be defined by an elastomeric bladder which separates the fluid and gas in the shock from one another, and prevents the fluid from becoming aerated during operation of the shock. Because the shock absorber is pressurized beyond atmospheric pressure, the shock absorber provides a “spring assist” to the main suspension spring. The bladder acts as diaphragm and pressure in the bladder is directly transmitted to the fluid. As the main chamber of the shock absorber is replenished with fluid from the reservoir chamber, the gap in the reservoir chamber is taken up by the ever-expanding bladder, and no cavitation occurs in another embodiment, the bladder is replaced by a member mounted for reciprocal sealing movement within the reservoir compartment.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims priority of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60,324,301, filed Sep. 24, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Shock absorbers are commonly used in vehicle suspension systems to absorb unwanted vibrations, which occur during driving. Specifically, shock absorbers are generally connected between the body (sprung mass) and the suspension (unsprung mass) of the vehicle to “dampen” vibrations transmitted from the suspension to the body.  
           [0003]    Vehicle shock absorbers typically have a hollow cylinder defining an internal chamber, which is divided into a compression compartment and a rebound compartment by a piston assembly slidably positioned in the internal chamber. Such shock absorbers incorporate a reservoir for hydraulic fluid (oil). The reservoir provides a space in communication with the internal chamber that can receive fluid displaced from the internal chamber, and from which the displaced fluid can return into the shock absorber internal chamber.  
           [0004]    The shock absorber includes internal valving that permits fluid to flow between the compression and rebound compartments as the piston moves within the internal chamber. One end of the cylinder is closed and is typically connected to the vehicle suspension by a suitable linkage. A piston rod extends through a seal assembly mounted in the other end of the cylinder and has its inner end connected to the piston and its outer end connected to the vehicle body by a suitable connector. The piston assembly limits the flow of damping fluid within the internal chamber of the shock absorber during compression and extension of the shock, thereby providing a damping force, which “smoothes” or “dampens” vibrations transmitted from the suspension to the body.  
           [0005]    The reservoir of the shock absorber provides a space into which fluid can be displaced from the internal chamber during reciprocating motion of the piston within the internal chamber. During the compression stroke, a volume of fluid equal to the displacement of the piston rod is displaced from the shock absorber cylinder, through suitable valves in the piston and the base of the cylinder, and into the reservoir. Conversely, during the rebound stroke, the volume of fluid that was displaced from internal chamber during the compression stroke is returned to the internal chamber through a low resistance valving to refill the internal chamber.  
           [0006]    To provide a space for the pulsing action of the hydraulic fluid between the internal chamber and the reservoir, a volume of air is retained in the reservoir. However, during operation of the shock, the movement of fluid into and out of the reservoir can cause a high degree of turbulence of the fluid and air in the reservoir. Because the air and fluid are in contact with one another, this turbulence can cause the hydraulic fluid to become aerated. Aeration of the hydraulic fluid can adversely effect the performance characteristics of the shock absorber by changing the flow characteristics of the fluid through the valving in the piston and the cylinder base. In addition, in order to retain the air in the reservoir chamber, such designs must generally be mounted in a substantially vertical orientation. Specifically, these designs generally should not be mounted more than 50 degree from vertical, nor can they be mounted in an inverted position or a horizontal orientation.  
           [0007]    In order to reduce this aeration effect in the hydraulic fluid, it is known to use deformable gas compartments or cells within the reservoir chamber. Examples of such prior designs can be found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,799,291; 3,024,875; and 3,123,347. While these prior gas cell shock absorbers designs may adequately prevent adverse aeration of the hydraulic fluid and allow other than vertical mounting of the shock, they do not allow for pressurization of the shock absorber. Shock absorbers of other designs are often pressurized with gas to a pressure beyond atmospheric pressure so that the shock absorber provides a “spring assist” to the main suspension spring, thereby improving vehicle cornering and the “patch contact” of the vehicle&#39;s tire with the road. Hence, it is not possible to achieve the desirable performance characteristics of a pressurized shock absorber with these prior gas cell shock absorbers.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    A shock absorber according to certain aspects of an embodiment of the present invention comprises an inner cylinder defining an internal chamber that has a rod end and a base or closed end. A piston assembly is slidably mounted for reciprocal movement within the internal chamber in a compression stroke direction and in a rebound stroke direction. A piston rod is connected to the piston assembly and extends from the rod end of the internal chamber. A closure assembly closes the rod end of the internal chamber and slidably and sealingly engages about the piston rod. An outer cylinder defines a fluid reservoir compartment that is in fluid communication with the internal chamber. A deformable gas compartment is positioned in the reservoir compartment. The gas compartment contains a gas at a pressure in excess of atmospheric pressure. Hydraulic fluid filing all of portions of the internal chamber and the reservoir except for the gas compartment. The gas compartment includes a wall formed from an elastomeric material. The wall physically separates the gas in the gas compartment from the hydraulic fluid. The elastomeric wall allows the gas compartment to expand and contract as fluid flows into and out of the reservoir. The high pressure in the chamber maintains constant contact between the elastomeric wall and the fluid. Hence, the gas compartment acts as diaphragm and pressure in the compartment (diaphragm) is directly transmitted to the fluid. The wall may include an inner section that is generally constrained by the inner cylinder, an outer section that is generally constrained by the outer cylinder, and a generally U-shaped section interconnecting the inner and outer sections. The U-shaped section being unconstrained so that it can expand and contract as fluid flows into and out of the reservoir.  
           [0009]    Alternatively, the gas compartment may comprise a member mounted for reciprocal sealing movement within the reservoir compartment. The member divides the reservoir compartment into a gas compartment and fluid compartment, the relative sizes of which vary in accordance with the position of the member within the reservoir compartment. A gas in excess of atmospheric pressure fills the gas compartment and hydraulic fluid fills all of portions of the internal chamber and the reservoir except for the gas compartment. The member may be generally ring shaped and may be constructed from an elastomeric material. The member has an inner diameter forming an interference fit with an outer diameter of the inner cylinder and an outer diameter forming an interference fit with an inner diameter of the outer cylinder. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is cross-sectional view of a shock absorber according to certain aspects of an embodiment the present invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 1.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a shock absorber according to certain aspects of the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of a third embodiment of a shock absorber according to certain aspects of the present invention. 
     
    
       [0014]    The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments of the present invention, there is shown in the drawings, embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the present invention is not limited to the arrangements and instrumentality shown in the attached drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]    [0015]FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an embodiment of a shock absorber according to certain aspects of an embodiment of the present invention. The shock absorber  100  incorporates a number of assemblies, subassemblies and component parts that are of conventional design and construction. Except as otherwise noted below, these assemblies and parts, as utilized with the shock absorber  100 , may be generally constructed in the manner disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,310,077; 5,234,084; and 6,343,677, and the disclosures of these patents are hereby incorporated by reference. More specifically, the shock absorber  100  includes inner and outer cylinders  116 ,  118  that extend coaxially and concentrically in a conventional manner. The inner cylinder  116  defines an internal chamber or cavity  120 , and the annular space between the inner and outer cylinders  116 ,  118  defines an annular reservoir compartment  122 .  
         [0016]    A conventional piston or, more specifically, piston assembly  126 , is slidably mounted within the internal chamber  120  and divides the internal chamber  120  into a rebound compartment  128  and a compression compartment  130 . The volumes of the compartments  128  and  130  vary in accordance with the position of the piston assembly  126  within the chamber  120 .  
         [0017]    As is conventional, the end of the shock absorber  100  adjacent the rebound compartment  128  (that is, the upper end as shown in FIG. 1) is sometimes referred to as the open end or rod end. Conversely, the end adjacent the compression compartment  130  (that is, the lower end as shown in FIG. 1) is commonly referred to as the closed end. The ends of the cylinders  116 ,  118  adjacent the closed end of the shock absorber  100  are closed by an end cap assembly  134 . The ends of the cylinders  116 ,  118  adjacent the rod end are closed by a rod end closure assembly  136 .  
         [0018]    A piston rod  138  has an inner end  140  connected with the piston assembly  126 . The outer end  142  of the rod  138  slidably and sealably projects through the closure assembly  136  in a conventional manner. The outer end  142  of the rod carries a member  146  that, in turn, supports a dust shield  148 .  
         [0019]    The shock absorber  100  is adapted to be connected between two masses, for instance, between the vehicle&#39;s body and the vehicle&#39;s suspension. For this purpose, an eye connector (not shown) is typically secured to the center of the exterior surface of the end cap assembly  134  for securing the shock absorber  100  to the vehicle&#39;s suspension. Similarly, the outer end  142  of the piston rod  138  is typically threaded to permit it to be secured to a mounting aperture on the vehicle&#39;s body by, for example, by a reciprocal nut. Alternatively, the outer end  142  of the piston rod  138  could also include an eye connector. It will be appreciated that these connections can be reversed, i.e., the closed end of the shock can be connected to the vehicle&#39;s suspension and the piston rod  138  can be connected to the vehicle&#39;s body.  
         [0020]    The end cap assembly  134  includes an end cap member  150  and a valve cage member  152 . The end cap member  150  is connected, e.g., by welding, to the lower end of the outer cylinder  118  so as to seal and close the lower end of the outer cylinder  118 . The valve cage  152  provides fluid passages (not shown) which permit unrestricted fluid communication between the reservoir compartment  122  and the space or volume defined between the valve cage member  152  and the cap member  150 . The valve cage member  152  mounts a replenishing valve  154  and a compression valve  156 . During the compression stroke of the piston assembly  126 , increasing pressure in the compression compartment unseats the compression valve  156  and biases the replenishing valve  154  closed. When this occurs, a quantity of fluid, equivalent to the piston rod volumetric displacement, will flow from the internal chamber  120  through the compression valve  156 , and then through passages in the valve cage member  152  and into the reservoir  122 . Conversely, during the rebound stroke, decreasing pressure in the compression compartment biases the compression valve  156 closed and the replenishing valve  154  open, allowing fluid to flow from the reservoir  122 , through the replenishing valve  154  and into the internal chamber  120 . Simultaneously, increasing pressure in the rebound compartment  128  is transmitted through passages and valves in the piston assembly  126 , permitting fluid to flow between the rebound compartment  128  and the compression compartment  130 .  
         [0021]    The rod end closure assembly  136  includes an inner head member  160  that closes the rod end of the inner cylinder  116 . The inner head  160  has a reduced diameter lower portion  164 , which is press fit into the inner cylinder  116 , and a central aperture sized to slidably engage the piston rod  138 . A seal  165 , such as an O-ring, is disposed within the central aperture and seals about the outer surface of the piston rod  138 . The seal  165  functions to retain the hydraulic fluid within the internal chamber  120 . The inner head  160  further includes an increased diameter upper flange  166  that extends radially towards the outer cylinder  118 .  
         [0022]    The rod end closure assembly  136  further includes a seal subassembly  170  comprising a metallic outer cap  172  and an elastomeric seal member  174 . Both the cap  172  and the member  174  have respective central apertures sized to slidably engage about the piston rod  138 . The cap  172  also includes a lower leg  178 , which is fixedly joined to the outer cylinder  118 , to secure the seal subassembly  170  in the rod end of the shock absorber  100 . The central aperture  182  of the seal member  174  includes a plurality of lips or ridges  184  which scrape against the outer diameter of the piston rod  138  to remove excess shock absorber fluid from the piston rod as it moves out of the internal chamber  120 . A garter spring  186  secured around the seal member  174  functions as a mechanical spine for the seal member.  
         [0023]    It will be understood that the construction of the shock absorber  100  as thus far described is similar to the shock absorbers described in the aforementioned patents. It will also be understood that the assemblies, subassemblies, and components thus far described may assume other designs, constructions or configurations without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0024]    The shock absorber  100  includes a novel gas containing structure or compartment  200  within the reservoir. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the gas compartment  200  includes an inflatable bladder  202 . The bladder  202  is preferably formed from an elastomeric material which is impermeable to hydraulic fluid flow into the gas compartment and impermeable to gas flow out of the gas compartment. The bladder material should be selected so that it remains elastomeric between −40° F. and 275° F., which is the typical range of operating temperatures for a shock absorber, and can withstand pressures several times greater than atmospheric pressure. One suitable material is Vamac as is available from E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company  
         [0025]    In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the inflatable bladder  202  includes inner and outer side walls  204 ,  206  and a generally U-shaped bottom wall  210 . The upper end of the inner wall  204  is secured to the inner cylinder  116  by a clamp  212 . Similarly, the upper end of the outer wall  206  is secured to the outer cylinder  118  by a clamp  214 . The upper end of the bladder is open and is in fluid communication with flow passages  216  formed in the head member  160 . The bladder  202  is pressurized, e.g., during assembly of the shock absorber, to a pressure above atmospheric pressure. This can be accomplished by directing high pressure gas between the piston rod  138  and the seal  174 , as is generally indicated by the arrow  220  in FIG. 2. The seal is displacable, e.g., by gas pressure and/or a portion of the inflation device to allow the gas to flow past the seal. The gas flows through the flow passages  216  and into the bladder  202 . Once the pressurization process is complete, the seal  174  functions to retain the pressurized gas within the bladder. The exact pressure of the gas within the compartment  200  will depend on the specific application. In a typical application the pressure will be in the range of 150 psi to 250 psi.  
         [0026]    As the inflatable bladder  202  is pressurized, expansion of its inner and outer walls  204 ,  206  will be constrained by the inner and outer cylinders  216 ,  218 , respectively. During assembly, the shock absorber  100  is filled with fluid, so that the volume of the fluid is more than normal but less than full. Hence, increasing pressure will cause the bottom wall  210  of the bladder  202  to expand downwardly and into contact with they hydraulic fluid in the reservoir  122 . Expansion of the bladder displaces fluid in the cylinder to fill any empty spaces and any free air is dissolved into the fluid. As a result, hydraulic fluid fills all of the internal chamber  120  and all portions of the reservoir  122  except for the gas compartment.  
         [0027]    The bladder  202  functions to separate the hydraulic fluid in the shock absorber from the gas, thereby prevent aeration (foaming) of the fluid. The bladder  202  also functions to retain the gas in the reservoir compartment, regardless of the orientation of the shock absorber. In addition, because the gas is at a pressure in excess of atmospheric pressure, the shock absorber functions as a gas spring and provides the benefits associated with a pressurized shock absorber. The non-restricted expansion of the bottom wall of the bladder permits the bladder to be always in contact with the hydraulic fluid. Hence, the bladder acts as diaphragm and pressure in the bladder (diaphragm) will be directly transmitted to the hydraulic fluid. Even as the main chamber of the shock absorber is replenished with fluid from the reservoir chamber, the gap in the reservoir chamber is taken up by the ever-expanding bladder (diaphragm), and no cavitation will occur.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of a shock absorber  100 B according to certain aspects of the present invention. The shock absorber  100 B includes a gas compartment  200 B defined by a bladder  202 B that is closed on the upper end by a generally U-shaped wall  230 . Gas is introduced into the bladder  202 B through a means, such as a valve  232 , which extends through the outer cylinder  118 . As a result, the flow passages  216  are not required in this embodiment, but they may be included as a matter of manufacturing convenience. The exact pressure of the gas within the bladder  202 B will depend on the specific application. As with the first embodiment, the pressure will be in the range of 150 psi to 250 psi in a typical application.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 4 illustrates a third embodiment of a shock absorber  100 C according to certain aspects of the present invention. In this embodiment, the gas bladder is replaced by a member  300  that physically divides the reservoir  122  into a gas compartment  302  (above the member  300  in FIG. 4) and a fluid compartment  304  (below the member  300  in FIG. 4). In the illustrated embodiment, the member  300  is generally ring-shaped. The member  300  can be constructed from an elastomeric material having generally the same properties as the material used to form the bladders  202 ,  202 B in the first and second embodiments. In this respect, the material should be impermeable to oil and gas, be oil resistant, remain resilient through the expected operating temperatures, and have a permanent set of base material less than 5%. Alternatively, the member  300  can, for example, be formed from metal and include appropriate inner and outer seals, which can for example be in the form of elastomeric O-rings. In the illustrated embodiment, the member  300  is solid. It could, alternatively, be hollow in which case it would preferably be filled, e.g., with gas or fluid. The member  300  is sized for reciprocal movement within the reservoir  122 , e.g., in response to fluid flow into and out of the fluid compartment  304 , while still isolating the pressurized gas from the hydraulic fluid. In this respect, the O.D. of the member  300  forms an interference fit with the I.D. of the outer cylinder  118 , whereas the I.D. of the member  300  forms an interference fit with the O.D. of the inner cylinder  116 . Pressurized gas is directed into the gas compartment  302 , e.g., during assembly, in the manner described above in connection with FIG. 1 to charge the gas compartment to a pressure in excess of atmospheric pressure.  
         [0030]    While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.